Favorite Friday...Sierra Trading Post!

Have you ever been to their site? I love it for workout clothes and running shoes... like these little numbers I just ordered! Aren't they super cute?!

They always have great prices...but when they have sales...look out sister! They are GREAT! I picked these up for $35 bucks!

Sierra Trading Post also sells, camping equipment, household items, shoes boots...you name it, they probably have it at a discounted price!

Check it out http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ You will love it!

Make the decision, then do something - no matter how small - toward accomplishing what you want.

Recipes...Broccoli Slaw

For any who knows me, you know how much I love Broccoli Slaw!

I thought I'd share some nutritional info first.

Serving size 1 1/4 cup is 25 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 5g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 2 sugar, 2 protein. 40% vitamin A, 110% Vitamin C, 4% Iron, 4% calcium. Broccoli slaw consists of shredded broccoli stalks, carrots and red cabbage.

Seven things to do with broccoli slaw:

3 cups broccoli slaw
4 oz chicken breast (cooked and diced)
2 Tbsp Newman's Own light honey mustard dressing. I'll put it all into a Tupperware container and give it a few good shakes to mix the dressing so everything is covered.

3 cups broccoli slaw
1 can of salmon in water (or tuna) rinsed several times
1/4 cup edemame
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds (unsalted)
2 Tbsp Newmans own low fat sesame ginger dressing
1/2 tangerine or clementine diced
(I'll do the same thing with shrimp instead of salmon)

3 cups Broccoli slaw
1tsp minced garlic (saute in lightly a misto-ed pan)
Add 2 Tbsp Newman's own low fat sesame ginger and broccoli slaw
heat thru (the slaw should wilt a little)
1/4 edemame
1 Tbsp chopped peanuts (optional)
Add Cooked shrimp, or 4oz lean beef, or chicken,

Whole wheat wrap
1/2 cup broccoli slaw
add 4oz turkey breasts
Dijon mustard

3 cups broccoli slaw
1 can tuna (rinsed)
2 Tbsp Red Bull Italian dressing

My friend Cindy V added broccoli slaw to some homemade soup!
I've added it to beef vegetable soup.

I've also made it into a coleslaw with the Newman's own light honey mustard dressing and put it over chicken bar-b-q sandwiches!

Make up your own recipes...like a strawberry chicken salad! It is a nice change from lettuce! And who doesn't need more fiber in their lives?! ;)

Knowing is not enough, you must apply.
Willing is not enough, you must do.

Nutrition tips... Are you eating enough protein?

I think as women, we shy away of eating protein. Too much like a guy thing. Salad, is more feminine... Some people automatically think "Adkins diet".  Some people aren't sure what a protein is! So...how much protein should you have on a daily basis?

Women should shoot for, on average, about 100 grams a day. I know that you are saying ...What?! If you eat 5-6 small meals a day, your protein amount adds up quickly!

 Lean Protein like chicken breast, turkey, fish, sea food, lean beef, lean pork and of course eggs. Now there is always tofu, legumes, nuts, Greek yogurt and edemame for those of you who are vegetarian (or not).
Example of some good protein sources are:
Chicken Breast 5oz 150 calories, 27.5g protein
95% lean Ground Beef 4oz 185 calories, 29.2g protein
Ground turkey breast 4oz 150 calories, 22g protein
4 large egg whites 69 calories, 14.4g protein (I always go for the egg whites...less calories, more food!)
2 whole eggs 154 calories, 12.5g protein
0% Greek yogurt 1 cup 120 calories, 20g protein
Almonds 1oz 164 calories, 6g protein

So if you ate this sample menu...4 egg white omelet for breakfast, 1 cup Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for your snack, chicken wrap for lunch, an apple and 1oz almonds for another snack, a turkey taco salad for dinner and a green strawberry goodness smoothie for another snack before bed... You would have consumed about 116 grams of protein for the day! You were not a bit hungry either...in fact pleasantly satisfied! Wouldn't that feel great?!

Discipline is remembering what you want.

Exercise .....HIIT

Well...? What did you do on Friday? I did the workout that I posted last Tuesday except...

This was my run! A small part of my driveway... Not 20 yards, but I felt the need to kick it up a notch! It took me about 45 minutes to finish all 3 rounds 3 times! A great way to start the day, don't ya think?

What the heck is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and what does it do for me vs. steady state running/jogging? I want to pass on some exciting news to you! You don't have to exercise as long as you think! However...Of course you know there is always a "however"! Let me refer to this article snip it.

"A May 2001 study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise compared two groups of women. One group did standard aerobic exercise in the "aerobic zone," while the other group did anaerobic interval training(HIIT).

The HIIT protocol involved two minutes at 97 percent max heart rate followed by three minutes of low intensity activity. The aerobic group exercised at 70 percent of max heart rate. The workout sessions for each group were equal in terms of calories burned: exactly 300 calories. Despite exercising longer and burning the same amount of calories, the aerobic group lost less body fat at the end of the study compared to the interval group.

A similar study also published in the same journal showed that an anaerobic-trained group burned significantly more fat than their aerobically trained counterparts. Not only did the interval group burn more fat during exercise, but they exhibited increased fat burning effects that persisted a full day after the workout.
While the exercise more approach works for some, it fails the vast majority. Attacking hormones with short duration, high intensity exercise offers a clear departure from current weight loss models and may provide the changes you're looking for!"

So the next time you are out for a jog, try sprinting for 2 minutes followed by 3 minutes of recovery for 30 minutes...instead of steady state jogging for an hour! You'll burn more fat during and far after your run. Unless... you just wanted to get out of the house for an hour to clear your mind...then by all means do intervals for 30 minutes and for 30 minutes sit around the corner from your house and reflect on the fat you just burned!!!

"When one approach is not working to reach the desired goal, that's not a reason to abandon the goal. Instead, it is time to devise another approach."------Ralph Marston

Motivation... Music!

Music motivates me!

I was on my way to the Y the other morning when Young The Giants came on the radio...a song called "My Body".  So I'm singing along (which I only do when I'm alone and in a sealed compartment!) Well.... here is the part in the song where I go... "What did he just say?.... "

My body tells me no
But I won't quit
Cause I want more
Cause I want more
My body tells me no
But I won't quit
Cause I want more
Cause I want more

Now, I'm sure it means something different to them, but to me it meant,  kick it up a notch "cause I want more" I'm not going to quit until I'm sufficiently done!

When I lift weights I like rock music!

Like this play list:
House of Wolves by My Chemical Romance
Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars
Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
Memories by Weezer
New Fang by Them Crooked Vultures
Down and Out by Tantric
Drum Trip by Rusted Root
Sleep Now In the Fire by Rage Against the Machine
Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore
That gets me going! Loud in my ears, I hear no one else, I focus on me and my goal!

When I run, I like a quick beat. In the group exercise business, we call it beats per minute or BPM. Running at 150 BPM I feel like I'm flying! I try to keep up to the beats.

What does music do for you? If you need some motivation in the music area...find me and I'll burn you a CD ;)

Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down...

Favorite Friday! Green Strawberry Goodness!

I am in LOVE with this drink! It looks horrible...I know! But it's SO good! Really ;)
Put a hand full of ice in the blender, add 1 cup of unsweetened Silk Pure Almond milk ( its 35 calories a cup!)
Add in a scoop of strawberry protein powder and 4 strawberries.
Blend well.....Now for the fun part!
Fill the blender up with fresh baby spinach! You kind of have to smash it into the strawberry mixture. Blend again until its all happy and green! Drink it down...Huh?! It is good isn't it?

It has 174 Calories, 3.9g of fat, 8.9g of carbs, and 27g of protein! A wonderful way to start your day!

The benefits of Spinach : Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health. Vitamins B6,and C as well as folate and magnesium. Spinach also helps protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer and may guard eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. (which is in my family!)

After I was drinking it I thought...My ground flaxseed would be great in here! And it was!
You'll add 70 calories, 5g healthy fat, 5g carbs, and 3g protein.

The benefits of flaxseed are awesome! Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid in the omega 3 family, which provides anti-inflammatory benefits and protects against heart disease and stroke. It also contains a balance of soluble and insoluble fiber to help with digestion and cardiovascular health, and an excellent source of lignans-phytoestrogens associated with lowered risk of hormone related cancers, including breast cancer.

Do you choose to simply know the path, or do you choose to walk it?

Recipe Thursday...Flank Steak Roll

Now, doesn't that look scrumptious? It is my friend...it is!

Flank Steak Roll
serves 4 (4oz)

Ingredients:

• Olive oil in a misto, or Pam olive oil
• 1/4 cup whole wheat panko
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 (1lb) flank steak
• 3 oz baby spinach (about 6 cups)

(I have 3 big meat heads...I mean meat eaters ;)...I used a 2 pound flank steak)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400. Arrange a rack in a roasting pan and coat with olive oil spray.

In a small bowl combine panko, toasted pine nuts, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Set aside.

Place steak on cutting surface. With a sharp knife fillet the flank steak, leaving an inch attached on one end. It will look like an open book. Open the steak so the "spine of the book" is parallel to you.

Now you can either do this 2 ways...

I toast my pine nuts in a medium pan, set aside. Saute` the garlic in a quick spray of oil. Add the spinach, let it cook down and add the pine nuts, and the rest of the ingredients from the small bowl, mix and heat through. Spread mixture over the steak, roll up and secure with kitchen string or picks. Place in roasting pan.

The reason why I saute` the spinach mixture first, is because we like our steak more rare than med-well, and the spinach does not cook enough for me.

or you can do it this way...

Sprinkle panko mixture over steak, leave one inch border along the farthest edge. Place Spinach over the panko mixture. Beginning with the closest edge, roll steak up, gently pressing down the spinach as you go. Tie or use picks to close the edges.

 Place into the roasting pan and bake until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of steak, registers 150 for medium done-ness, about 35 minutes. Or 130 for medium rare, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into half-inch slices.

Per 4 oz serving: Calories 230, Total fat 11g, Saturated fat 3.5g, Carbs 8g, fiber 2g, Protein 26g, Cholesterol 40mg.

Serve with your favorite side dish! Like a ginormous salad or broccolini, or spaghetti squash! Yumm :)

Your past does not equal, nor does it dictate, your future.