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Five-Minute Meals
- By Meg White
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- 06 Jan, 2017
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I’m not surprised that the fast food industry has really become so successful. With our lifestyles getting busier and busier we’re all looking for ways to save time – and money. But like a high interest credit card for every minute we save, we’ll spend 10 minutes later in life sitting in doctors’ offices, waiting in lines for prescriptions, and being laid up. And for every dollar we think we save we’ll end up spending $100 more on health care costs from the pesticides, preservatives, lack of nutrients, and artificial additives.
Enter my 5 Min Meals Series –
I get it. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the days. But with a little planning and some creativity I can give you the tips you need to get nutritious foods in less time. Last week I taught my first 5 min meals cooking class – and it was a stellar success (if I do say so myself). I set a timer – and was about to make tasty filling meals in less time than it takes to sit in line at the drive through.
Now prepping fresh meat on the weekend is totally the way to go (cook up a bunch of chicken breast, bacon, etc….) but in a pinch prepared/frozen meats are a better option than stopping a greasy mystery meat joint. While my favorite grocery store for the products is the Sac Natural Foods Co-Op – the staff and convenience of Trader Joe’s makes it a close second. There refrigerated cooked meats – like the chicken strips below – and 3 min frozen grains – like their organic brown rice – making throwing a 5min meal together completely possible
Here are a few of the recipes I made – All of the recipes are for 1 Servings – for an active woman – Men add 50% more. Only you know your body. If you are eating healthy food, and exercising regularly, eat until you are satisfied.
I’m already brain storming for my next set of 5 min meals – try these out and let me know what you think!
Peanut Stir Fry
4 oz frozen cooked Shrimp
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Cup Broccoli Slaw
1/2 Bell Pepper
1 Cup Brown Rice
Directions: Cover frozen shrimp in cold water. Sautee oil and peanut butter
until melted – add veggies – cook to desired
consistency – add shrimp and peanuts.
Sautee until warm. Pour over brown rice.(Until you’re a pro like me this one might take you 6.5 minutes.)
Chicken Greek Salad
4oz Chicken
1 Tbsp Crushed Walnuts
1 Tbsp Feta Cheese
2 Cups Greens of Choice
Olives, tomato, cucumber to taste
Chopped Purple Onion to taste
Dressing: 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 tsp garlic,
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions: Mix all ingredients together
This meal doesn’t have enough carbs, try adding toast or pita to make it a complete meal
Lavash Wraps
1 Trader Joe’s Lavosh Bread
1 Tbsp Hummus
1/4 Avocado
4oz Meat of Choice
Veggie Ideas: Bell Pepper, Cucumber, Spinach,
Lettuce, Olives, tomato
Directions: Smear Hummus on Lavosh, over with toppings, roll up and enjoy
Can you imagine doing jumping jacks while holding your breath? Breathing impacts our external movement, our digestive system, our sleep, and our nervous system’s communication. When breathing is inefficient, the brain perceives this as a threat to life, and normal functioning is disrupted. The “fight or flight” mechanism gets turned on, posture muscles get recruited (compensate) to do the job of the breathing muscles, and so begins the injury cycle. For these reasons, restorative breathing exercises are a foundational component of all our exercise programs.
Office, car, computer, and cell phone postures have played a huge role in the dysfunctional breathing epidemic in our culture. Whether you’re training for sports or everyday life, your training demands efficient breathing. My favorite strategy to improve this critical movement: balloon breathing.
There are several techniques, but a great start is 90/90 balloon breathing. Balloon breathing trains the “core”, and by “core” I mean the diaphragm, which is the true core. The diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle. When we help the diaphragm do its job, we release tension in all the muscles of the torso that were compensating for the weak and poorly positioned diaphragm. Blow the balloon up with 4-6 breaths in a row, always inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth into the balloon. Then hold the breath at the end of the exhale for 3-5 seconds, empty the balloon and begin again.
Why does breathing matter so much? Well Neil Rampe the Head Athletic Trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers put it this way "It's like driving with your alignment off, you can compensate by over-steering, but if you don't correct it, your tires wear out after 30,000 miles instead of 60,000". Efficient breathing is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. Try balloon breathing 3-4 times a day to start reaping the benefits of efficient breathing.
For more techniques on how to build a strong foundation come to our next free workshop on Feb3rd from 12pm-1 pm at Action Fitness Community in East Sacramento.
Most of us know we could add some more vegetables to our daily menu.
Vegetables provide vital water, vitamins, and minerals to our diets. Starting off with a serving of vegetables is a great way to kick off a nutrient packed day!
Here are a few ideas on how to add more veggies to your daily routine:
1) Fruit and Veggie Smoothies
And some moves to help you get there…
Click here for the Sac and Company segment that inspired this blog
Every January 1st (or the first Monday of a new year) gyms, parks, and fitness trainers are swarmed with people hoping to make this year different from the last. The reality of the matter is 1/3 of the people who make New Year’s resolutions are give-up before February 1st , 73% give up before meeting their goal, and only 8% are successful.
So why make resolutions at all? If you don’t make them you can’t break them right? The flip side is if you don’t make them, you can’t achieve them either.
Making a plan means you’ll likely do better than you would if you had made no plan at all. So how do you get into that elite group of 8%? Bottom Line – don’t stress about it.
Here are some tips on how to make this year a healthier one:
1. Having a plan is better than none at all. In the words of Bruce Lee:
This year Small Business Saturday coincided with Shop East Sac. Shop East Sac is a passport program put on by the East Sac Chamber. Participants visit at least 10 small local businesses to receive a stamp, which makes them eligible to win a $1,000 Shopping Spree.
To support small local businesses, work off some holiday calories, and get some activity we decided to do a Holiday Fun Walk/Run.
Everyone was all smiles at the start of the walk/run
When race cars speed around the track they burn rubber, loosen screws, and use gas. Any car that doesn’t stop for the pit crew isn’t going to last very long on the track, or in the race circuit. It’s surprising how cars resemble the human body. And how much our lifestyles have changed our bodies from luxury sedans to race cars. Our high paced life style leave some bodies in the dust.
It’s always interesting to see the 70 year old in the assisted living facility, who needs help tying their shoes- and the 70 year old still completing 5K’s, and out running the 30 year olds. You have to ask yourself how you want to age, and what you can do to accomplish your goals.
We treat our bodies like race cars, and rarely stop by to see the pit crew. To reach and maintain your fitness goals, and get the most miles out of your ride it’s important to take the time for regular tune ups. After all your body is the only vehicle you get.
Check out my 4 Tips to A Speedy Recovery and a Long Ride
1) Sleep- A recent study showed that dieters that got 7.5+ hours of sleep regularly, lost twice as much fat as their sleepy counter parts. [1] Not sleeping enough can cause your body to store fat, increase your blood pressure, decrease your ability to perform regular tasks, and have negative effects on your immune system. The average adult should regularly get 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep.
2) Hydration- In spite of the fact that about 75% of the body and lean muscle tissue is water, many still load up on sugary sodas and caffeinated drinks to quench their thirst. Studies regularly prove water’s ability to speed up the metabolism. Being properly hydrated ensures you’ll be able to work your hardest during your work-out, and recover faster by transporting nutrients where they’re needed. Proper hydration can also increase energy and ward off chronic disease and pain. Hydration is more than water. Electrolytes are also key to staying hydrated. Check out the TrainHardOrGoHome blog or Facebook fan page for an easy homemade Electrolyte recipe, or try coconut water. Exercising adults need 80-96 ounces of water per day. Caffeine, intense exercise, and a weight loss goals means more H2O.
3) Post Work-Out Nutrition – After your work-out you’ve depleted your body of glycogen, and torn down your muscles. The next step is to rebuild them. Your body uses carbs to replenish energy and aid in the distribution of protein to repair muscles. You have a 30-45min window when your body is best able to absorb nutrients. Eating you largest meal and being sure to include both protein and carbs are vital for the most efficient recovery. For maximum recovery shoot for between 0.15-0.25 grams of protein per pound of your body weight and between 0.25-0.4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. If you’re very overweight, use your goal weight when calculating how many carbs/protein to eat.
4) Flexibility Training- Flexibility has to do with the ability of your body parts to use their full range of motion. Limited range of motion can lead to chronic injury, pain, permanent joint damage, and decreased strength potential. Keeping all your muscles flexible puts less stress on your joints and back. A regular flexibility routine is vital to reaching your full fitness potential, and maintaining it. After warming up, stretching should be performed before and after work-outs, and daily for maximum benefits. Yoga is also a great way to increase flexibility.
As you speed through your daily tasks, and work-outs be sure to take the time to rest and recover. Remember you can’t trade your body in.
If you’re ready to live BALANCED, healthy and fit, enjoy the support of a fitness community geared at realistic lifestyle changes with Action Boot Camps! Not sure if a Fitness Community is for you? Mention this article for a free work-out and come see for yourself.
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