Summer Lovin'

Summer is on its way!  Are you excited?  Are you just itching to pull out your shorts and swimwear?  Unfortunately, many of us would say yes to the first question but no to the second. 

When was the last time you felt great, I mean really great, in your summer "shows more skin" clothes?  If it's been a while, why not make this the summer that you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin!  Life gets busy and we all like to put things off, but imagine having one less thing to have in the back of your mind - how you look and feel in your clothes - and just live it and love it this summer.  It's not about looking like someone else you know or see in a magazine - it's about being the fittest, healthiest, best YOU.

Summer makes it even easier to get a great workout in!  I have re-posted three 8 minute videos below that need NO equipment or gym facilities to do - only you.  I love this type of training in the summer - get outside and get it done!  Look for some exciting new playground workout videos coming this summer for even more inspiration :) 

If your just beginning, try doing as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of only one of the videos - it's a great workout in itself!  Or if your looking for more, combine the 2.  Do 8 minutes of the first sequence, rest 2 minutes, then do 8 minutes of the second sequence for a total of 18 super short (but super tough!) minutes of fat blasting, body toning, energy burning summer goodness!  Try the ab bonus on top of that or on alternating days at home. 

Let's get real here:  18 minutes every other day and 8 minutes on alternating days - no excuse not to.

It's your summer - feel your best!  Get excited for more free outdoor workouts coming up!

Workout #1 - 8 minutes full body

Workout #2 - 8 minutes full body

Workout #3 - core/abs

 

1988 Aerobic Championships.... You MUST watch this video

If you don't smile while watching this video, I don't know what could make you smile to today :)  You must watch the whole thing and pay attention to facial expressions!

My goal today is to have at least 50% of the energy and excitement that these people have! 

Who thinks that I should bring this type of workout (and gym fashion!) back?  Love it!

Another Easy Recipe! Protein Crepes



Mine look a little pink since I used Dr. Mercola Raw
Milk Organic Strawberry Whey (the color is from beets!)
Normally I use Vega Protein (it just agrees with my
tummy best :)

Protein Crepes

I am not a daily protein shake drinker, but I have some protein powder around for Paleo baking and recipes like this one.  It's an incredibly quick and simple breakfast or snack.

Whisk together a 1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 or 5) with a scoop of vanilla or plain protein powder.  If your powder is already sweet then you don't have to add anything - if it's completely plain you can add a sprinkle of stevia or a squirt of unpasteurized liquid honey and/or a few drops of pure vanilla extract.  Pour the mixed liquid into a medium sized greased/cooking sprayed pan and cook over medium until firm enough to flip.  It should be a big enough pan that the liquid is thin to form a crepe thickness.  You can roll these up and eat them plain or spread a very thin layer of almond butter inside. 

So Easy!

Incredibly easy recipe... Chicken Tikki Masala

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikki Masala with Yams

This is one of my favourites!  So Easy!

Ingredients:

*Chicken thighs (1 large pack)

*Yams (2 small or 1 large)

*1 can coconut milk

*Club House Spice Pack

Steps:
1) Cook the chicken thighs either in the oven (350 for 45 mins) or in a large pan/wok.

2) While the chicken is cooking, empty one can of coconut milk into a slow cooker (shake it well first!).

3) Add all of the little blister packs of spices into the coconut milk and milk well.  You can also simply add these spices without buying the Club House pack if you have them (1tsp dried minced garlic, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper) 

4) Chop up the yam into cubes and add to the slow cooker.

5) Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker. (I cut them up smaller too).

6) Slow cook on high for about 3-4 hours mixing occasionally until yams are really soft (I like them even to fall apart and become like mashed potato consistency and when the chicken falls apart too - yum!)

The spices make this simple dish soooo tasty.  Enjoy!

Spring Cleaning...The Body!

Every spring (and sometimes again in the fall) I complete a 12 day detox cleanse.  There are many "cleanses" out there and sometime people falsely associate them all with fasting.  This is not necessary.  The cleanse that I use is the well known Wild Rose Detox Kit.  Wild Rose Detox is known to help people lose weight and cleanse the body. If you are looking for an effective way to eliminate bad toxins inside the body and reduce excess fat, Wild Rose Detox can help.  Spring is then most natural time for the body to cleanse - and it can also help you get your nutrition back on track leading into summer.  You simply take the supplements provided and eat a very clean diet (as much as you like) as outlined in the kit.  No sugar, dairy, artificial/processed food, or junk allowed!  I tailor it to suit my Paleo lifestyle as well by choosing not to eat any grains even though some are technically allowed).  I stick with lots of veggies, nuts and meat.

Wild Rose Detox is not only effective in colon cleansing but also in cleansing the liver, the kidneys and the lymphatic system, making the it a very beneficial detox program. It can also help improve the immune system and enhance blood flow and blood circulation.  Ask me about it if you have questions or would like to know how to get started and recipe ideas (there is even a cookbook!).  I find that after the first few days, it helps reduce the cravings for sugar and I always notice a weight loss of about 3-7 lbs over the 12 days (some due to waste elimination from the intestinal walls/bloating and some to due to improved clean eating/fat loss).

Time for spring cleaning!  Why not start with your body?

Finally! Mainstream Truth Begins

I've been telling my clients this for a long time - SUGAR, not fat, is the real health enemy.  By controling your insulin response, you can control your likelihood of developing almost all of North Americas most chronic illnesses.  There are many books that I have recommended that explain this fact, yet some people still feel that "anything and anyone can write a book".  So for those media hounds, it's nice to see a mainstream program like 60 minutes step up to the plate and begin to expose the real dangers of sugar - in all forms (from the obvious high fructose corn syrup to bread).

Here is the link to the 15 minute video that you MUST watch and share with your friends and family:

 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n&tag=api&fb_ref=belowVideo&fb_source=timeline

It talks to researchers about so much of what I have been trying to convince my clients of all along - a sugar calorie is not the same as another calorie - therefore the old belief that it's merely "calories in vs calories out" that maintains our weight and health, no longer rings true.  It exposes the strong link between sugar and our most common and scary chronic diseases: Heart Disease, Cancer, Obesity, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome.  It also shows real data from MRI scans that proves that sugar is one on the most addictive substances on the planet.  Watch this video to help get an idea about how toxic sugar really is and begin limiting your daily intake today!

Sources of sugar in your "healthy" diet:

*Bread (all kinds - white and whole wheat are virtually no different in terms of insulin response)
*Fruit Juice

*Pop, Vitamin Waters, Sports Drinks

*Pasta

*Baked Goods

*Yogurt

*Peanut butter

*Premade Sauces (bbq sauce, pasta sauce...)

*Grains (rice, barley, oats...)

Here is my yummy sugar free breakfast from today:

2 egg spinach omelet with 1/2 an avocado

and black organic coffee

**Book a personal nutrition consultation with me to 

learn how to build a fantastic, delicious, healthy, reduced 

sugar meal plan that you and your family will love.**

heather@flipfitnesscanada.com 

Bulk Food Prep

Hope your weekend was great!  I get a lot of positive feedback about sharing nutrition tips and what I eat.  It's been a while since I explained my bulk food prep and how I will use all that yummy food for the week - so here it is:

What I made tonight:

* sweet potato shepard's pie (3/4 meat and veggies, < 1/4 sweet potato on top)

- extra lean ground beef (seasoned and browned in a pan), peas and carrots (from frozen), sweet potato (boiled and mashed)

* steaks (on the bbq)

* turkey loaf

- ground turkey, 1 zucchini shredded, 1 egg, spices

How I will make a meal plan (examples):

6:30 am:  2 eggs, 10 pecans, black coffee
9:30 am:  turkey loaf slice with organic salsa

1:00 pm:  shepards pie

5:00 pm:  carrots, cauliflower (raw)
7:30 pm:  steak and spinach salad

8:00 am:  steak and 1 egg, black coffee
12:30 pm:  turkey loaf with salsa, salad

3:30 pm:  raw veggies and 15 almonds, tea

7:00 pm:  salmon fillet (I take it out to thaw in the morn and cook it quickly in a pan when I get home), steamed veggies