Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (no tahini)

red pepper hummus healthy snack eat clean
 
 
You know those times when you need to eat your veggies but cringe because you would rather have chips? How about trying some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus for your veggie dip. It's delicious and can have as much flavor as you want to add to it!. You can make this healthy snack dip quickly and easily in your kitchen. Hummus can even be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for those of you who  meal prep and want to eat clean. Hummus can also be a sandwich spread on Ezekiel bread or on a whole grain tortilla. And if you are feeling wild, add it to some Pita bread for a delicious healthy snack.
 
 
Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of Garbanzo Beans
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/4 tsp Paprika
2 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Cumin
1 Red Pepper
 
 
Directions
Turn oven to Broil (high).
Carve & clean out red pepper.
Cut red pepper into 6ish sections.
Lay the sections of pepper on the tray, inside part facing down.
Put an oven rack on the highest notch in the oven where the pepper can broil.
Broil for 5-10 minutes. When the skin starts to bubble or when it starts to brown, you can take the tray out.
Place the peppers in an air-tight container or cover a container with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
Add all other ingredients to a blender and blend until you get the consistency you want.
Remove hummus and place into a container for storage.
Once 10 minutes have passed, peel the outside cover off of each pepper section.
Cut the peppers into tiny pieces and add to your hummus.
 
Enjoy!
 
*You may need to add a tad of water, or a tad more of olive oil or lemon juice if the garbanzo beans are not blending well.

 


Friday, February 13, 2015

Upper & Lower Body Home Workout





6 Rounds, 12 Repetitions
 
Overhead Press
Reverse Lunges, each leg
Bicep Curls
Tricep Dips
Back Squats
Calf Raises
Lateral Raises
Front Raises
Single Leg Deadlift, each leg
 
For this basic upper & lower body home workout, you will need 2 dumbbells, a bar & weights (if you want-not necessary), & a chair/table/object to perform your tricep dips. You can easily use dumbbells for the overhead press, back squats, calf raises & deadlifts.
 
*In the video, I only have 10 deadlifts demonstrated on each leg, but make sure you do 12 repetitions! (My camera kept shutting off while I was recording).
 
I am not perfect at these or as strong as I should be, so I will be working on gaining strength and perfecting my form along with you all!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Flexibility: Don't Forget to Stretch!

There are 5 components of fitness-cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance,  muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. 

Flexibility is often overlooked when people think of 'being fit' even though it is one of the least strenuous fitness components. 

My favorite time to stretch is after the kids have gone to bed. Other times, I like to stretch & get Austin in on the action. He either thinks I'm a jungle gym or he even tries to imitate my stretches.

A Few Benefits of Stretching:
-reduces lower back pain
-reduces stress & promotes relaxation
-increases physical efficiency
-increases maintenance of your range of motion
-decreases your risk of injury

No matter your age or fitness level, adding stretching to your every-day life is important to your health. It's a very small step to a greater cause & you will be more prepared to tackle the other fitness components. You won't become a gymnast overnight, but you will reap benefits along the way & set a good example for the ones around you who are watching-big or small.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

At-Home Lowerbody Workout

 

 
Lower-body Workout
 
5 Rounds
 
20 Jump Lunges
10 Modified Burpees
20 Step-ups (10 per leg)
20-second Plank
20 Curtsy Lunges
20 Mountain Climbers
 
 
Rest 2 minutes and repeat.
 
 
For this at-home lower-body workout, the only equipment you need is a watch/clock and something to step-up on. You can use stairs, a sturdy chair, or a box. Try not to stop during the rounds, but if your form is slacking, stop for a few seconds. You want to have good form so you do not get hurt and also to perform the exercises properly! Don't forget, keep a water bottle close by-you will need it at the end of each round.
 
You will be surprised at how sweaty you can get using your own bodyweight to workout at home.
 
 
Jump & Curtsy Lunges: front knee does NOT go past toes; back knee lightly taps the ground
Modified Burpees: legs go all the way out; jump as high as you can
Step-ups: the stepping leg does the work; squeeze your glutes when you step-up; focus on balance
Plank: butt and legs in line with your spine
Mountain Climbers: legs go all the way out and down as well as all the way up (close to your elbows); keep your butt low

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Fudge

FitMiss.com

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup of Peanut Butter (or natural pb, PB2, or PBFit)
2 Tablespoons of Honey
1/3 cup of Coconut Flour 
1/3 cup of Water
3/4 cup of Vanilla Protein Powder (FitMiss Vanilla Chai, Gold Standard Whey, etc)
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 packet of Stevia (or 3 drops of Stevia)
2 1/2 ounces of mini dark chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder


Directions
1. Warm the peanut butter and honey in the microwave (15 seconds)
2. In a food processor, blend together coconut flour, water, protein powder, cinnamon and stevia with honey and peanut butter
3. Remove from food processor and stir in 2 ounces of mini dark chocolate chips
4. Press dough into a 8x8 pan
5. Melt 1/2 ounce of mini dark chocolate chips in 10 second intervals in the microwave
6. Stir melted chocolate with cocoa powder and a splash of water
7. Thinly spread over fudge
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour
 
Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 1 square
Recipe yields 20 squares
 
Per serving:
Protein 5.1 grams
Carbohydrates 6.4 grams
Calories 82
Fat 4.5 grams
Saturated Fat 1.3 grams
Sugar 3.4 grams
Fiber 2.1 grams