HIIT Treadmill Workout

Hills & Sprints

I'm always changing up my cardio to keep it from getting too boring. Some days I do HIIT on the machines or track or outside, steady state cardio, or bodyweight cardio.  There are definitely many days where it's the last thing I feel like doing, so I'll come up with HIIT workouts that make the time fly by.  Below is one that I do on the treadmill.  The first half is hills and the second half is sprints.  For the hill intervals I usually keep my speed at about 4.5 for the really steep hills (10 and 12) and bump my speed up to 5.5 for the rest.  You can do this workout and adjust it to your fitness level, so you'll see there are ranges for speed and incline.

Also, I use the first interval as a warm up starting with a fast walk into a jog.

Minute:               Speed:               Incline:

0:00-5:00            4-5.5                  3.5

5:00-7:00            4-5.5                  8-10

7:00-8:00            4-5.5                  5-6

8:00-10:00          4-5.5                  10

10:00-11:00        4-5.5                  6-7

11:00-13:00        4-5.5                  12

13:00-25:00 Repeat the following intervals

30 seconds fast walk

30 seconds run

1:00 seconds sprint        

Label Reading Tips

My Facebook post yesterday inspired me to write a blog with a few tips on how to read labels.  I’m a bit of a label nazi.  I ALWAYS read labels on foods that I haven’t purchased before.  I have my weekly grocery list of foods that I already know the ingredients, but if there is ever a sale on an item that is a different brand than the one I buy, the first thing I’ll do is compare the ingredients and labels.  Yesterday I had posted a picture of 2 different “natural” peanut butters at the grocery store to show an example of why it is important to read your labels.  One of the peanut butter’s had sugar and other things in the ingredient list while the other was 100% natural and just contained peanuts.  The point of the post was to show people that it’s so important to read your labels and ingredients.  Just because a food is claiming to be healthy or natural, certainly doesn’t mean it is.  Here is my list of quick tips when it comes to reading labels.

1.  Don’t always believe the package.  There are so many food items that will say “healthy”, “low fat”, “fat free”, “no trans fat” etc.  These marketing tactics are used to draw your attention to purchase the item.  A lot of times when something is “low fat” or “fat free” such as dressings, they will contain more sugar.

2. Know your fats.  As listed above, one label you might come across is “no trans fat”.  But companies do not have to report the amount of trans fat on a food label if it doesn’t reach a certain amount.  So, how can you tell if your food contains trans fats?  The ingredients!  If your ingredients list has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, that’s trans fat! Also, limit saturated fats. 

3. Limit foods with added sugar.  Added sugar is in many foods you probably don’t think about.  Salad dressings, pre-made soups, cereals, sauces, seasonings etc.  If you use a lot of these items, try looking for items that contain less grams of sugar per serving.  (We all know we use more than 1 serving, so do your math).  Also, be aware of hidden names for sugars.  An ingredient list might not have sugar, but there are many names for it.   A few examples: dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, sorbitol, xylitol, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin etc.  Be aware of “sugar free”.  Sugar free could mean it has Aspartame, a nasty sugar substitute.

  4. Choose whole grains over processed.  When it comes to breads and pastas, your better choices are whole grains.  Look for it to say 100% whole grain.  Once again, look at your ingredient list.  If it says whole grain on the package, it may not be.  Also, choose whole grain breads and pastas with a higher fiber content to ensure slower digestion. 

5.  Stick with a short ingredient list.  Ingredients are listed in order of what the food contains most of.  You want your first few ingredients to be unprocessed recognizable ingredients.  If the food contains a long list of ingredients, many of which you cant even pronounce, just place it back on the shelf.  If you can’t recognize the words, chances are your body won’t know what it is either. 

6. Minimize sodium intake.  Sodium intake should be limited to less than 2,300 mg/day, and less for higher risk populations.  Many processed foods will have a high sodium content, so make sure not to ignore it.

7. Don’t ignore serving sizes.  It’s important to understand your serving sizes, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.  Most of us eat more than the serving size, which can make the calories add up quickly.  For example, if a serving size of a food item was 1, and your calories per serving size were 130 but you ended up having a portion that was 3 servings, you’ve now consumed 390 calories.  If this was a food item that you were having as a snack, you can see where it can start to add up.

Hopefully this list will help some of you make better choices during your next trip to the grocery store!  A lot of times you’ll hear people say to “shop the perimeter” of the store.  While a lot of natural whole foods are located around the perimeter, there are plenty of foods that are okay for us that are located in the aisles as well.  You just have to know what to look for.  

Strengthen Your "Core"

I witnessed something the other day at the gym that prompted this post.  The other day I witnessed someone at the gym who easily spent over an hour doing ab work.  Now, when I say "ab" work I'm talking about crunches upon crunches.  Every type of crunch.  Crunches on the floor, crunches on the stability ball, weighted crunches and so on.  For OVER AN HOUR!!!  I honestly couldn't believe that someone was spending that much time on one section of their body, but especially because working your entire core is more important.  While doing ab workouts will help to tone the outside of your stomach, it takes a lot more than just doing crunches for over an hour.  A lot of people want a flat stomach or a six-pack, but what you need to realize is that you should focus more on strengthening your "core".  Some of you may be sitting there scratching your head asking yourself "isn't your core the same thing as your abs?"  No.  When I talk about your core, I'm talking about every muscle that makes up your midsection - upper/lower abdominals, oblique's, and lower back all the way down to your glutes and legs... you know those inner muscles that won't show up on the outside of your belly.  Think of your midsection as a corset.  Abs are simply the muscles on the outside of the stomach.  By training your core, you'll get a tighter stomach and see faster results because you're going to be working more than one muscle group.

So what are the benefits of core strengthening?  Doing core exercises will help you with things like balance and stability and will strengthen the spine. A lot of exercises, especially compound exercises require some good core strength.  It also will help improve posture and reduce back pain.

Think of doing a squat with an overhead press.  You can definitely feel your core tightening and keeping you in balance while doing it.  Do exercises that decrease stability and require more balance.  Try squatting on a BOSU ball or lunging with one foot on the BOSU.  Your core will be working harder to balance you and keep you from falling.  Other great core exercises are planks.  There are a wide variety of planks to choose from, so if you find a regular plank easy and non-challenging, try a different version.

Some Core Exercises To Try:

Plank Push Ups
Plank while lifting one arm out straight and the opposite leg
Side Plank With a Cable Row
Push Ups
Lunge with a twist
Supermans
Single Arm Overhead Press

There are so many more as well!  So next time you have a goal of a flatter stomach, start doing more core exercises instead of just ab workouts!  The rest of your body will thank you.

Chicken Corn Soup

Snow outside means soup inside!  I made my first attempt at making chicken corn soup, and it turned out delicious!

Ingredients:
- 3 thin sliced chicken breasts
- 4 cups low sodium chx broth
- 3/4 onion chopped
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- Corn
- 2 Hardboiled eggs
- Salt & pepper for seasoning


Directions:
Place chicken breasts and chopped onion into a deep soup pot.  Pour in your chicken broth plus 1 cup of water.  Bring to medium heat and let cook for about an hour.  While chicken is cooking, chop your carrots and celery.  Also, boil your 2 eggs and set aside.  I cooked my frozen corn for a couple minutes as well before putting into the pot.  Once chicken is cooked scoop it out of the pot and set aside on a plate to cool down.  Once cooled, shred and pull apart into small chunks and place back into the soup pot along with the carrots and celery.  Let cook for about 15 minutes (I had the stove at about a 3-4 heat setting).  Then, chop your hardboiled egg whites and place into soup pot and season with salt and pepper.  Let soup simmer another 15-20 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Cali Vacation Workout Overview

Whew!  As much as I love vacations and never want them to end, it is good to get back into a steady routine.  Our trip started in San Francisco.  We walked everywhere while we stayed there and if anyone has ever been to San Fran, you know that's a workout in itself!  One word: Hills!!!  And not just any hills, STEEP hills!  We went walking around to see different things our first day, so I got plenty of hill walking in.  One thing that was on my list of fitness "to do's" was to run the Golden Gate Bridge.  I checked that off my list while there!  I was also able to get in a quick strength training routine since our hotel had a small fitness center.

After San Fran we traveled to Napa Valley for a day then headed to Monterey where we stayed for another night before heading down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego to visit my sister.  There was another small fitness center in our hotel in Monterey, so I did another strength training session the morning before we headed down the pacific coast.

While in San Diego, we did a 3 mile hike (round trip) up Cowles Mountain (the highest point in the city of San Diego).  It was a nice challenging hike, as it was steep the whole way up.  The view from the top was amazing.  While in San Diego I also went to the gym with my sister and we took a Barre class. It was my first time taking a Barre class and I loved it.  Even if you are in great shape, when you do something different that your body isn't used it, it will be challenging!  Having to do so such small isolated movements was something my body isn't used to.  My legs were shaking and I was definitely feeling the burn!

Quick Strength Training Routine For Vacation:

2-3X (depending on time) 12 Reps (little to no rest between exercises)

Bicep Curls

Dips

Chest Press w/ Hip Bridge

Bent Over Rows

Front Raise

Squat w/ Overhead Press

Side Raise

5X 30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest

Inchworms to Push Up

Rocket Squat (2 pulse downs, jump squat)

Plank Jacks

Side Skaters

Plank Push Ups

*Hop on a treadmill after last round and do a 30 second jog 30 second sprint for 5 more minutes

No Equipment Vacation Workout 

(If your hotel doesn't have a fitness center, you can still do bodyweight exercises!)

3X 12-15 Reps

Squat w/ Standing Cross Over Crunch (opposite knee comes up to meet opposite elbow)

Push Ups

Dips

Hip Bridge

Inchworms to Alternating Side Planks

Spiderman Planks

Alternating Front Lunges

Cardio Circuit:

30-45 secs work, 10 secs rest

5X

Jump Squats

Walking Planks

Half Get Ups 

Plank Jacks

High Knees

Mt. Climbers

Weight Training 101

 Most people come to me because they know strength training is important, but need to learn how to do it.  It can be a very overwhelming thing for people to try to learn, especially on their own.  I'm a huge advocate for strength training, and always let my clients know how important it is for our bodies.  After the age of thirty, you lose about half a pound of muscle a year if you don't strength train.  Some reasons you should be strength training include - it builds muscle and reduces body fat, increases strength, increases bone density, increases metabolic rate (burn more calories throughout the day), prevents injuries, helps prevent diseases, and makes everyday tasks easier (carrying groceries, picking things up, walking up the stairs etc.)

The Basics:

You don't have to be a bodybuilder to strength train.  Everyone benefits from it and should incorporate it into their exercise routine.  It's recommended that strength training be done 2-3 times per week to at least reap the minimum benefits.  While there are many different approaches and plans, I'm only going to give examples of two basic ways to structure your workouts.  These two ways will incorporate working every major muscle group throughout the week, which is important so that your body is in balance.  You want to be working every major muscle group so that you don't develop muscle imbalances which could lead to injuries or poor posture.  

Two Basic Options:

3 Total Body workouts throughout the week

-Incorporate 1-2 exercises for each major muscle group

-Quads, hamstrings, chest, back, biceps, triceps and shoulders

-Compound exercises are a great way to work more than one muscle group at a time (for example: a squat with an overhead press)

Split Routines (Split your workout days into different muscle groups)

-Example: Day 1: Back/Biceps, Day 2: Legs/Abs, Day 3: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

-Incorporate 2-3 exercises for each major muscle in the split

Repetitions and Sets:

When trying to build muscle you should aim for 8-12 reps.  Anything over 12 will be working for muscle endurance.  However, I always recommend lighter weight and more reps (15) for beginners so that they can learn proper form and movement first.  You should be tired by the 12th rep and that's when you know you are using the right amount of weight.  

You should aim for 3-4 sets.  You can rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets, perform 2 exercises back to back without rest, perform 3 in a row without rest etc.  You can choose any of the options listed; just keep in mind your fitness level. 

Rest:

Allow your muscles to recover.  When you strength train, you are breaking down your muscle fibers and they need time to rebuild.  Don't train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.  

Change It Up:

Our bodies are GREAT at adapting, so you should be progressing every 4-6 weeks, which means you'll need to change things up a bit.  Simple things you can do to change it up include - increase your weight (especially if it's getting easy at your current amount), switch up your rest periods between sets (you could also perform "active" rests between sets doing exercises such as jumping jacks or mt. climbers), your positioning (incline bench instead of flat or change the order of your workouts during the week.  

Gym or At Home: 

The great part about strength training is you don't need a gym.  I try to utilize a bunch of different fitness equipment as much as possible. Medicine balls, kettlebells, BOSU balls, stability balls, dumbbells, cables, your own bodyweight etc.  the possibilities are endless!  If the gym isn't your thing, you can still get an effective workout in at home. 

Extra Tips: 

Write down your fitness goals.  Write down your short-term goals as well as your long-term goal.  It's important to know what you are working toward and it will help keep you motivated.

Write down your workouts ahead of time.  Planning ahead is key!  If you have your workouts on your calendar for the week and already have them written down, you'll be less likely to skip out.

Track your progress.  Keep track of the amount of weight you're using for your exercises so you know if you are progressing.  As mentioned above, every 4-6 weeks you should be able to increase your weight.  Also, tracking your progress will help keep you on track and once you start to see results it will keep you motivated to keep going!

Lastly, don't get discouraged.  Your mind will want to give up way before your body does.  Keep pushing yourself and keep reminding yourself why you started.  You may have a few slip ups along the way and that's okay!  Just get right back on track and keep going.  One of my favorite sayings - Small steps lead to BIG changes!

Overnight Oats

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Or as I like to say, heaven in a jar!

Ingredients:

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 Cup of Oats (I use 1 Cup, but I try to eat a big breakfast)
1 Banana
1 Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter (only ingredient is peanuts)
1 Tablespoon of Ground Flax
1 Scoop of Chocolate Whey Protein

You can use any type of glass or jar container, I just love the mason jars.

Scoop in your oats, ground flax and chocolate whey protein and cover the jar and shake around to get everything more mixed.  Add your almond milk (I don't measure my milk,  I just pour a little at a time until all of the oatmeal is moist and keep adding to my liking.  If you like your oatmeal more watery you'll want more almond milk).  Add your tablespoon of peanut butter and stir well.  Once everything is stirred, cut your banana into small slices or chunks and add to your oatmeal.  Stir again and once everything is set, leave in the fridge overnight.  In the morning it will be ready to eat!

Reasons You Aren't Seeing Results

Working at a gym for a few hours a week, I'm typically asked a good amount of questions by members who are working out.  After being asked a certain question and having a short conversation with a member, it deserved a post.  The conversation in a nutshell- "How do I get rid of this?" (pointing to their stomach). "Should I be doing more of the cardio machines for it?"  My answer was simple and honest.  I simply said that it takes a combination of things.  There is no "one" exercise that will spot reduce the part of your body that you don't like.  It takes strength training, cardio and eating healthy nutritious foods in order to see results.  They all work together.  When I mentioned the eating healthy part they proceeded to tell me that healthy food is more expensive and it was a lot easier to buy the frozen dinner then the expensive steak.  Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive, and right there was one thing they were doing to sabotage their results.  Below i've put together a list.

Ways you might be sabotaging your results:

1.  Overeating and drinking your calories.  It's important to get in your daily amount of calories but often time's people may not realize when they are eating too much.  Starting your day off with a big breakfast is good and will give you energy through your morning, while also getting your metabolism going.  But if you aren't eating a decent size breakfast or one at all, that could cause you to overindulge during your lunch.  Also throw some snacks in between meals and your calories can add up pretty quickly.  I heard an analogy once that I loved.  Think of the order of your meals in terms of "king, queen and prince".  Breakfast being the biggest and dinner being the smallest.  If you are a snacker, this term can really come in handy because by the time you eat dinner, you could have already consumed a good amount of calories during your day.  Eating at a restaurant?  Your meal could add up to be your total daily amount just in one meal.  Most restaurant meals are loaded with extra fat and calories, so be aware.  Most places will list their menus online, so check out the menu before choosing.
Also keep in mind your drink choices.  Sodas, juices, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages all add up quickly if you're consuming more than 1 in a day.   Specialty drinks such as Starbucks run anywhere from 250-500 calories depending on size and type (not to mention the amount of sugar in them).  Try to get your calories from food instead of beverages.  Next time you have a drink look at the calories and serving size.  Chances are there are more than 1 serving in your bottle which means more calories then you see listed.

2.  Not eating enough.  Doing just the opposite of number one could be hurting your chances of seeing results as well.  You need to eat in order to see results.  When you don't eat enough calories, your body will go into starvation mode taking energy from muscle and storing more fat.  Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the amount of calories you need just to survive.  Most people are shocked when they see how many calories they need JUST if they were sedentary.  To find your BMR use the following calculation:
Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Once you have your calculation, you can use this website to add in your activity level to get a more accurate amount of calories needed.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

3.  Eating too much "crap" and not enough healthy nutritious foods.  This doesn't need much of an explanation.  If you're choosing to eat highly processed foods at almost every meal, then don't expect the best results.  You can spend countless hours at the gym, but the results will not come quickly or as well if you are not eating properly.  Exercise won't make up for bad eating, plain and simple. 

4.  You're not pushing yourself and working out to your full potential.  If you're not working hard and challenging your body, don't expect to see major changes.  Our bodies are great at adapting, so doing light cardio or light strength training won't cause major changes when your body is used to walking and bending and lifting things up on a daily basis.  It's going to take you pushing yourself and REALLY working yourself to see results.  The amount of weight you lift should be difficult enough that by rep 12, you're fatigued.  For cardio exercise, you want to aim to reach your target heart rate (beginners can aim for the low end while moderate to advanced can work toward reaching the high end of your target HR).  Do the work, push yourself, and see the results.

5.  Not seeking help.   Let's face it.  There is soooo much information out there and thousands of different exercises.  It can definitely be overwhelming trying to learn what exercises to do and how to do them properly.  That's why us personal trainers exist!  To help you learn what exercises to do and how to do them with proper form.  We're also there to help you get out of a rut.  You may know how to do a few exercises, but you need to always be finding ways to change up your routine to continue to see progress and results.  So, don't be afraid to seek out help from a trainer.  It's our job! 

6. Not logging your workouts, progress and goals.  It's important to be tracking your workouts and progress. Logging your workouts will help you see when you need to increase your weight or change up your routine.  It's also a motivational tool.  If you see your results and progress your making, it'll keep you going and pushing harder.  I always schedule my workouts for the entire week so that I have it down on paper and don't have to even think about it the day of.  It also helps me to see what I've been doing for the past weeks so I know whether or not to change things up.  You also need to write down your goals. Goals are an important factor in your success.  You have to know what you are looking to accomplish so that you stay on track.  

7.  Not working on flexibility and taking rest days.  These two sort of go hand in hand for me, as they are both important for decreasing injury.  Most people are already on a time crunch, so they skip their warm up and cool down.  Don't.  Always warm up the body by doing at least a 5 minute dynamic warm up (moving the body) and save your static stretching (holding a stretch for 15-30 seconds) for after your workout.  Stretching for flexibility will help you move better, reduce your risk of injury,help improve your posture and help prevent major muscle soreness.
Not taking a day to rest will also increase your risk of injury.  It's important to give your body and muscles a break to recover.  Rest days are also important to prevent overuse injuries and overtraining.  Listen to your body and know when to step back or take a day off. 

8.  Not training every major muscle group.  It's really important to make sure you are training every major muscle group and not neglecting any.  Your body should be balanced.  Every major muscle has an opposing muscle, and they work together in terms of movement.  One should not be dominant over the other.  Having muscle dominance can cause injury and poor posture. 

That completes my main list of things I feel that people may be doing that slow down their progress or results.  Of course a few honorable mentions could also be things like chronic stress, not getting enough sleep and making excuses (whole other topic).  

If you find that you're not making progress or seeing results, really think about the things listed above.  How many are you doing?  Be honest with yourself.  Sometimes it does go more in depth then just this list (thyroid issues, hormone issues etc...) in which case seeking out a nutritionist or expert would be beneficial.  But if there are no underlying issues, then start eliminating the things that are sabotaging your progress.

Eating Healthy & Exercising on Vacation

Here is a blurb I posted to my Facebook page after my vacation this summer. I thought it deserved a repost as i'm anxiously awaiting my trip to Cali at the end of November! And yes, exercise is built into my vacation plans (5k, running the Golden Gate Bridge, hiking, and taking a Barre class with my sister).  I'll be sure to be blogging about those!

Staying Healthy on Vacation  

A question asked by many people, is how to eat healthy and get exercise in on vacation.  While you may not always have the choice to eat whole fresh foods, there are some things you can do on vacation to keep you on track.  It is harder to maintain your goals while away, and let's face it, you're on vacation and should be enjoying yourself!  But It's all about balance.  

Yes exercising and eating healthy are two very important things to me, and are a huge part of my life.  However, I have balance in my life and I allow myself to indulge or enjoy things once in awhile that may not be so good for me.  I enjoy adult beverages on the weekends and go out to the bars with friends.  Yes, ice cream and frozen yogurt are my all time favorite desert that I enjoy way more in summer.  But for me, it's all about balancing the bad with the good.  Do I eat ice cream everyday of the week? No.  Probably not even once a week, but I sure don't feel guilty when I have it!  Do I drink every night?  Nope...but I enjoy some good beer on the weekends!  So when it comes to going on vacation, I don't stress about the fact that I will be off my usual routine of exercise and healthy eating.

When it comes to vacation it's all about making "better" choices, even if they aren't the best.  While we were on vacation this past summer, all we had was a mini fridge and a microwave in our hotel room.  No stove to cook on.  Even with the fridge and microwave, we were only ever in the room to shower and sleep.  We were on the go which caused us to eat out at every meal (except most breakfasts).  Knowing this was going to happen, I made sure to 1. Pack healthier snacks for the drive and to have in the room (cashews, almonds, protein shakes, bananas etc...) 2.  I packed traditional rolled oats to have with fruit for breakfast and 3.  I packed my TRX suspension trainer, and my very supportive boyfriend made sure to book a hotel that had a fitness center.  When eating at restaurants I would order sandwiches or salads (dressing on the side) over fried food, or order a side of fruit or veggies with my meal.  One evening I ordered salmon with a side baby spinach salad for dinner (so delicious!)

I made my own breakfasts since our hotel only offered things like waffles, bagels or "eggs".  However, being down South meant great tasting food.... but not so good for you food.  But I allowed myself to have a meal or two that wasn't a better choice (hello Bar BQ bean burrito).  I wanted to have a taste of "southern cooking", I just made sure not to have a taste for every meal.  

As far as exercise, we walked everywhere!  Our hotel in Nashville was only a 15-20 minute walk from downtown so we were constantly walking from morning to night.  Not to mention we hiked a lot on our vacation (Smoky Mountains and on our drive home).  I also went for runs, did a TRX workout, ran on the treadmill in the fitness center and even did a quick strength training workout with the weights that were available.  Were my workouts long?  No... but I still got quick and effective workouts in.  

So, find your balance.  Help keep yourself on track by packing healthy snacks, making your own breakfasts, choosing better options while eating out,  walking instead of driving if possible, planning physical activities into your vacation (hiking, biking, running etc...), booking a hotel with a fitness center, packing travel friendly exercise equipment (suspension trainer or resistance bands), or simply doing bodyweight cardio and strength exercises a few days during the week. If it's important to you, you'll find a way.

Track Time!

Today's HIIT workout was done on the track.  However, it can be done on the treadmill or outdoors.  The track I ran on was 16 laps to a mile.

Warm Up: 5 minute jog (or I ran a whole mile)

Workout: About 20 minutes

Repeat 4X or until you've ran the track/treadmill for a whole mile

Jog 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Sprint 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Jog 1 lap (1/16 mile)
Sprint 1 lap (1/16 mile)
*After Every 1/4 mile)
30 sec Mt. Climbers
30 sec Plank Push Ups
Walk 1 lap

After you complete your mile:

Repeat 2X
45 sec Plank Jacks
45 sec Toe Taps on Bench
Walk a Lap

Cool Down: Walk 5 minutes

Chicken Fajitas and Parmesan Parsley Brown Rice

Ingredients: (2 servings)
-Chicken Breasts
-Peppers (1 1/2)
-Onion (1/2)
-Brown Rice (1/2 C)
-Fresh Shredded Parm (Handful)
-Light Sour Cream (Spoonful)
-Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Parsley and Lime Juice
-Olive Oil
-High Fiber Tortilla







While I rarely eat processed foods and flour products, I do believe that you need to find your balance with what you choose to eat.  I rarely have flour products (regular bread, pasta etc... I eat Ezekiel brand bread which is flourless), however I will have them on occasion.  I was really in the mood for a dinner with peppers and onions so I knew fajitas would be perfect! If you are going to eat flour products such as breads, pastas, wraps or tortillas, make sure they have at least 5 grams of fiber.


Marinade chicken breasts in lime juice and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder. While the chicken marinades, heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  Slice pepper and onion into long strips.

Cook brown rice according to directions.  Add pepper and onion to large skillet and cook until tender.  Cook chicken on stove until cooked.  Once everything is cooked, chop chicken and add chicken, peppers, and onion to tortilla. Top with small spoonful of sour cream if desired.  When rice is cooked, add a handful of fresh parm and stir well.  Add parsley to rice as well and stir and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

                                                                                              A healthy twist to a classic!

Ingredients:
-1lb Lean Ground Turkey
-3-4 Small-Medium Sweet Potatoes
-Garlic (4 cloves)
-2 Carrots (chopped)
-1 Celery Stalk (chopped)
-1/2 Onion (diced)
-Milk (I used 1%) (1/2 Cup)
-Low Sodium Chicken Broth (About 1 1/4 Cup)
-Frozen Corn (1/2 Cup)
-Other Veggies of choice (peas, green beans etc...)
-Tomato Paste
-Paprika, Salt, Pepper & Onion Powder


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400*

Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

-Peel and cube sweet potatoes
-Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic
-Boil sweet potatoes and garlic until cooked and soft
*Drain and add in 1/2 cup of milk and a dash of chicken broth, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher.  Set aside.

Filling:

Brown your meat in a large saute pan and season as desired.  Once cooked, set aside on a plate.  While turkey is cooking, chop up carrots, celery, onion and 2 more cloves of garlic.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and on medium heat cook carrots, celery and onion until tender.  Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add corn, 1 cup of chicken broth, 2 tsps of tomato paste, cooked turkey and season with salt, pepper and onion powder.  Simmer for 5-10 more minutes.

In a deep baking dish, layer the bottom with the filling.  Layer your mashed sweet potatoes on top and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake 20-30 minutes, serve and enjoy!

"Quick" Lunches

I was recently asked for some healthy "quick" lunch ideas.  A client had come to me asking this question because when she's in a rush out the door in the morning, grabbing a frozen option like Lean Cuisine was her solution.  Knowing it wasn't the best option; she wanted to know some other options instead.  When it comes to frozen meals, a lot tend to be high in sodium and have a bunch of stuff in them that we don't need to be eating.

If you are going to go the frozen route, choose a bag of frozen veggies in a steamer bag.  Veggies are great for us, so having a frozen veggie bag over a frozen lunch would be a better option.  However, they are low in calories, so pack simple grab and go items such as fruit and yogurt as well.

My other suggestion was to just plan ahead and buy simple grab and go items each week at the store.  If you know you are going to have a busy week ahead and might run into the issue of having to run out the door in the morning, then make sure to buy some simple staples at the grocery store for the week.  One idea would be to buy a bag of salad, fruit that is easy to grab and eat such as bananas, apples or grapes, a couple snack size veggie packs and a few single serving yogurts.  In the morning just throw your items in your lunchbox and head out the door.  Each item is simple enough to just grab and take with you and is a more nutritious option then frozen lunches.

Also, make extra when cooking dinner so you have leftovers for lunch.  It's a quick and easy option.  Just start to think of items that are healthy but can be thrown into your lunch when your in a rush.  Keep it simple!

Stairway to Strong Workout

My love/hate relationship with the Stair Master inspired me to take my stair workout to an actual staircase!  Do this at home or find some stairs at a local park or school that have a good amount of steps! Depending on the amount of stairs you use will depend upon how easy/hard you make your workout.  If you choose a place with a lot of stairs, you can modify the workout by only going halfway up instead of the whole way.






Warm Up: About 5 minutes
Walk up and back down the stairs
Jog up and walk back down

At the bottom of the stairs:
3X Through

Dips (12-15 reps)
Windmill Push Ups (12-15 reps)
Mt. Climbers with hands on first step (45 seconds)
Rest 30 seconds then repeat 2 more times

Jog up steps/walk back down

3X
Plank step ups (30-45 seconds) (Start in plank position on hands in front of bottom step.  Walk yourself up one hand at a time to first step, then back down)
Hop Ups (45 secs to a minute) (Start on ground in front of first bottom step, hop up onto first or second step and back down)
Plank Tuck In's (In plank position on hands with feet on bottom or 2nd step, tuck right knee in toward your left elbow and alternate)

Cross over lunges up the steps/walk back down (alternate legs, skipping every 2 or 3 steps)
Tip Toes/walk back down (walk up the steps on your tip toes...calves!)
Rest

3X
Step Ups onto 2nd or 3rd step ( 30-45 seconds-one leg at a time)
Incline Push Ups (on second or third step)
Hip Bridges (Feet on bottom step or 2nd highest step)

Walk or jog up steps and back down
Stretch

Homemade Tomato Bisque

Cooler weather is here, which means time for lots of soups and croc pot meals!  I had attempted homemade tomato soup a couple years ago, but did not like how it turned out (although the boyfriend LOVED it.)  Now, I hate tomatoes! I love ketchup, sauce and tomato soup, but when I had made it the first time it was too tomatoey for my liking.  Since we had fresh tomatoes that needed to be used up, I decided to give it another try and it turned out delicious!

Ingredients:

2 large containers of grape or cherry tomatoes

2 cups of chicken broth

4 large fresh tomatoes (peeled,diced)

1/2 onion diced
2 Carrots

2 cloves of garlic minced

salt & pepper

onion powder, garlic salt & garlic powder and pepper

olive oil

1 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet, spread out the tomatoes and sprinkle with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oven is ready, bake/roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, put in another 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and put on medium high heat.  Throw your onion, carrots and garlic into the pan and saute for 5-6 minutes.  Then, add your roasted tomatoes from the oven, chicken broth, fresh tomatoes and spices.  (Add spices to your liking).  Then add in your cup of milk.  If you like your soup creamier, you can always add a little more milk.  Bring soup to a boil.  Once it starts boiling, bring it down to a low simmer.  Cover pot halfway and let simmer for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, let soup cool and then blend it with an immersion blender (or if you don't have one, you can blend in a regular blender and return to pot).  

After blending the soup together, serve and enjoy!  I enjoyed the soup with some grilled cheese on Ezekiel bread.

Chicken with Veggies and Potatoes

Last nights dinner!  Chicken with red and yellow peppers, onion, zucchini, red potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients: (To serve 2)
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (Cubed into smaller chunks) (2 pieces)
Red Pepper (1/2)
Yellow Pepper (1/2)
Zucchini (I used about 3/4 of a large one)
Red Onion (1/3)
2-3 Medium Red Potatoes
1 Medium Sweet Potato
Olive Oil
Onion Powder, Paprika, Salt & Pepper for seasoning

*Chop chicken and potatoes into cubes, slice peppers and onions and chop zucchini slices in half.

Heat a little olive oil in a large deep pan.  Add in potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Stir to cover and season with onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika.  Cover with lid and cook for about 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender and cooked.  (Make sure to stir occasionally).  Cook chicken cubes in separate pan and season with salt and pepper.  Once chicken and potatoes are cooked, set aside onto a plate.  Add a little olive oil to the pan again and add in your peppers and onions.  Cook on medium heat until they turn a little brown, then add in zucchini.  Season veggies with all the spices listed above, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender.  Add your chicken and potatoes back in and warm it all up and serve!!

What is "Clean Eating?"

What is clean eating?!  This is a question I received and one that is asked by clients when I talk to them about nutrition.  First and foremost, everyone has his or her own definition of clean eating.  Mine consists of: eating as whole, fresh and nutritious as possible, but finding your balance.  So what does that mean you may ask?  For me it’s eating foods as close to their natural state as possible, or buying foods that have a short ingredient list that I know what most of those ingredients are. And for me, highly limiting processed foods. BUT, also finding a balance of enjoying foods that may not fit into that category. 

I think it’s important for everyone to know that a certain way of eating isn’t always the right way for every single person.  Our bodies are all different.  Some of us may be able to exercise and eat more of one thing than someone else.  It’s truly a trial and error and you have to find what works best for YOU.  However, I believe that in order to feel and look your best, you need to be eating those whole nutritious foods more than the not so good stuff (cakes, cookies, candies, chips etc…) Many people out there would argue that “clean eating” is just a bunch of crap and that you can eat whatever you want yadda yadda yadda. 

I disagree with that.  For example, a few months ago my dad had his yearly physical and his cholesterol numbers were higher than the doctor had liked.  Knowing that he could be headed down the wrong path (my grandfather had high cholesterol and diabetes) I marched into my parents house and taught them a little bit about “my” version of clean eating.  Did I expect them to wipe out the fridge and cupboards with all the “not so good” food? No.  I simply told them little swaps and changes that they could make in order to be healthier.  After a few months of eating better and making the little swaps I suggested, my dads cholesterol levels went back to normal.  Did he stop eating his sweets and other not so good food?  No… he still enjoyed them, just cut down on how often he ate them and increased the good foods.  When you start to feed your body nutritious foods it will begin to thank you from the inside out.  I too have seen a difference in my body after I started to eat this way.

I will often give my clients the challenge to start cutting out highly processed food to see how they begin to feel.  Slowly cleaning out the cupboards and making the swaps.  I then will often be asked what is considered processed?  Any food that has been broken down from its natural whole state is essentially processed.  Also, highly processed foods (such as white flour) have been stripped of most of its nutrients, causing that food to have little nutritional value. 

Examples of foods to start replacing are items such as-whole grain brown rice for white rice, whole grain pasta with at least 5g of fiber for white pasta, whole grain bread or Ezekiel bread for white bread, fresh veggies and fruit over canned etc…

Over time these little changes will make a difference.  Add in the amount of exercise to meet your goals and you’ll start to see progress.  Take little steps toward eating healthier.  Start small by beginning to swap things out of your cupboards for better options, start to buy more fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats and choose better carbs for your meals.  The most important thing is to take it one day at a time and have fun with creating healthier versions of your favorite meals!  If you need some extra motivation to get started, make it a 30 day challenge! Eat this way for 30 days, cutting down on the treats and see how you feel!