Plant Based Pre & Post Workout Snacks

Recently, I’ve had a few clients who have a plant based diet and they have asked me for ideas of what to eat before and after their workouts.  Many people get confused on what to eat, so I wanted to share some of my favorite options that are perfect not just for someone who has a plant based diet, but anyone.

What to Eat Before Your Workout: The key is to remember that quality of your workout will depend on how fueled it is before the workout. Your body has to pull energy from somewhere and it’s much easier to pull it from calories that are consumed within an hour of your workout, then pulling stored energy that your body uses for other daily functions. Focus on eating more carbs based foods 30 – 60 minutes before your workout.

• Oatmeal or Overnight Oats: This is one of my favorites, mainly because I workout in the morning and this “breakfast” food just makes sense to me.  Plus, it’s whole and takes a while to digest, so it can help to keep you fueled, especially if you are working out for longer than 45 minutes.
• 100% Whole Grain or Sprouted Grain Toast with Pure Honey or Real Fruit Spread: This is one of my dad’s go to pre workout snacks and he swears by it for his long cardio sessions.  The key is to make sure that you choose 100% Whole Grain or Sprouted Grains, which helps with the slow digestion of the carbs coupled with the fast digesting carbs with the honey or fruit spread.
• Apple or Banana with a Tbsp of Nut Butter: This is an easy pre workout snack that doesn’t feel as heavy as the oatmeal or the toast.  This is my favorite for a HIIT or Circuit Training Strength workout.
• Kind Bars: I am not a big fan of bars, but I do like Kind Bars because I can recognize all of the ingredients in them, they are easy to take with me on the way to the gym, and they taste like a candy bar. 🙂
• Fruit Juice or Smoothies: This is typically my last resort, as most fruit juices and smoothies are packed with sugar and don’t give you a lot of substance and I feel really full, but when I’m in a real crunch, I will grab a bottle of 100% Orange Juice or grab a Smoothie and drink half.

What to eat after your workout: The key here is to make sure that you have a mix of protein and carbs.  I know that this sounds crazy, but after a workout, while your muscles are going into repair mode (where protein is key), your body is still burning calories and can burn them with carbs that you use to replenish your body after the workout. I highly recommend that you consume your post workout meal or snack within 30 minutes of your workout.

• Meal Replacement Shake: As you know, I’m a big fan of Shakeology and this is my all time go to post workout Shake, because it’s more than just protein, it’s a true meal which includes not only carbs, but also minerals, vitamins, adaptogens (which also help with the post workout recovery), super greens (to help reduce the acidic ph levels, which also help with reduction of inflammation), and so much more.
• Chocolate Milk – This can be Soy Milk or Dairy Milk, both options are a great mix of protein and carbs and easy to digest and great when you are in a pinch.
• Hummus with Veggies and Whole Grain Pita: This is a great snack, especially if you want something more savory.
• Green Salad with Lean Protein & Veggies: Your protein options can be tofu, edamame, hard boiled eggs, tempeh, nuts, seeds, or beans.  Aim to use a vinegar based dressing.
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich or a Hummus & Veggie Sandwich: This is the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Many people think sandwiches are not healthy, it’s a matter of the bread you choice, the condiments/fillings that you use. Here’s my tips on how to make a Healthier PB&J

 

Hopefully, this will give you some ideas of what to eat before and after your workouts! 

3 Ways to Make a Healthier PB&J

One of my all time favorite snacks and go to meals when I am traveling is a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich.  I think that its the perfect blend of savory, salty and sweet and the bread provides the carbs and there is a bit of nostalgia that makes this such a comforting treat.  However, the traditional version can pack tons of sugar, calories, and preservatives, and this is where many people make the wrong turn.  So I wanted to share with you how I make mine healthier.

There are 3 ingredients, so the key is to ensure that you choose the best options for each:

1. The Bread: So, I feel like I shouldn’t have to say it, but i’ll say it anyway…NO WHITE BREAD ALLOWED!   There is really no nutritional value and if you are serving this to kids, you are pumping them full of sugar and preservatives that will do more harm than good.  Instead I opt for a WHOLE GRAIN BREAD.  Unfortunately, just because a bread looks like it’s whole grain, please make sure to check the labels for your bread, as many times the bread manufacturers still add a lot of refined and processed carbs, sugars, and preservatives to the bread. Also, check the labels to make sure that “sugar” (or one of it’s cousins) are not in the top 3 ingredients.  Here are a few of my favorite bread selections – Food For Life Ezekiel Bread, Sprouted Whole Grain, Eureka Organic Bread, Dave’s Killer Bread.  
2. The Peanut Butter: PB is simply ground peanuts (or other nuts or seeds if you are allergic), so when looking for a healthier option of peanut butter, just look at the label, the only ingredient should be Peanuts. Maybe salt, if you like that extra depth, but if the nut butter has anything else – sugar, palm oil or other ingredients that you don’t recognize – leave it alone.  If you are feeling fancy, you can always make your own at your local grocery store, it’s a bit pricier, but to be honest I’ve found great brands that are tasty and pure peanut butter – Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, Adam’s 100% Natural Peanut Butter. 
3. The Jelly: Actually, your first step should be to switch from Jelly to “Jam” or “Preserves” or “Fruit Spread”, where the process is more natural and doesn’t include gelatin or other preservatives to make that gelatinous consistency.  However, there are not many jams on the market that don’t sugar in them, which makes me sad, so I just aim to ensure that the ingredients are minimal, the fruit is the main attraction (#1 on the list) and that the sugar content is less than 8g of sugar. My all time go to is Trader Joe’s Organic Strawberry Fruit Spread, it’s sweetened with grape juice and it’s so good. If you are a Costco member, the Kirkland brand is pretty good, if not just use discretion and check labels.

As I said, this classic trio has been a life saver for me when I’m running around, after a workout, on the road, floating on the Russian River with friends, being snuck into a convention center for the Beachbody Coach Summit, or simply when I want something sweet, savory, and comforting.  The key is to make the best choices possible, check labels to ensure that it truly is “Natural” and not full of junk.  Also, if you are allergic to gluten or peanuts, feel free to experiment with gluten free options and look for different nut or seed butters.   Now go pour a glass of Almond Milk and make a PB&J!

My Post Vegas Detox Plan

Last week, I went to Vegas with a few instructors and members of one of the studios where I teach – Dogpatch Dance & Yoga in San Francisco. While we had a great time, I definitely was off track with my nutrition.  The main culprit was that I was off my normal sleep, workout, and eating schedule, which threw me off, coupled with the lack of fresh fruits and veggies and eating at random times of the night, including a 5AM post club meal of Fried Chicken and Waffles! Now that I am back home, I am going to use this week to get back on track with my nutrition, sleep, and fitness.

Here is my plan of action, I’ll make sure to share my results with you at the end of the week:

1. Hydration: Vegas in June is pretty hot and dry and even though I didn’t drink alcohol while I was on vacation, I didn’t drink enough water.
   • Start each day with a glass of water upon waking up is a great way to wake up the body and rev up the digestive system to facilitate a smoother detoxification process.
   • Drinking at least half my body weight (in ounces) of water is vital on all levels and should be a non-negotiable for everyone. But if you are working out, make sure to add 16 – 24 additional ounces to your daily total.
2. Nutrient Dense Breakfast: Breakfast is such a vital meal and most of us take that for granted and either skip it completely or eat a breakfast high in fat and sugar. Each morning, I’ll be drinking Shakeology, which is a nutrient dense vegan meal replacement shake that is more like a super potent multi-vitamin & probiotic packed with superfoods, super greens, adaptogens, and more.  This not only gives me fuel, but the daily dose of dense nutrition helps moves things right along and puts the proper things into my body.
3. Simple Lunch & Dinner: I’m not trying to be super fancy this week with my meals, I’m eliminating chicken, red meat and pork and will focus on eating a lot of fish, fruits, and veggies for most of my meals. My meals will be:
   • Kale Salads with Tuna, Beets, Hard Boiled Eggs, and Cabbage for lunch
   • Thai Curry Lentils & Spinach with Brown Rice, Garlic & Herb Salmon with Sauteed Garlic Green Beans and Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Fish Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa & Black Beans and rice for dinner
4. Green Smoothies for my Afternoon Snack: I love drinking Green Smoothies in the afternoon, because I typically crave something sweet and by packing a smoothie with fresh kale and some frozen fruit, it feels like treat but also helps with adding more detox friendly ingredients to my daily intake. Here’s my recipe.
5. Special Attention to the Body: I’ll be doing Shaun T’s “Shaun Week” Fitness Challenge this week, which is sure to be a perfect addition to my nutrition plan, as I’ll be able to break a sweat and help to get rid of those Vegas toxins.  I’ll also add in some yoga with Beachbody OnDemand’s Yoga Studio program.  (If you want information on how to access this for free, comment below).
6. Rest: One of the most important parts of this week is ensuring that my body gets caught up on its rest (although I slept for 16 hours when I returned). Our bodies use rest to help heal, reset, refresh, and recover and if we deprive our bodies of rest, the body can’t function the way it needs to. Plus, it has been shown that sleep deprivation is a big factor in weight gain. So I’ll be aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
7. Self Love: With a detox, it’s so easy to look at it as a punishment. We focus on what we are missing out on and make a big deal out of it. Instead, I am simply using this as a way to honor and respect my body. I don’t regret anything from my time in vegas and if I had to go back, I would probably have done the same thing, except eaten more macaroons! So, now that I’m back home, I am simply focusing on how lucky I am to be able to eat nourishing, healthy and fresh foods, excited to try Shaun T’s “Shaun Week” workouts, and to take time to rest and recover from one of the best Vegas trips to date!

If you want to keep up to date with how this week goes, make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Snapchat!

What to do when you are not seeing results?

I know how frustrating it can be when you are on your health and fitness journey, you are working out and eating healthy, but it doesn’t seem like things are moving. This is typically when people get frustrated and want to give up or try an extreme measure to
speed up the results.

The first thing that you should realize is that this will take time and extreme measures will only make it worse for you in the long run. Instead, here are some tips that I have used for myself and share with my clients who are struggling to see results.

 

1. STICK WITH IT! I know that this is not what you want to hear, but it is true. Consistency is key to getting lasting results. If you are not seeing results, chances are you have not been at it long enough, so keep going. If you have been at this for awhile, maybe you should ask yourself “Am I giving this 100%?” or is there an area where you can step it up a notch? Add higher weights or maybe you are eating more sugar than you should or maybe you don’t need that extra glass of wine at dinner?

2. Track Your Activities: If you are not sure what to change or tweak, take a week and track EVERYTHING! I use my Fitbit and MyFitnessPal to track my food, my steps, my calories burned, and my sleep. I also journal about my mood and stress levels. When I track my activities I have a clear view of what I’m doing well and what I”m not doing, this is huge. You can take that information and figure out things that you want to change.

3. Test & Analyze: Once you have an idea of where you can improve, make a small change and test it for 2 – 3 weeks. If you upgrade a current habit with an even better habit, usually that will shock the system enough to get some things moving right along. Maybe you add more intensity to your workouts or you cut out the after dinner snack or get one additional hour of sleep or take a yoga class on sundays. See if that makes a difference, if not, keep that good habit going (remember consistency is key and it may take more time) and add another better habit.

4. Focus on Non Scale Victories: As you go through this journey and adjust your habits, don’t focus so much on the scale. The scale doesn’t always tell the full story and can leave you feeling defeated, even though you have improved your sleep habits, increased your workout intensity, meal prepped like a boss, and have less anxiety. These are all pluses and just know that you are focused on improving yourself, soon you’ll feel so great, the weight loss will be a bonus, not the priority.

This process takes time, so be patient and trust the process. If you have been on this journey for a long with no significant changes, then it may be time to consult with a fitness professional, nutritionist, or your doctor for additional support and help.

If you would like to speak more about how to work together to help you reach your goals, comment below!

3 Clean Eating Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is one the most important meals of the day, mainly because it provides your body with the first dose of nutrition (or lack thereof) to start the day. Unfortunately, most people either skip breakfast all together or choose less than optimal foods that are high in sugar and fats, leaving them feeling exhausted and out of energy by mid morning. This is where the spiral of bad choices continues, when are energy is low mid morning, we opt for more cups of coffee (typically loaded with dairy and sugar) or grab something quick like a muffin or pastry (again more fat and sugar). This back of forth of sugar kick to sugar low, puts the body in a very fragile state.

However, when we start our day with a nutrient dense breakfast that has a mix of complex carbs, fiber, healthy fats, and protein, our body has the right kind of fuel to help us have the energy we need to take on the day.  Our desire and need for sugar and caffeine subside, because we have natural energy and I’ve found that most people make better food choices for the rest of the day.

When I am not drinking my daily Shakeology, which is a superfood meal replacement shake that is perfect dose of dense nutrition that tastes like a dessert, I am aim to eat one of these breakfasts:

• Eggs and Whole Grain Toast: Eggs are a great source of protein and the whole grain toast is a great source of fiber and complex carbs.  This helps to balance blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller longer in the morning.  When it comes to the type of eggs, I like egg white scrambles with veggies or mini egg muffins with turkey bacon or even poached eggs to accompany my toast.  If I want to make breakfast a bit more indulgent, I’ll add avocado to my toast, which provides a nice dose of healthy fats which the body needs to function and helps with weight loss, or I’ll add some 100% fruit preserves or honey for a touch of healthy sweetness. Here’s a simple recipe for mini egg muffins. 
• Oatmeal and Fruit: Oatmeal is a perfect breakfast because it really does help you to feel full, thanks to the fiber and complex carbs that take longer for the body to digest and give you sustained energy. Depending on how I’m feeling I’ll go for traditional hot oatmeal made with almond milk with a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg.  I may even add a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter for added healthy fats. Sometimes, I opt for the cold version – Overnight Oats – which are a perfect meal prep breakfast that you can make days in advance and just grab and go.  See my favorite recipe here. 
• Green/Superfood Smoothies: As I mentioned, I typically drink Shakeology every single morning to start my day, as I like knowing that I’m getting a big chunk of my nutrients, vitamins and minerals into my body first thing.  Another option, would be to make a Green Smoothie. The biggest mistake people make with their “Green Smoothies” is that they are packed with more fruit and sugar, than their greens. They add sugar packed yogurts, super sweet fruit juices and tons of fruit, which can cause you to max out on your daily amount of sugars and carbs in one sitting.  Instead, focus on using 2 cups of greens to 1 cup of fruit, use coconut water instead of juice or unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of yogurt, and add a tablespoon of healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, almond butter, coconut oil, or an avocado, to help you feel fuller longer. See my post on how to make the Perfect Green Smoothie. 

 

The key is simple. One – make sure that you eat breakfast. Two – make sure that your breakfast is one that will fuel you and set you up to have a successful, energized and productive day.

Fall Harvest Crockpot Chili

Fall is officially here and I am thrilled about it! It’s my favorite season mainly because most of my favorite foods are fall staples!

Last week, I made Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the crockpot and had A little bit extra so I decided why not throw the rest into my Crockpot Chili?!?

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how it came out. It was filling and delicious. I also added some green peas for an extra dose of protein and Zuchinni, which along with the peas, adds some extra immunity boosting phytonutrients.

Here is the recipe below:

• 1 pound of Ground Turkey
• 8 ounces of Fresh Salsa
• 8 ounces of Fresh Pico De Gallo
• 8 Ounces of Green Peas
• 8 ounces of Frozen Corn
• 8 ounces of Frozen Bell Peppers & Onions Mix (or 1/2 cup of each fresh)
• 1 Zuchinni, Chopped
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 can of kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons of Taco Seasoning
• 8 ounces of Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Throw it all in the crockpot and and let it cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

I served mine with Green Chili Cornbread. (Hint: Add 2 tablespoons of Green Chili Salsa to cornered mix and enjoy the sweet heat!)

3 Tips to Get Out of Your Funk

I don’t know what is going on these days, but I’ve been speaking with a lot of my clients and friends who have said they are feeling “Blah!” when it comes to their jobs, their relationships (or lack thereof), their finances, their family, and their health/fitness. I don’t what it is, but I wanted to share my 3 tips that have helped me and I’ve already heard back from a few who have said my tips have helped them.

In the video below, I break it down into the following:

1. Get Clarity in what you want.  If you are unhappy, it’s important to know exactly you are unhappy about and what exactly you want to change.
2. Get Organized and clear the clutter. When our life, house, minds, fridge, etc is packed with clutter, it can create more anxiety and stress about the current situation and it can prevent us from seeing opportunities and possibilities to change ourselves, our situation or our perspective.
3. Get a Goal that you can use to focus your attention and energy.  Once you know what you want to change and you have created space for change to happen, you have to take action by moving forward in a positive direction.

Watch the video to get a bit more about these tips and to help you get on track to getting out of your funk!

Shrimp & Mango Skewers with Blackberry Sauce

Every month my friends and I have a themed dinner night. We draw two cards out of a bag full of different themes and this month was Seafood and Your Favorite Color. My favorite color is purple, so here is this recipe. 

Spicy Shrimp & Mango Skewers with Blackberry Glaze 

1 pound of Shrimp, deveined & raw

1 Mango, diced 

3 Tablespoons of seedless blackberry jam 

4 Tablespoons of soy sauce 

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp of Sriracha 

Old Bay Seasoning 

1. Alternate Shrimp and Mango on a soaked skewer and lay on a cookie sheet. Pat the skewers dry. 

2. Season skewers with Old Bay Seasoning 

3. In a bowl, combine blackberry jam, soy sauce, garlic and Sriracha into a bowl and brush on skewers on both slides. Save any left over sauce and place in a saucepan. 

4. Broil skewers on high for 4-5 minutes on each side. 

5. While the skewers are cooking, reduce the remaining sauce in a pan on medium heat until it thickens. 

6. Once skewers are done, drizzle the thickened sauce over the skewers and top with green onions and serve with orange slices. 

7. Squeeze orange slices over the skewers and enjoy! 

I saved the leftovers and combined with brown rice for a tasty and healthy lunch. 

How to eat healthy as a “Picky Eater”

I hear this all the time from clients, when we move on to talking about their diet and nutrition. And to be honest, I can’t relate, because I literally love all types of foods!  There is a very small list of foods that I don’t like to eat, which creates a completely different problem. (We will get into that in another blog post! LOL)

When I start working with a “picky eater”, my focus with them is to help them change their mindset and find solutions that will help them stay on track. Nutrition is a huge part of the transformation process and you can’t out exercise a bad diet. So, you have to get this under control if you want to get lasting results.

1.Focus on the foods that you like: I think that a lot of people get so caught up on what “healthy eating” is, and they believe that in order to be healthy they have to stick to a strict list of foods that are acceptable. I once had a client say that she couldn’t eat healthy, because she didn’t like spinach. In her mind, if she couldn’t eat what her friends were eating on their diet, it was pointless for her to even start.  So I asked her, “What foods do you like?” From there we came up with a list of foods that she does like and started to focus on creating a meal plan that included those things. So, if you don’t like kale, don’t eat kale, there are many other healthy vegetables that you can eat to stay on track. 🙂

2. Experiment with new recipes and new preparation techniques. It’s 2016, which means there is an unlimited amount of resources available to find recipes. Once you have an idea of what foods you do like, go to Google or Pinterest and type if “[FOOD YOU LIKE] Healthy Recipes” and voila! You will have a list of options that you can start to work into your daily routine. Also, try new preparation techniques, like using a Crock Pot or trying grilling your chicken instead of baking it.

3. Expand your horizons: Once you have a hang of trying new things with the foods that you like, take a step further and start to add new foods into the mix.  I don’t mean a huge overhaul, but maybe trying one new vegetable, or grain, or new way to prepare your meal.  This is one of the best ways to keep things from getting boring or stale, unless you like that (some people do like eating the same thing, because it helps to keep them on track and relieves some stress).

At the end of the day, just because you are a “picky eater”, it doesn’t mean that you are doomed when it comes to getting a handle on your nutrition.  Try these 3 tips and give it a shot!

If you are looking for a way to get a better handle on Clean Eating, check out my free Clean Eating Guide, which includes a sample meal play and grocery list that you can check out.  Click here to download the guide. 

Mini Meatloaf Muffins

Mini Meatloaf Muffins are a perfect way to meal prep and watch your portions.  I make the meatloaf mixture then portion then off into 12 balls and bake in a muffin tin. The great thing about them is that they also freeze well! 

Here is the recipe: 

• 2 Pounds of Ground Turkey, Beef, or other lean meat
• One bell pepper, chopped
• One small onion, chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, chopped
• One cup of rolled oats
• 21 seasoning salute
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients and form into 12 balls. 
2. Place each ball into a section of a muffin tin. 
3. Bake on 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Top with low sugar ketchup or tomato sauce and enjoy with a side of veggies. I typically eat 2 muffins per serving.