Friday, February 26, 2016

3 Ingredient Zoodles!

So I've been wanting to attempt zoodles for quite a long time but that little machine intimidated me. Last night I finally got the nerve to use it and it was a success! I didn't have a recipe planned nor did I have very many ingredients for it if I went with a basic one and used it as a side dish. Here it is! Let me know what you think if you try it!

Ingredients
1 zucchini
Parmessan cheese
Olive or coconut oil
Italian herb spices

Directions
1. Wash the zucchini and spiralize it with skin on using thicker of two settings.

2. Heat up small amount of oil in pan (1 tsp) and add zucchini.


3Cook for a few minutes until zucchini is tender, becomes more translucent and begins to lose water.

4.  Drain water and add a teenie tiny bit (1 tsp) of oil if desired.

5. Blend in parmessan and spices, cook for a few more minutes and serve.

6. Pair it with any type of protein and/or carb. I paired it with chicken and quinoa and it was a hit. Shrimp, fish, steak and turkey are also good options!

21 Day Fix Exchange
1 green
1 blue
1 gray

Sunday, February 21, 2016

It's Time for Kabobs! Lula Kabobs!


Last minute, game time decision made for dinner last night! Husband is sick of squash (how dare he!!) and is bored with the same ol' same ol' dishes I make. So, while at the store getting some deli meats, I took a walk by the meat counter and saw that lula kabob was on sale! If you've never heard of it, it's spiced ground chicken (can be lamb too).  It's a middle eastern food typically grilled on kabob sticks on a barbecue but, considering it was raining in So Cal yesterday, barbecuing wasn't an option for me. So.....I decided I'd make them in the oven.  The easiest way I know how. I bought some bell peppers too since that's what usually goes on kabobs and some white rice since that's how kabobs are typically served.  Paired it with a Greek salad and the dinner was a HIT. Now, when I first put it in the oven, I wasn't sure how it would pan out but it turned out great! Here's the recipe! I made enough for a family of 4 plus leftovers for meal prep for the rest of the week for me. If you're just making it for one meal, you probably only need 1 lb of lula.

Ingredients
1 lb lula kabob
4 bell peppers
2 cups of white rice
2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon juice

Directions
1.  Spray a baking rack with non-stick spray and place it on top of a cookie sheet.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (375 if it's convection.

2.  Form the lula into small patties similar to a small hamburger patty but thicker.  Place them on the cookie sheet and set aside.

3. Slice the bell peppers into about 5 pieces length wise.  Throw out the seeds and stem.  Marinate them in balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and your favorite no salt seasoning.  I only had time to marinate them for about 10 minutes but you can marinate them for as long as you'd like.  The longer you marinate, the more flavor they absorb.

4.  When you're ready to make them, place them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed to prevent sticking as well.

5.  Bake the lula and the bell peppers in the oven for about 35to 45 minutes.  Check it regularly. Cook until the bell peppers begin to curl up and brown lightly.  Or essentially until they're the way YOU like them. I like them really toasted and almost burnt but hubby doesn't so we compromise.

6. While baking the lula and bell peppers, pour the rice in a sauce pan and add the 2 cups of broth along with the 2 cups of water. There should be two parts water for every one part rice.

7.  Bring it to a boil, cover it once it's boiling and simmer until all of the liquid is soaked up and the rice is done.

8.  Serve together on a plate and, if you happen to have some tzatziki or know where to pick some up, serve it with some on the side!  Tzatziki is a yogurt sauce made with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill.  Sometimes lemon juice and parsley is added to it.

21 Day Fix Portions
Remember, you have to serve as much as what fits in the containers in order for this to apply! :)
1 yellow (rice)
1 green (Bell peppers)
1 red (lula)  


Monday, February 15, 2016

More 21 Day Fix Meal Prep - Meal Prep Monday Week 9

I LOVE following Amanda's meal prep tips because she changes it up so often and they are always choices that  my family and I enjoy! Her simple photos remind us meal prep doesn’t have to be hard. This week, she is using the 21 Day Fix containers that I LOVE to plan her meals. 
Do you plan your meals on Sunday? Save this for the weekend!
Meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday:
Amanda's Meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Breakfast: Shakeology with a banana, flaxseeds (not shown) and 2 tsp. almond butter (1 red, 2 purple, 1 orange, 2 tsp.)
Snack: 2 eggs, oatmeal (not shown) (1 red, 2 yellow)
Lunch: Shrimp sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil, red and yellow bell peppers sautéed with lemon, garlic Flavorgod seasoning, quinoa/brown rice blend (1 red, 2 yellow, 2 green, 1 tsp.)
Postworkout Meal: Grilled chicken, broccoli seasoned with garlic Flavorgod seasoning and 1 tsp. olive oil, and a small apple (1 red, 1 green, 1 purple, 1 tsp.)
Dinner: Grilled wild-caught salmon, sautéed yellow squash, spinach sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil with lemon and garlic Flavorgod seasoning, and ¼ avocado (not shown) (1 red, 2 green, 1 blue, 1 tsp.)
Meals on Tuesday and Thursday:
Amanda's Meals on Tuesday and Thursday
Breakfast, Snack, and Post workout Meal: Same as above.
Lunch: Ground turkey cooked with 1 tsp. olive oil, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and 1 Tbsp. tomato sauce with dried oregano, basil, and garlic, served over spiralized zucchini noodles with a handful of baby carrots, and pita bread (not shown) (1 red, 2 yellow, ½ purple, 2 green, 1 tsp.)
Dinner: Grilled trout, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix, baked brussels sprouts with 1 tsp. olive oil and garlic Flavorgod seasoning, and ¼ an avocado (not shown) (1 red, 2 green, 1 blue, 1 tsp.)
Grocery list: 
• 5 bananas
• 5 small apples
• 2 large zucchinis
• 2 avocados
• 1 bag brown mushrooms
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1 tomato
• 2 bags broccoli
• 1 bag broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix
• 1 bag spinach
• 1 red onion
• 3 red bell peppers
• 3 yellow bell peppers
• 2 yellow squash
• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• quinoa/brown rice blend
• oatmeal
• pita bread
• 1.25 pounds chicken
• 8 oz ground turkey
• 24 small shrimp
• 3 wild-caught salmon steaks
• 8 oz trout
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• dried garlic
• olive oil
• almond butter
• flaxseeds
• 5 packets Shakeology

Amanda answered some questions she’s often asked about her meal prep:
Do you get bored of eating the same thing every day?
Not at all! I switch it up on a weekly basis and choose my healthy favorites that I don’t mind eating often. I also add different seasonings to keep things interesting. (Check out the 21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix EXTREME nutrition guides for seasoning recipes.)
Do you pre-cook all your food at the beginning of the week? Does it stay fresh all week?
I personally like to cook all of my food at once. I keep it properly refrigerated and find that it stays fresh up to 5 days. If you prefer, you can freeze the last 2 days worth of meals, or cook 2–3 days at a time.
Can you put any of these meals in the freezer?
I personally don’t freeze my meals, but I know people who do. Just remember to thaw it in time.
Do you use the colored containers and then transfer food into the larger ones?
The colored containers are the meal portions used in 21 Day Fix/21 Day Fix EXTREME. I use them to help me measure all my food when cooking, then I put my meals into my black Chefland containers for easier organization and transport.
Where can I buy those containers?
You can find the 21 Day Fix containers here and if you want the entire program, you can get it with workouts here and with Shakeology as well here.  You can get the black meal prep containers for storing entire meals at a time here.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Fasted Training: A Guide to Running on Empty and Working Out

Running on Empty
A perennial favorite of bro-science fitness enthusiasts, working out in a fasted state simply means exercising after having not eaten for several hours, typically early in the morning when your last meal was dinner. In this situation, your blood sugar and liver glycogen levels are compromised, so you’re more inclined to burn body fat as fuel.
I know, right? Sounds like the most awesome thing ever! Don’t get too excited, though. It’s potentially a great tool for endurance athletes—especially those wanting to train their bodies to regulate fuel stores more efficiently. But its benefits for everyone else, including people simply looking to shed a few pounds, are less clear.
Keep in mind that I’m not talking about merely working up a sweat on an empty stomach. I’m talking about going without food for a substantial amount of time—at least 12 hours—so that you force your body to shift the way it produces energy. If you’re more interested in the pros and cons of working out after not eating for 3 to 4 hours (i.e., on an empty stomach when you probably still have plenty of blood sugar and glycogen), click here
But I digress. Should you work out in a fasted state? The full answer depends on your goals—and it helps to understand how your body fuels itself.
Food is Power
Obviously, food equals fuel, but your body is pretty clever about how it makes the most of your meals. All food is basically made up of three macronutrients: Carbohydrates, fat, and protein. When you eat them, the first thing they do is satisfy their primary objectives. For protein—which you’ll find in animal products, legumes, seeds, nuts, and many veggies—that means supporting your body’s infrastructure in countless ways, including as “building blocks” for muscles, bones, and organs. Fat—which includes oils, seeds, nuts, cheese, butter, olives, and avocados—serves many functions, including giving structure to cells, but it’s mainly used as fuel. The fat you use as fuel floats around in your blood. Your muscles also store a small amount of fat for fuel in the form of intramuscular triacylglycerol.
Carbs mostly just act as fuel. You’ll find them in veggies, fruits, grains, and almost every junk food in existence. A small amount of excess carbs is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen. Liver glycogen works as back-up fuel for every organ and tissue in your body. Muscle glycogen just gives muscles energy.
Generally speaking, once your food intake exceeds your current needs, it’s stored as adipose tissue (AKA body fat). That goes for all three of the macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein); eat too much of them, and they’ll literally weigh you down.
Like muscle growth, the accumulation of adipose tissue is an anabolic process, meaning that your body actively builds it up. When you’re not consuming enough food to keep up with your energy needs, your body’s catabolic processes, which break down things like adipose tissue and muscle for use as fuel, kick in.
When you exercise, you use both fat and carbs as fuel. Your body tends to prefer fat for low- to mid-level exertion, and carbs for high-level exertion, but this doesn’t work like a light switch. There’s a ton of overlap when it comes to what’s burned under what circumstances. However, even athletes with little adipose tissue have access to a relatively large reserve of fat calories (about 50,000 on average). Liver and muscle glycogen, however, are a limited commodity, only supplying somewhere between 1,400 and 1,800 calories when fully stocked. So when your body senses it has less of them—like when you’re in a fasted state—it’s prone to conserve what it has and focus on burning fat instead. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always lead to a smaller waist size.

The Fast Way to Less Fat (Sort of)
Although we can no longer claim that weight loss is as simple as calories in versus calories out, that’s still a good guideline. If you consistently eat 1,800 calories a day, but your body burns 2,400 calories a day, you should lose weight. If you exercise, you’ll burn even more calories, regardless of when you do it. There are a few ways to optimize your workout to mobilize fat stores, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay mobilized. The fat will come back or stay away based on your totally daily caloric intake.
There was a well-publicized (and oft-cited) study by Belgium researchers in 2010 that tried to disprove this, but it’s deeply flawed. In the study, all subjects were fed a hyper-caloric, high-fat diet, but they were split into three groups. The first group didn’t work out. The second group worked out every day in a fasted state. The third group worked out every day following a high-carb meal. By the end of the study, the fasted-state exercisers were better able to maintain their weight and experienced better glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity than the other two groups. In other words, according to this study, fasted state training appears to out-perform non-fasted state training when it comes to warding off both weight gain and pre-diabetes symptoms common with high-caloric diets. But here’s the problem: The carbed-up exercisers were fed a 675 calorie meal 90 minutes before working out, and then given a hypertonic (i.e., high-sugar) sports drink to sip as they exercised. That’s a lot of food sloshing around in someone’s gut—especially if he or she is already overfed! In all likelihood, not only did the meal inhibit the subjects’ workouts, but the overly-carby sports drink didn’t do them any favors either.
In 2014, a far more applicable (albeit less publicized) study had very different results. Women were split into two groups. They all ate a similar diet (right around 1,300 calories), but half of them did a cardio workout in a fasted state while the other half drank a 250-calorie shake prior to exercise. Everyone had similar results with regards to weight loss. Admittedly, the study was only four weeks, but in some contexts (e.g., “OMG, Becky’s wedding is only a month away and I need to squeeze into this dress!”), that’s a duration worth considering.
So fasted state training for fat loss is a probably no-go. But what about its other purported perks—namely, that it can help you build more muscle and optimize your energy systems? This is where the fasted state debate becomes even more interesting.

The Muscle-Building Connection
Despite what some experts claim, there’s not much research regarding the possible bodybuilding benefits of fasted-state training—and what there is has been manipulated by bloggers eager to offer unique, magical ways to help you achieve your goals. With this in mind, common sense should play a large role in the choices you make.
For example, some experts claim that fasted-state training promotes the release of growth hormone (GH). Growth hormone’s name is somewhat self-explanatory, but for the record, it’s a hormone that promotes growth, especially in bone, collagen, and muscle. Activities that promote GH’s release include sleep, exercise, and fasting—so it’s only natural that people try to focus on all three for a bonus effect. Unfortunately, while the release of GH during a fast has been shown to have an anabolic effect, that’s likely a result of the body trying to mitigate the catabolic impact of not eating, according to a study at the University of Virginia. And exercising while fasting is even more catabolic, so this combo isn’t necessary a homerun.
Many bloggers claim that consuming branch chain amino acids before a workout, or a carb-protein drink post-workout, will solve the catabolism issue while still giving you the GH benefits. But then you’re not really fasting, are you? In other words, the fasted-state training/GH connection might be possible, but it’s tenuous and the science isn’t convincing.

Building a Better Athlete
Fasted state training is a time-honored tactic for increasing oxidative capacity (i.e., your muscles’ ability to produce energy) in the endurance sport world. But while there are a number of studies confirming that fasting in general increases fat oxidation (burning) and decreases glycogen turnover both in rats and in humans, hard scientific evidence supporting its benefits for training is somewhat sparse.
One 2008 study on humans showed decreased glycogen use specifically during fasted-state training, but fat oxidation (i.e., the conversion of fat into energy) didn’t change. It’s worth noting, however, that all of the participants were fed a high-carb diet the rest of the time, so the lack of increased fat oxidation could simply be a consequence of the overnight fast not being long enough to burn through all of the carbs.
Another six-week study from 2011 showed that fasted state training increased muscle oxidative capacity better than fed training, but performance gains were similar in both groups. That might cause some people to write off the results, but keep a couple of things in mind: First, six weeks isn’t very long in the training life of a serious endurance athlete (unlike the dress-fitting window for Becky’s bridesmaids). Second, cycling performance was tested using a 60-minute time trial. Competitive endurance events often go on for hours, so the trial might simply have not allowed enough time for the performance benefits to kick in. (Indeed, it would have been interesting to see what happened with the cyclists after four or five hours on the road.) Bottom line: When it comes to the benefits of fasted state training for endurance athletes, the science is promising, but the jury is still out.
For everyone else, the jury is in: It doesn’t seem to help. To be clear, it won’t hurt performance during low intensity activities (i.e., those with an exertion level below 50 percent of VO2max). You might even notice a small boost as your body conserves glycogen by burning fat. But the point of working out is to push yourself, and that’s where fasting can backfire. Studies show that cranking your workout intensity up to high in a fasted state can decrease performance—even when carbs are consumed while exercising.
To sum up, if you’re an endurance athlete, you might want to consider including both fasted state and fed training in your regimen. One thing though: Don’t do recovery workouts in a fasted state! Those are all about giving your body, including your metabolism, a break. But if you’re not an endurance athlete and the idea of exercising intensely for longer than 90 minutes strikes you as mindless torture, fasted state training probably isn’t something you need. You’re better off fueling up so your muscles can get the most possible benefit from your efforts.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Meal Prep Monday Week 8

Almost every weekend, Social Media Specialist (and fitness fanatic) Amanda Meixner preps her meals and shares her photos. Her simple photos remind us meal prep doesn’t have to be hard. This week, she is doing two days of Autumn Calabrese’s Countdown to Competition eating plan, followed by one day of the 21 Day Fix EXTREME eating plan (repeating this for the rest of the week).
Amanda gets a lot of questions about her weekly meal prep, scroll to the bottom of the page to read her answers. .
Do you plan your meals on Sunday? If not, save this and use it for your next meal prep!
 Following the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan
Meal Prep Mondays following the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan
Meal 1: Egg whites and oatmeal with 1 tsp. coconut oil (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 tsp.)
Meal 2: Chicken and baked sweet potato (1 red, 1 yellow)
Meal 3: Chicken and green beans with 1 tsp. coconut oil (1 red, 1 green, 1 tsp.)
Meal 4: Trout and broccoli with 1 tsp. coconut oil (1 red, 1 green, 1 tsp.)
Meal 5: Chicken and zucchini with 1 tsp. coconut oil (1 red, ½ green, 1 tsp.)
Meal 6: Trout and broccoli (1 red, 1 green)
Meal 7: Ground turkey, mushrooms, and bell peppers (1½ red, 1½ green)
Meal 8: Shakeology and cucumber slices (not shown) (1 red, ½ green)

Following the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix EXTREME Meal Plan
Meal Prep Mondays following the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan
Meal 1: Shakeology with banana, flaxseeds (not shown), and 3 tsp. almond butter (1 red, 2 purple, 1 orange, 3 tsp.)
Meal 2: 4 egg whites with 1 whole egg  and oatmeal (1 red, 1 yellow)
Meal 3: Turkey burger in a portobello mushroom, baked sweet potato, brussels sprouts (1 red, 2  yellow, 2 green)
Meal 4: Trout with 1 tsp. olive oil, broccoli, small apple (1 red, 1 green, 1 purple, 1 tsp.)
Meal 5: Tempeh, black beans, broccoli, and cauliflower with 1 tsp. olive oil, and ¼ avocado (not shown) (1 red, 2 greens, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 tsp.)

Grocery List:
• 2.5 lbs. trout
• 2–3 bags broccoli florets
• 3.5 lbs. chicken breast
• 1.5 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 package tempeh
• 4 zucchinis
• 1 small bag cauliflower florets
• 1 large bag green beans
• 4 red bell peppers
• 4 yellow bell peppers
• 6 small sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1 large portebello mushroom
• 1–2 bags white mushrooms
• Half-dozen eggs
• 2–3 cartons egg whites
• Apple
• Banana
• 1 can black beans
• 5 packets Shakeology
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Extra virgin coconut oil

Do you get bored of eating the same thing every day?
Not at all! I switch it up on a weekly basis and choose my healthy favorites that I don’t mind eating often. I also add different seasonings to keep things interesting (check out the 21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix EXTREME nutrition guides for seasoning recipes).
Do you pre-cook all your food at the beginning of the week? Does it stay fresh all week?
I personally like to cook all of my food at once. I keep it properly refrigerated and find that it stays fresh up to 5 days. If you prefer, you can freeze the last 2 days worth of meals, or cook 2–3 days at a time.
Can you put any of these meals in the freezer?
I personally don’t freeze my meals, but I know people who do. Just remember to thaw it in time.
Do you use the colored containers and then transfer food into the larger ones?
The colored containers are the meal portions used in 21 Day Fix/21 Day Fix EXTREME. I use them to help me measure all my food when cooking, then I put my meals into my black Chefland containers for easier organization and transport.
Where can I buy those containers?
You can find them here.