Comments Off on The only Brussel Sprouts I’ve ever enjoyed!

The only Brussel Sprouts I’ve ever enjoyed!

Category : Healthy Eating

We’ve been meaning to share this amazing recipe from Eben Erhard ever since he unexpectedly showed up on our door step one winter in December with a sample.  Truly the only Brussel Sprouts I’ve ever enjoyed.  If you don’t know Eben, he is the husband of our trainer Lori. 

Here’s a note from Eben:

“On a whim for Thanksgiving I decided that along with the standard boring side dishes, I should add something healthy to the menu and what’s not to love about Brussels sprouts?  Lots, according to some people I guess, but I was not to be deterred.  What I came up with seemed to be more than palatable.  I hope you will agree.

The lovely Brussels Sprout is a great fall vegetable and cool to grow even you are reluctant to eat it.  They take the cold temperatures of fall and store well making them a great late season food.  My initial sprouts came from the grocery store, but later I found some in their natural form at the Green Bay winter farmer’s market.”

Brussel Sprouts in their natural form

Brussel Sprouts in their natural form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts ala Eben:

1 – 2 cups of Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered depending on size.

1/3 T Coarse salt: Kosher Sea Salt

1T Olive oil

1 stalk celery

¼ cup chopped onions

1 small apple (or 3/4s of one if you are hungry)

¼ pepitas (pumpkin seeds – I used roasted with no salt)

Directions:

Shake the Brussels sprouts in a sealed container with enough olive oil to coat and a scant ½ teaspoon of salt. 

Place on cookie sheet or other backing pan and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Brussel Sprouts ready for roasting

 

 

 

 

 

While the sprouts are roasting chop up the onion, celery and apples into ¼ to ½ inch pieces. 

Other key ingredients

Other key ingredients clockwise: pepitas, celery, onion, apple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the sprouts have been in the oven for 15 minutes, caramelize the onions with some olive oil over medium high heat.  After about 1-2 minutes add the celery.  Cook until the onions have a nice translucent quality stirring often.  Add Brussels sprouts, apples and pepitas and cook for a minute or so until the chill is taken off the apples and you are ready to serve.

Brussel sprouts-the finished product

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Analysis:  Makes 3  servings.  175 calories/serving including 6g protein, 16g carbs, 10g fat, and 4 g of fiber.

Comments Off on Law of Success #4

Law of Success #4

Category : Active Living, Exercise

The Law of Self-Efficacy

You have to believe in order to achieve!

  

Self-efficacy is the belief that you can do it!
  
Psychologist Albert Bandura has defined self-efficacy as 

one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations.  

 

How confident are you?

The Physical Exercise Self-Efficacy Quiz

How certain are you that you could overcome the following barriers?

 

Rate yourself on the following scale:

1= Very uncertain; 2= Rather uncertain; 3= Rather certain; 4= Very certain

   

I can manage to carry out my exercise plans even if…

I have worries and problems

I feel depressed

I feel tense

I am tired

I am busy

  

The Nutrition Self-Efficacy Quiz

 How certain are you that you could overcome the following barriers?

 

I can manage to stick to healthful foods even if…

I need a long time to develop the necessary routines.

I have to try several times until it works.

I have to rethink my entire way of nutrition.

I do not receive a great deal of support from others when making my first attempts.

I have to make a detailed plan.  

  

If you scored high (mostly 3’s & 4’s) 

odds are you WILL succeed!

  

If you scored low (mostly 1’s & 2’s)

Identifying the barriers that are most likely going to trip you up 

will help you get past them. Take baby steps and you WILL succeed!

  

Think of self confidence as a bank…

Each time you keep a promise to yourself, 

your store of self confidence gets bigger, 

making it easier to keep the next promise to yourself! 

Comments Off on Law of Success #3

Law of Success #3

Category : Active Living, Exercise

The Law of CONSISTENCY

Be relentless in your pursuit of success.

 

Consistency is the key to achieving any goal. 

It’s so easy to get distracted…

You must stay focused

in order to reach your goal. 

 

“If you chase two rabbits, 
you will not catch either one.”
~unknown

 

Write down your #1 goal

and follow the advice of Spencer Johnson, M.D.,

author of One Minute Manager:

  

Take a minute

Look at your goal

Look at your behavior

See if your behavior matches your goal

 

Comments Off on Game Plan for December

Game Plan for December

Category : Active Living, Exercise, Healthy Eating

Of course you are busy! It’s the holiday season.  That is why you need to take a few minutes NOW to make Holiday resolutions. Why wait until January? What goals can you set to make the holidays healthier and happier? Here are some suggestions:

Write a specific exercise goal.

For example, “I will exercise ____ days per week for _____ minutes between now and December 31.”

Tight on time? Consider that exercising just 30 minutes twice a week can help you maintain your current fitness level. Another suggestion: 10 minutes on your home cardio equipment each morning is better than no minutes.  Just do it and you’ll feel better all day.

Tips on setting goals:

  • Write them down and post them somewhere you can review them on daily basis. Written goals are much more likely to be achieved.
  • Share your goals. Tell another person about your goals. Whether you enlist your spouse, your best friend or your personal trainer the support of another person will help you stick to it. If at all possible, find a friend who wants to set similar goals. This way you will have someone to hold you accountable.

Schedule your exercise sessions.

Writing an exercise goal is a great start, now get out your calendar. Instead of saying, “I’ll do it when I have time” schedule your workouts (date & time). Treat your workouts like you would an appointment with your dentist or hair stylist. In other words, don’t be late and always re-schedule missed appointments.

Keep a Journal.

This is where our Healthy Holiday Stars Program comes in!! Tracking both your exercise and food intake in writing can really help you stay focused. Exercise logs can help you see your progress and adhere to your plan. Once you get the momentum going you will not want to skip a day because you will want to record something in your journal. Food logs make you more mindful of what you are eating and how much. Studies show that keeping track of your eating in a journal is one of the keys to successful weight loss.

Set a daily quota for holiday treats.

For instance, “I will eat ONLY ONE holiday treat daily.” This gives you permission to have a little treat without feeling guilty. Feeling bad about yourself for eating something is no way to live. Instead, feel proud of the fact that you can eat just one! Completely abstaining from chocolate often makes cravings worse and can lead to a binge.

If you have a game plan for December you won’t feel as if you have to start all over again in January! Take time for YOU this holiday season!

Comments Off on Law of Success #2

Law of Success #2

Category : Active Living, Exercise

The Law of EFFORT 

 

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary!

~Vidal Sassoon  

 

Losing weight is never easy…

You must 

plan ahead,

find the time,

exercise & eat healthfully.

  

Success is the sum of small efforts, 

repeated day in and day out.

~Robert Collier

 

Daily recommendations:

30 minutes of exercise 

Eat breakfast

Eat 4 to 5 times each day

Eat your vegetables 

Notice the emphasis on eating right…focus your effort on this!

 

Comments Off on Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Category : Healthy Eating

We declared Barb B. the princess of our pumpkin party for recommending this delicious and satisfying soup that turns out to be a celebrity weight loss secret.  Because this simple recipe makes a large quantity of soup, you can freeze servings to curb cravings anytime you need some comfort food without blowing your diet.  Our version differs from the original by using low fat coconut milk to maintain that guilty richness.

Butternut Squash Soup
In a large pot, saute until translucent:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2T olive oil
 
Then add, bring to a boil and simmer 25-30 minutes until easy to pierce with a fork :
4 cups vegetable broth (canned or made from bullion)
1 large (2lb+) butternut squash, peeled and cubed in 1″ pieces
1 medium potato: any kind, cubed
2 large carrots, diced or sliced into 1/4 rounds
 
Remove from heat and add:
1 can low fat coconut milk
 
Next, puree  in batches using a regular or handheld immersion blender.  Then adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt & pepper, maybe even a dash of any one of the following: curry powder, garam masala, cinnamon or nutmeg.
 
110 calories per 1 cup servings (a bowl is likely a 2 cup serving)
4g fat, 16g carbohydrates,2g protein, 1g fiber, 340mg sodium
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Law of Success #1

Category : Active Living, Exercise

The Law of OWNERSHIP

 

If it’s going to be it’s up to me!

 
If you are going to achieve results, 
it is going to be up to you.  
 
Your trainer, your spouse and your friends 
can offer encouragement & support, 
but you must be willing to make & stick to 
the healthy lifestyle changes.  

  

Think about it:

Is there one thing that you 
know you should change?  

Can you start today?

Can you do it this week?

If not, why not?

It’s up to you!

 

 

Comments Off on Wait! Don’t buy Halloween candy yet!

Wait! Don’t buy Halloween candy yet!

Category : Healthy Eating

Save your money, save your waist-line…

Karin and Jenny halloween  It’s the first week of October, so of course the stores are well-stocked with trick-or-treat candy, but does that mean you need         to stock your pantry?!? Probably not…be realistic, if you buy Halloween candy now will it actually be around on October 31st         when   the kids come knocking? I doubt it! Instead you or your spouse and/or your kids will have eaten it all up and you will           have to go buy more for the trick-or-treaters. 

  My advice, leave the candy in the store until just a few days before Halloween….otherwise, stepping on the        scale might get a little scary! 

 

Yours in Health & Fitness,

Karin Jennings
XO Fitness
karin@xofitness.com 

Comments Off on Fresh Corn Tomato Salad

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad

Category : Healthy Eating

This recipe uses  late summer produce (which we are still getting plenty of in September!!)Corn Tomato Salad including corn, tomatoes and basil. This a colorful and tasty side dish…perfect to bring as a “dish-to-pass” next time you head to a cookout! Thanks to Carla N. for the suggestion…we looked up “corn tomato recipes” online and started with a recipe, however, as usual Ryan did make some changes….hope you enjoy this!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp.  salt (original recipe called for 2 tsp…that’s alot!)

Freshly black pepper

1/4 cup  olive oil

6 ears fresh corn, husked (about 4 cups corn kernels)

2 cups red or orange grape tomatoes, halved

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped (Ryan actually added 2Tbsp. of pesto instead!)

Directions
Whisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.

Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let set for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Before serving chop the basil and stir it into the salad.

 Nutrition Analysis per 1/2 cup serving:

fat 10 g; carbs 43 g; protein 9 g; fiber 1.6 g; sodium 271 mg

 

 

 

Comments Off on Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins

Category : Healthy Eating

Zuchinni muffins GFThe zucchinis are still in abundance, so here’s another delicious recipe using our favorite summer squash! Thanks to Gini M. for the recipe from her cookbook, “Grain-Free Gourmet” and introducing us to almond flour. Thanks to Jennifer for the zucchini AND thanks to Jasmine for grating the zucchini!!  Note that this is not a low calorie food but is gluten and grain free.

Makes one 8×4-inch loaf or 12 muffins

Ingredients

3 heaping cups grated zucchini photo (4)

4 1/2 cups almond flour

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil (we used canola oil)

6 Tbsp. honey

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

1 cup chocolate chips (optional…we added the chips; they were not in the original recipe)

Instructions

1) pre-heat oven to 300 degrees

2) peel and grate zucchini. Place in middle of dish towel; gather sides and wring out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.

3) in  a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

4) in another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, honey, vanilla, cider vinegar. Then add the grated zucchini & chocolate chips (optional) to this mixture.

5) add the wet ingredients t0 the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined.

Zuchinni muffins GF 2

6) For muffins, evenly fill each baking cup with the batter. We like to use an ice cream scoop. Bake for 30 minutes & check (the cookbook called for 50 minutes which seemed like way too much time and I am glad I did not leave them in that long) They are done when the top springs back when lightly touched. For a loaf, scoop the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.

Note about the nutrition facts:  Almond flour is a VERY dense food and is helpful for anyone avoiding grains or gluten.   When you eat one of these muffins you will very satisfied for a long time due in part to having 21% of your daily fiber (2000 calorie diet) and a high but healthy fat content.   Have we mentioned that fat doesn’t make you fat? It’s the removal of fat from carbohydrates that drives your hunger?  So with that little disclaimer, here’s your nutrition facts!

Serving size: 1/12th batch or 1 muffin

Calories: 381  Fat: 28g  Carbohydrates: 21g  Protein: 11g  Fiber: 5g  Sodium: 272mg