Sunday
Jul112010

Choice Supplements

  • integrated supplements: 100% natural cfm whey protein isolate
  • cytosport: muscle milk naturals protein powder blend
  • biotest: flameout fish oil (dha, epa, cla)
Wednesday
Jul282010

meal planning: cutting board, knife, and chef shears

This trio is a must for successful food prep.

  • cutting board: high-density polypropylene, anti-microbial and non-porous, non-absorbent surface
  • knife
  • chef shears

Wednesday
Jul212010

meal planning: salads on the go

The #1 goal, make your plan fool proof AND fail proof. Make it to where you don't even have to think about what to do on Monday morning. Have your ice chest, ice packs, water jug, shaker and storage containers ready to go.

For most of us, Sundays are the idea meal prep days, so make it a top priority. Your body, your health, your family is worth the investment. Double your ROI (return on investment) by making these simple steps a habit. It's really not that difficult to adopt this lifestyle.

You should be eating salads every day, even multiple time a day. Pack your salads in advance and apply dressing each morning only for that day. While you have out all of your salad ingredients, make enough to last 3 days. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday lunches are covered...no second guessing. Then, repeat on Wed night, for Thurs, Fri, and Sat.

Your protein sources for salads can be sliced chicken breasts or a few hard-boiled eggs. Add a slice or two of cheese, and you have yourself a complete protein and fibrous carb meal.

My top two choices for salad dressings:

  1. caesar (without high fructose corn syrup; some saturated fat comes with the caesar dressing, but your body needs some of that too
  2. flax seed oil with salt and crushed black pepper; go with flax seed oil for some great essential fatty acids

Scrap any dressing that has sugar in it; you don't need it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday
Jul212010

meals: grilled chicken - garlic vinaigrette

marinade for 6-7 chicken breasts:

  • 1/3 c olive oil
  • 5 t balsamic vinegar
  • 1 packet simply organic italian or garlic vinaigrette salad dressing mix or create your own mix  (shown below)
  • 10 shakes of garlic salt
  • 4 tsp dijon (may use prepared mustard or ground mustard)

 Mix all ingredients in a gallon size Zip Lock bag. Add chicken breasts to bag and mix once again making sure to massage marinade throughout chicken. Refrigerate for about four hours or overnight to intensify flavor. You can also freeze until you are ready to grill.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: grilled chicken - rosemary

Sprinkle each side with Kosher salt or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and rosemary, either fresh or dried. Drizzle with olive oil (can use orange infused olive oil). Grill until fully cooked.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: grilled chicken - thyme & oregano

marinade for 6-7 chicken breasts:

  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • sprinkle each side with garlic salt

Mix all ingredients in a gallon size Zip Lock bag. Add chicken breasts to bag and mix once again making sure to massage marinade throughout chicken. Refrigerate for about four hours or overnight to intensify flavor. You can also freeze until you are ready to grill.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: grilled chicken salad

Grilled Chicken Bell Peppers (Green/Red) Carrots Celery Cucumbers Onions (Yellow/White) Romaine Hearts Lettuce Tomatoes A perfect meal for eating at the office or on the go.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: grilled chicken salad

  • grilled chicken
  • bell peppers (green/red)
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cucumbers
  • onions (yellow/white)
  • romaine hearts lettuce
  • tomatoes

A perfect meal for eating at the office or on the go.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: grilled sirloin

Sprinkle steak season on both sides and grill to desired preparedness.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: mixed nuts

  • almonds
  • walnuts
  • cashews
  • peanuts
  • sunflower seeds
  • raisins
  • dried cranberries

Feel free to add your own dried food. Just keep it clean and all natural.

Other than being cost effective, the other great benefit to homemade trail mix is the absence of preservatives and artificial flavorings. Unsalted, raw nuts combined with dried fruit make for a delicious snack at home, in the office, or on the road. Keep a zip-lock bag in your car to avoid the quick coke and candy bar stop or to squash those drive-time hunger pains.

Once your mix is complete, reuse your empty bags to store your wonderful creation. Each day refill your storage container, and you're equipped with a tasty and nutritious snack.

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: protein smoothie

Mix the following items in a blender:

  • handful of frozen strawberries and/or blueberries
  • banana
  • 1 scoop chocolate muscle milk naturals
  • yogurt
  • cottage cheese
  • maca root powder
  • psyllium husks
  • steel cut oats
  • couple of ice cubes
  • 8 oz water
  • use additional water or ice cubes to reach desired consistency
  • experiment with various frozen fruits and other ingredients
  • similar smoothies can be made with vanilla muscle milk or unflavored natural whey protein

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: scrambled eggs & old-fashion oatmeal

  • melt a tad of Smart Balance butter spread in a pan or mist the pan with olive oil spray
  • sautee peppers, green onions, and tomatoes in the pan
  • mix whole eggs, egg whites, and cilantro
  • pour into pan and scramble
  • cook old-fashion oatmeal as instructed
  • add dried fruit such as raisins or dried cranberries

Wednesday
Jul282010

meals: vegetable/salad prep

  • bell peppers (green/red)
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cucumbers
  • onions (yellow/white)
  • romaine hearts lettuce
  • tomatoes

Monday
Jul122010

strength and cardio benefits

strength training

  • maintain and/or build new muscle tissue (muscle mass)
  • increase resting metabolism
  • increase insulin sensativity
  • increase natural testosterone and growth hormone levels
  • increase flexibility by causing muscle tissue to contract and relax through
    a full range of motion
  • increase bone density
  • strengthen connective tissues (joints, tendons, and ligaments)
  • improve sport-specific performance such as strength and speed
  • improve basic activities in daily living
  • improve self-esteem
  • improve goal-setting abilities

cardio interval training

  • increase resting metabolism
  • increase cardiac output
  • decrease resting heart rate and submaximal exercise heart rate
  • improve cardiovascular efficiency (oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs)
  • improve vascular efficiency (vessle function throughout the body)
  • improve sport-specific performance by increasing VO<sub>2</sub>max