Dinner for One

It's not often I have the time or energy to cook a full on meal for myself during the week... I am either heating up an Amy's frozen meal, or  boiling some brown rice noodles with pasta sauce...But last night, I knew I was due for some quiet time at my condo with my dog Jojo enjoying some good food.  I decided I wanted to cook something familiar, something my mother used to make, along with something of a protein.  

I decided on a cool endive salad, with heart of palm, avocado, fresh mozzarella, and basil...This was finished so simply (as my mother used to make) with good olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.   I knew my body was  craving veggies, so this hit the spot.  Endives are a surprisingly enjoyable alternative to your normal spinach salad, or butter lettuce salad.  They have a bitter crunch, which hits a taste bud we don't often hit.  Endives are also full of iron, amino acids, calcium and magnesium. Heart of palm is another food my mother turned me on to as a child...I remember eating these things right out of the can.  They have a soft, almost sweet-ish taste and carry a number of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Heart of palm have zinc, riboflavin, protein, fiber and vitamin C...AND, they are low, low, low in calories and fill you up!  This salad tasted so fresh and honestly, with the protein in the heart of palm and the oils in the avocado, and creamy mozzarella...I could have enjoyed this salad alone and been satisfied.  I had JUST purchased a beautiful fillet of salmon and didn't want it to go to waste.

I  knew I needed some good protein since I have recently started a new boot-camp...Relentless Boot-camp.   I went for the wild sokeye salmon, marinated in red miso, with a side of roasted Japanese sweet potato ( my new favorite starch ).   Normally, I wouldn't recommend eating the sweet potatoes this late in the day ( I try to keep these types of starches for morning or lunch ), but I couldn't resist.  I wanted  a carb, and I wanted to use this little sweet potato before the weekend (because I normally go out to eat during the weekend).  Anyways,  this meal took no time at all to prepare, I baked the salmon and sweet potatoes together for about 8-10 minutes and voila! It was such a nice treat to have an elegant meal with a nice glass of wine...prepared and ready to eat by 8 PM.   I highly recommend you busy movers and shakers to plan a relaxing evening by yourself or with your loved one or roommate and put your feet up for the evening.  I don't know about you, but I feel like it is "rush, rush, rush" every day, every hour...we need to learn to turn it off...at least for a few hours :)  Be good to your bodies, be good to your mind.  Learn it is okay to be "lazy" for an evening.   Chat soon!

Ty

The Return

Many of you may (or may not) have wondered where I have been these last few weeks...Probably thought I got lazy and gave up on the blog...But no! I am here.  I have just been going through a bumpy last couple of weeks/month. We all go through it at some point or another...or maybe go through it a few times in our lives...where nothing seems to be working out... everything that can go wrong does...and you start to feel hopeless.  I hear ya, but guess what... we all go through it, and we  all get out of it.

I know I have been writing a lot about healthy eats  and working out...but this past month I have been learning...and am continuing to learn about how health isn't just about working out and eating right...it is also about keeping your mind right.  

Mental health, I 've been finding, is equally as important as all the rest.  In order to get results we really want, we need to work with our body as a whole...mind and body.  I am no yogi or meditator...but I  strongly believe  your mind needs to be in the right place in order for your body to really reach its fullest potential. 

I am about to get a bit serious with you all, but only for this blog...then we can get back into the fun, light hearted stuff. So grab yourself a cup of coffee...or a glass of vino...this is going to be a long one.

2011  already  has been a tough one for me.  I have lost two family members (one of which was the love of my life- my Grandpa),  a family pet, and have been going through other personal issues. Prior to all these deaths,  I had found myself worrying a lot about silly things, that really, in the end , shouldn't  matter.  With the recent loss of my Grandfather, all things that stressed me out or made me upset suddenly disappeared. It is crazy how a loss of something or someone so important can really change your prospective on everything.   I am now able to see much more clearly on what is truly important in life.

  My Grandpa was a marine raider...some of the strongest and smartest of the marines.  So in layman's terms, he was a bad ass.  He not only was a career marine...but he took care of his family and had a heart of gold.  This man couldn't speak a bad word about ANYONE ever... wow...that is something to really think about.  He was also a fighter till the end.   I remember the minute I landed in California to go see him (he was in hospice care), my mother called me and cried, "Hurry up, he is waiting for you."   My mother kept telling him to not leave until I got there...My Grandpa and I were extremely close, so he knew I would be devastated if I didn't get a chance to say goodbye.
It seemed like the longest car ride of my life...hitting every red light...California traffic...and my father driving...STRESS .  When my dad pulled up to his assisted living home, I didn't even let the car stop...I bolted out the door praying it wasn't too late.  I ran into his room and my heart sank...

My strong, funny, amazing buddy was in his bed...eyes shut...rosary's in hand, with a breathing device over his mouth. So strange to see such a strong man so weak.  I dreaded for this day.  Just knelt down next to him, held his hand, and said "hey buddy, I am here! I love you so much, I am right here!"  I kissed his forehead...and just kept talking to him.  Within 20 minutes he was gone.

Literally fought to stay alive until I got there. Again, what a bad ass. 

His funeral was unlike anything I had ever seen before.  8:30 AM mass, church packed... with people even standing on the sides.  We had priests fighting over who wanted to do the service...so he had 3. We had three marines kneel before my mother and fold the American Flag infront of her and give my grandfather a rifle salute. At the reception, there was an open mic to speak about how funny and amazing this man was. This lasted over an hour. People just couldn't say enough good things about him. This is what has changed me.

I had been valuing the wrong things in life.  I lose this wonderful man, and meet all of his wonderful friends, and it made me want to be a better person.   Losing him also made me want to be a stronger person.  He was a raider...he was one of the fittest, strongest and smartest groups of the marines...He went through more than we can imagine.  Here I am using "allergies" as an excuse not to workout and he had to go through swamps in the middle of the night for miles upon miles with zero light.  I have it pretty darn good, and have really no excuse to be complaining. 

This is a really personal blog and my thoughts probably sound a bit scrambled.  I am just pointing out how we really need to value those we love in our lives and learn from the wise people in our lives.  Life is too short to be worried about the "he said she said" things, or not having enough to keep up with the Jone's...Life is about enjoying it and  making a difference in people.  Being positive. 

Since my grandfather engraved strength and health into me...I refused to let myself skip out on workouts, even though I was so emotionally drained.   The workouts are what  got me through the sadness. I didn't allow myself to go over to that "darkside" some of us can get to when we are so sad and lost.  I chose healthful things to keep my mind right.   I allowed myself to talk about him and I kept up fitness and healthy eating styles. 

Losing someone as amazing as my Grandpa is pretty tough.  My heart aches every day, but it is just so strange how everything else that I thought was so horrible in my life...disappeared.  Goes to show what we value in life.  I am going to try to be as beautiful a person as he was and continue to live life with passion and positivity, just as he would expect of me. 

 

Fine Dinning

SXSW is over  and I can now reassemble my life...or at least attempt.  I did my best with the workouts and the clean eating...and did my fair share of socializing and music outings...Seems as though this was a successful attempt to do "it all" during that crazy week.

I am feeling rather close to you guys now, so I am going to have to confess...I only made it to my corefit 1 time last week...I know.  Gasp.  I am pretty annoyed at myself too, but I made it up (kind of), with quick jogs after work.

Can't dwell on it though. Back on it today...and I had an excellent workout this morning... cooked a healthful breakfast...and have done the stairs once at work today.  Great way to kick this Monday in the...you know what. 

Breakfast today:
Two eggs scrambled with spinach, veggie sausage (1 link) topped with basil and avocado.
3 large strawberries diced and a handful of blueberries.

 

What I really wanted to share with you all today was a little European flair I have in me.  As a child, my parents would take me to France for months at a time to visit my great Grandfather...Insane cook.  Although I was young, I still miss those french style meals he used to cook.  He always cooked fresh, healthy meals for us like : Fresh Veggie soups, french green bean salads, and of course....french bread on the side.

So last night, I went to Whole Foods to pick up something for dinner.  I was getting tired of the whole...fish, brown rice and veggie dinner... so I went back to my roots to create a simple yet delish dinner.

I grabbed some gorgeous looking radishes, fresh spinach, basil, avocado,  hearts of palm and fresh mozzarella for  my veggies.

Then saw some beautiful smoked rainbow trout- Done!
And I know many of you will shreak at the thought of "white" carbs...but I grabbed a french baguette as well...I was feeling very European! Moderation is key with all of this.
There is a lot to be said for making your food look pretty on the plate.  My plate looked phenomenal.  Vibrant red radishes, the green of the spinach with creamy white mozzarella and hearts of palm on top.  This meal was fit for a King if you ask me.  I was careful not to use much mozzarella ( about two table spoons), and I made my famous dressing....splash of olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a splash of balsamic.  MMM MM good.
Go a head a give this European meal a try.  I wont even be mad if you allow yourself a little baguette...but I am being serious... MODERATION.  :)   If you aren't a fan of smoked trout...you can also try your favorite flavor of hummus for a little extra protein.  Or just add a handful of chick peas over your salad.   Enjoy! 

Stay tuned this week as I explore tasty ways to go to your favorite restaurants without feeling guilty about it.
I am talking about Eddie V's, Uchi, Roaring Fork and many more.

COREFIT Week numero deux

I had a major fail this Monday and I am just going to blame it on the time change.  My alarm went off and I just couldn't get my body to move.  So...corefit was a no go on Monday.  The worst part was, I couldn't even make it up because I had rehearsal for a show I am singing at this week, right after work.  The best thing I could do was to eat as clean as possible.  Hearty egg scramble, the rest of my squash spaghetti, and a quinoa salad over greens.  I still did not feel as good as I do when I get my  double workout in.  I didn't have that energy, that feeling of accomplishment that I get when I do my corefit AM workout.

Today I made it...and although during the workout I was gasping for air, losing feeling in my arms and shoulders and feeling just plain tortured...there was no greater feeling than finishing that hour workout.  I felt energized, strong and ready to start my day.  Corefit has been giving me results.  I have more strength in my arms and legs, and I am gaining agility.  I can run around townlake everyday on my own just fine...but sprints...that is a different story.  It is pretty hard to talk yourself into doing 30 minutes of some sort of sprint - without someone yelling at you to do it.  Ryan does a great job of not just "yelling", more like speaking loudly with conviction :) - that we are going to make it through the workout.  That is why I like this program.  He motivates each and everyone of us.  He calls us out by our names and gives us high fives when we finish with something insane.  I must say...it is rewarding, and maybe that is why I keep coming back for more. 

New Love

 I hope I didn't get you too excited...for my new love is...Spaghetti Squash. Wow, have you tried this yet?  What an awesome little veggie, well not so little.  I have heard time and time again that you can substitute pasta dishes with spaghetti squash, and being a fanatic about my pasta (carbs in general), I have been stubborn to give it a try.  I went a head and decided to be creative this weekend and bought myself a nice looking (whatever that is) squash, and looked up how to bake it.  

This was the easiest thing ever to cook, probably more simple (for the not so average cook) than boiling noodles.  I cut the squash in half...added some olive oil...teeny pinch of salt and pepper and placed it face down on a cookie sheet, then slid it into a 450 degree oven.  

I went over to my DVR...poured myself a glass of red vino and caught up on my American Idol.  Thirty minutes was the perfect amount of time for me to rest my feet and relax.  Once my timer went off I got up, pulled out the squash and set it aside while I warmed up my organic, low sodium tomato sauce .   In a pan I sauteed some shallots, garlic, and mushrooms to add to the sauce (adds so much flavor!).  I also tossed in a few veggie meatballs (made from vegetable protein). 

I scrapped out the squash (which came out looking just like noodles, no effort involved)...poured over my perfect pasta sauce...couple of basil leaves and parm on top....

Et Voila ! 

 Do not be afraid to give this one a try.  The squash was absolutely delicious.  It has so few calories and is loaded with vitamin C, Niacin, B vitamins and potassium, and best part of all...NO WHITE FLOUR- which does nothing for our bodies. 

I will have more on my training routine coming your way this week.  Just wanted to give you guys a healthy dinner idea for this week. 

Health and Happiness

T

Keepin up with the hoopla

Man it has been a busy week.  The SXSW vibe is starting to kick in and the cell phone is starting to ring with what parties to attend etc.  My drive to work out is being slowly drowned out by the "to do's" of spring time in Austin.
I have noticed how much more mature I have gotten over the years, however.  I have had to learn to juggle: full-time job, clients, teaching classes, walking my dog, music, social life AND my own workouts on a day to day and let me tell you it is exhausting! But god help me if I let my social life fade away...Not going to happen. I am a single, 26 year old gal for goodness sake. So I have had to manipulate my life style a bit to fit everything in.   For example, if I am going to go to ANY of the SXSW hoopla (yes, I said hoopla) next week, I better know that I will be waking up at LEAST 30 mins earlier to get in a longer workout.  Right now my workout consists of: Corefit (M/W/F) in the AM  with a light jog in the PM and Tuesday/Thursday - run in the AM with teaching classes in the PM and Saturdays (teaching, running and pilates)....SO my PM jogs will be erased next week...meaning, time to put in an extra 30 mins SOMEWHERE...also meaning my cocktail intake will be dwindled down a bit...which I am okay with.

I have even started taking the stairs once a day at work.  Oh, did I mention I work on the 16th floor of the Chase Tower ? Ya, I don't even count the stairs because if I start counting, I believe I may change my mind to do it.  But here is the thing for those of you that work in the corporate world and have the option of taking stairs to your office...I timed myself taking these stairs ( I usually go around 2:30 PM to break up my day), those 16 flights of stairs literally take 3.5- 4 mins long to do, but they make SUCH a positive difference in my day.  I am sitting down the majority of my work day...so taking 4 minutes out of the day to climb up some stairs to re-energize makes me feel less guilty about sitting down and gives my heart a little wake up call, don't need that thing slowing down any time soon.  So hopefully, I will survive the SXSW craze by putting in longer workouts in the AM, and not skipping out on my stair climbing ...along with eating clean, as I try to do on a regular basis.

I made an awesome breakfast this morning that took only 7 mins to prepare and it was delicious and filling and added substantial fuel to my body after a tough strength workout.



Veggie Scramble Breakfast Burrito






- Two Eggs (can sub 2 egg whites 1 egg)- Scrambled
- Mushrooms
-Spinach
-Veggie sausage ( you can use turkey sausage (lean) if you want but make sure its lean
- Sprouted whole grain tortilla
-Cholula (who doesn't love Cholula!?)
-Basil to top it off

Sometimes I just really don't have the time on my lunch break to walk the dog, run what ever errands I have, and cook a healthful meal (all in 60 minutes).  So I got a little help from my favorite local juice bar, The Daily Juice.  This place is a life saver.  Not only are they excellent at making smoothies...but they have pre-made food, grab and go if you will.  I grabbed a smoothie there yesterday and couldn't resist grabbing one of their quinoa salads.  So for lunch today the choice was simple:

Quinoa salad (made by Daily Juice folks): with red bell pepper, thyme, mint, pistachios, dried apricots and parsley... and on the side ( for a little added protein ), a *morning star faux chicken pattie.
Awesome lunch.

Alrighty, there you have it.  Have a great weekend!  Make your workouts happen (At least once this weekend!), eat clean, and I will catch up with you on Monday- unless I have an epic idea or story that will change your life :)

Health and Happiness

Ty

The Little Engine that really had no other choice...

There are seldom times in my life when I say to myself: "There is just NO way I can do this....", and today was one of them.  Corefit (week 2).  I walk my tired self to auditorium shores, the entire time I am hoping today will be "an easy" day.  It is cold, windy, and worst of all....I don't see any equipment when I arrive.  Automatically I know this means all cardio day.  I probably need it though, since I hosted a wine and cheese event at my office the day before...I begin to regret such my delicious decision to indulge (it was FAT Tuesday for crying out loud).

The workout begins. 

Sprints, suicides, push-ups, sprints up a hill, bear crawl up a hill, bear crawl DOWN a hill...man I was shot....Oh, and did I mention I am in a class of 4, and I am the only girl.  I get so darn competitive that I try my best not to be the weakest link...Its tough.  But if you know me, when I am in pain, or sad, I usually crack a joke, or laugh...a  lot (hides the pained look in my face...or atleast that is what I think). So I try to do the work out with a smile across my face....

Just when I think I can't take anymore Ryan Nail (owner of Corefit) throws this one out.

" Push-ups across the field, then jump on your partners back, and sprint up the hill"

Partners back?? I can barely run another sprint up the hill on my own, let alone have a grown man on my back!  And then I hear "Go!"

I didn't really have a chance to dwell on it...I was focusing too much on the push-ups...when I lift my head up I see its time to go.  I look to my partner and he jumps on my back... I literally can't feel my legs at this point.  Ryan is right there with me encouraging me to fight up the hill...it is a 3 teared hill...the 2nd tear is by far the steepest part. I now know what it is like for ants carrying a leaf or a crumb on their backs, approaching an ant hill...yikes.  I start to crack a joke...then stop...I just realized if I started to laugh it would be over... My partner and I would be on the floor...and I really didn't want to do that.  I knew if I fell just once, it would be 10 times as hard to get myself back up....

"Come on Tyler, Come on!!" 

Holy hell, I made it up the hill, I felt good, I felt accomplished, I had given that my all.... 

and then I hear....

"Okay, 4 more times guys!"

Yep, and guess what... I did it.  I finished it and I honest to goodness did not think I would.  The minute I thought it was over, I just had to tell myself "I must do this" and having everyone at the camp rooting for you sure gives you that extra push. 

I should have known how insane this workout was going to be when I heard Ryan call it the: Charlie Sheen workout - "Its just that crazy!" 

All in all, it felt good to accomplish something that seemed impossible...all before 8 AM.  Felt really good.

I quickly ran home and prepared a meal fit for a champ:

My veggie egg scramble:

2 Eggs

couple of mushrooms

baby spinach

1 veggie sausage link (diced)

topped with fresh avocado slices

I was inspired and fired up to now finish the rest of my work day.