40 jumping jacks
15 lying toe touches
10 lying leg raises
10 reverse crunches
Plank (as long as you can hold it)
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Lower Ab Attack
This is the problem area for most women. In honor of the fact that I am currently trying to slim down to look amazing in my form fitted wedding gown in just over 9 months, I am trying this workout.
40 jumping jacks
15 lying toe touches
10 roll-ups (slowly)
3 lying leg raises
40 bicycle crunches
20 flutter kicks
10 seated knee tucks
5 Roll ups (extra slow)
10 lying leg raises
10 reverse crunches
10 lunge twists
30 jumping jacks
Plank (as long as you can hold it)
40 jumping jacks
15 lying toe touches
10 lying leg raises
10 reverse crunches
Plank (as long as you can hold it)
Drop a Pant Size Workout
I found this workout idea on Pinterest and in the spirit of losing weight quickly to look great in the bridesmaid's dress for my sister wedding in three weeks, I have decided to share it here. This would also be a great way to kick start weight loss for those just starting out.
25 squats
10 single leg dead lifts on each leg
10 single leg kickbacks on each leg
25 plie squats
Knee highs for 1 minute
20 calf raises
25 split squat jumps
15 side lunges
10 walking lunges on each leg
Butt kickers for 1 minute
Do three reps of these exercises followed by a 20 minute walk. If your walk includes inclines, this workout becomes more effective.
Complete this workout 2-3 times a week for leaner, tighter hips, buns, and thighs.
25 squats
10 single leg dead lifts on each leg
10 single leg kickbacks on each leg
25 plie squats
Knee highs for 1 minute
20 calf raises
25 split squat jumps
15 side lunges
10 walking lunges on each leg
Butt kickers for 1 minute
Complete this workout 2-3 times a week for leaner, tighter hips, buns, and thighs.
Breakfast Banana Split
1 banana peeled and halved lengthwise
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 small container of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tbsp high-fiber, low-sugar cereal (such as Fiber One)
Fruit (I love using strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, apple chunks, and kiwi)
Spread peanut butter evenly over banana halves and place them in a shallow bowl. Spoon yogurt into the middle, and top with fruit pieces and cereal.
388 calories, 12g protein, 59g carbs, 5g fiber, 1g fat, 176mg sodium.
This is great when you are wanting a light and filling breakfast, but you are not wanting to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It is also fabulous during the spring and summer months after a visit to your local farmer's market for fresh berries to go on top! Sometimes I will add a tablespoon of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or a drizzle of sugar free chocolate syrup as an added treat.
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 small container of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tbsp high-fiber, low-sugar cereal (such as Fiber One)
Fruit (I love using strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, apple chunks, and kiwi)
Spread peanut butter evenly over banana halves and place them in a shallow bowl. Spoon yogurt into the middle, and top with fruit pieces and cereal.
388 calories, 12g protein, 59g carbs, 5g fiber, 1g fat, 176mg sodium.
Getting Healthy in Preparation for Pregnancy
Ever since Thomas and I decided to get married, we have been discussing starting a family. We have decided that the best time for us to begin our family would be a few months following our wedding. Thomas will be graduating college just before our wedding and I will graduate shortly after our wedding. Both of us have fairly decent jobs at this point so even if we are not able to start our careers right after college, we should be alright financially when it comes to bringing our first child into the world. For now, we are saving what we can in preparation of starting our family.
Now that we have our money situation figured out, it is time to get my body prepared for conceiving within the next year or two. I do not feel as though I am alone when it comes to worrying about whether or not my body is healthy enough to carry and deliver a healthy, happy baby. Many women share this fret, I am sure. So I began doing some research on how to prepare my body for pregnancy. Here is some of the information I discovered:
1. The number one way to increase your chances of conceiving is to drop excess weight and/or body fat. When you are overweight, your body produces excess hormones. This can throw off ovulation and make it more difficult to become pregnant.
2. Stay away from cigarette smoke- smoking or being around people who smoke excessively can damage a woman's eggs, making it more difficult to conceive.
3. Limit alcohol consumption- alcohol can alter your estrogen levels, which may interfere with egg plantation.
4. Use oral contraceptives until you're ready- taking a daily oral contraceptive until you are ready to conceive has been shown to protect a woman's ovaries from aging.
5. Eliminate Stress- I know this is easier said than done, but stress can throw off your hormone production, slow ovulation, and make it more difficult to conceive.
6. Have sex often- Research suggests that women who have sex at least once each week have more predictable menstrual cycles and normal ovulation.
7. Stay Nourished- The most common deficiencies in both mother and baby tend to be in iron, protein, vitamin C, and zinc. See a list of options for each nutrient blow.
8. Keep in mind that the same goes for males. In order to be successful in conceiving, the male should also stay away from cigarette smoke, limit alcohol consumption, eliminate stress, and stay nourished.
Good Sources of Protein: 10%-35% of your daily calorie intake should be protein.
* White-Meat Poultry: choosing white meat when it comes to turkey and chicken means you are consuming leaner protein. Dark meat tends to be more fatty. The skin also contains a large dose of saturated fat, so you may also want to consider cutting off the skin.
* Seafood: fish is a great form of protein. Even fish like salmon, which is a little higher in fat, is an excellent choice because it is healthy omega-3! We tend to eat a lot of salmon and fish at my house so there are quite a few recipe ideas on my blog.
* Low-fat or Fat-Free Dairy Products: This includes milk, cheese, and yogurt. For an extra boost of protein, try adding Greek yogurt to your diet. Check out the rest of my blog for different ideas on how to incorporate Greek yogurt into your cooking.
* Eggs: This is one of the least expensive sources of protein.
* Beans: Half a cup of beans contains as much protein as one ounce of steak! Incorporating beans into your diet could be as simple as adding black or pinto beans to your Mexican dishes, kidney beans to your chili, garbanzo beans to a salad, or replacing cream in creamy based soups with white beans.
* Pork Tenderloin: Packed with protein and super lean. I love pork tenderloin because you can toss it into a timed crock pot with some onions, carrots, and potatoes, and your dinner is ready to serve when you get home with work or school.
* Lean Beef: This contains only one more gram of saturated fat than skinless white-meat chicken.
* Protein on the Go: Cereal bars and energy bars are a great way to add protein into your diet. Just be sure that which ever bar you are choosing contains at least 6 grams of protein and is low in sugar and fat.
Good Sources of Iron: Women age 19+: 18mg daily, Men age 19+: 8mg daily.
* Clams: Three ounces contains 23.8mg of iron! They are tasty in soups and pasta and rice dishes.
* Cereal: Obviously we are talking about healthy cereals filled with whole grains, oats, nuts, etc. and not the sugary varieties we enjoyed as kids. Most cold cereals are fortified with anywhere from 1.8 to 21.1mg of iron per serving.
* Oysters: Three ounces of wild oysters contains 10.2mg of iron.
* Soybeans: Half a cup of cooked soybeans is an easy way to get 4.4mg of iron!
* Pumpkin Seeds: 4.2mg per ounce. These make a great snack this time of year! When you're carving your pumpkin for Halloween, save the seeds. After rinsing and drying the seeds, spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle them with a little oil, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Then roast them in the oven until they are golden brown.
* White Beans: 3.9mg per 1/2 cup.
* Spinach: This is another one of my go to ingredients. I put it on pizza, toss it in salads, and add it to soups and pastas.
* Lean Turkey and Chicken: 2.1mg per 3 ounce serving.
* Salmon, Tuna, Halibut: 0.7mg per 3 ounce serving.
Good Sources of Vitamin C: Women age 19+: 120mg daily, Males age 19+: 90mg daily.
* Papaya
* Bell Peppers: I love adding bell peppers to salads, omelets, pizza, soups, or even snacking on strips of raw bell pepper with hummus!
* Strawberries
* Broccoli
* Kiwi
* Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, clementines, etc)
* Pineapple
* Brussels Sprouts
* Canteloupe
* Kale
* Guava
* Parsley
* Mustard Greens
* Cauliflower
Good Sources of Zinc: Women over 19: 8mg daily, Men over 14: 11mg daily.
* Grass fed beef
* Lamb
* Scallops
* Sesame seeds
* Pumpkin seeds
* Oats
* Yogurt
* Turkey
* Green peas
* Shrimp
* Toasted wheat germ
* Spinach
* Cashews
* Cocoa powder
* Pork
* Chicken
* Mushrooms
* Beans
As you can see, many of these food sources overlap, so getting your daily recommended amount of them should be simple!
Now that we have our money situation figured out, it is time to get my body prepared for conceiving within the next year or two. I do not feel as though I am alone when it comes to worrying about whether or not my body is healthy enough to carry and deliver a healthy, happy baby. Many women share this fret, I am sure. So I began doing some research on how to prepare my body for pregnancy. Here is some of the information I discovered:
1. The number one way to increase your chances of conceiving is to drop excess weight and/or body fat. When you are overweight, your body produces excess hormones. This can throw off ovulation and make it more difficult to become pregnant.
2. Stay away from cigarette smoke- smoking or being around people who smoke excessively can damage a woman's eggs, making it more difficult to conceive.
3. Limit alcohol consumption- alcohol can alter your estrogen levels, which may interfere with egg plantation.
4. Use oral contraceptives until you're ready- taking a daily oral contraceptive until you are ready to conceive has been shown to protect a woman's ovaries from aging.
5. Eliminate Stress- I know this is easier said than done, but stress can throw off your hormone production, slow ovulation, and make it more difficult to conceive.
6. Have sex often- Research suggests that women who have sex at least once each week have more predictable menstrual cycles and normal ovulation.
7. Stay Nourished- The most common deficiencies in both mother and baby tend to be in iron, protein, vitamin C, and zinc. See a list of options for each nutrient blow.
8. Keep in mind that the same goes for males. In order to be successful in conceiving, the male should also stay away from cigarette smoke, limit alcohol consumption, eliminate stress, and stay nourished.
Good Sources of Protein: 10%-35% of your daily calorie intake should be protein.
* White-Meat Poultry: choosing white meat when it comes to turkey and chicken means you are consuming leaner protein. Dark meat tends to be more fatty. The skin also contains a large dose of saturated fat, so you may also want to consider cutting off the skin.
* Seafood: fish is a great form of protein. Even fish like salmon, which is a little higher in fat, is an excellent choice because it is healthy omega-3! We tend to eat a lot of salmon and fish at my house so there are quite a few recipe ideas on my blog.
* Low-fat or Fat-Free Dairy Products: This includes milk, cheese, and yogurt. For an extra boost of protein, try adding Greek yogurt to your diet. Check out the rest of my blog for different ideas on how to incorporate Greek yogurt into your cooking.
* Eggs: This is one of the least expensive sources of protein.
* Beans: Half a cup of beans contains as much protein as one ounce of steak! Incorporating beans into your diet could be as simple as adding black or pinto beans to your Mexican dishes, kidney beans to your chili, garbanzo beans to a salad, or replacing cream in creamy based soups with white beans.
* Pork Tenderloin: Packed with protein and super lean. I love pork tenderloin because you can toss it into a timed crock pot with some onions, carrots, and potatoes, and your dinner is ready to serve when you get home with work or school.
* Lean Beef: This contains only one more gram of saturated fat than skinless white-meat chicken.
* Protein on the Go: Cereal bars and energy bars are a great way to add protein into your diet. Just be sure that which ever bar you are choosing contains at least 6 grams of protein and is low in sugar and fat.
Good Sources of Iron: Women age 19+: 18mg daily, Men age 19+: 8mg daily.
* Clams: Three ounces contains 23.8mg of iron! They are tasty in soups and pasta and rice dishes.
* Cereal: Obviously we are talking about healthy cereals filled with whole grains, oats, nuts, etc. and not the sugary varieties we enjoyed as kids. Most cold cereals are fortified with anywhere from 1.8 to 21.1mg of iron per serving.
* Oysters: Three ounces of wild oysters contains 10.2mg of iron.
* Soybeans: Half a cup of cooked soybeans is an easy way to get 4.4mg of iron!
* Pumpkin Seeds: 4.2mg per ounce. These make a great snack this time of year! When you're carving your pumpkin for Halloween, save the seeds. After rinsing and drying the seeds, spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle them with a little oil, and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Then roast them in the oven until they are golden brown.
* White Beans: 3.9mg per 1/2 cup.
* Spinach: This is another one of my go to ingredients. I put it on pizza, toss it in salads, and add it to soups and pastas.
* Lean Turkey and Chicken: 2.1mg per 3 ounce serving.
* Salmon, Tuna, Halibut: 0.7mg per 3 ounce serving.
Good Sources of Vitamin C: Women age 19+: 120mg daily, Males age 19+: 90mg daily.
* Papaya
* Bell Peppers: I love adding bell peppers to salads, omelets, pizza, soups, or even snacking on strips of raw bell pepper with hummus!
* Strawberries
* Broccoli
* Kiwi
* Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, clementines, etc)
* Pineapple
* Brussels Sprouts
* Canteloupe
* Kale
* Guava
* Parsley
* Mustard Greens
* Cauliflower
Good Sources of Zinc: Women over 19: 8mg daily, Men over 14: 11mg daily.
* Grass fed beef
* Lamb
* Scallops
* Sesame seeds
* Pumpkin seeds
* Oats
* Yogurt
* Turkey
* Green peas
* Shrimp
* Toasted wheat germ
* Spinach
* Cashews
* Cocoa powder
* Pork
* Chicken
* Mushrooms
* Beans
As you can see, many of these food sources overlap, so getting your daily recommended amount of them should be simple!
BBQ Salmon
Thomas and I both love salmon, but we hate how salty and calorie-packed it can be when you order it from a restaurant. When I found out that ALDI (our local discount grocery store) sells wild caught salmon fillets for $4.99 for 4 individually packaged fillets, I began stocking up and experimenting with different ways to prepare salmon at home. Last night I decided to attempt a BBQ salmon and the results were amazing!
I just threw together a quick marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I'm not sure the amounts I used because I just sort of threw it together, but if I had to guess I would say 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and just a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I just poured ingredients into the bottom of a glass baking dish and whisked them together with a fork. I seasoned my salmon fillets with ground black pepper and then placed them in the marinade, spooning a little of the marinade onto the top of each fillet. Bake the salmon in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes.
This experiment yielded very tasty results! My fiance and I both gobbled up this salmon! The BBQ glaze somewhat caramelizes on top of the salmon fillets and the flavor of the BBQ sauce and garlic penetrates the fish. I served the salmon with brown rice and steamed broccoli. It looks like a huge portion in the picture, but I promise you I was using a small salad plate opposed to a larger dinner plate.
Tip: If you can purchase your salmon fillets in individually vacuum-sealed packages, do it! I love having these on hand. I can make two meals out of a single package of salmon by pulling out fillets two at a time, or, I can also pull out all four salmon fillets and pack the leftovers as lunch for Thomas and me for the next day. That is exactly what I did with this BBQ salmon recipe.
I just threw together a quick marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I'm not sure the amounts I used because I just sort of threw it together, but if I had to guess I would say 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and just a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I just poured ingredients into the bottom of a glass baking dish and whisked them together with a fork. I seasoned my salmon fillets with ground black pepper and then placed them in the marinade, spooning a little of the marinade onto the top of each fillet. Bake the salmon in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes.
This experiment yielded very tasty results! My fiance and I both gobbled up this salmon! The BBQ glaze somewhat caramelizes on top of the salmon fillets and the flavor of the BBQ sauce and garlic penetrates the fish. I served the salmon with brown rice and steamed broccoli. It looks like a huge portion in the picture, but I promise you I was using a small salad plate opposed to a larger dinner plate.
Update
Just before school started this semester I purchased a pair of jeans that was one size smaller than the size I typically wear. Obviously, when I first purchased these jeans, they did not fit. Well....yesterday I decided to try them on before heading out to class. Guess who successfully wore those smaller jeans to school yesterday? This girl!
Even though this is only a small, one jean size victory, it feels amazing to see results.
Even though this is only a small, one jean size victory, it feels amazing to see results.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Spinach Tortellini Soup
This recipe combines three of my favorite things...pasta, spinach, and soup. It is a lighter broth based soup that is perfect paired with a salad or sandwich on a cool fall day.
Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot & garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the chicken broth, water, rind and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, add salt (to taste), pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add tortellini. Simmer until tortellini cooks to al dente.
Once cooked, remove the rind, and add the baby spinach. Stir to combine. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano!
This recipe makes 12 cups of soup.
1 serving (1 1/2 cups): 227 calories, 5.3g fat, 33.8g carbs, 0.9g fiber, 11.3g protein.
Sometimes I like to add some leftover shredded chicken breast meat and/or extra veggies like carrots and celery. It makes for a really tasty and healthy meal.
- 2 tsp butter (I use unsalted)
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 cups fat free chicken broth (I used reduced sodium)
- 3 cups water
- 1 small Parmigiano Reggiano Rind (optional)
- 18 oz spinach cheese tortellini (Buitoni)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups baby spinach
- salt to taste
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot & garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the chicken broth, water, rind and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, add salt (to taste), pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add tortellini. Simmer until tortellini cooks to al dente.
Once cooked, remove the rind, and add the baby spinach. Stir to combine. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano!
This recipe makes 12 cups of soup.
1 serving (1 1/2 cups): 227 calories, 5.3g fat, 33.8g carbs, 0.9g fiber, 11.3g protein.
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