Kesto!

Basil pesto, puh-leassse!  Let’s spice this sucker up by using kale instead. Kale pesto.

I know what you’re thinking, GENIUS! Ill be honest, it wasn’t my idea. It was my mother in-law’s. She is the mad scientist behind this recipe. We’re also using walnuts instead of pine nuts.

Kale is wonderful for so many reasons. It’s highly rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, high in iron, high in vitamin K and vitamin A, has anti-inflammatory properties, etc. 

Let’s just say IT’S REALLY GREAT FOR YOU!

Without further a-do here is the best kale pesto (aka kesto) recipe:

Tools:

- Food processor or food blender

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups of Kale
• 1/4 Cup of Walnuts (Chopped)
• 2 Cloves ofChopped Garlic
• 2/3 Cup of Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup of Grated Cheese

Step 1: In a food processor toss in the kale, walnuts, and garlic. Blend them together until all of the kale & walnuts are finely chopped

Step 2: Pour in half of the olive oil and blend for about 30s. Then toss in the rest of the olive oil and blend again.

Step 3: Lastly, put in the grated cheese and blend. Here comes the best part, put it on whatever you would like. Ha! It is SO GOOD!! Enjoy it! 

Simply Slow

I think one of the top 5 best inventions in the world is the slow cooker. 

Ok, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but if you don’t have time to cook or if you want to prep your meal the night before and still have it steaming hot to eat, the slow cooker is your best friend. 

Here is a yummy chicken slow cooker recipe that Victoria and I had last night. 

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Ketchup
• 1/4 cup of Soy Sauce or Bragg Liquid Amino's (soy sauce replacement)
• 1/4 cup of Olive Oil

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 Medium sized Sweet Potatoes (Chopped)
• 1 cup of Baby Carrots or Large Carrots (whichever you prefer)
• 1lb of Chicken Breast
• 2 servings of Celery
• 1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• 1 Teaspoon of Parsley Flakes
• 2 minced Garlic Cloves

Step 1: In a measuring cup mix the ketchup, soy sauce, olive oil, & all of the spices together until well blended and set aside.

Step 2: Put the chicken in the slow cooker with the carrots, sweet potatoes, and celery. 

Step 3: Pour the olive oil mixture into the slow cooker and make sure all of the dry ingredients are covered. 

Step 4: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it on low for about 8 hours (or you could also put it on high for about 3-4 hours).

Step 5: Take the lid off and enjoy all of the juicy greatness of the slow cooker.

BUNS OF STEEL!

Now that I have your attention obviously these buns are not made out of steel. That would not be tasty. 

Instead they are made out of cauliflower. 

The other day Victoria and I were making burgers but we didn’t have any bread or buns. The only thing we had was cauliflower.

So what does one do when there is only cauliflower? They make cauliflower buns of course!

They do taste pretty darn good and you get to have at least two servings of veggies per burger. BOOMSHAKALAKA!!

Here is my cauliflower bun recipe: 

Ingredients:

-   3/4 of Cauliflower

• 4-6 Tbsp of coconut flower
• 2 Tbsp of garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp of salt
• 4-6 Eggs

Tools: 

• Food processor

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Take out a baking sheet and line it up with parchment paper (if you don’t have that, you can use aluminum foil).

Step 2: Put all the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until finely shredded. 

Step 3: Crack all of the eggs in a large bowl with the dry ingredients and slowly add in the cauliflower and mix it all together. 

Step 4: Take a small portion of the cauliflower mixture and put it on the baking sheet. Press down on the small portion with your hands until it becomes flat. Continue to do this until all of the mixture is on the baking sheet. I personally made 6 buns with this mixture, but you probably could make smaller buns and make more. 

Step 5: Stick it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. 

Step 6: Take them out of the oven and let them sit for about 2 minutes. After that, enjoy a bite into those awesome buns of cauliflower. Haha!

American baked?

This is not French and it’s not fried, so should we call it American baked? 

I am giving everyone my homemade baked french fry recipe. 

IT IS MY JAM (not the jelly kind, the cool kind. Haha)!!!

The best part about this is you can’t tell that they are baked because they are still golden brown and crispy. 

MIND BLOWN!

Without further ado, here is my baked french fry recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium russet potato
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Half tsp minced onion
• Half tsp garlic powder
• Basil
• Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Take out a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Make sure you spray the aluminum foil with non-stick spray (I use coconut).   

Step 2: Wash the potato. I like to keep the skin on because I like the taste of it but that is up to you. Cut the potato in half (short ways) then into quarters (long ways), then into slices. Stick all of the cut pieces of potato in a bowl.

Step 3: Put all of the spices into the bowl with the potato slices and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Mix until all of the potato pieces are covered and then dump the fries on the baking sheet.

Step 4: Line up the fries evenly on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other (if they are, they will steam each other and it will take longer to cook). 

Step 5: Stick them in the oven for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes are up, take them out of the oven and flip them. Put them back into the oven for another 10 minutes. 

Step 6: Take them out and let them cool down for about 2 minutes. Then enjoy the crunch of the delicious baked french fries.

It’s Not Just Pizza

It’s cauliflower pizza! 

If you are craving pizza (like I do often) and you want to keep your carb intake lower, this might be your best bet. 

Not only is it delicious but since the crust is made from cauliflower it is more nutrient dense and has many vitamins and minerals that are good for you! 

Some of those vitamins and minerals are sulforaphane (this is a compound that has been shown to kill cancer stem cells), vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese. 

There is more but you get the gist of it. IT’S REALLY GOOD FOR YOU! Haha!

Here is my cauliflower pizza recipe: 

Ingredients:

- Cauliflower

- 1/2 cup Coconut flower

- 1 egg (I use egg whites)

- Italian seasoning

- Basil

- Salt & Pepper

- Whatever toppings you would like on your pizza

Tools:

-Food processor (if you don’t have one, use a cheese grader) 

-Cheese cloth (if you don’t have one, use paper towels)

-Deep dish baking pan

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. While that is heating up, shred your cauliflower with a food pressor or cheese grader.

Step 2: Since cauliflower naturally holds a lot of water, we have to strain and dry out as much of the water as possible so the crust does not become crumbly. Transfer your shredded cauliflower to a cheese cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. Once you are done with that, put all of the cauliflower on a baking sheet and stick it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (we just want to make sure we got out most of the moisture in the cauliflower).

Step 3: Take out the cauliflower and raise the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees. Grab a large mixing bowl and put all of the ingredients together (except the toppings of course haha). I like to use a deep dish baking pan to mold the crust into its form but technically you can do that right on a baking sheet with parchment paper (it’s your call). 

Step 4: Once you form your crust, stick it back in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. The crust on the outside should be slightly brown. 

Step 5: After that, take it out of the oven and put the toppings you would like on your pizza and stick it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. 

Step 6: Remove and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to cool down. Enjoy!

The Delicious Delicata Squash

Out of all the squashes, I think this is our favorite. 

It is the easiest to prepare and it has a slight nutty taste with a little bit of crunch from the skin. NUM NUM’S!!!

Here is my delicata squash recipe:

Ingredients:

-Delicata squash

-1 Tsp Olive oil

-Salt & Peper

Step 1: Pre heat the oven to 420 degrees and put aluminum foil on top of a non-stick baking sheet. 

Step 2: Wash your delicata squash and cut the ends off.

Step 3: Cut the delicata squash in half and scoop out all the seeds.

Step 4: Cut the delicata squash into 1/2 inch pieces (they should look like stars).

Step 5: Place the pieces onto the baking sheet and sprinkle salt & pepper and drizzle the olive oil. Mix it all around until each piece is completely covered.

Step 6: Separate them on the baking sheet, so they are not touching each other and stick it in the oven for 12 mins. 

Step 7: Once the 12 mins are up, take them out of the oven and flip them (it should have a slight char or brownness to the side that was down). Put them back into the oven for another 12 mins. 

Step 8: Take them out and let it sit for about 2min. Then, it’s time for my favorite part. TIME TO CHOW DOWN!!

Slurp up Some Warm & Cozy

The squash season seems to never end and I LOVE IT!!!

A few days ago I decided to make butternut squash soup, but I didn’t want to cook it on the stove. So, slow cooker butternut squash soup it was. 

Here is my recipe and I must say, it would be an excellent appetizer for Christmas dinner!

Ingredients:

• Butternut squash
• Granny smith apple
• Yellow onion
• 3 to 4 carrots
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• Nutmeg 
• Cinnamon
• Salt & Pepper
• Ground Sage

Tools: 

• Slow cooker
• Hand Blender or Blender

Step 1: Take out the slow cooker and clean it.

Step 2: Chop up everything from butternut squash to carrots and toss them in the slow cooker.

Step 3: Add the vegetable broth, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and ground sage to the slow cooker and mix it.

Step 4: Set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. 

Step 5: After the 4 hours, use a hand blender (if you don’t have one, use a regular blender) to blend all of the ingredients together, and pour in the coconut milk. 

Step 6: Enjoy the delicious greatness!

Not Your Normal Mashed Potatoes

We're going to keep the mash a little lighter and use cauliflower. You heard that right everyone. Mashed Cauliflower!

Not just any mashed cauliflower, I’m about to give you my mashed cauliflower gratin.

If your kids aren't big veggie fans, this is a great trick (Shhhhh!! Don’t tell them). They won’t be able to tell the difference.

Here we go people, my mashed cauliflower gratin recipe:

Ingredients:

Cauliflower

Parmesan cheese

Panko

Almond milk

Olive oil

Salt

Tools:

Food Pressor (If you don’t have one, you can use a potato masher or fork)

Deep dish pan

Step 1: Cut the cauliflower into florets and toss them into a pot of boiling water for roughly around for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Set some florets to the side and finely chop them for the topping.

Step 2: Time to make the topping while the cauliflower is cooking. On a baking sheet or a large surface, combine the raw florets (finely chopped), about 1/2 cup of panko, 1/4 of parmesan cheese, salt, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Mix it around and admire your topping.

Step 3: Set your oven at 400 degrees for the upcoming step. Then put the cooked cauliflower into the food processor. Add salt, 1/8 cup of parmesan cheese, and about 1/4 of almond milk. Pulse it until all of the cauliflower is mashed and it looks like mashed potatoes. 

Step 4: Transfer the mashed cauliflower to a deep dish pan. Add the topping to the mashed cauliflower and spread it around until it is even. Toss it in the oven for about 20 min (if you are really short on time, put the oven on broil and leave the gratin in until the top is golden brown).

Step 5: Take it out of the oven and let it sit for about 2mins to cool down. Serve when ready! BOOM!!!

Why Did They Let the Turkey Join the Band?

….Because he had the drumsticks. HAHA!! I crack myself up.

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, a time for family & friends, and LOTS of food!!! I’m kind of excited because I love to eat. 

Who doesn’t?!

The best part about all the food (for me at least) is definitely the sides. I’m here to give you my turkey bacon brussels sprouts recipe. This one might turn some heads at thanksgiving. 

Normally there’s so much rich, calorically-dense food on the table, that it’s a great idea to have something more fibrous and green, but also appealing.

Ingredients:

2 and half pounds of Brussel sprouts

1 large Onion (chopped)

4-6 Slices of turkey bacon

Olive oil

Thyme (optional)

Salt & Pepper (For Taste)

Lemon Juice (Optional)

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil and cut the brussels sprouts in half.

Step 2: Once the water boils, toss in the brussels sprouts for about 3-5min or until slightly tender.

Step 3: While the brussels sprouts are boiling, cook the turkey bacon until slightly brown in a large pan on medium heat.

Step 4: Take the bacon out and set aside. In the same pan, toss in a teaspoon of olive oil and chopped onion, stirring often.

Step 5: Once the onions are slightly soft, lower the heat and toss in the brussels sprouts. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix all together and taste.

Step 6: Once the brussels sprouts are tender, mix in the turkey bacon and lemon juice. 

Step 7: Enjoy the deliciouso-in-your-bellyoso!

What Kind of Socks Do You Need to Plant Squash?

…Garden Hose! Get it?!!

When you look at certain variations of squash (by the way, did you know there are more than 50 variations of squash) are you unsure how to eat it? You might say, “What the heck am I supposed to do with that?!” or “That doesn’t even fit on my counter!” Haha!

There are technically two types of squash, summer and winter squash. More popular types of summer squash include: yellow zucchini, crookneck squash, and Cocozella Di Napoli (Italian heirloom zucchini).

The most well known types of winter squash include: acorn squash, butternut squash, and kabocha squash (sweet with a mild nutty flavor). 

Today I am going to show you how to prepare one of our favorites, an acorn squash. It is soooo easy it will blow your mind. 

Ingredients:

-acorn squash

-olive oil (you can use coconut oil if you want to make it sweeter)

-salt & pepper

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Step 2: Wash the acorn squash and dry it

Step 3: Cut the top of the acorn squash to get rid of the stem so it’s easier to handle

Step 4: Cut the acorn squash down the center from the bottom

Step 5: Take out all the seeds and guts (you can use the seeds for a later time)

Step 6: Score the acorn squash vertically and horizontally. Score simply means to cut a line on the surface of what you’re cooking. I do this to allow the oil to get all the way through

Step 7: Rub the olive oil all over the acorn squash (except the skin) and season with salt and pepper

Step 8: Place it in the oven for 1 hour

Step 9: My favorite part. TIME TO CHOW DOWN ON SOME GRUB!!!

YUM!

I’M ON A CAULIFLOWER KICK!

For the past few months, I don’t know what has come over me but I just have caught the cauliflower cooking bug. Haha! 

Today I am going to share my cauliflower cous cous recipe. If you are looking for more quantity out of your food, give this a try. For every 100 grams of cauliflower, their is 10 grams of carbohydrates. 

Yup, that is true! So, without further a do, here is my cauliflower cous cous recipe.

Tools:

-Food Processor (or if you don’t have one, use a cheese grader) 

-Pan

Ingredients:

-Cauliflower

-Garlic cloves

-Olive oil

-Bone or chicken broth

-Basil

-Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Wash the cauliflower and get rid of all the leafs

Step 2: Cut the cauliflower into small pieces (so you can fit it into the food processor or it’s easy for you to handle with the cheese grader)

Step 3: Take the food processor (or cheese grader) and place it by your station and slowly start to grade or feed it through the food processor (if you are using the food processor, make sure you are using the blade with the smaller holes)

Step 4: Put a pan on a stove over medium heat with about 2 or 3 teaspoons.

Step 5: Chop up the garlic cloves and toss it in the olive oil. 

Step 6: Wait until the garlic starts to sizzle or slightly brown and then toss in the desired amount of cous cous. 

Step 7: Put 1/4 cup of bone or chicken broth in the cous cous and mix it around. 

Step 8: Add basil, salt, and pepper. Then let it sit for about 2min or until hot and most of the moisture is out (it still will be slightly moist)

Step 9: Enjoy the AWESOMENESS!!!

Cauliflower Steak Anyone?

Let’s be realistic, there is actually no steak in cauliflower steak. Sorry to let you down so soon, but let’s just get that out of the way. Cauliflower is a great substitution for high carb ingredients like dough, cous cous, or mashed potatoes. 

Technically you could get cauliflower all year long, but the best season for it is in the spring. It falls into the cabbage family and it is more difficult to plant than most of the cabbages just due to the fact that it can’t handle climates that are too hot or cold. So, if you were thinking of planting any cauliflower, start planning to plant the seeds in the spring and keep the temperature around 60 degrees. If not, it will bloom too fast. 

Without further a-do here is the recipe for my cauliflower steak.

So here are the ingredients you need:

-Head of cauliflower

-Lime

-Lemon

-Olive oil

-Garlic clove

-Paprika

-Salt

Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Step 2. In a bowl pour in some olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, and crushed garlic (you can use garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic). Mix it and leave it to the side. 

Step 3. Wash your cauliflower and take off the leaves at the stem.

Step 4. Put a skillet on the stove at medium heat.

Step 5. Cut the cauliflower in half and then cut 1” slices all the way through the stem (the stem will keep the cauliflower together. Without it, it will crumble). 

Step 6. Wipe one side of the cauliflower with the olive oil mixture and season with paprika and salt. 

Step 7. Put a little bit of olive oil in the skillet and slowly put the seasoned side of the cauliflower face down. Cook each side for 6 minutes. 

Step 8. Season the unseasoned side of the cauliflower in the skillet the same way you did before. 

Step 9.  Flip cauliflower and let it sit for another 6 minutes.

Step 10. Take out a baking sheet and spray the pain with non-stick spray (we use Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray but you can use whatever is available). 

Step 11. Take the cauliflower off the skillet and place it on the baking sheet. Cover it with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 12. Remove the cauliflower steaks from the oven. Uncover it and let it sit for 2 minutes to cool down.

Step 13. Enjoy the GREATNESS!!!

5 Exercises That Will Bump Up Your Rump

“I like big butts, and I cannot lie!” Both my lady and I can attest to us loving big butts, since we both have them. “Dance! Too much booty in the pants!” Sorry this article might contain a few more famous lyrics on booty’s. Not sorry! All over the fitness world, people try to make up these crazy exercises to grow their glutes more. But I’m here to give you 5 exercises that will trump all of those crazy ones. So let’s talk about the “Booty Booty Booty Rocking everywhere.” Here it is ladies and gentlemen

1.   The Booty Dominator, THE DEADLIFT!

This complex movement is one of the superior lifts that everybody should be doing. It requires all of your muscles to work as one but is considered a hip dominant exercise due to the flexion of the hip. As you reach down to grab the bar, hinging from your hips (aka hip flexion) will activate your glutes and hamstrings. Notice, the shins must be vertical for this to be a deadlift pattern. If not, you make it into a squat variation. Take a deep breath and drive off the floor through your heels. Keep the bar right along your legs as you lift and lock your knees and hips at the same time. 

2.   The Bootinator, HIP EXTENSION

If you look at this movement from the side, it’s technically a progression of a glute bridge. Put your back against a bench and roll the barbell over your hips. Tuck your feet in towards your booty and keep your feet flat on the floor. Drive through your heels and extend your hips all the way up until they line up with your knees and shoulders. 

3.   The Bootiman/Bootiwoman, SINGLE LEG RDL (Romanian Deadlift)

This one is a little tricky. Not only does it require a lot of strength but it also involves a ton of core stability. As you hip hinge, counterbalance yourself by slowly elevating your leg (kind of like a teeter totter). The working leg will be on the ground.

4.   The Bootilistic, KETTLEBELL SWINGS

Here you have the famous kettlebell swing. Most people think this is a squat exercise but it is a hip dominant exercise (aka deadlift pattern). Take a look at the back swing, my hips are flexing more than my knees and my torso is almost parallel to the floor. By doing so, your glutes and hamstrings will be engaged. This will also help to absorb the kettlebell into the hips and propel the kettlebell forward with your glutes. 

5.   The Booty Humbler, 45 DEGREE RAISE

A lot of people tend to do this incorrectly and feel this in their lower back. You are working the extensor muscles in your back but mainly this is a glute exercise. Hip hinge and keep your core tight. Keep going until you feel resistance in your glutes and hamstrings, then squeeze your glutes to go into hip extension. At that point, make sure you are not going into hyperextension in your lower back. If you keep your core tight, that will be prevented. 

Alrighty everyone, I hope you enjoyed this booty rocking article. Now, go out there and kick some butt!

The Difference Between Knee and Hip Dominant Exercise

When it comes to exercise selection, lower body movements can for the most part be split into two different categories: knee dominant or hip dominant. Some exercises can be a little trickier to categorize. No worries, I have an idea that might help.

Look at a lower body exercise from the side; you can see which joint is flexing the most (either the knee or hip). You would choose knee dominant if you are working on quad development. For example: squat, lunges, front squats, etc. You can also check out the angle of your torso versus the angle of your tibia (shin) to tell the difference as well. All of these knee dominant exercises will have your torso more vertical and your tibia more angled. Below are a few videos to help.

Hip dominant (glute dominant) will allow your hip to flex more in the exercise. You would choose this if you are working on glute development. For example: deadlifts, 45 degree raise, Romanian deadlifts, etc. But if you look at your torso and tibia, the torso will be angled more and the tibia will be more vertical. Check out the videos below to understand a little bit more. 

Now, could you make some knee dominant exercises more hip dominant and vice versa? You bet! Examples: lunges, step ups, hip extensions, etc. Always use your hips to angle the torso and keep an eye out on your shin to see if its vertical or not. Take a look at these videos to differentiate.

Normally a split squat is knee dominant. If you notice, Christine, is using the rings to make it more hip dominant by pushing her hips back and make her shine more vertical.

Walking lunges tend to be more knee dominant. As you can see here, angling my torso and keeping the shin more vertical can allow the movement to be more hip dominant. 

I hope this helped. If you are looking for more lower body videos, check out our youtube channel. Now, go get your lower body on! It will thank you. HAHA!

My Secret Chicken Recipe

Some people love to bake their chicken. Some like to put it into the slow cooker. I’m the kind of guy that likes to make his chicken as juicy as possible, in whatever method works. I found this recipe on youtube but then added my own twist to it. I’m not kidding, it’s like butter when it comes out. HALLELUJAH! So without further ado, here is my secret chicken recipe that is not so secret. Enjoy!

1) Lay out all of your spices and chicken (of course). Normally I use my favorite spice from Trader Joe's, BBQ coffee spice rub. But unfortunately, I ran out :( so today I used a different poultry rub.

Laying it all out

2) Put two oven safe pans on the stove on low heat and pre heat your oven to low broil.

Low Broil and low heat on pans

3) Place all of the chicken into a large mixing bowl, use whatever spices your heart desires, and mix away.

Chicken time!

Spicing it up

Happy times

4) Put two teaspoons of coconut oil to coat each pan and swirl it around to make sure you don’t miss any spots. 

Here comes the coconut oil

Swirl!

5) Now it’s time to put the chicken on the pans folks. As you put the chicken on the pans, make sure the smooth part is facing down and you roll the chicken away from you. This will prevent any splatter from the oil. Once all of the chicken is on the pans, turn the heat up to medium heat.

Rolling the chicken away from me

6) Make sure the chicken has a golden brown color and then flip it. To flip it, use a fork, tongs, or whatever you have available.

Golden!

7) Wait until the other side is golden brown as well, then put it in the oven for about 5-10min.

8) Take it out and cut into the chicken or push down onto the chicken to see if it is cooked. When you push down onto the chicken, it should feel like the bottom part of your palm (closer to your thumb).

Woohoo! It's done!

Juicy!

9) My favorite part, enjoy all the juiciness from the AWESOMENESS!

End result.

“Is Prepping Food REALLY That Difficult?”

A lot of people tend to shy away from food preparation because they feel it would take up too much time. Well…I’m here to see to it that I can convince you other wise (in a snooty Downton Abby British accent). Haha! Here are a few cool tips that have helped me and my awesome clients.

Choose one specific day or a few designated times in the week to cook all of your meals. For instance, if you choose Sunday’s, cook all of your chicken, put together all of your salads in tupperware’s, bake all of your starches in the oven, and you are ready to go for the week ahead. BOOM! If you would like to spread out your days so it doesn’t take as long, you can choose to cook on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This will eliminate cooking so much on one day and have fresher meals prepared. 

Sweet Potato Wedges

Chicken for the week

If you want to cook everything else but not your proteins, thats easy too! Try a slow cooker. Here’s what I suggest: before you go to bed, place chicken/turkey cutlets, etc. into a slow cooker with broth and spices of your choice. Once you wake up in the morning, you have juicy protein ready to eat (it’s almost like the texture of pulled pork). 

Take ziploc bags or containers of food with you to work. Personally, I use coconut or olive oil on my salads as dressing. If I want more acid I’ll add lemon or lime juice. I’ll put it in a small container and use it later. It’s an easy way to incorporate fats into your everyday adventure. In addition to that, I also put almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds in a bag, to add a little crunch to some of my meals.

Coconut oil and Coconut Spray

These are just a few simple tips but the big one is this, YOU SAVE A TON OF MONEY $$$$! In NYC, the average dinner at a restaurant could cost you $150, even without drinks. If you choose to grocery shop once or twice a week, that could be the cost of one week’s worth of food. WOOHOO!!! Saving money and time, who doesn’t want that?! It’s a no brainer. Try to meal prep just for a few weeks and let me know if you can see the changes in your life.

“Is Sitting the New Smoking?”

Come on! Really? Could this statement possibly be true? A lot of recent research has been done to evaluate the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle. Well…here is the jist of it. 

Let’s start with the body position. About 80% of americans have desk jobs or a job that requires you to sit for a long period of time. And when I say long time, I’m talking close to 12 to 14 hours a day. HOLY MOLY BATMAN (in the Robin voice)! Due to gravity pushing you down onto the chair, your spine is experiencing more compressive force than if you were standing with your muscles engaged to hold you up. Leaning over to type on the computer is exaggerating the kyphotic curve in your upper back which adds unnecessary pressure to your organs and limits lung capacity for breathing. And last but not least, increased tightness in your hip flexors, glutes, quads, upper back, and chest, which can lead to discomfort and injury. This is just a look from the outside.

What about the inside? Ok! Lets get geeky! “According to science writer Gretchen Reynolds, a recent Swedish study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that when you sit all day, your telomeres (the tiny caps on the ends of DNA strands) get shorter, which, you can imagine, is not a good thing. As telomeres get shorter, the rate at which the body ages and decays speeds up. Conversely, the study found “that the telomeres in [those] who were sitting the least had lengthened. Their cells seemed to be growing physiologically younger.” The shortening of DNA strands could lead to diabetes, heart disease, and possibly shorten your life span. 

So how do you prevent this from happening? Here are a few simple tips to try during the week:

• Set an alarm every 30-60 minutes to get up and move (the more you move, the less compressed your joints will be and the happier your body will feel).
• If your company can supply it, request a stand up desk. This is a great alternative to a regular desk. There are tons of unique options.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Optimally we would all average 10,000 steps per day. Use those two legs!
• Arrange your desk so you can sit in the correct anatomical position. Move your desktop/laptop high enough so you’re not rounding forward towards the screen and close enough to you that so your spine remains neutral while you type.

These are just some simple changes to your everyday work-life that could add years to your life.