Pizza (Fig, Proscuitto, & Mozzarella)

I'm so pleased to see that my best friend's fitness journey is resonating with you!  I pinned her abs on Pinterest and it's fun to see people repinning:)  My fear was that someone might feel intimidated by her  extremely fit physique and then get discouraged, and I definitely do not want that to happen.  My goal is to ENCOURAGE and uplift you, while at the same time, sharing knowledge and insight into what we can do to really change our bodies, and our lives, for the better. Maggie said that she was encouraged too, and even more motivated to come up with some new recipes that I can share here.  

Today, I'm sharing a meal with you that, for some reason, I really like to eat occasionally on the weekend. This is a small pizza made with flat bread, a thin layer of fig jam, a couple slices of prosciutto, a bit of fresh mozzarella, and topped with arugula.  It's one of those "easy assembly" dishes that doesn't really require you to cook, just pop it in the oven.

In light of yesterday's post about how to eat super clean for optimum muscle building and leaning out, I would not eat this as a "clean meal" if that's your goal.  This is more like a meal that, hopefully, your whole family will like, uses fresh ingredients sparingly (be careful with prosciutto- it has a lot of sodium).  

Ingredients

Flat bread (you can buy 100% whole wheat)
Fig Jam
Prosciutto
Mozzarella
Arugula
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper (optional)
Lemon (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush flat bread with olive oil and bake for about 8 minutes on a baking sheet to get it crispy
• Top with a thin layer of fig jam, prosciutto, and mozzarella. 
• Bake until the cheese starts to melt, about 8 minutes.
• Then top with arugula
• Add salt and pepper/a squeeze of lemon/a drizzle of olive oil on top 

This recipe is adapted from a food segment on the Nate Show, but I couldn't find a link to it. 

Also, I'm working on incorporating a Recipe print option for future posts.

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I will be posting Maggie's workout soon (hopefully later this week).  I just need to get with her again to clarify a few things.  

Gaining and Maintaining Lean Muscle (My BFF)

My best friend for 16 years, Maggie, is really a fitness inspiration.  Her body is the envy of all of our friends and we are always asking her for fitness advice.  Over the weekend, I sat down with Maggie for a lengthy chat about her lifestyle, including her eating habits and workout routines, along with what vitamins and supplements she uses.  I think she has a lot to share about the "mystery" behind what it takes to get a super lean body.

Her physique and lifestyle may be more extreme than most people desire (she maintains about a 14% body fat and carries a cooler with her food to work everyday, eating it cold if she can't get to a microwave), but my goal is that you'll see how incorporating some of the things she does can make a positive impact on your health and/or help you lose weight and build muscle-  if that's what you want to do.

A little background before we start:  Maggie and I have been friends since our early 20s and even lived in an apartment together in college and also worked together (she was the bartender, I worked the beer tub, and our phone number really was 780-BEER:)  Like many girls in our twenties, we had too much fun, and over the years, we've grown up (I'm 37, she's 39) and have been through many of life's ups and downs together.   She remains my constant confidant and I'm thankful to have a friend with such a big heart.

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Although she has been fit most of her life, Maggie has always worked very hard to be that way.  After her daughter was born and she lost the baby weight, she found herself skinny, but lacked muscle tone and definition.

Four years ago, when her daughter was 3, Maggie started working out with a trainer 4 times a week, doing cardio on her own 2 additional days, and started a new eating regimen that she still follows pretty closely to this day.  She has maintained her weight and muscle, fluctuating maybe 5 pounds every so often.

I will also mention that Maggie keeps up this eating and training regimen despite being a full-time working, single mom.  Her gym has a daycare that encourages activity where her daughter can climb a rock wall, play soccer, or engage in other sports with other kids.  Mags says that she firmly believes that taking 1 to 1 1/2 hours out of their day for her to workout makes her a better, more patient mom.  And she shared that working out frequently really helps reduce her stress and anxiety levels that tend to plague her when she doesn't get those workouts in.

Because I got so much information during our "interview", I'm breaking this post into two parts.  Today, I'll focus on the eating and, later, we'll talk about the workouts.

When she began working out with a trainer, he tracked her progress, weighing her and measuring her body fat regularly.  p.s. Maggie is 5'4. (and isn't her daughter just adorable??!)

February 26, 2008:  107 pounds; 17.5% body fat

April 28, 2008:  104.5 pounds; 15% body fat

July 10, 2008:  108 pounds; 12% body fat

October 4, 2008:  110 pounds; 12% body fat

Notice that she actually gained weight as her muscle mass increased, but her body fat decreased significantly, about 5 percentage points.

When she was being extremely diligent and goal-driven, Maggie ate balanced "meals" (which typically included a protein (4-6 ounces, 1 cup steamed veggies, and 1/3 cup complex carbohydrate) every three hours.  So, basically, at 8am; 11am; 2pm; 5pm; and 8pm, she was eating "meals" as described below.  Many days, the same meals are eaten repeatedly.

Now, she alternates the "meals" with "snacks" in between.  So, instead of 5 meals, she eats 3 meals and 2 snacks.

Examples of meals:

• Protein pancakes
• Extra-lean ground turkey (1/2 to 1 cup) with pasta sauce, brown rice (1/3 cup), steamed veggies or black beans (1/3 cup)
• Grilled fish (tilapia, salmon, halibut) with salad
• Grilled chicken salad with veggies 
• Turkey burger (no bun) with veggies and a small sweet potato
• Omelets with spinach, extra lean ground turkey
• Meatloaf muffins with veggies and rice or sweet potato

Favorite proteins are fish, extra lean ground turkey, chicken, beans, quinoa, and egg whites.

Favorite veggies are fresh zucchini, squash, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and asparagus.

Favorite complex carbs are brown rice and sweet potatoes. 

Favorite seasonings are Tony Chachare's Salt Free seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

She recommends using condiments and salad dressings to enhance the flavor of your food, but use them sparingly.

Examples of snacks:

• Hummus and carrots
• Raw almonds
• Greek yogurt (she loves Chobani) with 1/3 cup granola (gluten free) or fruit
• Cheese squares
• Protein bar (in a pinch, she prefers real food)
• Fresh fruit
• Apples and raw almond butter

She drinks only water, no soda, and rarely coffee (although she IS the one who got me hooked on coffee when we lived together years ago).

8:00 a.m.   Protein shake

11:00 a.m.  Protein pancake

2:00 p.m.  Extra-lean ground turkey (1/2 cup) with pasta sauce, rice (1/3 cup), veggie (1 cup)

5:00 p.m.  (pre-workout) Meatloaf muffins, steamed veggies, and sweet potato

8:00 p.m.  (post-workout) protein shake

8:30 p.m.  Grilled fish, quinoa, steamed veggies

Before bed:  If she's hungry before bed, she eats yogurt (Activia) or 1/2 cup of skim milk.

Like me, Maggie's got a bad sweet tooth.  She says she can satisfy it with a Lenny & Larry's Muscle Brownie protein bar or a high protein chocolate chip cookie. But, once a week, she indulges in pizza or something else she's craving, and an awesome dessert.

Maggie typically cooks a big batch of food on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, then portions it out into meals she can  grab easily at home or take with her to work.

I asked Maggie what gave her the determination to stick with her meal plan initially, when it seems so extreme if you're not used to it.  She explained that she was highly motivated to get her body into the shape that she knew it could be in and did not want to "let herself go" after having a baby.  She knew from watching other people in her gym, as well as her trainer, that eating clean was the key to obtaining the body she wanted.  "The only person that can change you is you, and you have to just take control of your life and do it," she told me.

Maggie has friends and family members who are overweight, suffer from various health problems, and require medication.  Seeing how unhappy and unhealthy they are, helps drive her in the other direction.  She strives to live a healthy, drug free lifestyle.

Also, this girl HONESTLY enjoys the food she (and her daughter) are eating.  She loves grilled fish and steamed vegetables.  Trust me, I've been to some of the best steakhouses with her, and she still orders the mahi mahi!

Back in 2008, when Maggie started eating this way, she was quick to see visible results in just about 30 days. Within 90 days, she saw major results.  The pictures don't lie.  That is motivation enough to stick with it if you ask me.

Love you girl!  Thanks for sharing!

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I told Maggie that y'all may have comments or questions, so please, don't be shy!

Black Beans & Rice with Apple Salsa (via The Chronicles of Home)

You should have seen me last week, sitting at Starbuck's and reading emails/comments from readers after this blog just launched.  I was so happy to see that people were reading, but suddenly, I felt a little overwhelmed thinking, "Uh oh, what have I gotten myself into, trying to keep up with two blogs (researching, writing, photographing for Honey We're Healthy, and also doing home projects and photographing and writing them up for Honey We're Home), responding to reader emails and comments, taking care of my family, exercising 5 days a week, shopping and eating healthy, keeping the house clean and laundry done, interacting with friends, doing contract legal work (I was on a deadline), and searching for a permanent job all at the same time?"   

I'm usually pretty good about figuring out what's important and getting that done and not worrying about the rest, because it tends to work out and life has its seasons of reaping and sowing.  And GOD so knows what we need before we even do.

So, I should not have been surprised when, in the stack of Honey We're Healthy emails I was reading (when I should have been working), there was a very kind and eloquently written message from a blogger named Jennifer, asking if I would be interested in having her as a food contributor here.

Thank you Lord, You know just how to loosen the pressure and bring some relief!  

As soon as I visited Jennifer's blog, The Chronicles of Home, I was instantly smitten with her sweet nature, gorgeous home, and beautiful food photography that features healthy recipes. 

Jennifer might have been surprised at how EAGER I was to bring her on board!  We decided that she will contribute two food posts a month here and I'm so excited to be introducing her today.  Thank you Jennifer- you are just what I needed!  Please enjoy this recipe and check out her blog!  I hope you'll become a new follower. 

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I’m Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home, where I share home and furniture projects and the pursuit of good food.  I’m thrilled to be a food contributor on Honey We’re Healthy!  I’m a mom to two young daughters, two and four years old, and have made healthy eating a priority in our family.  It’s always been my hope that my daughters would develop a taste for good food from a young age and so far, so good.  All the recipes you see here on Honey We’re Healthy and on The Chronicles of Home are eaten by both the adults and the children in our house.  Eating healthy for me means lots of fruits and vegetables, good sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  I also want my meals to be delicious, so always strive to combine healthy eating with full flavor.  I hope you’ll be inspired to cook something tasty and be healthy tonight!

Black beans and rice is a staple Mexican side dish but this version is a far cry from the greasy beans and white rice you’ll find in most Mexican restaurants.  

Brown rice is swapped for the white and contributes a satisfying nutty flavor to the dish.  It can also help reduce bad cholesterol and is rich in manganese, which is essential for bone health.  

Black beans are little powerhouses with their high fiber, protein, and strong antioxidant properties.  Here they’re simmered with onions, vitamin-rich bell peppers, and a savory blend of spices.  

The addition of lean chicken breasts, roasted with heart-healthy canola oil and shredded, is what really makes this dish a meal.  Everything is finished off with a bright and simple apple salsa that elevates this typically “ordinary” side dish to culinary status.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 c. brown rice
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
2 tbsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 c. red onion, diced 

1 red pepper, large diced
1 yellow pepper, large diced

I green pepper, large diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
4 c. chicken broth, divided
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Gala apple, cored and diced
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. shallot, minced
1 tsp. lime juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400º.

Combine brown rice and 2 c. chicken broth in a medium saucepan.  Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Rub 1 tbsp. canola oil over chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly and shred with forks.

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of canola oil over medium high heat.  Add red onion and peppers and cook until softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, and cumin and stir for a minute or two.  Add remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the black beans and bring to a boil.  Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Season mixture with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine apple, parsley, shallot, and lime juice.  Stir together and season with salt and pepper.

Layer rice, beans, chicken, and apple salsa on plates and serve!

*Optional additions – if you like cilantro you can substitute 2 tbsp. of it for the parsley.  If you like a little heat, mince a jalapeno pepper and add it to the apple salsa.

Adapted from recipe here. 

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Thank you Jennifer!  Rice and beans is one of the only things my son likes, so I'll be making this for sure!

Are you particularly interested in certain types of recipes (breakfast, lunch, dinner, vegetarian, seasonal, healthy dessert)??  Let us know- we'll be reading the comments for ideas from you. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Chocolate Protein Brownies

I made these "brownies" over the weekend for the first time, and could not believe how good they are!  The consistency is actually more like a cake, but you don't have to feel guilty about eating this cake.  The recipe comes from Jamie Eason and I put in italics how I tweaked it.  I think the next time I bake them I'll leave out the sugar and see how that tastes. (*update, I left out the sugar completely and added a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips and it's even better!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Oat Flour (I ground oats finely in a food processor)
• 2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I used chocolate protein powder)
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Baking Cocoa 
• 4 Egg Whites
• ½ cup Splenda (I used 1/4 cup real sugar)
• 8oz Berry flavored Baby Food (I used 8oz applesauce)
• 4oz Water

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients (oat flour, vanilla whey protein, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.
• Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, Splenda, berry flavored baby food, water) together in a medium sized bowl.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
• Spray cooking dish (I used an 8x8 glass pan) with a non stick butter spray or olive oil spray and add batter to dish.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes (mine cooked for closer to 30 minutes)

Nutrition

2 Bars = Calories 96;  Fat 1.4 g; Carbs 12 g;  Protein 10 g

Jamie Eason Live Fit (Phase 2)

I explained yesterday that I am currently doing Jamie Eason's Live Fit 12-week program, and I'm on Week 5.  This phase of the plan focuses on building more muscle and adding in cardio at the end of your weight lifting workout so that you start to burn fat and lean out.  These workouts take me a little over one hour.  On Monday, I did the chest, abs, and cardio workout and can you believe, I left my little printout of what exercises I was supposed to do at home? Ug!  But that's how it goes sometimes and I did my best to remember what I was supposed to do.  Also, my wrist was bothering me, so I didn't do the pushups, exchanging it for another exercise.

My point is- your plans don't always workout, but you just have to adjust and move on!  

Phase 2 is explained below and I took much of the language straight from the program, since I think it's informative and straight forward.

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Training: Week 5 & 6

Moving into Phase Two, the focus continues to be building muscle, courtesy of a 6-day workout split. The repetitions in this phase fall between 8 and 10, with the exception of certain exercises, where really taxing the muscle requires more volume.

Work at 85% of your maximum effort, which means your last rep in each set should be a struggle but still doable. Don't sacrifice form for strength, and ask for a spot as you progressively lift heavier weight. Safety is key!

Lifting heavier means you'll need longer rest periods between sets. For some exercises, you'll feel ready to continue after one minute; other exercises might require two. Regardless, the rest period should be long enough to allow you to tackle each set with as much exertion as possible.

The one exception is when you encounter exercises grouped as a superset. This means performing an exercise set immediately after a different exercise set with nearly no rest taken between exercises (sets) -- only enough to position yourself for the second exercise.

While we're on the topic of definitions, you'll also need to know what "lifting to failure" means: On your last set of an exercise, instead of lifting to a set number (rep), continuing to lift until the muscle is fatigued and another full rep can't be performed.

Though lifting heavier will increase your heart rate, at this point in the program, we will begin to incorporate 4 days of medium-intensity cardio, done in 30-minute increments. Forgoing the cardio in the first phase allowed your body to use all of the "clean" calories it consumed for everyday activities and building muscle. By introducing medium-intensity cardio in Phase Two, we'll begin to facilitate fat burning, while minimizing the risk of losing any hard-earned muscle.

Training: Week 7 & 8

These are your last two weeks to achieve as much muscle gain as possible. So work it! These workouts are intense - you should use as much weight as you can safely muster. Instead of consisting of 3 sets, many of these exercises will increase to 4, albeit with fewer repetitions (e.g., 4 sets of 8 reps). As during the last few weeks, you'll be incorporating supersets and taking your sets to failure. With maximum exertion required, you might need to rest longer between sets. Two or three minutes should suffice for most of you.

Your workouts for these weeks might take longer to execute with the increased volume and rest time. If you feel like you need to, reduce the outlined 4 days of 30-minute-cardio sessions to just three. Once we move into the final and third stage, the workouts will shift from an emphasis on weight training to a greater emphasis on fat burning and cardio. 

You will still eat every 2-3 hours, focusing on healthy, non-processed food.  During Phase 2, you also reduce your carbohydrates, since the goal is to lean out. Jamie says, "The best way to taper down is to begin eating fewer carbs later in the day, or at least exchanging starchy carbs like potatoes and grains for vegetable carbs like broccoli."  

"Your total calorie intake during Phase 2 actually won't change a whole lot from Phase 1, even as we remove some of those starchy carbs from your diet. Your macronutrient mix will change a bit, as those carbs are replaced with a bit more protein. You're starting to add the cardio, which we didn't have before, so you're naturally going to be burning more calories. I don't want you changing things drastically. You still need to support your muscle, and that's going to be key going all the way to that last phase."

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Any of you on board with this?  Are you interested in these kinds of workouts? I'll wait to post about Phase 3 until I get there.

Tomorrow I've got a healthy version of chocolate brownies to share with you- YUMMY!

            

My Current Workout Routine (The Live Fit Program) Overview & Phase 1

I hope you had a great weekend and are ready for a productive week ahead.  I like Mondays because they are the start of a fresh week, a chance for a new beginning!  

Today, I want to answer your questions about my workout.  Right now, I work out 5 times a week (lifting weights and adding 20-30 minutes of cardio at the end).  I love how lifting weights sculpts and shapes the body.  I like a more muscular and lean look on my frame, but am not concerned about getting "too big" because I don't think that's possible with my workouts and the way I eat.  Also, I don't take any kind of body building steroid.

I'm lucky that my gym has a daycare where my son loves to play, so we can go as a family. I keep my headphones on the whole time and don't chat.

I am currently doing Jamie Eason's Live Fit 12-Week Trainer.  I came across it one night when looking for new workout routines and found it on Bodybuilding.com.  The program is free, you just have to register.  (I'm not a spokesperson or affiliate for the program).

If you are just starting a workout routine or have never worked out, I recommend you try it.  The program does require a gym, but gives you lots of information regarding food and specific workouts for each week, with links to a video on how to perform the exercises.  I think it's so helpful if you aren't familiar with the names of the exercises or how to perform them.  I still have to check sometimes too!

The program is broken into 3 Phases (12 Weeks).   I'll give you an overview of the program and an introduction into Phase 1 so you can see if it's something you might be interested in.  Later this week, I'll introduce Phases 2 and 3.

I just started Phase 2 and can already tell a big difference in the shape of my body.  I'm following the workouts exactly, and the food probably 80%.  My arms are getting leaner, which is something I could never quite achieve in the past.  Also, that unwanted post-pregnancy belly fat that I figured was just here to stay is actually diminishing!  I'll keep you posted with my progress as I continue.  I still have 8 weeks to go!  (The photo above will be my "BEFORE" and I'll post an "AFTER" in two months, when I finish the program).  

In Phase 1, you spend the first two weeks focusing on muscle endurance.  The goal is to prepare your muscles for a strength-training program that will also promote muscle growth. Not bodybuilder-quantity muscle, but leaned, toned muscle that'll give your body the "lines" you've always wanted. 

You also begin eating small, nutrition-packed meals every 2-3 hours.  Jamie says that, "Eating this way will supply your body with a steady flow of nutrients, boosting your metabolism too. Your body will begin to release its stored body fat as fuel. The net result will be sustainable weight loss!" 

There is a list of recommended foods on the website, too many to list here, but a sample day is included below:

Additional directives include:

*Eat your first meal within one hour of waking.

*Plan a food preparation day in advance.

*Measure and weigh food when possible.

*Eat every 3 hours (5-6 times a day, depending on when you wake up/go to bed).

*Drink lots of water.

Jamie recommends taking a daily multivitamin, and possibly an additional calcium supplement when weight lifting.  She also suggests one tablespoon of Flaxseed or Fish Oil daily (which aid in weight loss and encourages healthy bowel movements).   

The first two weeks, you lift weights 4 days a week (with specific exercises for each day).  You do 3 sets of 12 repetitions (3 X 12) per exercise, resting 60 seconds (give or take) in between each set.  

You should be lifting a weight that, on the last repetition, is heavy enough to be challenging, but not so difficult that you can't complete the set.  She says to lift at about 60% of your maximum ability in the first two weeks.  You don't want to get hurt, be TOO sore, or overtrain. 

You don't do any cardio for the first month. 

Here is an example workout for the 1st day (Chest & Triceps).  It also comes with a printable (see below for a portion of it), that I take to the gym with me so I don't have to memorize the workout.  When you're in the program on the Bodybuilding.com website, you can click on the name of the exercise to see a video of how it's supposed to be performed.  I watch them because I'm not familiar with all of the exercises or I might just need a refresher regarding proper form.

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Week 3 starts the muscle building phase, which lasts 6 weeks. The schedule looks like below and continues with 3 sets of 10 repetitions (3 X 10) per exercise, resting 60 seconds (give or take) in between each set.

You'll be lifting a weight that's about 80% of your maximum ability now, also accounting for the fact that you might be stronger, able to lift a little heavier now.  Still, you should be lifting a weight that, on the last repetition, is heavy enough to be challenging, but not so difficult that you can't complete the set. 

Assuming you followed the food schedule and did the workouts for 4 weeks, your body should already be showing some results!  That's awesome!  In just 4 weeks, you will be on your way to transforming your body!  

This is a lot of information to take in, but you can do it.  Once you get into the routine of it, it's not so overwhelming.  You just have to start.  

Any of you familiar with the program?  What do you think?

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