Workout Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone! If you are looking for a little push to start or finish your day well here it is. Today's workout is guaranteed to rev your engine and burn some calories. Get in, get out and feel good. 

You can push through this as many times as you want but I was limited on time this morning and was able to max out for two rounds. Since this is a HIIT workout...remember you are working to rest. Push yourself and stay in form. 

I would love to hear what you think!!

Get out and move and have a great day doing it! 

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit. 

Traveling Tuesday

 Treadmill Tuesday

So I am not always traveling on a Tuesday but figured it was a fun way to add in an extra post. I am always looking for new ways to workout and after a heavy rain here in NY, the humidity was not my friend this morning. I wasn't feeling it and thought I would stay indoors for a workout. I am the first to admit I hate the treadmill but from time to time it proves to be a great tool for a fun, intense workout.  This morning I went down to the hotel fitness center. I was the only one in there, which 98% of the time is the case when I travel and decided to make reunite with an old friend.

I started out running a slow pace and thought to myself, "why not make it an interval workout, get in, get out and enjoy the rest of the day."  I did just that and finished it feeling proud of myself for pushing just a little bit more than I planned.  Here is the workout...you can do it at home, on the road or even while traveling on the road.  All you need is your running shoes, a stop watch and a little motivation to get out and kick some butt. 

Have fun and be proud, you are about to kick some serious booty!

Workout:

Warm-up 10 minutes at 5.5 or higher

Interval 1: 7.2 for 2 minutes

Recover: 6.0 for 1 minute

Interval 2: 7.2 for 4 minutes

Recover: 6.0 for 1 minute

Interval 3: 7.2 for 6 minutes

Recover: 6.0 for 1 minute

Interval 4: 7.2+ for 4 minutes

Recover: 6.0 for 1 minute

Interval 5: 7.2+ for 2 minutes (this was my biggest push) 

Recover: 6.0 for 1 minute

Repeat 1-2x 

Warm down: 5.5 + for 10 minutes. 

Food Friday- Energy on the Go!

Granola Bar Madness

I couldn't be more excited to post and share an amazing and quality energy bar that is not processed and packaged and shipped off from far away lands. This energy bar is wholesome goodness made right here in Bend, OR from one of my very own athletes, Dyxie V.  Dyxie introduced me to her bars during a week of healthful nutrition discussions. We shared many ideas of how easy it is to create some homemade nutrition although mine were not as amazing as hers so let me introduce you to what has become a permanent staple in my house...

The Dyxie V. Energy Bar

Dyxie V. prepares and packages these healthy treats with her own two hands. They are individually wrapped and sealed for freshness so they can go straight from the freezer (that is where I store mine) to my gym bag, golf bag, swim bag, lunch box, bike jersey pocket...well, you get it. 

What is in them you ask?

Basically they contain homemade granola made with rolled oats, almonds, raisins or dates (optional), unsweetened reduced fat coconut (optional). For the bars flax seed, pumpkin seeds,  ground chia seeds, whey protein, almond butter, agave and maple syrup are also added. Nutritional information is available on request.

This is an excellent mid-morning or afternoon snack paired with a giant class of water with lemon or even a cup of hot tea and even a few slices of fresh apple or fresh berries.  My three and four year old are always asking for them and I never think twice about passing these over as a healthy treat. 

You can contact Dyxie directly if you would like to place an order and try the wholesome goodness yourself. If you don't, you will be missing out on a little bit of heaven. They are freshly served for $15 a dozen. e-mail Dxyie at: dyxievb@gmail.com to order. 

Thank you Dyxie for sharing your treats with us!  We are lucky to have you in the group and lucky to have your bars fueling our every step. 

freshness sealed

individually wrapped for freshness

Happy Friday everyone!

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit.

Food Friday with a twist!

Cooking, Cleaning and Health

So this week instead of a basic recipe, I wanted to give you a useful resource that can offer up more than a one time dish.  You may have seen creative ways to use some kitchen essentials but unless you are an OCD Pinterest addict...do you remember where you saw them?  Well I thought I would pass over a helpful tool that came across my e-mail.  This is a clever resource to have on hand (because following me on my blog is way more fun than working right:) and now you will have it on hand)

Above are some recipes for basic home care, personal care and nutritional care.  They may or may be new but hopefully they will be a useful tool to have on hand when you are in a bind.  There are at least 6 of the above that we use weekly for one of the three uses mentioned.  

It may not only cut down on your food bills but it could be an extra perk for helping cut down on household cleaning costs.  

Of course Coconut Oil is big in our house for mainly cooking and nutrition.  I have yet to use it in lieu of WD40 but may give it a run. For now I will continue to bake and cook with it because it has the following benefits. 

I would love to hear what you do with your household commons! Leave me a comment below and share  your tips. 

Eat Clean and Be Clean!  

Happy Friday everyone.

Food Friday-Summertime Essentials

Cool Summer Foods to freshen your day!

So I am posting a refreshing new twist on a vegetable that is often can often be associated with

 'ants on a log', 'bloody mary's' or dipped into the infamous ranch dressing. 

I wanted to find a dish that would boost celery above the norms and add in some new flavor and viola` I was introduced (thanks to our friend, Phil) to the: 

Fennel and Celery Salad

this salad comes via http://markbittman.com/recipes/

Now fennel is not something that makes its way into my cooking all that often but now I am beginning to wonder why. It has amazing flavor and a texture similar to celery making this my new favorite salad.  

Here is what you need: 

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, some fronds reserved (I refer to these as the furry parts)

3 celery ribs, trimmed

1/4 cup (or less) of extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice..I ended up using a little more. 

salt to taste and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper+ more to taste

freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.  

1.  Cut the fennel bulbs in quarters lengthwise, discarding outer layer if the outer layer is tough. Use a mandolin (carefully;)) to slice quarters thin.  Slice the celery as thin as you did the fennel. 

2. Put the fennel and celery into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  Season with the salt and pepper to taste, toss and combine gently.  Top with Parmesan and chop fennel fronds and enjoy!  I even topped with a couple of my homemade gluten free foccacia bread croutons.  

 You seriously can't beat this salad.  Pair with a mock-tail of sparkling water, fresh lime and cucumber and this is a perfect start to any meal. 

Enjoy and don't forget to get out and move!  

adding sparkle to my pre-workout threads

adding sparkle to my pre-workout threads by fitfree featuring stella & dot

Veggie Challenge

Vegetable Challenge Results

Here are a few recipe ideas that were a result of our last challenge

• Green beans, Eggplant, zucchini and bok choy made its way alongside a lean grilled flank steak.  
• Fresh Mixed greens, tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, jicama, red peppers, avocado, edamame and fresh shrimp.  Add in a hard-boiled egg and that is a serious salad!
• Roasted vegetables along with a fresh piece of salmon and Caesar salad
• Padron Peppers made their way into the kitchens of a few athletes.
• Tofu Veggie Sunday Scamble: Tofu, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado!  Yum
• Cous Cous with red peppers, cilantro and feta cheese. A meal in itself! 

What do you do with Swiss Chard??  

One of my athletes describes as easy but full flavored side dish to add to your meal or eat on its own. 

 

 Take the "WHOLE chard.... stems, ribs and leaves.... you start by sauteing (recipe calls for a mix of olive oil and butter, but I just used the olive oil- and less than it called for)... start with chopped garlic and sliced onion- saute for 8-10 minutes, add the stems/ribs cut in 1 inch pieces- saute for 8-10 minutes- add the sliced leaves- they wilt in about 4 minutes... that's it! You could add kale, spinach, both of which have a similar feel to chard.... could also add chopped baby bok choy (my favorite veggie) or even mushrooms. " Thank you Debbie!

A few other fun ideas-

You can throw just about any green into a shake- Spinach, collards, kale, arugula. Try something new and see for yourself how easy it is to get in a few extra nutrients.  

Asparagus Corn Salad

Via fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com

 This is a simple easy salad and the combined flavors add a refreshing twist on plain corn and asparagus. 

View the recipe here

Apple Chicken and/or Veggie Lettuce Wrap

via familyfeatures.com

This is a fun bread-less lunch option for a sandwich. 

I modified the original recipe a tad to look like this:

Apples, Chicken & Grapes in Lettuce: 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast, 3 tablespoons chopped Fuji apple, 2 tablespoons chopped black or red grapes, 2 tablespoons Almond Butter, 2 teaspoons honey, Romaine lettuce leaves.

Mason Jar Salad Ideas

 

This is a such a fun idea to pre-make. I found pinterest to be super helpful in salad ideas and once you let your creative juices start flowing the options are endless. You can follow my boards here for more ideas.

Greek salad in a jar

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Squeeze of lemon juice (the juice of 1/4 of a small lemon)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• Small handful cherry tomatoes, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 1/2 roasted red pepper, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Crumbled feta (optional)
• Fills one pint-sized mason jar.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Everyone hopefully walked away with a new mindset and goal to not only try new vegetables but also more knowledgeable about the endless options and ways to prepare them. 

Food Friday-Yogurt Marinated Grilled Salmon

Yogurt Marinated Grilled Salmon

What better thing to pair all those fresh veggies with than a delicious piece of grilled salmon.  

I came across this recipe while I was at Whole Food and not only was it amazingly good but it was super easy and very healthy. 

Ingredients:

1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt (I used goat yogurt as we don't do a ton of cow dairy) 

1 tablespoon Siracha sauce

4 (6 oz) pieces of skinless salmon fillet

oil spray for the grill or olive oil

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves (I actually substituted fresh dill as that is what we have in our herb garden) 

1 lime cut into wedges. 

The How: 

Whisk yogurt and Siracha in a large bowl. Add the salmon and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. I was only able to refrigerate mine for 4 and it was still amazing. This is however a dish you can prep on a Sunday and have ready for a simple yummy dinner on Monday night. 

Prepare grill for medium heat. Oil the grill. Take the salmon out of the yogurt mixture.  You will want to discard the excess mixture.  Arrange salmon on the grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes then turn over and continue grilling until salmon is cooked through.  About another 4-5 minutes. 

Transfer cooked salmon to plates and serve with a little sprinkle of cilantro or dill and serve with fresh lime wedges. 

You could pair this with a coconut lime cauliflower rice, a mixed green salad or even the fiery wok green beans from my post on the Bend Adventure Boot Camp Facebook page.  Check it out here. 

Check back for more recipes, vegetable dishes and ideas from our boot camp class this week!

Lots of amazing inspiration!

Bon Appetite!