"Fried" Chicken and Fries...

Here's a yummy recipe I found on Muscle and Fitness Hers that is a great alternative to the famous golden arches! Enjoy!

FRIED” CHICKEN AND SWEET POTATO FRIES

INGREDIENTS:

"FRIED" CHICKEN
6 oz chicken breast tenders (raw)
1 egg white
1T water
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 c Fiber One cereal
Pinch of black pepper, paprika, salt (optional) to taste

SWEET POTATO FRIES
4 oz yam – sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick strips
1 tsp olive oil
1T water
Pinch of salt and/or cinnamon (optional) to taste

HOW TO PREPARE:

FRIED CHICKEN
1. Blend fiber cereal & spices in food processor.
2. Pour blended mixture into Ziploc bag – set aside.
3. Whisk egg whites, oil, and water.
4. Dip chicken in egg mixture and then place into the bag.
5. Seal bag and shake to coat evenly.
6. Place chicken on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and set aside.*

SWEET POTATO FRIES
1. Put yams, oil and water in Ziploc bag and shake to coat evenly.
2. Arrange flat on baking sheet next to chicken.*

*Bake chicken and fries in oven at 375 for 25-30 min (or until deep golden brown) – turning 1x halfway during cooking.


NUTRITION DATA

Per serving (Serves 1): 452 calories, 46 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fat.
Per serving (without fries): 274 calories, 44 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fat.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

This is a documentary about the use of steroids throughout history. I think this was a great way to enlighten people about the fact that steroid use isn't as bad as people think it is. All it takes is for someone to ruin and taint the name, like "steroids," and then it's forever doomed. I really recommend anyone and everyone to watch this video, all parts of it, to gain the REAL understanding about steroids! Enjoy!

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day...

The clouds begin rolling in, the sunlight slowly dims and the land becomes cold and dark. As the earth begins drinking its liquid life, humans retreat to their warm shelters and slowly, unconsciously become tired.

We don't realize that the weather outside actually effects our moods in unpredictable ways. Today, as the wind roared and the rain pelted, I fell into a deep sleep and became entracnced as the rain hit my window paine in a perfect symphony.

I woke up from my slumber in a groggy, half conscious dilemma... I didn't work out! What was I to do now that I had homework galore and wild, hurricane-like conditions outdoors. So, what was I to do?

A thought came to mind. I popped in one of my corny, over-the-top work out dvds and got to work. From dancing the love-handles away to breathing techniques with yoga, my dilemma was solved and my day could continue.

Even though it was still rainging outside, my clouds parted and the sun came out. I guess there's no excuse for not working out...

Fat Fling?

Could your dates be destroying your health?

Dinner date at 7:00 p.m.? Movie at 9:00 p.m.? Sounds like a perfect ending to a perfect day... or is it? First there's dinner at that exciting restaurant that you've been waiting to go to forever. When you sit down at the cushy booth, you start flipping through the delicious menu with fatty foods jumping off the page. First you order that Bikini Martini with sugar on the rim. Next comes the heavy pasta with creamy, dreamy Alfredo sauce with grated cheese snowed on top. Another martini? Don't mind if I do. Finally you end with that molten double chocolate cake of epic proportions. Dinner is complete. On to round two.

The clock has struck 9:00 p.m. and the movie trailers begin. You get your tickets, rush inside and are taken aback by the sea of theater treats. From sugar-coated Sour Patch Kids to the double cheesy nachos, your taste buds are electric. You make your decision and go with the double butter popcorn with sprinkles of cheddar cheese. Large coke? Of course! At the end of the night, you're thinking to yourself "What in the world did I do?"

Morning arrives and the dread of hitting the gym lingers in the back of your mind. Double the cardio? You know you need to. Now it's back to health food, diets and two-a-days. But beware, another date night is lurking in the shadows.

(Photo courtesy of Well Heeled Blog)

Chocolate Angel Cake

Photo courtesy of Just Desserts for Diabetics

If anyone's like me, you looooooove dessert. It's the best part of the meal and what you cram your stomach with even if you're full. It's literally the icing on top of the cake. But, dessert isn't necessarily on the diet plan. I came across this delicious recipe for Chocolate Angel Cake from FoodFit.com that I think any diet-fein could appreciate without the guilt and increase in cardio the next day. I know my mouth is salivting so the wait is over... enjoy!

This recipe serves: 14

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups egg whites (about 10 large eggs), at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the flour twice with the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of the sugar.

3. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form when the mixer is removed from the batter.

4. Add half of the remaining sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition.

5. Stir in the vanilla.

6. Fold the flour and sugar mixture into the egg whites, 1/4 cup at a time, until just incorporated.

7. Put the batter in an ungreased 10" tube pan and bake until the cake is springy to the touch, about 1 hour. Invert the pan and let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/14 of cake)


Number of Servings: 14
Per Serving:
Calories-126; Carbohydrate-28g; Fat-0g; Fiber-0g; Protein-3g; Saturated Fat-0g; Sodium-78mg

Fun Family Fitness

Photo courtesy of New-Families.com

While some people believe that getting healthy requires spending hours a day in the gym and taking away precious family time, this isn't the case. There are ways to get in shape while also increasing time spent with the family.

Although I may not have kids of my own, I believe that women have no excuse for not losing that extra baby weight. The alternatives to being stuck in the juice-head, roided-out, germ infested gym with those way-too-skinny, it's intimidating girls, are to get outdoors and be creative.

Instead of doing the same old, boring, rotating belt we call a treadmill, try going for a walk with your significant other, the kids or even your dog. Getting outdoors will not only make getting healthy fun, but the fresh air and change of scene will increase your willingness to want to work out.

The next time your kid wants to go play at the jungle gym, go! You can use this twisted metal as a great work out area. You can accomplish pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and more! Get creative all while still keeping your eye on the kids while they play. Don't be one of those moms who sit on the bench munching on the kids' snacks! Get involved!

Think of fun innovative ways to manipulate your surroundings to your advantage. Not all your time has to spent lifting weights in a crowded gym. Take your environment and shape it into your own gym, membership: one. Remember, getting healthy starts at home. Have fun!

Cheat Days

It's the day you look forward to every week. The one day a week that you can pull out your sweatpants and indulge in every guilty pleasure you've been salivating over. This holy grail of days is the cheat day.

This past Monday, I gave in to my hankering for pizza. That melted cheese and perfectly cut circles of pepperoni were just calling my name. After a week of protein/veggie/brown rice, it sounded like a hot, succulent, cheesy piece of heaven...I had to have it! I jumped into my car and raced towards the nearest Little Caesars for the fantastic deal of a large pie perfection for just $5.

Ten minutes later, I found myself sprinting up three flights of stairs with the smell of garlic breadsticks drifting through my nostrils. I reached my door and struggled to find my house key with the fear of my cheat day treat getting cold. I broke through the doorway and immediately ran towards the refrigerator for the ice-cold liquid called Pepsi a.k.a pizza's best friend.

I finally made it to the couch, remote in hand. I surfed through channel land and stopped on my favorite show. With Law and Order:SVU, fabulous fatty food and a cold beverage, my cheat day had arrived.

The Extra Something Women are Graced With...

Exhausted trying to lose that extra something women are blessed with? We all know what I'm talking about... that "spare tire" that wraps our lower abs and clings onto our sides aka "love-handles." It drives me crazy when I work my butt off but that "baby fat" stays around like a bad tattoo from a drunk night.

So, what can we do about this? With the proper nutrition and exercise regime, that extra slab of fat can be lost for good, well at least till you decide to have a child and that "extra" becomes extraordinary times 3.

Here's a great recipe from Muscle and Fitness Hers to try as you begin your "pudge-be-gone" diet:

Quick Chicken Tacos

Serves 4

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup no-salt-added canned corn, drained
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1⁄2 tsp. salt
2 3-oz. packages fajita chicken strips (such as Tyson)
8 8-inch flour tortillas

1. Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Heat chicken in microwave according to package directions. Divide chicken and tomato mixture among tortillas and serve immediately.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):

256 calories, 15 g protein, 38 g carbs, 4.5 g fat, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 929 mg sodium

Washboard Abs

An exercise I love to do on Ab days is the "Swiss Ball Knee Tuck." It requires use of your whole body while also targeting you lower abs, the hardest part for women to work due to the extra "pudge" we're graced with for bearing children... yay!

Protein Pankcake

Everyone knows that you need protein in the morning in order to get your body in motion and give your metabolism a kick in the a**. Every night before I go to sleep, I make my girlfriend her protein pancake that she created. It's delicious and packed with your morning must-haves to start your day out on the right foot.

What you'll need:
- egg whites
- oats
- 1 banana
- cinnamon
- Splenda

First, heat your pan on a low temperature. (On my stove, about a 3)

Next, take 1/4 cup oats, 1 cup egg whites, 1 banana, 2 packets of Splenda and however much cinnamon your heart desires and put it into a blender. Blend until everything is mixed.

Next, spray your pan with Pam and pour pancake mixture.


Cook the pancake for 10 minutes on each side, or until pancake is fully cooked.

Be careful to watch your clock during the cooking process!I have burnt aplenty!

Lastly, your ready to store your pancake for the morning. I recommend taking a sheet of aluminum foil and two paper towels to wrap your pancake in until morning. Refrigerate.

Now your ready to start your day! Be sure to microwave your pancake before eating. Enjoy!

The Miserable and Misunderstood "Muffin Top"

Muffin top... the dreaded description that every girl wants to avoid. That bulge that hangs over your jeans like a muffin over its wrapping. The unbearable sight of too small of jeans and not so small waist line, the muffin top lingers on the horizon awaiting its next victim.

Muscle and Fitness Hers created a questionnaire that could help in the battle of the bulge:

1. Do you have good posture?
2. Are you training your abs from the inside out?
3. Are you getting plenty of sleep and avoiding stress?
4. Do you eat breakfast?

If you answered NO to any of these questions and you have a muffin top, there are some ways to fix your flabby frustration.

First, look at your posture profile in a mirror to see if you have an exaggerated arch in your back that makes your stomach stick out. A great way to help in aiding perfect posture is stretching.

Second, stop the ordinary crunches and re-evaluate the way you're working your abs. When you perform regular crunches, you are just creating a thickness around your abs making your stomach protrude outwards.

Next, when you're stressed out, not getting the proper rest and guzzling down coffee, chances are you have high levels of Cortisol. Research has shown that high levels of Cortisol leaves fat around your midsection.

Last, DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST! Even if you're not hungry in the early hours, eat a high protein meal because this will boost your metabolism and get your body moving, even when your mind is still fast asleep.

To read more about ways to decrease your relentless rolls and try a yummy recipe, read this article at Muscle and Fitness Hers.

'Heavy' Promo

Heavy

So, there's this show called Heavy on A&E. It's an inspirational series about people who are looking to transform after finally realizing how bad they have let themselves go.

One thing I really like about this weight loss show compared to most is the fact that they are getting healthy for themselves, not for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Those "reality" shows that are about winning money or prizes may work temporarily, but then when the contestant gets home in the real world, they don't have that "prize" motivation to keep the dedication of losing weight.

On Heavy, it follows two individuals, each episode, who are desperately seeking to get in shape and endure a six month journey on the road to health. For the first month, they stay at a health retreat and work-out with trainers everyday. Before they are released back into the wild, they are shown how to shop and cook healthy meals. They have a couple big weigh-ins but not every week. In the last month, the two individuals are not allowed to step foot on a scale until the end of their long, grueling endeavor.

At the end, the outcome is always success due to the life lessons that are learned. Instead of a material prize, these transformed people win a second chance at life and that's more important than some lame prize. This show is really a life-changing series and I would encourage everyone to watch it.

The Hammer Curl

This is the hammer curl. It's a great exercise and one of my favorite for biceps. This short clip shows you the proper technique to execute this exercise in the safe and correct way! Enjoy!

Top 10 Work-out Playlist

When I'm at the gym or running, the right songs are key to give me that extra burst of energy to give 100%. Here's what's playing on my work-out playlist:

10. Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi
9. Like a G6 - Far East Movement
8. Hey Baby - Pitbull feat. T- Pain
7. Crawling - Linkin Park
6. Tonight - Enrique Iglesias
5. The Catalyst - Linkin Park
4. Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
3. Papercut - Linkin Park
2. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
1. Wretches and Kings - Linkin Park

Stewie On Steroids

This is hilarious! I love Family Guy!

Fad Diets

From fat-flushes to detoxes, diets range from strange to bizarre!

First, there's the Vinegar Diet. It's believed that consuming vinegar before a meal will help satisfy hunger cravings so that the individual will not consume as many calories.

Next, there's the Beverly Hills diet where you eat less then 800 calories a day and all you eat is prunes, berries, and potatoes. So, let's see, the protein is almost non-existing and you are barely eating... I think this is what they call anorexia!

Last, but only for this post's sake, is the Lemonade Diet where basically you don't eat for a couple weeks. All you have is specially made lemonade, saline washes (sea salt) and laxative tea. Well, no wonder you lose weight and possibly gain a trip to the hospital.

There are many fad diets out there that all claim to help lose weight. In all truths, the only way to lose weight the HEALTHY way is a change of lifestyle and exercise.

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

One body part I love to work out is my back and this is one of my favorite exercises for it. This video clip shows the safe and proper way to do a one-arm dumbbell row.

A Key Element to Success

Photo courtesy of Google Images


What's hard to find, difficult to hold onto and life-changing when you find it? MOTIVATION!

When it comes down to the decision to get healthy, one of the biggest components of success is motivation; it's what gets us energized and to the gym. Now, I know that after a while, motivation might wear off and we fall back into a slump, but this is when you need to self-motivate yourself to jump back in. Motivation is the driving force of success and empowers us to reach our goals.

I know for me, I get super motivated for a couple weeks and then slack off when I hit a wall. This is when this key element means the most. I know that I need to self-motivate myself to get up off the couch and hit the gym. My motivation comes from within and the euphoria feeling of being healthy and fit. 10 times out of 10, I feel rejuvenated and refocused.

Whatever your source of motivation to get healthy is, use it and keep using it long past you reach your goals.

Protein Profile

For starters, the best source of protein is always found naturally in foods like eggs, chicken, fish, soy products and other lean natural proteins. But as we all know, our schedules are crazy and the last thing we have time to do is boil 10 eggs or bake an abundance of chicken,so, we go to the alternatives like protein powders or bars.

There are crucial times throughout the day when you need protein the most: immediately upon waking up (immediately doesn't mean two hours, it means within 30 minutes), pre-workout and post-workout. There are numerous types of protein powders on the market, so, how do we know which are the most appropriate for your goals? The two most widely used forms of protein powder supplements are Whey Protein Isolate and Casein Protein. Whey Protein is a quick digesting protein that is ideal for pre-workout and post-workout for it's role in repairing the muscle after exercise (again, immediately within 30 minutes after workout). Casein Protein is a slower digesting protein ideal for mornings and evenings for it's longer lasting properties.

So, how much protein should you consume in one day? The rule of thumb is 1 gram of protein per 1 pound lean body mass.

Keep in mind that these tips are for those seeking to embark on a body transformation journey. Consult a physician before making any major changes in your lifestyle.

*This information was obtained from a certified personal trainer with experiential knowledge in the field of nutrition, not a certified dietician or nutritionist.

The Myth of Protein

Have you ever had someone tell you that eating too much protein will destroy your kidneys?

Hopefully you know that this isn't true! So, where did this myth originate from? Many years ago, researchers found that people with damaged kidneys had a more difficult time with high-protein diets because these vital organs are what remove protein's breakdown products. Go figure that people thought this meant that too much protein equals damaged kidneys.

In retrospect, protein doesn't harm your kidneys. So, muscle builders of the world unite! Protein will always be king in the fitness world.

*"Protein Will Harm Your Kidneys." Muscle & Performance Jan. 2011: 22. Print.