Travel and Stay Fit

When you are away from home on business or pleasure, sticking to your workout program can be a problem. Most exercise equipment is not portable.
At most hotels, you can probably use the facilities, but you would rather not spend half the morning waiting for a turn on the treadmill. But making a few simple adjustments, you can turn any trip day into productive workouts.
Your own bodyweight can produce all the resistance necessary to challenge your limits of strength and endurance. With the addition of some very lightweight, inexpensive items, you can also provide yourself with a great degree of variety.

Food is More

Food is more than something that taste good. Food is fuel, that is how we should treat it. With the price of gas now that should help you think about making the most of your gas. Treat food the same, try to make the most of what you are eating. Thanks for working hard this week and just for doing so much here is a sweet treat.

Cherry Cobbler
Take advantage of fresh cherries while they're in stores!
Takes 30-60 minutes
Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

CHERRY FILLING

No-stick cooking spray
5 cups (30 oz/900g) pitted sour or sweet cherries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup (3 oz/90g) dried sour cherries or dried cranberries
1/3 to 2/3 cup (2 1/2 - 5 oz/75 - 150g) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

BISCUIT DOUGH
1 1/4 cups (6 oz/180g) whole-wheat pastry flour, oat flour or cake flour
1/2 cup (2 oz/60g) rolled oats
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup (5 1/2 fl oz/165ml) nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place fresh cherries and dried cherries or cranberries in the baking dish. Combine sugar and cornstarch, and sprinkle over cherries.
3. To make the biscuit dough, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a glass measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and canola oil. Pour over dry ingredients and use a fork to quickly mix. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead two or three times to bring dough together. Gently pat into a round about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. With a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) biscuit cutter, cut out six or seven biscuits. Reroll scraps and cut out remaining biscuits - you should have 10. Set biscuits on top of cherries and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake for an hour. Serve warm.

Drink Up and Perk Up

Water is best drink anyone can have. But it is also the number one thing people don't have enough of. Without proper hydration your function is all choke out. And many people misinterpret hunger for being thirsty. Energy is dependent on all the metabolic functions running properly. So go out and drink plenty of water.

Coffee, or caffeine is natural. If you skip the mocha chino with lots of cream and sugar, there is nothing bad about it, it perks you up, gets you going and keeps you more mentally alert. The secret is not drinking too much.

Sustained Energy Boosters

A balance of nutrients is really what's going to give you sustained energy because your body digests protein, fats and carbohydrates differently. In other words, you can eat them all at the same time but they are all going to be processed differently. Carbohydrates start being digested in your mouth, protein starts in your stomach and fat doesn't start until it reaches your intestines. That's why foods that are combinations of nutrients give you sustained energy.

1. Nuts
2. Whole-grain pasta
3. Turkey or peanut butter on whole-grain bread

If you eat a sandwich in the morning for breakfast made up of protein, carbohydrate and a little fat, you will make it to your next meal without being hungry. But if you eat only carbohydrates in the morning without anything else (like a doughnut), chance are you'll be hungry in a few hours.

Energy Boosting Foods

Fatigue is not fun. Worry, frustration, resentment, lack of sleep, anxiety, illness and poor diet are the top causes. Mild forms of exhaustion can weigh on our emotional and physical well-being. Fortunately, our bodies are extremely resilient and many times we can conquer weariness by making a few dietary changes.
Exhaustion is one of the most common complaints brought to doctors. Fortunately, one of the best ways to fight fatigue is with energy-boosting foods. Whether you're in need of a quick energy boost or sustained, long-lasting fuel, here is the 4-1-1 on the foods that will do the job.

Quick Energy Boosters: The quickest energy is from carbohydrates. That's the body's first preferences for energy. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in your muscles and your liver. For quick energy, you want to have glycogen stored and that comes from things like:
1. Vegetables2. Whole-grain Cereals4. Dried fruit5. Fresh fruit
If you some quick energy, there's no better choice than eating some fruit. You will be getting your carbohydrates and also getting your fiber and vitamins and minerals.

Eat Beautifully

You've probably heard the saying, "You are what you eat." It's true, from your hair right down to your toes! Luckily, the same foods that keep you healthy and fit also help keep you looking your best! So here are some foods to definitely include in your diet:
Citrus fruits help your body form collagen, which keeps skin looking young and smooth.
Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium, which help give skin a radiant glow. Glad there back at most places.
Garlic is reported to combat wrinkles and help restore tissue. Like a natural anti-wrinkle cream.
Dairy foods, such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese help keep your teeth strong and your smile bright.
Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, which promotes clear, smooth skin.
Just another reason to eat right.

Eat Clean

Summer is here, and it is burning, but we are all thankful for the little rain today. Try experimenting with different salads! They're good for you, and the possibilities are endless. Just be creative. Here's an easy and delicious salad to get you started. Have it for lunch or dinner!

Waldorf Salad
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
3 small apples, chopped4 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt2 tablespoons raisins 2 tablespoons walnut halves or almonds 1 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
To Make:
In a medium bowl, combine the apples, yogurt, raisins, walnuts or almonds, and mayonnaise.
Per serving: 198 calories, 7.3 g fat, 85.3 mg sodium, 33.7 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g fiber, 3.18 g protein

Forward Lunge

Lunges are a great way to get your butt in gear. Since they involve several muscles and joints, lunges are a compound exercise, meaning they burn big calories. You can do them anywhere, and there are many forms to choose from to make sure you stay challenged.
But first things first learn how to do the basic lunge movement for those glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves working.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Pull your abdominals in and stand with your shoulders squarely over your hips.
Lift your left leg, leading with your heel, and step forward in an elongated stride. As your foot touches the floor, bend both knees until your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your right thigh is perpendicular to it. Your right heel will be off the floor. Exhale and press off the heel of your foot, stepping back into the starting position, and repeat, alternating legs.
Make sure that your forward knee never travels past your toes. Keep your eyes focused forward; if you look down, you might lose your balance. Keep your spine straight through the entire movement, with your shoulders always positioned squarely over your hips.

Seasonal Produce: Raspberries

Like blueberries, raspberries are a small fruit with big benefits. They are tiny nutritional powerhouses. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
Buying
Most American raspberries are available between the months of June and October. After that, raspberries are harder to find and much more expensive. Raspberries should be plump and firm; not withered or crushed.
Storing
Once you get the berries home, the first thing you should do is remove them from the box. Inspect all the berries and discard those that are spoiled or crushed. The remaining berries should be dried with a paper towel (don't wash them yet!), spread in a clean container, and covered with paper towels and plastic wrap. Raspberries can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for one to two days. Wash when you're ready to eat them.
Preparing
Raspberries can be served plain or put them on top of whole-grain cereal or steel-cut oatmeal, plain or artificially sweetened low-fat or nonfat yogurt, or even use them to garnish salads. Frozen berries can be used to make sauces or smoothies.

Omega-3s

Fat is an essential part of any healthy diet. Omega-3s are some of the best. This type of fat is found predominantly in cold-water fish such as salmon, as well as flaxseed, walnuts, and almonds. Omega-3 fats improve heart health by keeping cholesterol levels low. They can also aid in stabilizing an irregular heartbeat and reducing blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids act as natural blood thinners. Those who suffer from inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Raynaud's disease have reported less joint stiffness, swelling, tenderness, and overall fatigue when taking omega-3s. It also turns out that even your brain, which is 60 percent fat, needs omega-3 to function properly.

Aches and Pains

We all experience pain and swelling, but some more than others. If you feel like you are starting to see more swelling than normal or feel more pain then it might be time to see a doctor. Swelling in joint can be due to over use or and injury. One way of dealing with such problems is to take certain supplements that are made to target those types of problems. Curamin is an all-natural dietary supplement. It is a powerful formulation of: Curcumin, curcuminoids, dl phenylananine, Boswellia and Nattokinase. Curamin enhances the body’s natural defense mechanisms for the relief of inflammation and pain due to overuse. 90% of satisfied customers experience relief in 45 minutes. As always check with your doctor before the start of any supplements, especially if you are already on medication.

Beating the Heat

Great Job Team!!! I want to personally thank each of you for working so hard. I know with this heat it can be hard to come in and work up a sweat...but you did it! Keep up the hard work. Don't forget about fitcamp on Saturday at 10am! Or you can sign up for nutritional coaching if you feel like you need it. Have a great weekend.

Thank you to the Hortons and the entire host list of our couple's shower...JP and I are very humbled and excited.

Peppered Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
Serves 6 (serving size is 2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
6 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup water
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken, kielbasa, onion,and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently.
2. Add rice; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add thyme, black pepper, and red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add water, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add shrimp and hot sauce; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.Remove from heat; stir in parsley and serve.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 374 FAT 6.6 g PROTEIN 26g SODIUM 919 mg FIBER 3 g CARBOHYDRATE 51.3 g

Calorie Count

If food is keeping you from reaching your goal; it's time to break the calorie habit! Knowledge is power. Learn exactly how many calories you're consuming each day and what foods will keep you full. How Much Is Too Much? When it comes to food, a kitchen scale and a calorie counter book are the best tools to keep you on track. But if you don’t want to count or weight then be sure to remember that a single serving should never be bigger than your fist.

Trans Fat

So what are trans fats? They are fats in processed foods. Eating foods that contain trans fats is a health risk because trans fatty acids can raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower your HDL ("good") cholesterol. Until very recently, food manufacturers were not required to list the amount of trans fats on food labels. In early July 2007, regulations changed. As a result, you soon will notice that food labels include the exact amount of trans fats in processed foods. Even if the label says the product is low-fat, it can contain trans fat. The following list shows the top 10 foods containing trans fats.

The Top 10 "Trans Fat" Foods:
1. Spreads. Margarine contains both trans fats and saturated fats, both of which can lead to heart disease.
2. Packaged Foods. Favorites such as cake mixes contain generally have several grams of trans fat per serving.
3. Soups. Ramen noodles and soup cups contain very high levels of trans fat.
4. Fast Food. Those beloved fries and other crunchy foods are deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil.
5. Frozen Food. From frozen pies to pot pies to breaded fish sticks, frozen foods generally contain trans fat.
6. Baked Goods. Commercially baked products contain more trans fats than any other foods. Items such as doughnuts, cookies and cakes.
7. Chips and Crackers. That crispy texture comes from shortening. Even reduced fat brands may contain trans fat.
8. Breakfast Food. Cereals and energy bars often contain trans fats, even if the labels claim to be "healthy."
9. Cookies and Candy. Check the labels for the fat content.
10. Toppings and Dips. Flavored coffees, nondairy creamers, whipped toppings, gravy mixes and salad dressings typically contain trans fat.

Top of the Heap

Ingredients are listed on the Nutrition Facts label in descending order by quantity. If something appears at the end of the list, there is not very much of it in your food. Before you rush for those bran muffins because the label says they contain flaxseeds, read the nutrition label. If flaxseeds are listed last, leave the muffins. Skip the muffins entirely and buy a bag of flaxseeds to add to your dishes.

The Lies on the Label

Many people focus on eating foods that carry a "healthy" label, but can’t lose weight. Did you ever take a really close look at those labels? Not the ones on the front but the back. The truth can be ugly. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you used a full can of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray every day, guess what your not losing anything. It may have zero calories and zero fat, according to the packaging. But remember serving sizes! While it's true that the product contains no calories and no fat per serving, the serving size is one spray. The fact is each serving could have as much as a ninth of a calorie and a ninth of a gram of fat, the manufacturers can legally claim that it contains zero percent of both. A ninth of a calorie seems like nothing, but who stops at one spray? The entire can actually contains 900 calories and 90 grams of fat! Food manufacturers can be devious, so read the label, and read it well. The moral of this story is to be cautious and keep yourself informed.

Working Hard

Thanks for all your hard work this week team! Everyone came in and gave their all. You don't know how great that make us feel. Hope you all have a great and active weekend.

Seared Tuna Salad
Serves4
Make sure you buy sushi-quality tuna for this delicious and refreshing salad.

4 (6-ounce) yellowfin tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoons olive oil, divided in half2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 cups arugula leaves
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)

1. Sprinkle tuna steaks with 1 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tuna steaks; cook 2 minutes on each side or until they reach desired degree of doneness.
2. Combine 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and juice in a large bowl; whisk. Add arugula and fennel; toss well. Place about 2 cups salad on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tuna steak.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 276 FAT 8.8 g PROTEIN 41.7 g SODIUM 144 mg FIBER 2 g CARBOHYDRATE 6.9 g

Growing Fast

We continue to grow, with thanks to all of you. I just wanted to send out a reminder of the classes that are available. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Orlando, Ernesto or Kristin.

Fitcamp – Fitcamp is not a gym workout! It is functional and
Dynamic workout that will get your heart rate up and burn calories.
Saturday – Beginner - Inter 9:00AM
Advanced 10:00 AM
Circuit Training – Circuit Training is a full body workout.
Great cardio that helps increase strength and challenges your core.
Tuesday & Thursday 5:00AM
Nutrition Coach - If you need help with nutrition, or have a
few weight loss goals that have been hard to reach. Talk it out with a nutrition coach to help you break through those road blocks.
By appointment with Kristin
Kristin@expertfitness.info
Up and coming classes:
Athletic fitcamp
Circuit Training 12:00 PM
5:30 PM

Hot Hot... Ice?

I’m sure you are all aware how hot it is outside. Well ice can benefits us two ways right now. One, it can cool us off after a long day in the heat. The second is ice can be a very good snack. Chewing on ice from your drinks can help you burn more than 70 calories per day. But just so you don’t hurt your teeth it is better to stick to the softer type of ice.

For other ways to get your mind off food is to turn to your music. Music actives the same pleasure center of your brain. So put on some rocking beats to forget about that unscheduled hunger. You can also use the sun; twenty minutes of sunlight can lift your mood and kill that food craving. Breathing deeply can also kill the urge to eat. Deep breaths will make you less stressed, and we all tend to eat when we are stressed.

Keep Fruit in Your Diet

While fruits can contain a significant amount of sugar, they have many other nutritious
benefits. Naturally sweet treats can be a healthy part of your diet. Fruits provide carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Tips for getting fruit in your diet
Eat fruits raw or cooked
Buy smaller pieces of fruit
Choose pieces of fruit over juices

And remember whole fruit is more filling and has more fiber.

Vegetables Raw

We’ve been told since we were kids to eat our vegetables and yet far too few of us actually do it. When we do get around to eating our vegetables we’ve cooked out most of the natural nutrients that our body is desperately craving.

I know most people have eaten most vegetables cooked since they can remember. Simply put, just because something has “always” been done a certain way doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to do it. You will get a lot more out of your vegetables if you consume them raw.

Raw vegetables are extremely rich in minerals, vitamins, trace elements, enzymes and natural sugars. All of these are things that your body needs to function properly and the raw veggies will help stabilize and normalize your natural bodily functions.

You may be convinced about the necessity of vegetables…but why raw?
All of our cooking methods reduce the amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in vegetables. Of the cooking methods, steaming has been shown to retain the largest amount of vitamin content although it still reduces it.

Vegetables begin losing their valuable nutritional elements as soon as they are plucked, pulled or picked from the ground. For this reason, the additional loss of nutrients during cooking would be a smaller problem if we grew our own vegetables and cooked them the same day we harvested them.

However, most of us don’t live that way. The largest majority of us purchase our vegetables at the grocery store after they’ve been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles.
Start eating (or drinking) raw vegetables as soon as you can. Whenever possible, grow them yourself or purchase them from local farmer’s markets.

The Miracle Worker

Simple water is truly a "wonder drug." A steady dose of 8 glasses of water a day (ideally ½ your body weight in ounces of water) will:

Improve Your Energy
Increase Your Mental and Physical Performance
Remove Toxins & Waste Products from your body
Keep Skin Healthy and Glowing
Help You Lose Weight
Reduce Headaches and Dizziness
Allow for proper Digestion

Drinking Water and Weight LossWater is a natural appetite suppressant, so developing a good water drinking habit can be a long-term aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. It's also important to remember that when the body is dehydrated, fat cells get "rubbery" and cannot be easily metabolized. This means that it's harder to lose when you don't drink your water.

Spicy Chicken and Okra
Serves 4
3 tablespoons bake mix
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 can (7 ounces) Cajun-style stewed tomatoes, undrained, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra, thawed

1. Place bake mix and black pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken, and shake tocoat. Set aside.
2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. Add chicken,and sauté until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with theirjuices, garlic, broth, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat tolow, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add okra,cover, and simmer until okra is soft, about 5 minutes.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 270 FAT 9 g PROTEIN 38 g SODIUM 435 mg FIBER 4 g CARBOHYDRATE 7 g