I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful day with your families and friends! Merry Christmas to all of you! Stay tuned for an updated Healthy You Series!Much love,
Nicole
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful day with your families and friends! Merry Christmas to all of you! Stay tuned for an updated Healthy You Series!Much love,
Nicole
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Last Post Before Christmas: Tips plus a Clean Recipe
I am so excited that Christmas is almost here. I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that I can't enjoy the joyful life bustling around me. I have three little guys who would LOVE their mommy to WALK AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! It is so hard for me because I love blogging about my love of fitness and clean eating but I know that I have an obligation to my wonderful family. Hence, this will be my last post until after Christmas. I am going to update my "Healthy You Series" that I did for New Year's last year. I am going to modify a few things and add new content. I hope you all enjoy it!!
Until then, here are a few tips and one recipe for the upcoming Christmas food onslaught : )
1. Exercise! Just because it's Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's does NOT mean that you take a break from working out. Actually, you should get in as much exercise as you can. I have found I feel so much better since I began working out 6 days a week no matter what. It relieves stress, burns fat, strengthens your heart and makes your physique lean and sexy! Who wouldn't want to feel lean and sexy for Christmas?
2. Plan your eating regimen for each day! Space your meals at least 2-3 hours apart. You need to keep the engine burning so full up with 5-6 small meals a day. Keep in mind, you don't want to have a traffic jam by eating too often or too far apart which will cause you to overeat.
3. Toss the elastic! Comfortable elastic-waist pants don't "warn" you that pounds are creeping on the same way that form-fitting clothes will. Stop wearing slouchy, stretchy pants and go for jeans with no forgiveness built in. If you've been enjoying too much eggnog and sugar cookies, your jeans will tell you.
4. Keep your goals in mind! Determine that you will be in shape this holiday season so you don't have to work extra hard to get ready for bathing suit season. Visualize yourself in the future as being sleek and fit, not fat and frumpy. Success will be yours!
5. Take your vitamins! Vitamins help ward off exhaustion and keep emotions in check. Most overeating is associated with emotions, usually those associated with depression. Supplementing your daily diet with vitamin B encourages the burning of stored carbohydrates as energy. the more energy you burn, the more calories you burn. Also make sure you get enough vitamin D which helps maintain bone density, healthy bone growth and helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is crucially important in aiding the body’s absorption of calcium. Without sufficient vitamin D, calcium supplements are almost useless.
6. Fill up on fruits and veggies! I know this sounds easy but during the holidays many of us forget this simple clean eating rule. You can eat almost an unlimited quantity of fruits and veggies and they will fill you up leaving less chance that you will overeat fatty or high-carb foods. Choose richly colored fruits and veggies because they contain more vitamins and disease-fighting nutrients. Try to get 10 servings in a day!
7. Most important, enjoy this season of the year! Surround yourself with friends and family and remember that the pile of cookies and candy are NOT what this season is about : )
And now for the recipe:
Moroccon Turkey Meatballs with Spiced Tomato Sauce
I made this for my husband and boys the other night and they really liked it! I think the different flavors were fun and made there mouths happy : ) I hope you enjoy it as well. I got this from my Clean Eating December Newsletter. If you subscribe to the magazine you can get the recipes in your inbox too : )
Serves: 8
Makes: 48, 1-tbsp meatballs
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
SAUCE
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 4 medium plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tbsp jarred tomato paste
• 1 lemon, zested (about 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
MEATBALLS
• 1 medium white onion, peeled
• 2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare sauce: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add cumin, cinnamon and ginger and continue to cook, stirring continuously for about 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and zest to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare meatballs: Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Using a cheese grater, finely grate onion into a large mixing bowl. Strain and discard all excess liquid from onion and place grated onion back into bowl. Add remaining meatball ingredients to bowl and mix well until combined. If mixture is very soft, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow mixture to firm up.
4. Using a tablespoon or small ice-cream scooper, scoop out 1 tbsp of mixture and roll it into a ball. Separate meatballs 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, or until lightly browned on outside. Remove from oven. Repeat until all mixture is used up.
5. Stir cooked meatballs into sauce, increase heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
TIP: For a complex, high-fiber carb to keep your energy levels up even longer, pair your meatballs with a side of couscous. Or serve with a side of green beans to get your daily veggie fix!
NUTRIENTS per serving (6 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce):
CALORIES: 180
TOTAL FAT: 3.5 g
SAT. FAT: 0 g
CARBS: 8 g
FIBER: 2 g
SUGARS: 4 g
PROTEIN: 29 g
SODIUM: 170 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 55 mg
By Joanne Lusted
Click HERE for a printable version.
I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas! I appreciate all of you, my loyal readers! You make what I do worth it : D
Nicole
Until then, here are a few tips and one recipe for the upcoming Christmas food onslaught : )
1. Exercise! Just because it's Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's does NOT mean that you take a break from working out. Actually, you should get in as much exercise as you can. I have found I feel so much better since I began working out 6 days a week no matter what. It relieves stress, burns fat, strengthens your heart and makes your physique lean and sexy! Who wouldn't want to feel lean and sexy for Christmas?
2. Plan your eating regimen for each day! Space your meals at least 2-3 hours apart. You need to keep the engine burning so full up with 5-6 small meals a day. Keep in mind, you don't want to have a traffic jam by eating too often or too far apart which will cause you to overeat.
3. Toss the elastic! Comfortable elastic-waist pants don't "warn" you that pounds are creeping on the same way that form-fitting clothes will. Stop wearing slouchy, stretchy pants and go for jeans with no forgiveness built in. If you've been enjoying too much eggnog and sugar cookies, your jeans will tell you.
4. Keep your goals in mind! Determine that you will be in shape this holiday season so you don't have to work extra hard to get ready for bathing suit season. Visualize yourself in the future as being sleek and fit, not fat and frumpy. Success will be yours!
5. Take your vitamins! Vitamins help ward off exhaustion and keep emotions in check. Most overeating is associated with emotions, usually those associated with depression. Supplementing your daily diet with vitamin B encourages the burning of stored carbohydrates as energy. the more energy you burn, the more calories you burn. Also make sure you get enough vitamin D which helps maintain bone density, healthy bone growth and helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is crucially important in aiding the body’s absorption of calcium. Without sufficient vitamin D, calcium supplements are almost useless.
6. Fill up on fruits and veggies! I know this sounds easy but during the holidays many of us forget this simple clean eating rule. You can eat almost an unlimited quantity of fruits and veggies and they will fill you up leaving less chance that you will overeat fatty or high-carb foods. Choose richly colored fruits and veggies because they contain more vitamins and disease-fighting nutrients. Try to get 10 servings in a day!
7. Most important, enjoy this season of the year! Surround yourself with friends and family and remember that the pile of cookies and candy are NOT what this season is about : )
And now for the recipe:
Moroccon Turkey Meatballs with Spiced Tomato Sauce
I made this for my husband and boys the other night and they really liked it! I think the different flavors were fun and made there mouths happy : ) I hope you enjoy it as well. I got this from my Clean Eating December Newsletter. If you subscribe to the magazine you can get the recipes in your inbox too : )
Serves: 8
Makes: 48, 1-tbsp meatballs
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
SAUCE
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 4 medium plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tbsp jarred tomato paste
• 1 lemon, zested (about 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
MEATBALLS
• 1 medium white onion, peeled
• 2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare sauce: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add cumin, cinnamon and ginger and continue to cook, stirring continuously for about 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and zest to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare meatballs: Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Using a cheese grater, finely grate onion into a large mixing bowl. Strain and discard all excess liquid from onion and place grated onion back into bowl. Add remaining meatball ingredients to bowl and mix well until combined. If mixture is very soft, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow mixture to firm up.
4. Using a tablespoon or small ice-cream scooper, scoop out 1 tbsp of mixture and roll it into a ball. Separate meatballs 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, or until lightly browned on outside. Remove from oven. Repeat until all mixture is used up.
5. Stir cooked meatballs into sauce, increase heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
TIP: For a complex, high-fiber carb to keep your energy levels up even longer, pair your meatballs with a side of couscous. Or serve with a side of green beans to get your daily veggie fix!
NUTRIENTS per serving (6 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce):
CALORIES: 180
TOTAL FAT: 3.5 g
SAT. FAT: 0 g
CARBS: 8 g
FIBER: 2 g
SUGARS: 4 g
PROTEIN: 29 g
SODIUM: 170 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 55 mg
By Joanne Lusted
Click HERE for a printable version.
I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas! I appreciate all of you, my loyal readers! You make what I do worth it : D
Nicole
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Clean Eating Recipe of the Week- Two Cabbage Coconut Slaw
- 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
- 3 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly into strips
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or dill (I prefer dill, it's a personal preference)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Toss cabbage, carrots, onion and parsley or dill together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix coconut milk, sea salt, celery seed, lime juice, olive oil and cayenne pepper. Toss dressing with cabbage mixture. Let it sit and chill for awhile before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
Makes 10 servings. Serving size 1/2 cup.
Click HERE for a printable version.
Nicole
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Clean Eating Recipe of the Week: Ever-Ready Bran Muffins
I am LOVING Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Cookbook! I have tried several of the recipes this week and they have all been a hit with my hubby and boys. They're a hard sell so I was excited at the response. I tried out the bran muffins today and they went over really well. Seconds for all the boys, yeah!
These are called "ever-ready" because the batter stays good in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. The great thing is that you can mix these up and have them ready at all times for a quick snack. Make sure to add the optional additions just before you bake them, it's best that they don't stay in the batter for a long period of time. The full recipe makes 40 muffins, I made 1/2 the recipe and it was plenty for my family.
Dry Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour, Power Flour(see recipe below) or other whole-grain flour
4 cups natural bran (I used wheat bran)
4 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. flaxseed
2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup Sucanat or rapadura sugar
Wet Ingredients:
4 cups buttermilk
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites + 1 whole egg, well beaten (I used 1 whole egg & 1 egg white when I halved the recipe.)
1. Preheat oven to 425 degreesOptional Additions- 1 cup total: chopped dried fruit, nuts, shredded carrots or apple, coconut or combination thereof. You can also add 2 tsp. or to taste of apple pie spice (see below).
2. Prepare muffin tin by lining with paper or silicone cups or by spraying with natural non-stick spray.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix JUST until combined. Do NOT over mix! Add optional additions and fold in.
6. spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until 3/4 full.
7. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.
Calories: 107 Protein: 4 g Total Fat: 1 g Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 7 g Sodium: 268 mg
Power Flour:
1/4 cup barley flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup kamut flour
1/4 cup unbleached whole-wheat flour
Apple Pie Spice:
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp. cardamom
Enjoy!
Click HERE for a printable version.
Hey, go check out Averie's blog! She's having a Bora Bora Bar giveaway, yippee!
Nicole
Another Clean Eating Announcment!
Tosca has revised her original Eat-Clean Diet book!!! It's called The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged! The great news is that is so updated that it is like a new book. I am happy to see the addition of coconut oil and lots of veggies along with 50 NEW recipes! She even has vegan and gluten-free menu plans this time around. It will be on sale starting January 4th, 2010 and I can't wait!!
You can purchase it now from Amazon HERE!!
Nicole
Friday, December 11, 2009
Today's Leg Blast!
Some of you may be lucky enough to have been born with legs like this but the rest of us have to work at it!This sequence can easily be done at home in about 35-40 minutes. I love throwing exercises together and making a fun, tough workout. Enjoy!
Walking Lunges & Plie Squats- 24
Lunge Squat Combo- 8 per leg, front and back
Walking Lunges & Plie Squats- 12
Leg Press- 16 per leg
Thrusting Hammer Punch Lunge- 24 per leg
Leg Press- 16 per leg
One-legged Sit & Stands- 24 per leg
Side Thrust Hammer Lunge- 30 per leg
One-Legged Sit & Stands- 24 per leg
Firewalkers- 60
Walking Lunges & Plie Squats- 12
Firewalkers- 60
Walking Lunges & Plie Squats- 12
Lunge Squat Combo- 8 per leg, front and back
Low Pulse Lunges- 32 per leg
Lunge Squat Combo- 8 per leg, front and back
Tons of fun! I know my legs will be sore tomorrow : ) Now go do it!!
These exercises are featured on the "Leg Blast Premix" in Butts & Guts. This is an awesome DVD to have on hand for really burning out those legs!
Nicole
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Guess Where I'm Going?
Cathe's Spring Break Road Trip!!!
I have wanted to meet Cathe for SO long! I actually started my workout journey with her Cardio Kicks DVD and have been hooked ever since. She is a consummate professional and I love her style! All of her Road Trips up to this point have been in New Jersey, a bit far for this SoCal girl. This year she is traveling around the country with Egglands Best Eggs to several yet to be announced cities. Well, last week she announced that her next city would be my little ol' San Diego! Yikes, Yippee, WooHoooo!! Cathe, here I come!
Nicole
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
