FITNESS & NUTRITION TIPS

More than 300,000 American deaths each year are linked to obesity -  www.americanheart.org

1. Start small. You have to make a committment to yourself unless your plan will not work. A long distance runner just doesnt start running 20 miles a day out of no where. They start small and so should you. Start with a 30 minute walk a day, then work on incorporating nutrition and strength training.

2. Have a plan. Create a workout plan for the week. What muscle groups will you be working on what days, when are your set times you plan on training, before work or after work? During lunch? The more structure you have in your training the more likely you will follow your plan.

3. Make a goal but make it small. Make small frequent goals instead of large long goals. The short term goals will add up but if you dont have these you may lack motivation to continue, no one said it was going to be easy..it is a way of life to adopt but with small goals your motivation will increase.

4. Do exercise you like, whether its working with a partner or a personal trainer, group classes or sports.

5. Always start with a warm-up. You need to warm up the body before you stretch your muscles. Warm up and then stretch this will reduce your risk for injury.

6. Losing weight and getting in shape does not mean cutting out food altogether or drastically cutting calories it is unhealthy and will only do negative to your body in the long term, its about eating small healthy meals frequently to keep your metabolism up.

7. Eat enough protein and drink plenty of water.

8. Moderate or decrease your alcohol use.




RECIPES (make sure you be aware of food allergies)!

SLUDGE
 
-BOWL
-2 SCOOPS CHOCOLATE PROTEIN
-2 TBSP natural PB or almond butter
-mix water to your desired consistency
-stir with spoon
-sit in fridge for 10 min or overnight for the next day and ENJOY!!

Oatmeal Pancakes
 
-Blender
-1/2 cup of oatmeal-blend first to thin out oats
-8-10 egg whites
-Blend into a batter
-Fry on pan with extra virgin olive oil 
-Add strawberries, blueberries, or banana half
-Light SF syrup or natural PB for topping

Pina Colada Smoothie

-1 packet or 2 scoops Apex™ Vanilla or Vanilla Supreme Fit drink mix
-1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple
-1 cup orange juice
-2 tablespoons shredded coconut
-1 1/2 cup nonfat milk
-3-4 ice cubes

Turkey Chili

-1 pound lean ground turkey breast
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 celery stalks, chopped
-1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped
-3  cans no-salt added dark red kidney beans, drained
-3  cans no-salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained
-1 cup water
-1/4 cup vinegar
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon dried parsley
-1/2 cup red wine

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add ground turkey breast and chopped onion and cook until browned. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.

Spray stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add celery and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the cooked turkey and onions. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Black Beans with Corn and Tomatoes

-1 15-ounce can low-sodium, no fat added black beans
-1 cup cut tomatoes, fresh or canned
-1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-1 cup frozen corn, thawed
-1 clove garlic, pureed or roasted
-1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

-Drain & rinse beans.
-In a bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, and garlic.
-Add parsley, pepper, and chili powder.
-Combine and serve.