It is so hard to believe that April is here already! So that you don’t make a “fool” out of your April fitness schedule, here is the April workout calendar for you to click and print! Motivation and workouts for every day in the month! Just click and print the calendar below!
Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook for additional support and motivation in reaching your goals! Join us HERE.
My favorite green vegetables of the moment are Brussels sprouts. It is often hard to find a tasty way to cook them. In the past I had always steamed them but found that the Brussels turned out too soft and mushy. This recipe bakes the Brussels sprouts to a crispy perfection!
Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper.
Directions: Start by washing your Brussels sprouts thoroughly, cutting the bottom off, and then slicing them in half. Place your halved Brussels in a mixing bowl. If some of the leaves fall off, add them to the bowl too…they will make a crispy treat when cooked!
Toss the Brussels sprouts in a generous amount of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to your taste. Next I bake them in the oven at 450 for 25-30 minutes or until they start to brown and the outside leaves look crispy.
Once your Brussels sprouts are finished you can add a little more salt or pepper if needed. Pair this tasty vegetable with fish or chicken for dinner tonight!
I will admit it, I am a kale addict. If you haven’t tried kale before, it is a hearty leafy green that is part of the cabbage family. You can eat it raw as a salad or steamed to name a few ways of preparing it. Today I am going to give you a simple and tasty recipe for making kale chips. If you love having a crispy snack like popcorn, you will love kale chips!
What you will need: Kale (pre-cut and pre-washed recommended), garlic powder, pepper, salt, olive oil.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by tossing your pre-cut kale in olive oil in a bowl. Next add garlic powder and pepper to taste. I use a garlic pepper combo from Whole Foods. Next add a bit of salt. Spread your kale out on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the kale is crispy and the edges start to brown. DO NOT over cook! Enjoy!
Everyone wants a flat stomach. Some will do hundreds of crunches daily in hopes of getting those elusive 6-pack abs, but will crunches alone get you there? The truth- no. Your nutrition is what will get you to drop the extra belly fat and sculpt a lean mid-section. The following is an example of my daily flat belly meal plan and abdominal conditioning schedule.
Of course a healthy nutrition plan alone will not get you the cut look of a 6-pack. Below is an example of my weekly abdominal conditioning routine.
Follow my simple plan to get your stomach flat and toned. Oh, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
Planning something special for the Memorial Day weekend? I don’t know about you, but I have a Memorial Day backyard barbeque planned at my home on Monday to celebrate. Often the hardest part when planning a holiday party is finding the right foods to eat that won’t ruin all of the hard work you have done in the gym and in the kitchen. Making a few key choices or substitutions can make a world of a difference come meal time.
Watermelon Arugula Salad (click for recipe)
Pasta salad or potato salad are always a presence at cookouts but they can leave you feeling heavy and bloated. Why not make a quinoa salad instead? Add grape tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, feta, and some spices to complement the rest of your meal. If you absolutely cannot go without pasta salad try using gluten free pasta instead of regular or whole wheat. Or try the recipe for Whole Foods Watermelon Arugula Salad by clicking the photo above.
Grilled Veggies
Resist the temptation to make potatoes, french fries, or other heavy carbohydrate rich foods. Instead why not grill some veggies? There is way more flavor and variety in grilled veggies. You can grill zucchini, corn on the cob, asparagus, and portobello mushrooms for example.
Whole Foods Chicken Sausage
Hot dogs and hamburgers are a staple when it comes to grilling, so why not go the extra step and find a healthier alternative? I will be grilling Whole Foods chicken sausage with gluten free buns, of course. I will also go organic with all of the toppings like mustard, ketchup and relish. These simple changes can make a world of a difference. I have been gluten free for months now, so why blow it on a hamburger bun!
Skip calorie dense appetizers or deserts and go with watermelon instead. Melon can actually help stave off hunger due to it’s high water content that creates a feeling of fullness. This also means that you will be less likely to over eat.
I hope you find something from my blog that you want to use for your healthy Memorial Day Barbeque! Enjoy your holiday weekend.
Finding the perfect pre-workout energy bars after going gluten free has been a challenge. With so many granola bars out there, the alternative can become pricey. So I decided to make my own! Inspired by Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Foods recipes, here is the recipe for my peanut butter banana energy bars.
What you’ll need: a food processor (trust me, a blender won’t cut it…pun intended), plastic wrap and a rolling pin.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup fresh dates (pitted)
1 small banana
2 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 hand full of walnuts (optional)
2 tbsp honey
Directions: Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Blend to desired consistency. Remove blended ingredients from food processor and place on a cutting board. Section into individual bars, then cover with saran wrap and use rolling pin to make desired shape. Recipe yields 4-6 bars. Place wrapped bars in the freezer. Bars should freeze in about 8 hours. Enjoy!
The foods that you put into your body directly effect your ability to lose, maintain or gain weight. While fast foods, frozen foods/prepackaged foods may be convenient and quick for your schedule, these foods are making your fitness goals less convenient…in other words slowing down your potential progress.
This is why you’re bloated- Lack of fiber, cheese and over-processed foods are blocking up your system and inhibiting natural digestion. The liquids that you are drinking (soda, alcohol, etc) are the exact ones that are dehydrating and bloating you. Our bodies weren’t designed to handle some of the foods that are now popular to the majority.
Beat the bloat- Eating balanced meals is a challenge if you allow yourself many hours between meals. Keep healthy snacks like sliced celery, carrots or fruit on hand so that your body doesn’t go into starvation mode/fat storage mode. Have you ever noticed that if you wait many hours before eating dinner, when your meal is finally ready to be consumed, your stomach hurts and you end up bloated after the meal?
Drink lots of water – You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. I don’t believe in the “don’t drink water if you’re not thirsty” saying. Stay hydrated to beat bloating.
Stay regular- This means eating lots of fiber, especially in the mornings to enable healthy digestion and elimination. Add flax seed to your morning oatmeal or some leafy greens to your morning smoothie.
Limit sodium intake- This means straying away from any pre-packaged foods, frozen foods and sauces. These foods are loaded with sodium to preserve their taste. They will do nothing good for your body.
Eating balanced meals, keeping track of your portions, and drinking your daily quota of water will help you manage bloating and stay on track with your fitness goals. Consult with your personal trainer or nutritionist to find the best plan for you!
Today I made the best tasting post-workout shake after I got home from my run and I want to share the recipe with you.
Mango-Berry-Banana Bliss
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Naked Mighty Mango Juice
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 of a Banana
1 scoop Sambazon Acai Sorbet
1 scoop Vega Vanilla Performance Protein
Blend all of the ingredients together with a few ice cubes if your ingredients are not cold. Enjoy!
Nutritional Facts – One serving
Calories: 281
Fat: 2.6 g
Carbohydrates: 42
Protein: 26.5
Are you showing up for your workout sessions on an empty stomach? Or leaving your training session feeling starving and weak? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions or both, you’ll love this quick lesson in workout nutrition.
Pre-Workout Nutrition- Your body needs fuel in the form of food to function. When you first start a new workout routine along with a healthy diet, the general tendency is to skimp on calories before and after a workout. Most people think that this is necessary to lose weight- this couldn’t be further from the truth. I notice it with some of my clients who show up feeling tired before their training sessions. Either they haven’t eaten in a few hours or they ate the wrong things before the session. I have also seen dizziness, nausea, headaches and overall fatigue which are all symptoms of hunger and/or improper nutritional preparation before their sessions. Nine out of ten times when I ask a client when the last time they ate was, the answer is 2 hours ago or more. This is catastrophic to your weight loss goals.
So how can you avoid this feeling and what pre-workout rules should you follow?
What you must realize is that the energy you get from the foods you eat is ultimately what is going to decide how your workout goes. If your metabolism is already slowing down from hours of not eating, it is going to be difficult to rev it back up and start burning calories, that your body is now clinging onto for dear life, in your workout. You are exercising to burn calories, right? Make it a habit to eat a high carbohydrate healthy snack prior to your training session. This could include an apple, Lara Bar, banana or carrots-NOT a protein bar, save his for post-workout. You may be saying to yourself that these snacks are sugary, but you need carbohydrates to get through your workouts efficiently. (If you or your personal trainer are pushing hard enough, you will burn off the sugar, so don’t worry.)
Post-Workout Nutrition- Post workout nutrition is for muscle recovery and development. Immediately following a run, for example, you want to replace electrolytes lost through sweat during your run by drinking an electrolyte beverage. Think about it, have you ever seen an athlete NOT with a water bottle? And guess what, that’s not just plain old water in there. There are many electrolyte beverages out there like Gatorade to try. After a workout (think legs, upper body, abs day) you want to support the workout you just did by having a protein shake or protein bar immediately following the workout to aid in muscle growth and recovery. (when i say growth, I don’t mean bulk- I mean muscle breaking through and saying goodbye to cellulite!) You might also want to consider having a snack. The body is in fat burning mode immediately following a workout so it’s okay to consume a few extra HEALTHY calories at this time.
So no more starving yourself before and after sessions, okay? Do we have a deal? Your body will thank you for it in the long run and I know you will thank me when you start to see a major breakthrough in your training results. If you have any questions as far as healthy snacks, brands and recommendations go, please don’t hesitate to ask!
After interviewing hundreds of personal training clients over the past few years, I have found one common concern amongst Women: the dreaded number on the scale. I have met Women who weigh themselves daily and even multiple times per day! The truth is that by doing this, they are sabotaging their fitness goals before they even hit the gym.
Your body is more than just a number, it is a look and a feeling. My mission as a Women’s fitness expert and San Diego Personal Trainer is to change my clients way of thinking that the scale ultimately controls their fitness level. The scale isn’t going to change the way you look. In fact, it may negatively haunt your body image for the rest of your life. We cut off friends and boyfriends when they make us feel this way, right? So why keep such an intimate relationship with the scale?
Let me show you a perfect example: Sorry to get graphic here, but you have to see this.
Would you rather weigh less and look like this? The Woman in the photo below may have a low number on the scale but is what I would consider “skinny fat.” Meaning that while her weight is low, her body fat percentage is high. This leads to just as many health risks as being obese! To top it all off, “skinny fat” victims are usually cardio freaks who do nothing but cardio, no weight training.
Or would you rather weigh a bit more and look like this photo below? Healthy glutes aren’t flabby. Firm glutes are a sign of a great strength training program. If we’re striving for attractiveness and optimal health, this is the ideal shape you should be shooting for. The best news is that you don’t have to bulk up to have a great backside. It’s just a matter of firming up what’s already there!
I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the appearance in picture #2 over the low weight and flab in picture #1 any day! So do yourself a favor and stop obsessing on the scale and stick to a consistent nutrition and workout plan.
