Recipes

From Chia Pet to Chia Power!

Tags: Nutrition, Recipes

On yet another incarnation on the evolutionary spiral, Chia—first  introduced in the form of a ram as “Chia Pets” in 1982—are all the rage these days, and with good reason. Tinier than poppy seeds, these power-packed oval seeds are more available today than when introduced by Dr. Oz on Oprah a couple years ago.  A relative of the mint family, the Chia seed boosts energy and is packed with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and iron… a virtual microchip of nutrition!

Originally from South and Central America, Chia is the Mayan word for strength and was used by Southwestern Indian Tribes as “the runners food” for long treks for trade and by the Tarahumara Indians, as depicted in the fantastic book:  Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall.

Chia has been found to aid in:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Blood Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity
• Increasing Energy and Endurance
• Weight loss
• Improved Colonic Health

It is said that 1 tablespoon of Chia seed is worth 24 hours of energy! So If you’re feeling low on energy and looking for a healthier energy drink, Chia seeds may just be the thing.

To make your own Chia Energy Drink, combine Chia Seeds, Water, Lime Juice and Honey.  Ratios vary by individual taste…being as how measuring spoons aren’t in regular use by indigenous tribes, but our home brew tends to be a simple 1-cup concoction:

Chia Power Drink

• 1  Cup   Warm or Hot Water
• 1  Tbsp. Honey*
• 1  Tbsp. Chia Seeds
• 1  Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice (or Lemon Juice)

Stir well, or shake in a shaker bottle, let sit for a couple minutes, as you would steep a tea.  The seeds will absorb some of the water and increase in size.  Sip slowly and try “chewing” each sip.

*OR, 1 tsp. honey if you can go with less sweet but there’s also natural energy in the honey, so experiment with this and of course using less is best.  The higher quantity of honey (or maple syrup) is good for those trying to wean themselves from unhealthy energy boosters such as sugary coffees, teas or sodas, and can be gradually reduced.

Chia in This, That and Everything

Chia seeds are really easy to add to virtually anything.  You can sprinkle the seeds on salads, cereals (hot and cold), fruits and vegetables; blend them into your smoothies, add them to spreads and bake them into bread!  As you can see, there are endless ways to use chia seeds, and while their flavor is barely noticeable, their contribution to your health likely will be!

Ask for Chia seeds at your local Whole Foods, Earth Fare or natural food store.  If you try it or already have experience with Chia, please share your experience.

*Additional resource: http://www.healthyfellow.com/305/chia-seed-research/

My Gym Trainer-Approved Pancakes!

Tags: Nutrition, Recipes

Let’s face it, chicken breasts can get old. Dry. Boring.  Recently, we were fooling around in the kitchen and formulated a great– simple and quick!– recipe for some protein pancakes.  They are yummy, and they are ideal for right after a good, hard MGT workout because of the whey protein and oats.  Here is the recipe, let us know what you think!  info@mytrainerfitness.com

Mix the following in a large bowl or mix in blender:

• 2/3 cup liquid egg whites
• 2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 2/3 cup dry old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• (Optional- dash of Pumpkin Pie spice)

Blend or mix until smooth.  Spray an omelet pan with PAM and put on medium heat.
Pour batter into pan and cook as one BIG pancake.  Makes 2 large pancakes (2 servings).
Add 2 tbsp Josephs Sugar-free maple syrup and eat!

Coconut for Fat-Loss! Plus, MGT-Approved Coconut Cake Recipe!

Tags: Nutrition, Recipes

Coconut oil, flour and milk are all high in saturated fat. Which would normally be a dietary no-no, BUT unlike all other saturated fats, the ones contained in coconut are medium-chained (as opposed to long-chained), and are biochemically dissimilar and thus are metabolized completely different. Luckily, the metabolism of coconut does NOT lead to fat storage as other saturated fats can, but will actually help burn fat, especially in the midsection.

In July 2009, a study published in the journal Lipids showed that supplementing
with coconut oil, as opposed to soybean oil, led to a significant loss of fat in the
midsection for women ages 20-40 years old. Both groups lost weight, as they
were all told to follow a low-calorie diet, however, the coconut oil group lost
significant amounts of fat from their middles, while the other group did not.
How to use: Virgin coconut oil can be used for baking, and is especially great for
cooking at high heats, since it remains stable, while others like olive or canola do
not. Use it in place of others oils to sautée up veggies, grease a cookie sheet
or cook meats on the range. Coconut flour is similarly helpful in fat loss efforts,
and contains a remarkable 5 grams of fiber in only 2 tbsp! Incorporate into baked
goods by substituting half of the called-for flour with coconut flour. At My Gym
Trainer we did something similar while experimenting in the kitchen last week,
and voila!

Here is our own healthy, fat-loss Coconut Cake recipe for you!
A great dessert2-3x/week!

Healthy Coconut Cake
Ingredients:
12 egg whites
8 egg yolks
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 cup water
3/4 cup erythritol (like Zero, get at Whole Foods)
1/4 cup liquid maltitol (like Joseph’s, get at Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp baking powder
Preheat over 350 F, grease a 9×13 pan
Makes 12 servings

• In a medium bowl, beat 12 egg whites (use electric mixer) until it is thick/
foamy and leaves small, soft peaks, set aside

• In a large bowl, beat 8 egg yolks until smooth, then add coconut flour,
melted coconut oil and melted butter, salt, water, erythritol, maltitol, vanilla
and coconut extracts and mix all with a spoon

• Slowly add foamed egg whites (break up into 3-4 separate additions), and
mix with spoon

• Once all whites are mixed in, pour batter into greased up pan

• Bake 40 minutes, or until fork comes out clean in the middle

• Let cool completely and then cut into 12 servings, and serve
Refrigerate any leftovers, enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 piece (makes 12 servings)
Calories: 200
Fat: 13g (10g sat)
Carb: 10g (6.5g fiber)
Protein: 8g

Tools and Techniques for Eating Clean

Tags: clean eating list, Recipes

At My Gym Trainer, people tell us all the time that they love to exercise but simply cannot get their diets right.  They say, “I eat pretty good, but I know I could do better” or “Working out is the easy part, I just have such a sweet tooth” or “I eat well but then I see no changes and it is discouraging.”  As exercise enthusiasts, we are sure you can all relate to these—it seems as though as soon as we get our fitness routine on track, our clean diets seem to go out the window—like it’s too overwhelming to do both at the same time!?

Well, we have found some tried and true ways to help yourself stay clean with your diet, all the while getting in your fat-burning workouts at the gym.  Besides, isn’t all that gym time a waste if we do not pay attention to what we are putting into our bodies?  Jill can speak from experience on this one, as someone who doesn’t like to cook.  All it takes is a little prep and planning, and anyone can do it!

1. Make your grocery list and go food shopping on Saturday.  Get the clean eats (these are Jill’s “staples”, get your own favorite clean foods):
   Ground bison
   Egg whites/eggs
   Chicken breasts
   Spinach
   Asparagus
   Broccoli
   Bell peppers
   Sweet potatoes
   Grapefruits
   Apples
   Frozen berries
   Oat bran
   Unsweetened almond milk
   Almond cheese
   Unsweetened cocoa powder
   Low-sodium salsa
   Raw almonds
   Raw pecans
   Whey protein powder
   Spices like garlic, cinnamon, etc
2. Take a couple hours on Sunday to cook—the inevitable!  BUT, if you do it right, you should not have to do much cooking during the week.  For example, grill up a pack of chicken breasts, boil a dozen eggs, steam a few broccoli heads and roast a bunch of veggies like onions, peppers and asparagus with garlic.  Sautee a few pounds of ground bison or lean turkey and mix with salsa.
3. Once you have everything cooked up, portion your food into small “meals.”  For example, take 5 medium Tupperware containers and in each one place 1 chicken breast, 1 serving of veggies and ½ sweet potato.  That way, each meal is reheat and eat.  Or cook up a vat of bison chili and portion it out into small Tupperware containers for reheat.  Divide the 12 hard-boiled eggs and place 3 eggs each in a small Ziploc, for fast on-the-go snacks (you can even peel them first!).  Open up your bag of almonds and place a handful of them each in a bunch of snack baggies for easy snacks, already portion-sized.
4. Throughout the week, keep it clean by making easy meals like protein shakes, which take less time to make and eat than cereal for the on-the-go breakfasts, and are much healthier.  A few scrabbled egg whites with spinach also takes only a few minutes to cook, and can serve as breakfast, or Jill’s favorite, dinner J With the majority of food already cooked and portioned out ready to be heated up, most of the dirty work is done.
5. Finally, we know that even the most prepared person may have a time when he or she just does not want to eat what’s in the fridge, no matter how “ready” it is!  In times when you are dealing with sweet cravings (or fat or salt, etc), let yourself indulge in a healthier version.  A bowl of frozen cherries (or blended into a cherry slushie) is heaven.  If fruit just won’t cut it, have a square of dark chocolate or a cocoa drink (2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with hot water and xylitol to sweeten).  As a last resort, have a few bites of a treat or a couple of chips.  But tell yourself that it’s a once-per-week indulgence and the rest of the time, you will eat the clean meals you prepared last Saturday!  Good luck!