The following is a post sponsored by Egg Beaters. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

Whether it’s a leisurely breakfast on a Saturday morning or brinner on a weeknight, it’s hard not to love pancakes. And this recipe for light, fluffy and sweet Banana Walnut Pancakes is so delicious and easy to make. It takes just 35 minutes to whip up this recipe, and it makes four 3-pancake servings. Made with real bananas, crunchy walnuts and Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites (our favorite low-cal protein!), it’s healthy, too. Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients
1 c Eagle Mills® All-Purpose Unbleached Flour with Ultragrain®
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 c fat-free milk
1 medium ripe banana, mashed (1 med = about 1/2 cup)
1/4 c Egg Beaters® Original or Egg Beaters® 100% Egg Whites
2 tbsp Fleischmann’s® Original-stick, melted
1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted
PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
Sliced banana, cinnamon and honey, optional

Directions
1. Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside. Mix milk, mashed banana, Egg Beaters and Fleischmann’s in separate bowl until well blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. (Do not overmix. Batter should still be slightly lumpy.) Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in chopped walnuts.

2. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Ladle batter into skillet, using a scant 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top; turn and cook 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

3. Serve topped with more sliced banana, cinnamon and honey, if desired.

Nutritional Information
4 servings (3 pancakes each) Calories 283; Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 1 mg; Sodium 475 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; (Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sugars 14 g); Protein 9 g; Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet: Vitamin A 12%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 29%; Iron 9%

Cook’s Tips
Toasting walnuts adds to their taste and texture. To have these on hand, buy a large bag and toast all at once. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Toast about 10 minutes in a 350°F preheated oven or until fragrant and golden brown. Cool; place in a resealable plastic bag. Store in freezer.

They sound and look great, right? You can actually use Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites for pretty much any recipe that calls for eggs for a protein-power punch that is lower calorie and lower fat than regular eggs. Totally versatile! (And just one of the things we’re talking about on Twitter with the hashtag #EBProteinPower.)

Do you like your pancakes a little fruity like this Banana Walnut Pancakes recipe calls for or do you like yours plain? Tell us in the comments! —Jenn

The following is a post sponsored by Egg Beaters. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

We have some exciting news, guys! You know how we’re all about how to keep a lid on the junk in the trunk (not remove the junk, but just keep it healthy)? Well, from now until May, we’ve partnered with Egg Beaters for a Protein Power campaign that is going to help you do just that. Over the next few months, we have so many amazing things planned—from recipes to tips to videos to Twitter parties and giveaways, it’s about to be on and poppin’ in the healthy protein department.

While we’ll be discussing more deets later, the Egg Beaters Protein Power campaign is all about you feeling and looking your best by taking care of yourself and harnessing the power of protein. While you can get protein from a number of different sources, we’re particular fans of Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites because they’re a lean and high-quality protein with no cholesterol or fat. In fact, just a serving of them has 25 calories and five grams of protein. Made with all-natural egg whites, we love them in any recipe that calls for eggs—omelets, scrambles, breads and desserts or just on their own. Plus, they come in either a 16-ounce or 32-ounce carton with a resealable pour spout for easy measuring. Use what you need and then refrigerate. Talk about convenient!

Stay tuned next week for when we share a delicious Egg Beaters recipe you’ll want to make for breakfast—or brinner for that matter. And be sure to start following our Twitter account and the hashtag #EBProteinPower to begin participating in all of the protein-a-rific fun.

In the meantime, tell us, what’s your favorite way to eat eggs? Scrambled? Poached? Over-easy? Man, we’re getting hungry…Protein power! —Jenn

We're just like Jane Krakowski—we love Trop50!

The following is a post sponsored by Trop50. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

New Year, New Rear Week may have come and gone, but we’re not done with our New Year’s resolutions. Heck to the no, we’re still getting real in the New Year! And we’re doing it with the help of Trop50′s True Resolutions campaign.

Basically, Trop50 True Resolutions celebrates the real reasons behind your New Year’s resolutions. You share your goal for the year, post it on their Facebook page, and earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for yourself and 50 cents off for up to 50 (yes, 50) of your friends. You’re also entered to win a $1,000 gift card. If you’re not down with sharing your resolution publicly, you can even submit yours totally incognito with a fierce disguise.

And the super fun part? If you’re not sure of a resolution to make in 2012, they have some suggestions built in that you can select—and they have some pretty humorous “translations” when you do. Just trust me, and try it. I just uploaded my resolution to do 10 unassisted pull-ups in a row to feel like a bad arse. So fun.

Besides having a great time committing to a fun new goal for the New Year, we love this campaign because it encourages you all to try a juice beverage we love. Trop50 has the goodness of fruit juice with 50 percent less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners. While you can never go wrong with OJ, lately I’ve been digging on Trop50 Pomegranate Blueberry. Good at breakfast or with a cocktail (oops? Did I just say that?), it’s an FBG fave.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Trop50′s True Resolutions page and enter your resolution. But before you do, leave a comment below with what Trop50 flavor is your favorite. We’ll select three random U.S. readers to win a $25 Visa gift card. Now that’s juicy! —Jenn

A little fuzzy, but Jean and her pup sure do look comfy!

The following is a post sponsored by Tempur-Pedic. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

Remember the super-creative and super-intense TEMPUR-Pedic bed giveaway we did last fall? Well, our winner Jean received her bed and has since been loving her TEMPUR-Contour Signature mattress and TEMPUR Advanced Ergo Base. But we’ll let her tell you all about it in her own words—including how she tried to replicate this photo!

“I tried to emulate your photo with your dog, but mine doesn’t seem to look as happy. (He’s a grumpy old man though.) He sleeps on the bed with us and loves how he sinks into the memory foam! Well, he didn’t say that, but he falls asleep much faster now, so that’s my interpretation! As for how we like it, it’s amazing overall! I’d been trying to train myself to sleep on my back for several months now with little success, but placing the Ergo Base in the ‘sleep position’ with the head and legs slightly raised essentially won’t let me roll around to my side, which has helped my breathing tremendously when I sleep. And I’ve recently started running again after a three-year hiatus, and the massage function is great just before bed to loosen up my tired legs! Overall, I’ve noticed that I’m falling asleep faster, and my massage therapist has noticed a big difference in my back.”

We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Jean! Keep up those runs and those massages! Happy Tempur-Pedic sleeping! —Jenn

The following is a post sponsored by Gaiam TV. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

Doing the same workout at home can get boring. And this time of year, who has time to regularly get to the gym (or wants to go warm up the car to do so)? Yep, it can be a challenge even for us Fit Bottomed Girls. Which is why we love, love, looove the new streaming video service Gaiam TV.

For less than $10 a month, you get unlimited access to Gaiam’s amazing library of wellness and fitness videos, including just about every workout you can possibly think of (Jillian Michaels, Rodney Yee, The Firm—they have them all and more!). And if that wasn’t enough, in addition to all of the workouts, you have access to hundreds of Gaiam’s other documentaries, inspirational films and wellness videos that educate, motivate and dive into the metaphysical realm (fondly known as “hippity-dippity” in these parts). You can watch all of the streaming content on your computer, iPad, iPod or your phone (soon it’ll be available on your TV, too!). So, it’s pretty much like Netflix for your body and soul.

Ready to try Gaiam TV and get access to its more than 2,000 high-quality videos? Of course you are! Lucky for you, Gaiam TV is offering a free 10-day trial for you to do just that. So check it out. We bet you get hooked…

Also, since it is the holiday season, keep Gaiam TV in mind for that last-minute shopping! A gift membership to Gaiam TV is a fast, easy and affordable way to show others that you care about their health and well-being. And, really, what’s a better gift than that this holiday season?

Have you ever tried streaming workouts? Will you try Gaiam TV? Tell us! —Jenn

The following is a sponsored post. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

We’re not big into supplements beyond your everyday multivitamin, but over the past few years I’ve definitely added more to my daily regimen. Each day I take a vitamin D, prenatal vitamin, fish oil and spirulina supplement. I eat a pretty healthy diet, but I like the peace of mind knowing that my body is getting what it needs every day just in case I don’t eat optimally (and, heck, who eats optimally all the time, anywho?). It’s not like I’m taking the type of stuff you’d see recommended in a bodybuilding forum or any weight-loss supplements, rather it’s the stuff that has good research behind it.

If you’re looking to add some supplements to your diet—or you’re on the fence as to whether or not you should—we’ve put a list together of a few of the pros and cons of using supplements that you should consider!

Pros of Using Supplements

1. Added nutrition. Whether it’s needing extra calcium, iron, vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids in your diet (just a few things many women are low in), supplementation can be an easy way to bump up your vitamin intake.

2. Some research backs up supplementation usage. While there is a lot of conflicting research in this area, there are studies that support the use of supplements, and most nutritionists and doctors do recommend at least a multivitamin.

3. Healthy eating insurance. Like I said earlier, no one eats a perfectly healthy diet all the time (and it’s not like nutrition experts can even agree on what that might be!), so supplements like a multivitamin can be a great way to make sure you’re getting the essential amounts of vitamins and minerals—no matter how good or not-so-good your diet is.

Cons of Using Supplements

1. They’re not regulated. Supplements are not regulated like medicine is, so the FDA does not have to approve them before they hit the shelves. While the government can—and has—removed supplements for being unsafe, that’s generally after they’ve already been on the market. Pretty scary if you think about it!

2. They can be expensive. You just have to take a walk down the supplement aisle in any store to see that supplements aren’t cheap. In varying doses, you can easily pay upwards of $1 a pill, depending on what you’re buying. And many times, the more quality supplements are the most expensive.

3. Supplements aren’t whole foods. There’s so much that we don’t know about food and nutrition—it’s a complex area of study! Many times researchers will think one specific vitamin or mineral boosts health, when really it’s when it’s combined with something else in the food (or lots of other things) that makes it really beneficial. Bottom line, it’s hard to beat Mother Nature at her own game!

Our top recommendation? If you do decide to take supplements, talk to your doctor about it first (to make sure it doesn’t interact with anything else and is right for you) and always buy from a trusted, quality manufacturer. Also, don’t use supplements as an excuse to eat poorly—fresh, whole foods are always best!

Do you take supplements? What kinds? Do they freak you out? Tell us! —Jenn

This was a featured article provided by PredatorNutrition.com. All photos used were provided courtesy of Photostock and you can get more images like this from them here.

The following is a post sponsored by appSmitten. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

Like whoa, there are a lot of apps out there. Whether it’s for your iPhone, iPad or Android phone, there are about 3 million apps to choose from. Okay, maybe not quite that many. But, no doubt, there are a lot, with new ones coming out every day. But how do you separate the good from the not so good? Helping to make the app-o-sphere easier to navigate—and download decisions much, much easier to make—is a site called appSmitten. As their tagline says, they help you find your appy place.

Like FBG, the site is editorially independent, so they hand-pick apps because they actually like them and find them useful. So, basically, it’s like having a friend who is super techie give you the 411 on apps. We recently shared our top three health and fitness apps with appSmitten for their “Show Me Yours” feature. The feature won’t be live until next week, but you can get a sneak peek here.

In the meantime, be sure to sign up for appSmitten. You can get their app recommendations delivered straight to your inbox daily or weekly. And when you sign up before 5 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec 2, you’ll be entered to win a holiday makeover from MAC. A giveaway and free recommendations from girls who know their apps? Well, we’re just smitten.

What apps are you smitten with? Do you have trouble finding good quality apps? Dish! —Jenn

This post brought to you by Cafe Well. All opinions are 100 percent mine.

We all spend so, so many hours a day working. And, for most of us, that time “working” is actually us staring at a computer screen, sitting on our rears. In the past few years, more and more companies have started adding fitness centers and wellness programs to their HR offerings, which is awesome. But do they work? Are they actually fun? And do they really encourage newbies to get moving? Well, we know one that does: Race to the Moon.

Race to the Moon isn’t your usual boring corporate wellness plan. Oh, no. Participants of the program get fit and more active by using wireless pedometers to track their steps and then get rewarded as the miles rack up. In less than a month, Race to the Moon participants have walked more than 50 million steps, an average of 2.5 million a day. Now that’s a lot of steppin’!

Unlike other pedometer-based programs, Race to the Moon is particularly engaging because it uses a tool we love—social media. Hosted by the social media network Cafe Well and sponsored by HealthAmerica, Race to the Moon participants can win prizes, do fun activities and even start challenges with co-workers or family members. And within the Café Well community, users can connect with other people who share similar health care interests and needs, along with get healthy lifestyle tips. Café Well understands how complex and difficult the health care system is to navigate (amen!), so they make it easy to get the health information you need, when and where you want it.

Now if FBG was to create a challenge on CaféWell, we’d have to do a eat your fruits and veggies challenge. We talk about working out so much that it’s important to remember that nutrition is just as important to our overall health as exercise!

Does your workplace have a wellness program in place? Have you heard of Race to the Moon and CaféWell? Will you look into it? Tell us! —Jenn

Lemon thyme in water? It's delish! Credit: cookbookman17

This is the final post in the Thirsty Thursday series. Every Thursday for the past few weeks, we’ve been doing a series of posts on Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Mamas that have been sponsored by alkaStream and focus on water, hydration and health. For our sponsored-post policy, click here. 

The poll is closed, the votes have been counted, and we have a winner! After some intense voting, Merry has won the alkaStream water filtration system!

Merry’s Winning Water Recipe: The most refreshing water comes from mixing a gallon of water with about eight organic rose petals, three springs of lemon thyme and half of a lemon, sliced. Cover and set aside for one hour before serving on ice!

Simple yet delicious! And the alkaStream system Merry is winning is pretty darn amazing. Unlike other water filters that take everything out of the water, alkaStream systems take the bad stuff out and then add the good stuff back in, giving you water that’s more hydrating, rich in minerals and filled with antioxidants. Not to mention that it tastes awesome.

A big congrats to Merry for her win, and a huge thanks to all of our finalists who had amazing healthy water recipes! If you’d like to learn more about alkaStream, check out its website. Also, alkaStream is giving FBG readers a special deal—$30 off! Just use the code “FBG30″ when checking out! Here’s to healthy water! —Jenn

Today’s post continues our series of Thirsty Thursday posts! This series of posts on Fit Bottomed Girls and Fit Bottomed Mamas have been sponsored by alkaStream and focus on water, hydration and health. For our sponsored-post policy, click here.

Everyone knows that water filters keep out the bad stuff. But actually seeing that icky stuff is eye-opening. One awesome feature of the alkaStream water filtration system? A bright white ceramic bottom that can be cleaned. The water flows through this section first to filter out any sediment and dissolved particles. You can actually pop the filter out of the shell and scrub all the gunk off the bottom. Which when you see these before/after shots, is a good thing. The guys over at alkaStream sent us some pics of a few used filters, and we’ll just say it: “Eww.” Check it out:

Can you tell which is the clean filter?

Pretty gross, isn’t it?! Remember, this is used with tap water we’ve been told is clean and good to drink. All the stuff that collects on the bottom is what we can’t see! Yuck.

We’ve already told you how much this water has helped Jenn’s workouts, but what we’re most thankful for is what it’s keeping out of our bodies. If you haven’t checked into the alkaStream as a filtration option for you, we highly recommend it!

And just a reminder that next week one of our water recipe finalists is going to receive an alkaStream filtration system of his or her own! Don’t forget to vote for your fave! —Erin