Training Today and Giving Back

I have been a personal trainer for nearly 12 years now. Although I did take a bit of a hiatus while developing a real estate career, it has always been in my blood. Something that makes me happy. Something that I crave when I am away. And because of that I am working on rebuilding my place in the field. With hopes of finding a workable balance between the two.

For the past few months I have had the pleasure of working with some remarkable, dedicated, motivated people. They are inspiring. They give life to my dreams. Validity to my goals.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I get paid to help people get healthy and feel better about themselves, that I feel so strongly about the importance of giving yourself the gift of a stronger body. I lost my dad at the age of 4 due to illness. I have watched countless friends and family members struggle with weight issues, health problems, emotional troubles and physical incapacities. I have created a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family because of such things. And I have dedicated much of my life to educating myself and helping others live better.

Because I feel so strongly about developing a healthier body, mind, life,  I want to give everyone the chance to have such things. I am offering the first 5 people who respond one FREE session with me. Training, nutrition, Beach Bootcamp, Reiki, coaching, any of it. FREE OF CHARGE. Just message me, call me, email me and we will get started. I have been blessed with so many wonderful things and I look forward to giving back!

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Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad

What? She’s writing about pasta?

Yes, folks, yes I am! Like most of you, I LOVE pasta. Love it. I also firmly believe that your life style has to suit your likes and dislikes. I will never remove the things I love from my diet completely. Life is about LIVING. It’s about enjoyment. Just keep in mind, gluttony is not your friend. All things in moderation and with consideration and you will do just fine.

Plus, despite what we have been trained to believe, having some pasta in your diet is not always a horrible thing. Sometimes we really do require the carbs and it can be made in a health conscious fashion.

I don’t expect you all to want to make your own pasta from scratch like I do. Not everyone cares to knead and roll, nor do they have the time. There are ways around it. Start with a whole grain variety!

Here is a recipe for a one dish meal that I and my family love! It is perfect for summer days and nights. And the veggies can be grilled!

1 pound fresh or whole grain pasta
1 large sweet potato
1 large onion
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 head of fennel
10-15 stalks of asparagus
2-3 cloves of garlic – minced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 – 1 teaspoon pepper

Cook the pasta. Chop all of the vegetables about the same size. Put them on a baking sheet,  toss with oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until tender. Approximately 15-20 minutes. Toss into the pasta. You can add more oil if it’s dry. Try adding lemon zest! You can make a dressing with lemon juice, zest and olive oil and any herbs you like or more garlic to give it a bit more zing. Try adding crushed red pepper to the roasting veggies. Add any other veggies you might like or have on hand. I have used them all and can honestly say I haven’t found any that I haven’t liked in this. Including roasted cherry tomatoes. You just may need to roast those separately because they don’t require as much time.

Again, you can top this with hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken or fish, shrimp, scallops. I have even spiced this up by adding a variety of olives. Some feta…. The choices are endless.

Enjoy!

Live Well!
~S

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Goals

We all have them. We all need them. Some of us have more than others.
Sometimes they change. Sometimes we get almost there and decide it no longer applies.

Have you ever looked at that person who seems to accomplish everything they set out to do and wonder “How do they do it”?

I have too. I will never claim to have mastered everything I have set out to do. I have achieved some great things. I have down right failed at many as well. Often, I am far better at helping people with theirs than I am at striving for my own.

Guess what. That person who seems to have all those accomplishments…. they have many failures as well.

The key is not just setting goals. It is finding ways to achieve them. Breaking them down into smaller steps. Focusing on the big picture will only get you so far. Often not very far at all, because you can’t see how to get it all done. How it all can happen.

Trust me. I’m preaching to the choir here. I have one big goal that I had pushed to the back burner for years. Simply because I didn’t see how it was possible. I knew I could do the work. I knew what it would take once I got there. But HOW I would get there was something I just couldn’t understand. I still don’t really. What I do know is that I must put one foot in front of the other. Take one day, one moment at a time. Each day I have to take another step in the direction of that which I want to achieve. Eventually I WILL get there.

This can be applied to everything in your life… including your health and fitness goals. Do NOT focus on how you are going to lose all 30 pounds. Just focus on what you are going to do TODAY to get there. Do not think about NOT eating carbs ever again. Think about what you WILL eat that will taste just as great and be just as satisfying. Do not focus on how you will get six-pack abs. You may just find that you prefer having that inch of cover. It sure beats the 5 inches you had a few months ago.

Do one thing today friends. One thing to better yourself. One thing that will move you in the direction of your dreams, your goals. And don’t be afraid to change your mind!

Live Well!
~S

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A Heavenly Dessert

My love of all things Italian is certainly no secret. I can often be found with a glass of Pinot in one hand, an Italian travel novel in the other and a plate of olives, grapes and various cheeses by my side. My favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Or any afternoon frankly. Dreaming of the hills of Tuscany.

Many of the recipes I write are take offs of Italian classics. But there  are some that just don’t need a thing done differently. This is one of them. There really isn’t much better than fresh cherries. Until you mix them with a bit of your favorite red wine! Simmered lightly until a thick sauce is created. Topped with a bit of mascarpone lightly sweetened with a touch of honey. A bit of lemon zest and you are in heaven. If you really want to indulge give it a base of angel food cake or even better- hazelnut pound cake.

Here it is….

1 pound cherries stemmed and pitted
1 cup red wine
zest of 1 lemon

Combine in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and let stand for 2-3 hours.
You can sweeten this lightly if you prefer, but I find it perfect just as it is.

For the mascarpone, simply whip into it a bit of honey. Certainly not traditional, but you can also use agave nectar. Or of course you can go the more traditional route with cane sugar, but I always suggest you attempt to remove as much of that from your diet as possible.

Sprinkle the top with some chopped hazelnuts and you are in heaven. Let me know what you think.

Live Well!
~S

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Interval Training

Need to add something new to your workout? Have you found yourself hitting a plateau?

Try Interval Training!

Interval training can boost your metabolism, shed pounds, increase speed and endurance and get you into the best shape of your life.

So what is Interval Training?

Interval training consists of high intensity exercise follow by low intensity exercise. Then repeated for “sets”.

Why does Interval Training work?

Varying your intensity during exercise forces your body to adapt. The more power your aerobic system uses, the higher it’s capacity to burn calories.

What does Interval Training look like?

First you need to warm up. 3-5 minutes minimum of a low intensity activity like a slow jog, dynamic stretching and/or jumping jacks.

Next choose an exercise like sprints, mountain climbers or burpees and push hard.

Now for a lower intensity exercise like squats, push ups or crunches.

Then repeat!

I like to perform sets in threes myself. And I have found that my clients respond to them better this way as well. Here are a few routines I have used successfully….

• 20-50 Mountain Climbers, 20 Alternating Toe Touch, 25 Jump Squats
• 10-15 Push Ups, 10-20 Burpees, 25 Crunches

You can even work them into your arm routine without searching for a machine like this…

• Hammer Curls, Kickbacks, Jump Lunge
• Straight Curls, Overhead Extensions, High Knees

You can choose a variety of exercises and create a killer workout! The number of reps and sets you perform really depends on your fitness level. Try working with a trainer, even for a short time, to help get you comfortable with form and to determine your true intensity.

Remember, sweat does not always equal proper intensity. It does not always mean you have done enough work.

Live Well!
~S

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For The Love Of Gardening

Nothing makes me happier than a warm morning, birds chirping, kneeling in the dirt. Nurturing herbs, watching flowers bloom. Picking tomatoes fresh from the vine. Digging weeds is hardly a chore. I welcome their return week after week. Offering me the opportunity to linger.

The start of the season, the day I finally get to run my fingers through the soil, it’s this. This sustains me through the long, cold New England winters. Daydreaming of luscious blooms, abundant color spilling over sides of beds and pots. The first crocus breaking through the soil. Not even my crocus and I am filled with joy and excitement. Soon. Soon I will spend long days in the sun.

When I arrive home each day in mid-summer the first place I go is to the garden. Phone, bags, all forgotten in the car. It’s the fresh green beans I crave. Warm from the afternoon sun. They call me even before I reach the drive. I can stand forever picking and eating those delicious, crisp, beautifully green bits of wonder. Who needs a stove, a plate, a fork. Tomatoes eaten like apples as the sun droops below the trees.

Have you ever tasted a pea in the place it was grown? Right there amongst so many waiting, growing. It’s indescribable.

A sense of peace and calm, with an edge of excitement as I carry my large woven basket overflowing with squash and zucchini, carrots and beets to the kitchen. I did this. I planted these seeds, nourished and protected the tender plants.

Nothing tastes better than a meal made from your very own harvest. Now I truly understand the old rituals of ancient times. Harvest feasts and celebrations. There’s no guarantee of bounty. No sureness of piles of fresh, delicious color.

There is something primal, yet calming and focusing about dirt and trees and plants. A day with a shovel is a great day to me. Moving earth and stone, a welcome endeavor. I thrive on the hard work. At the end of the day, as I wash off the dirt, the cuts, the scrapes, the sore muscles are welcome signs of a day well spent. I appreciate the dirt under my nails, clinging no matter how hard I scrub.

Learning, year after year, from successes and failures. It’s an experience that can’t be taught. Can’t be told. Can’t be learned without time, without perseverance, without the experience itself.

I don’t know all there is to know. I’m sure I never will. But just the act of trying is enough for me. To grow old, living off the land, my land. That is all I will ever need.

Live Well!
~S

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Changing It Up- Salads

Ok, so I preached about how there are so many ways to mix up your diet so that you are not eating the same thing day in and day out. So that you do not become so sick and tired of your “healthy diet” that you just give up or find yourself cheating all the time. (I use the term diet here loosely. I do not like traditional “diets” but that is for another post.)

Now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is =] …..

Today we will focus on Salads–

• Add a variety of nuts and seeds to your salads
• Make your own dressings with different vinegars, oils, herbs and spices
• Try a salad of romaine, black beans, red peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, a wee bit of cheddar topped with a dressing of olive oil, chili powder, chives and white vinegar
• Try a salad made from spinach and arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow peppers, red onion, basil and feta, topped with a balsamic reduction (use 1 cup balsamic and a tablespoon or two or three of honey and simmer until it’s thick)
• Marinate your chicken in different oils and herbs- lemon, basil and garlic- rosemary, balsamic and orange- clementine, cinnamon and clove- create blends with olive oil, flax oil, chili powder, tarragon, oregano, sage, thyme, citrus zest, grapefruit, lemon and lime juice, mustard, curry powder, smoked paprika, fennel fronds…. I could go on all day!
• The general rule to making dressings or marinades is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar or citrus juice. Google dressing or marinade and you will find hundreds of recipes!
• Top your salads with blue cheese (just a little bit), walnuts, cranberries and a drizzle of rosemary honey- seared scallops, thinly sliced fennel, lemon zest and grilled asparagus- deviled eggs made with greek yogurt.
• There are so many things you may not consider as salad material or just forget how great they are- strawberries, toasted pita, mango, pomegranate, grilled tuna, garbanzo beans, fried eggs, grilled shrimp, roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and leeks

Here are some things I think go really well together and go on just about any bed of greens-

• Gorgonzola, toasted slivered almonds and raspberries
• Roasted red peppers, red onion, flax seed and feta
• Crimini mushrooms, endive, pecans and bleu cheese
• Pears, pecans and gorgonzola
• Cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and olives with a peppery dressing

Are you hungry yet?

Get creative! Stop eating all that iceberg lettuce and bottled dressing.

Just be sure to go easy on the cheese! It’s good for you in small doses, but too much and you might as well go back to where you began.

That should get you started. I will post some of my favorites as I make them myself.

Live Well!
~S

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Burnout…..

We’ve all been there. You were doing so well. You were training hard. You were seeing the results. Watching the pounds shed off. Becoming stronger, feeling lighter, fitter. Then all of a sudden you find yourself devouring a huge chunk of chocolate cake. Emptying another bottle of wine. Feeling miserable, tired, lazy.

I’ve been working with a lot of people lately, speaking with even more, who have just hit a slump. It can be both physical and emotional. In your training or in your psyche. It can be caused from something as minor as an unforseen appointment or an onslaught of issues. Having a bad day? Eat poorly so you decide to pick back up next week? But next week never comes. Well my friends, I have them too. I can tell you this, every day counts! Every meal counts, every moment counts. So you fell down! Don’t wait until next week to start over. Do something NOW!

Take some time to realize just what it was that created this mindset, this er in your ways. Now, let’s fix it. Understanding why these things happen is as important as what you will do next. Because often, it is something you can or need to change that is the real issue. Perhaps you are just bored with your routine. Perhaps you have hit a plateau and your body needs a shift to take it to the next level. Sometimes, believe it or not, you just need to rest.

Burnout is often the root of the problem. You have been doing the same thing day after day. The same exercises at the same time on the same days. You need to shake it up! Your body becomes used to this routine and no longer responds. Your mind becomes accustomed and you become bored. And often, you don’t even realize it. You just find yourself not wanting to eat that salad. Not wanting to do those squats. Not wanting to enter that gym. So don’t!

Creating variety in your life is essential. Now, I know some of you are going to say “I need routine. Without it I just don’t function properly”. Well, maybe that is only what you think. Or maybe you just need to find ways to stick to your “routine” but mix it up just enough so that you aren’t still stuck in this rut. It can be done.

Busting through a plateau isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need someone else to take a look at what you have been doing to give you a better perspective. Sometimes you need to challenge yourself in one way or another. I suggest start by adding something new. Take your workout outside. Discover a new exercise. Sign up for  a team sport. Find something that challenges you. Just DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

Now let’s take a look at your diet. Have you been eating the same lunch day after day? Do you find yourself bingeing in the evening because you just have to have something other than that salad and chicken? Well stop eating it. Doing the same thing day after day may work for a while, but so often it is the reason people “fall of the wagon” so to speak. They just can’t take it anymore. Nor do I blame them. I am a “foodie”. I love food. I love to cook. I love all things gourmet and delicious. If I were forced to eat the same meal day after day I would resign myself to eating the chocolate cake and being fat too. (ok, maybe not, but I sure as hell would find a way to make it different!)

There are so many ways to eat healthy without having to eat the same thing twice. It all starts with a plan! Spend 20 minutes online searching for healthy recipes. Create a list of groceries and write down what you are going to eat on what day. You can change it up just by adding different vegetables to your salad, making different dressings, seasoning your chicken with different herbs. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Just give it a try. Give yourself an hour or two on a day off to prepare for the week ahead. You are worth an hour or two aren’t you?

Physical health IS emotional health. They go hand in hand. When one is out of whack so will be the other. And one can be used to correct the other. Something really bad just happened. You want to crawl in a hole and hide. You are upset with yourself or something or someone, you want to get in bed and sleep it away. Has this ever really helped? Has the act of sleeping, hiding, ever fixed the problem? Did it really make you feel better? Or just prolonged the process?

There isn’t anyone out there who hasn’t had something they wanted to run from. The best part of life is knowing the bad so that you can enjoy the good. Without knowing pain and loss how can you truly appreciate all the wonderful things in your life? You aren’t going to welcome them, but you can face them. You can fight. You can do something that makes you feel strong, that burns off the stress. That takes away the pain or confusion or frustration. It’s hard to think about your problems when you are kicking your own ass with a stack of weights. It’s difficult to worry about what to do about that nagging issue when you can’t breathe from all those burpees. And when you are done, miraculously you find yourself feeling accomplished, clear, strong. Able to handle what has been thrown at you.

Stop beating yourself up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop worrying. Stop putting everyone and everything before you! You have one life. You have one body. Treat them well.

I’m going to say it again, because it is so very important…..
EVERY DAY COUNTS.  EVERY MEAL COUNTS.  EVERY MOMENT COUNTS.

Take care of yourself.

Live Well!
~S

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White Bean Leek Soup

I don’t know what happened here guys. I wrote something (which I will try to replicate) but when I hit post everything but one photo disappeared. I tried to “unpublish”, which I thought I did successfully. However, apparently that didn’t happen either. So let’s try this again shall we…..

I love soup. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s healthy.
And it’s NOT just for rainy days or cold weather. This one is great served warm (my favorite) or chilled.

My White Bean Leek Soup is one of my favorites. It takes less than 20 minutes start to finish and has one of my favorite ingredients… cannellini beans!

Ingredients:

2 Large Leeks- cleaned and chopped
2 Cans Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Can Cannellini Beans- drained and rinsed
2 Cloves Garlic- minced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pan saute leeks in olive oil until tender. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add rosemary, salt and pepper. Next add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3-5 minutes until all leeks are fully tender. Add cream. Remove from heat. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender and wallah! If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender or a food processor. Just becareful to vent properly. You will need to remove the vent cover on the top, use a towel to avoid a mess and maybe blend a little bit at a time.

I like to serve this with toasted whole grain bread rubbed with a clove of garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Yum.
This recipe is full of nothing but goodness so enjoy!

Live Well!
~S

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