Butternut Boats

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Sometimes, the best meals comes from the fewest ingredients you have on hand. It's rare that this happens, but I had no idea what to prepare for lunch and my grocery shopping day had come and gone; leaving me with slim pickings in my refrigerator. I was hungry, but I wanted something that required little to no time and effort.

I took stock of my options:bacon, leftover roasted butternut squash, eggs.

What was created turned out to be one of the best meals I've had with such few ingredients. Plus, this easy meal was satiating enough to last me for hours!
Topped with a dollop of homemade pesto was the clincher!

Ingredients

serves 1

• 1-2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• half of a butternut squash, roasted*
• 3 eggs
• pesto (optional - but this really was incredible)
• Scoop out three wells in your squash for each of the eggs (I save the squash meat and mix it in with all the eggs right before I devour it).
• Crack each egg and dump into each well.
• Bake @ 350 for 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven) or until eggs are set.
• Remove from oven.
• Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
• Top each egg with pesto

*I like having roasted squash on hand, but since they can take 45 minutes to an hour to bake, I will frequently pre-bake and keep a few roasted halves in my fridge for those what-can-I-eat moments.

Are You Hip Enough?

LOOSEN YOUR HIP MUSCLES TO LESSEN KNEE, SHOULDER, AND BACK PAIN.
Here are a few ways to stretch your hips!


Hip Lunges

How to do it: Bring your right foot forward in between your hands and reach the ball of your left foot back. Make sure your knee is stacked on top of your ankle. Allow your chest to reach forward and lift your fingers toward the ceiling.Focus on lifting your hipbones into your ribs. Repeat on other side.







Straight Leg Raise

How to do it: While lying on your back, keep one leg straight and one knee bent. Then lift the straight leg up about 12 inches. Hold it there for 2 seconds, and then slowly lower the leg. Remember to keep your leg as straight as possible. Repeat this 10 times.



Thread the Needle

How to do it: To begin, come onto your back with your knees bent and your thighs parallel and hip-distance apart. Next, cross your left ankle over your right thigh, Maintaining this alignment, pull your right knee in toward your chest, thread your left arm through the triangle between your legs and clasp your hands around the back of your right leg. With each exhale draw your right knee toward your chest. (Switch to other side when complete)




Bound Angle Pose

How to do it: Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Exhale, bend your knees, pull your heels toward your pelvis, then drop your knees out to the sides and press the soles of your feet together. Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can. If it isn't possible to hold the toes, clasp each hand around the same-side ankle or shin. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. Then inhale, lift your knees away from the floor, and extend the legs back to their original position.




Reclining Twist

How to do it: Lie on your back and bend the knees so that the feet rest on the floor. Inhale. As you exhale, bring the knees slowly to the chest so that the lower back remains firmly on the floor. Squeeze your knees together and drop them to the left, keeping your shoulders on the floor. The legs should be approximately at a 90-degree angle to the body, but experiment to find the position that maximizes the stretch in your outer hips (especially the right one). Repeat on the other side.

Meatless Fridays

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Last week marked the official start of the Lenten season for Catholics around the world. 

Lent is the period of the Catholic Church's calendar leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is to prepare the believer - through prayer, alms-giving and fasting - for Easter.
The period is symbolic of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert preparing for his public ministry.

Every Friday, for the next 6 weeks, Catholics abstain from meat.

This first Meatless Friday recipe is a very basic meal, but the flavors and texture are far from basic.  The pecan crust can be used on any fish of choice!

Pecan Crusted Salmon
serves 2

1/3 c pecans, finely chopped (food processor!)
1/4 c freshly grated parmesan (omit if dairy-free and substitute with unsweetened and finely shredded coconut)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp olive oil
sea salt & pepper to taste
2 - 6 oz salmon filets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients, except salmon.
Place salmon filets on baking dish and top with pecan mixture.
Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork. 12-20minutes, depending on thickness of filet.
Serve immediately with roasted vegetables or salad.

How Do I LOVE Me!

Let’s not dwell on the coupled or not coupled thing on Valentine’s Day. Instead, let’s talk about what it means to love yourself. Do you show others that you love who you are? Do you show yourself that you love who you are?

Having this relationship is the most important of all because you are stuck with you for the rest of your life. You have to reveal all that you are to yourself. And when you truly love you, you won’t have to apologize for your perceived shortcomings (though you can still work to improve them!).

Here is a list of ten ways to show that you love and value yourself. You can take what you need and add what you need.

Let’s count the ways….

1. I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. 
2. I have treats now and then, even if that means having a bite of chocolate every day. 
3. I exercise regularly to keep my heart healthy and my muscles strong. 
4. I keep my mind challenged in my work and my play. 
5. I take breaks when needed to keep myself happy and productive. 
6. I keep my spaces organized as best I can. 
7. When I’m stressed I relieve it through activity or meditation and don’t take it out on others. 
8. I respect others by showing I respect myself. 
9. I give compliments without thinking and accept them with humility. 
10. I take care of my own needs first which helps me take better care of others. 

Show yourself that you are loved. Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

Roasted Squash with Red Pepper Sauce

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

If you have never cooked anything with baked spaghetti squash, you're missing out on some versatile dishes. 

Don't be afraid, it's really easy!

This roasted squash dish can easily substitute pasta for a lower carb meal.  The taste is deliciously mild and will make you wonder why you never tried this before!

This recipe creates a flavorful and creamy red pepper sauce, but you can add any type of sauce over spaghetti squash!


Ingredients
Serves 4

For the spaghetti squash:

1 medium spaghetti squash
olive or coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the red pepper sauce:

2 red peppers
1 tblsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes
.
While the squash is baking, make the creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes.

Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor, but be careful. Make sure the sauce is not super hot so you don't get burnt. Puree until smooth, with some texture remaining.

When the squash is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes-until you can touch it. Scrape the squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl or on individual plates. Top spaghetti squash with the creamy roasted red pepper sauce and serve warm.

5 Ways to Re-set a Bad Mood

I think that most of us consider ourselves to be generally happy people, but sometimes life comes at you, and it can come hard.

It’s normal to experience struggle. It is normal to have challenges with other people or circumstances that come our way. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a few tricks to get out of the bad mood funk?

Here are a few easy ways to get out of a bad mood, and back into happiness and joy.


Force Yourself To Think About Something Good. Gratitude fixes everything. I know, so cliché. But this is cliché for a reason. Thinking about things you are grateful for will always bring you into the light. Think about the people you love, or the food you have to eat- if this is too big to wrap the brain around, think about how lucky you are to be a part of the 7%-9% of the world’s population that even has access to a COMPUTER.

Take A Shower. If you have never tried this- it may sound too easy to work, but it does.

Breathe. Let’s talk science. When you stress your body goes for a ride- breath becomes labored, heart rate increases, muscles tighten, and cortisol is released. Slowing breath sends your body a message that says, “I can relax.” Silence your mind by focusing on your breath. Breathe slow, breathe deep, and allow your exhales to be longer than your inhales.

Wallow. Okay, maybe wallow is the wrong word here. The point I am trying to make is major healing can happen when you embrace your bad mood. Experience your anger, irritation, and annoyance with no resistance. But here is the most important part- once you feel it, put it in a big ball; give it a kiss and LET IT GO.

Practice Yoga! Okay, being a yoga teacher I admit, I am totally biased. But my days before yoga were a lot more chaotic and a lot less harmonized. Practicing yoga is about finding balance between body, mind, and spirit. So give yourself an hour to take care of YOU and reap the precious rewards.

Remember, your natural state is peace and happiness. Take care of yourself.

~Love & Light

Coach Mikalyn

Carrot & Pistachio Breakfast Loaf

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

I don't over indulge in baked items very often.

Even with the best of ingredients (nut flours, veggies, eggs, coconut) and lack of the worst ingredients (refined flours, industrial seed oils, added sugars), these little treats can still interfere with your health and body composition goals if consumed frequently.

 

Regardless of the quality of ingredients, baked goodies should not be touted as a good-for-you food.  Good for the palate, yes.
Better than the processed, sugar-laden items you buy at the bakery, yes.
But will eating these baked goods promote optimal health?
Probably not.

Having said that, indulging in these baked goods from time to time and making them a treat, is MUCH better than choosing MANY of the purchased baked goods.
There are some baked goods that are better than others and this is one of them.

I like this pre-workout in the morning, when my stomach is not ready for a big breakfast, but the workout will be intense and I will need some energy.
This also serves well as a mid-afternoon snack.

Ingredients
3/4 c almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs 1/2 vanilla extract
4 tblsp coconut oil, melted
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (1/2 c)
7 dates, pitted and chopped (use less if desired)
1/2 c carrots, grated
1/4 unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c pistachios, chopped
1/4 c unsweetened cranberries (raisins, dried blueberries work well also!)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease loaf pan w/ some coconut oil or line with parchment paper.

In large bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, stir in vanilla, coconut oil and mashed bananas.
Combine wet and dry ingredients.
Fold in dates, carrots, coconut, cranberries and pistachios.

Dump into loaf pan.
Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of loaf comes out clean.