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Holiday Quickie!

The holidays are here which usually means a busier schedule and heavier foods. With the parties, gift shopping, and travel sneaking in a workout can be difficult. Next time you find yourself in a time crunch try this total body circuit, after your standard warm up:

1. 1 min jump rope
2. 12-15 push-ups (modified if needed) 
3. 12 Anterior Raises (5-10lbs/arm)

4. 12 Lateral Raises (5-10lbs/arm)

5. 10 Single Leg Bicep Curls to Overhead Press (10-15lbs/arm)…switch legs
6. 30 sec elbow plank
7. 30 sec side elbow plank…switch sides
8. 30 sec supine elbow plank (chest up)--major glute work
9. Multi planar lunges- front lunge right, front lunge left, side lunge right, side lunge left, transverse lunge right (45 degree turn behind yourself), transverse lunge left- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vm_ANYOE9g&noredirect=1

Repeat the circuit three times, resting 60 seconds between sets.

No more excuses get your burn on!

Turkey Tortilla Soup

Hope everyone had a lovely National Eating Day!!! I’m sure you are all still somewhat stuffed, I know I am. So what about getting back on that healthy eating train? I’m sure most of you still have leftover turkey and are probably running out of creative options (if not you can use chicken breast). Try this tasty option Turkey (Chicken) Tortilla Soup.


Ingredients:

• 1 can low sodium corn, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 3-4 c chopped turkey (2-3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1-2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 diced medium red onion
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 jar enchilada sauce
• 1 jar mild salsa
• 1 c chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 bag of blue corn chips
• 1 container of fresh salsa (flavor to your liking)

Directions:

1. In a crock pot, add corn, black beans, turkey/chicken, tomatoes, onion, enchilada sauce, basil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salsa, and chicken broth.
2. Set on high for 3.5 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve with fresh cilantro, broken blue corn chips, and fresh salsa!

What’s great about this recipe? It not only satisfies the taste buds, but the high fiber satisfies that growling tummy without a lot of calories or fat.

Travelin' Smart

Traveling is probably one of my favorite hobbies. Travel seekers love the experience of new sites, people, and yummy cuisine. What’s the best way to travel without breaking the pocket book or the diet regime?

Find a hotel with a mini-fridge and microwave!

Pack things like:

• Blue corn chips and fresh salsa
• Nitrate and hormone free turkey or chicken breast
• Cereal/Oatmeal
• Milk
• Whole grain bread or whole grain tortillas
• Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green Onion (already cleaned and prepared)
• Fresh fruit
• Trail mix/Granola
• Low-fat/non-fat Greek yogurt
• Peanut butter filled pretzels
• Deli Mustard/Sandwich Spreads
• Hummus, Celery, Carrots
• Trail mix/protein bars (low in sugar and sodium)
• Water
• Wine/Beer

Often times when traveling we forget our mid-meals, which causes us to eat much more for breakfast, lunch and dinner…fussing with our metabolism. Packing snacks, breakfast and lunch items not only saves you money but also doesn’t destroy all that hard work you put in for that sexy travel wardrobe. Now go ahead and splurge on that fancy dinner and feel good about savoring that decadent dessert, you are on vacay!

And don’t forget! Prep items:

• Plastic baggies
• Knife
• Spoons
• Bowls
• Wine/Beer opener

Spinach Whole Wheat Lasgna

One of America’s favorite comfort foods is lasagna. However, the standard lasagna being composed primarily of carbs and fatty cheese makes it a waistline nightmare. Try this new twist, not only is it healthier, but also tastier!


Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa pasta noodles (no need to cook)
• 3 jars of sauce (Newman’s Own, Trader Joes, Classico…look for low sugar and no preservatives)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c parmasean
• 3 c shredded low fat mozzarella
• 1 c reduced fat ricotta
• 1 c chopped spinach
• 2 c spinach leaves
• 4 chicken sausages (look for low fat, low sodium verisions)
• 1 box sliced mushrooms
• 1 sliced yellow onion
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 3 large sliced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat a large fry pan on medium high. Cook sausage thoroughly. Slice when cooked fully.
3. In a food processor or blender create filling, mix ricotta, chopped spinach, crushed garlic, egg and parmesan.
4. In a large lasagna dish (I prefer the large foil dishes), layer sauce, noodles, layer of veggies (sliced onion, tomatoes, spinach leaves, mushrooms), mozzarella, sauce, noodles, filling mix, sliced chicken sausage, noodles, layer of veggies (sliced onion, tomatoes, spinach leaves, mushrooms), mozzarella, sauce, noodles, reminder of mozzarella and veggies, and sauce.
5. Cover with foil.
6. Cook for 1 hour- 1 ½ hours until noodles completely cooked.
7. Remove from oven. Let rest for 20 minutes.
8. Cut and enjoy.

Cleanse. Detox. Reset.

Most of us have done or have heard about these master cleanses; diets that claim to drop weight in just a few days!  Diets such as the Hollywood Master Cleanse, Lemonade Diet, Juice Cleanse, Cabbage Soup Diet, and Tea Diet are quick fixes to many people.  These diet promise to increase energy, drop weight, and rid the body of toxins and chemicals. 

These diets can also result in headaches, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, colon damage, diarrhea, dehydration, and join and muscle pain.  Yes these diets do cleanse the body of toxins and chemicals but also cleanse the body of valuable vitamins and minerals, leaving the immune system weak and you often sick. 

Prolonged use or frequent dependency on these diets can lead to calcium loss and a sharp decrease in metabolism (starvation mode). 

Yes these do result in weight loss.  But that weight is actually your lean muscle breaking down; your body now uses that for fuel!  So all that hard work you have put in at the gym was basically a waste!  Plus many individuals binge eat after the completion of these crazy crash diets; leaving you weighing more than you did before the diet.

Additionally, many of these crazy cleanses require you to purchase special vitamins, juices, or packages of the actual detox; a money maker for them and a waste for you.

So basically detox diets are a waste....well not quite.  Fasting has been apart of human history for centuries and actually does have "cleansing benefits".  But they must be done the correct way and for the correct length of time.  Dr. Oz released his 48 Hour Weekend Cleanse a few weeks ago.  This cleanse focuses not on losing weight but on detoxing the liver, colon, and kidneys.  These organs are vital to our survival and to having an efficient digestive system.  His 48 hour cleanse consists of foods that are primarily detoxifying for those specific organs.  This cleanse also eliminates caffeine, preservatives and sugar; all of which are hard your digestive system.

I completed the Dr. Oz cleanse this week and faced a few headaches from the caffeine elimination but overall I slept amazing, my skin look incredible, and my stomach aches vanished.  Moreover, this cleanse has helped me to eliminate late night snacking, sugary cravings, and excessive caffeine.  Basically putting me back on track!  Perfect for after the holidays!  I do recommend you do this on a weekend.  It's fairly a lot of stuff to prepare the first time around and you are tired (lack of caffeine and in the cleansing process your body is finally able to take time to work internally rather than working so hard externally).  So stock up on moves, books, Epsom salts for a warm bath; stay away from Facebook, and minimize the cell phone use.  Make this detox work for not only your body but your mind!

You can find the complete Dr. Oz Cleanse here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/48-hour-weekend-cleanse

Good luck!  Take care of that body!

Looking for a sweeter breakfast?

This Greek yogurt parfait is the perfect sweet breakfast, dessert, or mid-day snack!  Give it a try and your taste buds will thank you.  This is also a great substitute for that sugar fro yo splurge.

Serves: 1


Ingredients:

• ½ c non-fat plain Greek yogurt (one serving)
• ¼ c blueberries
• ¼ c sliced strawberries
• 1 tsp flax seeds
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds; shelled

Directions:

1. In a bowl layer ¼ c Greek yogurt, blueberries, flax seeds, ginger, remainder Greek yogurt, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon.
2. Enjoy! Simple as that!