Fight the Fall Fat!

It's that time of year; my bathing suits are packed away and the boots, jeans, scarves, and oversized comfy, cozy, sweaters fill my closet instead. But just because you've packed away your bikini doesn't mean you have to pack away your bikini ready body with it! It's easy to get carried away this time of year with the wonderful flavors of   pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin scones, breads, etc. Not to mention the holiday feasts!

Fight the fat and keep your figure with some of my favorite fall recipes and at home exercises!


GREEK YOGURT PUMPKIN PANCAKES
This delicious recipe is a modified version of the Greek yogurt pancakes I published a few months ago.

3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin ( NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
dash of nutmeg and cinnamon

Whisk together egg, yogurt, and pumpkin in a small mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scoop 1/4 cup of mix onto well greased griddle and flip when pancake starts to bubble.
I usually make a double recipe because they are great left over!!!!

Topped with sugar-free syrup, and combined with turkey sausage and coffee with sugar-free pumpkin spice creamer!

LOADED MASHED "POTATOES"
As a nutritionist one of the most common struggles parents shared with me was the battle to get their children to eat vegetables. My most common suggestion was to blend vegetables with other favorites such as: carrots blended into sweet potatoes, peas mixed into macaroni and cheese, and my favorite, cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes! Topped with you child's favorite potato toppings, they'll never know the difference!


1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed

1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

garlic powder, pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, diced scallions (if desired)

Place cauliflower and chicken broth in a large covered pot on low heat for 1- 1.5 hours or until soft. Blend cauliflower with half of the chicken broth until cauliflower reaches desired consistency. Add pepper and garlic powder to taste, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

I made these for Josh and he had NO idea that they weren't real potatoes!!!

BAKED MAC-N-CHEESE  (cookinglight.com)

12 oz uncooked penne pasta ( I prefer Dream Fields as it has a low glycemic index)

12 oz low-fat cottage cheese 

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 grated, fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

3 Tbsp panko bread crumbs

cooking spray

Cook pasta as directed, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside when done.

While pasta is cooking, puree cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Add the cheese mixture to the pasta and mix well. Spoon into a greased 11 X 7 baking dish. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Broil 1 minute to crisp the top.

Before you indulge in all your fall favorites, bust out this quick 30 minute circuit!

Complete 4 rounds of the circuit; 1 minute at each exercise and a 1 minute rest between rounds.

Squat jumps

Bicep curl up to a shoulder press

Side Plank with leg raise (alternating sides each round)

Tricep Push ups

Jack Knives on the exercise ball

JORDAN IS GETTING IN HER WORKOUT TODAY, ARE YOU?

Food Fun with Jordan!

I'm nestled into the couch with my afternoon cup of coffee (with pumpkin spice creamer of course!), computer in hand, surrounded by silence....for the next 5 minutes at least. Jordan has a way of timing her naps to wake up right around the time I get started on a new project. Those first 30 seconds after she wakes up, I have to stop what I'm doing, I get a little frustrated. But, that big smile that starts in her mesmerizing, blue eyes and works it's way down to her mouth, captures me immediately, and I don't hesitate to stop what I'm doing to serve as her entertainment for the next few hours.
These last 5 1/2 months have flown by just as everyone warned me they would. She is at such a fun age and just in time for my favorite time of year!

I've packed away my "ocean breeze" Sentsy and replaced it with the smell of  "autumn air". It's time to get out the fall decorations and bask in the aromas of cinnamon, sugar,  spice, and pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING! I'm excited to take cute pictures of Jordan in a pumpkin patch, dress her up in her first Halloween costume, take her on her first fall camping trip, and watch her taste the flavors of fall.


We started baby food this week. I'm making all of my own baby food using a simple food processor and fresh or frozen veggies. It's as simple as steaming veggies and blending them up, so why not make your own rather than spending money on over priced jarred foods! Once you've pureed the food you can control the consistency by breastmilk or water.

I searched for the best storage containers to store Jordan's baby food and came across these little gems at Babies R Us. They're BPA free, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and stack easily to save room in freezer.

When I worked as a nutritionist for Women, Infant, and Children, I would recommend that parents begin introducing green vegetables first, followed by yellow vegetables, orange vegetables, and then fruits. This is because children tend to love  sweet flavors of orange veggies and fruits and will often turn down green veggies if they are introduced to sweet foods first.

You also want to wait 3-4 days between each new food that you introduce to your child so that any allergic reaction can be noticed.

Stay away from nuts, honey, egg whites, and shellfish for the first year.

Shop for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables rather canned as they contain loads of sodium and or sugar.

Jordan LOVES the grocery store!

Jordan started with peas......

Believe it or not, some of the food DID actually make it into her mouth. HAHAHA


As I learn about the foods she likes and dislikes, I will start mixing them together to make more flavorful combinations.

HAVE A FUN FILLED WEEKEND!

Meals in Minutes!!!

My wiggly, giggly, talkative little 4 month old is keeping me on my toes these days!  Just when I think she's entertained herself, and I start to fold laundry, do the dishes, or make dinner, she throws me a curve ball and I'm back to being her sidekick for the moment.

That being said, I've had to learn how to make dinner as quickly as possible, before Jordan gets too bored in the kitchen. Here are a few quick dinner ideas that will help you get dinner on the table for the entire family while taking care of your bouncing baby!

Mommy's little helper

Grilled Kabobs

It doesn't get any better than kabobs on the grill! They're easy, healthy, and can be individualized to your liking!

Grab a few of your favorite veggies, meats, and wooden kabobs (soaked in water for 30 minutes before putting on the grill) season up to perfection, and stick them on the grill! 

Here are few ideas:

Southwestern marinated chicken with onion, orange pepper, jalapeno,and green pepper (pictured below)

Lemon pepper chicken with squash, zucchini, onion

Marinated steak with thin sliced potatoes, onion, sliced portabello mushrooms

Shrimp, diced asparagus, onion, tomato

Grilled Portabello Caps

Ingredients:

3 Portabello Caps
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag. Add mushrooms and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Grill for 12 minutes.

While we were enjoying our kabobs, we decided to cook up some grilled peaches! These are VERY easy and make for a wonderful, low-fat dessert!

Ingredients:
2 large peaches, cut in half
Cooking spray
2 tsp Cinnamon Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

Spray each peach half with a light coat of cooking spray and place face down on the grill for 10 minutes. While the peaches are grilling combine cinnamon sugar, butter, and honey in a sauce pan over low-medium heat. When your peaches are done, place 1 Tbsp of Greek yogurt in the pit hole of your peach and drizzle with sauce. ENJOY!

This next recipe is a great staple to keep in the house. Packed with healthy fats, protein, and vitamins it makes a nutritious addition to any snack or meal.  I enjoy it on my egg white omelettes, mixed with chicken, or used as a salsa on chips or crackers.


Ingredients:
1- 14.5 oz can yellow corn, drained
1- 14.5 oz can black beans.drained
1- 14.5 oz can pinto beans, drained
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss in lime juice. Enjoy!

I found these little gems buy 1 get 1 free at Publix a few weeks ago. Armour turkey meatballs. 1 Serving is 6 meatballs, 180 calories, and 11g of fat. I've used them in several different recipes and have yet to be disappointed.

I'm not a big fan of red sauce so I took a different approach to spaghetti and meatballs and lightly tossed elbow noodles with EVOO, Parmesan cheese and sauteed garlic, onion, green pepper, and tomatoes I had prepared on the stove. While the veggies were cooking I popped a few meatballs in the microwave, tossed them with my veggies and pasta, and BAM, healthy, hearty dinner in 15 minutes!

 Another variation included sauteed mushrooms, garlic, and onion over brown rice with meatballs. Another fantastic combination in under 30 minutes!!

There's always time to fix a healthy meal for you and your growing family! 

Fuel your body the right way!

Kick up the Cardio!

Whether you are pregnant, a new mom, or just your average Joe, cardiovascular health is vital to a healthy lifestyle.  My last 6 weeks of pregnancy made the cardio aspect of my workouts very hard. The pressure Jordan was putting on my bladder, hips, and tail bone slowed me down and turned my walk into a full waddle. But I pushed through and did what I could each and every day, even if that meant taking an hour to walk a mere 2 miles.

At 15 weeks Jordan loves to explore the world around her, especially when she is outside. I’ve taken advantage of her love for nature and have gotten back into an outdoor running routine; but now I have two running partners, my four-legged baby boy, and my sweet little girl. Josh’s parents bought us a Graco running stroller set that we absolutely LOVE! Jordan gets to rest comfortably in her seat and I get the added resistance of the stroller to increase my workout intensity!

Running or walking with a stroller is one of many ways to pump your cardio workout up to the next level, and your little one will love the stimulation of being outdoors. Whether you are running, walking, or riding the elliptical machine at the gym, there is always a way to push your routine up a notch. Here are few additions to an every day cardio routine that will increase your heart rate and get you working different muscles!

She gets to relax while mommy gets in a workout!

For the Runner:

Running is a GREAT cardiovascular workout-

-Run backwards:  Spice up your average run by turning around and running backwards for a while. This will target you calf muscles,hamstrings and glutes!

-Run uphill: Running up hill adds extra resistance, improving the strength in your quads, hamstrings, ankles, and glutes more than your flat ground running.

- Sprint:  Exploding into a sprint between bouts of regular running will help increase your endurance and help your body burn more fat! Try to add sprints to a least one of your weekly runs.

For the Walker:

Walking can be just as effective as running and it is easier on the joints!

-Speed Walk: rather than sprinting, step up the pace of your walking by speed walking in intervals.

-Add Weight: Grab a pair of 3 lb dumbbells before you venture out for your walk. The added weight will serve for resistance and you may even find the motivation to do some bicep curls while you’re walking.

-Don’t avoid hills: As I mentioned before, whether you are running or walking, doing so uphill works your quads, calves, hamstrings and glutes extra hard! If you are outside, find a hilly route to walk. If you are indoors on a treadmill, bump up your incline!

-Walking lunges: If you are feeling really adventurous, break out into walking lunges while you are on your walk! These are greats for your quads and glutes as well!

- Enjoy the view:  Any kind of cardio indoors can get really repetitive and even discourage you from completing your workout. Change up the scenery to make your runs more enjoyable! Venture outside, find a new trail, or go to a neighborhood park. Not only will the change of scenery motivate you, but the change in terrain will help work different muscles, while the sunshine from outdoors will help you soak up vitamin D.

This is my FAVORITE running/walking route- lake lanier

It doesn’t matter what you do, just as long as you keep on moving! Adults should get no less than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This will decrease your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease while increasing your energy level and brightening your moods!

If you are pregnant, maintaining a regular exercise routine will help control your weight gain, prevent gestational diabetes, increase your energy level, reduce the difficulties of labor, and has MANY health benefits for your unborn child.

“Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.”

~Lee Haney



For those of you looking for a personal trainer in the Flowery 
Branch or Buford area I'm your girl! Send me an email at:

jethomas512@gmail.com

For those of you who don't live in the area I also sell workout plans you can do on  your own!