November 2013 workout update

November already!?? This year has just flew away for me.

I hit a workout plateau and noticed that my calorie count was actually going down in the beginning of November, significantly down! So of course something had to be done! I decided to increase my incline slightly. I also started doing my weight training prior to the treadmill so every morning (Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri) at 4 a.m. I do a warm up for a few minutes (nothing fancy, just basics) and then do some weight training to tone those arms.

I have a confession, I am oh so scared of getting flabby arms and also have a borderline obsession of wanting Michelle Obama arms. So I do two sets of 30 reps with some basic arm toning and about 40’ish tricep dips. It’s a good burn for now. I am sure in a few weeks I will need to revisit it. I will do a more detailed blog post once I have revamped it.

On to the November stats …

PS: I had to take a break the last week since I pulled my calf muscle. Not sure how.

DATE	CALORIES
11-1-2013	807
11-5-2013	691
11-7-2013	714
11-8-2013	691
11-11-2013	758
11-12-2013	740
11-14-2013	759
11-15-2013	750
11-18-2013	815
11-20-2013	829
11-21-2013	721
11-22-2013	734

TIME (in minutes)	Details	…
At START (5:00 a.m.)	Set Incline to 4.0 Set Speed to 2.5	Start iPod! J
2 Minutes	Change speed to 2.7	*YAWN* *RUB EYES*
4 Minutes	Change speed to 2.9	*YAWN* *ADMIRE the EMPTY Gym*
6 Minutes	Change speed to 3.1	*YAWN*
8 Minutes	Change speed to 3.3	Where am I?!!
10 Minutes	Change speed to 3.5	AWAKE now!
15 Minutes	Change speed to 3.6	Techno beat DROPS!!
20 Minutes	Change speed to 3.7	Gym is PACKED by now!
25 Minutes	Change speed to 3.8	Starting to feel the burn!
30 Minutes	Change speed to 3.9	It’s getting hot in here!
35 Minutes	Change speed to 4.0	Here comes my treadmill neighbor! *SMILE*
40 Minutes	Change speed to 4.1	Remember that dress? You need to fit in it soon!
50 Minutes	Change speed to 4.2	Barely breathing. Its super-duper hot now!
57.30 Minutes	Change speed to 2.5	Wait! Its over? Almost there princess!
60 Minutes (6:00 a.m.)	END	YAY! You did it!

Vegetarian Snacks Under 100 Calories

I often see a lot of snacks with meat or seafood that are under 100 calories. The list usually includes some highly processed pre-packaged food as well. Since my goal for 2013 was to reduce processed food here is a list of 25 snacks, yes 25, I have come up with. These snacks are all vegetarian and have high protein. I do have some options with eggs to if you don’t eat eggs, skip those!

1. Omelet: 1 egg and ½ cup veggies and spices
2. 1 rice cake and 1 tbsp. peanut butter
3. ½ cup cottage cheese and 1 slice cantaloupe
4. 1 medium size banana
5. 10 animal crackers
6. 1 cup chopped mango
7. 2 tbsp. guacamole and 5 chips
8. 1 hard-boiled egg
9. 1 cup canned mandarin oranges
10. 9 pretzels and ½ tbsp. chunky peanut butter
11. 1 cup sliced apples and 1 oz. low fat cheddar – personal favorite!
12. 10 baby carrots and 4 oz. Greek yogurt ad 1 tsp. ranch mix
13. 4 tbsp. hummus and 2 celery stalks, sliced
14. 3 almonds chopped and 4 oz. Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey
15. 2 tbsp. fat free bean dip and 1 small wheat tortilla and 2 tbsp. low fat cheddar
16. 2 tbsp. light guacamole and 2 celery stalks, sliced
17. 1 pack low cal instant oatmeal
18. ½ cup edamame, shelled
19. 2 cups watermelon
20. 25 dry-roasted, unsalted pistachios
21. ½ cup baby carrots and 2 tbsp. hummus
22. 2 egg whites with a slice of whole wheat toast
23. ½ cup cucumber and 2 tbsp. hummus1 small apple, sliced and ½ tbsp. peanut butter
24. 1 small apple, sliced and ½ tbsp. peanut butter 
25. 3 cups air popped popcorn

Sources:

Spark People

Dr. Jackie Newgent

October 2013 workout update

Fall is here! I have a love hate relationship with the cold weather. Yes, I like the temperatures dropping, the leaves changing colors, the fabulous winter gear BUT it is awful for my skin and can we just take a minute and discuss the overload of baked goods everywhere?!!

I mean really, why?!! I struggle with not eating sweets. This time of the year (till the end of December) is especially hard for me. It’s cold outside which makes me want to stay home and bake goodies … ugggh the downward spiral. To help me stay on track, I am keeping one serving size of the baked goods for me and bringing the rest to work for my awesome new coworkers! 

PS: I switched jobs. Won’t go into too many details but I needed to switch. I am much much happier here!

On to the actual purpose of this entry, my October 2013 workout update. Here it goes …

DATE	CALORIES
10-1-2013	852
10-3-2013	810
10-4-2013	818
10-7-2013	664
10-8-2013	763
10-10-2013	814
10-11-2013	699
10-14-2013	686
10-15-2013	666
10-17-2013	727
10-18-2013	676
10-21-2013	791
10-22-2013	710
10-24-2013	700
10-25-2013	675
10-28-2013	821
10-29-2013	742
10-31-2013	809

TIME (in minutes)	Details	Notes
At START	Set Incline to 4.0 Set Speed to 2.5	Start iPod! J
2 Minutes	Change speed to 2.7	Warm up
4 Minutes	Change speed to 2.9	Warm up
6 Minutes	Change speed to 3.1	Warm up
8 Minutes	Change speed to 3.3	Warm up
10 Minutes	Change speed to 3.5	Warm up
15 Minutes	Change speed to 3.6	Drop it like it’s HOT!
20 Minutes	Change speed to 3.7	Drop it like it’s HOT!
25 Minutes	Change speed to 3.8	Drop it like it’s HOT!
30 Minutes	Change speed to 3.9	Drop it like it’s HOT!
35 Minutes	Change speed to 4.0	Drop it like it’s HOT!
40 Minutes	Change speed to 4.1	Drop it like it’s HOT!
50 Minutes	Change speed to 4.2	WOAH! You got it!
57.30 Minutes	Change speed to 2.5	NICE feeling, huh?!!
60 Minutes	END	YAY! You did it!

Doesn't it make you happy when the gym is empty?!! Makes me super happy! Just me, the treadmill and some awesome beats .... 

Healthy Egg Muffins



First of all, sorry for being MIA. I had a lot going on in my personal and work life but I won't bore you with all the details :)

Ingredients:
12 Eggs: 5 Whole, 7 Egg Whites Only
3 Zucchinis: Diced
1 Yellow Summer Squash: Diced 
Roasted Red Bell Peppers: 1/2 cup, Diced
Spices of your choice 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300.
Mix all ingredients, I added a few dashes of dried cilantro, garlic and a small dash of hot sauce. Lightly coat a muffin pan and load the goodies in.
Bake of 30 mins and VOILÀ! 

NOTE: You can eat these by themselves or in a pita pocket. I added some guacamole. Salsa would be a great substitute too! Feel free to add cheese if you would like, I am not a huge fan of cheese and butter so I skipped out on those. 

PS: These can be frozen, so this is great for meal prep. I made one batch, 12 muffins ... just enough for a my work week! I eat two'ish every morning. 

Veggie Stirfry with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Zucchini, thinly sliced
1 Summer Squash, thinly sliced
1 Carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Tofu, 1 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
Salt, to taste
Optional: Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
1 Tablespoon EVO or Ghee

Directions:
Heat up the Ghee/Oil in a Wok or non-stick pan, over medium heat.
While this is heating up, heat up the Peanut Butter, Soy Sauce and Water (in the microwave) for 10-15 seconds, stir.
Sautée all the vegetables for 7-10 minutes. Add in the salt and any other seasonings you prefer.
Once they soften up, add the tofu and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Serve over rice.
Optional: drizzle some Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to spice things up!!

Green Tea: Benefits

Over the years Green Tea has become one of my favorite go to drinks at Starbucks. It has a lot do with the fact that they carry the Tazo Zen tea. I rave about this tea brand all the time BUT that's not what this post is about. So lets get started! 

I did research this and some of the information listed below comes from credible sources like WebMD. 

Benefits:

• Fights Cancer
• Lowers Cholestrol
• Reduced plaque and bacteria in your mouth
• Prevents cavities
• Protects against heart disease
• Prevents dementia
• Full of antioxidants
• Speeds metabolism
• Prevents diabetes
• Antiviral agent
• Maintains a healthy circulatory system
• Strengthens tooth enamel
• Prevents food poisoning
• Promotes healthy skin
• Prevents bad breath
• Acts as a powerful detox agent 
• Enhances weight loss 

I usually drink one to two cups of the Zen Tea. There is something oh so relaxing about this. In the summer I usually brew the K-cups over ice! 

Spinach Salad

I can't believe I am actually doing a "recipe" blog for this. Its really so easy. Take a huge bowl and add all of the following ingredients together:

• Spinach - 2 cups (makes salad for one person)
• Shredded Cheese (sharp cheddar) - 2 tablespoons
• Sunflower seeds - 1 tablespoon 
• Veggie Patch meatless meatballs - 5 to 7 of them, cooked
• Catalina Dressing - 1 tablespoon (fat free)

For a vegan/healthier twist, skip the cheese!

Prepping for the week: Smoothie (Breakfast/Snack)

So here's the deal, I have a very busy morning ... Like everybody! So I cheat, well kind of! I chop up and portion out my fruits so I can whip up a quick smoothie in the morning! The smoothies I make are full of fiber and protein. Let me know if you would be interested in more smoothie recipes :)

Pineapple Buffalo Tofu Quesadillas

(Serves 4 – 2 half quesadillas per serving)

Ingredients:

• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces Extra Firm Tofu, Pressed (see directoions below)
• 4 Whole Flour Tortillas
• Buffalo Sauce - I used Mexican Cholula Sauce (its a cross between hot and buffalo sauce - heat: medium)
• 5 Green Onions, Finely Chopped
• 2 medium Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Sliced
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 can (8 oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple with Juice - avoid the one with syrup
• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ Tsp Cumin
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 4 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Onions to the pan. Sauté till they soften and then add the Pineapple with its juice. Cook till about 1/2 the juice has evaporated. 
2. Add in the Red Bell Pepper, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt. Once the juices are done cooking set the mixture aside. Let this cool to room temperature. 
3. In a separate bowl crumble the pre-pressed tofu. If you haven't pressed tofu yet or need directions on it, please read the notes section below. Add in the Buffalo sauce, as much as you need. I would start with a very small quantity. Fold in the Pineapple mixture and the remaining vegetables. 
4. Spray the inside of a skillet lightly with Pam Cooking Spray and heat the tortilla. Once it softens up, layer half the tortilla with the filling and some shredded cheese. Fold.
5. Cook evenly on both sides. Be careful when flipping over the YUMMY Quesadilla! It takes less than a minute to cook these so be very careful.

Serve warm with sour cream!

I find sautéing vegetables and then making quesadillas very easy. For a quick meal, I would make the vegetable filling on my day off and refrigerate it. This made for a healthy meal when you are pressed for time. This is ideal for college students too! 

Pressing Tofu:

1. Open the package and drain the water. 
2. Cut the tofu width wise. I typically cut them into 5-6 pieces. 
3. Place a single layer of these on a towel. I use paper towels, mainly because it makes for an easy and quick cleanup. 
4. Using my hand and another paper  towel I pat the pieces dry. Get as much moisture off by patting them. NOTE: The tofu (even if you by extra firm) is still tender at this point. 
5. Layer a new set of 2-4 paper towels and place a single layer of the tofu on cutting board.
6. Cover this layer with another 2-4 paper towels. Place a bowl or large plate and some heavy objects so the water gets out of the yummy tofu! 
7. I use a square serving platter and add some canned goods. Let it drain for about 30 minutes and your tofu is ready! 

PS: Amazon does sell equipment that presses Tofu but why pay when you can do it at home for a fraction of the cost. 

Healthy Dessert

Here just a quick post on a healthy dessert option. Just get some Greek Yogurt, I use the Chobani - Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, strawberries or blueberries, and some almonds or walnuts. ENJOY!!

Allowing Yourself to CHEAT!!

Allowing Yourself to CHEAT … on a diet!

Most diets fail because there is NO room for error … so let’s cheat!

Rose Petal Ice Cream from a local dessert store

No, this is not rewarding yourself! Just allow yourself to eat one cheat meal or dessert once a week. I personally love to eat out, mainly because I love a variety in my food palette. I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to be off on Saturday and Sunday. Most of my day on Saturday is spent grocery shopping and prepping meals for the rest of the following week. I allow myself to relax on Saturday evening and feel like I deserve the “Cheat Meal” at this time of the week.

Portion control is crucial here. Even though I eat my meal outside, I make sure it’s not an enormous meal portion. I typically eat at places that are semi-healthy. For instance Instead of McDonalds Big Mac or Popeye’s Fried Chicken; I opt for Tazikis or Chipotle or a kid scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robins. This has helped me stay on track during the rest of the week.

I would love to hear what your cheat meals are like. Feel free to leave me a comment! 

*HUG* 

Heeral P. 

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

(Serves 4 – 2 half quesadillas per serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces White Mushrooms, Sliced
• 8 cups Baby Spinach
• 8 Whole Flour Tortillas
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Sliced
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ Tsp Cumin
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 4 Slices of Cheese or 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 4 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Onions to the pan. Sauté till they turn yellow and then add the Red Bell Peppers. NOTE: We only want to soften the peppers. Set this aside.
2. In the same pan add in the Mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms soften up add in the Spinach. Note: You will need to constantly toss the Spinach so that it doesn't burn. The goal here is to wilt the Spinach.
3. Add in the onion and pepper mix. Now let’s add in all the seasoning.
4. The salt tends to make the vegetables sweat a tad more, so cook for another 3-5 minutes. Once it is the consistency you like, turn of the stove and take the filling off the heat.
5. Spray the inside of a skillet lightly with Pam Cooking Spray and heat the tortilla. Once it softens up, layer half the tortilla with the sliced cheese and filling. Fold.
6. Cook evenly on both sides. Be careful when flipping over the YUMMY Quesadilla! It takes less than a minute to cook these so be very careful.

Serve warm with sour cream!

I find sautéing vegetables and then making quesadillas very easy. When my brother and I were much younger my mom would make the vegetable filling on her day off and refrigerate it. This made for a healthy lunch while she was at work. This is ideal for college students too! 

PS: Spinach is an EXCELLENT source of Iron, boost energy level, so eat up! 

Vegetable Tian

Vegetable Tian

(serves 6)

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• 1 Medium Zucchini - sliced
• 1 Medium Yellow Squash - sliced
• 1 Medium Potato - sliced
• 1 Medium Tomato - sliced
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped Onions to the pan. Saute till they turn yellow and then add the Garlic. NOTE: Garlic cooks much faster than Onions so be mindful of that. Once the Onions and Garlic mix is done sauteing, layer it at the very bottom of your baking pan. Don't forget to spray the inside of your baking pan. 
3. Place all the vegetables vertically in an alternating pattern as shown in the picture. 
4. Sprinkle the cumin and pepper flakes over the vegetables and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Remove the foil, sprinkle cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until it is golden brown

Serve warm. I usually serve this with some rice. For those of you wondering what Tian means or where I got that word from, according to Google its a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooked in Olive Oil and then baked. Doesn't that sound oh so fancy?!!

How I drink 80 oz of water daily

My story: 

Yes, that's right ... I drink 80 oz of water daily! You can too, its easy!  

Getting into the habit of drinking your daily amount of water is hard, I get it! But its oh-so crucial. I have really sensitive and overly dry skin. In addition to this, I also have a weak digestive system. After going through some major skin and hair concerns, I finally saw a nutritionist. 

The first thing he recommended was for me to evaluate my eating and drinking habits by writing everything down in a food journal. Both were bad. I was eating frozen meals and barely drinking any water. 

Frozen meals are high in sodium, which was awful for my skin and my blood pressure. I don't have any pressure issues, thank God! The next thing he asked was for me to write down (in my food journal) how much and what exactly I was eating and drinking. The water intake was bad too! I was shocked. There were days when I went on just coffee and no water. I don't drink soda so that wasn't an issue. Alcohol wasn't a problem either, I have a drink once in 3-5 months. 

This was a rude wake-up call! But on the bright side, it made me re-evaluate my food habits. I had also voiced some weight gain concerns and he told me that 80% of fat loss comes from nutrition. That's significant ... significant enough for me to follow his advice ASAP! 

The "process":

Now the "plan" to get me on track. There was a great amount of dedication involved. I did this for me and no one else! Lets face it a bald and chubby female is NOT going to attract Prince Charming! He told me the amount of water I needed to drink daily. Now this is based on my skin and digestive system. It makes sense to drink water ... I mean come on, 90% of your body is water. So this is how I get my 80 ounces. 

I have a 16 oz tumbler which I drink from, five times to be exact. Keep in mind, coffee doesn't count!

• First 16 oz - drink a tumbler as soon as you wake up. Well, brush your teeth first! Easy, right? Keep going ... 
• Second 16 oz - drink a tumbler at 10 a.m. with your a.m. snack. I sometimes add some vitamin C to this tumbler. 
• Third 16 oz - I have this at noon. I eat at 1 p.m. 
• Fourth 16 oz - I have this one at 2 p.m. I add some green tea to this one. 
• Fifth 16 oz - I have my last one at 3:30 p.m. with my afternoon snack. And you are DONE! 

My goal is to finish all 80 oz by 5 p.m. at the latest. Lets be honest here, the only reason I have a set time here is so that I don't wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I usually have a small amount of juice or a smoothie with my dinner. 

I hope this helps, and perhaps motivates you! Stay tuned for more healthy tips and recipes. 

*HUG* 

Heeral P. 

Green Monster Smoothie

Green Monster Smoothie

(Servings 1)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 Tbsp Nutella
• 1 Ripe Banana, sliced
• 1/2 cup Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 2 cups Baby Spinach

Directions: 

1. Add all ingredients in a blender in the order listed above.
2. Blend till smooth. 

Tips:

• You can add an additional tbsp of flax seeds. Please note that they do have a strong taste. 
• During the summer months I slice the Banana and freeze it. PS: Slice before you freeze, just trust me on this one!
• You can substitute the Nutella with Peanut Butter. I am allergic to peanuts so Nutella seemed like a great alternative and who doesn't love chocolate?!!
• Plain fatfree milk and yogurt maybe used, I just prefer Greek yogurt's consistency. 
• If you would like to bulk this smoothie up let the Chia Seeds soak in the Almond milk for about an hour (or longer). They grown a tad in size. 
• I get the Chia seeds and Almond milk from Whole Foods. 

ENJOY!