Comments Off on >Super Easy Veggie of the Week: Edamame

>Super Easy Veggie of the Week: Edamame

Category : Healthy Eating

>
What is edamame? (pronounced ed-a-MA-MAY)
Edamame is a the Japanese name for fresh soybeans!

They are super easy to make…
Take them out of the freezer, and microwave for 3-4 minutes in the microwave right in the package.


Out of the package they look like this:


We just put them on the table in their pods (above)
and let everyone shell them as they go!



Our kids love to eat this…I think they especially like picking them out of the pods.

Nutrition Facts
1/2 cup of beans (no pods)
100 calories
3g fat
4g fiber
8 g protein

Comments Off on >XO’s Friday Foodie: Spinach & Black-eyed Pea Curry

>XO’s Friday Foodie: Spinach & Black-eyed Pea Curry

Category : Healthy Eating

>Greetings!  In keeping with the mission of XO Fitness to enhance your lifestyle, we’ve decided to introduce a new weekly food blog we call Friday Foodie.  Ryan, Karin or one of our trainers will be sharing a healthy recipe that they love every Friday.  Our intent is that these recipe’s are relatively easy, delicious and use the fewest pots and pans for easy clean-up.  This week’s recipe is Spinach and Black-Eyed Pea Curry.

I’ve been making spinach and black-eyed pea curry ever since I first had it at a tiny Nepali restaurant called Himal Chuli on State Street in Madison about 15 years ago.  Although I’ve never quite emulated the complex flavor, this recipe can be made as simple or as difficult as you choose and every variation is enjoyable.  There are infinite ways of making the curry sauce; what follows is by far the fastest version I’ve made that takes only 20 minutes or so. -Ryan.

Ingredients:
1 block frozen chopped spinach, defrosted.
1 medium onion, small diced.
2 cloves of garlic, minced.
2 cans of black-eyed peas (15oz), rinsed.
1 generous Tablespoon Patak’s Mild Curry Paste (or other curry paste to taste)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
2 Tablespoon EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Step 1:  In a Large frying pan, saute the onion and garlic in the EVOO over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and start to brown a little.







Step 2:  Turn the heat up to medium and stir in 1 cup of water and the curry paste, stirring until the curry paste is dissolved completely.




Step 3:  Mix in the defrosted spinach your drained, well rinsed (important!) black-eyed peas.

Step 4:  Cover and simmer on low heat 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5:  Taste.  Add more curry paste if desired by mixing with a small amount of water.

Step 6:  Thicken (optional).  Mix the cornstarch into a small amount of water and mix into the curry.  Stir over medium-low heat until sauce thickens.

Step 7:  Serve directly or over brown rice or quinoa. Makes great leftovers!

Options:  Often, this is made with cubed potatoes, which are cooked in the sauce.  Another variation to up the veggie content  is to add cauliflower florets, and simmer covered until thoroughly cooked.

That’s it.  If you divide it into 4 servings, it is about 280 calories per serving with 38 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein.  It also includes 10 grams of fiber, or about 40% of the recommended fiber for a 2000 calorie diet and just 300mg of Sodium.

If you have time and you’d like a more complex version of this recipe, try this one: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/black-eyed-peas-curry.php 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have.  Let me know if you make it and how you like it.  Thanks!  -Ryan.

Comments Off on >Super Easy Veggie of the Week: Broccoli

>Super Easy Veggie of the Week: Broccoli

Category : Healthy Eating

>
Cover 1/2 your dinner plate with steamed broccoli….
it goes with just about anything!


Needs to cook for only 5-6 minutes or it will get mushy,
so don’t wander off.


Leftovers!
Start out your day with a scrambled egg and the leftover broccoli.

Comments Off on >Soup Walk

>Soup Walk

Category : Healthy Eating

>Saturday, November 12…12 pm-4 pm

Downtown restaurants and retailers will be offering great specials and collecting cans for The De Pere Christian Outreach Food Pantry.

Cost: $10…there are only 100 tickets, get them while they’re HOT…tickets are available at many downtown restaurants and retailers!

What you get:

Downtown restaurants including Alpha Delights, Caliente, George St. Cafe, Great Harvest Bread, Hansen’s Dairy & Deli, McGeorges and The Vault will be serving soup along with other food and drink specials.
You get to vote for your favorite soup!!

Comments Off on >WAIT! It is NOT time to buy Halloween candy!

>WAIT! It is NOT time to buy Halloween candy!

Category : Healthy Eating

>Save your money, save your waist-line…

It’s only September, but the trick-or-treat candy displays are out in full force! 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 >Healthy Summer Strategies

>Healthy Summer Strategies

Category : Healthy Eating

>Many of us discover vacations and hot weather challenging our weight loss efforts this time of year. Relaxation definitely has its merits, but don’t let the lazy days of summer keep you from your health and fitness goals!


Vacation


Planning a vacation this summer? Good for you! Vacation is very important for your mental well-being. Relax and enjoy yourself, but don’t sabotage your health and fitness while you are away. It’s easy to throw caution to the wind and return from your trip with an extra 2-5 pounds.


Here are some ways you can minimize the impact of your vacation:


o Keep healthy snacks handy in the car This will keep you out of the drive-thru lane. Having a pocket guide such as “Eat This, Not That” can be very helpful when you must eat on the run.


o Limit your alcohol consumption There are a lot of empty calories in alcohol. It also reduces your inhibitions to eat junk food AND makes you feel hungrier.


o Plan some physical activities Hiking, biking and swimming are great ways to get you moving. . If you have kids, keep them moving too. A study conducted by Ohio State University found that 5- and 6-year-olds gained more weight over the summer than during the school year, so shut off the TV and do something active with them!


Too Hot to Cook


o It’s tempting to eat out when it’s too hot to cook If you do eat out, remember to eat reasonable portions, start with a salad and eat all your vegetables. Try to avoid fast food all together.


o Eat fresh fruits and vegetables This is the BEST season for fresh produce…plus you don’t have to cook them. Whether you visit a farmer’s market or stop by the salad bar enjoy delicious fruits and raw vegetables EVERY day. Remember, the USDA recommends 3 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables daily.


o Grill healthy foods Grilling out will keep your kitchen cool. Prepare veggies (zucchini, colorful peppers, onions, and mushrooms tossed in olive oil) in a grill basket. As for meat, stay away from the brats and burgers and opt for lean cuts of meat or fish.


o Avoid traditional picnic food Chips, mayo-based “salads” (such as potato salad and coleslaw) and meat on a bun are not good choices. If you are invited to a “cookout” offer to bring a salad or fresh fruit.


Too Hot to Exercise


o Drink Water Always a good idea…zero calories. Avoid drinking calories from soda, ice coffees, and sports drinks except as a special treat. Try squeezing some lemon or lime into your water if plain water isn’t appealing.


o Workout indoors The great outdoors is usually a great option here in Wisconsin, however, if we’re experiencing a heat wave exercise indoors.


o Stay cool in the pool Swim laps, chase your kids, walk in chest-high water or try deep water running for awesome low impact exercise.


o Exercise early The sun is up very early in the summer, but the couple of hours after sunrise are cool and quiet. A perfect way to beat the heat!

Want to lose weight this summer? Focus on eating well and staying active every day.

Keep this in mind:

“Success is the sum of small efforts,

repeated day in and day out.”

Robert Collier




Feeling a lazy this summer? We can help you stay motivated! Karin@xofitness.com

Visit our website: www.xofitness.com

Comments Off on >Walking Workouts begin in May

>Walking Workouts begin in May

Category : Healthy Eating

>Walking is a fantastic low-impact activity which burns calories and improves your cardiovascular health. This 6-week program will begin slowly and then safely increase in intensity. You’ll learn the proper way to warm up before walking and the most important stretches to do when you are finished with your workout. You will be held accountable and motivated to increase your cardiovascular levels further than ever before! Getting outside this spring for this group workout promises to be fun and to keep you motivated to ensure you stick to the program and experience great results just in time for the Summer!

Dates: 5/3/11-6/9/11

Time: Tuesdays and/or Thursdays 8:45 AM

Where: All walks will depart from XO Fitness, 100 South Broadway, De Pere

Cost:
$59 for 6-week training program (one day/week) That’s less than $10/week for your own Personal Coach!
$89 for 6-week training program (two days per week) Your second day is only $5/session
Click here to register

Cost Includes:
• A Weekly Walk with your Coach, Karin Jennings
• Structured Safe Walks
• Weekly Emails
•Warm-ups/Cool-downs and a few extra strength moves you can do outdoors

Extra details:
Dress for the weather, even in May you never know what Mother Nature is going to dish out, so dress in layers.

If weather is really bad, we will meet indoors at xo fitness or identify a rain date.

If you are registered to walk one time each week and need to switch from Tuesday to Thursday or vice versa just let us know.

Comments Off on >Super easy fish

>Super easy fish

Category : Healthy Eating

>Here it is, my super easy fish recipe…Only 4 ingredients

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Defrost individually wrapped Tilapia fillets in bowl of hot water (leave in plastic for now)
Drizzle Olive oil into Pyrex baking pan and place in oven to heat (just a minute or two)
Beat 1-2 eggs in shallow bowl (depends how much fish you have)
Cover a plate with store bought seasoned bread crumbs
Remove defrosted fillets from plastic and dip first in egg, then in crumbs
Place coated fillets into heated, oiled Pyrex pan in one layer

Bake in oven
Flip over with spatula after 5-8 minutes.
Fillets are done when they flake with a fork.

I served this with sweet potato fries and brocoli…everyone was happy!

Comments Off on >Not all fat is bad

>Not all fat is bad

Category : Healthy Eating

>Why is America eating less fat and getting fatter?
 
Posed by many, one answer is that low and especially no-fat foods are generally ‘food products’ and substitute sugar, salt and chemicals to make up for the flavor loss. The end “food product” may actually have more calories than the original.

 
Fat takes a long time to digest, it keeps you full longer, and small amounts of the right fats can help you eat less over the course of the day.

 
Good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids

 
Doctors Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz, authors of You On A Diet advise either eating (3) four ounce servings per week of fish (usually deep sea fish like salmon or tuna), eating an ounce of walnuts a day, or taking a 2000mg fish oil tablet daily.

 
Other popular sources of Omega threes:
• avocado (these are in season now!!)
• almonds
• pumpkin seeds
• flax seeds and flax seed oil
• dark leafy greens like kale, spinach and broccoli
• olive oil and canola oil (I honestly can’t think why a person would have any other oil in their house)

 
Avoid Solid fats found in Fatty animal-based foods:
• well-marbled meat
• poultry skin
• bacon
• sausage
• butter
• whole milk

 
Avoid Trans fat (foods made with partially hydrogenated oils):
• Cookies
• Donuts
• Pastries
• Crackers

 
Action Plan:
  • Switch to canola oil and olive oil.
  • Start taking Fish Oil supplements.
  • Avoid solid fats and trans fats.

 

Comments Off on >Eat with Color! Try something GREEN this week.

>Eat with Color! Try something GREEN this week.

Category : Healthy Eating

>The theme of National Nutrition Month this year is “Eat Right with Color”.


This week’s featured color…GREEN
(just adding green food coloring for St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t count!)


According to the American Dietetic Association, fruits and vegetables which are GREEN have antioxidant potential which may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks.


Fruits to try this week:
Avocadoes (this is a great time of year to buy fresh ones), apples (the ADA listed them here), green grapes, honey dew, kiwi,


Veggies to try this week:
Asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers, leafy greens, spinach


We challenge you to eat one of the GREEN foods above EACH day this week!

At the Jenning’s house, we made an old favorite which was DEFINITELY GREEN!!! WE call it “Irridescent Green Stuff”



If you dare, here’s the recipe for Indian Mustard Greens & Spinach: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mustardgreens_5139


Ryans notes: I seldom have the hot peppers handy, so I skipped them.  Instead of cooking 1 ½ hours until mushy, we steam the coarsely chopped mustard greens & spinach until wilted and put them in the blender with all the other ingredients (except butter and corn flour) and blend until pureed (adding steaming water as needed to allow blending). We then heat the butter/ghee or oil in a large saucepan and add ½ cup of cornmeal for texture.  Stir a couple minutes and add the puree.   Stir to thicken, salt to taste and serve with warm whole grain tortillas.  Eat until silly.