Relaxation

Anyone who knows Josh and I knows that the word "relax" is not used regularly in our vocabulary. We are ALWAYS on the go. Now I can't complain, the majority of our outings are social ventures. When we don't have an event planned we usually find something to do that gets us out of the house. We like to seize the day and try to cram as much into our lives as possible . However, since I've been pregnant that strange word "relax" is starting to sound more familiar. So this weekend we actually took it easy and did a lot of relaxing!

We slept in, drank coffee, made breakfast


2 scrambled egg whites, whole wheat toast with pimento cheese, sliced avocado, and grapes. Healthy foods for a growing baby!

Took Chance on a 3.5 mile walk { Side note: I threw my back out on Saturday putting my pants on hahaha. Not sure how that happens, but walking was the only thing that didn't hurt; so we did A LOT of walking this weekend.}



We LOVE living near the lake!!

The air is crisp and the leaves are so vibrant, there is no reason to be inside on days like these!

Chance never noticed but we had a little visitor on our walk. Sweet little deer.

Went to a Halloween Party

Juno and Bleeker. And in case you are wondering, that is not my real belly! I'm only 16 weeks!



 Made AMAZING Brunswick stew

Recipe is at the bottom of this post

And ended our Sunday night relaxing by our first fire of the season.

 

Monday and Tuesday started out with an hour long cardio workout and today started with an arm circuit and is ending with an hour of power yoga. Did you get your workout in today?????

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients

-1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 cup chopped onion

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 lbs ground pork ( I use ground turkey instead, it is EXTREMELY lower in calories and fat!!!!)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef ( I use the 90% 10% or 80% 20 %)

3 (14.5 oz ) cans whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped

1 whole chicken, shredded ( I picked up a BBQ rotisserie chicken from Publix and removed the skin)

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hickory flavored bbq sauce

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste  (optional)

1 green bell pepper

3 (14.75 oz) cans of cream style corn ( I only used 2- just a preference of mine)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet, and saute the onions and celery until soft. Mix in the pork (or turkey) and ground beef, and cook until evenly browned. Drain fat.

2. Transfer meat mixture into a large stock pot over low heat. Stir in the shredded chicken, tomatoes with juice, ketchup, bbq sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Place the whole green pepper in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 hours, until thickend.

3. Stir in cream style corn. Continue cooking for 1 hour or until desired consistency has been reached. Remove the green pepper; chop and return to the stew.

ENJOY!

Shop Smart: Your Baby will Thank You!!

I just hit my 16 week mark and I'm happy to say I haven't had TOO many horrible cravings! I have craved more red meat than usual, and it's been harder for me to turn my head on potato chips when they are near, but that has been the worst of it. As a nutritionist I talk to a lot of prenatal women who complain about craving and indulging in unhealthy foods which leads to an unwanted amount of weight gain. There is an easy fix to this...DON'T BUY THE JUNK! You don't have to ignore every craving all the time, but you also shouldn't give in to them all the time. Instead, fill your house with healthy foods to munch on!

When grocery shopping there is an easy technique to use that will ensure you are filling your cart with the most nutritious foods. Instead of heading straight to the aisles when you enter the market, try to stay on the perimeter of the store. You'll notice the perimeter of the store is where you will find all of your fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and often times fresh baked whole grains. Sure you will need to wonder into the aislse for your cereals, soups, and some other healthy snacks, but you should be able to get the majority of your shopping done on the perimeter of the store.


I've also learned a very important shopping technique since I became pregnant; never let a pregnant lady shop hungry HAHAHA. I made that mistake once during my second month of pregnancy and came home will all sorts of crap that I wouldn't normally buy. My husband, Josh, loved it! So from now on, I munch on a snack before heading out to shop. Here are some of the delicious, nutritious foods I picked up this week.


 



I always load up on fresh fruits! At the beginning of my pregnancy when my heart burn was at it's worst I had to stay away from most citrus fruits. Now that my heart burn has subsided I indulge in sweet fruits like apples, oranges and grapefruits when I have a sweet tooth.

Avocados are a great source of healthy omegas, fat that is. Adding a small amount of avocado to your favorite sandwich or salad is a great way to increase the healthy fats in your diet.

I also keep baby carrots in the house for snack time. The crunch and slight sweetness of them usually satisfies my taste buds. The are also packed with fiber which helps you feel more satisfied.

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite starchy vegetables!!! Not only are they rich in vitamin A and potassium but they are also low in calories compared to many other starches. My grandmother taught me a great trick about sweet potatoes. She taught me to cook them ahead of time in the microwave and then freeze them. When you are ready to eat one just take it out of the freezer and pop it in the microwave for about 4 minutes. The freezing puts a lot of moisture back into the potatoes and they are SO creamy and moist when reheated!

 

Green peppers are another staple in my house. I use them in so many recipes! I try to buy them in bulk when they are on sale. If they start to go bad before I can use them up, I just slice and freeze them! They sauté up wonderfully for fajitas!

 

I don't cook eggplant too often, but I do love it! It makes a great meal for vegetarian night. Whip up an easy eggplant parmesan or roast some in the oven for a delicious side dish!

 

 

 

As I said before it's ok to listen to your cravings every once in a while, and mine has been potato chips. When I do listen to my cravings I do it in moderation and try to keep it somewhat healthy. Baked chips are lower in calories and fat compared to the normal chips and they still give you the taste you are looking for!

 

So I splurged and bought myself a treat. Yes, I opened them before I even got home, and yes, they were delicious! But I am happy to say one week later most of the bag is still in the pantry :)

 

Remember you can eat healthy and still enjoy all the flavors you love! Use the internet as a way to discover new healthy recipes. Cookinglight.com is one of my favorite websites!

 

 

EAT HEALTHY, LIVE HAPPY, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!









Circuit Time!!

After eating all of that wonderful food last weekend at my sister's it was time for us to get a good workout in! There is a small gym in her complex but it only houses cardio machines so we had to get a little creative and use what she had. All it took was a set of 10 lb. dumbbells, a medicine ball, and a set of either 5 lb. or 3 lb. dumbbells; we had all we needed for a great circuit workout!

Circuit workouts are great to do when you are limited on time. It is a fast paced, constant workout routine that keeps your heart rate up and maximizes the volume of work done in a short period of time. I like to do circuit workouts on days when I really just want to go home and rest because I don't have to spend hours in the gym and I still feel great after it's done!

We did 3 sets of  a 6 station circuit that focused on our shoulders and back. We set a timer and did 1 minute of exercise and 20 seconds of rest between each station. It's always good to start with a 5-10 minute walk or jog warm up to heat up your muscles and get you heart rate going.

Station #1 : Jab/ Cross with dumbbells
This exercise targets your shoulders and upper arms. Stand in a boxer stance with your feet parallel, about shoulder width apart, and at a 45 degree angle, toes pointing out. Start with the arm of the leg that is it front. Jab (punch) with the front arm, then cross (punch) with the back arm. When you punch with your back arm your back foot should spin to face forward and then return to stance when punch is complete. At this station switch your stance to move the opposite leg in front after 30 seconds. These pictures are not the best but may give you an idea of what it should look like.


Stance- This is your starting stance and the stance you will return to between each jab/cross. Notice the angle of the feet.

Jab- Arm extends out quickly and returns to stance quickly

Cross- Back arm comes fully extended forward- notice my back foot starting to turn as my arm extends.
 




Station #2 : Push- Up with medicine ball
This exercise targets your shoulders and back but also requires a lot of core strength! Push-ups are one of my favorite exercises so I like to challenge myself on this exercise. Get in proper push-up position  and place one hand on the medicine and the other hand on the floor ( I use a 4 pound medicine ball). Remember a proper push-up position means your shoulders are directly over your hands and your body is in a straight line; no buns in the air or bellies hanging down. Do and push-up with one hand on the ball, then roll ball over to other and do another push-up. Continue switching hands for the full 1 minute.
*** If this is too hard you can do a modified version with your knees on the floor.

Notice how my shoulders are over my hand and my body stays in a straight line.

Switch and repeat with other hand on the ball.

 

Station # 3: Mountain Climbers
 You want to keep your heart rate up while working out so make sure to add some cardio into your circuit! Mountain climbers get your heart rate up and also workout your core and upper body at the same time! Start in a regular push-up position. Bring your right knee to you chest, then switch and bring the left knee to your chest. Repeat this motion as fast as you can for the entire minute. It's almost like running in place while in a push-up position.

 



 

 Station # 4: Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell presses work your shoulders. We used 10 pounds in each hand, but you use what's comfortable for you. To start stand with feet shoulder width apart. Raise the dumbbells to head height so that arms are at a 90 degree angle (like a field goal). Push dumbbells over head until arms are straight then return to head height. Repeat for the full minute.

 

Station # 5:  Front Raise

This is another exercise that focuses on the shoulders and uses your dumbbells. For this exercise you simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Raise one arm until it is in line with your shoulder, lower and repeat with the other arm. You can do one arm at a time or both at the same time. Repeat for one minute.

 

 





 



 Station # 6: Bent over Rear Deltoid Raises:

This exercise and can be done sitting on a bench or standing up while slightly bent forward at the hips. It works both your shoulders and upper back. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, and feet shoulder width apart, bend slightly forward at the hips but keep your chest up. Bend your arms slightly and start with both hands in front of you, dumbbells facing each other. Simultaneously bring both arms up and back horizontally. It should feel like you are trying to squeeze your shoulders together. Return to start position with hands in front and repeat.

 

Finish your workout with a 10 minute cool down/stretch!!

 

HAPPY SATURDAY!! GET MOTIVATED AND GET MOVING THIS WEEKEND, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!!

It's Fall Y'all!

This past weekend I traveled to Arlington, Virginia to spend some quality time with my sister and brother-in-law. It rained most of the weekend so we spent most of our time relaxing, watching football, cooking and catching up. Sunday morning my sister and I woke up and made some delicious low fat pumpkin bread.  It’s another one of my fall favorites! I have used this recipe from Cookinglight.com several times and it never disappoints! Paired with a steaming cup of coffee with pumpkin creamer and you’ve got yourself a perfect Sunday morning!

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

 3 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 TBPS baking powder

2 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground allspice

2 cups of granulated sugar ( we used a sugar substitute )

½ cup of egg substitute ( such as egg beaters)

½ cup canola oil

½ cup low fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

2/3 cup water

1-15 oz can of pumpkin

Instructions:

 Preheat oven to to 350°

 1. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl place sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs and beat with a mixer on high until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Lightly coat 2- 9X5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and pour batter into pans. Bake in oven for 1 hour.

After finishing our delicious breakfast we headed over to Germantown in Maryland to check out Butlers Orchard. It is such a neat little place! You can pick all kinds of fruits and vegetables during peak seasons. We went to see the pumpkins of course! While there we also picked up some locally made snacks for lunch. My sister picked up a jar of both apple butter and pumpkin butter. They are AMAZING!! The apple butter has no added sugar, it’s sweetened with its own juice. We also picked up some venison sausage and local cheese. Paired with their homemade sweet onion mustard and some whole wheat crackers and we had ourselves a delicious lunch! If you have never tried venison you should put it on your to-do list. It’s very high in protein and iron and has about 1/3 the fat of beef! It’s great in chili, as burgers, or even as meatloaf!

When my sister and I get together we REALLY love to get in the kitchen! We continued the fall theme for the day with a healthy dinner of bbq chicken, pan seared brussel sprouts, and winter squash gratin. Fantastic doesn’t even begin to describe how wonderful that squash gratin was! It will definitely be making an appearance at Thanksgiving this year!

Squash Gratin

Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

*** I have listed the ingredients we used. We altered some ingredients to make it healthier

3 TBSP of unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 TBSP of fresh, chopped thyme

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 small kabocha squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and pepper, just a dash of both

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

½ cup fat free half and half

¼ cup bread crumbs ( if you can use homemade bread crumbs do so- they are much better!)

2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

2 TBSP chopped parsley

½ grated gruyere cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine both types of squash in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook until squash is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add squash to the skillet along with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add the broth and cook until mostly absorbed. Stir in the half and half and cook until slightly thickened.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and toss with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle on top of the squash and top with gruyere cheese. Transfer the skillet into the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve!

I used a cabernet garlic olive oil blend I got in Seattle to sautee the brussel sprouts. When I don't have something fancy like that I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!