Healthy Grocery List Essentials

Hey Everyone, 

Today I'm going to talk about some healthy grocery list essentials. These are the same foods that are certainly staples in our diet. I hope these give you a few ideas. 

Print off this list  and bring it with you next time you go to the Grocery store! 

1. Protein 

• Chicken 
• Tilapia, Cod or Swai (any white fish will do) 
• Shrimp 
• Lean Ground Turkey 
• Eggs 
• Liquid Egg Whites 
• Protein powder is not needed when you have enough natural sources 

2. Veggies 

• Spinach 
• Broccoli 
• Green Beans  
• Broccoli 
• Brussel Sprouts 
• Peppers 
• Onions 
• Mushrooms 

3. Fruit - we try to limit 

• Apples 
• Bananas 

4. Carbohydrates 

• Oatmeal 
• Brown Rice 
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Rice cakes 
• Quinoa 

5. Dairy - we try to keep limited 

• Low Fat Cottage Cheese 
• Greek Yogurt- No sugar added, Plain 
• Chocolate Milk- Nate drinks only post workout 

6. Extra 

• Hot sauce 
• Mustard 
• Balsamic Vinegar 
• Olive Oil 
• Mrs. Dash Seasoning 
• Natural Peanut Butter/Almond Butter 
• Coffee 
• Tea 

Be Sure to watch the video for all of our off season must haves! 

Till Next time....

-Kate 

Tabata Training/How it can benefit you

Hey Everyone, 

Today I'm going to shed some light on an incredible form of cardio called Tabata and how it can benefit you!

1. What is Tabata?

• Tabata is a popular form of cardiovascular exercise that can be performed in a limited amount of time. 

Some other Tabata ideas

2. How to do a Tabata Workout?

• It can be completed using a treadmill, bike, stairclimber, elliptical, plyometrics...YOU NAME IT! You certainly do not need a gym or fancy equipment either! 
• The entire Tabata session lasts 4 min long! 
• 20 seconds of intense training 
• 10 seconds rest 
• Total of 8 sessions or rounds 

3. What are the benefits? 

• Tabata is great if you have limited time on your hands and you want a challenging high intensity workout 
• It takes 5x the amount of typical cardio exercise, like a 20 min walk, to burn the same number of calories during a 4 min tabata session. 
• It will keep you mentally engaged, so netflix is not an option!! 
• It has been shown to increase aerobic and anaerobic systems much greater than traditional lower intensity cardio. 
• Studies have shown that Tabata will increase the body's capacity of fatty acid oxidation. This simply means that your body will be burning more fat during one session. 

4. Example workouts: 

Nothing like Ryan Gosling to keep you motivated

• Tabata JUMP SQUAT 
• 20 seconds jump squats making sure your landing softly 
• 10 seconds rest 
• Repeat 8 times
• Tabata BIKE
• 20 seconds: level 12 resistance sprint 
• 10 seconds rest 
• Repeat 8 times
• Tabata RUN (One of my favorites) 
• 20 seconds: 2 incline, Level 10 sprint 
• 10 seconds: 5 incline, Level 4 walk 
• Repeat 8 times 

Me before my Tabata Run session :) 

I love Tabata training because not only for its incredible health benefits but also for its ability to keep me engaged for a short period of time. I am not a huge fan of cardio, but I have found that short bouts keep me working at my highest intensity. It forces you to concentrate on the task at hand. 

I hope you try out some of these Tabata examples. I will also be posting more cardio examples to keep you all engaged and working hard this new year!! 

Till Next time....

-Kate 

New Year, New YOU: How to jumpstart your fitness/health goals in 6 steps

Hey everyone!

Here is 6 simple ways you can jumpstart your health/fitness New Years Resolutions!

Picture of me after a workout

1. Add Weight lifting into your Workout Routine                                              

Oh, Its true love

• Its true! Weight lifting will not make you bulky! 
• Weight lifting can actually burn more calories than 30 minutes of cardio. 
• The true benefit is its effects on lean body mass. 
• Weight lifting can help increase muscle and therefore increase your metabolic rate. 
• It is estimated that muscle burns 25% more calories than fat. So people who have more muscle will actually be burning more calories throughout the day. 

2. Eat more grapefruit

• Grapefruit has been a great tool for people looking to lose weight. WHY?
• Grapefruit is packed with vitamin C, this has been shown to help burn body fat 
• Grapefruits also reduce the level of insulin released, and can therefore help you maintain body weight. 
• They also contain lycopene which is essential for heart health. 

3. Infrared Saunas 

• The beauty of infrared saunas is they do not heat the surrounding air, they will actually raise the core body temperature 
• As a result the body will release toxins 
• In one 45 min session you can burn 500 calories 
• However, you are not working your muscles. So weight training and cardio are just as important.

 

4. Drink more green tea 

• Green tea contains ECGCs and Antioxidants which have been shown to help increase metabolic rate as well as cancer fighters. 
• Just make sure that the tea is organic so it will not be high in heavy metals. 

5. Eat more Beans 

• Beans are full of fiber, protein, low in fat, easy to digest, and VERY inexpensive! 
• They are so easy to add to any meal and will help keep you fuller for longer. 
• Some examples: navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans.... The list goes on! 

6. Smart start! 

A sample of my favorite breakfast

• Start your day the right way by feeding the body! 
• Its true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 
• Make sure your meal contains protein, carbs, and a little fat.
• A great example: is 1 egg and 1/4 cup of egg whites loaded with spinach, onions, and mushrooms and 1/4 cup blueberries with 1/2 cup of oatmeal! 

I hope these were some helpful tips you can add into your schedule for 2014! 

Till Next time....

-Kate