Our Kids Need Us

I believe exercise can bring you close to your loved ones. My second daughter is an old soul. She is very in-tune with her body and the energy of those around her. I tell her every day she has special gifts. We are like two pees in a pod. We love spending time together and we both have a love for exercise. Last night we attended a HOT yoga class. I was so proud of her as I watched her move from pose to pose. She is so beautiful and so much stronger than I was at her age. I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional as I cherish this time with her. Our kids need us to show them how to love their bodies. They need to see us taking care of ourselves. They mirror our example. So be that example. Spend time enjoying movement together. I promise it opens the door to other conversations and most importantly, love.

Take Our Advice

As trainers we each have a few tricks up our sleeves to eating clean and staying healthy. Some of us are more extreme, while others take a lighter approach. It is important to find what works for you. There is unlimited advice available in regards to eating healthy, but it is not always useful. In reality, making healthy eating choices is fairly simple if you keep a few things in mind.

Coach Holly: I always look at the labels on food and choose the product with the fewest, most recognizable ingredients. If I can't pronounce it, I don't eat it!

Coach Karli: I like to steam all my veggies: broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, then put them in the fridge and snack on them with salsa and cottage cheese. It tastes sooo good and since the veggies are already cooked and ready to go, I am more likely to grab them and snack on them opposed to crackers or something unhealthy. I also set a goal of servings of fruit on week days. All weekdays I eat 3 servings of fruit per day. So each day when I am craving a snack, I think about how many servings I have had of fruit for the day, and most the time it is less than 3, so I feel obligated to meet my goal and I snack on fruit.

Coach Justin: Pre-planning And Pre-packing meals for a week or two. If you pre-plan each meal,then soon you can get close to perfecting what your body really needs and uses !

Coach Mikalyn: Do Yoga. I know, I know. As a yoga instructor I'm biased. But people gain weight when they are out of touch with their body. Yoga helps you tune in and feel how much food your body really needs, and it's not as much as we think. Stop the obsession. Drop the food pyramid mentality; eat light, eat healthy.

Coach Denise: All in moderation! I’ve stopped obsessing years ago. Balance is key for me. I know if I over indulge in anything, it's not good for me. I also know how food makes me feel. Too much sugar kills my energy, while fruits and veggies help me feel energized. You truly are what you eat. So stop being a junk food junkie and empower your body, mind and soul with foods that are alive.

Coach Kristin: Being prepared. The best way I've found to do this is to bring your food with you or know where you can get it from. My best clean eating days are those that I take a few extra minutes to pack a cooler with plenty of delicious, healthy food so I have lunch, snacks and dinner if needed at my fingertips.

Coconut Truffles

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

What's your go-to snack?

Does it contain sugar?  Industrial seed oils??  Ingredients you cannot pronounce???

Hopefully, your answers included some "no's"!

If you're guilty of grabbing a quick candy bar, snack out of the vending machine or even what you might think is a "healthy" granola bar (read the ingredients!), I have a better alternative for you!

These little morsels contain protein and good-for-you fats that will keep you satisfied.

Loaded with good sources of calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium (sunflower seeds!) and immune-boosting properties and medium chain fatty acids (coconut!), these bites provide a quick source of energy that does not elicit a sugar crash that is so common from other sugary snacks.

Ingredients
makes 10 truffles

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c sunflower seeds
4 dates, pits removed
2 tblsp coconut oil, melted
1 tblsp peanut or almond butter
1 tblsp Good Life Chocolate Chips (gluten, dairy, soy free)
2 tblsp dried, unsweetened cranberries

In a food processor, add shredded coconut, sunflower seeds and dates and blend until finely chopped. Pour coconut oil, peanut or almond butter and chocolate chips and blend until oil is thoroughly blended into mixture. 
Stir in dried cranberries.
Form into 1 1/2" balls.
Refrigerate until hardened (anywhere from 10-20 minutes - otherwise, they will be too soft and may not hold shape).
Enjoy!

10 Ways to Get FAT

1. Eat more sugar.  If you are eating processed foods, don’t worry you are probably getting plenty.  Sugar or high fructose corn syrup is added to almost everything.  Feel free to eat white flour, bread, waffles, sugary cereals, baked goods, chips, granola and crackers.  These foods are easily converted to sugar.  If you are still worried that you aren’t getting enough, aim to drink more soda.  These things should all help with adding extra body fat.
2. Skip breakfast.  By doing this you will be hungrier later so you will be able to make up for all those lost calories, and then some.  If you do eat breakfast, be sure to eat a bowl of cereal and juice.  Low in protein and fat and high in easily digestible carbohydrates, this is a great way to start your day off to get fat.  You will be hungry in just a few short hours and hopefully you will soon begin to feel the effects of low blood sugar, like problems focusing, a reduction in energy and an increase in irritability.  This can be an advantage as it will lead you to eat more high-carbohydrate snack foods.  Starting the day this way sets you up for a blood sugar roller-coaster, which will keep you snacking throughout the day and keep you on track with your fat gain goals.
3. Sleep less than 7 hours each night.  Just think how much more time you will have!  Less sleep will probably increase your appetite and decrease your will power so it will be easier for you to fill up on more junk food.  Less sleep will even help you gain body fat without changing your nutrition habits and you won’t use up the fat stores you are trying to preserve.
4. Avoid vegetables and fruit except in juice form.  If you are trying to get fat be sure you are not eating your produce.  Meet your vegetable and fruit needs through juice.  It is much more concentrated in sugar and doesn’t contain any fiber which may reduce your appetite.  Drinking lots of juice is a great way to increase your calories.  Focus on only using fruit juice to increase the amount of sugar per serving.
5. Limit your healthy fat and protein intake.  Fat and protein have significant effects on appetite. They both contain essential nutrients for our health.  By avoiding these foods you are more likely to have an insatiable appetite.  People who eat them with each meal have a harder time overeating and may not have as much desire for carbohydrate rich or sugary foods.  When following a fat-gaining plan, it’s best to avoid these and place more emphasis on processed carbs.
6. Avoid physical activity.  You won’t want to burn extra calories that may come from stored fat.  Be sure to park as close as possible, use the elevator every chance you get and stay away from any form of exercise.  Doing so will ensure you are able to keep your fat stores you have worked so hard for.
7. Commit to a few more things. If you have any time left in your weekly schedule for relaxation, find a way to fill it.  By staying overcommitted you will have a harder time eating quality meals and fitting in exercise.  Over commitment will increase your levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, and will help tremendously with the accumulation of body fat.  It will also make sleep more difficult which is an added bonus.
8. Avoid drinking water.  Don’t waste your stomach space with water, it doesn’t contain any calories.  Instead meet your fluid needs with high calorie beverages like juice, soda and sweetened sports drinks.
9. Reward yourself after each workout.  If you are going to include exercise in your fat-gaining program be sure to reward your work.  Not doing so may thwart your fat accumulating goals.  Have a muffin, some chips or a bowl of pasta.  Most of these foods will have hidden sources of processed fats which will also help.
10. Include processed, fast and junk foods.  Consuming liberal amounts of these foods will put you on the fast track for fat gain!  

If you are interested in reducing your body fat feel free to do the opposite of the above.

Pesto Potatoes

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

My family loves potatoes and they enjoy them prepared in a variety of ways. 

Potatoes - whether red, white, sweet, or russet - are so versatile, can accompany any meal and, when topped with a favorite sauce or pesto, are even perfect by themselves!

This method yields a perfectly boiled, roasted potato that is soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside and delicious when topped with this pesto, or this pesto, or any other pesto you might have on hand.

Ingredients
serves 4-6 (depending on side or main meal)

1 lb baby red potatoes
1 tblsp coconut oil (melted)
sea salt and pepper to taste
favorite pesto (ideally homemade)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Put your potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. 
Bring to a boil.
Boil 10-15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with fork.**
Remove potatoes from water and place on baking sheet.
Smash each potato with fork or potato masher.
Drizzle with coconut oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

**You can boil potatoes ahead of time and keep in fridge until they're ready to be roasted - easy!

COCONUT CRAZE

Recently we’ve all heard how great coconut oil is for your health but I bet you haven’t tried all of these creative ways to use coconut oil:

An all-over body moisturizer for you, your kids, babies & even pets!

All natural eye make-up remover.

A spoonful a day can boost your metabolism, improve digestion and even help with migraine headaches!

Soothes rough skin on elbows, knees or the heels of your feet.

Rub it on houseplants to make their leaves shine without chemicals.

Great oil to cook with when using high heat, it’s tastes great when sautéing bitter greens!

Use in place of butter or oil on your popcorn.

Excellent massage oil – not too greasy and you smell great too!

Over-night conditioner – massage a small amount into your hair before bed, especially on the ends and comb through. Wash out in the morning.

Use in place of cooking oils in baking. Your friends will beg for the recipe

Gluten-free Post-Workout Recovery Scones

 

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

Eating healthy does not have to = boring.

 

These little scones are a perfect post-workout recovery snack.

 

The ingredients are the best you can consume after a tough workout while avoiding all the unnecessary added sugars, processed flours, additives and preservatives that your body simply does not need!

 

Adding some protein powder to the mix that includes ingredients specifically for post-workout recovery is a bonus! 

Convenient, portable and easy to throw in your gym bag to eat right after your workout (eating within a 30 minute window elicits the most efficient recovery to the body)!

Ingredients

Makes 6

1 medium sweet potato, cooked

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 egg

5 tblsp Protein Powder**

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a food processor, add sweet potato, egg, protein powder and cinnamon.

Gently mix in diced apples with a spatula (at this point, you could also add any extra additions like raisins!).

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, dump 6 evenly portioned mounds of the mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or when firm to the touch.

 

**Not all protein powders are created equal and many of them contain ingredients that we simply should not consume.  The protein powder featured and used for this recipe - Stronger Faster Healthier - is specifically designed for recovery post-workout.  The ingredients come from grass-fed, free-range animals - the best you can get and worth every penny.

 

 

Your Mind at Work

Cilantro Lime Rice

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

If you've ever been to Chipotle, Café Rio or Costa Vida, you have probably had a taste of their delicious rice!

Rice will go with anything!

Enhanced with the zest of fresh lime and the complimentary flavor of cilantro, this rice is bursting with great taste!

Toasting the rice with a bit of oil beforehand will bring out a whisper of nuttiness and will prevent the rice from becoming mushy or paste-like.

Ingredients

1 tblsp coconut or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt, to taste
1 c rice (I like to use white, but if you use brown, the cooking time will be a tad longer)
2 c organic chicken broth (water works as well, but the flavor will be somewhat subdued)
1-2 limes
1/3 c loosely packed cilantro, chopped

Heat oil.
Add onions, season with salt and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, cooking for another minute and stirring to avoid scorching.
Reduce heat to low and add rice.  Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add broth, zest and juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt.
Increase to med-high and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to allow for a gentle simmer and cover until tender (20 minutes for white rice/30-40 minutes for brown rice - check the bag for instructions, since they are all different!).
Once cooked, fluff rice with fork and stir in cilantro.
Taste and add more lime juice if necessary (depending on the size of your limes, you may need to add more juice or not).
This rice is fantastic as leftovers as well!  Refrigerate for several days and reheat over low heat, stirring frequently.