Tag Archives: healthy

Sauteed Burgers and Vegetables

by in Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vege Burgers 2

I made this meal as my post-workout meal and I honestly can’t get enough of it. It’s packed with protein, good fats, and it’s filling… Just what I like for a good post workout meal!

All you need is:
2 Burger Patties (I did Vege Burgers)
2 cups of Raw Spinach
1 cup of Baby Portabella Mushrooms
1/2 cup of Chopped Onions
1 Egg
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1. Lightly grease a pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
2. Place the two burger patties in the pan and sautee until ready. (I used Vege burgers which take 6-8 minutes to cook in a pan. Other burger patties have different cooking times. Make sure to check the recommended cooking time for the patties you are using)
3. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat
4. Add the 1 cup of baby portabella mushrooms and a 1/2 cup of chopped onions to the pan.
5. Sautee the vegetables until they start to get a golden brown color. (5-7 minutes)
6. Remove the sauteed vegetables onto a plate that is covered with a paper towel (This will help soak up extra unneccessary oil).
Vege Burgers 1
7. Gently wash and wet the 2 cups of raw spinach
8. Once the burger patties are done, remove the patties from the pan and put them on a plate. Put the damp spinach in this now empty pan that the burgers were once in.
9. Cook the spinach until its begins to turn dark green and shrink. (If the pan is hot, this should only take 30 seconds-1 minute)
10. Place the cooked spinach on top of the burgers, and add the sauteed vegetables on top of that.
11. In a pan, grease and fry 1 egg.
12. Add the egg on top of the vegetables and enjoy!

If you use vege burgers like I did, this meal comes to about 35g of protein and 22g of carbs. If you decide to use meat burger patties instead of vege burger patties, it will raise the protein by about 6g per patty, your carb intake will lower about 7g per patty, and your fat intake will rise depending on the cut and fat percentage of the meat! Meat patties are perfect for those who may be on a low carb diet because the entire meal will then contain less than 8g of net carbs.

Like this recipe? Have any recipe ideas of your own? Any questions or comments? Email me at corestrengthblog.wordpress.com!

A Better Way To Eat Almonds

by in Diet Tips, Food Review and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Did you Know…

You can get more out of your almonds by soaking them in water.

Almonds are one of my go to foods to snack on because they are high in protein, fatty acids, omega-3 and fiber. Almonds are also considered a Superfood because of the high levels of Vitamin E, Antioxidants, and they help curve your hunger. After doing some research I found out that soaking almonds actually helps you absorb more of the nutrients the almonds have to offer, but how?

Almonds2

The brown skin on an almond protects it until the correct levels of sunlight and moisture allow it to germinate. Because of this, eating an almond without allowing it to get proper moisture makes it harder to digest. When the almond is soaked; however, the outer brown skin is penetrated and the almond releases enzymes. When eating an almond that has been allowed to take in such moisture, you are able to digest the almond more efficiently and absorb the healthy nutrients the almond has to offer.

How to soak an Almond:
This is very easy. It is recommended to put the almonds in a bowl of purified water. Cover the almonds with 2 cups of water per 1/2 cup of almonds. Soak the almonds in the bowl overnight (10-12 hours). After the 10-12 hours, drain the almonds and eat or store them. You can store the almonds in the refrigerator for about one week. The almonds are soft, sweet, and they taste great!

Apparently, if you would like to sprout your almonds, simply soak you almonds overnight and place them in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator. After a few days, the almonds should begin to sprout (about 1/8-inch sprout should show). A sprouted almond can be more beneficial than a soaked almond because they are easier to digest and they also release lipase (an enzyme that helps digest fat). I have not tried this, but would like to very soon. If you have, please let me know what you think!

Do you like this post? Do you have any other ideas for posts? If you have any questions or comments please email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com!

Men Need Zinc!

by in Diet Tips and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

fit man

I was confused at first as to why men needed higher amounts of zinc than women. I honestly didn’t even really know what Zinc did for your body. Here is what I found:

HOW MUCH DO WE NEED:
The recommended amount of Zinc for the average male is 11mg per day and the recommended amount of Zinc for the average non-pregnant or breast-feeding female is 8mg per day. Males need more Zinc than females not only because they generally have larger bodies, but a sexual active male also looses zinc through ejaculations.

WHY DO WE NEED IT:
Again, I knew that Zinc was important, but I had no idea why we needed it. After researching I realized that Zinc is actually quite crucial for your health and well-being! Zinc is found in almost every cell in your body. It helps activate the enzymes that improve your metabolism, fight off infection, improve the strength and complexion of your skin, and play an important part in reproduction. If you do not have enough Zinc in your diet, you may experience fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, and many other unfortunate symptoms.

steak

WHERE CAN WE GET IT:
As I said in an earlier post, most nutritionists suggest getting your nutrients from food rather than supplements. Zinc can be found in many foods such as oysters, red meats, fortified cereals, peanuts, some seeds, dark chocolate, and many other foods. If you believe you are not getting enough Zinc in your diet, consider taking a zinc supplement to try and reach the 11mg per day.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH:
Be careful!!! Zinc is one of those nutrients that you can overdose on! It is suggested to have no more than 40mg of Zinc a day. If you end up going over the 40mg recommendation, many side effects can occur. Some side effects include headache, dizziness, and loss of muscle coordination, nausea, loss of appetite. Too much Zinc also can lead to anemia because zinc interferes with the absorption of iron and copper.

Do you think you are getting enough Zinc in your diet? Do you take a Multivitamin or Zinc Supplement? Do you have any other questions for me? Contact me at Corestrengthalec@gmail.com!

Vitamins for Women

by in Diet Tips and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Healthy Woman
Sorry guys, this post is specifically for the women who read my blog. The next one will be for you.

Obviously men and women are physically different and have different needs, especially when it comes to the amount of vitamins and nutrients they require. Because men, in general, have larger bodies they usually need more of certain nutrients than women. This got me questioning, which nutrients do nutritionist believe are the most vital for women to have?

After doing some research, it appeared that nutritionists almost always recommended getting your nutrition from foods rather than supplements; however, they do highly recommend certain supplements for people who may not be getting all of their proper nutrients through their diets. For non-pregnant women, there seems to be two nutrients that nutritionists frequently suggest supplementing into a diet if you are not getting enough with the food you are eating.

IRON:
Women who experience menstrual bleeding frequently do not have enough iron in their diets, especially those of which who are dieting and consume less than 2,000 calories a day. Because of this, Anemia is fairly common in women. Anemia is a condition that occurs when there is not enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin in your blood. Due to the blood loss during a woman’s menstrual cycle and the lack of iron in a woman’s diet, a woman with iron-deficient anemia does not have enough iron to produce enough hemoglobin to transport oxygen to the body’s organs. This will cause fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and multiple other symptoms. You can get Iron from red meat, eggs, fortified cereals and numerous other sources; however if your diet does not allow for the recommended amount of iron (18mg a day) a supplement may be the answer.

Milk and bones

CALCIUM:
Women are more prone to a condition called osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones which can cause a lot of pain and weak, easy-to-break bones in later years of life. Calcium is highly recommended for women to help prevent this issue. It is recommended that a woman should have 1000mg of calcium a day. To get this amount a woman would have to drink four 8-ounce glasses of nonfat skim milk a day. Of course someone can get his/her calcium in many other foods such as dairy products, spinach, and even fish; however, to have the recommended amount of calcium every day is not easy.

Did you like today’s topic? Do you currently take any supplements? Do you have any other questions or concerns? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Book Review: Food Rules – An Eater’s Manual

by in Diet Tips, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Michael Pollan Food Rules

Because I am considering going into the health and fitness field as my career, and because this blog is getting a lot of views, I thought I should try to start really researching more into Health and Nutrition. A friend of mine on the tour recently lent me this book called Food Rules – An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan. Featured at #1 on the New York Times BestSeller list, this book shares basic rules and guidelines for making better choices while eating.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to improve his/her diet. Now I will be completely honest, I am NOT a reader. I have the hardest time focusing while reading, but with this book, it was so easy to get through (Besides, it is only 139 pages, some of which only have a few sentences on the them). Even though this book may be short, it provides 64 general rules that help you make better food choices and help improve your eating habits.

I don’t want to give too much away in my review because I want you to go buy this book and read it yourself, but from what I took away, Michael Pollan suggests many beliefs of those who may follow a Paleo diet (The same diet Tony Grecco, my last Feature Friday Inspirtation, tries to follow). While reading, he frequently points out his golden rule to eating: Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants. It sounds very easy, but he goes into much further detail on what this saying actually means, and how to follow this eating habit. Now from the saying, you may be thinking, “Oh, he is suggesting that I become a Vegetarian or a Vegan,” but fortunately he is not saying that at all! I love the fact that he is pro-omnivore! He tells you to eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. The rules are not aimed toward changing what foods you eat necessarily, but rather toward opening up your mind and observing what you eat. When you observe what you eat, when you are more knowledgable of how the food gets from the farm to your table, and when you are aware of how you are actually consuming your food, that is when you may actually question and consider changing your eating habits.

Heart Healthy

For the three sections of his golden rule, Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants, Michael Pollan gives a set of guidelines in order to help you follow these three steps. He knows that following every rule and guideline he suggests can be hard and a huge change from what you are used to, so he openly suggests picking at least one rule from each section and practicing those in your daily life. For example, the rules I would like to try to follow are:

    Eat Food – It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car AND Avoid foods that have some sort of sugar listed among the top three ingredients
    Mostly Plants – Drink the Spinach Water
    Not too much – The banquet is the first bite

I am not going to explain exactly what these rules mean and how to follow them since I want you to go get the book, but just by reading about how these rules work, and applying them to my diet, I hope to start eating healthier and smarter. I recommend you find which rules you are willing to try out. Some may sound farfetched or too hard to do, but I can guarantee you that you will be able to find some rules that you would like to try. He makes some excellent points and backs up most of his guidelines with reasonings that should hopefully help you better understand the importance and benefit of each rule.

Now go out there and purchase Food Rules – An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan if you would like to start changing some of your eating habits! If you have any questions about this book or my review, please feel free to email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.

Forming Healthy Diet Habits and My Diet Challenge

by in Diet Tips and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Alec Gym Post 2
As I have said in previous posts, diets SUCK! I still wish I could eat whatever I wanted and still be as healthy and fit as possible, but unfortunately that is not how the world works. I have learned through experience; however, that diets can also be a lot better than you think… It really comes down to how your prepare yourself for your diet.

How many of you have tried starting a diet, and then eventually given up? I will admit that I have… numerous times. I have talked to countless people who have started crash diets and put in a ton of effort to eat well and exercise regularly, but most of these people end up reverting back to their old ways. My big question is WHY? We know we want to look and feel better; we are willing to put in the effort; we are even able to stay on a pretty strict diet for some time. Why then do so many people end up reverting back to their old eating habits?

I got to thinking, and although this is totally based on my personal experience, views and observations, I ask you to just be open minded and dare you to try what I am about to suggest. I believe people don’t succeed on crash diets, because although they want to lead a healthy lifestyle, they jumped right into a diet with little to no preparation. Your body and mind sometimes need to warm-up to an idea in order to really make it work and become a habit. For example, if you had never been swimming before, why would you jump into the deep end of the pool and hope for the best? Surely, many people would come close to drowning. This is the same for diets. If you are so used to eating one way, and all of a sudden change everything you are doing, your body and mind are honestly not ready for the change, leaving you with uncontrollable cravings and needs.
Think about the last diet and exercise plan you tried. Is this what happened to you?

Right now, after about 2 years of constantly working on improving my diet and exercise routine, I can say that I have formed some strong views and habits that have helped shape a healthier lifestyle. Before I started really working on creating this lifestyle, I would go to the gym, maybe twice a week, if that, and I would honestly eat anything I wanted (I would eat fast food and unhealthy foods at restaurants all the time). Now, if I don’t work out for more than 2 days, my body literally feels sluggish and almost sickly and although I hardly ever even want to go near a fast food place anymore, if I even attempt to eat fast food, my stomach almost immediately rejects it. How have I been able to create such habits while I see other people stopping in my local Wendy’s every day?

Donuts

After doing some research of how to form habits, I tried to determine on how long it actually takes to create a lasting habit such as eating healthy. Although some researchers say 21 days is all you need, most psychologists cannot actually put a number on how long it takes. They all seem to agree that different habits obviously take different amounts of time to form. From what I read, I concluded that the smaller the change from someone’s current lifestyle, the less time it takes to actually become a habit that the person will eventually not have to intentionally think about doing. A small change in someone’s lifestyle, such as drinking one more glass of water a day, can take two-three weeks to become a habit. A much larger change in someone’s life, such as going to the gym five days a week, can take hundreds of days to actually become a habit.

After realizing this, I remembered the first diet I ever tried that actually worked for me, that I still unintentionally follow today. It worked because it was a small change from what I was already doing, which made it easy for my body to adapt and form a long lasting habit. I made this little diet up myself in my head one day, but it has helped train my mind and my body to really create healthier eating habits and also prepare me for future diets I was going to try.

HERE IS MY DIET CHALLENGE (aka the first diet that worked for me):
Pick one food that you eat regularly (at least twice a month), that you know is bad for you, that you could live without. Some examples of foods would be french fries, pizza, ice cream, bacon, cake, etc. For me, it was doughnuts. Now totally delete this one food from your diet. I am only asking you to pick ONE food. Whenever you are tempted to eat this food now, just simply say no, or replace it with something much healthier. That’s it! I know it sounds so stupid and easy, but trust me, it will help you in the long run with making healthier choices and help you adapt to other diets in the future. To put it into perspective, I used to eat about 2 Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts a week . I liked eating them, obviously, but I realized I ate them usually out of convenience rather than out of a craving I was having or out of a need. Without eating these 2 doughnuts each week, I saved myself 540 calories and 30g of fat (14g of saturated fat) per week… that’s 28,080 calories and 1,560g of fat (728g of saturated fat) a year. To burn that off, I would have to run for about 35 hours… and I hate running :(. From this diet, I have not had one doughnut for over four years, and now I honestly have no cravings or wants to even try a doughnut again. Right now I am attempting this diet with waffles, and so far, I have gone almost three weeks without eating one waffle, which has saved me bad calories, fat, and a lot of carbs.

So now, I challenge you to try this easy diet out. It is easy! All I am asking you to do is pick one food that you can live without. If you can make it through one month without having this food in your diet, you should be able to start forming healthier habits. NO CHEATING!!!

What are your thoughts on this post? Are you going to try my challenge? Let me know by emailing me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com