Healthy Summer Fruit Salad

You know what is good in the hot heat? Fresh fruit.
If you're looking for a sweet treat that won't make you feel guilty try this delicious recipe out.

Yogurt Glazed Fruit Salad

Cut up the desired amount of the following:
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Bananas
Kiwi
Strawberries
(etc. etc. etc. obviously there is a lot of room for creativity here.)

Place in a small bowl and cover with one 8 oz container of Yoplait Light Raspberry or Strawberry yogurt.
Stir until fully coated.
Cover and chill until serving.

Yes. Easiest thing ever, and OH so delish!

Costly Costco, and the like.

Costco. Who doesn't love it?
Plentiful bulk foods down every isle, beckoning your attention. I love it. I really do.
You know what I don't love? The sample folk. They are good at what they do...pushing their samples on you.
One time I remember stopping to get a sample of some sort of chicken pasta and the sample girl in her most monotone trained voice said something like, "You really should buy this pasta. It's my favorite. I know I'm going to buy a bag after I get off work." Really? That is the best you've got?

In my curiosity as to what exactly all your "little" Costco samples are adding up to, I searched around to find others experiences with the same topic. I found THIS blog post from a gentleman who seemed to have the same curiosities that I did. Here was his findings from his one trip through the sample soiree.

(food, estimated calorie count)
Multigrain tortilla 20
Mild Italian Sausage 35
Provolone Cheese 20
Italian Mortadella 20
Beef Brisket with potato salad 82
Veggie patties 43
Seafood salad on rice cracker 32
Smoked salmon with cream cheese on a cracker 50
Honey smoked salmon on a Ritz 30
Tri Tip 20
Hot & spicy wings 63
Chicken Florentine 30
Hansen’s soda with ice cream 50
Kirkland sports Drink 40
Sun dried tomato & pasta 40
Baked beans 20
Bratwurst 43
Four bean salad 30
Rice crackers with nuts 150
Fruit chips 10
Sour patch kids 10
Body choice high fiber drink 45
Body choice weight loss drink 10
Pita 15
Fried Pita Chip 17
Humus 6
Tabouli 6
Tzatziki 6

Grand Total?? 943 calories. YIKES. This of course is if you took one sample from each booth, and that probably doesn't happen. However, the chances that you are taking a few are still pretty high, and those calories can still add up.

Now I realize I'm picking on Costco, and that is just plain mean, BUT I'm only using them as my example because we all know their samples so well. (I am a huge Costco fan. Their produce is phenomenal.) This could be any grocery store, any mega mart, or bulk warehouse. It happens everywhere.

Two weeks strong.

14 days.
No artifical sweeteners.
No diet dr. pepper or diet coke or diet anything for that matter.
No processed foods.
No counting my calories.

I must say I'm feeling pretty dang good. (Aside from the fact that I was very rudely struck with the stomach flu yesterday. The nerve...)

I'm actually surprised at how well I've done with it.
I'm trying really hard to pay attention to my intuitive eating habits. Am I hungry? Do I really want to eat that? It can be a hard thing to do, but i think the more we work at it, the more it will become a habit.

I think the factor that has helped me the most is having the good foods readily available. The reason we often times turn to the not-so-healthy, processed foods, is for ease. The bag of chips is right there ready to be eaten. A lot of the fresh fruits and veggies require preparation. So, my recommendation to you is make those good foods available. When you get home from the store take the time to wash, cut up, and bag your fruit or veggies so when you go to eat something they are right at your fingertips. Have nuts on hand, whole wheat items instead of processed foods, and stop purchasing the processed foods altogether. It is easier than you think, and SO much better for you.

The Rio. Warning: This is scary stuff.

I love my nutrition facts.
I don't like to eat at restaurants where I'm clueless as to how things are being prepared, and what the stats are. Call me crazy...cause I probably am a little bit :)
One place that has been a thorn in my side with my clients and myself is, Utah's favorite, Cafe Rio. I had heard rumors of what was being thrown in that massive tin, but not exact numbers.
So, naturally, I was delighted/horrified when Benita showed me that Cafe Rio finally posted their nutrition facts online.

Brace yourselves.
Then click HERE, and scroll down to "nutritional information."

AGGGHHHH!!!!!

A 12 inch whole wheat tortilla 430 calories?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That should be your caloric intake for a whole meal...not for the side.
Add to that:
Black Beans: 140 calories
Rice: 130 calories
Pork: 120 calories for 2 oz...no way of knowing how much they are actually throwing on there.
Salsa Fresca: 20 calories
Guacamole: 50 calories
Sour Cream: 60 calories
Cotija Cheese: 30 calories
Tortilla Strips: 150 calories
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing: 130 calories

We end up with a salad 1,260 calories deep. OH MY GOSH. That is a lot.
So if you think that by getting a light "salad" you're doing yourself a favor. You aren't.
My suggestions to make this a better meal choice?
Strip your salad.
-Ditch the tortilla, guacamole, sour cream, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips all together. I promise you won't miss them.
- Load up on the Pico de Gallo. At only 5 calories a serving you can't go wrong. This stuff has a TON of flavor too so you won't need all that dressing.
-DRESSING ON THE SIDE. I've said it once, I'll say it again. DON'T drench your salad. You don't need that much dressing.

So if you keep the beans, rice, meat, pico de gallo, and use just a little of your dressing you're looking at a 400-450 calorie meal. MUCH better. MUCH.

OLE!

Frustration. Hormones. Changes.

Hormones. They are complicated little buggers.
They are what make us work, you know the important stuff like breathing...growing...metabolizing the food we eat...etc.
These chemical messengers are essential to good health, bottom line. This is something we've known for a long time.

Hold up...--->Let me intervene with some side stories real fast, so you know where I'm at.

1. I am constantly reading new published journals, articles, books, and whatever else I can get my hands on to stay current and knowledgeable in my field. Science is always evolving and changing and it's important to be able to sort the truth from the garbage...and might I add a LOT of what is published is garbage. Lately, I have been reading Jillian Michael's book, "Master Your Metabolism." This is where the root of this post is coming from. Although I am not %100 sold on every word that is in there. I think that there is a lot of truth to what she is saying. It has made me think, that is for certain.

2. (Gear up. This "side note" is more of a novel than a note.) ;)
One of the main reasons I read a LOT about nutrition and weight training is for my own personal benefit. Selfish confession, I know. For the past two years I would say I've logged a minimum of 10-15 hours a week in the gym working out. I could tell you EXACTLY what I've eaten for the past three years. I take that back, I could SHOW you. You think I'm joking? I'll send you my Fitday Login and you can check it out. I haven't had sugar in two years with the exception of a few free day holidays, and I don't eat fast food. Ever.
Why am I telling you this?
NOT to brag, I can promise you that. I'm telling you this because I am frustrated. I work all day telling people how to eat, move, and sleep and for them, it works. I watch pounds fall off of people who tell me they, "didn't eat as good as they could have." I have always considered myself some anomaly. The exception. The one who just got the unlucky metabolism that didn't seem to take to the old "calories in calories out" rule. The one that was just going to have to keep eating perfectly and working out like a maniac just to maintain and stay at a mediocre place.
Well, a paragraph in this book caught my eye.

After speaking about her vigorous routine of working out, eating perfectly, and drinking lots of diet coke to keep her energy up Jillian says, "God forbid I should fall of the wagon for a few days. (Speaking of breaking her perfect routine.) I'd instantly gain five pounds, which would then drive me back to the grueling routine. After all the effort I'd put into learning about diet and nutrition, I just couldn't figure out why all my working out and freaky eating habits weren't doing the trick. I really thought I'd been royally screwed in the genetics department--That my metabolism just sucked and I would never be able to have it as easy as some of my friends." (Master Your Metabolism, pg 22)

It just sounded FAR too familiar to me. Let it be known that I am not a huge Jillian Michaels follower. Sometimes I think her training methods are a little out there. I am not really into the whole yelling at my clients thing. BUT, A. let's be honest she gets the job done. She knows her stuff. and B. I do think that she has hit some VERY correct principles in her book. My mom and I have been talking about hormone balance for the past year or so, and my interest was definitely peaked when I saw that someone had written about it. I also love the fact that she is very much in line with another book I ADORE, called, "The Culprit and the Cure." If you haven't read it. Do it. It will change your eating habits in such a good way.

<---------------------------

Ok, back to hormones.
So, based on what I've been reading about how the foods we eat affect our bodies and the way we store fat, I am going to make some changes in my diet.
This is kind of a trial run here folks, right before your very eyes. Scary, huh? This could fail miserably, but if it works it could help immensely. Not just me, but you too.

Changes are as follows:
1. No more diet soda. (Wow. It hurts almost to type that.)
2. Only eating soy 1-2 times a week.
3. No artificial sweeteners.
4. No calorie counting. I can tell you right now this will be the hardest one for me, and I might slip up here every now and then. It's like mental math to me now. I do it without noticing.
5. No eating after 9:00.
6. Enjoy LOTS and LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. (I already do this, but I have to give myself one that I KNOW I'll be real good at, right?)

K. So here goes. I might not be perfect, but I want to see how these changes effect me. I know I didn't go into explanation as to why I'm making each of the changes I am, due to the lengthiness of this post already. If you'd like me too, let me know, I'd be more than happy to give some more explanation.

Pool time treats

Summer is here in full force.
With summer comes a lot of time spent at the pool, duh.

A day at the pool means hungry kiddies, and grown ups for that matter.
The seemingly easy solution? Heading straight to the snack Bar...which is full of fried foods, pizza, chips, sugary soft drinks, and candy. That could be bad news.
The good news? With a little preparation you could have an easy solution that is healthy too.
Pack a cooler.
Bring veggies and hummus.
Cut up some fruit.
Grab some cheese sticks and deli meat.
Bring healthy snacks that won't melt; granola bars, trail mix, nuts, whole wheat crackers, dried fruit, pretzels, 100 calorie packs, peanut butter sandwiches, raisins, or bags of cereal.

You'll be saving yourself lots of money and calories! A little preparation goes a long way.

Time for new tunes...don'tcha think?

I listen to my ipod everyday when I workout, and so the workout play list is constantly in need of updating. We can't be getting bored now can we?

Here are my most recent favorites:

In My Head - Jason Derulo
Eenie Meenie - Justin Bieber ft. Sean Kingston
Back in Your Head - Tegan & Sara
California Gurls - Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dog
My First Kiss - 3OH3! ft. Kesha
Lonely People - B.o.B.
Tightrope - Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi
Alejandro - Lady Gaga
Wavin' Flag - Knaan
Cooler than Me - Mike Posner
Evacuate the Dancefloor - Cascada
Stylo - Gorillaz
Shutterbug - Big Boi
Nothin' on You - B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars
Not Lost - B.o.B ft. T.I.
Telephone - Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce
Shark in the Water - V.V. Brown
Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo
La La La - Rachel Auburn & Iyaz

Hope you like em!