New “Ninja” Summer Smoothie Recipes Are Here!

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie Tastes GOOD!

For all those Ninja users, check out the recipes below, and if you don’t currently have a Ninja or a Vitamix – What are you waiting for? Read what Nadine of 8:30am fame has to say.

“I recently purchased a Kitchen Ninja! Awesome tool!

It is a food processor, juicer & blender all in one!! It also comes with 3 processor cups & travel lids (perfect for smoothies!!) Purchase price was around $80 but you could go through several cheaper versions & spend just as much or even more in the long run.

Would definitely gives this gadget a whirl!! No pun intended!!! Lol!” – Nadine J.

The recipes below are wonderful additions as a recovery drink post training. Nadine has wonderful tasting recipes and they also contain veggies alongside the protein. Thank you Nadine for these delicious recipes.

Most of my smoothie recipes are the same basic ingredients & then I change up the fruits with the season. Also you can add ice if you like your smoothie thicker (“frozen” like).

My daughters will sometimes use organic 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (that we’ve frozen in 1/2 cup portions) instead of the protein powder.

I try to keep my recipes simple so that the ingredients can be easily switched around & all the ingredients’ flavors can be tasted.”

The basics:

• one cup of either unsweetened almond coconut milk, unsweetened vanilla or chocolate almond milk, or unsweetened coconut milk
• one scoop of vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder (I am hooked on the SFH brand because it is from local, grass fed, free range animals; thanks for finding this brand!!!
• a cup of frozen fruit of your choice (I always use what is in season, organic, & local; well except for pineapple, bananas & mango; can’t find local for those) 🙂
• 2 handfuls of organic spinach or kale
•  Then more almond/coconut milk if needed for thinness if desired.

My favorites:

 “That’s Just Peachy”

• unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• vanilla whey protein
• Dash of real organic vanilla extract
• frozen peaches
• Spinach

“Pineapple Colada “

• Unsweetened coconut milk
• Vanilla Whey protein powder
• Frozen pineapple
• Spinach
• Throw in some unsweetened shredded coconut if you want a “pulpy” taste

“Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter”

• Chocolate Almond milk
• Chocolate Whey protein powder
• 1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 frozen banana (if it was a large banana)
• 1-2 tbsp of organic peanut butter
• Spinach or kale

“Chocolate Almond Cherry”

• Chocolate Almond milk
• Chocolate Whey Protein powder
• 1/2 tsp chocolate cocoa
• Frozen cherries
• Spinach or kale
• Dash organic almond extract

I am currently trying to experiment with a “Cucumber Mojito” smoothie. I will send you that one when I “get it right”.

Hope you enjoy these!

30 Challenges In 30 Days Starts Next Monday, July 29 – Sweet!

Ahh the dog days of summer!

What is it about we New Englanders anyways?

When the sun is out it’s too hot! And then we are surprised that it actually rains around here too – weird. 🙂

I say we get our minds off things we cannot control (like the weather) and focus on some things we can control – way more productive, wouldn’t you say?

30 Challenges in 30 Days

Every day starting Monday July 29th you will get a new challenge for the day. It will be posted on our Facebook page located here: https://www.facebook.com/getfitnh, so make sure you “like” us to get the daily update.  After you complete the challenge post that you completed the challenge and if required how you made it happen.

Since some of the challenges require you a little preparation or forethought, we will post the next few days ahead of time here on the blog to help you out. I assure you that every single one of these things is something you can do, and when you do them your body will thank you that you did!

We will also come up with a little something something for everybody who completes all 30 days, so don’t skip days!

Here’s the first 7 days so you can get prepared:

Day 1: Drink at least 64 ounces of water

Day 2: Don’t eat after dinner

Day 3: Eat 5 servings of Vegetables (http://www.getfitnhbootcamp.com/11841/s3-2013-habit-3-eat-vegetable-with-each-eating-opportunity/)

Day 4: Do not eat anything out of a bag, box or can

Day 5: Eat at least 20 grams of protein at 3 meals (http://www.getfitnhbootcamp.com/11759/s3-2013-habit-2-eat-lean-protein-dense-foods-with-each-meal/)

Day 6: Visit a CSA or local Farmers Market

Day 7: Prep your food today for tomorrow (cut veggies, pack lunch, etc.)

See? All those things are things you can do, so let’s Make It Happen!

Who’s In With Me?

Ice Cream, We Scream….. No not really, BETTER!

It’s hot and it’s summer, so of course we are thinking of dipping up some of the cool stuff to enjoy.

Guess what? It doesn’t have to be bad for you! Try these delicious and easy to make recipes next time you need a cool treat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla works great)
• 1 Tablespoon Cocao nibs
• 2 Tablespoons Natural peanut butter
• 3 Scoops of Chocolate UMP
• 4 Cups of ice

Add all the ingredients into a powerful blender – a must have for these to come out right. (we use a Vitamix)

Using a damper,  blend for 30-45 seconds. Going longer will melt your ice cream. Scoop this out and enjoy – it is really good!

Peach Melba Sundaes, without any guilt!

I took peaches we grew and ran them through the blender. (looked like baby food)

I then put all of this in my blender. (again I have a Vitamix, so its strong)

• 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2
• 4 cups of ice
• 3 scoops of vanilla UMP
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

( this makes 5 servings)

I blend it for about 45 seconds. In a clear cup add 1 Tablespoon of the peaches, 1 scoop of the ice cream, another Tablespoon of the peaches and then a few raspberries.

Fantastic – give these quick, easy and tasty recipes a try today!

Coach Nancy!

“Exercise Your Independence” Brunch Recipes

You asked for them, you got ’em. Here are some delicious post-training nutrition eats, and super easy to make – Enjoy!

Oatmeal in a Jar

• ¼ cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 Tablespoons of water
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
• ¼ cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, water, yogurt, and chia seeds. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add blueberries and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

Variations: Strawberries and Cream: substitute strawberries and a dash of vanilla in place of the blueberries.

Apples and Cinnamon: add 2 Tablespoons applesauce and a dash of cinnamon

Coach Nancy’s Easy Breakfast Sundae

• Frozen mixed berries thawed
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 6 walnuts

Layer the fruit with the yogurt and top with the walnuts. This is beautiful served in a glass sundae cup. The fruits can be varied to what you have on hand.

Best Bran Muffins Yet!

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup bran
• 3 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoon molasses (honey works well too)
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and stir in the bran. Beat butter and molasses together then add in the egg, and milk. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet. Fill the muffin tins to about ¾ full. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes.

I love to add a cup of raisins or craisins or mix the two. Delicious!

8 Ways To Eat Fresh

1. Plant your own backyard garden or patio garden. Do you have a green thumb? Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, herbs, lettuces, and many more veggies and fruits can be as easy to pick as going to your own backyard. Not much of a green thumb? Small patio containers will supplement your family’s dinner nicely.

2. Free Food is always wonderful. Raspberries and blueberries can be found many times while walking along your favorite trail or next to the road. Please be sure to ask the landowner first. There are many logging areas near us and before the trees take over often wild berries thrive. Along a stream we’ve often found grapes in September.

3. Visit a Farmer’s Market or Farm Stand. These farmers grow and raise everything. If your garden didn’t do too well or if you would like a vegetable that you didn’t plant, visit a farm stand near you. The Farmer’s Market in Concord, which operates each Saturday morning, sells veggies, fruit, free range meats, eggs, and many other items you remember from your grandmother’s kitchen.

4. Welcome Localvores! Nothing is more local than buying New Hampshire raised meats. Miles Smith Farm in Loudon raise Scottish Highlander and Angus beef . You can visit their store to select beef that is naturally raised without hormones or antibiotics.

Please call 603 783 5159 or visit http://www.milessmithfarm.net for more information.

5. PYO- Pick Your Own Farms are plentiful in New England. How about strawberries from Rossview Farm? Deb and Adam from Concord always pick there and the proceeds this year are going to New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Rossview is located at 84 District 5 Rd  Concord. You can call for hours of picking 228-4872.

It won’t be long before apples picking is here. I love Appleview in Loudon.  http://www.applevieworchard.com

You can find many other fruits, veggies, and even Christmas tress at local farms. Check out this site for more information. http://www.pickyourown.org/NH.htm

6. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)-  have summer and winter shares of crops. They grow them and you pick them up. You can have fresh all year round and not have to get your fingers dirty.

7. The Seacoast is close  enough we can almost smell the salt air.  Our favorite market is Durham Market Place http://www.durhammarketplace.com. The drive is worth the time. They have so many varieties of seafood fresh from our shores. It’s the only place I go for fresh tuna steaks. Every Monday they host a Farmer’s Market so you can take advantage of fresh produce as well.

8. Support restaurants and food vendors that buy locally produced food. The Celery Stick Café found in The Concord Food Coop prepares foods from seasonal local produce. http://www.concordfoodcoop.coop/

Don’t Drool, Its Bad for Your Keyboard!

Move over pasta, bread and rice, I have better things to add to my plate.

The amazing Jenn H. from 5:00am Concord created this recipe in order to fill her plate with more veggies. It looks great and taste even better! Keep on filling your plate with veggies.

• 2 cups Zucchini sliced thin
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/8 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice the zucchini with a mandolin and place on the bottom of a pan sprayed with peanut oil. Top with chopped mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Season however you like, I like to add basil stirred into the cottage cheese. Bake it at 350 for 30 minutes. I have also done this with 4oz of browned ground turkey. I usually have a container of it (made up ahead) in the fridge ready to go at all times. 🙂

Enjoy!

Recovery Week Reading List: Mission Nutrition

I know you are all super busy, and sometimes you just don’t get to read like you would like to.

Well next week you are going to have an extra hour or so a few certain days, so howsabout taking the opportunity to catch up on some reading and making yourself better in the process. Better Eating = Better Health, so read up and then put it into practice.

Here is a compilation of some of our favorite “Mission Nutrition” topics.

Nancy ‘s Top 5 Grocery Shopping Tips

Three Rules to Easy Eating On The Go

Meal Planning Made Easier

Keep It Simple!

10 Ways To Eat Fresh

Food Labels. What You Need To Know

and if you don’t have a Get Fit NH Cookbook yet – pick one up this week!

Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown – It’s Not Over

Because you still are eating, right?

And that is what S3 was all about – learning to eat, for life.

Last night I was reading a great book by a man and coach I respect and admire greatly – Dan John.

I had the pleasure of meeting Coach John a few years ago and he is just a great human being.

Dan has a way of simplifying things and his training philosophy reflects this.

But the book I am reading, “Intervention“, also crystallizes his thoughts on nutrition, and as we come to the end of the 7 week period we call “Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown” I want you to think about what he has to say.

First of all though I need to congratulate you for doing what for most of us is really hard – Change.

The “PPW” principles that S3 emphasizes are small changes in how to look at food and eat for some,  and radical change for others. Either way stepping out of your comfort zone and taking action is to something to be proud of.

But now is not the time to throw up your hands in relief and throw all that hard work out the window. I have seen that too many times. The “contest” is over so it’s time to go hog wild.

Really?

And that brings me back to Coach John. He doesn’t exactly hold back on this one.

“I sum my insight about all things diet, nutrition and supplements with the simple phrase –

Eat like an adult.

Honestly, seriously, you don’t know what to do about food? Here an idea: eat like an adult. Stop eating fast food, stop eating kids cereals, knock it off with the sweets and comfort foods whenever your favorite show is not on, ease up on the snacking and – don’t act like you don’t know this – eat more fruits and vegetables. Really how difficult is this? Stop the whining. Stop with the excuses, Act like an adult an stop eating like a television commercial. Grow up.”

Kind of hit me between the eyes, how about you?

And that brings me to something else he said that ties into the “end” of S3. Celebrating your achievements is healthy, wonderful and appropriate. Just stop doing it with food.

Here’s Coach John:

“Every time you succeed in life does not call for several extra rounds of beer, a salutary doughnut and high fives for everyone. I’ve always admired great athletes – Barry Sanders comes to mind – who scores a touchdown, goal or point, and just moves along. It’s your job, so get over it.”

It may not leave you warm and fuzzy, but it’s the truth.

What more important “job” do you have than taking care of yourself?

I mean you have to eat anyway, so you might as well fuel the machine with the good stuff. It’s not like this is something extra into your daily routine, you have been eating your whole life. Just work on doing it a little better, every day.

Because a body that is operating properly allows you to do everything better!

This is Day 2 of S3 week 8, which just so happens to be the first day of the rest of your life.

Extraordinary days lead to extraordinary lives.

Make It Happen!

Dean

Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown Final Weigh & Bonus Points

As we move into the final week of the 2013 Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown we just wanted to update you on how we are going to wrap things up as well (as promised) let you know how bonus points will be awarded.

We have modified the end date by a couple days in order to allow us to get a full 7 days of Habit 7 in the books, to be consistent, and to keep the point system stable.

Due Dates:

Monday June 3, 2013: Your final weigh-in is due by this date. You can do it anytime next week up until that day. Once we have it recorded, that is your final answer.

Tuesday June 4, 2013: Your last card with your points will be due. Captains, please remind your team to get them in, tally up their points and record on your sheet. We are going to be spending some time checking point tallies and making sure there are no tally errors. It’s going to take a bit of time, so the sooner you get them in the sooner we can announce the winners! 🙂

Bonus Points:

We have not revealed the bonus points to this point for one primary reason. The most important thing  about S3 is not whether you win or lose (although that’s a lot of fun!), the most important thing is you understand that the habits you have learned are fundamental to your health, body composition and weight control. The scorecards are a way of keeping us accountable to the daily choices we are making that count over the long term. We wanted you to focus on the behavior – the habits, not the outcome.

I love to compete, and I love to win, make no mistake. But it wouldn’t do me much good to win a contest and then in 3 months revert back to what I was doing that made me overweight and unhealthy to begin with.

Let me remind you about the word “Habit”.

The Free Dictionary defines it this way:

• A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
• An established disposition of the mind or character.

I absolutely love those definitions.

A habit is something that is 2nd nature to us. We don’t even have to think about it, we just do it.

Are the “7 Habits” truly habits in your life now, or something you are just doing so you can win a game?

Now I know that many of you think that Nancy and I are psychos because we eat this way the vast majority of the time. I assure you this did not happen overnight, but as we began feeling better and getting healthier it was natural to keep eating the way that made that happen.

I mean why can’t a spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette be your dessert? Why do our plates have to be piled high with potatoes and pasta? Why do we use so much sugar and cream in our coffee? Reclaim your taste buds and start enjoying your food again.

Ok, back to the matter at hand. Final scoring and bonus points.

Keeping the cards and tracking your habits daily is crucial, as we said before. But we also want to keep ourselves honest, and the truth of the matter is if you are consistent with your behavior – the habits, you will most likely see the desired outcome, which is better body composition.

The bonus point structure is super simple. You will be awarded 1 bonus point for every 1% of body weight lost. While we would rather use bodyfat %, our studies have shown that the 1 point test that we did to begin the contest was not as reliable as we wanted to be a fair measure, so we are going with straight body weight.

Here’s an example:

Bobby Sue started her transformation at 155 pounds, and at the final weigh in she weighs 145 pounds.

Bobby Sue lost 6.45% of her body weight, and is awarded 6.45 bonus points for her team.

We are excited to see how well you all did!

Don’t stop now.

Keep Making It Happen!

S3 Habit 6: Yeah, I Know – You Hate Me

And I can live with that.

Why?

Because I am guessing that you will get over it. 🙂

Plus I know from experience that both the physical and psychological benefits of Habit 6 are worth it.

S3 Habit 6: Don’t Drink Beverages with more than Zero calories.

This is the one that I have heard the most about even before the contest began.

“No cream in my coffee?”

“What about wine, that’s healthy for you!”

Well when it comes right down to it cream in a cup of coffee or the occasional glass of wine is probably not the deal breaker when it comes to your weight management. There are usually bigger fish to fry.

But that doesn’t mean the calories are irrelevant. A couple tablespoons of half and half in a couple cups of coffee a day adds up to almost 600 calories a week, or 30,000 a year.

That’s enough to put on an extra 8 or 9 pounds a year!

And alcohol isn’t exactly calorie free either. A 6oz glass of red wine has 150 calories. Add on top of the fact that you aren’t burning any fat while alcohol is in your system and you have something to think about.

But besides the extra calories that your sodas, juices, latte’s and brewski’s add to your overall calorie count, there is another factor to consider.

The absolute power that food and drink has in so many of our lives.

Think about it.

We are seeking after our healthiest selves, aren’t we?

Mind, body and soul.

Emotional, physical and spiritual.

I would submit to you that being controlled by food and drink is not healthy.

Now I am not condemning, because for years food controlled my life, and it was not healthy in any of the 3 areas I mentioned.

I mean do you really want to HAVE to have any particular food or drink to be happy?

Do you want to be controlled by a powerful stimulant drug like caffeine or a powerful sedative like alcohol?

I am not judging, condemning or otherwise criticizing. I just want you to think about it.

The S3 Habit 6 Five Day Challenge

All I am asking you to do is commit to zero calorie beverages for 5 days – Monday May 20th to Friday May 25th.

After that all bets are off. You can have whatever you want for the rest of the S3 contest and for the rest of your life if you so choose.

Who Is With Me For Five Days?