Jillian Michaels 25 Minute Body Shred

If you follow me on instagram, you may have seen a Jillian Michaels workout that I posted a few weeks ago.  I said I was going to do an in-depth blog post on the workout, and I’m finally doing it.

For those of you who know Jillian Michaels, you know she doesn’t mess around.  For those who don’t, I highly suggest getting to know her; she will kick your butt so hard without even having to leave your house.  Her workouts are good for when you’re short on time and/or can’t leave your house.  This is a workout I saw in a magazine that is a quick 25 minute, high intensity, all over body workout.  It follows her other workouts in the circuit sense.  Except it's only 3 circuits, repeated 3 times.  I’ve actually added a little more to this, because for some reason I thought it could use a little extra!

I use my Gym Boss app for this that I’ve talked about before (my new HIIT app for those who have Droids. – Side note, I think HIIT is available on iPhone now, but I already have everything saved in Gym Boss so I don’t want to switch back – they’re both great though.) This workout is broken down into 3 circuits, the first circuit, Strength, is 3 minutes; the second, Cardio, is 2 minutes; and the third, Core, is 1 minute.  Although I added an extra minute of core in, cause I feel like you never work your core too much.  One round is only 7 minutes!  C’mon, everyone has time for that!  Do it 3 times through, and it only takes 25 minutes (I put 10 second breaks in between so I can grab dumbbells, get set etc.)

The first circuit, Strength, uses dumbbells.  If you’ve done a JM video, some of these moves will be familiar to you.  This circuit is going to be 3 moves, 30 seconds each, repeated twice. 
The first move is a Dumbbell Row in Crescent position.  She does this pose in her No More Trouble Zones video.  It’s a very deep lunge, keeping your back leg straight and locked.  Front leg bent at a 90° angle.  Hinge your torso forward slightly from your hips.  The starting position will be holding your arms straight down in front of you by your knee, then drive them up towards your ribs, palms in, squeezing your shoulder blades.  Maintain your lunge position with the dumbbell rows for the full 30 seconds.  Switch legs on the 2^nd time through.
The second move is and Alternating Side Lunge with reverse fly.  This is just exactly what it sounds like.  Start with legs together, arms in front of your body, palms facing each other.  Lunge to one side, hinging your body forward so your back is parallel to the ground, arms directly below chest.  (It is very important that you keep good form here, do not rush through it.)  Extend your arms out to the side at shoulder height.  Return to start position and switch sides.  Just go back and forth for 30 seconds.
The third move is a Dive Bomber.  Put your dumbbells down for this move.  This move is kind of like downward dog, a plank and a pushup all thrown together.  Start on your mat in a plank position.  Lift up into a downward dog position.  (For those who aren’t familiar, you want to lift your hips so your body forms an inverted V and your feet are as flat on the ground as you can get them.)  Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor.  In one fluid movement, push onto your palms as you thrust your chest forward, then upward as you lower your hips to the floor, straightening your arms and balancing on the balls of your fit.  You don’t want to be lying on the ground.  Reverse back to start position and that is one rep.
Now repeat that circuit one more time for a total of 3 minutes and move onto the next circuit!

The next circuit is cardio.  Only 2 minutes of this, but since it’s quick, the moves are more intense. You’re going to do 2 moves, for 30 seconds each, repeated twice.
The first move is single leg mountain climbers.  You’re going to start like you would with normal mountain climbers.  Plant position, body straight.  Pull one knee in to your chest and keep your other leg straight back.  Hop your straight leg back and forth like you would with normal mountain climbers, keeping your other leg bent into your chest.  Repeat with other leg bent 2^nd time through.
The second move is a jump squat jumping jack.  Start with your feet together, jump out into a deep squat, touch the floor with one hand, keeping the other arm above your head.  Jump back to start position and repeat switching arms.
Repeat those 2 moves each twice for 30 seconds each for 2 minutes total.

The third circuit is Core.  You will need your dumbbells for one of these moves, so keep them on the floor by your side.
The first move is a chest fly in a Hollow Man position.  For the hollow man position, lie on your back and bring your shoulders and legs off the ground at about a 45° angle.  Hold that position.  Take a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up, and bring them together straight above your chest.  Slowly lower down until they’re almost touching the floor.  Repeat that motion.
The second move is a windshield wiper.  This is one of my favorite ab moves, targeting abs and obliques.  In the same position lying on your back, raise your legs straight up, arms out straight at your shoulders.  Keeping your body as still as possible while dropping your legs to the right as close to the floor as possible.  Come back to start position and lower to the left.  Repeat.
I repeat that circuit twice because a little extra core never hurt anyone. 

 Now if you do that workout with no rest in between, you will feel it.  It gets your heart rate up, combines strength, cardio and core for an allover workout; and it takes less than a half hour!  I like to put about 10 seconds in between the moves, just so I have time to switch to the next one, for example grabbing  the dumbbells and lying down on the mat.  I like to time myself like that so I don’t take longer breaks than needed; because the quicker you get through it (with correct form!) the better it works.  I’ll attach a picture of my app so you know what I mean.

 

Ok, so you now have no excuse not to work out, so get moving!

If you need any clarifications or modifications or have any questions please ask!

Also, here is a picture of the workout for further clarification.

(Please excuse the format, I had to convert it from a PDF, but it goes in order.  Top left is the first 2 moves of the first circuit, top right is the Dive Bomber, and the bottom is the cardio and core moves)

Cod Filet over Mushroom Risotto topped with Kale Pesto

Ok, so if you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my dinner the other night – cod fillet with mushroom risotto and a kale pesto.  And if you don’t follow me on instagram then what are you waiting for! Follow me @PhitnessPhoodie!

For those that didn’t see, here’s a picture.

 

MMM MMM look at that deliciousness. 

So this recipe came to me for a few reasons.  My fiancée loves mushrooms, and I do not.  I don’t mind the flavor, I just don’t like eating actual mushrooms.  So I decided to make a mushroom risotto.  I sautéed the mushrooms then removed most of them from the pan (I left in a few for him since he loves them) and pureed them up to add to the risotto so I would get that mushroom flavor (and the health benefits) but not have to actually eat whole mushrooms.

Then I was thinking I wanted to do something with kale.  Kale is a super food in case you didn’t know.  Amazing health benefits, lots of vitamins, low in calories, high in protein etc.  I have been trying to eat more kale but have yet to find a recipe I like, so I thought I’d make a pesto with it.  Pesto is always good; and let’s face it, if you add garlic and parmesan cheese to just about anything it will taste good.

And for those wondering, the meal was only about 350-400 calories!!  (All depending on size of the piece of cod you have.)  Another thing that’s great too is the cod has about 30+ grams of protein!  That will keep you full all night so you’re not reaching for the ice cream! 

Ok, Ok, I know, you’re just drooling now wondering how to make it…well, its super easy, and I’ll tell you how!

For those who haven’t made risotto before, it seems like it would be hard, but it’s really not AT ALL.  It’s super easy; it just takes time and a little patience.  I like to make it as I’m cooking and prepping other things so I don’t feel like I’m just waiting for it.

Here’s what you will need:

Risotto:

Mushrooms chopped

1 small onion (or more if you like, I do!) diced

2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on your garlic preference, I like a lot!)

1 cup of Arborio rice

3-3 ½ cups of broth – you’re choice here; you can use veggie and make the risotto completely vegetarian, or use chicken or beef too.  You can also use half water, half stock if you want to make the stock go a little further

½ cup Dry white wine 

Kale Pesto:

Kale – I didn’t need to make too much, so I used about 5 stalks (tough stems removed!) and I have extra pesto

Toasted pine nuts and/or pepita seed (pumpkin seeds) – I had pumpkin seeds left over from another recipe so I used them!  Toast them up a little before putting in the food processor

2 garlic cloves

Parmesan cheese – about ¼ cup or so….just eyeball what looks good

Olive oil

Salt and pepper 

Cod:

Cod fillets

Salt and pepper 

Ok, so to start you need to put the stock on the burner and keep it warm.  Don’t bring it to a boil; just keep it on low to stay warm. 

Then chop up the mushrooms.  You’re going to puree them so the size doesn’t matter too much, if you want to leave them whole in the risotto then I’d cut them into bit size pieces.

Sautee those with a little olive oil until brown and starting to get caramelized.  Here’s where I pulled most of them out and only left a few in.  Do whatever you’d like here.  The ones you pull out put in the food processor. 

Add a little more olive oil to the pan and the diced onions.  Let them sweat out a little, maybe about 5-10 minutes, and add the garlic.  When the garlic is fragrant, add the rice to toast for a minute or 2.  Deglaze the pan with the wine.

Now the secret to risotto is you kind of have to be stirring constantly, or at least keeping an eye on it so that the liquid doesn’t get completely absorbed and the rice sticking to the pan.  So, when you see that the wine liquid is mostly gone, you can start adding your stock.  Use a ladle and add between 1-3 ladle-fulls at a time to the risotto.  Stirring frequently, let that reduce down until the liquid is absorbed (should take about 4-7 minutes).  Keep doing that until you’re stock is gone – it will probably take you 3-4 times of adding the stock.

Now like I said the great thing about this is you can do other things!  Puree your mushrooms, season your filet, and make your pesto. And it doesn’t matter what order you do this in.  Your cod filet will only take about 4 minutes on each side, so I would make sure you’re putting that in the pan when you add the last of the liquid to the risotto.

So with the mushrooms, I put in a little olive oil to help them mix up, just a little splash, and puree!  Reserve in a bowl.  Now on the kale!

This is very simple too.  Toast up your pine nuts/pepita seeds a little.  Add all your ingredients into the food processor, and voilà, that’s it!  Little side note: I always start with less olive oil because you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.  Same with salt and pepper.   It doesn’t need to be super smooth, it will have a little texture to it from the cheese and the seeds, but make sure it’s a paste – do a little quality control test (taste test) and adjust as needed!  What I also did was put it in a small pan to heat a little – on low, (while your fish is cooking.)

Look how awesome of a cook you are!

When you’re ready to drop the cod – make sure you have seasoned both sides with salt and pepper, and a little olive oil – use a not stick pan and sear!  Cod is very flaky, so don’t worry if it’s falling apart a little bit (you honestly should have seen mine), but it will still taste delicious!

When you’re finished, plate the risotto.  Place the cod on top, and top it with your pesto…..

AND ENJOY!!

How easy was that?  Super simple, super healthy, and SUPER delicious.

I hope you try it and enjoy it.  If you have any questions or comments please let me know!

Happy Cooking!

Stay away from "traditional cardio"

OK, so I've been busy and I know I haven't been posting that much, but I promise that will change.
I am starting a month long "shred" to get ready for my cruise in June.  I plan to do some posts on that, what my daily meals/calories look like, some recipes for healthy delicious dinners (think cod filet's with a mushroom risotto...yummm) but for now onto this post.

I always say to stay away from traditional cardio - meaning the treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals.  Unless you want to be a runner, running for an extended period of time is not the best exercise for fat loss.  Adding in some spurts of sprints, or adding 10-20 minutes in addition to your workout will help, but whatever you do, do not spend an hour on those machines, you're just wasting your time.

That's all I' m going to say on that topic, and I will point you in the direction of some more in depth information on why, and other workouts that are better from Mike Geary.  Plus, you can check out some of the previous workouts I have posted on here for some better ideas too.

Check out this article:
The #1 worst workout

Here is the post word for word, but I suggest clicking the link for some extra info.

Work hard and keep moving people!

The worst workout of the year?

What is the #1 worst workout if you want fat loss results?

...CARDIO!

That's right, long boring cardio is officially the WORST workout of the year.

Why?

Well first, it's boring. I mean, who actually enjoys sitting on an exercise bike or running on a treadmill for 45 minutes? Not many people.

But much more important than that, it fails to produce fat loss RESULTS. Are there health benefits? Sure. But you can get those same health benefits (and more) with much shorter, much more exciting, and invigorating workouts. More on that in a minute...

But first, here's what research has to say about cardio:

Utter AC, et al. Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women. Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Sep;8(3):213-22.

-In this 3 month study, women did 45 minutes of cardio a day, 5 days a week, and lost no more weight than those who dieted alone! Seems like a royal waste of time to me!

But perhaps this one study was a fluke? Nope!

Redman et al. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan 2.

-In this study, subjects did 50 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, and once again lost no more weight than those who dieted alone!

Well, maybe if they increase it to a full HOUR of cardio a day, SIX days a week, then cardio will actual product substantial results? No again!

McTiernan et al. Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women. Obesity 2007 June - 15:1496-1512.

-Over the course of this one year study, subjects performed aerobic exercise for 60 minutes a day, 6 whopping days a week (who even has TIME for that?) and lost only 3.5 pounds on average in an entire YEAR!

3.5 pounds of fatloss after an HOUR of exercise, nearly every day, for an ENTIRE year. Man, oh man, cardio really is the worst workout ever!

But as mentioned, there is a much better alternative, and that alternative lies in short, intense bouts of exercise.

In fact, a recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that 15 minutes of a circuit-style resistance training workout elevated metabolism for a full THREE days! And that's only from 15 minutes!

Other studies have found similar results with interval style workouts as short as 4 minutes producing dramatically more fat loss than long, extended bouts of cardio.

Here's an example bodyweight, short-burst exercise routine that you can try today to boost your metabolism and your fat loss results:

30 seconds of bodyweight squats
30 seconds of push ups
30 seconds jumping jacks

Repeat 4 times.

That workout right there only takes SIX minutes and you'll burn way more fat than you will with those long, drawn out, boring cardio sessions.

But here's the real secret...

NO workout will ever help you lose fat unless you get your nutrition in order. Unfortunately, nutrition is an area where most people really struggle, and sticking to a "diet" long term can be near impossible.

I'm still here....and done my burpee challenge!

I know I haven’t written a blog post in a while, but I’m still here.

I started a new job a few weeks ago, and have just been busy with getting accustomed to working again...I was laid off for almost a year!  It is definitely hard getting back into a normal routine.  I’ve been going to bed earlier, sleeping longer, but am more tired than I used to be!  I will admit I started slacking a little.  I in no way stopped working out completely, but I’ve been doing just enough to get by, and I am sad to say I am not where I was over a summer, and especially where I was a year ago today.  That doesn’t mean I’m giving up.  Getting into this new daily routine and getting back to the normalcy of 9-5 days just means I have to push myself even harder.  Especially because I have a wedding in less than a month, and a cruise vacation 2!!

So, since I’ve written last, I completed my 100 Day Burpee Challenge!  And I can’t tell you how excited I am, haha.  Honestly, by the end I was getting so bored of burpees.  I mean, I spent a third of my year doing burpees!   The easiest way to do 90 burpees a day was to make them my workout, with some other cardio and strength training moves, and it got boring fast. 

First, I do have to thank some people.  I’ll give a shout out to the trainers at Core Fitness (check them out online http://www.core-fit.com/ or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CoreFitness.Smarter Living/) Cindy, Gina and Lauren.  They are an amazing group of trainers, and definitely helped me getting my burpees in, and especially Cindy who did a 100 Burpee Workout on my last day.  I do also have to thank (and apologize to) all the other Core-Fitters who got stuck doing my burpees with me!  Core Fitness is definitely a great group of people to work with, if you’re in the Philadelphia area, I highly suggest checking them out.

I will say though, sticking with it and finishing it made me feel AMAZING at the end.  If you’re looking for something to challenge you, something to motivate you, something to discipline you, I highly suggest doing the challenge.  Now that I’m done, everyone kept asking me what I was going to do, to which I would reply, “the 100 day NO burpee challenge.”  I am actually happy to say I failed at that after about 15 days haha.  If you’re someone who likes to be pushed, and doesn’t mind doing burpees for 2/3 of your year, someone mentioned to me that I should start counting back down after I reach day 100….yea, I don’t think so.

All in all, it was an experience, to say the least, once that I don’t think I will ever do again.  That doesn’t mean I’m not open to other challenges though, let’s see what I can come up with next.

WHOLE eggs are better for you than egg WHITES

I get so mad when I see egg white omelets on menus, or hear people saying they only eat egg whites.  There is NO nutrition in egg whites, all you are eating is empty calories, and that is NOT the way to weight loss/healthy nutrition.  I hear people say they didn't want the "extra calories" of eating the yolk, but just eating egg whites is a complete waste of calories.  You might as well go eat something else.  Not saying egg whites are bad for you, but there is no nutrition in there. 
You're best bet is to make an omelet, or scrambled eggs, or whatever you're making, and use say 2 whole eggs, and 2 egg whites.  That way you're still getting the nutrition from the yolk, but you're eating "more" to make you fuller.

I'm not going too much into it here, because I have an article that I want to share with you that says everything I would say.  This is an article from personal trainer/nutritionist Mike Geary, the Truth About Abs guy, on whole eggs vs egg whites.
Check it out, it's worth the read if you're looking to be healthier and leaner.

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/whole-eggs-or-egg-whites.html

Stretching - Hip Flexors

Stretching is definitely the most important part of your workout and should be done at the beginning and end of your workout.  Your warmup should always consist of some dynamic stretching to get your body moving and warm.  The stretch at the end of your workout can be more of a concentrated stretch on individual muscles used during that workout.
 
First things first, one thing to always remember about stretching is that it takes 7 seconds for your body to realize what you're doing.  So you want to make sure you're holding your stretches for at least 20-30 seconds(mainly the concentrated stretches, if you're doing dynamic stretches then obviously you're not holding them). 
 
So this idea came to me because of a conversation I was having with my sister last week.  She's doing the Broad Street Run (for those who don't know, it's a 10 mile Philly marathon), and this is her first marathon and she was asking me the other day about stretches for shin splints(which  calf stretches help). I started telling her about the importance of stretching your hip flexors as a runner.  I thought it would be a good idea to do a series of posts on stretching, targeting one specific area in each post.  This post will have the focus on hip flexors.


Whether you're someone who runs 10 marathons a year, or someone who jogs once a week for weight loss, or someone who doesn't run at all, stretching is really important.  Even if you're not a runner, you have probably heard about the problems runners can have; whether it be their knees, feet/ankles, or shin splints.  Most of the problems that occur from running can be fixed by simply stretching your hip flexors.

First, I want to give a little background on the hip flexor muscles and what they do so you have a better understanding of what exactly you're stretching and why they need to be stretched.
There are 21 muscles that act to flex the femur (or pull your knee upward.)  For these purposes, you don't need to know all of them, just a few of the ones that are important to the actual action of flexing the hip joint.
The most important are the Psoas major, Psoas minor and iliacus muscle, collectively known as the iliopsoas.  The iliopsoas are responsible for flexion and external rotation.  These are the 3 most important hip flexors.  There is also the rectus femoris which is part of the quadriceps muscle on the front of your thigh.  This is the primary muscle involved in running, which is why it is so important for runners to stretch.  There are a few more important ones, but for our purposes you don't need an in depth knowledge of them.  
All of these 21 muscles act to move your hip, and for as often as we move our hips everyday, they get a lot of work.  That's why it is so important to stretch them.

I read an article a little while ago about a study that was done on runners with different problems, and they had hip flexor stretches that they had to do everyday for a few months or a year (I forget exactly), but from doing these stretches, their problems went away.  (I've been looking for the article to post it here, when I do, I'll update this post with it.) But there's proof of how proper stretching can help.

So I want to share some of my favorite hip flexor stretches; I'm going to try and find pictures for every stretch too, to help clarify. 

The first 2 are "runner's stretches." 


Kneeling hip flexor stretch: 
kneel on right knee, with toes down, and place left foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent and aligned with ankle. Place hands on left thigh.

Press hips forward until you feel tension in the front of your right thigh. Extend arms overhead, with elbows close to head and palms facing each other, and slightly arch your back while keeping your chin parallel to the ground. Hold for at least 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.

"Runners Stretch"
For the next one, you're just going to bring your leg that's on the ground up and straight behind you.  Make sure you keep your bent knee in line with your ankle.  The lower to the ground you go, the deeper the stretch.


Here are a few stretches using resistance bands.

Standing Hip Flexor
Make sure you anchor the resistance band to a stable object, put your foot in the band and turn so you are facing away from object it's anchored to.  Keep your right leg straight, and lift it forward slowly for a 2 count, the release it for a 2 count. Repeat on the other leg.

 

Standing Hip Abductor
To abduct is to move your hip away from your body, moving your right leg to the right.  (Adduct means to move it towards your body.) 
Again, make sure to anchor the resistance band to a stable object.  You're going to want the leg that you're stretching to be on the outside.  So you want to loop the other end around your right foot so the band crosses in front of you.  Keep your right leg straight and slowly lift out to the side for a 2 count, then release it back for a 2 count.  Make sure you don't bring your foot inwards, adducting it. Repeat on the other leg.

Front to Back Hip Swing

For this one, you're going to be lying your side, hips stacked legs straight, propped up on your elbow.  Bend the bottom leg to a 90 degree angle making sure to keep your top leg straight, toes pointed. 


You're simply going to swing your top leg forward and backwards.  You want to do this slowly and carefully, keeping your abs and butt tight, and making sure the rest of your body does not move.  If you need a little more stabilization, place your hand in front of your stomach.



Butterfly Stretch
I know everyone knows the simple, old butterfly stretch you always did in elementary school gym class.  With this however, you want to make sure you're back is straight.  If your knees don't touch the floor, no problem!  The point is to get the proper stretch, and you'll find over time, you'll be able to push your knees closer and closer to the ground!






Pigeon Pose

And to end with my personal favorite! I always feel like my hips get stretched so well with this move, and you'll be glad to know I am extremely inflexible with this move, although, with lots of stretching I have been getting better.

 

Hope you enjoy!!! Get to stretching!  Any questions/comments please let me know!

 

 

 

Making your own frozen veggies

Everyone has bought frozen veggies in the boxes or the bags.  Let me start by saying that if you are going to buy already frozen veggies, DO NOT get the steamer bags, or the ones that come with cheese sauce or butter.  I undertstand there are kids out there who will not eat their veggies without some kind of fat on them, and that's fine, as long as they're eating their veggies, but you're better off making your own cheese sauce, or adding butter yourself this way you can CONTROL it. (Those steamer bag ones are also processed, so stay far away from them.)  Just a helpful little tip there.

Ok, so frozen veggies are not bad for you.  Yes, it is definitely better to buy fresh local or organic fruits and veggies and eat them right away because you get SO many more nutrients.  But let's face it, not everyone is able to do that, and some times before you can get around to eating them, they go bad.  And another problem can be that unless you're getting the frozen veggies during those 10 for $10 sales, they're a convenience item and can be expensive, not to mention it's hard to find organic frozen veggies, if that's what you like. 

Well here is a way to buy those organic veggies, but freeze them for later use.  At the end of the season, fruits and veggies that are no longer going to be in season will go on sale like crazy with farmers trying to get rid of all their produce.  So what you do is buy all those cheap organic (or local, sometimes local is better) veggies and freeze them yourself. 
There is one small catch, you can't just stick them right in the freezer.  If you do that, you will freeze off all those amazing nutrients!  So what you want to do is blanch your veggies first, which just means to cook them just slightly, then freeze them for later use.  When veggies are blanched, then frozen at the peak of freshness, you won't lose any of those amazing nutrients.  This is also a great time saving, and produce saving technique for those who grow their own veggies!

Corn on the Cob
I'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't love fresh corn on the cob way better than frozen corn.  If you like corn on the cob, or off the cob, here's a simple way to keep it tasting delicious!
So everyone knows how to cook corn on the cob, you just boil it.  Some people like to grill it, that's fine as well.  You only want to boil them for about 5 minutes or so, depending on how many pieces you throw in there.  Once blanched, throw in an ice bath for a few minutes to stop the cooking process**.  Once it's cool, and dry (!very important that they're dry!) either freeze them whole on the cob or you can remove the kernals and freeze them too!  To do this, you're going to want to take you're sharpest, thinnest knife and cut the kernals off into a bowl.  Below is a picture of the easiest way to do this. 

Take a big bowl, and put a smaller bowl in it (in this case I used a ramekin).  Rest the cob on the smaller bowl and cut.  All the kernals will fall right into the bigger bowl instead of all over your kitchen!
Then transfer to an airtight freezer bag and put in the freezer for later use.

Broccoli (and Cauliflower etc)
Ok, it's pretty simple for these veggies, too.  Again, you just want to blanch them.  You will know your broccoli is cooked because it gets very green.  So boil just for a few minutes, about 3, but stop before it gets super green.  Once blanched, put it an ice bath for a few minutes** then transfer to a collander and let dry completely before transferring to an airtight freezer bag.  Freeze and enjoy for later use!

You can do this with any kind of veggies; peas, shelled and washed; asparagus, stems cut off; beans, cleaned, stems pulled off; all for about 1 minute each.
Tomato's are another veggie that freezes great.  Once boiled, the skin slides right off and you can freeze them however you like, crushed, whole, diced, etc. 

**THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.  Make sure once the veggies are blanched they go into an ice bath to stop the cooking process, otherwise they will continue to cook while they cool and dry, and when you you go to cook them after freezing you will have overcooked veggies!**

Another helpful tip is to freeze them in portion control sizes.  Once you boil a few heads of broccoli for example, [I pre-cut and de-stem mine before boiling] put them into a few small sandwich sized zipper bags, then those small bags into a larger freezer bag and freeze.  Then you can take out one portion at a time.  This way you can also make your own mixed veggie bags.  Take your favorite veggie; peas, carrots, mushrooms and corn for example.  Make indiviual mixed veggie bags with a little of each veggie.  When you're ready to cook, throw into a pot with some chicken for some stirfry!   

Another thing I also like to do with veggies that I'm not going to freeze, is chop them and prep them when I get them in case I don't get to use them right away.  Chopped peppers, zucchini, cucumber, etc., will last much longer in an airtight bag or container in the fridge, than out and exposed to the air and other veggies. 
In case you didn't know, having fruits and veggies near each other speed up the ripening process.  That's why your bananas are brown after a few days!

Taking the time when you come home from the farmers market or grocery store to blanch and freeze your fresh veggies is an easy, time and money saving technique to get healthy, nutritent rich foods quickly!

How to: Plyojacks

Here's a video showing you how to do Plyojacks. They are just a slow squatting jumping jack, or a plyometric jumping jack. Tone those thighs and glutes, and get that cardio in the right way!!

http://youtu.be/7dDPblo0GS4

How to: hitch kicks

Here's a video on how to do hitch kicks. Get that cardio and tone those legs!
Get at it!

http://youtu.be/EmLaF4zF_YU

How to: donkey kicks

How to do donkey kicks. There are also 2 ways to do these, the 2nd is my preferred. Get that perfect butt you want!!

http://youtu.be/1C-yngZmRKA

How to: swimmers

Here's how to do swimmers, 2 different ways. You can choose which way you like better!

http://youtu.be/2hHvHI56Tsg

How to: do a twisting plank

One of my favorite moves. You wanna make sure your really feeling that crunch when you twist your knee. Stay in a strong plank. This move is not about quickness

http://youtu.be/_jjxTsWfhJU

How to: do a diagonal knee squash

So I received some comments about not knowing how to do a few of the exercises in my 25 minute workout, so I thought I'd post videos for some of the more confusing or unknown exercises. Here is the first one. Keep checking back for the rest!! Any more questions, please let me know!!

http://youtu.be/89fphEgucgk

Fall Couscous (The food so nice they named it twice)

Seeing as we're getting to the end of the season, I thought I should put up my "Fall Couscous" recipe.  I started getting into couscous (quinoa works well too, if you want a little extra nutrients and health benefits) when I started eating healthier.  It's a good way to get some starchy healthy carbs, but it's lighter than pasta.  There are different kinds of couscous, I stay away from the instant, boxed couscous.  I like to go to my Whole Food's bulk section and get couscous there.  There's French Couscous and Israeli Couscous.  Not only do they look different, but they cook differently and taste differently.  Israeli couscous is larger, and cooks up more like a risotto.  French couscous stays the same size (for the most part) when you cook it.  You can choose whichever couscous you'd like for this recipe, it works with both, although I will tell you, french couscous has just a little less calories. 

So, I call this my "Fall Couscous" because I use butternut squash in it.  The thing I love about couscous is that you can use anything you want in it!  I've made it with green peppers, chickpeas, peas, etc.  For this recipe, I use butternut squash, edamame and corn.  Now, you'll remember that I don't "measure" so I am going to try and measure everything out for you as best I can, but always remember you are free to put as much of or little of anything as you like.  

Ingredients:
2 cups of couscous 
1 med-large butternut squash cubed

About a cup and a half of edamame.  If you can find ready to eat edamame in you're grocer's prepared foods section, then awesome, if not, a frozen bag is just as good.
1 cup of corn (about 2-3 cobs) Same as the edamame, when I can, I like to use fresh corn on the cob, if it's not available, a frozen bag will do.  (You can also make your own "fresh" frozen veggies, but that's for another blog post!)
Half an onion - or so, depending on how much you like onion - it's really just a flavor base
Garlic  - again, up to you.  I LOOVE garlic, so I'll use 4-5 cloves.  This is also just a flavor base
3-4 cups of broth/stock - most people use water to cook couscous, stock brings so much more flavor.  I use chicken stock, however if you are vegetarian or vegan vegetable stock will work perfectly.  The differences between the 2 couscous call for slightly different cooking techniques, but the ratio for both types is about 1:2 (1 cup couscous, 2 cups liquid - I usually use just a little less)

Preparation:
Start by roasting the butternut squash.  Lay the cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg (always freshly grated).  Bake at 450 for about 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, sweat the onions out in some olive oil. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. If you're using frozen veggies, cook them per the instructions on the bag.  If you're using fresh corn on the cob, cut the kernals off the cob and boil them for a few minutes.
When the squash is done toss it in the pan with the onions and garlic for a few minutes.  Then add the corn and edamame.  (If you're looking for a yummy side dish without carbs, stop here! This is delicious on it's own!)
If you're using french couscous, you want to bring the stock to a boil, then pour it into a separate dish with the couscous and cover with plastic wrap for about 5-10 minutes until water is absorbed.  If you're using israeli couscous, bring the stock to a boil, add in the couscous and boil just like pasta, about 8-10 minutes and drain.
Put all the ingredients together and mix.  Drizzle the top with a little olive oil to finish.

There you have it! A delicious, healthy side dish, or sometimes I even eat it as my lunch/snack!  Like I said before, couscous is wonderful because you can put anything in it you like, so feel free to mix it up!
Enjoy!