Green Snot Smoothie

I don't usually like my food to resemble green snot.

But I made an exception this time and decided to try something new no matter how gross it looked.
And I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome :)

I happened upon a spinach shake recipe on the great Dr. Oz website and thought... how on earth could anyone create a drink with spinach as the main ingredient that would taste anything close to enjoyable. But somehow that wonderful wizard has done it!

I will warn you that this drink comes out looking a little bit like the slime we used to see on Nickelodeon... but I promise you, it tastes delicious! I was surprised that you don't really taste the spinach at all, you taste more of the creamy peanut butter/banana flavor.

Green Snot Smoothie

Ingredients:

3 cups spinach
2 cups ice
1/2 banana (I didn't have any bananas so I substituted 2 jars of banana baby food)
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 C almond milk (I used the sweetened kind but either would work)

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until completely mixed. Pour shake into glass and enjoy!

*This is not a low calorie beverage. I would recommend using it as a meal replacement or on a day when you're going to hit the gym hard.

Nutritious and Delicious

I used to equate "health" food with adjectives like bland, boring, and just plain bad tasting.

In fact, whenever I thought about eating healthy, visions of boiled seasonless chicken danced in my head, my stomach would turn at the thought of consuming something so gross, and I would make a much more exciting choice for my tastebuds like french fries or ice cream... or both together at the same time. (confession: I used to love to dip my french fries in a chocolate Wendy's frosty. I just have a weird love of strange food combinations)

But I have discovered this doesn't have to be. Getting a little creative in the kitchen and finding flavorful recipes with healthy ingredients helps to create dishes that are not only delicious but won't wreak havoc on your fitness goals.

My husband and I just returned from a vacation in Cancun where we ate all the carbs we wanted, drank all the sugary soda and spiked drinks we wanted and did not hit the gym once. In fact, the ONLY physical activity we had all week long were walks on the beach and swimming in the waves... ahh... it was so hard to come home....

Upon our return (and indulging in our last cheat day of big greasy burgers and cheesy pizza) we both made a vow to start eating healthy again. But the thought was less than appealing after a week of bad food binging.

So I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine and decided to try it out for dinner. It was so yummy! Proof that nutritious and delicious can come together into something amazing for your mouth :)

Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes


1/2  bunch broccoli cut into florets
1  lb red new potatoes (about 10), halved
3  Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
2  ounces Feta, crumbled (1/2 cup)
8  thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1  Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

heat oven to 400 F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast on the bottom rack, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red peppers and Feta. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, roll up the red pepper mixture in the cutlets (about 1 heaping teaspoon each) and fasten each closed with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large overproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, seam-side up, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, transfer the skillet to the top rack, and roast until cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes more. Remove the toothpicks. Serve the chicken with the vegetables, sprinkled with the parsley.

Spinach-Pesto Veggie Dip

I hate vegetables. I have always hated vegetables.

I just have to force myself to eat them. You will never hear me say "you know what I'm craving like mad right now. A whole bunch of broccoli!" yuck.

As a kid I dreaded anything green, leafy, or plant-like on my dinner plate and would sit for hours at the table finding creative ways to dispose of the horrible stuff to make it seem like I had eaten it. Or I would be forced to choke it down along with my sobs. I had cruel eggplant loving parents.

So my solution to make veggies more tolerable used to be saute them in butter, smother them in ranch and drench them in cheese. Or my favorite: frying them in fat. Mmm now that I can eat! But to achieve my fitness goals I just can't use those delicious taste tricks anymore.

So I have found an quick, easy, healthy dip to add some flavor to the green stuff. It's so yum!

Spinach-Pesto Veggie Dip


1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, spinach, pesto and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Serve with cut up veggies.

And when I eat fruit I like to whip this up:

Sweet Raspberry Dip


1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen & thawed raspberries
1 tablespoon truvia (or other sweetener)

In a small bowl, mash the raspberries with the sugar, stir in the yogurt. Serve with cut up pears (or whichever fruit you like)

Losin' the Love Chub

I have a little pooch and some love chub.

You might refer to yours as your love handles, beer belly, jelly rolls, pot belly, muffin top, spare tire, jelly belly, etc.

There are actually a lot of cute nicknames that refer to excess abdominal fat when you think about it.

The truth is, no matter how thin I've been I have never had a flat stomach. It's the first place I gain excess fat and the last place I lose it. And it certainly doesn't help that I hate doing abdominal exercises. Just hearing the very word "crunches" makes me wince - it just sounds excruciating and torturous.

But to reach my goal of "fit by 30" I cannot get by without some kind of abdominal work out. So I wanted to share the exercises I'm doing now to turn my pooch into a six pack.

1. decline bench sit ups

perform these slow on a decline bench focusing on constant flexion of your abdominal muscles while crunching. I do three sets of 20 reps.

2. dumbbell side bends 

to work the obliques I grab two 15 lb dumbbells, stand with legs shoulder distance apart and slowly lower to one side at a time for 50 reps, 3 sets

3. leg raises

lying flat on my back (on the floor or a bench) I bring my legs up to a 90 degree angle, keeping them as straight as possible.  Then slowly lower to the floor stopping about 1 - 2 inches off the ground then back up to start the next rep. The key is keep your muscles in constant tension. I also like to do hanging leg raises using the pull up bar.

4. kneeling cable crunches

attach a 2 sided rope to a pulley lever,  kneel down and grab each side, positioning it behind your neck. Crunch down for 25 reps, 4 sets. I like to use a foam pad to cushion my knees for this move.

5. standing cable wood chop 

attach handles to a cable machine and move pulley to the highest position. Grab the handle with one hand and step away from the tower. With feet shoulder distance apart, reach upward to grab the handle with your other hand and pull down and across your body while rotating your torso. Return to neutral position to complete the rep.

6. bosu ball crunches 

lie down on the Bosu ball with feet positioned in a wide stance. Elevate your torso in a crunching motion and slowly descend back to the starting position. I usually alternate between doing 20 regular crunches then 15 side bends for 3 reps.


So this is my ab work out right now. It's killer but I'm learning to love the burn. I'm working out my abdominal muscles about 3 times per week using this routine. I try to switch up the exercises I do every time so my muscles don't get used to the same moves. As with any exercise regimen, changes to your routine will maximize your development and results!

Supremo Spicy Salsa

I am having a torrid little love affair with salsa these days.

I just love the delicious stuff so much. Chips & salsa used to be my favorite snack but now that I'm carb cycling I've ditched the chips and instead I'm using salsa as my go to condiment. On just about everything I eat. I'm eating it with my eggs, smothering it over my chicken, dumping it into my chili, and spreading it on my steaks.

I like the store bought kinds but they never seem to come close to the fresh salsa you get at restaurants. So I've been on a mission to recreate something similar and I believe I've finally found a recipe that is pretty darn close. This stuff is seriously good enough to drink!

Supremo Spicy Salsa


Ingredients:


1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz can original Rotel
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed
1/2 to 1 jalapeno (leave in the seeds if you like it hot, if not de-seed it)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
juice of 1 lime

Directions: 

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds until all ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Sample a little and adjust amount of seasoning to taste. Serve with anything you desire :)

Gym Gripes and Grievances

I'm an avid people watcher.

Not in a malicious I-make-fun-of-others-to-feel-better-about-myself kinda way, and I'm not the creepy get-into-my-van-I-have-a-lolly-for-you stalker kind, but more in the curious I-just-find-people-so-fascinating sense.

And the gym is like the ultimate environment for people watching. From the cardio machines on the 2nd level I get a bird's eye view of the gym floor below. And on the main level every wall is made of mirrors which just encourages my surveillance of the gym goers around me.

So I get to observe the interesting fashion choices in gym attire, all the awkward exercise moves, the strange animalistic behaviors, and the unending diversity of human beings that makes people watching so fun.

From all my observations I have begun to compile a mental list of all my gym gripes and pet peeves. And because I always feel better once I have had a chance vent about these things, I'm going to share them all with you :)

1. People who bring Starbucks drinks to the gym

I totally understand that caffeine is a wonderful stimulant. I honestly wouldn't make it through a work out without a little pre-gym pick me up. But stick to re-hydrating with water during your work out. Even if your beverage of choice is a skinny, sugar free latte made with soy milk, it's just wrong to guzzle one at the gym! I don't want to see those little mermaid cups resting in the drink holder on the cardio machines anymore.

2. People who rest for long periods on machines between sets.

I totally understand daydreaming. I'm a terrible day dreamer myself. But I wait until the appropriate time and place to engage in this activity - like in the privacy of my car when I'm driving down the road. (you know that feeling you get when you realize you have no idea how you got somewhere cause you remember nothing about the drive? It's an everyday phenomenon in my life) I believe there should be a 2 min rest limit on all machines at the gym. Or you get zapped. Instead of resting, go do a set of another exercise and then come back to the machine you were going to take a 10 min break on and perform your next set. You'll make better use of your time at the gym and it's just polite gym etiquette for the other people waiting to use it.

3. People who practice imaginary moves in the mirror.

The gym in NOT the place to practice karate and kick boxing moves against an imaginary opponent, perfect your imaginary golf swing, perform your 80s dance moves, pretend your auditioning for american idol by singing loud (and horribly), flex your biceps while making some creepy macho man face, or lift up your shirt to flex and show off your six pack. Unfortunately, these are all real life examples of things I have witnessed. Please spare us all and save these for the privacy of your own home. The whole gym will thank you :)

4. People who grunt, growl, curse, or yell while they lift.

There is a man who works out at our gym I like to call "king kong" (in my head, not to his face) cause he likes to bear his teeth, beat his chest and unleash this animalistic primeval scream while weight lifting. It's quite frightening really. His gutteral outbursts always make me a little scared he's going to kill someone. I do believe you have the right to make some noise during the last few sets of some insane powerful lift, but not with every single move you make, not to be intimidating to others and not because you just want to attract attention. Please try to keep the gym grunts and growls to a minimum.

5. People who wear inappropriate gym attire.

Jeans while jogging, flip flops (with or without socks) in the weight room, pajamas on the leg press, cargo pants during crunches, tighty whities in the pool. It is vitally important to wear gym clothes to the gym. You'll be more comfortable and you'll make less people cringe. We all win :)

So there is my list so far. And please don't be offended if you realize you're guilty of being one of my pet peeve people. Cause I know I have been guilty of some gym grievances too. Like being absolutely mortified after a long, exhausting work out to discover I had a nice large circle of visible butt sweat on the seat of my work out pants. Which brings me to another gym gripe: don't wear anything white!

Fitness Facts & Fabrications

This fitness flirt has had to face the facts.

I have had a few major misconceptions about fitness.

I guess it's difficult for me to admit because I'm a nurse. If anyone should be an authority on health and wellness it should be me. I preach to my patients on the importance of diet, nutrition, and exercise every single day, I administer nursing care in order to improve their well being and encourage them to adopt healthy, active lifestyles. So I should know what I'm talking about right?

Well with my wealth of knowledge on the human body, health, and nutrition I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about fitness. But I was wrong.

And I'm discovering that I still have a lot to learn. So I wanted to share some of the fitness facts and fabrications I have come across so far. I hope the lessons I have learned help some of you in your journey from flab to fit :)

1.    "Running is the best way to get in shape"

I used to get on the treadmill, run for an hour and call it a good day at the gym. Although I did notice a few subtle changes in my figure, loss of body fat, some increased muscle tone in my legs, and improved endurance, I never felt like the effort I was expending doing cardio was equal to the results I saw in the mirror.

And that's because you can run your booty off all day long, do your zumba dances, ride your spinning bike until you're dripping sweat but you won't end up looking like a cover model on Shape magazine by simply doing cardio alone.

During a cardio session you burn calories while you're exercising but afterward your body returns to it's normal metabolic rate. But during weight bearing exercise you build muscle and muscles use calories for fuel. So for every pound of muscle you build, you burn more calories. And your muscles continue that calorie burn throughout the day even after you leave the gym and you're at home doing something inactive. Weight bearing exercise makes you more metabolic, for every pound of muscle you build you burn about 60 extra calories per day. Although cardio is still important to improve cardiovascular health and increase endurance, to really get fit, tight, and toned you have to engage in pumping some iron.


2.    "Lifting weights will make me bulky"

I'm a girly, girly girl. I love the color pink and ruffles and sparkly things. And I want my body to look girly and feminine too. Like sexy and soft with curves in all the right places. So I was always kinda afraid if I seriously started lifting weights in the gym I would end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger's scary man sister or something.

The truth is it's pretty much impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass. We just do not naturally produce the amount of testosterone (the hormone responsible for increasing muscle size) required to build enormous muscles. Those big, bulky body building he-shes you see on TV are most likely either using steriods or spending many excessive hours of heavy lifting and chugging protein shakes in order to gain that gargantuan amount of muscle. You have to do deliberately want to look that way and it requires a lot of effort.

So don't worry, you won't end up looking all bulky and masculine by lifting weights. You won't begin to grow side burns or anything freaky. Strength training will only get you the slimmer, toned, tight physique you seek :)


3.     "I exercise to eat dessert"

I used to live with the belief that if I enough spent time in the gym I could reward myself by eating whatever I wanted. I have a fast metabolism so for a long time this worked out well. But even after hitting the cardio hard I still held stubborn excess fat in the abdominal area. I became frustrated and began doing a million crunches everyday trying to get that perfect bikini body I wanted. But this had little effect on my stomach poochiness.

The saying "you are what you eat" is true. If you eat fat, you're gonna be fat.  And fitness experts say nutrition accounts for approximately 60% of your results in sculpting your physique! If you've been hitting the gym and are unsatisfied with your outcome I would suggest taking a look at what's lurking in your kitchen cabinets. I'm guessing the culprits are the sweet, salty, sugary unhealthy snacks you have available. It helps to shift your focus from food as fun to food as fuel. Think about the fuel you are filling up on and what effect that is having on your body's engine. And start filling up with high octane foods like lean protein, whole wheats, fruits, and veggies. Making these changes in your diet will have a dramatic effect on your fitness!


4. "I'd rather use exercise machines than free weights"

As an inexperienced fitness flirt I was drawn to the exercise machines at the gym. They seemed safer, easier to use and I thought they would help me maintain proper form since I wasn't working with a trainer and didn't have a clue what I was doing. But the truth is you still have to know the right technique for each move, the correct way to operate the machine, and how to properly adjust each one to your personal height and weight. It is possible to perform even the simplest exercise wrong. And without proper form you aren't receiving any benefits or building muscle from the moves you do.

(example: bicep curls. probably the most elementary move known to man. You pick the weight up, you put it down. But one day in the gym my loving husband informed me I was doing this simple exercise wrong! Using a heavier weight than usual, I was minding my own business doing my curls when my husband who had been watching informed me I was using more of my back than my biceps to complete the reps. So pay attention to your form! It's better to complete fewer reps with the correct form than multiple reps without it)