Top Exercises & Portobello/Caprese Pasta

TONING MUSCLES

. At the end of the day, we all want to look toned. Not only that, strong muscles keep your body strong and your balance in check.  There are a few exercises that, I believe, are the very best for keeping fit and toned.  Here are three of my favorites.  I'll start posting a few every week! 

1. The Criss-Cross or (Butterfly Crunches):

Why they rock?

First, they work the entire rectus abdominis ... you know, the abs that give you a six pack...  They also work the obliques.  There are not many moves that work the entire rectus abdominis and the obliques at the same time.  Do at least thirty, medium speed... (

never rush these).

1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, got it?

How to?

Lay on your back, make sure your lower back is pressed into the floor. Knees up at a 90 degree angle. Hands are behind your head (don't pull) elbows out wide. Bring one elbow to the opposite knee as you extend the opposite leg out straight and about 5" off the ground (beginniners put your extended leg straight up in the air). Repeat on each side.

2. Squats

Why they rock?

Ok, you want a nice tush, great legs?  Do squats... forget the isolated moves (they are good for the details, but squats are more effective).  They work your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, which provides a nice foundation to keep your butt lifted, right?  They even work your calves. 

Advanced squatters?

 Add a jump... so pop up off the floor as you rise from your squat.  Tell me if you don't feel that the next day... amazing for your legs (and a great burst of cardio. Make sure you keep your core tight to stay stable. Try 10.

Beginners:

U

se a chair! Grab a kitchen chair (no cushion). Sit down, stand up. Repeat for 20.

How to?

You already know how to do a squat, BUT, keep these things in mind: Pretend that you are sitting back in a chair, push through your heels, as you sit back you should be in a 90 degree angle.  Don't let your knees go over your toes. 

3.

Planks

Why they rock?

Planks work virtually every muscle in your body, especially your core.  They also work your transverse abdominis (see ab photo from above).  There are not many exercises that work the transverse abdominis.  Working this muscle, for lack of a better term... sucks or pulls in your waist.

How to?

Lay on the floor, put your forearms on the mat and tuck your toes under.  Pull your abs in (don't suck) and get in a straight line.  Don't push your butt up in the air and don't let your abs dip down to the floor.  

Advanced?

 Lift one leg off the floor, hold for 10 and switch legs.

Add these moves to your exercise routine a few times this week. All three work multiple muscle groups throughout the body.  Tone, baby, tone!

Onto the recipe of the day.  I was craving a nice Italian meal tonight.  There is a big "Meatless Monday" trend going on right now which I think is awesome.  You all know I love my chicken, but, it's good to say goodbye to it once a week. I thought I'd help those of you who are giving it a try... a hearty protein packed meal :)

Ingredients:

- garlic

- barilla protein plus pasta (10 grams of protein in a small serving!)

- tomatoes

- basil

- portobello mushroom (hearty and a good meat replacement in terms of texture and taste!)

- buffalo mozzarella

- olive oil

- lemon

- crushed red pepper, salt

How to:

- Boil salted water and cook pasta

During this time:

- Spray a portabello mushroom cap with olive oil spray or drizzle then throw it on a grill pan or on the grill on medium heat, sprinkle some crushed red pepper

- Chop tomato into chunks

- In a saute pan... add olive oil, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, garlic and tomatoes

- When pasta and portobello are done. Chop the mushroom and toss it with the pasta and the olive oil saute.  

- Then, chop the basil and mozzarella and sprinkle (don't cook with the basil - it may get bitter)

- Pair it with a side spinach salad and enjoy! (I sprinkled a little parmesan :-)

Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine!

Vegetarian Salad, Toasted Chickpeas, & Berry Dessert Option

I wasn't expecting to make a post tonight but my dinner came out so much yummier than I expected that I had to share the recipe.  

For the record - no, I don't only eat salads, I know I've been posting a lot of them lately.  I am, however, known in my family to be the master salad maker.  I have a knack for making boring greens into something much tastier. 

First, let's start with a

tip

.  I went out for lunch with my team today at an American restaurant.  I made a quasi-healthy choice but it was still more caloric than my usual greek yogurt/berry mixture/nut mixture.  

When you have days like this... you don't have to give up eating healthy for the rest of the day - balance it out!  Go ahead and enjoy a heavier lunch but make a lighter dinner!

Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) Seasoned w/ cayenne pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper and baked ('how to' below under photo) 

Tip: Cayenne pepper has capsaicin, a compound that has been found in SEVERAL studies to naturally increase metabolism and reduce inflammation in the body.  

- 2-3 cups of Lettuce (today I used spinach/arugula/romaine)

- 1/4 Cucumber

- 1/5 Red or Orange peppers

- 3 or 4 chopped Sundried tomatoes (don't use too many - they can overpower any meal)

- Tsp. of Sunflower seeds (could also use slivered almonds)

- 1/4 Avocado

Dressing: Take my greek recipe from the greek post and remove the garlic from the recipe, add more lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil

Next, chop and arrange all ingredients on the plate and toss with the dressing.

While you are chopping, take a can of garbanzo beans (organic if you can) and rinse them completely ( you should control the salt in the food that you cook).  Pat them dry with a paper towel and put on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spray with Olive Oil Spray, sprinkle cayenne, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  They will be a chewy/crunchy!

(Also great for a snack!)

Next, sprinkle onto salad and enjoy.  I LOVED this salad tonight.  The kick from the cayenne was delishhhh.  I saved the rest of the chickpeas for snacks later this week or perhaps in another salad again over the weekend.

Dessert Lovers - I hear you.

  If you know me, you also know that MOST nights, I have a little frozen yogurt, or a couple pieces of dark chocolate for dessert or the below dessert.  I love dessert and I do not give it up often.  A dessert that fills the craving without adding as much sugar as frozen yogurt is Berries with Chocolate Syrup (Trader Joe's makes "midnight moo" which has organic ingredients, zero preservatives, and nothing fake - it's FAR BETTER than Hershey's syrup.  It has 90 calories in 2 tbs, so go easy! 

How to make it:  Just grab your frozen berries, throw them in a cup, pop in the microwave with some cinnamon (antioxidants - remember?!) and heat for less than a minute.  Add a drizzle of the chocolate syrup and you're done!

Have an awesome nightttt - it's almost the WEEKEND - WEEEEEEEE!

Rise & Shine Advice & Baked Panko Chicken over Arugula

I was never one to work out in the morning before work unless I had after-work plans and needed to get my workout in. Coworkers, friends, and acquaintances always ask me "How do you get up so early!?" and then tell me how they "just can't work out in the morning".  Look, I get it... it is not easy.  Your bed is so comfy and you're half asleep.  When I first started working out in the morning... especially when I ran... my workouts were horrendous! I would have to stop a bunch of times and I felt unbelievably exhausted.   I get it!!  

Getting a workout in should be at whatever time works for you, if at lunch break or after work or when the kids are napping is what works for you - then great!  I personally had to switch up my schedule lately because I have been getting home so late from work that my night workouts started to suck.  I turned morning workouts into a habit and now I LOVE it.  I don't believe there's a 'better' time to work out than any other time - I believe it's what works best for your schedule :-)

Here's what I suggest if you want to try working out in the morning.  First, I promise you, with all of my heart, that the hardest part is when the alarm goes off.  So here's the thing.. ease into it.  I flick on my TV and my light, grab my phone and scroll through twitter... EVERY morning.  The lights need to be on.  Then, once I'm ready (usually 5 minutes, sometimes more) I just go... telling myself that once I get to the gym (or on the mat in my living room) I'll feel better.  Without fail, every time... I am right.  The BEST part about going to the gym in the morning is walking in and seeing all of the serious 'worker-outers' around me... they got up, just like me.  It's like a silent camaraderie... hard to explain but you'll get it once you do it.  You will immediately feel ready to work out.  The first few times you switch up your schedule and work out in the morning - it likely won't be easy.   Making it a habit is what finally made it easy for me - but it took a while.  The next best part of working out in the morning... is being done so early! (duh!)

Here are my tips to get started:

1-Start with just 15 minutes.  Get up, get dressed, and do an easy 15 minute workout.  It'll likely turn into longer than that, but if it doesn't, give yourself credit for doing something new. Even if it's just stretching.

2- Go to bed 15 minutes earlier and then 30 minutes earlier... I know this is not easy, but it makes a HUGE difference.

3-Do your favorite exercise or WHATEVER you're in the mood for first.  Sometimes I wake up and feel like I can run but can't do anything else.  Other mornings, I feel ready to lift and only lift.  I do what my body tells me to start and then add in whatever I need.

4-Start out in your own living room.  Jumping jacks, squats, burpees, lunges, push ups, punches, kicks, crunches, stretching.  You need zero equipment for that.

5-Here's when you will feel ready: 1) When your sneakers are on your feet - seriously. 2) As soon as you walk into the gym 3) As soon as you start to move.

6-Do it just a few times a week.  Last year, my schedule was a bit more flexible so I worked out 2 or 3 mornings per week and also 2 or 3 nights per week.  It was a nice balance.

When you are done - reward yourself with a healthy bfast and AT LEAST 5 minutes of stretching.

So that's that... here's my recipe of the day that I made for dinner tonight.  By my calculations it has about 300 calories - maybe less, but I like to overestimate!

Baked Panko Chicken over Arugula with Lemon Dressing

1.  Take 2 hormone-free, boneless, skinless tenderloins or 1 breast, coat it in a littttttle bit of flour, then dip in egg white, then dip in panko (japanese bread crumbs - lighter than regular bread crumbs and super crunchy) - go light on this coating.  Season with salt, crushed red pepper and parsley.  Bake for 15 minutes at 375

2. Arrange Arugula on plate (I love arugula - it's kind of peppery in flavor and it's high in vitamins a and c - It is delicious on pizza - especially prociutto pizza! ahhh but I digress.....  if you don't like it - use spinach)

3.  Chop cherry or grape tomatoes and add to plate

4. Grill up some mushrooms (or saute with a light spray or drizzle of olive oil) season with crushed red, salt, parsley - once they are done, add to plate

5.  Add the chicken and top off with either squirts of lemon and olive oil and a little parmesan or try my dressing

(I switched up my usual greek dressing to make it a better match for this salad)

Lemon/Parmesan Greek Dressing:

Mix together: 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, 2 parts nonfat greek yogurt, 1 part yellow mustard, 1 part agave nectar or honey, 1 part red wine vinegar, juice of one half lemon, tsp of parmesan, salt and pepper to taste (remember - I don't measure so make sure you taste this dressing to make sure it tastes good!)

Have an AWESOME week! And don't forget to stretch every morning... even if you don't work out... It's a great way to start the day :-)

Old Injuries & Avocado Pasta Recipe

Whew... this week was BUSY!  It's been almost a week since my last post... I'd like to post more often than that but my schedule was jam packed this week.  It's nice to sit here and relax for a little bit this morning.

Onto the subject at hand...

Old Injuries

.  For those who know me or follow me on twitter

@sherriZZA

... you know that four months ago I tore my hamstring then threw out my back (specifically my right trapezeus, where it attaches to the spine), 2 weeks ago.  I've kept up a modified exercise routine throughout and I've been sure to stretch and take care of these muscles that I injured.  What I failed to do after I tore my hamstring... was to stretch and be mindful of my old injuries.  

Here are a few of my old injuries: I first injured my trapezeus about a year and a half ago... I have some knee issues and since I'm a runner... I have IT band syndrome that I have to stay on top of on a consistent basis.  I also used to teach kickboxing so sometimes my hip flexors get weak.  I'm not listing off these things for you to know, I'm listing them because I suggest that you make a list in your head right now of injuries you've had in the past... since high school.  Write them down. Ok now, do you stretch these old injuries on an ongoing basis?  A few times a week?

Here's the deal... these injuries may be healed but they are more apt to re-occur over time, even if you work out all the time and especially if you decide to dive head first into an exercise routine.  I have been so concerned about my hamstring, that I forgot about my back and haven't been stretching it as much.  I have also  been using heavier weights to lift back, which I need to be careful of doing.  Now, I haven't been able to lift upper body for almost 2 weeks because my trap is still healing.  (acupuncture is my secret weapon though - I'll talk about this in another post).

The good news is that I've taken excellent care of my hamstring and with a combination of stretching every day, some strength exercises, and using my "stick" and "foam roller" I'm finally running again (HAPPY SHERRI).  But, now my hip flexors are sensitive again because I've jumped right into running without stretching them.  So, now I need to slow down and make sure I'm getting a full stretch in, almost every day and especially these re-occuring issues, every time I work out. 

A great way to take care of all of this is to add Pilates or yoga to your exercise routine at least once a week.  I taught Pilates for years and can't remember ever having an injury during that time - makes sense right?  

There are also two tools that I LOVE especially for my IT bands (learn more about IT band syndrome here

(it is very common in women, Type A's, and high mileage runners  (go figure!)

: 

http://bit.ly/yghGn4

)

and my hamstring.  "The stick" and a "Foam Roller" (photos below). These items compress and stretch muscles by massaging deep into the tissue.  It breaks up the lactic acid build up and penetrates deep into the muscle to release tense muscle fibers.

I understand that time is of the essence for almost everyone.  I personally do not stretch enough because frankly, I'm so busy that I try to get in the best workout possible before I head into work for a 10-11 hour day.  That's an excuse though, isn' t it? My hamstring was injured and I wanted to be able to run again as soon as possible so I found time to stretch.  I will be adding Pilates back into my routine and also make sure to get in a stretch every day. (even if you don't work out - give yourself a 5-10 minute stretch in the morning before you start your day - trust me you'll feel better).

Factoid of the day:

Each muscle you stretch should be held for 40-60 seconds to be effective.  When I first got certified in 2004, it was 20-30 seconds. When I got re-certified in 2010, they re-wrote this rule.  Interesting, huh?

"The Stick" for Runners - Great for IT Bands & Hamstrings... Press firmly for  about 20 times.

Therma Roll, "Foam Roller"  Great for hamstrings, glutes, quads, calfs, etc.

If you don't have any fancy products, all you need is a yoga/pilates mat to get a good stretch in  :-)

Onto the recipe of the day... I've posted this meal on my Instagram (

http://instagr.am/p/Hc44CdhAK1/

 ) account (

@sherriZZA

) twice and received a lot of interest in the recipe.  It's SO delicious and super healthy.  I found the recipe on

Pinterest.com

and have made it 3 times.  It is super healthy but it's also a bit high in calories so I modify the recipe by using more lemon juice and of course, Barilla Protein Plus Pasta! I also add shredded chicken and serve it with a side salad. Enjoy and have a relaxing Sunday!

Yield

: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was quite garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (probably optional)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used 3oz of spelt and 3 oz of Kamut spaghetti)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Please note

: This dish does 

not

 reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

I add shredded chicken to the pasta to lower the carb count, I also add a spinach salad  (spinach with my greek yogurt dressing from the Greek yogurt post)

Protein Plus Pasta Dinner

Barilla Protein Plus Pasta (yellow box)... if you haven't tried it - buy it this week.  Here's the deal... I'm Italian... I grew up with a family sauce and meatball recipe passed down from my Great Grandmother.  I love pasta.  Love it.  White pasta... while delicious... is not the best for every day eating.  Barilla Protein Plus Pasta, on the other hand, is healthy and guilt free.  

Here's the label.  As you can see, there are 10g of protein in a 56g serving.  There are 4g of fiber, just 2g of sugar, PLUS what you can't see on this label is that there are 360mg of Omega-3.  (And the 'fooducate app' gives it an A- rating!) Download this app if you want help with your shopping list - it's so cool!) Oh and I just think it tastes better than whole wheat pasta so that's also why I recommend it. 

Anyway, using this pasta instead of white with any of your recipes is already making it healthier, however, using olive oil, veggies, and a lean protein, will make it super healthy.  This pasta is also great for vegetarians because it has a nice amount of protein that even most whole wheat pasta's do not have.

Here's what I made tonight:

Portabello, Sundried Tomato, & Chicken Pasta

Need:

- 1-2 white breast chicken tenderloins (not necessary if you want to make this vegetarian)

- Mushrooms (tonight I used baby bellas) 1/4-1/2 cut

- Couple tablespoons of sundried tomatoes (great alternative to fresh tomatoes in the winter)

- Tbs of capers (brine-y, salty flavor - they are in chicken piccata)

(they are flower buds from the caper bush)

- 1 Garlic Clove

- Crushed red pepper, salt, parsley, couple squirts of lemon (seasoning)

- Low Sodium Chicken broth (talked about this is an earlier post - great way to cut down on using too much Extra Virgin Olive Oil) (Use low sodium so that YOU control the salt)

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make:

- Boil water (salted) and throw in pasta

- Saute chicken in a separate pan in chicken broth, garlic, and seasoning

- In a bigger saute pan, drizzle mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, capers, garlic, seasonings in Extra virgin olive oil and then saute in a little chicken broth

- Let the vegetables simmer down and then add in a bit more chicken broth to de-glaze the pan (de-glazing can be done with white wine, as well - it'll pull all of the nice, flavorful bits off the pan - google this if I did not explain clearly - it is a common cooking method and will pull up immediately in a search)

- Mix all together then add parmesan (I was out of parmesan tonight so I used some feta, but, I prefer parmesan with this meal)

- Serve & eat - I pair it with a simple spinach salad and my greek yogurt dressing (earlier blog post)

*Please note that my ingredient list is for a single serving - easy to double/triple/quadruple, etc.

By my calculations, the way I prepared this tonight, it had about 390 calories. 

Workout tip of the day:

You've probably heard of Interval Training or HIIT (high intensity interval training).  These workouts are GREAT for burning the maximum amount of calories possible in a short period of time. HIIT workouts are a bit more intense than regular interval training and I'll get into that in a later post, but, here's an interval to try tomorrow (especially if you're an elliptical person).

- Warm-up at a medium pace for 5 minutes

- For the next 25 minutes, do the following:

- 3 minutes at the highest resistance you can possibly manage to move the pedals and handles... you should look like a gazelle in super slow motion, but, you'll feel it.  I'm talking slow... you might look funny but who cares... that person next to you at a 4 and having a full fledged conversation on their cell phone with no problem and no shortness of breath - has nothing on you.

- 2 minutes at a low resistance and going super fast

- Repeat until you reach 30 minutes (or more)

Runners or those who are ready to start a running program :-):

Get on that treadmill and warm up for 5 minutes at a medium pace then fly for 3 mins, jog or walk for 2 mins, repeat until you hit 30 mins.  GREAT workout.

Have a nice night ;-) (ah yes, that is wine next to my meal - one glass of red ;-)