Let's talk Beer...

So since it's Saturday I thought I'd do my post on the benefits of beer =)

Beer is one of the best nutritional sources of silicon, which is essential for bones.

Also recent studies reveal that the hops used in traditional brewing are a good source of phytoestrogens, which protects against osteoporosis.

And beer is rich in vitamins B6, B12, and Folic acid. (Which many woman lack in their diets)

Of course this doesn't mean go out and drink a six pack to yourself. But having a beer once in a while actually has a few health benefits.

Beets??

Ok so I dislike beets, and I always have. But tonight I decided to challenge myself to try to eat them in a way I didn't hate.

I decided to put them in my already super delicious salad, consisting of baby spinach and baby arugula, cucumber, tomato, avocado, red onions, and BEETS. I just bought the canned shoestring beets. For dressing I used balsamic vinegar....not vinaigrette just the vinegar. Interesting enough the vinegar completely hid the taste of the beets. I didn't taste them at all and the salad was delicious!

And beets are sooo great for you! Glad I found a way to get them into my diet!

FYI Moment: Beets help with digestive, fatigue, and to fight cancer!

Let's play cards!

So one of my favorite workouts to do when I need a break from the gym is something my sister showed me. And yes it uses a deck of cards. I tend to jog to a nearby park (the jog is for warm-up) but you can do it anywhere you have a little space.


Here's how it works... Each suit represents a different exercise, and the corresponding number is how many you do, face cards are ten and aces are eleven not one!


The Exercises I do are...
Hearts: Squats
Clubs: Sit-ups
Diamonds: Push ups
Spades: Jumping Jacks (This is the one you can really play with, when I did it with my sister she did rows, but I liked adding a little cardio...)

Shuffle up the deck and get started! And believe it or not it's FUN!!

Tomatoes for the WIN!

Had a friend show me a new healthy recipe tonight, so I'm sharing it with you!

It's called seafood diablo pasta.

You'll need:
Bag of cherry tomatoes
Whole Wheat linguine pasta
Can of minced clams in clam juice
Spinach
Crushed red pepper flakes
About 2 Handfuls of Shrimp (I use precooked, de-veined, de-tailed, frozen shrimp, but anything works)
olive oil
garlic

Start by heating the garlic and oil in the pan, then add the halved cherry tomatoes and let simmer. Add the clam juice, not the clams, and red pepper flakes based on how spicy you want it to be. I LOVE it spicy so I put a lot in =) Once the tomatoes have reduced to the point where they are soft, but not mush, add the spinach. Let the spinach reduce a little, then add the shrimp (do this step earlier if they aren't already cooked) Next step add the already cooked linguine and clams and mix it all together! Top it off with some Parmesan if you want!


FYI Moment: Tomatoes are loaded with Lycopene. What's that you ask? It's a powerful antioxident, it protects cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage. It is also a powerful cancer fighter! All in all they are great for you (Just stick to the RED tomatoes)

It's all greek to me!

Let's talk yogurt! It's a great snack, but it is loaded with sugar! You may get fat free and see that it's only 100 calories, which is great, but look at the sugar...14 grams! Even plain yogurt has a lot of sugar!


But GOOD news!!! I have found a great yogurt with much less sugar, Greek Yogurt! Here's a picture....



Ok so here's the match up..

YOPLAIT:100 calories FAGE:90 calories

YOPLAIT: 0 fat FAGE: 0 Fat

YOPLAIT: 14 grams of sugar FAGE: 7 grams of sugar!!!!

YOPLAIT: 5 grams of protein FAGE: 15 grams of protein!!!!!!! (Crazy Awesome)



So of course its not as sweet, but match it up with fresh fruit or granola with LOW sugar. YUM!


FYI Moment: Excess sugar converts strait to fat!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps!!!

Tonight I made Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Soooo good, and healthy! Here is the picture in the book of what it is supposed to look like....

I'm happy to say mine looked pretty similar, however I added a few things the recipe didn't have, such as shitake mushrooms instead of regular, and I used red cabbage instead of green. I also added bean sprouts. I use butter lettuce because I found that it is already shaped well for acting as a tortilla. Honestly you can always substitute lettuce for anything you use tortillas for. Great way to reduce calories! Here's what mine looked like in the pan.
It's always fun to find a recipe and then play with it and make it your own. Eating and cooking can be FUN, and it should be. Being healthy isn't about losing out on eating good food, its about learning how to cook healthy food and make it super flavorful!


FYI Moment: Take your vitamins! Find a good multivitamin, I use one a day for women, and make sure you take it everyday! Most of the time you will also need a few extras...I take calcium and fish oils as well.

This Weather!

Ok so I don't know about you but this weather makes me want to just curl up on my couch and watch a movie. It is tuff to get motivated to get up, get dressed, and venture to the gym. I struggled today to get myself there, but once I finally did boy was it worth it! I really feel for people in Seattle, here in SD we have about one week of this weather, then sun the rest of the year. So if we let the weather get to us and get down a little, don't make it to the gym, at least it only effects us for a short period. I've been feeling the effects of the weather emotionally as well as physically, but getting myself to the gym and really pushing myself hard is the only way to break through it! I think the key is even if you can't get to the gym because it's just that bad out, it is still really important to get your heart rate up once a day, if for no other reason then to keep your mood elevated. So having a workout video laying around to do in your living room is a great idea, or a jump rope, or just do jumping jacks. Mix in some squats and push ups. Even if you aren't getting the best workout of your life, doing a few things while watching TV will really help keep you in the grove. Just do sit ups during commercial breaks (they end up being way longer than you realize!) and/or push ups and it will really be beneficial to your overall health, both mentally and physically!

FYI Moment: So I don't know how many of you have heard of Quinoa, but it is a great replacement for rice or potatoes on your plate. It is a high protein complex carb, so it offers a lot more than rice or potatoes! It cooks just like rice, I do it right in my rice cooker!

Power Up

Back from Florida...it's hard to keep on a nutritious diet while traveling! I definitely didn't stick to everything, but i did take a few precautions. One thing I really suggest doing is to find an energy/protein bar or brand that you like. I personally enjoy balance bars and Luna bars. Once you discover some you like always have some around, always. Some in your purse, in your car, in your desk, anywhere you might be. I brought a bag full with me on my travels and it really can save you. It is so you never get stuck somewhere super hungry and start making bad decisions about food. Like being in an airport for a four hour flight delay (yes this happened on my way back), having these bars with you will allow you to avoid eating the fatty airport food, and will keep you feeling more energetic and less lethargic.

FYI Moment: Jump roping is a GREAT way to get in a quick cardio workout. 15 minutes is equal to 45 minutes of running. This is me outside my apt getting a little exercise in while waiting for my friends to pick me up.

And I'm back!

Got back to the gym today. I was sick last week so I couldn't work as hard as I should be, so it was nice to be able to push harder today. I did my favorite....interval run on the treadmill. It's a great fat burner workout, and it gets me sweating!! If you're not a long distance runner this might be a great option for you. I start by walking for two minutes at 3.5, then kick it up to 6 for 30-45 seconds, then back down to 3.5 for a minute. Continue this all the way up to level 9, or as high as you can make it! When you get the hang of this work back down too, and also introduce the incline for an extra boost.
So I'm going to go ahead and officially say out loud that I plan on entering the triathlon in SD next summer. So back to the pool and keep pushing on the bike and the run!!!

FYI Moment: When you want a sweet snack, try Hershey dark chocolate kisses. They are a great portion size and dark chocolate offers a lot of great health benefits!

Here's to the Start

Nutrition is the key to life. I know that sounds seriously cliche, but it really is true. Losing weight is 80% food, and 20% exercise. See how much food counts! But even if losing weight isn't your goal, eating right gives you energy, can prevent disease, and can combat depression! Ok enough with the tag lines, its probably stuff you've all heard before anyways.
Here's the thing... I love food, and I love to eat! Luckily I also love to cook! I have been experimenting with lots of different recipes to create healthy YUMMY food that is within my calorie range. I currently eat about 1500-1700 calories a day, and yes that includes my alcohol! So I like to make my calories count. I could eat out at lets say Rubios and get their grilled grande bowl without the sauce and it would be around 550 calories. Or I could make spicy shrimp tacos at home using olive oil and cayenne pepper to marinate the shrimp, putting them on corn tortillas and throwing on some red onion and cilantro...all for around 300 calories!
I don't know everything yet, but I keep reading and learning everyday! This blog is new to me and all of my posts will look a little different, but it will all be focused on my main goal of HealthWeis.

FYI Moment: (these will be little tips, advice, or knowledge at the end of my posts) I'm 25 and yes I like to drink...So here's something to keep in mind. Think 100 calories a shot of alcohol, keep your alcohols clear and your mixers calorie free...diet soda or club soda with lime.

HealthWeis

My sister is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, among many other things. About five months ago she became my trainer/nutritionist, and above all, my mentor. From that moment on I dove head first into the world of nutrition, reading everything I could get my hands on. Even recently becoming certified in nutrition myself. This has become my passion, and now she and I have created our own company, HealthWeis. We have just begun this journey, and I am going to keep you all posted on our journey to changing our dreams into our reality. I'm going to post anything from awesome recipes, small exercise tips, ideas and struggles of HealthWeis, my own food plans and exercise routines....pretty much anything I think of! Hope you enjoy.