Portable Protein!

Pro-D day for the kids today, but mom still had to work ;) I was home from training my 1st client at 6:30am, and since the kids didn't have to be up for school, I had a few quiet hours to myself! I thought I would bake! As it turns out, this recipe is a 'no-bake', so even easier! One of the most common complaints from my clients is that they don't get enough protein into their diets on a daily basis. Here is a convenient and easy way to have protein on the go!

Apple Oatmeal Chocolate Protein Bars

Recipe adapted from Oxygen Magazine July 2011

In a bowl combine:

2 cups of rolled oats

1/2 cup natural nut-butter

1 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp ground flax seed (I used a mix of hemp and chia seeds instead)

4 scoops chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Press dough into a lined 8x8 square baking dish and refrigerate until firm. 

Remove and cut into 8 bars. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze to keep fresh! Now you have, "Portable Protein" that packs about 20 grams per bar!

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Mocha Almond Fudge!

To be honest, my favourite ice cream in the world is Mocha Almond Fudge. Yum. It has everything you need in an ice cream: coffee, chocolate, crunch. However, one little cone packs a punch of 300+ calories and little to no protein. So, I've conjured up a healthy version of my favourite! This is a great mid afternoon snack, or post workout drink.

Recipe:

Blend together the following:

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp almond butter

8 almonds 

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup water

4 ice cubes

1/4 tsp or to taste of instant coffee granules

(I also added in 1/2 a frozen banana, to get that ice cream texture I was looking for).

That's it! Blend it, pack it, drink it.

Uh-may-zing!

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Tracy Steen
Certified Personal Trainer
MA Counselling/Psychology

1/2 Corked Marathon 2012!!

How excited are WE to have gotten into this 1/2 marathon race, that apparently sold out in 3 minutes!!?? Wow! Now, I should clarify the word "race"....I've been told that its not so much a race as it is simply running along a 17-19km route, while popping into 12 wineries, sampling exquisite food and wine. Hmmm, my kind of marathon! 

Themed costumes are encouraged, and just in case anyone goes overboard on the tasting, there is a broom wagon following behind for pick up! I will definitely be taking footage of our experience and featuring this as a fabulous fitness find in the Okanagan!

One of the main reasons that I am excited? I get to run and hang and sip wine with my friends! Having and finding friends that you can exercise with, can be one of the best motivators around. When we make fitness plans with our friends, we have a whole new accountability! When you've planned to roll out of bed at 5:00am to meet your friend at the gym or out for a run, part of the reason that you will go, even when your body is telling you to SLEEP, is that you don't want to let your friend down. She's there for you, you're there for her! I am lucky to have many fitness friends and family, and I am grateful for them all. 

If you don't have people like that in your life, don't hesitate to join a gym, a running club, a local exhibition team, or a dragon boat team and find people to connect with. Take the initiative and get out there. Kelowna is an active community and has so much to offer! Then, maybe next year you will also be running this 1/2 marathon down in Osoyoos and be half corked right along side me!

Clean Eating Flour-less Chocolate Brownie!

With VALENTINE'S Day just around the corner, what better way to surprise your sweetheart, than with these clean eating chocolate brownies! All the taste without the guilt!

I'm always looking for ways to satisfy my sweet tooth, and the dark chocolate in here, mixed with the cocoa powder definitely does that! Next time I may even try adding Lindt's Chili Chocolate to spice it up a bit!

The recipe is listed below the video! Be sure to try this delectable treat!

Be sure to check out the rest of our videos and visit me at ww.insofit.com

Curry Chicken and Veg - From the Freezer to the Crockpot

What a wonderful idea for the busy cook! This crock pot dish is easily prepared and stored in the freezer until you need it. The recipe can certainly be modified to suit your families needs, but here's what I did: 

RECIPE:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 zucchini, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 small yam, chopped

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin 

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 package of low sodium chicken boulion

1 chopped mango (or 2 tbsp mango chutney)

salt and pepper

Bring out of freezer and let sit 1/2 hour before putting in crockpot. Place in crockpot, add 1 cup water. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 3 hours. 

"Rock Me ALMONDaeus Smoothie!"

Rock Me ALMONDAEUS!!

Remember to combine a protein, a carb, and a healthy fat!

In a blender or bullet, combine 1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or water or skim milk), 1 tsp Almond Butter (or other nut butter), 1/2 banana, 1 scoop vanilla whey powder, large handful of spinach, and 1 tsp mixed Chia Seeds/Hemp Hearts, 3 ice cubes.

Blend until smooth!

Nice and green!! I also added a dash of coconut extract to make it taste like the tropics!

So gooood! So good for you too!

100 Fabulous Fitness Finds! SLEDDING!!

Tis the season!! Well, we didn't have a lot of snow in December to participate in this lovely outdoor activity, but the end of January was dumping on us! What a great opportunity to grab the sleds, get your friends together, and get some fresh air.  

Last weekend we headed out to our school's backyard (Chute Lake Elementary in Kettle Valley), and had a blast! Even if you're not keen on sledding yourself, you can get a great workout in while you're there.  

Offer to carry those little snow angels up the hill, race the kids up and down, or get on your hands and knees and build a snowman! Whatever you do, have fun and remember to get outside this season!

Super Bowl Yam Chips!

Party weekend coming up, don't be left with nothing healthy to snack on!  These are a great make ahead option, that will be sure to satisfy your desire for Doritos, but with half the calories and fat!!

Wash and peel one long yam and with a very sharp knife, slice as thinly as possible.

Melt 1 tsp of coconut oil, and toss with sea salt and sliced yams in a large bowl until coated.

(more oil will make them crispier, but also increase the fat content)

Bake in a 325 degree oven, for approximately 30 minutes. Flip half way through.

Dip these in hummus, guacamole or antipasto for a healthy alternative!

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