Uncategorized

Home/Uncategorized

Quick Chicken Stir Fry

2016-8-14

This recipe meets all the requirements for a healthy dinner. By baking the chicken and using cauliflower for rice, this recipe has half of the calories and 80% less fat than a traditional stir fried chicken meal.

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need…

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • ¼ cup coconut aminos
  • ¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut nectar
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons organic chicken broth
  • 3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
  • 500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 200g snow peas, halved lengthwise diagonally
  • 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  1. Wash cauliflower, discard the leaves, and chop into small pieces. Grate the pieces with a food processor. In a large skillet heat the coconut oil over medium. Add the shredded cauliflower. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve as you would traditional rice.
  2. Combine coconut aminos, mirin, coconut nectar, apple cider vinegar and chicken broth in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken breasts to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a cutting board; cool slightly. Cut into 1-inch slices.
  4. Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil to pan. Add snow peas and onions; sauté 2 minutes. Add coconut amino mixture and chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy and chicken is thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Place 1 cup rice in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 1 cup chicken mixture.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 256 calories, 6g fat, 621mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 28g protein.

By |2016-11-30T09:39:48+00:00September 6th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Get Back On Track After A Holiday

Close-up of a rear view woman into the swimming pool on Maldivian resort.

So you went away, saw a new part of the world, and now you’re back. You ate, you drank, you relaxed, and then you ate some more.

And now it’s time to face the music.

As you wake up on Monday morning after your week of less-than-healthy eating… Your body is puffy and bloated. Your joints are achy. Your clothes feel tight.

Maybe you are feeling that way right now.

Here are 5 steps to get you back on the fitness fast track after your trip.

Step One: Focus

Your holiday happened. You ate things from the “never eat these” list, you drank more that you should have…but now it’s over.

Draw a line in the sand. You’re back home so the bad eating stops now.

If you’re serious about your fitness goals, then your holiday was the exception, and not the rule. Don’t beat yourself up for letting loose on your trip. Simply get back up, dust yourself off and get focused.

Step Two: Hydrate

While travel days can take on many forms, the end result is most often dehydration and water retention. The only way to restore your balance is to get hydrated.

Your first priority in getting back on track is to drink plenty of water throughout your first few days home. Start with a tall glass of water in the morning, and carry a water bottle with you to sip throughout the day.

Don’t add any artificial sweeteners or stimulants to your water – these will sabotage your hydration efforts. For flavor, add sliced fresh fruit, herbs or vegetables to your water, just like at the spa.

Step Three: Cleanse

For your first few days home I need you to be extra picky about what you eat. Stick with only whole, real foods like fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Whole, real foods will help to restore balance and block out cravings.

Don’t eat any packaged foods for the next few days. This means no snack foods, processed meat slices, dairy, baked goods or alcohol.

Try the recipe for Quick Chicken Stir Fry below – this is a wonderful, whole food dish.

Step Four: Rest

As relaxing as holiday days are, most end with the feeling of exhaustion. Make catching up on sleep a priority over the next few days.

When your body is low on sleep, it becomes easier to make poor eating choices. You’re also less likely to get back into your workouts if you don’t give your body a chance to rest.

Aim for getting a full 8 hours of sleep each night.

Step Five: Exercise

It’s time to sweat out all those holiday indulgences. So lace up your shoes and put on your favorite gym clothes. When you start your first workout, ease in slowly. Take the time to warm up and stretch your muscles before powering up to a solid 30-minute routine.

I have just the exercise plan for you – one that will not only help you recover from your vacation, but will help keep you motivated and going strong in the future.

If you haven’t joined yet, now is the perfect time for you to start. Together we will get you to your goals with my results-driven method.

Simply call or email me today to set up your first workout.

By |2016-11-30T09:43:12+00:00September 6th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Salmon and Broccoli Scramble

1.8.16

Salmon, broccoli and egg whites combine for the perfect protein-packed breakfast. Add a side of avocado for healthy fats and a serving of fruit for a delicious start to your day.

Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 5 egg whites
  • 200g grilled or smoked salmon, separated into small pieces
  • dash of salt and pepper
  1. In a skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
  2. In a small bowl combine the egg whites, salmon, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add to the skillet.
  3. Cook until egg whites are set, flipping at least once.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 225 calories, 7g fat, 557mg sodium, 6.5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 33g protein.

By |2016-11-30T09:43:58+00:00August 1st, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Do your kids eat too much junk?

junk

Every parent wants good things for their children: a positive outlook on life, a healthy respect for authority, a strong sense of self, a disease-free body…a healthy body weight.

Despite our best intentions, a recent report suggests that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

With all the advances in medicine, how could this possibly be true? The blame falls squarely on today’s toxic food environment.

In short, your kids are eating too much junk.

And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great.

The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Take these simple tips and transform your child’s diet into one that is packed with good health.

1) Add Color

Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child’s plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.

If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you’ll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat.

2) Think Whole Foods

Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children.

Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea.

3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners

Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. But wait, there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup:

  • Sucanat: This pure, dried sugar can juice retains its molasses content. Use it to replace white sugar in baking.
  • Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the “fake” syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple syrup contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids.
  • Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes longer to digest and won’t spike your blood sugar like refined sugar.
  • Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather than adding white sugar.

4) Make Smart Substitutions

Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

  • Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings.
  • Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce. Stick with red sauce, since white sauce is so high in fat.
  • PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Make it healthier by using sprouted grain bread, natural peanut butter and fruit-only jam or sliced berries.

5) Ban Sugary Drinks

One of the best things that you can do for your child’s good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain.

The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don’t have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so that they grow accustom to drinking only water.

While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child’s diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and I guarantee you’ll look and feel better.

Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well? You are your child’s biggest role model on how to live, for better or worse.

Treat yourself right by calling or emailing today to get started on an exercise program that will change your life for the best.

By |2016-11-30T09:45:36+00:00August 1st, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Ready for a change?

time-for-change-csbi

Do you wish you could change something about your life right now?

I’m here to argue that change can happen in an instant.

I know this goes against popular thought. Most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.

How many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold.

Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair of pants that you wish you could fit into?

What is keeping you from making a positive change in your life?

According to professional speaker and author, Tony Robbins, it’s the getting ready to change that takes time. In the end there’s a single instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.

Belief #1: Something must change.

Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few kilos sound nice, or is living another day in your current body unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time has come.

Belief #2: I must change it.

It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to need this change enough to make it your personal mission—no one else will do it for you.

Belief #3: I can change it.

Don’t let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you’ll always revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution?

Change what you’re comfortable with.

You’ve probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack.

Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making a big change in your life. Start by calling or emailing me for your no obligation fitness consultation.

Remember, change can happen in an instant.

By |2016-11-30T09:46:29+00:00July 25th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Creamy Low Fat Tuna Salad

tuna

 

Most recipes for tuna salad call for fat-filled mayonnaise, but this recipe uses fat free Greek yogurt instead. You get all the creaminess without added calories to set back your results.

Servings: 5

Here’s what you need…

  • 2  cans wild albacore tuna, packed in water
  • 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons champagne mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, plus more for garnish
  • dash of freshly ground pepper
  • 1 green apple, shredded
  • 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
  • 4 cups organic mixed greens
  1. Drain the tuna and flake in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, mustard, dill and pepper. Mix until creamy and well combined.
  2. Add the shredded apple and cabbage. Mix well.
  3. Arrange mixed greens on plates, then use an ice cream scooper to place the tuna mixture. Sprinkle with dill weed.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 140 calories, 1 fat, 210mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 20g protein.

By |2016-11-30T09:47:47+00:00July 18th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

These 7 habits separate the fit from the flabby

Personal trainer helping young woman in gym with crunching exercises

 

 

Many people ask me how to quickly and easily get fit. While I know they are hoping for a simple answer, the reality is that getting and staying fit is a lifestyle, not a quick fix.

So what do fit people do in their “healthy lifestyle”? Take a peek with the following 7 Habits of Highly Fit People…

Fit Habit #1: They Don’t Buy Junk

Fit people know that if they keep junk food in the house they will eat it sooner or later. So they don’t buy any. Even buying junk food for your kids or spouse is not advised since 1) you’ll likely eat some of it eventually, and 2) your loved ones shouldn’t be eating that junk either. It’s called junk for a reason.

Rid your home of chips, cookies, lollies, baked goods, pre-packaged snacks and anything else that belongs in a vending machine. Replace the above with fresh fruit, veggies, nuts and other healthy whole foods snacks.

Fit Habit #2: They Have Priorities

Fit people make exercise a priority. Along with keeping a job, paying the bills and going to the doctor, exercise is an important part of their lives. What I’ve found is that fit people put exercise before leisure time. Sure, fit people enjoy leisure, but it is scheduled around their workout time.

Treat exercise time with the same importance that you would a business meeting or trip to the dentist.

Fit Habit #3: They Stop When Full

Fit people stop eating when they feel full. Sound simple? It is, but how many times have you stuffed yourself simply to clear your plate? Or how many times have you eaten another piece of cake despite being stuffed?

The next time you feel full, take it as a sign to stop eating. Yes, even if your plate isn’t empty.

Fit Habit #4: They Push Themselves

Not only do fit people make time to go to the gym, they challenge themselves during each workout. While it is easy to simply go through the motions while exercising, you’re cheating your body out of great results when you don’t push yourself. Exercise should make you sweat, make your muscles burn, and leave you with a feeling of accomplishment.

Find ways to make each workout more challenging. For competitive people, the best way to push yourself is to exercise with a friend of similar strength. Another great way to challenge yourself is to set small attainable goals. These goals could be to push heavier weight, to sprint longer, or to do cardio at a higher intensity setting.

Fit Habit #5: They Don’t Eat and Watch

Fit people know that eating in front of the T.V. is mindless eating. When your attention is on your entertainment and not on your food, then you’ll be less tuned in to what and how much ends up in your mouth. Eating in front of the T.V. is also very habit forming. Ever notice how you crave munchies just as a reflex of sitting in front of the T.V.?

Eat before or after your entertainment and pay attention to what and how much goes into your mouth.

Fit Habit #6: They Drink Water

Fit people drink lots of water. And not just in addition to other beverages, but instead of them. Water is their main drink, while other drinks are occasional treats. Calorie-filled drinks are one of the quickest ways to consume excess calories which quickly turn into fat.

Consider water your beverage of choice. Drink plenty of it each day and drink other beverages only a few times each week.

Fit Habit #7: They Are Supported

Fit people don’t leave their motivation to chance. They know that if their personal trainer, boot camp instructor or workout partner is waiting for them, then they are less likely to skip a workout. It is so easy to hit snooze or to talk yourself out of the gym as soon as your behind hits the couch after work. Fit people take the option of skipping out of the equation.

Want instant support? Call or email me today to get started on your own customized fitness plan.

I hope that these habits have inspired you to make a change for the fitter in your own life.

If you already do some of these habits then congratulations – you are on your way to a better body. Make an effort to incorporate the rest of the habits to take your results to the next level.

If none, or very few, of these habits describe your lifestyle, then I’ve got good news – you now have 7 effective new habits to start that will get you some awesome results. Don’t try to tackle all 7 at once – pick one or two to add each week and gradually work up to all 7.

As always, you are welcome to call or email me with questions or to get started on your own customized fitness plan.

By |2016-11-30T09:58:24+00:00July 18th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

TAKE IT OFF!

1

Have you ever seen a really impressive “before” and “after” weight loss photo?

You may not realize it but that could be YOU! You already have everything you need in front of you to transform your body, and it all starts with taking responsibility for the body that you have today.

Sure, you have obstacles that get in your way – your schedule, your job, your kids, the weather, your knee injury from sport…

Be the next “Before” to “After” transformation.

You are in your current shape because, until this moment, you’ve been OK with it.

Oh I know you aren’t thrilled with it, and you even talk about losing weight and getting fit—but you haven’t changed what you’ll accept.

Here’s how to transform your body in 3 steps:

Step One: Feel the emotion

It has been said that emotion creates motion. This is essential when it comes to personal transformation. Just like those folks in the “before” pictures, to transform your body you must first decide that you can’t live another day in the body you currently have.

Get your emotions stirred up. Make a list of all the reasons that you’re ready to lose weight and get fit.

Step Two: Decide What You Want

Without clarity you’ll never get where you want to go. Now that you’re emotional about the body you have, decide what the body you can accept look at.

Get a clear picture in your mind of what you’ll look like in your “after” picture and focus on that every training session.

Step Three: Take Action

The time spent between your inspiration (now) and taking action determines whether you will succeed or fail. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck between inspiration and action—there is always something that you can do immediately.

Take action by emailing or calling me now to set up a fitness consultation.

I am here to take you from your “before” picture to your “after” picture.

By |2016-11-30T10:00:04+00:00July 6th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Greek Omelet Waffles

waffles

Here’s a fun way to eat your eggs – cooked in a waffle maker! In this recipe the subtle flavors of Greek omelet are served up in a convenient waffle shape – complete with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red bell peppers, chicken sausage and broccoli. This is the perfect recipe to enjoy for brunch or to make on the weekend and portion out for a week of quick on-the-go breakfasts to grab and enjoy on your way to work.

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need…

  • Olive oil spray
  • 6 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup roasted red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup Kalamata olives, seeded and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh broccoli, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 chicken sausages, chopped
  1. Preheat your waffle griddle on medium-low heat. Spray generously with olive oil.
  2. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, feta, bell pepper, olives, broccoli, sea salt, black pepper and chicken sausage. Mix well until fully combined.
  3. Transfer ½ cup of the omelet batter into the waffle iron, close, and cook until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and continue cooking the remaining batter in ½ cup scoops. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 279 calories, 18g fat, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 18g protein.

By |2016-11-30T10:12:01+00:00June 27th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Whats Your Flat Abs Plan

e0b72c718561afbf42aee264e6778122

One of the most frequent questions that I’m asked is, “How can I get great abs?”

You may have pondered this question at some time or another.

Many people are frustrated by their stomachs, to the point of giving up after doing dozens of crunches with zero improvement.

It’s time to forget everything you’ve heard about how to sculpt your abs.

Quite simply, crunches alone won’t give you a six pack.

Doing crunches with the hope that it will transform your abs from flabby to muscular is to believe in one of the most widely held fitness myths. I’m talking about the spot reduction myth.

Training one area of your body will not specifically burn fat from that spot.

Are you training as if spot reduction worked? Doing dozens of crunches in the hopes that layers of fat will disappear?

Sit-ups, crunches and planks will not flatten your abs.

But a drop in overall body fat will do that for you.

So you want the secret to great abs?

The secret is a winning combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training and clean eating.

It is fully possible for you to dramatically shape up your waistline.

Yes, Y-O-U.

My clients routinely lose weight and transform their bodies. You can do it too.

Answer the following questions to see how your current routine measures up:

How often do you exercise? If your answer was anything less than 4 times a week, then that’s the first thing getting between you and flat abs.

How do you define a fat burning workout? A routine including intense cardiovascular training coupled with effective resistance training. Do you do this?

I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when you exercise right.

Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be out of breath or gasping for air. It does mean that you need to push yourself.

Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

Do you eat a clean diet? Diet is a big stumbling block for most people—especially as it relates to their midsection. Here’s a fact: If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how hard you exercise.

  • Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.
  • Just say “No” to junk food. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster. As a rule of thumb you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food.
  • Eat more frequently. The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast—as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself.

You should now understand why you are better off not wasting time on crunches—while it is important to exercise your abs a couple of times a week, you won’t expect fat to fall of that area after 100’s of crunches.

Do you want to flatten and sculpt your waist once and for all? Simply decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself—you deserve it.

See me for fat-blasting workouts that deliver results. Together we will get you on a program that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition.

Call or email me today to get started.

By |2016-11-30T10:02:00+00:00June 27th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments
Go to Top