Allow me to shed some light on anything and everything health & fitness related; From common nutritional queries, exercise routines, recipe ideas, as well as some words of inspiration to keep you motivated toward better holistic health. Read on and enjoy…
Full Body Workout -> 2 Minute Super Sets
Alright kids.. Here we go with another Just Get Fit workout..
As usual, this one utilizes very little equipment and space, yet tackles the whole body (upper, lower, core, and cardio of course!).
Again, we’re working with the clock. You know I looove timed workouts (hence the stopwatch in my logo!) This one is very simple and direct… yet VERY CHALLENGING.. but that’s why we’re here isn’t it? – to get a no nonsense full body workout and be able to fit it in with our schedule and whatever space we have to complete it in!
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Workout Challenge: Strength / Cardio Superset
Have I got a killer workout for you! This one targets every muscle, and gets your heart rate sky rocketing all at the same time. We are literally super-setting a strength circuit with a cardio blasting one.. Definitely best bang for your workout time. Give it a go. As usual, all you need are a couple of weights, a timer, and your kick ass energy…
EQUIPMENT:
Mat
Pair of dumbbells (5-10lbs. Nothing too heavy, lots of shoulder work here)
Timer. Use a regular stopwatch or I use the Gymboss timer for all my workouts.
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Top 3 Healthy Take-Out Joints in Toronto
Earlier this week we covered the top 3 healthy dine-in restaurants in the city. Today we tackle the world of take-out. Toronto is a city that is go go go all the time. Dine and dash, hit and run, in and out. There are endless take-out joints lining our streets or in many underground food courts. Here are 3 of my favorite clean eating options, covering different areas of the the city when you’re looking for a healthy alternative to traditional fast food.
Urban Herbivore
With locations in Kensignton Market, The Eaton Center and College St. W, this is probably the best salad bar in the city. You choose a greens or grains base, 6 toppings, and one of their house dressings. Everything is prepped on site, and the staff are super helpful in offering suggestions. Look out for the baked goods though, just because they are organic & vegan doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy. While delicious- The Toronto Star discovered that the Sweet Potato Date muffin contains 38 grams of fat and 986 calories!
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Top 3 Healthy Dine-In Restaurants in Toronto
Eating out is fun- and when you live in a city as big as ours there are endless options for your daily cuisine.
The downside is most commercially prepared food is created to please your taste buds- which often means tons of additives such as unhealthy fats, sugar and/or salt. Thankfully the city also boasts a number of vegetarian, vegan, and health conscious omnivore restaurants. Whether your meal is raw, vegan or a high end Italian- the key is to be conscious of what is going into it.
Contrary to what we may think, a salad doesn’t always fit the bill as the healthiest option. What is in your salad? On one end of the spectrum, a bland iceberg lettuce salad may leave you hungry and lacking nutrients. On the other end, a salad filled with hidden fats or processed ingredients such as cheese, bacon, croutons and pre-packaged creamy dressing, will send the calories through the roof and your health down the drain! Meanwhile a burrito can actually be the better option. The deciding factor is the actual contents of your salad, burrito or soup or whatever you order. So be aware of what you’re eating, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or substitute healthier options to your meal. It’s okay to indulge every so often, but make sure you know when you are. The worst surprise is finding out that your go-to lunchtime choice is actually enough to feed 2 people or contains a days worth of sodium. A great place to start is by going to restaurants in the first place, which will offer healthy and filling meals, without sacrificing your taste buds. Here are 3 great dine-in restaurants to get you started. Stay tuned later this week for my top 3 take-out joint options.
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Simply Tough Workout – Timed Supersets
Today’s workout involves exactly what the title reveals. A superset is essentially 2 exercises performed back to back, and in this case, for a given amount of time- 3 minutes. It is very simple in terms of space, as well as equipment.. because there is none needed! In terms of difficulty, it is up to you. It will be a VERY challenging full body workout… if… IF you push yourself at a solid pace for the full 3 minutes and with minimal break between the different supersets. A huge advantage of timed workouts is one can push themselves to their own abilities and at their own pace, making this an ideal method for groups of different fitness levels.
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Liquid Nutrition – Part 2: Make Your Own!
I find it baffling how many people are still intimidated by the idea of making their own healthy smoothies. They think it takes a special skill or knowledge base. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It is really one of the simplest and best things you could do for yourself. Recipes are easy as 1, 2, 3.. and the result is an awesome nutritionally packed drink that can fuel your body for hours; not to mention, it will save you quite a bit of dough. So ditch the morning bagel or bottled processed juice and revitalize yourself right at home.. All you need is a blender, and some of your favourite ingredients!
A great base for any smoothie is a liquid (water, milk, juice), bananas and ice (for that rich texture). You can also omit the ice and use avocado instead of banana for a slightly less thick or sweet base, that’s also rich in healthy fats. If you are using a fruit juice as your base liquid- make sure it is fresh natural juice, and try cutting it with coconut water. Coconut water is a super hydrating, low calorie drink filled with electrolytes. So weather you’re craving a refreshing green juice, a post workout recovery drink, or a more decadent smoothie to satisfy your sweet tooth, the possibilities are endless…
Here are three simple recipes to get you started. Think of these as guidelines- You can play around with amounts, ingredients, and add superfood supplements like spirulina, maca, matcha or chia seeds. (remember these from my (previous post on superfoods)
Power Green Smoothie
A great hydrating breakfast smoothie to wake you up!
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 cups spinach or kale – stemmed and chopped
1 apple – unpeeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 TBSP Chia Seeds or Hemp Seeds (optional)
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Liquid Nutrition – Part 1: Juice Bars
Let’s be real, there still remains a stigma revolving “protein shakes” – where we imagine gym rats chugging them back aiming to get big and muscular. Don’t get me wrong, active people relying on liquid nutrition isn’t completely off base- many gyms have juice bars and a solid plant-based smoothie can be an awesome recovery drink post-workout. Whether you are blending a frozen banana, berries and protein powder for a healthy shake or are juicing parsley, kale and cucumber to drink your vitamins- there is always a place for healthy beverages in your diet.
The trouble is most commercial juices and smoothies are filled with added sugars and preservatives. So we have two options- discern the best store-bought choices, or make our own. This week we’ll explore both options- starting with PART ONE- Taking it to go! Below I will cover menus from various locations in Toronto as an example, but even if you live elsewhere you will still be able to take away tips for what to look for when buying smoothies/fresh juices/shakes etc.. depending on what your specific nutritional objectives are.
Fresh
www.freshrestaurants.ca
This Toronto mainstay has one of the biggest Juice bars in the city- with four different locations. While Fresh is a Vegetarian restaurant that strives to be a healthy option- the liquid menu ranges from “lightly refreshing” to “more calories than you should eat in a meal” power shakes. Remember that ingredients like nut butters and coconut milk contain a lot of healthy fats and calories- and there may be hidden sweeteners in ingredients like Acai and Matcha powder.
Fresh’s base juices are all juiced to order- which gives you the power to switch out sugary fruit juices for a number of vegetable juices- and even mix and match. They also offer a number of high quality supplements to amplify the health benefits of your smoothie- like Spirulina and Chia seeds, which I’ve talked all about in my previous post. (Check it out here), Echinacea, Vitamin C, and protein powder. Fresh exclusively uses Vega protein- a plant based powder that is one of the best on the market, which we’ll look at a little closer in our next smoothie blog.
On to the menu.. The real nutritional powerhouses- containing just whole vegetables and fruits, lie in the “green smoothies” and “vegetable juices” sections. (The “All Green” and “Electrolyte Green” are two of my favorites)
If you’re looking for something more filling and energy packed- ideal for post-workout recovery, try their Power shakes. (The “Date Almond” and Chocolate Peanut Butter “Swoosh” are delicious) Add Vega Protein for an extra boost, and you may just have a healthy filling meal on the go. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking that is the same as drinking a green juice. Each have their purpose and benefits.
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Power Foods: Almond Butter
Buying new healthy ingredients is such an important step to improving your health- but once you’ve stocked your pantry with healthy basics, what next? It’s great to have a couple staple recipes for each new ingredient- so let’s start with one of my favorites- Almond Butter!
Almond butter is made up mostly of healthy unsaturated fats, i.e. the healthy fats that don’t raise blood cholesterol. I give it quite and edge over peanut butter for several reasons. Almond butter has a higher amount of several key vitamins and minerals including vitamin E- which acts as a powerful antioxidant for the body, as well as calcium and magnesium- both essential for bone & muscle health, which makes it ideal as a post workout recovery snack.
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4 Power Vegetables To Make Your Best Friends in 2014
One would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the overwhelming evidence proving that vegetables are good for us. They help all body systems function better, from eyesight, hair, skin, digestion…and the list goes on and on. And I’m pretty sure we have all heard, at least somewhere, how veggies are high in antioxidants. It is all around us. With movements like #meatlessmonday, going vegetarian, even part time has never been easier or more popular. But how do you know you’re getting the most out of your vegetables? For one thing eating your veggies raw or gently steamed is the best way for your body to absorb the most amount of nutrients (and yes antioxidants) from them. You can eat them alone, as a side dish, or make a huge batch to mix with quinoa or rice throughout the week. Choosing your vegetables for their nutritional content in addition to their taste is not hard-here are a few powerful vegetables to incorporate more often!
KALE
It seems like all anyone can talk about in the health food realm lately is Kale. And for good reason- this dark leafy green has a rockstar nutritional profile- packed with Vitamin A,K and C, Iron, and Protein. It’s also full of anti-inflammatory properties that can help with such ailments such as arthritis and heart disease.
The best way to enjoy kale is to steam it or massage it gently and marinate it with a healthy vinaigrette. Massaging your greens may sound a little hippy dippy, but it helps make the leafy wonder easier to digest and taste less bitter. You can also throw pieces of kale into soups, stir fries, or pop them in the oven with some coconut oil for a quick kale chip. For more on this amazing veg, as well as a simple kale chip recipe check out my post here: Trendy Kale + Recipe
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4 Superfoods For Today.. and Onwards!
Superfood: a nutritionally dense food, particularly beneficial for your overall health.
Eating well can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be that hard! Taking small steps to improve your health can give you long-term benefits that can literally lengthen and improve your life. A lot of people worry that they won’t be able to give up their food vices, but why not start by adding healthy foods and go from there? Below is part 1 of 2 covering simple yet valuable additions you can make to your diet in the new year that may make a huge improvement in your overall health.
We start with four “superfoods” that can make a big impact…
1) Spirulina
Don’t be scared off by this algae that grows on the surface of lakes; it packs the craziest, most nutritionally dense punch imaginable. High in protein, Iron, B12 and Vitamin K, Spirulina is especially beneficial for vegetarians, anemics or anyone who struggles with Iron deficiency. It’s also been shown to protect your liver and improve brain function, making this a top contender to add to your daily routine.
Spirulina has a very strong seaweed taste- so this one is best to mix into a smoothie or take as a shot. E3 Live is a similar algae harvested from lakes and is available in health stores as well as offered in shot form at several natural health restaurants in Toronto, such as Fresh.
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