This Healthy Recipe of the Month is probably my favorite go-to salad. It’s just perfect to fulfill a craving… it’s filling but still refreshing as a salad should be. I’m a huge texture person and my perfect meal usually has a mix of different bites; crunchy, soft, crispy, creamy, salty, and sweet. This salad definitely has all of that rolled into one. Not only that, but as you can see, it is ridiculously easy to put together AND can be served as a main dish or side salad to accompany a meal.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Nom nom nom ………
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, this is an easily printable format that I provide for health clubs like Anytime Fitness in Ormond Beach and Anytime Fitness in Winter Park, both in Florida. If you would like to receive a Healthy Recipe of the Month for your fitness club or gym, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to add you to the list! :)
Question of the week: What is the BEST salad, homemade or restaurant, that you’ve ever had?
… or for however many you like, really. This impromptu what-do-I-have-in-the-pantry-that-I-can-make-dessert-ish recipe is VERY easy and came out to two super moist and tasty little cakes. The consistency is almost fudge-like; the outside is just crisp enough to make it sort of a less gooey chocolate lava cake.
Yes it is as decadently good as it looks…..
And added bonus, they are egg-free, gluten-free, paleo-friendly (depending how strict of a regimen you’re on considering there is a pseudo-grain flour involved), and it can easily be vegan/dairy-free by simply substituting the kind of protein used in the sweet cream sauce to something like Sunwarrior Protein-Vanilla. Make sure to check out the notes below the recipe for more tips! :)
Try it out and let me know what you think!
Quinoa Cocoa Cakes for Two
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp Stevia*
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
Scant 1/4 tsp instant coffee or espresso (optional)
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxmeal
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
1/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350.*
In a small glass or bowl, whisk together flaxmeal, olive oil, water, and vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In another bowl, mix together quinoa flour, cocoa powder, stevia, baking powder, instant coffee, and salt.
Add flax liquid to dry ingredients and whisk together well.
Split batter into two greased large muffin tins (or I had mini-bundt tins). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Plate each on top of half the Sweet Cream Sauce. Optional tops include.. well.. basically whatever you want. I had a dollop of Son of a Butter! Smoky Bacon Peanut Butter and a fresh strawberry.
*Next time I may try baking at 375 for around 18 minutes. If you like a more cakey, less fudgy center, this option would encourage that more.
Crazy Easy Sweet Cream Protein Sauce:
Scoop 1-2 Servings of your favorite vanilla protein powder into a bowl (I used Vi-Shape by Body By Vi since that is all I had on hand) and whisk with just enough water for thick sauce consistency. I added a touch of cardamom and cinnamon for an extra yumminess.
P.S. Don’t forget, if you want photos of recipes as they are created, workout tips, free gym routines, and other random goodness, you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter too. Happy New Year, everyone!
They’re everywhere. Moaning and limping and dragging their undead-selves all around the movies, television, and any other media outlet. Zombies are officially the IT thing lately, trendier than- dare I say it- yoga or going raw. They are the automatic celebrity and don’t even have to bathe, have all their limbs, communicate legibly, or smell particularly fresh.
But, let’s face it, they could use some help in the health and body departments just as much as any other person. They were living people like us at one point, after all. That’s why I took the time to give any future zombies what they deserve: Nutritional guidelines before the Zombie Apocalypse actually hits.
This is a list of the best foods for zombies (before becoming zombies), aka, The Undead Diet:
Aloe Vera Juice: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a zombie without gruesome cuts, wounds, or missing limbs. Although green juice is the last thing one would be caught consuming, we can make sure to prepare our body for ultimate healing beforehand by drinking at least a quarter cup of Aloe Vera Juice every day. Not only does it encourage digestion and restoration, it has also been shown to help those with anemia by stimulating bone marrow to create blood cells. Win-win for the walking dead!
Hot Chili Peppers: If there is one area where zombies obviously need help, it’s their skin. Wrinkly, dry, chapped, half fallen off; it’s just never at its best. Hot Chili Peppers offer the most Vitamin C per gram, and Vitamin C is the prime precursor for collagen production which keeps our skin supple, plump, and youthful. Additionally, the capsaicin (element that makes them hot) has been shown to slow and reduce cancerous growth, increase circulation, and increase endorphins to elevate your mood. In a nutshell, chili-pepper-it-up now if you want to be a happy zombie with envious skin!
Blueberries: Not only are blueberries full of E, A, C, and B-complex vitamins; but also copper, which acts as an anti-bacterial, and iron, which promotes immunity by raising hemoglobin and oxygen concentration in the blood. Not to mention, the anthocyanins (what makes blueberries blue) provide endless anti-oxidant benefits; from acting as an anti-inflammatory, to protecting the nervous system, to encouraging collagen production and improving eyesight. Take advantage of these tasty little nuggets while they are still on your menu!
Organic Grass-fed Beef: Now, this is a huge staple in The Undead Diet, and it’s important to make sure you get organic and grass-fed. It has the recommended 3:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats, which provide endless benefits from internal lubrication to anti-inflammation. It is also up to four times higher in Vitamin E than commercially-raised beef. But the biggest advantages before starting your zombie afterlife come from the abundant iron and protein (particularly, lysine). Lysine plays a huge role in the formation of collagen, which is important for healthy connective tissues and bones. Organic, grass-fed beef is a prime preventative measure to keep your limbs as strong (and attached) as possible!
Carrot Juice: Zombies aren’t huge fans of the sun. Even when they do get some rays, their complexion stays as gray as a gargoyle. Not only does just one cup of carrots provide more than 400% of your daily value for vitamin A, but the beta-carotene also brightens up the skin with a healthy glow if you incorporate it into your diet regularly. By drinking carrot juice, the bioavailability of the beta-carotene is drastically increased and better absorbed in your body. So drink it up and give your pre-undead self some nice color to carry over!
Wild-Caught Salmon: Speaking of skin, salmon is one of the best sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, or EFAs, which has been shown to reduce UV-induced damage and wrinkles. Seeing as you’ll be spending most of your days shuffling about aimlessly in the sun, this is a definite necessity. Salmon is also one of the highest foods in zinc, which helps aid against sickness and decay. Basically, the copious benefits of salmon make it a true zombie super food.
Organic Yogurt: You won’t exactly be eating enough greens or drinking enough milk in your walking dead days to keep those bones and teeth strong. Six ounces of this fermented goodness provides over 20% of your daily value in calcium to do just that. Plus, the probiotics will keep your gut flora in check boost cellular immunity. Even better: The yogurt’s live cultures have been shown to lessen tongue-bacteria and sulfide compounds responsible for bad breath… and I think we all know zombies need as much help as possible when it comes to that.
Ginger: Stiff joints seem to come with the territory when crossing over to the other side, and one of the most versatile and delicious ways to alleviate such rigid discomfort is with spicy ginger. The gastrointestinal benefits of this pungently delicious spice are popular with teas and juicing, but did you know that ginger is also a potent anti-inflammatory that can be used to alleviate arthritic aches and pains? Mince it, grate it, boil it- simply enjoy it! Who’s to say you won’t shuffle a little more gracefully?
Liquid Chlorophyll: Although I’ve never been within close enough distance to know firsthand, word on the street is that zombies smell like, well, death. In comes Liquid Chlorophyll, a detoxifying supplement that acts as a natural deodorizer to the body. It is also a great source of magnesium and cleans your digestive tract of pesticides and toxins. While all the other walking dead mosey around wafting the scent of rotting flesh, this will keep you as fresh and clean as possible from the inside out.
There you have it, The Undead Diet. Brace yourself for the Zombie Apocalypse by adding these nutritious, functional choices into your regime and you’ll be one of the most well put-together Walkers around!
(Hey, even if the movies are just pulling everyone’s chain and it never happens, at least you can still enjoy the benefits of these foods just the same.)
I am so backed up on posting recipes on here that I will probably spend the next couple of weeks putting a new one up every other day! Okay, maybe not that much to bombard your updates… but at least a handful more before the year is over to play catch up a bit. :)
This one also got some awesome reviews from the members of Anytime Fitness. It’s super easy and SUPER yummy, and you can play around with ingredients (adding more veggies you like, including meat/cheese or not, all kinds of fun deliciousness) according to your personal specifications. Make sure to comment below with any fun alterations you try!
I kept this the same format as the last instead of typing it out on here, and will continue doing so due to the feedback about it being easy to print and share. Yay for my computer skills making you happy! :)
Mmm.. I love squash season…
Some more recipes you have to look forward to (just off the top of my head, because there will be a LOT more) are: Oven-Roasted Veggies; Cinna-Beer Buns with Honey Beer Caramel & Chopped Pretzel Filling (the original, unhealthy version… consider it a Splurge-cipe!); my Go-To Dinner Salad (trust me, it’s absolutely mouth-watering); and tons of others I’ve gotten requests for.
If you want to be a little ahead of the game when it comes to food photos, recipes, fitness tips, free workouts, or other randomly entertaining things, add me on Instagram and Twitter.
Also don’t forget to like us on Facebook or subscribe for email updates to the left if you’d like to know whenever a new blog is posted! I am also planning some reaaally awesome give-aways for the beginning of the new year for Facebook friends so clickity click if you want to see what’s in store.
And, one last thing: Please, please, PLEASE share our Veteran’s Corner page with any and all military veterans you know! It is bound to be a GREAT venue for them, whether they are experienced writers or not, and we are very excited about making this something special! I have also decided to include veteran’s spouses, family members, or significant others as possible contributors. If this describes you, please go check out the submission page and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
I know we are already well-beyond our tryptophan comas, but I still had to share this delicious and EASY recipe with everyone since it got such rave reviews from the members at the Anytime Fitness where I train and lend a helping hand.
Rather than re-typing it out on here, I attached it in the same handout format that I originally made. This way, you can just click on and print to size (either in a new window, or right click and hit “print”). Easy, breezy.
Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below! And, of course, Happy-Deliciously-Belated-Thanksgiving!
Super easy, super delicious, super festive ANY time of year!
I was going over a piece of reading material in my arsenal, the NFPT Fitness Nutrition Specialist Manual, and came across a great section entitled Discipline and Nutrition. It relays my personal perspective on the subject almost perfectly, as well as my personal practice with clients (and friends) regarding nutrition, diet, training, and reaching their goals. I only hope all fitness, health, and nutrition professionals feel the same! …
“Let us equate your pet’s diet to your own, or to that of one of your clients’. While it is almost certain that pet food is less palatable than let’s say, a steak, or a slice of apple pie, a properly raised and well-disciplined pet, having never tasted steak or apple pie, will want for nothing. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have been born into a world where junk food and dietary temptation never even existed? We too then, would want for nothing. We would eat simply for the purpose of sustaining our body’s dietary needs, and never be faced with making that decision between cookies and grapes. We would be eating nothing but natural healthy foods just like our ancestors, and just like our bodies were created to eat.
Imagine the difference junk-free eating would make in all of our lives. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world currently suffering from every possible diet related disorder ranging anywhere from high blood pressure to diabetes; from depression and low self-esteem to the hyperactivity common in our children brought on by hypoglycemia; from cardiovascular diseases to obesity. Just think of how difficult it would be in terms of breaking habits and unlearning eating behavior to go back to totally natural foods. While this may seem somewhat unattainable, as a fitness professional, you need to make the effort. It will take you a long way down the road to client respect and success as a fitness professional to do so.
The toughest part of eating right is in the early stages when the very thought of all your favorite foods affect your taste buds. And, like it or not, the real problem doesn’t exist solely in your mouth, but more so in the back of your mind. No, not the deep subconscious either, rather in certain centers in the brain that are specific to causing physiological responses such as salivation, at the very thought or sight of different foods. You would be amazed to learn how much money actually goes into psychological research in putting together television advertisements for foods. The sole intention of this research is to manipulate regions of our minds in order to sell us a food product.
As you can easily see, you are definitely fighting an uphill battle all the way in declaring war on junk food. Only the strong willed, and the incredibly disciplined even stand a chance for success in establishing and maintaining life-long healthy eating behaviors. Only through effective and continued short-term goal setting, a serious and strong source of motivation, and a crystal clear vision of your ultimate achievement, can you ever hope to survive the arduous drudgery of taste bud denial in the preliminary stages of this dietary transition.
How long do you have to stick to a bland, healthy diet before you lose this taste for junk food? The answer is simple… as long as it takes. As is true with any worthwhile pursuit, if it means enough to you, you will do whatever it takes to get the job done. We all have our breaking point when it comes to healthy eating, too. Many people would prefer to have their skin slowly and quite painfully peeled away, rather than having to go even one night without their half gallon of ice cream. While others may be able to simply put the thought of certain foods out of their minds completely and focus clearly on their goals and visions of the ultimate achievement.
Strict dieting is therefore not for everyone, as we all have different levels of tolerance to the actions of the brain centers that actually control taste. This is obviously reflected in the emotional roller coaster ride many overweight Americans are currently on, seemingly at the mercy of their brain centers’ regulation of taste, and the resulting failure to consume fewer calories, and partake exclusively of healthier foods. If anyone has the motivation to succeed it would be the obese. One must also recognize that our society is not exactly conducive to weight control either, with all the psychological manipulation in the food service industry, outrageous portion sizes, confusing food product labeling, and many food labeling practices bordering on being fraudulent, it is almost as though the cards are stacked against those wishing to make a positive change to their dietary practices.
This chapter was not intended to suggest a willingness to accept a client’s inability to change his or her eating habits on your part, on the contrary, it is intended to encourage an element of patience, and compassion for these people. What may come easy for you may be next to impossible for someone else. These people need to know you’re on their side. No matter how frustrated you feel about a client’s failure to adhere to your dietary recommendations, you should always be supportive, compassionate, and most importantly, a friend!”
I came across this graphic courtesy of MindBodyGreen. It’s pretty self-explanatory and is a great eye-opener for those who may not realize the huge portions that our country has grown to have… and see as regular portions.
Sigh. America.
Take a look, how do YOU think we can take cues from other nations and go back to our former, regularly-sized meals?
I was recently sent an email asking this question. It was the third time in two weeks the topic of binge eating has come up, with someone seeking advice on how to overcome it through means of a proper nutrition plan. I am sharing my response because I have the feeling it will be relevant to many people out there who find themselves asking the same question (or even those who have not become aware of the existence and severity of binge eating).
Binge eating is more neurological than actually food-based. I can recommend the book Crave by Cynthia Bulik, which is a very good read to help understand that subject more. Binging is an eating disorder just like the most common ones, except not as recognized (even though it actually is the most abundant form of disorder in men and women). Surprisingly to most, it is even INCREDIBLY common with competitors and professionals in the fitness world. Many times, people with eating disorders think they have overcome it when, in actuality, they transfer to a different form of obsession with food.
From what I’ve noticed, binge eating is a result of too much restriction. You shouldn’t focus on restriction in your diet, but more on what you CAN have. Practicing mindful eating is important. Focus on the food you are eating, its taste, and how it actually nourishes the body instead of counting calories, being preoccupied with what you cannot eat, and worrying about numbers. Avoid keeping binge triggers in your home, mindless snacking in front of a TV or computer, and pay attention to emotional triggers that set off binge eating. Keeping busy in general helps, as does setting a time where you stop eating for the day (7pm for example). I’d also focus on eating whole, real, organic foods and cutting out anything synthetic or genetically altered- especially “sugar free” foods where the sugar has been replaced with a substitute like aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose. Such foods can possibly manipulate hormones and insulin levels, which can result in the body feeling deprived.. which only leads to more binge eating.
When you are craving anything, always stop and ask yourself if you are actually HUNGRY, or just mentally craving it. Learn to pay attention to your body and gauge physiological hunger vs a mental craving. If you restrict yourself all day and come home at night famished, you’re basically setting yourself up for disaster. Sometimes cravings are due to your body actually needing a certain nutrient, but just remember that for the most part, the brunt of binge eating is purely neurological.
If you say you “cannot” eat foods, I assume it’s because of an allergy or other medically-related reason. If you are saying you cannot because they trigger binge eating, then I assume you restrict your diet and exclude these foods – which you actually enjoy – only to have it bite you in the butt as soon as you are home, by yourself, finishing a full package of it. You can assure it’s mental and not an actually nutritional craving by adding a little extra complex carbohydrate and fat to each meal throughout the day (sweet potato + coconut or almond butter, quinoa + avocado). It’s been my experience that doing this helps immensely with craving and binging because you are supplying your body with the right nutrition to stabilize insulin levels and avoid any blood sugar crash… which leads to binge eating.
All in all, it is just important to know that any disordered eating or unhealthy relationship with food stems from an emotional place and has nothing to actually do with the food at hand. Food just acts as the outlet since all we truly have control over is what we feed our bodies. Binge eating should be considered just as serious as anorexia or bulimia because it can be just as harmful to the body (and your mental state).
If exercise is important to you, even 10-15 minutes a day of a fully body-weight workout is doable no matter what your schedule may be. Nutrition is the forefront, but staying active is a vital supplement to maintaining optimal health.
I hope this helped. I would be more than happy to help you with a personalized health plan like you asked. I just like to make anyone aware that, although education through a meal plan is a great catalyst, it is not a cure-all in such situations. I would rather bring awareness to that than simply supply you with a quick-fix service. I do highly suggest that you read that book and look into the practice of mindful eating. I could suggest a licensed counseling specialist in disordered eating if you think you may benefit from that venue, as well.
