Trick-Your-Friends Cookie Pie

Confession time:  I am smitten with sweets. I cannot be trusted to control myself in a room with chocolate anything. I only celebrate my birthday for the cake. I still run up the basement steps really fast because I'm afraid of what's lurking in the dark behind me. I will stick to food confessions.

You can keep your soda, chips, candy, and any other common vices, but do not take my cake, cookies or cupcakes. To be able to maintain a healthy weight AND enjoy sinfully delicious desserts, I have had to get pretty creative - chocolate tofu (not terrible), black bean brownies (pretty terrible), spinach and chocolate smoothie (tragic). Nothing has satisfied my sweet tooth and my daily calorie budget like this simple, high-protein, high-fiber, pie. All you need is a food processor, an oven, and a few unsuspecting friends. I have learned that I am running out of the latter - it seems people have figured me out...

Trick-Your-Friends Cookie Pie
2 cans organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 C quick-cooking oats (can be gluten-free)
1/3 C organic applesauce
2 T melted coconut oil
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 C organic sugar (white, brown or coconut sugar)
1 serving stevia or to taste (if not sweet enough, add a pinch more)
1 C chocolate chips

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a standard-sized 9.5 inch pie plate. After beans are drained and rinsed, blend them in the food processor. Once smooth, add remaining ingredients EXCEPT chocolate chips. Run the food processor on highest speed until the batter is very well processed and smooth. Turn off the food processor and transfer the contents to a large mixing bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour everything into the pie plate and smooth out the top. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove, cool, slice and serve. Keep the uneaten portion refrigerated - if there is any! And lastly, save sharing your secret ingredient for when the dishes are being washed.

Stride and Strength: Run, Sprint, Recover, Repeat

Go the distance with this treadmill workout. A series of runs with sprint intervals and recovery sprinkled throughout will boost your calorie burn, and your miles! For the sprints, take your speed up to the fastest you can safely handle for one minute. This means proper form, reducing your risk for injury. If you have to hold on to the treadmill, you're going too fast.

Stride

Minutes	Incline	Speed
0-3	1	3.5-4.0
3-6	1	4.5-6.0
6-8	1	5.0-6.5
8-9	1	Sprint
9-10	1	3.5-4.0
10-13	1	4.5-6.0
13-16	1	5.0-6.5
16-17	1	Sprint
17-18	1	3.5-4.0
18-21	1	4.5-6.0
21-24	1	5.0-6.5
24-25	1	Sprint
25-30	1	3.5-4.0

Strength

Equipment: heavy and light weights, mat

12 front lunges with bicep curl - right leg - lower down into lunge, as you rise back up, arms perform a bicep curl
12 front lunges with shoulder press - left leg - lower down into a lunge, as you rise back up, arms perform a shoulder press
15 chest presses with bicycles - on back, legs do bicycle movement with each press to engage core
15 tricep French presses - on back, arms straight, weights in hand, palms facing each other - lower weights down by ears and press back up to starting position
15 dead lifts with back rows - lead with your chest, maintain a flat back
15 squat jumps (no weights) - lower down into a squat position, come up and jump, reaching arms up, land back down with soft knees, repeat
15 side water pours - a light weight in each hand, raise arms out to side with palms facing forward (think 'T' position), rotate arms until palms face behind you (think of pouring water out of a pitcher)
15 push-ups
15 tiny suitcases (no weights) - lie on back, fingertips behind your head, curl knees up toward elbows, squeezing through your abs (think of trying to squeeze yourself into a tiny ball to fit into a - you guessed it - suitcase)

Repeat 2-3x

Recipe for Health: Eat-Your-Vegetables GF Pizza Crust

I love pizza. The sauce, the cheese, the veggies, the chewy crust.... did I mention the crust? I even eat the heel of my husband's pizza crust because he leaves it. It just looks so sad and lonely.

I recently began seeing a health therapist who advised that I give up gluten, among some other things. I don't completely buy into her advice, seeing as how I do not have a gluten intolerance, but it did open my eyes to a few tweaks I could make in my diet to cut down on the amount of gluten I do eat. Out of curiosity, I began to look at the labels on some packages of GF items and was sad to see that the list of ingredients was very long, and they contained lots of sweeteners and preservatives. I like to eat foods that are minimally processed, so these don't fit into my plan.

The good news is that I came across an interesting concept:  using cauliflower to make pizza crust. It sounds weird, and after reading this, you might still think it's weird, but I dare you to try it!

Eat-Your-Vegetables Gluten Free Pizza Crust 
1 small head cauliflower
1 C low-fat cheese (can be dairy free)
1 egg
1 t minced garlic
Oregano to taste
1, 14oz. can diced tomatoes (organic, no salt added)
Favorite pizza toppings

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place rack on middle shelf. Put small chunks of cauliflower (leaves and stems removed) into a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is the consistency of rice. Remove and place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove and stir in cheese, egg, garlic and oregano.

Place "dough" on pizza stone or cookie sheet. Spread until it is about 1/4 thick. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are brown and center is cooked through. Remove from the oven and top with tomatoes (I use this instead of pizza sauce since it has no added sugar). Add the rest of your toppings (some ideas:  spinach, artichokes, diced chicken, onions, mushrooms, small amount of cheese). Turn oven onto broil and place pizza back in until toppings are cooked (spinah is wilted, cheese is melted, etc.) Slice and enjoy!

Stride and Strength: Bum Burner

Work that incline on the treadmill, and give your backside a boost! Follow it up with some simple strength moves to build lean muscle, and you've got a great workout. On your make, get set..... GO!

Stride

Minutes 0-5:  Incline 1, Speed 3.5-4.0
Minutes 5-9:  Incline 3, Speed 4.0-4.5
Minutes 9-10:  Incline 3, Speed 5.0-5.5
Minutes 10-15:  Incline 1, Speed 5.5-6.0
Minutes 15-19:  Incline 5, Speed 4.5-5.0
Minutes 19-20:  Incline 5, Speed 4.5-5.0
Minutes 20-25:  Incline 7, Speed 3.5-4.0
Minutes 25-30:  Incline 1, Speed 3.5-4.0

I've included the table below for something a little easier on the eyes while you're moving on the treadmill. I will find a new way to format this...

                    

0-5	1	3.5-4.0
5-9	3	4.0-4.5
9-10	3	5.0-5.5
10-15	1	5.5-6.0
15-19	5	3.5-4.0
19-20	5	4.5-5.0
20-25	7	3.5-4.0
25-30	1	3.5-4.0

Strength

Equipment: heavy and light weights, mat

20 walking lunges 

20 push-ups

15 shoulder presses

30 seconds running lunges, right leg

60 seconds jumping jacks

30 seconds running lunges, left leg

15 front shoulder raises (arms straight)

15 bicep curls with optional squat

15 side shoulder raises (arms straight)

15 tricep kickbacks

15 bicycles - abs

Repeat strength 2-3x
Stretch

Recipe for Health: Quiche Sans Crust

The word quiche originates from the German work kuchen, meaning cake. Mmmmmmmm, cake..... I already like where this is going.

Traditional quiche recipes call for lots of unhealthy ingredients like heavy cream and custard. But, prepared with some healthy twists, a quiche can serve as a wonderful meal that packs a protein punch, and allows for the use of your favorite veggies, providing some tummy-filling fiber. Make it even healthier by omitting the crust and cut out hydrogenated oils - not to mention calories. The little bit of flour in this recipe gives the outside of the quiche a crust-like texture, so you won't even miss the crust!

I created and prepared the following quiche recipe with only 10 minutes of hands-on work. It is sliced, refrigerated, and will make for some great lunches this week! The best part of this recipe is its versatility. Don't like the veggies I had on hand? No worries - use your favorites! As always, go organic when you can.


Quiche Sans Crust
1 T olive oil (I used garlic infused)
1 yellow onion, diced
6-10 oz. washed and trimmed kale
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 large eggs
1/2 C eqq whites
1 1/3 C low-fat milk (can use non-dairy milks too)
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 C feta cheese

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use an olive-oil sprayer to lightly coat a 10-inch pie plate. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion, kale and mushrooms until tender. Set aside to cool a little bit.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk. Once eggs and milk are combined, whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne.

Add cooked vegetables to the egg mixture and stir until combined. Pour into oiled pie plate and sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is set and the outside edges are golden brown. Remove and let set for about 5 minutes. Slice and serve (or store for quick meals)!

Make Your Own: Outside-the-Box Granola Bars

Most of us have probably purchased some type of granola/power/breakfast bar at the store. These prepackaged, pre-portioned rectangles are quick, easy and incredibly transportable. They are also often loaded with preservatives and sugar that our bodies don't want or need. If you have about 20  minutes, or about the same amount of time it would take to drive to the store and BUY granola bars, you can make your own!

Outside-the-Box Granola Bars 
1.5 C natural peanut butter
1.5 T coconut oil
1/4 C agave or honey
1 T cacao powder (optional)
1/3 C protein powder*
2 T chia or sunflower seeds
1 T shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 C oats

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat peanut butter, coconut oil and agave or honey over medium heat until melted and blended together; stir frequently to avoid burning. Stir in protein powder, seeds and coconut. Remove from heat and add oats. Mix until blended. Press into 8x8 square pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool, cut and refrigerate. I even wrap them individually to make for an easy grab-and-go snack.

*A bit of newly-acquired knowledge about protein powder has encouraged me to give up any and all whey and soy protein powder products (say that five times fast). I recently learned how difficult it is for the body to digest these products. An alternative option that I have been exploring (and loving) is something a natural healthcare professional recommended to me:  plant-based protein. There is a ton of variety out there, and I would encourage you to read more about your choices in this area. The product I have been using is:  http://www.sunwarrior.com/product-info/warrior-blend/. I used the vanilla flavor in the above recipe, and it tasted great!

Fight Inflammation

You may have heard mention of inflammation and the impacts it can have on your body, but what does it all mean? What is inflammation and why should you care about it?

Inflammation is part of the body's immune response system, and it is essential to heal from injuries. It is the body's way to protect itself from harmful stimuli and irritants, including damaged cells. Exercise has long-held the reputation of being anti-inflammatory, however, exercise can actually increase inflammation in the body and be harmful in certain contexts. This can be very concerning when you think about the fact that chronic inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and certain types of cancers. Are you confused yet? Let's clear up a few things...

To see any results from your exercise regimen, you must cause some inflammation. If you are increasing strength, stamina and performance, you are causing some amount of trauma to your muscles so that they may break down and then repair themselves to become even stronger to deal with future demands. An effective training session initiates this inflammatory response.

Really tough sweat sessions at the gym are great and highly effective for weight loss, increasing endurance and overall fitness, but should not make up every workout. Doing so will continue to pile more inflammation on your body, and can cause permanent damage. This is why every good workout program must be comprised of a variety of exercises, interspersed with some recovery time to give your workout profile some peaks and valleys of inflammation and rest.

Incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can be another effective way to combat the inflammatory effects that exercise can have on the body. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables can have a huge impact, while limiting sweets, unhealthy fats and alcohol. I love Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-
inflammatory diet pyramid as a resource: http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/press-foodpyramid.html

Variety will not only keep you from getting bored with your workouts, but it can also make your time at the gym more effective, and be a bit gentler on your body. Don't get stuck in a rut - try swimming to challenge your muscles in a different way, or shake things up with a Zumba class!