Quinoa Salad

2 cups quinoa

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice 1 lime

1 tbsp ground cumin

Pinch red pepper flakes

3 cups fresh corn

1 15 oz BPA free can black beans, rinsed

1 med red bell pepper, chopped

1 med orange bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro. chopped

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa thoroughly, drain well. In medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Let cool.

Meanwhile. prepare dressing; In a small bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, cumin and pepper flakes until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine corn, beans, bell peppers, jalapeno and cilantro. Add quinoa and stir to combine. Top with dressing, season with salt and black pepper and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Yummy strawberry banana shake

1 banana

1 cup almond or coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 scoop whey protein

Congratulations Matt Tukey

One of our CrossFit Members Matt Tukey has lost a total of 6.5 inches, 15 lbs and 5.2% body fat in 24 days! Way to go buddy.. Matt took on our 24 day Advocare Challenge. With a combination of clean eating, advocare and crossfit his results are incredible! What an inspiration to all of us, good job Matt!

Mark your calendars!

Make a point to pencil in your times set aside for working out! It’s easy to make excuses! But if you add it to your schedule and make it one of your top priorities you’ll thank yourself at the end of the day. I’ve gotten in such a habit of following through with my planned workout times that when I miss one Im not a happy camper. Sure I get over it, but Im much happier when I get my workout in for the day.

Ditching Sugar!

Ditch the food if sugar or one of it’s cousins (syrup or high fructose corn syrup, a corn based sweetener) are listed as the first ingredient.

Common Foods High in HFCS

1. Regular soft drinks
2. Fruit juice and fruit drinks that are not 100 percent juice
3. Pancake syrups
4. Popcicles
5. Fruit flavored yogurts
6. Ketchup and BBQ sauces
7. Canned soups
8. Canned fruits
9. Breakfast cereals

Problems caused by too much HFCS

1. It can lead to higher caloric intake
2. It can lead to an increase in body weight
3. It fools your body into thinking it’s hungry
4. It may increase insulin resistance and triglycerides

Avoiding the middle isles of a grocery store.

The middle of the store generally is where all of the processed goods are. Instead, try to stick to the edges of the grocery store, where the fresh produce, fruits and vegetables are located! You can’t completely avoid the middle but it’s a good rule of thumb to go by. I personally feel so much better when Im checking out with healthy foods rather than foods that hold very little if any nutritional value.

Love those Burpees

Burpee, Target Muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, deltoids and abdominals.

This is a very strenuous movement but it targets several muscles and gets your heart rate up there! No one at our gym enjoys doing burpees. But that tells you they kick your butt! These are also great to incorporate into a body weight workout especially if your on the go or traveling without access to a gym or weights.

Action: Squat down placing your palms on the ground. Quickly jump your feet back, extending your legs into push-up position. Go down into a full pushup chest to floor then back up to plank. Immediately jump your feet back between your hands. Quickly extend your legs and explode into the air, reaching above your head as you leap. Land and then repeat..

Blueberry Protein Crepes!

I made these yesterday morning and they came out great!

4 Egg Whites

1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder

1 cup Blueberries

1 tbsp Cinnamon or unsweetened cocoa powder

2 packets Stevia

1 tbsp Almond Butter or Natural Peanut Butter

Combine the protein powder and egg whited in a mixing bowl and mix together until smooth. Pour mixture into a nonstick pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Fill the crepe’s surface with nut butter and blueberries. Fold Crepe over so the blueberries and nut butter are in the center as filling. Cook for 1-2 minute before serving..

Be creative add some chopped walnuts or your favorite nut! When I made these I added a little bit of almond milk to thin out. Enjoy

Eating Seasonally!

Give your palate a variety of flavors throughout the year! Plan simple dishes that highlight the fresh ingredients and flavors of the current season...

Fall/Winter Season here are a few ideas,

Red Pear and Pecan Salad

Peach and Arugula Salad

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Apple and Goat Cheese

Chicken Stew with Cider and Parsnips

Apple Cider Beef Stew

Cinnamon Steak

Find recipes that incorporate Cinnamon, Honey. Nutmeg, Apple, Squash and so on.. Please feel free to forward and recipes that you come across!

Arugula and Corn Salad with Tilapia

2 cups frozen or fresh corn

1/4 medium red onion

10 oz raw tilapia

Juice of 1 lemon, devided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp fresh thyme

6 cups arugula, washed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Prep skillet for fish: Place a stainless steel or cast iron skillet in oven about 5 - 7 inches away from the heat. Make sure the handle is oven safe or wrap the handle in foil to protect it from the heat. Heat skillet for 10 minutes.
3. Blanch corn and set aside Then cut onion into half moon slices.
4. In a shallow dish, rub fish with half of the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Use an oven mitt to remove skillet from oven and place on a heat safe surface. Place fish on the skillet and return to oven, baking for 3 - 5 minutes. Use a fork to test for flakiness.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together remaining lemon juice with the rest of the ingredients. Toss with arugula. Top with corn and red onion. Place fish atop greens.

Balsamic Beef mushroom and broccoli

So I just threw this together the other night and thought it was quite tasty. I sauteed mushrooms, broccoli and snap peas in olive oil. Seasoned with some salt and pepper. Then added some balsamic vinegar and cooked lean ground beef. It was delish! Nothing fancy just something easy and tasty!

Go Nuts

Eat an ounce of nuts per day! Each kind of nut provides different benefits so mix it up. Walnuts contain almost twice as many antioxidants as other nuts. Pecans are known to lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Almonds are beneficial for proper development of brain and for improved complexion as well as for healthy hair. Peanuts are rich in calcium, contain iron and Vit E. Cashews are a great source of magnesium and works with calcium to support healthy muscles and bones in the body.

5 benefits of eating Eggs

Improves Immunity: One medium egg contains 20% of your daily needs of Selenium, a trace mineral which helps prevent free radical damage and strengthen you immune system.

Mood Booster: An eggs amino acid profile forms the foundation of the mood-elevating neurotransmitters that are located in your brain.

See Clearly: Eating one egg a day may stave off muscular degeneration by protecting the retina from light damage.

Muscle Maker: Eggs are considered to being a “Complete Protein.” They contain all nine amino acids your body needs to build and maintain lean muscle mass.

Fight Fatigue: Eggs contain energy boosting B vitamins

Ways to engage your glutes on a treadmill or eliptical.

Treadmill: When running on the treadmill think about keeping your hips underneath your shoulders and your chest lifted, doing so will automatically engage your glutes. Up the incline to target your glutes more. When walking on the treadmill think about walking a bit slower than normal squeezing your gluteals. If your coordinated walking backwards can increase your posterior muscle activity while improving balance. Once you feel confident with walking backwards increase the incline and speed.

Elliptical: Make the most of your elliptical by pushing down with your heels to engage those glutes. You can also sink into a squat for 30 seconds periodically through your workout. Go hands free as you stride. Letting go of the rails forces your core and glutes to stabilize you. Doing so will also target your posterior muscles! If your draped over the front of your machine you’re going to work your quads and lower back instead of your glutes.

Paleo Desert!

Sometimes all we want is a bowl of ice cream after dinner. Here is a great replacement for your ice cream craving. Place a cup or so of frozen blueberries or mixed berries in a bowl, top with your favorite nuts (mine is either chopped walnuts or slivered almonds) add some almond or coconut milk and enjoy!

Drinking Lemon Water

Lemons are considered to be an antiseptic or an agent that prevents bacteria. They also assist in cleansing the bodies system of impurities. Due to the digestive qualities of Lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn and bloating can be relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. So make it a goal to drink one to two glasses of lemon water a day! It’s also a great way to add some flavor to water. There’s nothing fresher than a nice cold glass of Lemon water!

Balsamic Chicken

3 chicken breasts

ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

14.5 oz diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Season chicken with pepper and garlic salt. Heat oil and brown onion and chicken. Pour vinegar and tomatoes over chicken. Season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer till chicken is no longer pink. Great side dish to serve with Balsamic Chicken is sauteed mushrooms with rosemary!