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 :-)

Antioxidant Detox Part II... Advice & Tips

Happy Leap Day!  I'm getting a lot of questions regarding the 'cleanse' that I discussed in my last post, so I am going to provide you with some info and tips tonight.  I'm on day 3 and honestly it's pretty easy.  The hardest part for me is not eating some sort of dessert after dinner.  I kill the craving with either berries and cinnamon or a half cup of cottage cheese with a tsp of jam.  I always drink peppermint tea to wrap up my night... I just love it.

Anyway, most of the questions I am getting revolve around how 'strict' it should be... Here's the thing... I am not about extremes.  I believe this 'cleanse' is a great kickoff to a healthier eating lifestyle, boosting energy, and brightening the skin.  I've been super busy at work lately and I've had a lot of other commitments so I felt like this was the right week to slow down and eat the cleanest way possible.  I don't find it difficult because I already eat similar to the plan.  

My suggestion to those who find this plan very different from their regular diet, is to modify.  Be sure to include berries, colorful vegetables,  nothing artificial, and very low sugar. I don't see adding a piece of 100% (has to be 100%) whole wheat or whole grain bread or english muffin to the mix... that's fine.  Even some whole wheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice, etc.  I understand how difficult this can be, especially with a family, roommates, etc.  Just make sure your list includes lean proteins (chicken, salmon, tuna, etc). Stay away from red meats during the cleanse.

 Keep the list low salt, low sugar and again... include lots of colorful fruits and veg.  

TIP: frozen fruits & vegetables are well-priced, easy to store, and just as healthy as fresh fruits... sometimes even better.  Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen very quickly after they are picked so they stay fresher than say, a tomato making it's way on a truck here from Mexico.  Makes sense, right?  

Here are some high ORAC  (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)  foods - I'll list the top few for each category (veg, herb, fruit, etc):

- Artichokes

- Broccoli

- Kale

- Onion

- Green/Red/Orange Peppers

- Spinach

(basically all veg)

- Pecans

- Walnuts

- Pistachios

- Avocado

- Peanuts (pb!)

- Cinnamon

- Cloves

- Oregano

- Tumeric

- Blueberries

- Cranberries

- Red delicious apple

- Granny smith apple

- Raspberries

- Sweet potato

- Oatmeal

- Oat bran flakes

- Red potato

- White potato (yup - bake it baby!) 

- Pumpernickel bread

- Dark chocolate

- Coffee

- Sangria

- Red wine

(full lists are in Keri Glassman's book, the O2 diet)

You may be surprised to hear that greek yogurt doesn't have any points on the ORAC scale, however, low fat chocolate milk does! (You can thank the chocolate for that)  None of the protein rich foods have an ORAC value on the scale (chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, etc - none of it) - doesn't mean you shouldn't eat them though!  They have so much value in SOOOO many other areas. You know that ;-)

A few more tips - I understand that it's not easy to stick to a plan like this with a family to feed or roommate pressures, especially at dinner.  My advice would be to again, MODIFY.  Make the big salad that I included in the last post at the beginning of the week and serve it as a side during dinner for the next few days. Make a side of whole wheat, protein plus pastas, or brown rice, baked potatoes (or frankly, whatever the fam wants) as a side so that they feel like they have a complete meal.  You can skip dessert for a few days.  The rest of the fam can do what they want.

(As a side: My mom doesn't know this yet but I would like to interview her for a feature of her tips in an upcoming blog - I grew up in a healthy household but I was never deprived of the foods I loved... I have received questions from new college graduates to friends my age to friends with big families and kids that have now moved out of the house - I'd like to provide her feedback so that I am connecting with ALL of you!) She's going to laugh when she sees this.

Last but not least... Afraid to cook? Just dive in and do it!  Nothing I make is really difficult  and I'm a much better cook than I was in my early 20's .  Email me for tips and advice when you need it.  Know the basics and you'll learn - I promise.  

**During cleanse week - you CAN and SHOULD still exercise.  I suggest cardio and lots of stretching.  This week should be all about making you feel your best!

Until next time - check out the salad I made tonight - it's really so good! I promise! It's the same salad I made on Monday only I added a few sunflower seeds tonight - I wanted the crunch!  Have a great night everyone, hope the rest of the week goes by without a hitch!

Romaine, red & orange peppers, avocado, grilled chicken, cucumber, sunflower seeds, grape tomatoes, and my greek yogurt recipe dressing.

Detox Foods & Antioxidant Salad

You've heard me talk about antioxidants a lot, but, I have yet to explain what exactly an antioxidant does.  The simplest way to explain it is this... as we age... cells die and form "Free Radicals", tiny bits of oxygen that have no home and decide to camp out wherever they want in your body and on your skin, disrupting cell function.

Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals  and protect our bodies from them.  Free radicals have been linked to wrinkles, heart disease, poor immune function, and cancer.  I try to consume as many antioxidants as possible and I learned all of this from a book I read a couple of years ago by Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN and contributor to Women's Health Magazine (photo of her book below).  She grades foods on an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity) scale.  I'm not going to get into her list (she can do that), however, I will talk today about my antioxidant salad and how I 'detox' during the week.

This is what I bought today at the grocery store: Red and orange peppers, tomatoes, granny smith apples, romaine, sundried tomatoes, fage, frozen berries, pecan halves, stevia and  Real Simple ;)

As you know by now, I eat very healthy and CLEAN (no preservatives, additives, high fructose corn syrup, etc. etc) on a consistent basis. I eat the above foods all the time, but, sometimes I take a week and dedicate it 100% clean eating and a lower calorie intake than usual.  I challenge you to join me this week!  I know one person who is already going to join me, you know who you are!

Anyway, during these choice weeks I eat as many antioxidants (consisting mainly of fruits/veg) as possible, drink a lot of lemon water, say no to booze (yes even wine) for a few days, and steer clear from sugar and my favorite, frozen yogurt.  It detoxifies and re-charges my system. Plus, these foods are amazing for the skin.  (Keri has a whole plan in her book that includes a 4 day cleanse and then a week by week meal plan)  I'm doing the 'cleanse' this week, but, with modifications!

Antioxidant salad! Romaine, spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, orange peppers, avocado.

How to make the above salad: Chop up all of the above listed ingredients and toss with my Greek Yogurt dressing from the Greek Yogurt post.  Cook the preservative free, no hormone chicken in low sodium chicken broth, oregano, pinch of salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic.

For dessert, I heated up frozen berries with cinnamon.  Now, I'm having peppermint tea w/ stevia as I type.

Here's my plan for the rest of the week

Bfast - 1 egg w/ 3 egg whites OR Fage greek yogurt w/ berries

Snack - Granny smith apple

Lunch - Chicken and spinach OR Fage greek yogurt with berries; 8 pecan halves

Snack - Celery and carrot sticks w/ apple cider or balsamic vinegar

Dinner -Antioxidant salad OR Lean Protein with artichokes or another veg

Dessert - Berries with cinnamon and peppermint tea with stevia

*Sip green tea and lemon water throughout the day

What is this nonsense you ask?  Ever take celery out of the bottom drawer and think it's bad because it's gone a little, uh, limp?  Cut off the bottom and stick it in a glass of water (thanks mom, for this tip)

Keri Glassman's O2 Diet book allllll about antioxidants.  I have found this one of the most informative and educational books on health that I've ever read.  This and Jillian Michaels' "Master your Metabolism"

HAVE A FABULOUSSS WEEK, EVERYONE! And, let me know how the detox is going!  I'd love to hear about it!