Dish of the Day 4/30/2012

Good morning and happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday...it was a busy day! It's the last day of April! Can you believe it?! That was a fast Winter season, huh?
Today's recipe is delicious AND nutritious! I love salmon and I LOVE Jerk seasoning! My husband and I went to Jamaica on our honeymoon 5 years ago and I feel in love with the flavors of the Caribbean :) 
*NOTE: I use quinoa instead of the white rice since I am gluten-free*

CARIBBEAN JERK SALMON BOWL

Recipe courtesy of: http://pinchofyum.com/caribbean-jerk-salmon-bowl-with-mango-salsa#more-4092

Author: Pinch of Yum

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. wild caught salmon filet with skin (in one or several pieces)
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 12 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 squeeze lime juice
• 1 avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Stir the spices together. Rub over salmon filets (on the meat and also the skin if you want). Sprinkle with sea salt.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon, starting skin side down, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add more oil as necessary to prevent from sticking. Flip the salmon and cook another 3-5 minutes on the meat side. The salmon will start to get a brown crust on the outside from the spices.
3. When salmon is mostly cooked, pull off the skin, leaving just the pieces of meat in the skillet. Break up into smallish pieces and leave on heat until completely cooked through (not translucent). Once the pieces are cooked, remove from heat – salmon dries out quickly if you overcook it.
4. Combine mangoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and avocado in a small bowl and stir until combined. Season with sea salt.
5. Stir together rice and beans and season with several pinches of salt, adding a tablespoon water if necessary.
6. Divide between bowls, layering the rice and beans, salmon, and salsa into each bowl.

Dish of the Day 4/28/2012

Happy Saturday! The weekend is here and I'm already off to a busy start! So today's "dish" isn't a "dish", more like a healthy and quick breakfast you can grab on the go! Packed with protein, non-fat Greek yogurt and a handful of raw almonds is a great way to start you're day! 


Have a fabulous weekend!

Dish of the Day 4/27/2012

BLACK BEAN, CORN AND SHRIMP "SALAD"

Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Light, posted on: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-corn-shrimp-salad-10000001072198/

Ingredients:
    * 1 tablespoon chili powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    * 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    * Cooking spray
    * 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
    * 1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
    * 3/4 cup bottled salsa
    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

    * 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation:
   1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
   2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat.
   3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice. Remove shrimp from pan. Add corn to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in salsa, cilantro, and beans; cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Serve shrimp over bean mixture.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving

    * Calories: 354
    * Calories from fat: 12%
    * Fat: 4.8g
    * Saturated fat: 0.7g
    * Monounsaturated fat: 0.7g
    * Polyunsaturated fat: 2.4g
    * Protein: 43.3g
    * Carbohydrate: 34.9g
    * Fiber: 9.1g
    * Cholesterol: 259mg
    * Iron: 7.6mg
    * Sodium: 827mg
    * Calcium: 148mg

Chocolate Wasted!!

So...I must admit, I have a soft spot for chocolate (dark chocolate, to be exact). I have been looking for a "healthier" chocolate that I wont feel so guilty about eating, and I stumbled upon this deliciousness while checking out at Trader Joes last week! I.AM.HOOKED! This stuff is SO good and is MUCH lighter in fat, calories and carbs than regular chocolate bars. The bars come in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with Almonds. I am diggin' the Dark and Dark w/almonds! I actaully have a bar of each in my freezer now :) You never know when you're going to need a piece, so I keep some on hand for those "chocolate emergency" moments....LOL. This chocolate is gluten free, no sugar added, low carb, no trans fat and reduced calories/fat! What's not to love?!

Here's a link to the Simply Lite website: http://www.simplylitefoods.com/

Dish of the Day 4/26/2012

Happy Thursday! Can you smell the weekend?! It's getting closer! It's supposed to be another warm weekend around these parts, so today I am sharing with you a fresh and easy summer salad you'll love!! 

SUMMER SALAD

Recipe courtesy of "Kalyn's Kitchen" http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/07/not-so-dumb-salad-recipe-with-cucumbers.html

Not-so-Dumb Salad Recipe with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Onions, Avocado, and Balsamic Vinegar
(Makes 2 generous servings or 4 side-dish servings, recipe created by a reader named Lisa who lives on Maui.)

Ingredients:
3 small Persian cucumbers or garden cucumbers
1 cup diced tomato or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion or thinly sliced sweet onion (or more)
1 avocado
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional, for tossing with avocado)
about 1 T good-quality balsamic vinegar (I used Fini)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice into half-moon slices.  (I never peel Persian cucumbers, but if you use other cucumbers you might want to peel some of the skin off in stripes before you slice them.)  Dice tomatoes or cut cherry tomatoes in half to make one cup.  (Only make this salad when you have flavorful fresh tomatoes.)  Diagonally slice green onion or slice onion to make 1/4 cup, or more if you like onion.  Peel and cut up the avocado into small cubes.

Combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, and avocado in a plastic or glass bowl and gently toss together.  Add a small amount of balsamic vinegar, enough to barely coat the veggies, and toss again.  (I used about a tablespoon of vinegar, which was plenty.)  Season to taste with your favorite sea salt and plenty of fresh-ground black pepper.

If you're making more salad than is going to be eaten right away you can toss the avocado with a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice so they don't turn brown, but this is best freshly made.   If you like it as much as I did, you probably won't have leftovers no matter how much you make!

Just Run!

I found this on Pinterest this morning and wanted to share it with you guys. You know me, I'm all about cardio...especially running!

Dish of the Day 4/25/2012

Happy Wednesday! The week is half way over! Today's dish is a simple chicken recipe that can be thrown together in minutes. It's great for just one or a dinner party!

ZESTY ITALIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

*chicken creasts (however many you need)

*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

*2 tablespoons garlic salt

*2 tablespoons grill seasoning (any brand is fine)

*2 tablespoons McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt-Free All Purpose seasoning

* 2 tablespoons McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning

*2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

*2 tablespoons Herbs de' Provence

* "A few sprinkles" of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

*1 gallon size Ziplock bag

Clean and dry chicken breasts. Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Place all ingredients into Ziplock bag and shake it up. You can marinade the chicken for a few hours in the fridge or use right away. Using tongs, place each breast in heated grill pan and grill on each side for about 5 minutes. If the breasts are extra thick, you may need to use a knife and score the breasts to help speed up the cooking process. I like to serve this with a grain and a vegtable (quinoa seasoned with salt/ pepper and mixed veggies seasoned with salt/pepper and fresh lemon juice is one of my favorite combos)

Enjoy!

Plyo, plyo...PLYOMETRICS!

Ahhh....I love me some Plyometrics exercises! Some of you may not be familiar with this word; if not, I have added a few links to this post to help you get more acquainted with this type of exercise.

Here is the Wikipedia definition of Plyometrics:

"Plyometrics (also known as "plyos" and "jumping") is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric exercises may also be referred to as explosive exercises. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics has been shown across the literature to be beneficial to a variety of athletes. Benefits range from injury prevention, power development and sprint performance amongst others.". 

You can read more about Plyometrics here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics

Some of my favorite Plyo moves are: Jump Squats, Plyo Push-Ups, Alternating One-Leg Jumps and Burpees! I incorporate Plyometric exercises into each of my workouts, every day. Plyo work really pushes me to my max and really gets my heart rate going!

Here is some additional information: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/plyometrics-exercise-workouts

Happy Plyo-ing! :)

Dish of the Day 4/24/2012

Happy Tuesday! Today I am going to share with you one of my favorite breakfasts. It's easy, yummy and super healthy. I've never really been much of a breakfast fan until recently. With the mixture of strength training and the intensity of my my workouts, I feel that it's very important my body is nourished properly. 

I hope you all enjoy this quick and easy breakfast and have a fabulous day!

BREAKFAST QUINOA

1/2 cup to 1 cup cooked quinoa (I usually make a decent size batch prior and keep in the fridge)

1/2 large banana, sliced

2 teaspoons cinnamon

"A couple dashes" of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 "light" yogurt, any flavor (AKA, fat free under 100 calories) 

Place cooked quinoa in bowl with cinnamon and almond milk. Stir and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir once again. Slice the banana and mix into the quinoa. Serve/eat with the yogurt.

Dish of the Day 4/23/2012

With the the HOT weather the past few days (in the 90's in APRIL!), I decided to keep things simple and light today. Here is one of the easiest fruit salads I make. It's yummy, nutritious and a great thing to have in the fridge during those hot Summer days!

2 large bananas, sliced

2 large apples, sliced

2 large oranges, sliced and chopped into small-medium sized pieces

1 package fresh blueberries

1-2 packages fresh strawberries, sliced

1/2 lemon (needed for the juice)

Combine all of the fruit into a bowl and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the fruit. Mix everything together to the lemon juice is evenly spread about the fruit (especially important the apples and bananas are covered, as they brown rather quickly).

Arms, arms...ARMS!

Good morning and Happy Monday! Here is a link to a great 10 minute arm circuit you can do just about anywhere, as long as you have a pair of dumb bells!It focuses on triceps and biceps. As this circuit gets easier for you, you can up you're weight amounts. Call me crazy, but when I travel, I always pack a pair of 5 pound dumb bells in my bag! This ensures that I won't have an excuse to skip my arm workout :)

http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Minute-Workout-Sexy-Sculpted-Arms-21620326?utm_source

Dish of the Day 4/22/2012

Happy Sunday! I'm sorry I haven't posted in two days....we got a new baby puppy! Needless to say, I have been just a "little" preoccupied with puppy duty!

Today's dish is a big hit in my house and my husband loves it! It's great year round and super easy to make. 


CROCK POT SANTA FE CHICKEN
Recipe From: skinnytaste.com

    * 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
    * 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
    * 15 oz can black beans
    * 8 oz frozen or canned corn
    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    * 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
    * 3 scallions, chopped
    * 1 tsp garlic powder
    * 1 tsp onion powder
    * 1 tsp cumin
    * 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
    * 1 tablespoon red pepper flake (more or less depending on how spicy you like things)
    * salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot.
Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.
Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.
Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.
Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning.
Serve over quinoa, or you can mix cooked quinoa into the crock pot

Abs, abs, ABS!

Summer is practically here! It's time to get those abs swimsuit ready! Here is a link to an article in Shape magazine. This is Audrina Patridges ab workout (she was one of the gals on the MTV shows "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills"). I love this ab workout and incorporate it into my daily ab routine.

Happy Ab-in! :)

 http://www.shape.com/celebrities/interviews/audrina-patridge-workout-4-moves-sexy-6-pack

SWEAT

Happy Friday! I get asked a lot about my workout routine, so I decided to share it with you. This is what I do AT HOME :)

1. Cardio: I run 3-5 miles everyday, either on the treadmill or outside (I LOVE running outside!)

2. Abs: I do ab work everyday. I don't do the same moves everyday, but I do it everyday. I alternate between planks (2 minutes), leg lifts, v-ups, bicycles, cross leg lifts, in and outs and compound crunches. I do 25 repetitions of each move and repeat 3 times.

3. Biceps: I work my biceps every other day using free weights. I like to use 20 pound dumb bells. I do bicep curls, alternating bicep curls and hammer curls. I do 10-12 repetitions of each move and repeat 3 times.

4. Triceps: I work my triceps on the days I'm not working biceps. Again, I use 20 pound dumb bells. I do tricep kickbacks, french press and chair dips. I do 10-12 repetitions of each move and repeat 3 times.

5. Legs/Booty: I do the "Brazillian Booty Workout" everyday. I noticed a huge change within just the first week! I highly recommend this video for the "Brazillian Booty Workout"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7fHGwLS8Y0. I also do plie squats (25-50) and walking lunges with weight every day as well.

On gym days, I pretty much do the same cardio, abs, triceps and biceps routine. The only difference is the amount of weight I use (I use less at home because I currently on have 20 pound dumb bells at home) and some of the exercises do vary. For example, when I'm in the gym and focusing on triceps, I'll use the cables for triceps pushdowns (3 sets of 10-12),  20 pound dumb bells to do overhead tricep extensions (3 sets of 10-12) and flat bench tricep extensions with a barbell.

It took a lot of time and many failed exercise routines to finally find the right stuff that works for my body. That's the thing: every body is different. What works for one, might not work for another. I always try to listen to what my body is telling me and watch for what it is showing me. If I'm seeing the results, then I know it's working. Sometimes when I'm not seeing the results I want, all it takes is upping my weights and intensity. 

Like I've said before, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL. All of the information in my posts are strictly just things that I've experienced myself. If there is anything I've learned about fitness, it's that consistency is key! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dish of the Day 4/20/2012

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Salad Ingredients: 
1 cup quinoa (I like Trader Joes Organic Quinoa)
 2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1  bell pepper (diced into small pieces, I like yellow bell peppers)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped, more or less depending on you're liking)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1 avocado

Dressing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions: 
Bring quinoa, salt and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until it looks done. When it's done, "fluff" the quinoa with a fork. Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes while you chop up the other ingredients.

Drain the black beans. Try and get rid of any excess water.

Drain the corn.

Chop up the avocado, bell pepper and cilantro into small pieces.

Once quinoa is cool, add the chopped veggies, corn and black beans. Stir. Once well combined, slowly add the dressing. You might not need it all....taste as you go along.

The amazing power of apple cider vinegar!

Did you know that apple cider vinegar can be used for more than just salad dressings? Yup. I use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with "The Mother" (that crazy looking stuff that floats around the bottle) as a facial toner and I also drink 2 shots, straight up, a day. I know...it sounds totally gross, right? Trust me, when this was first suggested to me, I just about lost my lunch. I try and live a very natural/organic lifestyle and this stuff works wonders. A few years ago, I had to make a trip to the dermatologist because I woke up one morning with a gnarley rash all over my face. It was itchy, painful and looked terrible. I had suffered from Excema all my life (but only on my knees and elbows, never on my face) so I figured that's what it was...so what did I do? I applied my Excema cream to the rash on my face. BAD IDEA. It was instantly inflammed and I was miserable. Anyways, I made an appointment with the dermatologist. Right when he saw my face he instantly knew what it was: Perioral Dermatitis. I had no idea what this was, but he gave me a few creams, a serum and anti b's. Within a week, the rash was just about gone, with the exception of tiny little patches, but through my research, I learned that PD is something that never really goes away and I might have "flare ups" from time to time for the rest of my life. Freaking wonderful. I was just about to turn 21, had only been married less than a year and at that point, I felt like this was the worst news ever (haha, the things 20 year olds find to be "traumatic"). I continued my research, as I was hell bent and determined to get rid of the rash 100% by my 21st birthday, and discovered a blog site where people with PD posted tips, advice, etc. Just about everyone had mentioned Braggs Organic ACV and how wonderful it was. So, I made a trip to Whole Foods and bought a bottle. I got home, washed my face and applied it all over my face with a cotton ball; just like you would do with toner or astringent. At first, it "tingled" a little, not to mention IT SMELLS HORRIBLE!! I left it on for about 30 minutes then rinsed it off and applied my usual night cream. The next morning, I woke up and every little bit of the leftover rash was completely gone and my skin felt "back to normal". This stuff was the bees knees.
So...it's been 4 years and I still use the Braggs ACV as a toner at night and I drink 2 shots (yes, in a shot glass) daily. One in the morning and one at night. It tastes as bad as it smells and I find that when I "chase" it with cranberry juice, it's not so bad. Talk about putting a whole new spin on taking shots! Although there are tons of different ACV's on store shelves, Braggs Organic ACV is by far the best stuff out there. Check out their products and learn more about the healing power of ACV on their website. (I have posted the link below)


http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

Dish of the Day 4/19/2012

This is a dish I randomly threw together one night after the Hubs and I got home late from the gym. It turned out great and I make it at least once a week!

                                             SPICY BALSAMIC GRILLED CHICKEN

Ingredients: 
Chicken breasts
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
"A couple shakes" of Garlic salt
"A couple shakes" of Red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
"A couple shakes" of Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
One gallon size Ziploc bag

Directions:
*Heat up a grill pan on the stove on medium-high heat
*Clean and dry chicken breasts and place them in a gallon size ziplock bag
*Add all of the ingredients above into the plastic bag and shake it up
*Let the chicken marinade as long as you'd like
*Using tongs, place chicken breasts in hot grill pan and reduce head to medium
*Add about a 1/4 cup of red wine (any red you like is fine)
*Grill evenly on each side; when you flip over the chicken, add another 1/4 cup of red wine
*The mixture of red wine and balsamic vinegar will make the chicken looked "burnt", but it's not burning as long as the heat isn't on too high
*When the breasts are done, take them off the heat and place on a cutting board. Let them sit for a few minutes before slicing so the juices don't run out.

ENJOY!

Cardio, Cardio...C-A-R-D-I-O!!!

Ugh...I know most of you despise that word. When it comes to exercise, this is usually the #1 thing people skip. I used to be one of those people. When my journey to weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle first began, I'd WALK for maybe 10 minutes, 3 times a week. That's only 30 minutes of cardio per week. Now days, I RUN for 30-45 minutes, 7 days a week. Getting at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day has been proven to help in weight loss, fat loss, helps to build and tone muscles and improve you're overall health. Some studies have even shown cardiovascular exercise to help improve you're mental health as well. I'n my own personal experiences, I can totally agree to that. When I'm on a run, my mind is totally free and I am only concentrated on the task at hand: running. Cardio exercise isn't limited to just walking or running either! You can jog, swim, ride a bike, use the elliptical, jump rope....there are so many options and you will eventually find the right one for you!

Moral of the story: Let me start by telling you that, no, I am not a certified personal trainer, but I encourage everyone to incorporate some kind of cardiovascular exercise into you're life! Spring time is here and Summer is right around the corner - get out there and take a walk! Take that bike for a cruise! I know it will seem tough at first, but give it some time :)

Happy Thursday and thanks for reading! I'm off for my morning run!

My first post, yippeeee!

Welcome to my blog! I am just an ordinary, 20-something girl living in the burbs. Aside from being madly in love with my husband of 5 years, I am also madly in love with fitness and living a pure and healthy lifestyle. After suffering a miscarriage and gaining a ton of weight in 2008, I decided to clean up my lifestyle and get back into shape! 4 years later and nearly 50 pounds lighter, I am happier and healthier than I have ever been before! This blog is really just an outlet for me to share tips, advice and recipes that have helped me gain control of my own health and to, hopefully, inspire you as much as other bloggers have inspired me :) 

A little about me: I am gluten free, dairy free and red meat free. Yup, sounds pretty boring, right? I thought so too when I first made these changes. Let me tell you, I am still able to enjoy delicious and healthy food all while being gluten/dairy/red meat free! My body has shown me that it appreciates these changes. I feel so much better! I also limit carbs and processed foods are not allowed in my life! I can't remember the last time I had fast food (yuck). I only drink water....and the occasional glass or two of my favorite Riesling ;) I work out 7 days a week. Yes, seven. Some might call this "obsessive"; I call it "dedicated". 

I have an amazing family, amazing friends and I absolutely love my life. I believe in God, I believe in miracles and I believe that life is meant to be well lived!