Seared Ahi Steaks

Ingredients:

2 - 4 ounce Ahi steaks
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill to medium heat
Season to taste
Grill each side for 2 1/2 minutes

Slice and enjoy, you can use Kikkoman Ponzu sauce for dipping.

Cinnamon Coconut Protein Pancakes

Deliciousness!! Pancakes + protein = Heaven! 😋

Ingredients:

1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 cup vanilla Shakeology
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together.
Spray a nonstick pan with coconut flour or non stick spray (coconut or olive oil).
Turn your heat to medium/high.
Once the pan is sizzling hot, pour your batter on it. Then turn the heat back to medium/low to make sure the pancakes cook through without burning.
Flip once bubbles start to appear on the pancake's surface then flip again!

Coconut Lime Shakeology

Total Time: 5 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. pure coconut extract

Preparation:

1. Place coconut milk, water, lime juice, coconut extract, Shakeology, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Via: Team Beachbody

Should I Eat Before My Morning Workout?

Morning workouts aren’t for everyone and I just recently switched to them due to my son starting Pre Kindergarten, but for those of you who love them (or just love to get them over with early in the day!), deciding whether to eat breakfast before or after is a pretty common dilemma.

 

Head straight out the door for a morning bike ride without eating or drinking, and you may not have enough in the tank to power through it. That’s  because over the course of the night your carbohydrate stores, which your muscles rely on for energy during exercise, have been used to maintain your blood sugar and provide energy to your brain. On the other hand, eating a full meal before working out could lead to stomach cramping, indigestion–or worse. (If you don’t know what I mean by “worse,” trust me, you don’t want to.)

The good news is, it’s possible to be properly fueled for a morning workout without the unpleasant side effects that send you running to the nearest restroom. It’s all about what you eat, and when you eat it.

Before Your Morning Workout

• 30-60 minutes before you lace up your sneakers, have a carbohydrate-rich snack, like a piece of fruit, a slice of toast with jam, or a low-fiber granola bar.
• Drink a tall glass of water to help digest your snack and rehydrate after those 8-12 hours of laying around.
• Avoid fiber and fat since they take more effort for you body to digest and can cause an upset stomach.
• If eating early in the morning doesn’t agree with you, have some applesauce or a small glass of 100% fruit juice. Just stay away from the more acidic juices like orange or grapefruit since they can irritate your stomach. You can also hydrate with a diluted sport drink instead of regular water. The added carbohydrates will help keep you going.

After Your Morning Workout
Enjoy a healthy breakfast that contains complex carbohydrates and protein within 1 hour following your workout. Doing so will replenish your energy stores and help build and repair muscle. Here are a few great post-workout breakfast ideas:

• A yogurt parfait with granola, fruit, and a sprinkle of nuts or seeds
• A smoothie made with yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, and some avocado, peanut butter, flax, or chia seeds for a dose of healthy fats
• Oatmeal (made with milk for added protein), topped with dried or fresh fruit, nuts, or nut butter
• Eggs with sautéed veggies (think: spinach, tomato, caramelized onions), a slice of whole grain toast, and a cup of reduced-fat milk. Grab a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts if you’re still hungry.

Don’t sabotage your morning workout before you even get started. Eating the right things before and after will keep you fueled and help your body recover afterwards!
Do you exercise in the morning, too? What are some of your favorite workout-fueling foods?


Via: MyFitnessPal - Elle Penner= M.P.H., R.D. and edited by Maria Doney

5 Reasons to Eat Avocados

Avocados are delicious, but did you know they could also help curb your appetite? According to a recent study, those who ate half an avocado with lunch felt 28% less of a desire to eat more in the 5 hours following the meal.

But, that’s not all avocados can do for you. Here are a few more of their benefits!
1. They are high in monounsaturated fats. The types of fatty acids in the avocado help reduce inflammation (great if you have arthritis) and can lower your risk for heart disease.

2. They help with the absorption of two antioxidants: lycopene and beta-carotene if you’re enjoying a salad or salsa.

3. The omega-9 fatty acids within the avocado are said to improve skin tone and help repair damaged skin cells.

4. Avocados may help improve blood cholesterol, thanks to the compound they contain known as beta-sitosterol. In one study, patients who ate avocados for 7 days saw a 17% decrease in total blood cholesterol, a 22% decrease in both LDL and triglyceride levels, and an 11% increase in HDL levels.

What is your favorite way to enjoy avocado? Mine is on its own with a touch of sea salt.

Via: Team Beachbody

Black Bean, Broccoli, and Mozzarella Tostada

Ingredients: (per 1 tostada)

3 tbsp black beans
2 broccoli florets
3 oz mozzarella cheese
1 small organic tortilla

Directions:

Spread black beans first (be sure to drain well), add broccoli, and mozzarella. Toast in toaster oven on dark or until cheese is melted and the tortilla starts to brown. 

The Effect of Dietary Protein on Your Muscles

It’s fairly common knowledge these days that protein is “good” for one’s muscles. However, most folks don’t really understand what it is that dietary protein actually does to support muscle fiber in the body.

Breakdown and Repair
To begin with, let’s get clear about what muscles we’re talking about here. There are three distinct types of muscle fiber in the human body. The digestive tract and other internal organs are primarily smooth muscle. The heart is cardiac muscle. The muscles that help move bones and power the body’s outward movement are skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is what most people refer to when they talk about dietary protein’s effect on muscle growth. Smooth and cardiac muscle is constituted through a different cellular process.
Skeletal muscle is almost entirely protein. Think about it. Animal protein (you know, meat) is simply various cuts of animal skeletal muscle. The synthesis of muscle protein is essential to the body’s ongoing growth, repair, and maintenance of the skeletal muscle groups.  Skeletal muscle is constantly broken down through the many physical activities that the body endures. All things being equal, the longer and/or higher the intensity of the activity, the more skeletal muscle breakdown there will be. This breakdown process is known as catabolism. The body’s process of repairing the damage done and building muscle is known as anabolism. This is where dietary protein becomes essential.
The anabolic process starts when dietary proteins are consumed. During the digestive process, the body secretes various enzymes throughout the digestive tract and these break those proteins down into their individual amino acids. When these reach the small intestine, the amino acids are absorbed and then circulated throughout the body. The skeletal muscles use these amino acids as building blocks to create the proteins of new muscle tissue. So in essence, dietary protein fuels the anabolic process.

How to Get the Most out of Dietary Protein
Eat the Right Amount
The RDA for dietary protein is 0.8 g per kilogram of weight in sedentary adults. This equates to about 56 grams per day for an average male and 46 grams per day for an average female. Keep in mind, however, that this is the amount necessary to support repair of the catabolic effects from a sedentary lifestyle. Once activity, exercise and/or hard training is added into the mix, the body’s protein needs go up. Dr. Peter Lemon from the University of Western Ontario found that the RDA for those engaged in strength training is about double that of a sedentary individual, which is roughly 1.7 – 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day.
The other important consideration is how much protein to consume per meal. Most researchers agree that 20 grams of protein is the most effective amount to consume per serving. The body can only assimilate so much dietary protein at once. Beyond that, excess dietary protein can be converted to fat and stored that way—but it can’t revert back to protein again. The liver converts excess amino acids to other usable molecules but the process creates ammonia, which is transformed into urea by the liver. The body flushes urea from the system through urination, which is why consuming excess protein can have a dehydrating effect.   Of course, if you ingest too little dietary protein, the anabolic process will suffer.

Choose the Right Protein
There are 21 amino acids the body uses for anabolism and every type of dietary protein is comprised of various amounts of these. The body requires a certain amount of each and while it can create some of these on its own, others have to be ingested. These are known as the essential amino acids and a complete protein contains all of nine essential amino acids. Studies have shown that the most effective anabolic process is possible only if high quality complete proteins are ingested on a regular basis. Complete proteins include: all animal proteins, including eggs and dairy, and certain whole grains such as quinoa.

Timing and Consistency
As all proteins are comprised of different combinations of amino acids, they are digested at different rates. One study found that most bodies can digest 8-10 grams of whey protein per hour, but can only absorb about half as much casein per hour.   Because whey is absorbed so quickly it is a great option for post-workout recovery (when the muscles can accept the most protein for anabolic repair). However, during other times of the day, a protein with a slower absorption rate is a better option. For example, one study found that casein was the superior protein to consume before sleeping to promote maximum overnight recovery.
So yes, protein is quite good for your muscles. In fact, it’s essential. However for maximum effectiveness and fueling the anabolic process, you should consume high-quality dietary protein regularly and in proper amounts.

Via: Team Beachbody

Protein Pancakes - Delicious & Low Carb

Ingredients:

 1 scoop of your favorite smoothie powder
   (I use Shakeology Protein or Cytosine 100% Whey)
 3 egg whites
   (from eggs or the egg whites in cartons)
 2 oz of your favorite low sugar yogurt
  (My faves are the Carbmaster brand
   from Ralphs or Food 4 Less but Greek 
   works well too)

 

Directions:

 

1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Make pancakes in a pan as usual and serve.

3. It's that easy! That's it ;)

 

You can add the other ingredients such as bananas, oats, peanut butter, nuts, etc if you'd like but I'm trying to eat low carb so I stick with the Ralphs Carbmaster yogurts, egg whites and low carb protein.

 

I make a large batch of these on the beginning of the week,  refrigerate them and snack on them throughout the week when I'm craving sweets, bread, and/or carbs in general.

 

You can choose any protein flavor you like but vanilla tends to work best. I've also tried chocolate,  cookies & cream and strawberry.  All are yummy but vanilla is my fave! Serve them to your whole family. My son loves them!  In the batch above I made 6 batches (6 scoops of protein, 1 1/2 yogurts & 18 egg whites). It's easier to do all at once for the week and it makes plenty to have on hand for the family.

Egg & Veggie Protein Squares

These are one of my favorite snacks to have on hand. I make them once or twice a week and keep them in the refrigerator so I have something healthy to eat when hunger strikes.  They're high in protein, low in fat, low in carbs, clean and gluten free if you happen to be eating that way too!  The recipe is below but the best part about these is that you can add anything you'd like to them!

Ingredients:

1 carton of egg whites (or 12 egg whites)
1 cup of spinach
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups steamed Normandy Vegetable blend (comes frozen from Costco & consists of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & squash)
1/4 cup feta cheese (If desired. Sometimes I don't use it...)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425
2.  Spray the baking dish with olive oil to prevent from sticking
3.  Pour one carton of egg white (or 12 large egg whites) into the baking dish
4.  Add the spinach, veggies blend, cilantro and anything else you'd like in there! Sometimes I sprinkle feta cheese on top.  I also add pico de gallo if I have some on hand. You can literally add anything  you want. Some options are chives, onion, tomato, etc.
5.  Sprinkle. Mrs Dash salt free seasoning on top for flavor and place in the oven.
6.  Cook for 40-60 minutes. This depends on how you like your eggs. I like them very well done and the bottoms and sides crispy so I cook them for about an hour. If you like them softer, 40 minutes should be just fine.
7.  Let cool and cut into squares.
8.  If you plan to store them in the fridge, place them in a tupperware and they'll be ready to eat.
9. I make a large batch at once so I don't have to make them more than twice a week.  My husband, 5 year old daughter and even my 7 month old baby loves these!

If you cut them into squares about 1 inch by 1 inch, each, it makes them bite size and easy to eat.  This size they are also only about 25-30 calories each depending on whether you use cheese or not!