Sunday Spill-over

Last week I felt great - my workouts were on track, my eating was clean - then came the weekend. It feels like we are so regimented during the week, I am at least, that when that weekend comes, so does the "I deserve this and that" mentality.

I truly believe in a eating clean lifestyle with room for indulgences, just not too many. A while back, I mentioned the 90/10 rule: 90% clean eating, 10% splurges. I still think this is one of the best ways to go. It's so hard and unrealistic to always feel like your diet needs to be perfect. It doesn't; you should be able to enjoy the foods you view as "off-limits." The 90/10 rule lets you feel good about eating clean: lean proteins, healthy carbs, fruits, veggies and good fats, but it also lets a couple snacks or meals a week  (2-3) be a guilt-free splurge!

Put an emphasis on the guilt free; really enjoy your splurge and then move on. Even if you overdo it, you can't berate yourself. I still struggle with this sometimes. In my head I hear "I've been so good all week, and now I ruined it." You didn't ruin it; you had an indulgence, and maybe it was more than planned, but no food should ever make you mad at yourself or your body.

With this pilosophy, though, you have to be csreful. Watch for what I call the Sunday Spill-over effect. When I can let myself guilt-free splurge, I enjoy it and then I also enjoy going back to eating clean. Those times when I let my alter-ego take over, the one that calls food "good" or "bad", I can experience the Sunday Spill-over effect. My one splurge Friday night rolls into Saturday and sometimes all the way into Sunday. I feel guilty, my body doesn't feel good and Mondays are not fun.

So here's to living a healthy lifestyle, enjoying your splurge, and loving your body! Happy Friday!

Express Stability Ball and Mat Workout

Happy Monday! I know how hectic this time of year can be, which is why it's even more important to get some exercise to help deal with all the stress! I am posting two workouts that can be combined or used separately to get a great express workout in.

5 min Warmup:
Alternating leg swings behind-8 reps each side (standing, reach one foot directly behind you until you are parallel to the ground)
Arm swings-8 reps each side (slight bend in knees and hips, swing one arm in front of you and to side)
Squat to stand-8 reps (Standing straight, reach for toes, bend at knees, lift arms and stand up)
Walkouts-8 reps (Start standing and walk with only slight bend in knees until in plank with shoulders over wrists and walk back to standing)

Stability Ball (SB) Workout: 12-20 min Repeat 2-4Xs
1A. SB Toe Taps- 30-60 seconds: get shins or toes on ball, with hands on ground in plank position, one at a time take the foot off the ball and bring to ground taping toe and switch sides

1B. SB Back Roll-ins-30-60 sec: Lay on mat, place heels in middle of ball, raise hips off ground, keep abs in and roll ball in towards the back, keeping hips lifted and abs in, drive feet into the ball

1C. SB Inner thigh work 30-60sec: Stay on back, grip ball between lower legs, pick shoulder and head up and support with hands behind head, without moving the quads (thighs), straighten and bend lower legs

1D. SB Circles 30-60 sec: In forearm plank position make small little circles with your arms going both directions, try not to move the rest of body too much. Keep hips lifted and abs in

1E. SB Wall Squats 30-60 sec: Place SB against wall and lean so small of back is touching ball, angle your legs out so that when you go to sit down, you knees don't go over your toes. Bend at hips and knees, pushing through your heels after squatting to come back to a stand position

Mat Workout: 12-20 min Repeat 2-4Xs
2A. Hand Bridge with Heel jumps 30-60 sec: Plane hand on mat close to body, lift hips in air, placing your body weight in your hands and heels. One at a time straighten one leg in front of you and jump to switch to other leg (try to only have one leg down at a time)

2B. Walkout Pushups 5-7 each side: Start balancing on one foot with a slight bend in the knee, push hips back and slowly reach down to your mat, walk forward until you are in pushup-plank position, pushup and walk back up to standing, keep foot lifted entire time (complete reps on one side, then switch)

2C. Side Hand Plank 30-45 sec each side: Place hand on ground, arm and shoulder above, straighten body from shoulder to feet (you can stack or stagger feet here), keeping hips off ground, reach top arm up and then underbody and back up again

2D. Floor Jacks 30-60 sec: Think jumping jacks but on the floor: Start in hand plank position and start jumping feet in and out, add alternating arm raises one when feet are out to side



3-5 minutes of stretches and cool down

Happy Holidays!

12 Chances for Health and Fitness

It's that time of year, more food, more drinks, more parties, more fun, all which can lead to more weight gain. The holiday season is such a great time and it should be enjoyed! So, instead of the "I'm not going to eat anything" or the "I will pick back up in the New Year," mindsets, I purpose something different: Have your fun and make the most of this time of year and everyday make it a point to do something good for your body.

There are so many great things surrounding the holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in all the fun and put your fitness goals to the side. This year, I challenge you to do at least one, if not more of the suggested "chances for health and fitness!" The more you do each day, the better you will feel during this season!

"The 12 Chances for Health and Fitness"

1. Plan ahead-look at your week: do you have any parties, happy hours, or planning any indulgent meals? Make sure you take a look and plan your splurges and plan for the rest of the week to be filled with clean eating: veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and complex carbs.

2. Workouts with JTT

3. Drink Water and tons of it! The more parties and happy hours you attend, the more likely you are to be dehydrated, so drink up. Not having enough water can lead to a slower metabolism, which equals weight gain.

4. Try a new healthy recipe

5. Log your nutrition: writing it down equals honesty and helps you to see what your diet is missing

6. No over eating-enjoy your treats, but don't eat past the point of fullness

7. Contain your splurge-this means many things: keep it to only one splurge so if you are having dessert, no drinking and vice versa, also if you splurge for a meal don't let it roll over to the whole day, weekend, week, etc :-)

8. Positivity- turn that negative self-talk around, it doesn't do you any good and don't you deserve a compliment?!

9. Extra steps- this is that parking spot farther away, taking the stairs, and walking instead of driving idea.

10. Maximize your workout-That means having a protein shake, or a carb and protein mix to replenish your body after a tough workout.

11. Food Prep-Setup your week by having the right foods in the house and having them prepared. It's a lot harder to make unhealthy choices when you have your meals planned.

12. Additional workouts: anything from a serious walk or a weight workout counts (15 minutes minimum)

Yummy Caesar Dressing Recipe

I was talking to a few clients about this awesome caesar salad dressing recipe and wanted to follow up with a link on how to make it. If you are going to do croutons, do whole wheat ones or better yet, make your own! Here's the link http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caesar-on-the-light-side.

Workout Tip for the day:
Plan out next week and the next couple weeks going forward. What meal(s) will be a splurge and what days are you going to be eating extremely clean? Enjoy yourself, but have a plan! Better planning=more success in your fitness journey! Happy Saturday!

What's in your basket?!

I had one of those I have all these ingredients and I have no idea what to make moments. We had leftover pork tenderloin from Monday, a bunch of kale, a pie pumpkin, and an eggplant. Sounds like the perfect reason to make a stew! I can't get enough pumpkin with the weather changing and to be honest, if I could, I would eat eggplant everyday!

On that note, please read my recipe below, I can't wait for dinner!

1 Onion chopped
3 heads garlic minced
*(did a 1/2-1 tsp of each, go easy and add as desired: oregano, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper)
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed (best if you soak cubes for 20+ min in salted water before cooking)
1 pie pumpkin cut, roasted and peeled (375 for 45 min, add a little olive oil to roast)
1 bunch of kale chopped with thick ribs removed
1 can of white, kidney or whatever kind of bean you want to use rinsed
28 oz can of tomatoes (i prefer whole and to chop them with kitchen scissors in stew)
6-8 oz pork tenderloin roasted and sliced (can also use chicken)
3 cups chicken broth


1. In heavy duty pot add 1 TBS olive oil, when hot saute garlic and onions until soft 8-10 min, add in spices minimally then add more later if desired
2. Add in eggplant and saute until softened-3-4 min
3. Add in pumpkin cut up, Kale, and white beans and let flavors marry while stirring 5-8 min
4. Add in tomatoes cutting while placing in pot
5. Add in meat and chicken broth
6. Continue to let simmer until desired flavors reached 15 min-2 hours...

*I'm going to top mine off with a dollop of yummy greek yogurt! Enjoy, healthy fall flavors!

So you can keep on running...

Are you a runner?! Do you enjoy the occasional jog? If you do any type of running on a consistent basis, you run the risk of developing plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the uncomfortable inflammation of the foot fibers, running along the bottom of the foot.

The article I'm posting below goes through a couple different exercises to prevent and treat plantar fasciitis. Keep up the running, but do your preventative homework so you can continue it! I recommend doing these 2-3Xs a week either after a run or after warmed up!

http://www.active.com/running/articles/5-moves-to-prevent-plantar-fasciitis

Recipe Friday!

I can't put enough pumpkin in my dishes lately! I thought I would share my latest healthy recipe: 

Pumpkin soup! Read all the way through!

Need: 

2 large stalks celery chopped

3 large carrots chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 small sweet potato

1-2 pie pumpkins

1-2 tbs coconut milk or cream

1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbs fresh sage

*put 1-2 tbs olive oil and large pot or dutch oven, let heat up and combine carrots, celery, & onion

* caramelize for 8-10 min

*add squashes below and cook for additional 5 min

2 small or 1 large pie pumpkin baked ( chop in half, scoop out seeds and cut into sections. Roast at 375 for 25-30 min with olive oil and salt and pepper) (when finished scoop out flesh, discard skin)

1 small sweet potato roasted with squash (sometime I start in microwave)

* once everything begins to soften add 3-4 cups chicken stock, can be low-sodium

* stir and add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbs fresh chopped sage, and salt and pepper to taste

*using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until puréed or to Desiree texture!

* you can let simmer for additional 10 min or so

*Optional, before serving, to add 1-2 tbs coconut milk or 1 tbs cream. 

**Another option is to put a dollop of Greek yogurt on top and some yummy pumpkin seeds! Yummy!

Happy filling and healthy recipe Friday!