This was written by a close family friend and i just had to share it….take a moment to read it and reflect…especially powerful to those of us living in Sudbury where a young soldier,  23-year old Scott Milley, recently lost his life in Afghanistan.

Just some thoughts during this holiday season….

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This past Saturday my friend, former U.S. Marine, triathalete, marathoner, local Southborough resident, and creator of NRG-BAR, www.nrg-bar.com, Dan O’Rourke, ran 50 miles to promote awareness for healthy eating. 

His message: READ INGREDIENTS AND CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY.

I was proud to support Dan in his amazing effort and was at his 13-mile pit stop at Whole Foods in Wayland.

I wanted to share with you Dan’s 24 Actions to take within 24 hours.  Try to cross off as many as you can.

1.  Create a nutrition journal.  Start writing down everything you eat.  This will also make a great shopping list.  See #6.

2.  Go through your food pantry with your family and throw away any products with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.

3.  Read the labels at the grocery store with your family/kids.

4.  Start exercising: walk, run, bike, join a gym.

5.  Set goals that are realistic and measurable.

6.  Make a shopping list and create a meal plan.

7.  Measure your water intake.  Our bodies are 55-65% water.  Blood is 95% water.  Muscle is 75% water.  Water is the fluid of life.

8.  Drink water with lemon (alkaline) to increase your Ph Balance.

9.  Buy Ph strips at any natural foods store and measure your Ph level.

10.  Dilute your fruit juice with water.

11.  Turn the TV off, especially at meal time.

12.  Eat small meals and eat slowly.

13.  Stretch in the morning, noon or at night.

14.  Give up fast foods.

15.  Give up soda!  It has ZERO redeemable value to your body.

16.  Floss your teeth “more often.”

17.  Do pushups, and keep count.

18.  Do planks and time yourself.

19.  Bring in a healthy lunch and healthy snacks to work tomorrow!  Multi-grain bread for complex carbs, lean meats and veggies, NRG-BARS, carrots, healthy pretzels, almonds, and fruits.

20.  Buy a foam roller.

21.  Get up an hour earlier every day!

22.  Get a workout partner.

23.  Give yourself a reward.

24.  Eat Breakfast.  Oranges and grapefruits are so good.

25.  Bonus…get inspired!!!

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil for frying (canola is recommended)

Preparation:

5 ways to incorporate latkes into your bootcamp eating plan:

The 5-weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years is the most difficult time of year to stick to any workout and healthy eating plan.  Bombarded with holiday parties and more holiday parties,  sugar and fat-laden office treats,  and lots more fun and exciting things to do after work instead of  going to workout, there are lots of sabotages out there eager to throw your regular healthy routine out the window.

But don’t start slipping now.  Each day you’re off your normal routine makes it that much harder to get back into it.  So take control, tackle the next 5-weeks head on, and come out in your skinny jeans on January 1 instead of your stretchy comfy clothes.

Here are 10 workout and nutrition tips to stay strong and slim:

1.  Get your head back in the game.  Remember how awesome you feel after a good workout.  That energized feeling and sense of accomplishment makes you feel like you can tackle the world…and you can.  Visualize how you want to look.  Tack a picture of it up on your fridge and let that be a reminder to you every time you go to grab something to eat.

2.   Commit to exercise by paying for a 1-month membership.  If you pay for something, then you feel a sense of commitment and obligation.  No one wants to throw money out the window.  If you already belong to a gym and don’t go, then buy yourself a new pair of sneakers or some new workout clothes, and hopefully the new money spent will entice you.  Last option is the most expensive, but will work.  Pay for a personal trainer 3 or 4x/week, and then you know you HAVE to get your butt exercising (If this final option does not work, then you’re probably not going to rock your skinny jeans by January 1!).

3.  Make mini goals and reward yourself when you achieve them.  Rocking your skinny jeans is your long-term 5-week goal, but make weekly short-term goals that are achievable and will make you feel incredibly accomplished.  By achieving your short-term goals, you will ultimately reach your long-term goal. For example, if you get a great workout in 5x/week, then you’ll treat yourself to a manicure or a Starbucks latte.

4.  Prep healthy food in advance and in bulk.  Packing healthy lunches and snacks for the office, and having healthy options at home in the fridge and in the pantry are a must.  Surround yourself with an abundance of good, healthy choices so you’ll be less likely to slip up, especially if you’re “over-hungry,” and more likely to make poor food choices.

5.  Commit to no-alcohol monday-friday so you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, energized, eager to exercise, and craving healthy foods.  If you do have alcohol mid-week, choose 1 drink, and pick something on the low-cal side, like wine, champagne, or a mixed drink like vodka soda.  Stay away from high calorie and sugar-laden fruit mixers, like sour mix and margarita mix, that just add lots of extra calories.

6.  Never skip breakfast.  A good mix of protein, fiber, and complex carbs will fill you up and give you long-lasting energy. Skipping breakfast will just set you up for overeating and bad food choices as the day progresses.  A veggie omelet with whole grain toast, high-fiber cereal with milk and berries, oatmeal & eggs, or a peanut butter banana protein smoothie are all great choices.

7.  Never go to a holiday party hungry.  Always eat before you go so you’re never starved and make crazy, unconscious food choices.  If you’re over-hungry, everything unhealthy looks super appealing, and you’ll consume more calories than you’ll be able to burn off.  One of my favorite tricks is to bring a “healthy” appetizer to a party so you know you’ll always have something to dive into guilt-free(veggie and low-fat dip platter).  Eat that and then graze on the other stuff in moderation.

8.  Drink lots of water.  Women aim for 80 ozs. and men 120 ozs.  It’s important to stay hydrated and this is a natural appetite suppressant.  Remember, one of my favorite quotes, “often times when you think you’re hungry, in fact, you’re just thirsty.”

9.  Eat lots of foods high in water-content.  To reduce bloating from overeating high-fat and high-salt foods at holiday parties, eat plenty of celery, cucumbers, asparagus, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

10.  Don’t get discouraged. It takes 3 weeks to lose aerobic conditioning and muscle strength, so don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or 2 of exercising.  Just be sure to try on those skinny jeans and remind yourself of your long-term goal, get your head back in the game,  and get back on track!

Fall is here, it is everywhere.  Pumpkin coffee and donuts at dunkin donuts, mums, apples, butternut squash, hot cider…they all scream Fall to me.  It’s a beautiful time of year to smell the crisp air,  reflect on your year that has passed, and find comfort in the kitchen by taking advantage of the wonderful seasonal produce.

At least i find comfort cooking in the kitchen.  Maybe you don’t, but i do. It’s my solace.  Othen than my 5am alone time when i’m the only one up in the house and all is still and quiet except for the drip drip of the coffee maker exuding the most wonderful aroma of fresh coffee brewing.

Ah, yes, cooking is therapeutic for me. 

This time of year, i love cooking with fresh, seasonal, orange produce.  You just know by it’s nice, bright color that it must be good for you.

Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin….

All of these orange things…loaded with beta cartone, vitamins A,C, and K,  antioxidants, and fiber…they do your body good, and are so easy to cook with.

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes:

YOUR TUESDAY TIP OF THE DAY: 

MAKE A NEW RECIPE WITH SOMETHING ORANGE AND SEASONAL.

Love & Lunges,

Bonnie

 1.  Whey Protein: quick digesting and essential for muscle recovery and growth. 1 scoop=25-30g protein, and is an easy way to help reach your daily protein requirements.  To figure out how much protein you need each day, multiply your body weight in lbs. x 0.6 – 0.9 (for an active adult athlete).  If you don’t consider yourself an athlete, but are an active adult, multiply your body weight in lbs. x 0.5, so the average 150-lb. person would need about 75 grams/day (one 4-oz. chicken breast is about 25 grams, another great choice!).

2.  Peanut Butter:  filled with good fats and high in protein, a great energy source that is easy to digest and perfect when eaten on whole grain bread. 

3.  Oatmeal:   packed full of good carbohydrates, the most critical source of energy for athletes.  A good source of fiber, heart-healthy oatmeal maintains your energy for a longer period of time during your workout and curbs appetite by slowing the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream.

4.  Bananas: Carb-packed energy booster that is loaded with potassium and will help prevent muscle cramps.

5.  Berries:  Fantastic antioxidants, filled with potassium and vitamin C, that will help the body repair itself. 

5.  Broccoli:  A nutritional powerhouse loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, that helps your body to work at peak performance.

6.  Low-Fat Yogurt:  Calcium needed for bone density to keep your bones strong for running and jumping.  1 cup of yogurt=30% of your RDA for calcium.  Yogurt is also a good source of protein which is important for building muscles and helping with recovery from hard workout 

7.  Lean Beef:  High in iron, and if you are iron-deficient, you can be fatigued and unable to work at peak performance.  Also a good source of protein, but be sure to choose lean cuts of beef (nothing with a white marbleized look…that is fat!)  If you are a vegetarian, good sources of iron can come from beans, spinach, and iron-fortified whole-grain cereal 

8.  Salmon:  High in Omega-3 Fats as well as protein, this fish is heart healthy and will help reduce inflammation throughout your body.

9.  Sweet Potatoes:  contain more of the antioxidant beta carotene than any other fruit or vegetable. They are also loaded with vitamins C and E which have antioxidant properties and aid in muscle recovery for athletes. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of iron, which is important in oxygen production for athletes during a workout.

10.  Mila: 1 scoop has all of your omega-3′s for the day, 5 grams of fiber, and only 70 calories.  Omega 3′s reduce inflammation which will help with athlete’s muscle recovery and will improve joint lubrication and decrease pain.

 Ok, so you know i’m all about being prepared, never getting over-hungry, always having an apple on hand, making conscious food choices, and blah blah blah….

so here is a great nutrition bar option for you to throw in your bag and eat when you’re on the run and don’t have time to think about what you’re going to eat when hunger strikes.

Of course i love this recipe because it is seasonal, and takes perfect advantage of the amazing nutrients that pumpkin has to offer.  Loaded with vitamins C & A, beta carotene, and antioxidants, pumpkin is a great choice!

(Note that post pumpkin season, i make a different variety of these bars sans pumpkin that is absolutely delicious).

Pumpkin Protein Bars

A perfect Fall snack to eat on-the-run!

Makes 15 bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup apple sauce (best with homemade!)
1 cup vanilla whey protein powder (3 scoops, 69g protein)
3 shakes apple pie spice and/or pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Over low heat, in a medium saucepan, mix together honey and peanut butter so they become smooth. Add applesauce and mix.  Then add pumpkin and mix.  Add protein powder and mix.  Add oats, ½ cup at a time and mix well.  Add apple pie spice, about 3 shakes. Mix.  Pour into a 9×12 pyrex; sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over the top (optional).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the bars get a little golden, but don’t overcook and dry them out.

 TIPS:

Don’t eat the whole pan, as although these are very nutrient dense, they are high in calories.

 Refrigerate for optimal flavor.

ENJOY!

Love & Lunges,

Bonnie

Tuesday Tip of the Day:

Sometimes when you think you’re HUNGRY, in fact, you’re really just THIRSTY!

when hunger strikes, do these 3 things:

1.  take a deep breath

2. contemplate, are you hungry or just thirsty?

3. drink an 8 oz. glass of water, wait 5 minutes, and determine if you’re still “hungry.

ARE YOU STILL HUNGRY, OR ARE YOU JUST THIRSTY????????.

I’m always inspired to blog based on something that happens during my day, or something interesting that i read about…

well,  today, i’m going to talk about eggs, because who knew that one of my favorite husband/wife bootcamp pairs had a chicken farm in their backyard!!  Ada and Pete…yup, i’m talking about you…my loyal and diehard duo.

sliced hard boiled eggs=yum.

10 chickens in their backyard.  Needless to say, they eat alot of eggs.  Apparently, the chicks are hatching 6 or 7 eggs per day…200 eggs per month…thats a heck of alot of eggs.

So lets talk about eggs.  The whites, the yolks,  are they good,  are they bad???  To eat or not to eat??

 Ok, lets start off with some basic facts:

Q: How many calories are in an egg white?

A: The white of a large egg, has 16 calories, 3 g of protein, 55 mg of sodium, and no fat, cholesterol, or carbohydrates.

Q: How about the yolk?

A:  The yolk has 59 calories, 3 g of protein, 5 g of fat (2 of which are saturated), 212 mg of cholesterol,  7 mg of sodium, and no carbohydrates.

Q:  How about the whole egg?

A: If you’re going to be daring and eat the whole egg, you’re looking on average: 75 calories, 6 g  protein, 5 g of fat (2 of which are saturated), 212 mg of cholesterol, 1 g of carbohydrate,  and 60 mg of sodium.

Q: But aren’t eggs loaded with cholesterol and bad for me?

A: 1 egg yolk does have 200 mg cholesterol, and the daily intake is supposed to be less than 300, so thats why researchers suggested we limit the amount of eggs we eat to 2-3/week.  BUT, now researchers are saying that the cholesterol in eggs is the GOOD CHOLESTEROL (HDL), so eat away….go figure.

As you can see, more research is clearly needed. Eggs are good, eggs are bad.  Eggs used to be bad, but now they’re good.

In the meantime, enjoy your farm fresh eggs, yolks and all.  Believe me, an omelette with yolks tastes a heck of a lot better than just one with boring egg whites. My recommendation to you when you’re making eggs is to use the 2:1 ratio, 2 whites to 1 whole egg.  Whites are a great filler because they are so low in calories and have 3g of protein without any of the questionable cholesterol or saturated fat.

I love to hardboil eggs and then use my fancy egg slicer.  I remember when i was a kid and i loved when my mom let me use the egg slicer…it makes eating a hard boiled egg so much more fun!

One of my favorite salads is so simple: lettuce, chopped egg, chickpeas, and green olives with fresh lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Sometimes less is more when it comes to a salad.

So now that you have more information about eggs than you ever wanted, don’t be afraid to eat them!  Go crazy, make yourself a big ol’ omelette with lots of vegetables, eat some egg salad, or just hardboil them and have fun using a fancy slicer!

Thank you Ada & Pete for the delicious dozen eggs, and for the inspiration for this blog!

Love & Lunges,

Bonnie

quinoa, the "pseudograin"

It’s Tuesday, and that means it’s TIP DAY!   Today’s Tip is TO TRY QUINOA!

WHAT IS QUINOA (KEEN-WAH)?

*Quinoa might be considered a supergrain–although it is not really a grain, but the seed of a leafy plant that’s sort of like spinach. It’s often called a “pseudograin.”

*Quinoa is grown in the Andes mountains of Ecuador. It is a small, round, yellow grain in appearance. It was known as ‘the gold of the Incas’ as they had discovered it helped increase the stamina of their warriors.

*Quinoa is a good source of protein and fiber. (1 cup=8g protein, 5g fiber)

*Quinoa includes all the nine essential amino acids supplements.

*Has more iron than other grains.

*Contains high levels of potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients.

*It has slow releasing, high level of carbohydrates, that give the stomach a full feeling for a long time. Thus, making it good for people who are watching their weight and need to maintain adequate blood sugar levels.

*Although relatively high in calories, quinoa is extremely nutrient dense (1 cup cooked=222 calories) and is a great choice for athletes.

QUINOA SALAD WITH RED GRAPES, CHICKEN, AND ALMONDS
Serves 4-6

This is a fantastic recipe that I got from Whole Foods and is 100% bootcamp approved. I made a couple of minor changes (less quinoa, more chicken, and a little more dressing for flavor), and it easily meets my criteria for being bootcamp approved since it is:
1) Delicious
2) Nutrient-Dense (great health benefits!)
3) Easy & Quick to prepare
4) Simple Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 TBSP. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
3 chicken breasts, diced (about 2+ cups), or can use shredded rotisserie chicken
1 ½ cups red grapes, quartered
½ cup sliced almonds toasted

• Mix quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, but be careful not to overflow the water over the edge of the saucepan (it will make a HUGE mess, I’ve done it!). Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15-20 minutes until most of the water is absorbed.

• In a small bowl, make the dressing, mixing the vinegar, salt & pepper together, and then slowly whisking in the oil.

• While quinoa is cooking, dice chicken, cut up grapes, and lightly toast almonds.

• Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl. Add ½ the dressing and mix. Add diced chicken, grapes, and toasted almonds, and then add the rest of the dressing. Mix well.

• Make more dressing as needed.

NOTE: of course, you can add any veggies to this that you’d like…i bet carmelized or roasted red and yellow peppers would be delicious!

Love & Lunges,

Bonnie