Give this workout a try!

 Here is an effective "100 circuit workout" for you to try!

 

 

Tips to get you on and stay on track!

Focus on progress, not perfection

If you had to skip a workout, that’s OK. Focus on getting back to your normal routine as quickly as you can, and make each workout as intense as you can. If you missed a few healthy meals, instead of using this as an excuse to slip back into your old eating habits, try new and different clean recipes. I love Clean Eating and cooking light magazines.

Problem solve

This is a good time to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t working with your nutrition and exercise plan. Have you had a challenge working out first thing in the morning? Schedule your workouts after work or at lunch instead. Has it been hard to do all your shopping on Sundays? Split your shopping into two shopping trips during the week instead. Coming up with new solutions to your challenges will increase your motivation to make the most of this life-changing experience.

Try it on

Do you have an item of clothing that was tight or that you were unable to fit into at the beginning of your Challenge? This is also a great measure of your progress. Try this item of clothing on periodically throughout your Challenge; you’ll probably see that it starts to fit better and better.

Change happens at your own pace

Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you are not making as many changes as you would have liked to at this point. Many past participants experienced their most drastic changes in the last three or four weeks of their Challenges. If they had gotten discouraged and quit earlier in their Challenges, they would have never gotten to that point. Small changes do lead to big results.

Learn how to adapt

If situations are popping up every week that threaten to derail your program, it may be time to sit down and figure out how you can plan ahead so that you are better prepared.

Seek professional help

It never hurts to find a personal trainer and/or nutrition coach to help with motivation and tactics to keep you on track to reaching your goals!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Protein bars

So last week was  a very crazy, hectic and stressful week for me. Enter the sugar cravings...ugh. I have to admit I gave in a couple times and then felt horrible afterwards. It happens...time to move on! This week I am ready. I just finished cooking all my foods for this week (turkey burgers, chicken breast, lemon pepper cod, batch of extra lean ground beef, protein pancakes,  sweet potatoes, green veggies....whew). To combat my sugar cravings healthfully and not risk eating crap I made these:

Jamie Eason's Pumpkin Protein Bars

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein
Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:

• ½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)
• 1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground clove
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
• 2 C oat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

1. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
2. Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.
4. Makes 24 squares.

The only changes I made were to eliminate the walnuts (my children don't like nuts..go figure?) and instead of the applesauce (didn't have any on hand) I used sugar free vanilla pudding. All I can say is these bars are super YUM and will satisfy almost any sugar craving you have!

Give 'em a try!

Clean Eating Fish and Chips

One of my favorite magazines to get great tasting and healthy recipes is Clean Eating Magazine.

So i was estatic to see a cleaned up version of a favorite dish of mine!

Fish and chips

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups multigrain loaf, cubed
• 1 extra large sweet potato, peeled
• 4 3- to 4-oz white fish filets (such as Alaskan pollock)
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning or paprika
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 
• 2 egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread cubes on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until toasted. Leave oven on and at the same temperature.
2. Using a food processor fitted with a standard blade, grind break cubes into about 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, about 3 minutes.
3. Using a mandoline, slice sweet potato into paper-thin slices. (If you don't have a mandoline, thinly slice with a knife.)
4. Lay sweet potato slices on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes. Then reduce oven to 250°F and continue baking for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp. Makes about 4 cups chips.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Sprinkle filets with seasoning, salt and pepper. Place egg whites and bread crumbs into 2 separate bowls. Dip filets into egg white, then roll in bread crumbs and place into shallow cooking pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Serve each filet with 1 cup chips.

Enjoy!!

Nutrients per serving (1 filet and 1 cup chips): Calories: 300, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 44 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 14 g, Sodium: 640 mg, Cholesterol: 80 mg

Healthier Crock Pot Lasagna

Last week I went to a luncheon where they were serving lasagna, of course i piled my plate with salad and grilled chicken but just had to have a taste of the lasagna ;o) I haven't had it in ages. I only had 3 bites, it was enough to satisfy but got me thinking....my family would love some lasagna as would I (a girl can only eat so much chicken) how can i make it healthier and quick. Here's what I came out with! It was delicious and I can tell you my taste buds and my  family has thanked me....;o

• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12 ounces cottage cheese (I like 2%)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup lowfat sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 ounces whole grain lasagna noodles, uncooked  
• 16 ounces shredded lowfat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Brown  ground turkey, onion and garlic in frypan.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and oregano.
3. Cook long enough to get it warm.
4. Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with cheeses.
6. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.
7. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Strength Training: What Role Does Protein Timing Play in Muscle Growth?

Strength Training: What Role Does Protein Timing Play in Muscle Growth?

If you’re trying to increase your lean body mass, it’s important to get enough protein in your diet. The average person needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (.37 grams per pound) of body weight on a daily basis. Some experts believe that athletes and people who weight train even need more, somewhere in the range of 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. Without adequate amounts of protein, you won’t be able to build lean body tissue. Then there’s the issue of timing. Eating protein at certain times may be more conducive to building muscle. When is it best to consume protein relative to your workout?

Protein Timing: How Important Is It?

Fitness trainers often tell their clients to eat small high-protein meals and snacks throughout the day. This is not only to reduce hunger, but because the body can only use so much protein at one time. This means you don’t want to consume it all in one or two meals. Spacing your protein requirements out throughout the day helps your body utilize it better, and it also helps to suppress your appetite.

How Should You Time Protein Intake Relative to Your Workout?

Do you eat a high-protein snack before your strength-training workout? If not, there are some good reasons to start. One study showed that consuming 6 grams of essential amino acids just before a strength-training workout boosted the amount of amino acids that were delivered to muscles. Exercise increases blood flow, which facilitates delivery of amino acids to muscle tissue.

Eating protein before a workout may be even more important than consuming it afterwards. In one study, older male weight lifters built greater muscle mass in their lower extremities when they took a protein supplement before they exercised than they did when they took it afterwards.

When you consume protein before a workout, amino acids are quickly made available for growth and repair of muscle fibers. Getting protein before a workout also induces an anabolic state that promotes muscle growth. Research even shows that eating protein before exercising reduces muscle soreness afterwards.

A Little Carbs With Your Protein?

If building lean body mass is your goal, combine protein with a small amount of carbohydrates before you head to the weight room. Carbohydrates boost insulin levels, which helps muscle cells more easily take up amino acids from a protein meal. This means the amino acids will be more rapidly delivered to muscles to take part in protein synthesis.

When it comes to protein timing, the other window period for boosting muscle growth is immediately after a strength-training workout. When you eat your post-workout snack, make it high in protein, and eat it as soon as possible after your workout is over. One study showed that consuming 10 grams of protein immediately after strength training boosted muscle mass more than waiting 2 hours.

The Bottom Line?

Timing your protein intake could help you increase your lean body mass. There’s a window period just before and after your workout when your muscles are most responsive to protein. If you want to build muscle, don’t strength-train in a fasted state. Eat a high-protein snack with a source of carbs just before and after exercising. It’ll ensure your muscles have the amino acids they need to build a more defined body.

~Cathe Friedrich

References:

Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2001. August 281(2)

Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2006 Ju; 97(5).

Muscle Science. “Protein Timing for Best Results”

Exercise Physiology. Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. Seventh edition. 2009.

what's cooking at the Knight's house...

Crockpot Sweet Potatoe Chilli

1 onion chopped
4 ckoves garlic, minced
2, 28 oz cans of chilli roasted tomatoes
4 cups diced sweet potatoes
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chilli powder (or can use a packet of chilli seasoning) i used both!
1/8 cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups water

Put everything in slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Enjoy!!!