Healthy Tuna Melt!

 Need a healthy lunch or dinner idea? Try this great recipe!

Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 8 min.

Serves: 4

·        2 (6-ounce) cans chunk white tuna in water, drained

·         1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise

·         1/4 cup diced, water-packed roasted red peppers

·         2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

·         1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         4 slices whole-grain bread

·         1 cup baby spinach leaves, stems trimmed

·         4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Directions

1.       Preheat broiler.

2.       Mix together tuna, mayonnaise, red peppers, mustard and black pepper.

3.       Arrange spinach leaves on bread slices. Top spinach with tuna mixture and then cheese slices.

4.       Transfer sandwiches to a baking sheet and broil 1-2 minutes, until cheese melts.

Tuna Melt offers heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, fiber, folate and iron.

Calories 251, Carbs 22 g Protein 27.6 g, Fat 5.1 g

Roasted Pumpkin Hummus

The winter bring us an abundance of delicious local squash and pumpkins. The tricky part has been finding different ways to eat the squash without getting repetitive and boring. I’m not sure why I’d never thought of this recipe before, but the idea for roasted pumpkin squash popped into my head and I couldn’t resist giving it a shot and I’m glad I did! It turned out fantastic!

 Ingredients:

1/2 squash or pumpkin – roasted

1/2 can chickpeas

1/3 cup tahini

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle virgin  oil

Pinch salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup water

1 head garlic – roasted

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven at 400 degrees.

2.       Roast the squash and garlic at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.   

a.       Peel and cut the squash into 1 inch pieces just to help it cook a bit quicker,

b.      For the garlic, just slice the tip of the head off, drizzle with a bit of virgin  oil and wrap tightly in foil.

3.       Once the roasting is done, combine all ingredients into a food processor and let it go!

4.       When the desired consistency is reached, transfer to a bowl..

*Some people like it a bit warm right out of the processor or chilled.

Jessy’s Top 10 Ways to Stay Motivated

1.       Make Working Out a Key Part of Your Life

Schedule it in, and put it on your calendar. Make it a real commitment. It is a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix.

2.       Choose a Convenient Gym

Choose a gym or a place to work out that is convenient and close.

3.        Set Attainable Goals

Instead of saying, "I aim to lose 40 lbs" or "gain 10 lbs of muscle," set weekly and monthly goals to increase your reps or weight and/or increase your cardio.

4.       Start Off Slow

 Don't go in and work out so hard that you make yourself too sore to move. Focus on form and getting into the groove.

5.        Vary Your Routine

 Doing the same thing over and over will likely result in a plateau. Try to change your sets, reps, weights and/or rest period between sets at least once a month. 

6.       Keep a Journal

Keep a journal and hold yourself accountable to making improvements. How will you know when you get there if you can't remember where you've been?

7.       Use the Buddy System

Train with a friend to keep up the energy. There is nothing like some friendly competition to spur a good workout.

8.        Hire a Trainer

There will be days when the last thing you’ll want to do is spend time at the gym. A professional knows how to motivate you on those days, and you will be more likely to go when you're paying someone.

9.       Be Patient

Make a promise to yourself to stick with it for at least 3 to 4 months. Consistency is key! Mark your calendar at the 3 or 4 month mark and if you stick to it, reward yourself with a new outfit or a vacation.

10.   Get Enough Sleep

Lack of sleep will derail your trainingprogram faster than anything. You will likely overeat to compensate for energyand/or skip the gym all together.

Home Training for Legs

Dear Jessy,

I have always been rather pear shaped and cannot seem to get rid of the fat in my lower body. I am a mother of two. Sometimes it is very difficult to make it to the gym to train. Can you please suggest some options to workout at home to really target my lower body?

Thanks,

J.W.

Dear J.W.

The lower body is the first place that I accumulate fat when I relax my diet and training routine as well.It is a common concern for many women. Unfortunately, legs typically respond better to more strenuous training. They are a large muscle group; therefore they require more energy to move.

Assuming you are already consuming a clean diet consisting of 5 - 6 small meals a day, try and train legs at least twice a week. It is a good idea to invest in a set of dumbbellsor to fill a milk jug with water or even little pebbles, which can range from 10 - 20 lbs.

Home Training For Legs:

Basic Squat:

Stand in front of a chair or bench with your feet shoulder width apart and weight in each hand, down at your sides. Bend your knees as though you are sitting on the chair, keeping your weight on your heels. When your legs are parallel with the seat of the chair (but not sitting), slowly rise to your original standing position. Perform 3 sets of 15 - 20 repetitions.

Advanced Squat:

Same as above but incorporate a jump at the top of the motion.

Basic Plie Squat:

Take a wide stance with your toes pointing outward. Holding one dumbbell with both hands between your legs, standing upright, slowly bend your knees in the direction of your toes until your knees are 90 degrees. Slowly return to the starting position. Perform 3 sets of 15 - 20 repetitions.

Advanced Plie Squat:

Same as above, only alternate squatting with toes pointed out and then toes pointed front for a double squat for each rep.

Basic Lunge:

With weight in each hand by your side, take a giant step forward with your right leg so your thigh becomes parallel with the floor (no knees going beyond the toe). Pushing backward of the same leg, return to your starting position. Repeat with the left leg. Perform 3 sets of 15 - 20 repetitions, with one rep being the right and then the left leg.

Advanced Lunge:

Stand with dumbbells grasped to sides. Extend one leg back on forefoot. Lower body on other leg by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by extending the hip and knee of the forward leg. Repeat with the left leg.

Wall Sit:

With your back touching the wall, move your feet away from the wall so that the wall is supporting you. Bend your knees so that the legs form a 90 degree angle. Hold as long as you can. Repeat 3 times.

Advanced Wall Sit:

Same as above, only hold a weight in your lap. You may even super set with jump squats. A 5 - 8 lb. medicine ball is perfect for this.

Calf Raises:

Position your toes and balls of feet on a block with arches and heels extending off and resting on the floor. Raise your heels by extending ankles as high as possible. Lower heels by bendingyour ankles until your calves are stretched. Perform 3 sets of 20 - 30 repetitions.

Dumbbell Calf Raises:

Same as above except this time add one dumbbell in each hand and hold at your side.

*Cardio:

For maximum results, perform 30 - 40 minutes of medium intensity cardio at home as well. Choose an activity such as speed walking, jogging, hiking, biking, roller-blading, soccer or tennis. Jumping rope or an exercise video are also great options. Even mowing the lawn with a push mower and cleaning house can be effective cardio. Just be sure to get your heart rate up enough to reach your fat burning zone.

Fail to Plan & You've Planned to Fail

Easy Tips for Change

In today's world we are always rushing, which leaves little time to eat a regular meal. Here are a few helpfulideas, such as planning, how often to eat, etc., to help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

Your alarm goes off at 6 AM every weekday morning. You hit the shower, quickly dry your hair and get dressed before making a mad dash for the door. Once again you have no time for breakfast and at your 8 AM meeting the donuts and danishes begin to beckon until you finally cave in. Sound familiar?

Always Rushing

Morning comes and you are lucky to grab a cup of coffee, lunch time consists of fast food while catching up on emails, and by late afternoon you find yourself snacking on sugary snacks and empty calories from the vending machine.

Finally, at dinner, you opt for a quick bowl of cereal or a frozen dinner before positioning yourself in front of the TV to finally unwind. Sadly, as you reflect on your day, remembering the foods you ate, you rationalize that you only had about 3 meals and you never really pigged out, so it could have been worse.

News flash! Your diet stinks! You are destroying your metabolism and sabotaging much needed energy. After a day like that, with such poor food choices, you can forget about staying motivated to work out. You are setting yourself up to fail if you do not learn to plan ahead.

Planning Ahead

Any time you do something profound in life, to really create change, you make a plan. You don't go into a business presentation to land the biggest deal of your career without planning. If you move from city to city, generally, you have a plan.

We plan weddings and vacations, so why not plan your meals to make healthy changes? Designate a day to do your grocery shopping for the week. It may take 15 - 20 minutes to plan a menu and up to an hour at the grocery store, but make time and make it a routine.

Make a shopping list that includes healthy breakfast options such as quick cooking oats, corn tortillas for breakfast tacos, and Ezekiel bread with natural peanut butter. Load up on protein like eggs, which you can hard boil for easy packing, fat-free string cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, nuts and a good low-calorie, low-sugar protein powder.

Do not become a slave to calorie counting, but be aware of portion control. When eating 5 - 6 times a day, instead of your usual 2 or 3, you will likely be able to resist the urge to binge. However, we are all only human, so that means in times of stress or fatigue, when we are in need of a pick me up, you must be prepared with healthy options on hand.

Eating for optimum health is like a marathon, you have to set a pace and stick with it to reach your goal. Slack off too much and you will never get there. Make it a sprint by going too hardcore and you will burn out before you reach the finish line.

Day By Day

Take it day by day, and make fixing your eating habits a priority. The benefits you will experience will touch other areas of your life, perhaps motivating you to maintain your exercise routine or at the very least, encourage you to get out and enjoy your friends and family more.

Article by Jessy Hamawi, Club Fitness Nutritionist and Personal Trainer