Let’s think outside the summer cube for this one.
Watermelon ice cubes! They are a delicious addition to any summer drink. Adding flavor and yummy treat after your drink is gone!
I hope you don’t get lost in the directions 🙂
Instructions:
Make it the best day!
-K
Well, I am going to expose it all right here. The best exercise to do in a time crunch is…..
ANYTHING!!
What do you like to do? Run, walk, lift weights, play games, basketball?
The truth is anything you do is better than sitting on the couch. You need to move and get the blood flowing. If you have 20 minutes of free time, go for a walk. If have a bit of free time and gym membership get in and get that heart rate elevated.
Your best option is to get the heart rate elevated for 20 to 30 minutes. However, if a walk is the only thing you have time or space for try to make it 30 consecutive minutes. Alternatively you can also do two 15 minute session to equal the recommended 30 minutes.
You might be thinking. Well how am I supposed to set aside 20 minutes Kevin?! I have a job, kids, traffic, laundry and more things to do I can’t list them all.
Well first off, take control of your time. It’s the most important thing you have.
After dinner or before dinner set aside 20 minutes to walk around the block. Forget checking Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for the 35th time today. That can wait, trust me.
How about waking up 20 minutes earlier to get your day off to a better start? Walk with your coffee or tea!
Use your time to get out and move. Get off the couch and find the path to a healthy you!
It’s closer than you think.
Make it the best day!
-K
Workout for the day:
All exercises performed for 30 seconds. No rest between exercises. After the full circuit rest for 2 minutes. Repeat the circuit 4 times. Enjoy!
Make it the best day!
-K
Wake up. Make sure everything is packed, double-check your wallet, phone, keys. (Check, check..they were a here a minute..oh ok here they are, check)
You are all set for your trip. It may be for business, pleasure or both. Either way, chances are you have checked your bag multiple times and flight status.
There is one thing that most people neglect to do, which might be the most important part of traveling.
Pack snacks!!!
We have all been hungry at the airport and had to settle for an $8 bag of almonds or goodness help us….fast food. Which ultimately leads us to feeling crummy. Not only physically but mentally as we try to justify the expense for things that are just not good for us.
Make snacks a part of your planning routine. Your mind and your body will thank you when you’re traveling. Plus if there is a delay or your don’t even get an armrest to use. You can rest assured knowing your fueled up properly and won’t get grumpy.
Here are a few of my go to snacks to pack in my satchel.
This is a sample. Be creative and chose whole, healthy foods!
Make it the best day!
-Kevin
It’s summer and you can feel it with the 95 degree temperatures! On these days, we mostly crave light and refreshing meals. Keeping with that theme here is a wonderful light and crisp fruit salad.
You can substitute any fruit to your liking. Feel free to mix and match to your taste buds!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Make it the best day!
– K
Saturday. A day to get up early, exercise and eat a healthy breakfast without having to rush off to work!
Or….sleep in. Grab some coffee and try to fix that hangover. Whatever boat you are in or even if you’re somewhere in the middle here is a great recipe!
It is super easy and only has a few ingredients. What’s not to love?!
Greek Yogurt Pancakes
Directions:
Enjoy some healthy pancakes and a great Saturday!
Make it the best day!
-K
I am too tired to work out today.
Is it only Wednesday…ahhhhh….
Yep, we have all said those before! I am willing to bet you made that statement before reading this blog. Or perhaps yesterday after you just worked for 12 hours and the copier broke after you spilled hot coffee on your lap, all while trying to nail down your next meeting.
I get it, fitting time to exercise can feel hard some days and some weeks. The key is staying on top of it and making a habit of at least two days a week. Why do I say two days? My belief is that if you start at something you can achieve those two days will turn into three or four. As your habit builds, so will the results and your investment in your health will be worth it.
The first few minutes are the hardest.
That is true, the first bit of getting your heart rate and body going are the most difficult. Depending on your choice of movement for the day after five or ten minutes you are going to start feeling better and want to finish what you started.
Once your heart rate picks up to compensate for your change in intensity, your blood flow will increase and so will your energy.
Researchers at the University of Georgia found that sedentary, otherwise healthy adults who engaged in as little as 20 minutes of low-to-moderate aerobic exercise, three days a week for six consecutive weeks, reported feeling less fatigued and more energized.
The more you can get into a routine with consistent exercise the more energy you will have on a daily basis. Not only will that exercise session give you energy for that day, it can carry over to the following day and help you get a head start on the next morning!
The next time you want to sit down on the couch and just ‘relax’ think about going for a short walk. Enjoy what this summer has to offer and feel better doing it!
Make it the best day!
-K
After a brief hiatus we are back! Given the fact that the weather and the leaves are changing, now is great time for a fall recipe. Â This is one of my favorites for those colder days and it won’t hurt your waistline.
The list of ingredients looks long but don’t let that scare you off, it is pretty simple. This dish is essentially a two pan wonder. Squash is just about to be in season so you should be able to find some for pretty cheap at your local store. For the sausage you can use any kind you would like, pork, chicken, etc.
Ghost curry powder is a new specialty curry powder and it is pretty hot. You can sub this out for your favorite curry and still have a great meal. I would tend to stay away from a green curry as it won’t pair too well with the apples. Now let’s get cooking!!
Squash & Sausage Ghost Curry
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, remove seeds, brush flesh side lightly with 1 Tbsp. oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flesh-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 45 min. until just tender and easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet (cast iron works great) or Dutch oven. Add onions, ginger and garlic, and cook for 5 min. until soft.
In a small bowl, mix an equal amount (3 to 5 Tbsp. depending on desired heat level) of Ghost Curry Powder, vegetable oil and water together to make a paste. Stir curry paste into onions, then add apples, broth, cider and coconut milk and bring to a medium simmer.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a separate skillet, add sausage and cook until browned.
Meanwhile, peel skin from cooled squash and cube into ½- to 1-inch pieces. Stir sausage and squash into curry, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 more min. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Top with fresh mint before serving.
Time saving note: make the squash ahead of time and cube it, so that you can add it quickly to your dish when the time comes.Â
You can serve this on top of wild rice or quinoa if you would like. If you use ghost curry using one of these two options would help cut the heat as well!
This meal cooks up quick (after you bake the squash) and tastes great right away. However, for an extra little treat the leftovers provide great flavor. As the curry sits over night it just gets tastier. So make sure you make some extra!
There will be plenty more fall dishes and fitness tips and tricks as we move forward into winter. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Change is a good thing!
Chances are if you have been working out for an extended period of time you have gotten stuck in some sort of rut. It happens to all of us. You get comfortable with the same movements and weights that you do each week and thus lose the progression factor of your program.
It is important to make changes every four to six weeks and if you are an advanced lifter then it might even be every three to four weeks. We are not saying that you need to change your routine every time you get into the gym. Performing the same routine for a month is beneficial because your body learns the movement and you will most likely see and increase in weight that you can lift. However, it is important to challenge yourself every time you hit the gym.
If there is one thing I see often from clients who I train once a week, it is the fact that they don’t challenge themselves on the weight when they lift on their own. If your goal is 10 repetitions for three sets and you have done 10 reps for all three sets during your workout (the reps were all clean with no struggling) then it is time to move the weight up. That doesn’t mean jumping 5 or 10 pounds. It could just be a 2.5 lb increase. The important thing here is progression! Even little improvements in weight will lead to results throughout the year. That is the goal if you are a regular gym goer. It will not be to have large jumps each session but incremental increases throughout the year. Those will add up to big gains from day one to day 365.
How to know when to progress?
A general rule for progression is listed above. Once you hit all reps for your prescribed sets with good form you should increase the weight. It is ok if you increase the weight on say your dumbbell chest press and then for 2 weeks you can’t hit every rep clean, so the weight stays the same. Remember progression is NOT linear. Â You might increase in other movements but some might stay stagnant. That might require a little program tweaking to get you over that hump, but you will not increase in every movement, every week, for the entire year. Â Don’t get discouraged it is normal.
When doing a set when you get to your last rep you should be fatigued. If your goal is 10 reps and you get 10 and think you had 3 more reps in you with good form. Then the weight should be increased. If you stop and know you have more reps you are not challenging the muscle fibers enough and you will not achieve the progressions you seek. When you do your workout, come prepared to work! Challenge yourself and you will very happy with your results.
How many reps and sets should I be doing?
I get this questions very often. The simple answer is, it is different for everyone depending on your desired outcome. The one thing I see often is 3 sets 10 -12 reps. If you choose this path or any path make sure you vary the reps every four to six weeks. Many times people will do 10-12 or 10-15 reps for months on end. Your body has adapted and you need to challenge a different energy system to see more progression. My personal favorite is take clients from that program to a program of 4 sets 5-8 reps. This changes the intensity and volume of the program greatly since you will be lifting heavier weights for shorter periods of time. Don’t be scared of heavy weights!! You will not turn into Arnold or Hans and Franz from Saturday Night Live.
Lifting heavier weights will challenge your creatine phosphate energy system (short term strength system). That means lifting heavier for shorter bouts, which will result in getting stronger and making your muscle more ‘solid’. In short there is no perfect sets and reps for everyone. Consult a fitness professional is you need help getting started and they will point you in the right direction. Once you have done that, change your routine by varying the reps and sets. Make sure you lift heavy for certain periods of time, then decrease the weight and hit higher reps then back down again! Make it fun and keep challenging the different energy systems your body uses for exercise.
What are some variations I can do for my current exercises?
It can be tough to think of new movements once you are in a routine. To help you out with that I have listed a common movement and some alternatives to it that will challenge different muscle groups! Feel free to substitute these movements into your routine, just remember to start light and progress up from there!
Bench Press:
Incline dumbbell chest press
Flat dumbbell chest press
Single are flat or incline chest press
Lat Pull-down:
Seated row with a wide grip
Seated row with a narrow grip
Palms toward you lat pull-down
Single Arm lat pull down (use one handle, and one arm at a time)
Pull-ups! Assisted or bodyweight.
Leg Press Machine:
Walking Lunges
Step ups on to a bench with weights in your hands (the higher the bench the harder it will be)
Split Squats with weights in your hands
Pushups:
Weight your pushups with a weight on your back
Change your hand position (wide, narrow, offset)
Those are just a few suggestions for a few movements that are most commonly seen in the gym. There are of course countless variations of movements and ideas out there! Remember to change up your routine and try not to get stuck in a rut.
Little changes lead to the biggest results!
Be creative and if you are looking for something in particular, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Thank you for reading this week, it’s time to throw a curveball into your routine. Go ahead and try something new!
Today we have a quick and easy recipe that will spice up any dish you choose to make along with it. It is easy and there can be as many subtractions or additions as you want. This makes a great supplement to any summer BBQ or mid week meal since it is so easy to make. This healthy side dish will make you want to experiment with foil packets every time you fire up the grill!
Main Ingredients:
4 Plums quartered
1 Large peach quartered
1 Small red onion (cut into half moons)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of fresh pepper and salt
Handful of fresh thyme or basil (I used basil for the packet that is pictured)
After you have mixed all the ingredients, make a foil pouch. I had to use two big sheets to fit all the ingredients. The grill heat should be medium, if you hold your hand over the coals it should be able to be there for about 3 – 4 seconds before becoming too hot. Cover and let grill for about 10 -15 minutes.
Once it is done, be careful taking it off the grill for it will be hot! You can open up the packet to let it cool for a short time before serving. Feel free to tear a few pieces of fresh basil or thyme to top it all off.
It can be served by itself or along side a protein or main dish to supply a great flavor punch and freshness to any meal!
Serve it up warm and enjoy!
