Healthy Eats: Cucumber Dill Salad

This cool, refreshing summer salad is easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. Our Cucumber Dill Salad is just chopped English Cucumber (2 large), chopped red bell pepper, and thinly sliced sweet onion tossed in Greek Yogurt, fresh lemon juice, dried or fresh dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper. cucumber dill salad

Whisk together 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt (nonfat), with the remaining ingredients and toss around the sliced and chopped vegetables. Pair this cucumber dill salad with a barbecue turkey burger or other lean meat and enjoy!

We have many more healthy EATS for your palate!

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy Eats: White Wine Garlic Chicken

Wine and light beer make excellent marinades without the calories or fat that you’ll find in oil. The next time you go to marinate your chicken, try using a light beer or white wine instead of oil. white wine garlic chicken

For moist and delicious white wine garlic chicken, combine trimmed chicken breasts, 1/2 cup white wine (pinot grigio is my favorite), 1 TBSP minced garlic, and any chopped or dried herbs of your choice in a Ziploc bag or plastic container. Marinate for at least a few hours and grill or bake until cooked all the way through.  Serve with fresh vegetables such as broccoli and wild rice!

Click here for more delicious and easy healthy EATS!

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy Eats: Barbecue Turkey Burgers

Turkey breast or very lean turkey can be dry and hard to eat when microwaved. Our quick fix for this problem is to patty out burgers and grill them with just a bit of barbecue sauce. You can make it homemade for the most control over ingredients or buy a prepared bottle from the store. Be careful of sugars and carbs when you select and use the barbecue sauce.barbecue turkey burgers

I’d recommend making a homemade sauce for your barbecue turkey burgers: Combine a few squirts of ketchup, some soy sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and Truvia (or other no calorie sweetener). Serve your barbecue turkey burgers with fresh grilled asparagus, brown rice, and half an avocado for a complete balanced meal!

For additional Healthy EATS, click here!

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy Eats: Coconut Oil Oatmeal

I’m pretty sure the name sums up the deliciousness that can be expected when you make Coconut Oil Oatmeal a breakfast staple. Stir in your protein powder, shake it up on the side, or eat with your egg white allotment and enjoy!

Remember that breakfast should be eaten within 30-45 minutes of waking up and you should have 16 oz of water with it as well!

Combine desired amount of slow cooking oats with water. Cook according to package instructions in microwave or stove-top. Stir in 1/2 – 1 TBSP unrefined coconut oil, cinnamon to taste, and Truvia (or other no calorie sweetener). I also like to cool it down with a bit of cashew milk. Yum Yum!coconut oil oatmeal

Need more healthy EATS to try? Click here for our growing library of healthy recipes – all CTH meal plan approved!

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

 

Healthy EATS: Stuffed Peppers

If you are starting to get bored of CHICKEN, RICE, BROCCOLI AND SWEET POTATO, then mix it up and make some stuffed peppers.

stuffed peppersMeasure out your meat and rice separately so you stay within your portion control, mix in  some onions, tomatoes and seasoning then add it to the peppers. Roast the peppers for about 30 minutes on 375 — yum yum! I was able to squeeze 3.5 ounces of ground turkey and 1/2 cup of rice into each — buy big peppers 😉

Check out more healthy EATS recipes here!

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy EATS: Protein Pancake

I love this protein pancake! It is my go-to for early mornings. I make it the day before (or a few days before) and then microwave for 1 minute and top with 1 TBSP peanut butter and 1.5 TBSP low sugar jam or homemade chia seed strawberry jam.

Pancake:

Whisk together 3/4 cup egg whites with 1 scoop of Super Seed Beyond Fiber. Add in 1 TBSP chia seeds or 1/4 cup oats for additional carb requirements. Heat frying pan over medium heat and coat generously with cooking spray. Pour in batter and wait to flip until mostly set up. Wrap in tinfoil to store in refrigerator or enjoy right away.

protein pancake recipe

Check out more of our healthy EATS recipes here.

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy EATS: Lemon Dill Salmon

Salmon is so wonderful because it’s packed full of omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to help with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, asthma, dementia, and baby development! Here’s an easy preparation:

Healthy eating salmon

Combine 2 TBSP dijon mustard, 1 TBSP lemon juice, chopped fresh dill, and fresh ground pepper. Lay salmon filet on tinfoil lined baking sheet and spread the lemon/dill mixture evenly on top. Broil on HIGH for 10-15 minutes and pair with your favorite vegetables and/or rice.

Check out more of our recipes.

*The exact portions will vary per person. Contact us for more details on your portions and macronutrient breakdown per meal/per day!

Healthy Wife…Happy Life: A Healthy Kind of Sexy

What do you think about when you think SEXY woman? Do you see a younger version of yourself? A magazine model you wish you looked like? Or do you think “we’ll I’m pretty sexy”? I hope its the latter but for most women we constantly analyze our bodies and pick apart every single bit until there is nothing left but negativity. Then try to feel up for bedroom time with the hubby, not!

So no matter where you’re starting in your health seeking journey, the end result can be a healthier and SEXIER you! Why not? Why not feel so good about yourself that you look forward to being in the buff!! I don’t have to tell you that your husband or significant other will be thrilled that you feel so good about yourself that you want to share that excitement. It’s a win-win.

No more stress about having to have sexy time; nope, you’ll look forward to it just as much as your GUY! So this sounds great right? How can you make it happen?

Here is the first time that I’m going to suggest you actually start on a new healthy routine TODAY. I’m not just going to suggest that you think about being healthy, remove negative thoughts and outside factors that are getting in your way, or make room financially for the important stuff. Nope, today I say “start today”. There is no time like the present to start your healthy eating and exercise. So will you automatically feel better, healthier, and sexier on day one? Well this might sound silly but yes, within a few days to a week you will already feel so much better about yourself. Then it’s day by day as you improve your health and YOU WILL FEEL PRETTIER, HAPPIER, SEXIER…just taking the steps will change your whole mindset and its your mindset and thoughts about yourself that matter – not other peoples’ opinions.

Because I don’t want you to delay another day, read these tips to get started now:

  1. Eat 5 balanced meals each day consisting of 40% carbs, 35% protein and 25% fat. Women should aim for 1500-1600 calories and men 2000-2100 calories per day.
  2. Drink a lot of water – way more than 8 glasses a day!
  3. Clean out the junk food and don’t buy more. When it’s time for a cheat meal, go out to eat and don’t bring any home with you. When you keep the junk away there is nothing to tempt you!
  4. Since I mentioned cheat meals, make sure they are just “MEALS” not “DAYS”. You can have 1-2 cheat meals each week. Make them special nights out so you look forward to them.
  5. Eliminate or significantly reduce alcohol consumption. Perhaps have a drink with your cheat meal but then back on the sober bandwagon!
  6. Exercise 5-6 days each week; 2-3 of those days should incorporate 30-45 minutes of strength and resistance training and all of the days should have some cardiovascular training for 30-45 minutes.
  7. Step on the scale just once a week and always the same day and time. I recommend Friday morning before you do any cheat meals over the weekend!

Check in often for tips, recipes, and motivation to keep you on your journey. Start TODAY and the SEXIER YOU is not far away at all!

Healthy Wife…Happy Life: Financial Priorities

There are so many excuses to not be healthy but they are just that – excuses! We hear everything from it’s too expensive to be healthy, to it’s too time consuming to be healthy, to it’s just too hard to be healthy. But ask yourself this, are you happy being unhealthy?

While it may seem that there is a mountain blocked by a rapids river blocked by “the wall” from Game of Thrones in front of your healthiness, there really doesn’t have to be. First things first, start removing the excuses. Let’s focus on the financial excuse. It can be expensive to eat right and workout if you don’t know what you’re doing, but with some easy tips you can trim your waistline and leave your wallet girth intact!

  1. The best way to eat right is to prepare the food yourself, don’t go out to restaurants and struggle to get the order healthy and then pay through the nose for it to be cooked for you! And definitely don’t go to a fast food restaurant to “just get a chicken sandwich and throw the bun away”. Yes, we really do hear that a lot! Go to the grocery store and buy fresh (or frozen) vegetables, fruits, and meats. Prepare them with low-fat techniques including baking, grilling, steaming, or chopping fresh with various herbs. One of my favorite things to have with my lean meats and grains is homemade salsa. Chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a few dashes of salt and cumin can add a tremendous amount of flavor to any meal. Cooking at home is gratifying when you see your family eating right, enjoying the food you prepared, and sitting down to eat together (yep, why not put down the technology and eat as a family — you’ll benefit in so many unexpected ways when you start eating right).homemade-salsa
  2. You don’t need the best fitness gear, fanciest gym membership, or expensive trainer. If you can afford these things, great, because they certainly won’t hurt and can help hold you accountable. As mobile trainers we remove the excuses for our clients by bringing the workout to them and helping with the accountability issue. But if you’re motivated and have a good friend or loved one who wants to do this with you then you can be each other’s accountability. And you don’t need a gym – get outside and exercise! Get some free-weights and exercise! Get some fitness DVD’s and exercise. You’re getting the point. Just start moving and find a buddy who wants to do it too. It doesn’t cost a penny to take a jog with your friend. Wait to see how good you feel after that first workout session!

Check out Justin Check’s article on Healthy Food Can be Cheaper than Fast Food for further details on saving money while being a better you!

When you start breaking down your excuses and tackling the real reason behind why you make the excuses, you’ll be one step closer the the HAPPIER, HEALTHIER version of YOU that you really deserve to be!

Stay tuned, next we’re working on bedroom YOU and how to finally feel good about yourself when the lights are on and the clothes are off. You DESERVE it so check back in for my next post soon!

Healthy Wife…Happy Life: Time Management

Hello ladies and thanks for checking in to see my latest post. We are all so busy – morning, noon and night! There is never a time of day when I think I wish I had something to do. As a part-time personal trainer and indoor cycle instructor and full-time mommy to Liv and wife to Justin there are countless things that I need to (have to) do everyday. So how to find time for healthy eating and exercise?? Time management  of course, and it is a skill I learned in college that should never be underestimated as it truly is the difference between happy Steph and stressed Steph.

Here’s how I start just about every day…thinking about my list of must do’s, should do’s, and it would be nice to do’s! I usually get it written in my notebook by the time I’ve finished my coffee. If it’s not concrete somewhere then it’s hard for me to remember and get it all done. My husband likes to use his phone and that’s great too; me personally.. I need it where I can scratch it off!

Prioritize the important items you must get done and make sure YOUR WORKOUT and healthy food preparation is a priority. Also, work hard to set yourself up for success. While I’d rather relax and play with my family ALL weekend, I take time (time management) on Sunday to prepare food for the beginning of the week and then I do the same thing on Wednesday night to hold us over through the week. You could do it all on Sunday but we like the taste of fresh food so I do it twice a week.

FOOD PREP: On Sunday’s, I go to the stores (Publix and Sam’s Club) in the morning and spend about two hours making enough vegetables, meat, and grains to last through Wednesday. It’s simple cooking that doesn’t take a lot of effort or time but the key is to get it done ahead of time. I also prepare Liv’s food so I can feed her on demand without having to make it each meal. On Wednesday’s I make more meat, veg, and grains to finish out the week. On the weekend’s we enjoy tasty food and reset for the week. That’s all there is to it. Make your grocery list, do the shopping, prepare the food in bulk, and enjoy the healthy eating you deserve. Time Management: When it’s all done ahead of time you don’t have to feel stressed, disappointed, and guilty when you CAN’T eat healthy. You CAN and you deserve to have the great feeling that healthy eating provides!food prep

The other important items you must do need to make it on the list so you can feel good about life. A healthy wife is a happy life so set yourself up right and don’t be afraid to delegate chores to your hubby/kids. They don’t mean to NOT help, they just don’t think of the things that need to get done like you do. You will be so much happier when your house is clean, the dishes done, laundry folded and put away, and healthy food is cooked and ready to be eaten in your refrigerator. Then it seems nothing will be standing in your way of a trip to the gym to get your workout on — and again, another thing that will make you FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOU!

You’re probably noticing the trend, do the things that need to get done so you can be healthy and happiness will be a direct result to that healthiness. Make your lists, check them twice, delegate chores, and you’re on your way to a healthier and happier you!