Dirty Plantain Samich

I recently found out that I freaking LOVE plantains... the first time I had them was about 6 months ago. The plantation my husband works for has some Cubans that come up from Tampa to help out with maintenance around the place every couple of months, and boy can they cook!!

Dirty rice, pulled pork, guava jelly, and the wondrous fried plantain! Now, the fried plantain isn't coated with any flour, it's just cut up into chunks and pan fried in oil, it's delicious and heaven in my mouth.

It's only until recently that I myself started playing around with cooking plantains. I made my own healthy version of the Cubans dish, aka minus the rice:-) Here is the recipe I followed Easy Shredded Pork over Caramelized Plantains and now I'm hooked on these yummy funny looking bananas.

Did you know plantains are actually very good for you? Some people call them a fruit, some a vegetable. Whatever the case, they are a great addition to those who follow a low carb diet or healthy lifestyle low in grains and potatoes. The possibilities are endless. They can be used in place of potatoes in stews, mashed up, or pan fried and sprinkled with a little honey and cinnamon making an amazing desert. OR you can make chips out of them! Which is exactly what I did today!

First things first, here are some of the health benefits of plantains:

• High Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Niacin
• Vitamin B
• Calcium 
• Potassium

I follow a fellow blogger and fitness advocate named Neghar Fonooni, I'm sure you've seen me re post some of her other recipes before. She was my inspiration to write this blog and make the plantain chips. But, I went one step further with making some homemade ice cream to stuff into the middle of the chips:-) First things first:

The Plantain Chip:

What you need:

• (makes about 2 servings)
• 1 green plantain
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• Sea salt

What you gotta do:

•  Slice plantain very thinly (a mandolin is best for this)
•  Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium high heat
•  Add plantains to the skillet in a single layer, and flip with tongs after a minute or so
•  Once fried, place on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with sea salt
•  Serve as soon as possible as they do have a tendency to get soft

The Ice Cream:

1 over ripe and frozen banana

1/4 c Unsweetened Almond Milk

4 drops Liquid Stevia

2 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa

1 TBS Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1 TBS Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 TBS Sunflower Butter

Put all the ingredients in your food processor/blender/ninja etc.. I used my NutriBullet, and blend! Transport the ice cream into a container and put in freezer for at least an hour. I honestly eye balled and made up this recipe, so be creative and create a flavor you will enjoy:-)

Dirty Plantain Samich:

Now take the ice cream out of the freezer, let it melt just slightly so it's easy to scoop. Take two plantain chips, and scoop a small amount of ice cream and smoosh it in between the two chips... CONSUME!!! Ok, how much do you love it?? 

I think I just ate ten chips.... amazing!! ENJOY!

March 29 QBG!

So if you are new to my work outs, I create them to be done on a time crunch. I like to call them my "Quickie But Goodie"or "QBG." They are usually done with little to no equipment and at home.

Remember, these are called a QBG because they don't take a lot of time, but more importantly they will get your heart rate soaring in no time, and keep it soaring. If the work out is too difficult, they are easy to modify. Here are a couple ways you can modify all the work outs:

• If the exercise calls for 3 sets of 15, do 3 sets of 10.
• If the exercise calls for 1 minute, do 30-45 seconds.
• If the work out calls for 4 rounds, do 3 rounds.
• Give yourself 30 second rest between exercises.

Google is a great resource for looking up modifications to any difficult exercise. Don't let now knowing an exercise or thinking it will be too difficult hold you back. No more excuses! The key is to get up and get moving. Any exercise is better than sitting on your booty all day long:-) I hope y'all enjoy this beautiful Saturday wherever you are, and keep that body in motion.

QBG

Equipment: 1 Fitball

Approx Time: 25 minutes

Jumping Jacks - 1 minute

Body Weight Squats (hold arms above your head) - 25

Burpies - 10

Plie Squat - 25

Fitball Push Ups - 15

Fitball Knee Picks - 15

Bicycles - 25 R/L

Russian Twists - 25 R/L

*Repeat 3X*

Stretch and drink water!

-SLR

QBG! (aka Quickie But Goodie)

I love exercising on a time crunch. Sometimes I do my best with limited time because I know there's no  time to slack off! I push myself to the limit for about 30-45 minutes with no breaks.

We actually should all be exercising this way. If you are spending hours at a time in the gym, you are waisting your time. Study after study has proven that HIIT is the best way to get the results you are looking for. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. All the "at home" work outs I have posted where you are using nothing but your body weight or a ball is exactly this type of training. High intensity, fast, hard, with little to no breaks. I like to call my short and hard work outs - Quickie But Goodie, QBG!! Gotta make my own trade mark;-) 

This type of training can also been done at the gym with weights, Kettlebells, and/or cardio machines. Here is my awesome QBG work out I did yesterday, and boy am I sore. It's not quite HIIT because I had some rest periods, but all together it's pretty darn close because it was short, fast, and hard.

QBG

Stairmaster Intervals- 20 minutes

Deep Squats- 1x15 quick with minimal weight, 3x12 medium to heavy weight (rest about 30 seconds in between sets

SUPER SET THE NEXT TWO EXERCISES

Single Leg Lunge with Dumb Bells (front squat grip) 3x10 R/L 

Bench Leg Raises with Hip Thrust at top (this is an core exercise) 3x20

END with 50 Kettlebell swings moderate to heavy weight

Roll out on Foam Roller for 3 minutes and/or stretch

Enjoy!!

-SLR

Making the Change

So many people enter a gym or fitness club day in and day out, yet they see little to no changes in their weight, physique,  and/or strength. Some may see a little change, but not to the extent they were hoping. This usually lands a cancellation form being filled out a couple months later... This makes me sad, don't cancel your membership because you aren't seeing the results you wanted to see. Instead, let's find out why you aren't seeing any results.

Chances are there is something lacking from your lifestyle change. More often than not, it is the nutrition that needs some major help, but I touch on that subject all the time. Today, we are talking about the changes you need to make in your fitness routine.

Here are a couple questions you need to ask yourself:

1) Have I consistently been going to the gym at least 4 days a week for the past couple months?

2) Have I changed the exercises I'm doing at the gym in past couple weeks or at all?

3) Have I ever touched a free weight or do I stick to the machines I know?

4) Have I ever touched a weight at all or do I stick to only cardio?

5) Have I ever gotten sore?

6) Am I sweating when I leave the gym?

7) Am I working out with a purpose and plan?

8) Does my gym experience make me happy?

If you have answered NO to one or more of these questions, you will never reach your goals because you are just going through the motions. Don't misunderstand my point here, every little bit counts. If you are getting to the gym twice a week instead of sitting on your butt at work or home, that is awesome!! Don't stop! BUT, this is not how you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, prevent osteoporosis, decrease lower back pain, sleep better, and see those results you were hoping for. 

So where do you start? My first piece of advice, seek professional help. Contrary to popular belief, Personal Trainers are not a luxury, they are a means to better health. Just like going to a Doctor for a medical issue, a personal trainer is there for a physical issue. They can help get you on the right track with the right exercise routine so you aren't coming into the gym blind. 

Make sure you do your research on the trainers that are available to you. What are their credentials, are they busy, how many years have they been training, and will they help you with nutrition (Coming Soon: How to find the personal trainer that is right for you)? 

Second, try something new. What classes are available at your gym? My favorite addition to my fitness routine is Yoga. I freaking love yoga!! It can be as hard or as easy as you make it. If you have any sort of stress, aches, stiffness, or tight muscles, I highly suggest taking yoga. If cardio is hard for you to get through because it's boring, try a Zumba or Kickboxing class. Both are high energy, fun, and offer a whole body cardio butt kicking session. Gyms all over the country have so many great fitness classes to get you out of your comfort zone and offer something new, fun, and different.

Most importantly, don't give up.... Ever. Because giving up means you will never make a better and healthier life for yourself. Every little bit counts. Stay on this healthy lifestyle wagon and enjoy the ride:-)

No Equipment Needed!

Jumping Jacks - 30
Skaters - 15 R/L
Snowboarders - 30
Alternating Side Lunges - 15 R/L
Crossover Lunge - 15 R/L
Jumping Jack Squat - 30
Push Up - 20
Alt. Knee To Elbow Tuck (Spidermans) - 15 R/L
Reverse Crunch - 20

*Repeat 2X*
Stretch and drink water!!

XOXO!

PS. If you ever see an exercise you don't know, go to google or youtube to watch a video:-)

Tips From The Exercise Specialist

"No matter how much or how hard you exercise, you cannot out-train a bad diet."

I have heard this term so many times over the years it's not even funny... It is also not funny because it is so true! If there is one thing you need to be a stickler about, it is your nutrition. I often try not to use the word "diet," because it has such a negative connotation associated with it. But, at some point we need to realize what is important for our health and how to reach our goals.

Here are five great tips to stay on track with losing weight, meeting your goals, nutrition and creating a healthy lifestyle.

1) Eat clean, real, and whole foods- a calorie is not a calorie and your body will metabolize food differently, either making your body a fat holding or fat burning machine!

2) Be creative- Try new foods! Just because you didn't like broccoli when you were younger doesn't mean you won't like it now. Learn how to cook fish on the grill and roast veggies in the oven. Play around with spices! Just because it is healthy doesn't mean it has to taste bland or bad.

3) Find an accountability partner- A challenge isn't a challenge unless we have a little friendly competition and someone to hold us accountable to our goals. Find a friend to do a fitness or weight loss challenge with. Hire a personal trainer to lead you down the right motivational track. KEEP A NUTRITION JOURNAL!! Write down every single thing that goes into your mouth every day, including liquids. Note your moods, energy levels, stress levels, how well you slept, and so on. Look back at each week and see if there are any patterns you need to change.

4) Learn portion sizes- one word: Pyrex. Buy a set of glass pyrex containers. They will change your life and make it a whole lot easier to portion out your food and take it to work. Preparation is key when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

5) Learn your equation- There are many factors in your healthy lifestyle equation that will get you to your final answer/goal. What's missing out of your equation? If you are working out, eating well, but still not losing weight, you are probably eating too much and not working out hard enough. OR, you could be lacking in the sleep or water consumption department. OR, you are eating well, getting sleep, but skipping too many work out days. OR, you could be busting your butt at the gym, then going home to two glasses of red wine with dinner... alcohol my friends is not part of this healthy equation! Here is an example of healthy equation:

CONSISTENT Nutrition + Working Out + Stress Relief + Sleep + Water = Well rounded healthy lifestyle where fat loss is happening every day!:-)

Do not expect to see big changes if you equation looks like this:

RANDOM Work Outs + Alcohol on the weekends + Sleep + Some Nutrition = Little to no results

Be strong, set goals, find a partner to keep you on track, stay motivated, and be happy!! Enjoy the journey and stop stressing about the small things.

-SLR

Tips From The Exercise Scientist

"Results take time, consistency, and relatively hard work." - Charles Poliquin

Good things always come with time. There are three key steps that come to your health and fitness. Whether you are training for a marathon, learning how to lift weights, or trying to lose weight; time, consistency, and hard work are the only way you will reach those goals.

1) Time: Give yourself at least 1 year to accomplish your health and fitness goals. Every body is different, and sometimes it takes a while for your body to start making noticeable changes. Get off the scale and focus on how you feel. If you want to lose weight and keep it off... let your body and metabolism adjust slowly.

2) Consistency: If you do not make it a priority to get to the gym or eat well consistently, then you will never reach your goals. Exercise and eating well cannot be random. Just as in taking time, your body must learn what you are teaching it on a consistent basis.

3) Hard Work: Going on leisurely walks through the neighborhood, house cleaning, and your job do not count as exercise. You will not lose weight if you count everyday activity as exercise. Yes, it is great that you are not just sitting in front of the TV, but you must put your body in motion with intent to better your body composition. If you are always doing the same thing day in and day out at the gym, you will also not reach your goals. You must push yourself every day. Sweat, get sore, and learn new exercises! 

There is no quick fix to anything. Shouldn't all of our life experiences tell us this is a fact no matter how hard we try to change it? So why do we think our fitness goals will come at the drop of a hat with no hard work?

Like I said earlier, whatever your health and fitness goals are, be prepared to dedicate at least the next year to reaching those goals. If you get it in your mind that this will take a while, accompanied by consistent hard work, you will more likely succeed!

Love the journey and the lessons you learn:-)  Don't give up!