When I set this entree in front of my husband, he said, "This is totally your kind of meal." He was right - I love everything about this delicious Chicken and Mango Basil Stir Fry. It is easy to prepare, tastes fresh and fills you up. It is now one of my favorite dishes to prepare. My son loves rice, so I paired it with jasmine rice. However, it can easily be served over quinoa or zoodles. I am more of a pineapple girl, so I substituted pineapple for the mango. (For the record, my husband loved this meal, too!)
Read moreFull-Body Turkey Day Workout
Most of us don't WANT to work out on Thanksgiving, but I promise you it's a great way to start off the holiday. After trying to get the turkey in the oven, prepare the side dishes and pick up the house, I'm stressed and taxed. Although a workout isn't on the top of my list, I try to set aside 20 minutes to get moving. I promise you that it's worth it; I am always so glad I did it. I feel less stressed and more energized.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins
I like to throw caution to the wind and actually make a healthy muffin on occasion. It's a crazy concept, I know. My son likes to eat muffins before school, but I don't like giving him a "muffin" that is basically an unfrosted cupcake. As a result, I'm always looking for yummy-yet-healthy muffin recipes.
This recipe is a winner! It is full of healthy ingredients, yet it's tasty enough to appease my sweet-toothed son.
Read more7-Minute "Get Moving" Workout
Sometimes I don't have time to squeeze in a long workout. Rather than doing nothing at all, I do a quick workout like this one to get moving. I feel better after I am done, and my body doesn't feel quite so lethargic.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Grilled Chicken Salad With Strawberries and Spinach
I crave hot weather and humidity. Yes, you read that right - I love the humidity. I love summer food, swimming outside, wearing sundresses and being wrapped up in the warm humidity.
Although it's technically fall, we are still enjoying warm weather in Kansas. I wanted to prepare one last grilled dinner before we stowed the barbecue for winter. I picked this Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Spinach recipe from Skinnytaste, and I was not disappointed.
Read moreThe Cupcake Workout - Seriously!
Confession: I ate a TON of cupcakes on Saturday. I was stressed, working on a deadline and in perfect view of them sitting on the counter. I probably should have stopped after the first bite, but I kept eating because they tasted delicious. (If you are looking for a great chocolate cake recipe, check this one out!) Anyway, fast forward to Sunday - I felt lethargic and icky. I wanted to get myself moving and sweat out some toxins.
That's where this "Cupcake Workout" came from. It is NOT intended to "work off" all of the calories I consumed. It's just a workout to get your body moving and break a sweat.
Read moreCalorie-Torching Pyramid Workout
I have an aversion to doing the same workout more than a few times. I always want something new. A new workout doesn't necessarily have to be full of different exercises, I just need to switch the format. If I've been doing workouts with a high number of repetitions, then I need to switch to a timed, circuit workout. Changing the format makes the workout more interesting, and the time passes by quicker (and that's a huge bonus)!
A pyramid workout is one of my favorite formats.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Whole Grain Cinnamon Applesauce Bread
School is back in session, and I am scrambling each morning to find something for my son to eat for breakfast. He's tired of the "same old options," and I want to feed him something that is actually good for him. So, at 8 p.m. on Sunday night, I decided I NEEDED to make this Whole Grain Cinnamon Applesauce Bread from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
Read moreSmall-Space, Full-Body Workout
A few weeks ago, I was staying in a hotel with my son. He likes to sleep in, so if I wanted to squeeze in a morning workout, I had to do it in a very small, confined space. I also had to make sure it wasn't super noisy. That's how this workout was created. It was just supposed to be something to get me moving; however, I was sore the next day. I'm not sure if it was the squats, lunges or all of the above!
Whether you are traveling or just looking for a new workout, give this one a shot!
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Grilled Honey Mustard Rosemary Chicken
Have you ever flipped over a bottle of store-bought marinade and read the ingredients? It's somewhat horrifying - there are a lot of ingredients that are definitely not "natural." After realizing this, I started making my own marinades. I'm always on the hunt for tasty, healthy marinade recipes to spice up my meals on the grill.
This week's recipe is one of my go-to marinades. The ingredients are easy to pull together, and the flavor is amazing. I
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Interval Workout that Will Make You Sweat
In the summer, my son and I participate in a local fitness program called Red Dog Days. It's free and there's a wonderful variety of participants - young, old, beginners, moms, dads, college athletes and high school athletes.
There are some runs that are Dog Days' traditions, and we all look forward to them. This week was one those anticipated workouts - the Zipper Run. Although Kansas is considered flat, there are some fantastic hills around the University of Kansas. The Zipper Run incorporates many of these lovely hills - you GET to run up and down five large hills before the run is over.
While I was breathlessly slogging up the hills, I thought about how I like pushing hard during an interval and then having the opportunity to back off until my next push. (I totally coasted downhill.) That's why I love today's Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) workout. You have a minute to complete your list of exercises. As soon as you are done with the exercises, you can rest until that minute is complete.
Read moreThree Common Mistakes Made While Planking
Planking is one of the most common exercises people perform. The benefits are numerous, and it can be done anywhere! However, unless you have someone helping you adjust your form or you can see yourself in the mirror, it's tough to know if you are doing it correctly.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs
I've started being more diligent about reading food labels, and I am horrified by the list of ingredients in some of the products I consume. As a result, I'm trying to make as much of our food from scratch as possible. The only sticking point is that I don't have an abundance of time to make sauces, chop veggies and pull everything together. That's why I love this recipe - it takes little to no time to make this pesto sauce.
Read more18-Minute Full Body Workout
Last week, a client texted me asking for some workout ideas. She said she had a set of 5-pound weights and a swiss ball. I LOVE this kind of challenge; it's fun for me to create a workout that only uses specific pieces of equipment. I texted the following workout back to her, and I decided to give it a try, too. I really liked this workout because it was quick and thorough, which is exactly the kind of workout that I want.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
There is something about seeing all of the fresh, beautiful produce at the Farmer's Market that makes me go crazy. I buy everything I see and leave with pounds of produce that I'm not entirely sure what to do with. Last year, I went a little overboard during a trip to the market and left with bags full of summer squash and zucchini. After making zucchini turkey burgers, zucchini bread, and zucchini meatloaf, I knew I needed another zucchini/summer squash recipe. That's how I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe from Cooking Light.
Read moreAchieving ONE Push-up on Your Toes
One of the strongest moments in my life was when I achieved my goal of 20 push-ups on my toes. There is something about lowering and lifting your bodyweight that makes you feel crazy strong. It's also a fantastic bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
didn't try enchiladas for the first-time until I was in my 20s, but ever since then, I've been hooked. Sadly, the recipes I like the best are not really healthy; however, I have found a delicious - and healthy - recipe from Skinnytaste. Not only do you make the enchiladas, but you also make the enchilada sauce.
Read more20-Minute Vacation Workout
I enjoy relaxing during vacation, but I don't like to forgo working out altogether. I like to get my body moving for 20-30 minutes each day. This workout was designed for that purpose. No weights are needed, and you are done in 20 minutes.
Read moreRecipe of the Week - Grilled King Salmon with Peach Tomato Salsa
Three Ways to Measure Your Fitness Progress
The scale or a measuring tape should never be the only markers you use to determine if your fitness routine is working. Your cardiovascular health, your muscles' flexibility and your overall strength are often not visible with those measurements. That's why I believe in creating benchmark exercises or benchmark workouts.
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