September 26th...U r what U eat!

 Ok so I'm standing here staring into the abyss called my fridge, of course I'm thinking to myself, there's nothing to eat.  I sound like my kids!  The fridge is full...of good food, no junk food anywhere around here...unfortunately.  Why, cause I'd eat it!  I know myself and if there are any sweets or baking or any other food that is going to land on my ass, I will track it down at 9pm and eat it!  A conversation that keeps coming up in my gym is, I'm working out, why am I not loosing any weight. Because you are what you eat...We have to think of our bodies like a car engine, if you put in crappy fuel in it, i.e. fast food, or junk food, your engine has to work extra hard to break down all those empty calories, when instead, it should be burning calories.  This extra work puts alot of stress on your body.  When you put in clean fuel, veggies, fruits, meat and whole grains, your body runs smooth and efficiently.  If your are feeding your body clean fuel, then your results will come faster.  It's not going to happen over night.  Give yourself 4-6 weeks of eating clean and working out 3-4x week and you should be seeing some amazing changes.  I will totally admit to having a chocolate bar or piece of pizza once in awhile, but I do it on days where I've had a big work out.  Plus, if your on it with your eating and exercise, 1 cheat day is not going to harm you.  Next week I will be focusing on the Paleo diet, so stay tuned for some yummy recipe ideas! 

Here's a thought, next time you start shoveling empty calories into your mouth, ask yourself...are you upset, are you tired, are you bored or are you actually hungry?  Think before you eat...start recognizing your habits so that you can change them!  One day at time, gets you closer to your goal.

September 25th...Paleo chicken stuffed with YUMMIENESS!

Yum, this was so good!  Mushroom and Hazelnut, stuffed chicken for dinner tonight!  So for the month of October, I'm going to encourage all my clients and yourself, to go Paleo for the entire month.   Not to worry, I will hook you up with all the goods, such as recipes, website info and all that you will need for a painless transition!  I was flipping through one of my Paleo books, thanks Jamie, and saw today's dinner...here it is...

Set oven to 400 degrees / Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts / 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms / 1 sm onion / 3 cloves garlic / 1/4 cups Hazelnuts chopped / 1/2 cups chic stock / 2 tbsp Dijon mustard / 1 tbsp fresh Sage / I used Coconut Oil to satay everything in.

Satay onions first in oil about 7 mins.  add mushrooms and continue to cook til all moisture is gone.  Add Hazelnuts, mix together and set aside in a bowl to cool down.

Slice chicken breasts in half so you can stuff them with the mixture...took me 3 tries to get it right!  I ended up just using my hands to stuff the chicken...make sure mixture has cooled off, don't want to burn your fingers.  Bring ends together, I used tooth picks to hold edges together.

Add a bit more oil to pan, brown all sides of stuffed breast.  Place on baking pan, in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20mins.

Use same frying pan with all the leftovers in it to make the gravy.  Add chicken stock, Dijon mustard, and Sage ( I didn't have fresh Sage, so just used a poultry seasoning).  Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, reduce heat to let thicken.  Pour over your stuffed chicken!

Does this not look good or what!  I had mine with a healthy version of the Waldorf salad ( I used Greek yogurt and a splash of lemon juice for dressing on the salad).  The rest of the family had rice, kids loved it!

September 24th...Kicking "self-doubts" ass to the curb!

Sometimes, life looks good on the outside, sometimes we put on a brave face and sometimes when days are dark for us, self doubt sits on our shoulders and tries to break us down.  Slowly, thought by thought, we start to crack as our self doubt gains momentum.  We sit in it, our dreams slowly becoming fogged over, wondering when or how life's gonna get easier.  Trying to grasp at anything to make it better or even worse...make it easier.  Then something as simple as hearing my son's laughter, brings me back to reality.  Hearing the energy in his voice and seeing the smile on his face, crushed my self doubt.  Suddenly looking into his eyes, there was no such thing as self doubt, I told myself there can't be, because my son stands before me.  6 years ago we were told we had a chance of one in a million to conceive.  So, self doubt, I 'm kicking your ass to the curb!  I don't have time for you, I have goals to set, dreams to bring to life and cuddle time with my little man!  I was looking up some CrossFit video's on YouTube and came across some awesome "motivational" video's / speeches...nobody says it better than Rocky.  Here's your pep talk for today!

September 19th...Get your outdoor work out on!

So, do you get bored of the same old work outs or just being in the same environment for your work out?  If so, it's time to go explore your local parks and trails as they are a playground waiting to be used!

Above is Latoria Creek Park, a local park here in Colwood.  I love this trail because it's nice and even, no roots to trip over. It's also wide enough for two people, so drag a friend out and enjoy a good chit chat while you work out. Lots of free parking right in front.  Here we go, as you start out on the trail you will go over a small bridge, stay to the LEFT, and continue on the along onto the lower trail.  You'll see 1 or 2 trails heading straight up, they just go up to subdivisions. 

The trail is nice and shaded during the summer, and come fall, will keep you somewhat dry from the rain.  The trail is an easy 5-7 minute jog, going over variety of little hills and some small stair cases...then you reach the "Mother Load" of stair cases!

Yup! 130 in all and a bench at the bottom where you can rest...NOT!  So here's the work out...you didn't think I was just going to show you the trail did you...NO, this is your work out!  If you don't live here, no problem, go find a set of stairs and follow along.  I like to do a bit more of a warm up before I tackle this many stairs, multiple times.  So if you continue down the trail you'll get a few more minutes in of a run, and then turn around back to the staircase...here's your work out.  

#1/Run up stairs, walk down( so you don't wipe out...this is your rest!)

10 squats 

10 walking lunges

10 push ups

#2/Run stairs

10 jump squats

10 alternating jumping lunges

10 push ups

#3/ REPEAT #1

#4/ REPEAT #2

NOTE: there are NO RESTS, this is a continuous 4 rounds...your rest is when you carefully walk down the stairs as your legs will feel like jello!  Scale work out to your fitness level.  Run half the stairs and do half the reps to get yourself started or do the full work out and take out the jumping.  Modify to what WORKS FOR YOU!  Do a easy jog back or walk to loosen up the legs and don't forget to stretch afterwards...there is a picnic table at the entrance, sit on it and stretch!  Let me know how it goes!

September 13th...Sticking to your goals, scotch tape can help!

Does this quote not say it all!  Well pretty much, but I need to add a little more to it.  Yes, be proud of yourself for getting in a work out TODAY, or eating healthier TODAY.  Try to be in the moment, and give your self a pat on the back for reaching your goals TODAY.  Take that positive feeling and turn it into power to motivate yourself for tomorrow.  Your goals don't have to be big, but your have to set them, be specific.  Get it out there, tell a friend who will help keep you accountable!  Mark your daily goal on a calender, put it on the fridge, so you can see it everyday and be accountable by keeping track of your progress.  Heck, post it on the bathroom mirror!  The more you focus on your goal, by envisioning it, the more successful you will be at accomplishing it.  What are you waiting for people?  Go get the Scotch tape and stick it up!

September 7th...Stop thinking...more DOING!

Uh-oh, look out, I'm on a mission this morning!  My body and mind right now are on two different paths.  Seems I can't shake this fatigue from the West Coast Trail, turns out I may have some thyroid issues.  It's driving me nuts, not being able to get back into my groove, and it's affecting many aspects of my daily life.  I saw this quote and realized this was me...The Pessimist, I got caught up in complaining about how tired I was, and how hard the hike was, and how I had to carry and an extra pack and bla bla bla.  Then came The Optimist...expecting once I got home that all would fall into place, expecting my body would just bounce back to normal, expecting I'd be fine with Chase entering Kindergarten...WOW that's expecting allot to happen, just on it's own!  Then I woke up this morning and The Realist inside me said, "WTF Mel" like Cher in Moonstruck, when she says, "Snap-out of it!"  You need to do some serious adjusting, so start with your attitude.  So what...you feel like shit and can barely do 5 push ups, so what...your sad cause Chase is growing up, so what, so what!  Get over it, stop thinking about "what your gonna do" and just start "DOING" already!  I am The Realist, time to adjust, adapt, and MOVE MY ASS into gear.  So, when one door closes, you can sit there and wait for it to "maybe" open again or open your eyes, take a big step forward and walk through the unknown of another door...you'll never know what the future holds unless you can over come your fears and failures.  See them as stepping stones rather than closed doors and before you know it, you'll be on your way one step closer to your goal!

September 5th...What's in your vitamins?

Well I've been feeling a bit run down lately, and I'm pretty sure it's the after math of the West Coast Trail.  I spent the first 2 days carrying an extra back pack, and doubling back and forth on the trail with it...long story. 

By day 3 our average trek was about 8-10 kms a day, with my pack weighing at least at 50lbs...explains why I still have numbness in my shoulders!  Day 4 or 5 was a 13 km trek, and I'm not talking about easy trail walking, we were going over boulders and trees taller than me!  Bush whacking, rope climbing with my pack on, and trying to walk over rocks covered in algae, like walking on ice.  Makes Tough Mudder looks like child's play!  It's not the WC "trail"...it should be called, WC grind, that is going to kick your butt!  Government cut funding, so there is really next to no trail maintenance.  Anyhow, enough of my whinning.  I knew we would be burning a crazy amount of calories and there was no way we could eat enough to keep up with our metabolism.  When I got home my body crashed, hard.  Mentally and physically I was empty!  Now, I'm trying to get back on track, slowly but surely my energy is coming back.  I realized for this to happen that I have to be eating super clean and making sure I get the most out of my food.  I started taking vitamins again to "top up" my tank. 

So what vitamins do I need, how do they work and what are they for
Vitamins are made up of either Fat Soluble Vitamins or Water Soluble Vitamins.  
Water soluble (Vitamin C and all of the B vitamins): Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that our bodies do not store. These vitamins dissolve in water when they are ingested, then go in to the blood stream. The body keeps what it needs at that time, and excess amounts are excreted in the urine. Since they can’t be stored, everybody needs a continuous supply of water soluble vitamins in order to stay healthy.
Fat Soluble (Vitamins A, D, E and K): Fat soluble vitamins are those that are normally stored in the body. When these vitamins are ingested, they dissolve in fat. In a person with a healthy digestive system, the body uses what it needs at that time and stores the rest for future use. 
What do Vitamins do? Vitamins help to boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. 
To find out what vitamins are in what foods go to: http://kidshealth.org/teen/misc/vitamin_chart.html

September 4th...Yee Ha, back to school!

How does that commercial go..."it's the most wonderful time of the year!" something like that.  I woke up this morning, poured myself a cup of coffee and thought...finally, no more crazy mornings. We spent last year working towards the kids being more independent in the mornings, like getting themselves up on time, making their own breakfast and lunch for school.  Now  Max 11, and Jackson 14, are well on their way!  That whole thought occurred even before my first sip of coffee!  Then it happened, I inhaled the liquid gold and before the caffeine could send a message to my brain, it hit me, like train crashing into a wall(too many action movies).  "Mommy where's my chocolate milk, I'm waiting don't cha know AND why aren't my cartoons on!".  CHASE...who just turned 5, starts kindergarten tomorrow and now, we start all over again!...              Life is short, drink more freak'n coffee!  
   O.K. now that I'm over the trauma of this morning's reality check, let's get focused, on healthy snacks and lunches for you and your kids.  I posted this way back in January, my healthier version of the "Granola Bar" with only 8 ingredients, store bought brands can have up to 52 ingredients listed on the package!
                                  
Here it is: 1/2 cup no sugar added apple sauce, 2 mashed bananas,
 1/4 cup Sunflower oil, 1 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/3 cup unsweetened fine coconut, 1/2 cup w/w flour, 1 1/2 cups rolled oats.
Mix all together in a bowl. Bake at 350 degrees for 40mins.
NOTE. we doubled our recipe in the picture at the top.  Also in the future I would substitute the raisins for cranberries, to cut back on sugar.
Calories for home made is 116 per square as cut in 12 pieces, the store bought is 140cal. per bar.
See Jan. 29th for full Blog and comparison of bars.