chicken scramble

Do you only like one type of chicken?  Great news if you only like one kind, but love the flavors of a roast chicken, through some fun experimenting, I came up with a really yummy and adjustable recipe for that roast chicken taste, in WAYYYYYY less time and just including the part of the chicken you like!!  This is good for one person and lef overs the next day or for groups of people....

I call it CHICKEN SCRAMBLE:

Ingredients:
- Carrots (your choice how many you like - I like them a lot so I use more) pealed and chopped
- Celery (your choice how many you like - I don't use as many as the carrots) chopped
- 1/2 onion - chopped
- fresh herbs are best, but dry will do including: rosemary, thyme, chives, parsley --> remember to use more herbs if they are not fresh
- salt and pepper to taste
- garlic or garlic powder
- chicken stock
- a little EVOO and/or butter
- chicken (I used diced uncooked white meat)
- brown rice (I used the frozen packages from trader joes - precooked and makes it really easy!)

Directions:
-in a large pan stir fry the carrots, celery, onions in some butter/ EVOO with the herbs ans salt/ pepper/ garlic.
- after the start to crown a little slowly add chicken stock and cook down, do this 3 - 5 times until the veggies are soft
- in another pan stir fry the chicken in some EVOO/ butter with a little salt and pepper until the chicken starts to brown --> doesn't matter if fully cooked because you will be adding this into the veggie combination with more chicken stock to continue to cook
- add the chicken into the larger pan with some more chicken stock and then after a minute or two add the rice (already defrosted)
- cook together another 5 min or so or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

From prep to plate this should only take you about 30-40 min and for a yummy roast chicken tasting dish that's not bad - ENJOY!!! :)

Hillytini

The summer season has officially started in DC.  What does that really mean? In a lot of instances it means outdoor parties and BBQ's galore, followed by worrying how you’re going to look in that bikini tomorrow.

Well, fear not my faithful followers, there is a great way to still enjoy some good old fashioned drinking fun and not worry about the calories consumed.  I call them Hillytinis.   

Hillytinis can come in a variety of ways depending on your mood, below are a few of my favorite recipes for them:

Hillytini lemonade:

Vodka            

Crystal Light lemonade – or pink lemonade

Seltzer water

Mix and enjoy J

Hillytini manmosa:

Vodka

OJ – preferable fresh squeezed oranges if you can get them & juice them yourself (way less sugar/ empty cals)

Champagne

Seltzer to top it off

Mix and enjoy J

Hillytini berry dlite:

Rum

Berries – frozen work best for this, but any berries will do

Light apple juice or crystal light raspberry ice

Put in a blender and whip up and enjoy J

One other benefit of these drinks is many are mixed with water based mixers and will help keep you hydrated as you drink alcohol and minimize next day hang overs.  Let me know if you have any thoughts or other yummie summer drinks to try.

Fun Fit Fact Friday #3

Mini Circuit:

For this weeks fun fitness fact, I will be providing you with a great core and full body mini circuit that is a great addition to your summer workout to give you some extra summer tone.

START: cardio = 20-30 min moderate intensity cardio  --> should mean you are breathing heavy, but not at full max or sprint.  OR 10-20 min of interval cardio training --> alternate between max breathing and low intensity cardio to keep your heart rate adjusting.

Next, the fun part - the circuit:

1. Bosu Ball Regular Push Up. Reps 8 - 15 (modify by putting your knees down) see image below

image from http://addins.whig.com/blogs/fitness/category/bosu-ball

2. Bosu Ball Yoga Push Up. Same as regular, but this time you want your elbow to be right by your side instead of out.  Reps. 8 - 15 (modify by putting knees on the down) see elbow placement in image below:

image from http://fitmethod.com/wordpress/category/exercise-of-the-week/

3. Bosu Ball squats with free weights. Reps. 8 - 15.  Modify by putting the flat side of the bosu on the floor, its harder when you stand on the flat side. Modify version in image below - flip the bosu to make it harder and work more stability.

image from http://www.triumphteamfitness.com/legslegslegs.html

4. Down Dog and Leg Splits: Start in a down dog and hold for 30 - 60 seconds, then lift your right leg, keep it straight and try to raise it as high as you can.  Open your hip and bend your knee for a more intense stretch. hold for another 30 sec. Then repeat on your left leg.  See image below:

image from http://ventre-plat-tip.blogspot.com/2010/05/exercice-de-yoga-qui-brule-la-graisse.html

5. Plank - and not the kind that went viral for picture.  Hold for 45 seconds to 1 Min 30 Sec. see below:

image from http://www.therunningreview.com/?p=351

6. Runners Lunge - hold 15 - 45 second on each leg.  To make is harder you can hold a free weight while performing this stretch.

image from http://iradance.com/blog/2009/11/22/how-to-perfect-your-split/runners-lunge/

Repeat this circuit 2 - 3 times depending on how much time and energy you have.

Note: I will soon hopefully be getting images of myself performing these exercises so that I do not have to credit other people, but until then look at their sites for other information as well.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions on the above exercises and I am happy to help.  Good luck!

Summer Kick Off

We all do it every year - feel that pit in the bottom of our stomach, when the weather starts getting nicer out  and the days start getting longer, that the inevitable is around the corner - BATHING SUIT SEASON!!   Never fear, as its not to late to make a summer resolution that you can stick to.  Although, I am sure each and everyone of you reading this has nothing to worry about - I understand in most cases that its just mental thing about those last 5 lbs. before you get in your bathing suit or just trimming up your trouble spots.  Whatever your motivation to be ready for summer, remember temporary quick fixes are just that - temporary. My suggestion - find an easy lifestyle change that can support your summer goals.

 Here are some suggestions to help to stick to your summer goals and have the best / fittest / most confident one yet:

1. Create your summer workout schedule - and stick to it.  The days get lighter earlier and stay lighter longer - which allows you to do things and be more active outside.  Sign up for something you have always wanted to try (running race, triathlon, crossfit, etc)  or join a sports team with others.  These are all great commitments that can help support your fitness goals.  Mix weight training and cardio exercises so that you don't get bored and quit your work out plan 1/2 way through the summer.

2. Eat fruits and veggies - the summer is the time this stuff is almost always fresh and from local places in your supermarket.  Fruits and veggies are naturally low fat/ cal and help fill you up so you will not eat as much of the higher fat and empty calorie foods.

3. Find a bathing suit that makes your feel rockin.  The more bangin you feel - the more likely you are to do what your body wants rather than stare to fit into something one day and then binge the next.  Added bonus, the more rockin you feel - the more confidence you exude and typically the more fun you will have since you won't be worrying about how you look. :)

4. Keep reading my fitness blog and I will be posting new works outs and summer recipes to keep you motivated all season long.

Friday FitFunFact #2

A well-balances diet is the most important thing for overall health

The US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) state you should consume:

• Protein: 10-20% of daily calories
• Fat (good and bad): No more than 30% calories/ ~ 20% if you are trying to lose fat
• Carbohydrates: About 60% of caloric intake. 

Do these recommendations surprise you at all?

Recommended Dietary Allowance or RDA is defined as "the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (approximately 98 percent) healthy individuals".

Therefore, most people should follow the above guideline when choosing their meals.  These balanced meals help support your energy levels, immune system, muscle recovery, and brain functions.  Also any diet that leans more on one macro nutrient (carb, protein, or fat) than another is usually a fad diet and not sustainable for long term health. 

If you are concerned about what you are eating - the best way to measure is look at the food nutritional label and it will show you how much of what you are eating:

image from: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/toolkit/worksheets/foodlabel.htm

The more conscious you are about what you are putting into your body the better off you are... Happy Friday!!

Stir fry - Learn it, Love it, Eat it!

This post is dedicated to (in my opinion) the easiest, best dinner concoction ever, so get familiar with this tern and cooking action if you want easy / delicious food at home.  If you are cooking solo, or for others it can be a great, well-rounded, yummy meal any night.  Stir fry's by definition are:  To quickly fry small pieces of food in a large pan over very high heat while constantly and briskly stirring the food, requires a minimum amount of fat and results in food that is crisply tender according to http://www.epicurious.com.

As the definition states it is a quick way to produce big taste. Other great things about stir fry is you can change what goes into it every time so that you don't get bored eating the same thing each time.  Shir fry should have the same basic ingredients: vegetables, meat, seasoning and optional carbohydrate or sauce.

Below are some recipes for healthy/ filling and yummy stir-frys:

chicken sausage, pepper & onion from my day 4 blog click here

Turkey, broccoli, cauliflower, mushroom, onion, and brown rice:
 - sliced turkey breast (chopped into pieces)
 - chopped cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms & onions or other veg combo you might like better <-- i know a lot of people are not mushroom fans
 - salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic to taste, can also use soy sauce if you like that... comes down to personal taste preferences
 - instant brown rice - i like the trader joes ones that come in single serve packets you can heat for a minute or two in the microwave, I think uncle ben's makes something similar as well. 

Cook all the veggies, seasoning and meat first and get them crisp, then add the heated brown rice and cook about another minute or two and you have your meal in about 10- 15 min :)  see last nights below:

Chicken w/ mixed veggies:
  - I like chicken breast so I usually am preferential to that, but any chicken meat will do.  You can also get  pre-cooked frozen chicken, or if you are vegetarian I like the faux-chicken patties from morning star and boca burger 
 - mixed chopped vegetables.  you can buy pre-chopped veggies at any whole foods / trader joes/ or frozen ones I think at any super market.  Some of the frozen ones can come in yummy sauces already, but you have to careful because they can also often be high in sodium so just check the package first if that is a concern of yours.

directions - heat a pan with cooking spray and/ or olive oil.  cook the chicken so that it browns and set aside.  then cook the veggies and re add the chicken back in once the veggies are cooked.  If you have enough pan you can cook separately  if your chicken becomes dry, i suggest adding some chicken broth (this will help add/ keep some favor as well as keep food from sticking to bottom without adding more oil).

To add a carb to this meal, I usually like to chomp on crackers or pretzels while cooking and/or have some chocolate for dessert so I usually will not add pasta or rice to this dish.

*Side Note: Remember meals should be well rounded and the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for carbs is that they should be about 60% of your diet for most healthy people.   This is just an tangential point if you are concerned about balanced meals.

If you have any specific questions about the above recipes please let me know or if you have some of your own you would like me to try/ post I am would love the suggestions!!  Happy eating :)

FitFunFact Friday - 4F's

F's as in Fitness, Fun, Fact, and Friday and not the other choice 4 letter words you may be thinking of.

I have decided to start a series where I give tidbits about health every Friday to leave you with before you go into the weekend.  I will look at all aspects of Health from nutrition to workouts and all around fitness.


FitFunFact FRIDAY #1 (FFF1):

Strictly from a food consumption standpoint - to loose weight in a healthy manner, you should aim to lose 1LB a week.  This can be accomplished by cutting 500 calories / day = 3500 less than you eat in a normal week. 

500 calories is like: 2 soda’s or 2 candy bars or 2 Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks - or check out this website for 25 other ways to cute 500 calories: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20454528,00.html