Fit & Inspired Living

Recipe: S. Joy’s Roasted Root Vegetable Soup (clean meal)

2010-02-21T02:10:04Z

This recipe was inspired by a roasted vegetable salad recipe I ran across in the Spring 2010 Consumer Reports Food & Fitness.

Ingredients

5 large Carrots, washed and unpeeled

4 medium size Daikon, washed and unpeeled

1 medium Fennel bulb

1 medium Garlic bulb (approx. 6 cloves)

24 fl oz Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)

1 T fresh Rosemary

1 t dried Marjoram

Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the tops and ends off of the carrots and daikon and then slice in half length-wise. Slice fennel bulb. Cut the tip of the garlic bulb. Place all vegetables in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are fork tender.

Put roasted vegetables into a large saucepan on medium heat. With a hand blender, blend vegetables while pouring in chicken broth. Blend until soup is of desired consistency. Add rosemary, marjoram and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm with corn bread or whole wheat dinner rolls.

Get Great Abs – No Crunches Necessary

2010-02-20T02:31:31Z

Today, a friend of mine asked me for some tips on how to get great abs. (And just to be clear, great abs means a flat stomach with some muscle definition.) Despite what a lot of people think, crunches don’t really do the trick.

There are two important elements to great abs – Cardio and Diet. 100 crunches every day is not necessary.

So, here’s my plan:

Cardio. This could be anything from running to step aerobics to spin class. Anything that gets you sweating works. The more intense the cardio session the better but the key is at least 30 minutes of sweating 4 or 5 times a week.

Diet. The key here is to reduce the amount of simple sugars and simple carbs. Keep lunch and dinner to lean protein and vegetables. Get a good amount of complex carbs (steel cut oatmeal, whole grain cereal) in during breakfast. Drink lots of water and limit alcohol (which is basically sugar).

Want to go that extra mile? Incorporate core exercises into the routine to keep internal abdominal muscles strong and tight.

That’s it. Do this consistently and pretty soon you’ll start seeing that six-pack!

5 Great In-Home Exercises

2010-01-27T03:10:03Z

As much as I enjoy my gym workouts, there are times when I just can’t get there and with two small children, I can’t always get out for a run around the neighborhood.

Here are a few of my favorite exercises to do at home:

1. Jumping rope – great for getting the heart rate up and great for lower leg muscles.

2. Crunches – two sets of 25; make sure to suck in ab muscles for optimal results.

3. Push-ups – they may be old-fashion but they get the job done; 3 sets of 10.

4. Standing lunges – 15 per leg

5. High-energy yoga – 30 to 60 mins will provide a good amount of both strength and flexibility training

Don’t forgo exercising just because you can’t make it to the gym – even as little as 20 mins of in-home exercising is better than nothing!

5 Tips For Staying On Track

2010-01-10T03:20:24Z

I’ve read a few articles recently that said the #1 resolution this year (and most prior years) is to lose weight. I’ll save my soap box speech about why that is a faulty goal for later (there are lots of ways to lose weight and not all of them are healthy). And so, having realized that many of my readers are probably in the midst of re-committing themselves to a healthier lifestyle, I wanted to share 5 tips for staying on track:

1. Rally your support group. Tell friends and family what you are doing. Not only will they provide support (if they are good friends and truly caring family), but they will also help you to be accountable. Ask one of your friends to check in with you periodically to ask about your progress.

2. Set yourself up for success by planning ahead. This is key for anyone with a busy schedule. Prepare large portions of healthy dinners and put the leftovers in single serving containers for lunch the next day. For breakfast, I like to cook a double portion of steel cut oatmeal so that I’ll have some already prepared for the following morning. I can then take it to work, pop it in the microwave, and then add my protein powder, bee pollen, ground flax seeds, walnuts and fruit (more on this power breakfast in a future post!).

3. Avoid the common trap of over-estimating the number of calories your burning. In August of last year, Time magazine published an article titled Exercise Won’t Make You Thin. The article itself is a fascinating read, but the overall conclusion was that people often consume more when they exercise. Some of this is because the body is hungrier following exercise, but some of it is also mental in that we tell ourselves that we can have a little extra just because we went to the gym that day. And often, this little extra is not so little. Decide the number of calories you are going to consume as part of your new plan and stick to it.

4. Stay focused. Making a significant positive change in what you eat and how you exercise is not easy. It requires a lot of mental strength to break yourself from any habit, and unhealthy eating and fitness habits are no different. Keep your goals in mind at all times. Schedule time for exercise, even if it means having to skip a social event or miss that late night TV show you love so much. Avoid that piece of cake at the office, even if it is your boss’ birthday (if you are going to allow yourself a treat, be very selective and watch your portions).

5. Think positive. No one accomplishes anything that they don’t believe they can accomplish. As long as you have set reasonable goals for yourself, you can reach them. It will take work and it will take dedication, BUT YOU CAN DO IT!

To Eat Or Not To Eat. I Say Eat!

2009-12-16T04:06:05Z

A comment that a co-worker (who I will refer to as Candace) said to me recently struck me as very odd. We were talking about training for marathons (she had recently ran a half-marathon and I ran a full-marathon a couple of months back) and I was telling her about an article I had read that said long distance running suppresses your appetite. Candace’s eyes immediately lit up. She thought that was great because she doesn’t like to eat.

What?!?

Now this is completely foreign to me because I thoroughly enjoy eating. Except for a two or three-day fast twice a year, I never skip meals. Next to sleeping, and maybe one or two other things, eating is my favorite thing to do. I guess she noticed my confusion with her statement so she clarified it by saying that she does like to eat, but she tries not to in order to keep her weight down.

Again – What?!?

While it is true that not eating will cause you to lose some weight, where is the fun in that (not to mention that it isn’t all that healthy)? Life is too short not to enjoy good food. The key is to choose the right foods. Foods that are healthful, fresh and natural. Not only are they pleasant to the palate, but they make our bodies feel good, our skin bright and vibrant and our muscles strong.

I just think that it is much more fun to eat well and exercise to maintain a healthy weight.

Ok, I guess I better get off of this soap box now.

Recipe: S. Joy’s Healthy Homemade Pancakes

2009-12-10T03:42:47Z

A couple of years ago I started making pancakes from scratch for my children instead of using the pre-made mixes. I started out with the traditional recipe but soon after developed my own healthier version.

S. Joy’s Healthy Homemade Pancakes©

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1 tablespoon pure cane sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

4 ozs unsweetened applesauce

1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)

Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a small ball, mix together all wet ingredients and then add to dry ingredients. Spoon batter into hot skillet to cook. Serve with 100% maple syrup.

Don’t Wait For The New Year – Revamp Your Pantry Now

2009-12-05T04:34:53Z

The New Year seems like the perfect time to turn over a new Fit and Inspired leaf, but why wait for the New Year to take one of the most important steps to eating well? When friends tell me that they are about to start a new eating plan, one of the first things I ask is if they are ready. Often they assume I am asking whether they are mentally prepared to make a significant change to their eating habits (which can be a very difficult thing to take on), but what I am really asking is if they have really given themselves the best possible chance of succeeding. A big part of this is planning ahead and having good food choices readily available, and bad food choices out of sight.

When working with someone on a new plan, I always suggest a pantry makeover. This typically takes an hour to an hour and a half to accomplish but here are a few highlights of what you should and should not have handy in your pantry:

Should have:

Whole wheat flour
Course ground corn meal
Natural cane sugar
Agave nectar
Long grain brown rice
Canned black, garbanzo and red kidney beans
Steel cut or slow-cooking oatmeal
Whole grain cereal (I prefer Kashi cereal)
100% Maple syrup
Olive or Canola oil

Should not have:

Sweet cereal (like Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles etc.)
Chips
Vegetable oil
Candy
Cookies
Canned vegetables

How To Avoid The Holiday Party Season Trap

2009-11-29T20:39:43Z

Thanksgiving 2009 is now officially behind us but the season of the Holiday Party is just around the corner. Starting next weekend, friends will be hitting ’send’ on the evite, putting out their best holiday decor and preparing their menus. I’ve got at least four parties on the calendar already (which reminds me – I need to secure some babysitters!).

Over the years, I’ve come to really enjoy this time of the year. It is a great time for catching up with friends who we see only once or twice a year due to really busy work/family lives. The challenge, though, is avoiding the temptation to over-indulge in all of the holiday treats…which typically turns into panic and a mad dash to the gym in January to repair the damage.

Here are a few tips for avoiding this trap:

Don’t skip workouts. With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, it’s easy to skip workouts. I try to keep my workouts a priority during this time of the year since I know I will be consuming extra calories. It is much easier for me to burn the extra calories instead of avoiding the cocktails or chocolate chip pie!

Don’t show up to the party hungry. Turning down good food at a party when you are hungry is like expecting a 2 year old to be quiet during an entire church service – it’s just not going to happen. Eating a healthy snack (carrot sticks and a small handful of almonds or a small salad w/ baked salmon) just before heading to a party will help you keep your defenses up.

Have a plan. I try to pick and choose my calories to avoid eating too much of everything. At one party I may choose to have a couple of cocktails and avoid the desserts, while at another party I may enjoy the desserts and have just one glass of red wine. I recommend making this decision prior to heading to the party as you may want to also alter your food choices for the rest of the day (if you plan to eat dessert at the party, you may want to avoid sugary foods for breakfast and lunch that day).

Bring your own food. While I almost never do this, I do think it can be helpful if you are really serious about your diet plan and want to avoid getting off track even a little bit. I’m warning you now, you will likely get some strange looks from your friends but don’t let that stop you – your focus will pay off in the long run!

The Best Darn Guilt-Free Hot Cocoa

2009-11-23T04:27:34Z

During this time of year one of my favorite things is hot cocoa. The traditional hot cocoa, made with sweetened cocoa or chocolate and milk or cream is quite tasty but also full of extra calories. I have found a healthy alternative that I think rivals any traditional recipe — but half the calories!

S. Joy’s Best Darn Guilt-Free Hot Cocoa

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (I use Silk)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 packet Purevia(TM) sweetener

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm soy milk in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and continue to warm until desired temperature.

Nutritional Facts (per serving – 10 ozs)

162 calories, 10g sugar, 7g protein

10 Ways To Remove Hundreds Of Calories From Your Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-19T04:27:27Z

The holidays are right around the corner and I can almost feel the collective angst over how to avoid packing on the holiday pounds between now and the New Year. The good news is that all of this worrying is not really necessary. There are many ways to enjoy all of the holiday parties and office potlucks without paying for it in pounds and extra inches.

My next few blog posts will equip you with everything you need to know (and do). And if you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to sign up to receive Fit & Inspired Living blog posts via email. Don’t miss out!

Moving on to the topic of this post…how to remove some unwanted calories from your Thanksgiving dinner without sacrificing flavor.

It is not uncommon for a traditional Thanksgiving meal (including dessert) to consist of 3,000 calories or more. Dessert alone can easily account for almost a third of that. Consider a single slice of Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake - that’s right, almost 1,000 calories per slice! And while one high-calorie meal won’t completely do you in, the problem is that this one meal tends to become left-overs for the next several days…and all of those calories come right along with it. Before you know it, you’ve packed on an extra 3 or 4 pounds in one week.

Here are some tips for removing unwanted calories (and lots of them!) from your Thanksgiving meal:

1. Use chicken broth instead of bacon or fat back to give greens and other slow simmering vegetables additional flavor (I also use lots of fresh garlic and onion)

2. Go for steamed green beans instead of green bean casserole

3. Use skim milk and olive oil (instead of butter) when preparing corn bread – and if you are really daring, you can use half whole wheat flour and half white flour (instead of all white flour)

4. For corn bread dressing, use chicken or vegetable broth instead of turkey drippings and saute onions, bell peppers and celery in olive oil instead of butter

5. Sweeten yams with maple syrup or agave nectar instead of white sugar (also try having your candied yams a little less candied – the natural flavor of this root is quite nice on its own)

6. Use milk instead of cream in macaroni and cheese (I also avoid adding butter)

7. Make your own cranberry sauce instead of buying the canned variety – also try reducing the amount of sugar slightly (3/4 cup instead of 1 cup)

8. Try whole-wheat dinner rolls instead of the traditional white flour rolls

9. Make your first plate with small portions and then wait 15mins before deciding whether to have a second plate

10. Choose a refreshing glass of ice water instead of cocktails, wine or juice to wash it all down!