Hey Guys! Happy New Year! Who’s ready to kick off 2017 with a fresh and healthy start?! I know I am! Since I am an advocate of active, fit and healthy lifestyles. I wanted to share with you what and the American Heart Association and SUBWAY® are up to! They have created an on-going initiative that will encourage you to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and better understand the critical health benefits this change can mean. Did you know that people who eat more fruit and vegetables in their diet are more likely to have a reduced risk of chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body and you should never skip out on vegetables with your meals.
The initiative originally started in 2016. SUBWAY restaurants and the American Heart Association (AHA) teamed up to launch +color. This idea was formed to encourage Americans to add more fruits and vegetables to their diets. Did you know that most people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diet?!?! It’s shocking. I always make sure to have vegetables with every single one of my meals. The prettier and more colorful your plate is the healthier it is for you!
So, that’s why in partnership with SUBWAY, the American Heart Association (AHA) launched the initiative called +color, focusing on the positive health impact of fruits and vegetables. The health impact of +color may be simple yet significant: It is estimated that if Americans ate the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables every day, approximately 39,900 deaths would be prevented from cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes and $7.6 billion in medical costs could be saved annually. As soon as you read those shocking statistics that should be a nice wake up call. So what not make it a goal to eat more vegetables in 2017! After all it’s a new year so it should be a new you right?
Did you know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has also been shown to reduce risk of stroke, certain types of cancer and risk of death from all causes? That’s why the AHA and SUBWAY restaurants are inviting Americans to join in this transformative effort by encouraging everyone to start today. SUBWAY makes it easy for people to add that extra cup of color, even when they’re on the go. You can choose from millions of our handcrafted sandwich combinations to create your own custom sandwich or salad, which can offer up at least two extra servings of vegetables to your diet. Just by adding an extra cup of color to your diet everyday can help improve the health of all Americans.
I went to SUBWAY myself this week and grabbed a chicken salad! It only took a second once I walked in for me to see all of the fresh ingredients. I quickly decide that I wanted a hearty salad with lots of veggies. It’s so easy to pick out your vegetables from the visible line up that SUBWAY has! Look how beautiful and colorful my salad was! It was totally packed with nutrients and such an easy way to stay healthy while on the go.
SUBWAY offers 10 varieties of vegetables. This includes cucumbers, spinach, tomato’s, green peppers and hot peppers which you can see on my salad. Spinach is one of my favorite green vegetables. There are many health benefits of spinach. It is low in fat and cholesterol, it is high in niacin, zinc, protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. So what’s not to love?!?! I made sure to add extra spinach. But you don’t have to get a salad in order to increase your vegetable intake. Subway has millions of handcrafted sandwich combinations to create your own custom sandwich too!
I really encourage you to visit your local SUBWAY and make your subs colorful each time you go! Don’t be afraid to post your images across your social network to raise awareness about +color. Tag @SUBWAY / @OfficialSubway and @American_Heart and make sure to use the #addcolor hashtag!
For more information about SUBWAY and the AHA:
Brand Details:
About SUBWAY® restaurants
Guests in 112 countries have easy access to a fresh line-up of vegetables for their made-to-order sandwiches and salads at any of the more than 44,000 franchised locations. The company, founded 50 years-ago by then 17-year-old Fred DeLuca and family-friend Dr. Peter Buck, is still a family-owned business with thousands of dedicated franchisees/entrepreneurs in neighborhoods around the world, providing easy access to vegetables, detailed nutrition, dietary, and healthy lifestyle information. This has been a priority for the SUBWAY® restaurant chain for many years. To learn more, visit www.subway.com. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Subway IP Inc.
About the American Heart Association:
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke
SUBWAY Channels:
http://www.subway.com/en-us
http://www.facebook.com/subway
https://twitter.com/subway
https://www.instagram.com/subway/
@OfficialSUBWAY on Snapchat
AHA Channels:
http://www.heart.org
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHeart/
https://twitter.com/american_heart?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/american_heart/
300 Best Blender Recipes Using Your Vitamix - Book Review
For those of you who are blessed enough to own a vitamin you know that you can do so much more than make smoothies. Even picky eaters can learn to consume healthy foods when they are blended. Making your own gives you control over what goes into your body!
Vitamix is one of if not the most versatile mixer/blender that exists right now. Its powerful, fast and is incredibly easy to use. You can make smoothies, bread, pancakes or even muffins with flour!
The author Robin Abel has created an extensive collection of innovative recipes that will help you get the most out of your vitamix. There are tons of healthy recipes for delicious dishes from breakfasts to sauces, dips, spreads, nut butters, dressings, ice creams, milkshakes, cocktails, spice blends, dips, baby foods and even desserts. The bet part? There is even a bonus chapter on skin treatments, scrubs, masks and lotions.
Robin the author also includes useful information about your appliance, from the differences a month the different series to tips and techniques that demonstrate how you can turn your vitamix into an invaluable workhorse in your home kitchen.
So far I have only had the chance to try a few of the recipes because I am about to start prep again from provincials. I also don't have a vitamix so I had to use the ninja that I have. So obviously I didn't get the full effect. However I loved the mixed berry probiotic blast on page 228. Probiotics are very important for health and your digestive tract (if you didn't know).
You can purchase your copy here:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/300-best-blender-recipes-using/9780778805588-item.html
175 Best Superfood Blender Recipes - Using Your NutriBullet - Book Review
I just received this book this month! I absolutely love using my blender for shakes and my protein ice cream (if you follow me on snapchat: trainitright you know my late night obsession with protein ice cream). Anywayyyyyyy...
These recipes are fast and convenient. They are single servings which means they are great on the go for someone with a busy lifestyle. They are also great from children. From a nutritional point of view, smoothies are a super easy way to pack a lot of nutrients into a relatively small serving size. The only thing with the recipes in this book is that it is written specifically to use for a nutribullet. If you don't have one (like me) and you just have a regular blender they work ok but are slightly smaller than what your blender is usually made to hold.
If you happen to be a lucky person and have a nutribullet then you are all set to go! This ingenious book covers the principles of healthy eating, nutrition and superfoods. There are 175 easy to prepare recipes, smoothies, dressings, dups, soups, sauces and desserts!
All of the recipes in this book by Marilyn Haugen & Doug Cook are made from wholesome foods and are an effective way to increase the overall nutrient density in your diet. Ive tried a few since my diet is a bit more flexible right now and you definitely wont be disappointed.
Tis the season of Pumpkin still. So I tried out the Pumped-Up Fall Harvest Pumpkin Breakfast Bowl on page 88! And it was delicious! If you get the book and give it a try let me know!
You can pick up a copy here: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/175-best-superfood-blender-recipes/9780778805595-item.html
Five Ways To Keep Your New Year's Resolution of Losing Weight In 2017
Dr. Elaina George is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist and Author of the new book "Big Medicine: The Cost Of Corporate Control And How Doctors And Patients Working Together Can Rebuild A Better System"
Dr. George's tips are:
1. Start exercising
An increase in activity of as little as 20 minutes 3 times a week can make a difference in your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. You don't have to get fancy with a gym membership. Try taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator, or park further from the entrance when you go to the market or mall.
2. Eat Smaller portions
You may not want to give up your junk food or fried food, but try to limit your portions. Instead of buying a six pack of soda, buy a two liter bottle. You can better control the portions along with your intake of calories.
3. Drink more water
The average person should be drinking 1 ounce per kilogram of his/her weight in water per day. (1 lb = 2.2kg). Studies have shown that people eat more when they are dehydrated because the signals in the body can confuse hunger with thirst. If you are hungry, try drinking an 8-12 oz glass of water before you decide to eat that snack.
4. Avoid salt
The average American diet consists too much salt. Salt is found in everything from canned foods to frozen foods. Not only does salt make your body retain water, it also dulls your sense of taste when it comes to sugar. As a challenge, decrease the amount of salt you eat for about 1 week, then drink a non-diet soft drink. Not only will you lose about 3- 5 lbs of water weight, but you will see that the soda is incredibly sweet. In addition, try to use sea salt.
5. Avoid high fructose corn syrup
Studies have shown that most products in this country are made with high fructose corn syrup that is contaminated with mercury (a known neurotoxin). Instead try to choose foods made with cane sugar. When you drink soft drinks that are made with sugar you will be less likely to crave salt and be able to stop with one soda because there is no 'sugar high' that leads to the craving that makes you want to have more.
About Dr. Elaina George
Atlanta, GA Based - Dr Elaina George is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Biology. She received her Masters degree in Medical Microbiology from Long Island University, and received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Dr George completed her residency at Manhattan, Eye Ear & Throat Hospital. She is on the advisory council of Project 21 black leadership network, an initiative of The National Center for Public Policy Research. Dr George hosts her own radio show, "Medicine On Call" and she is also a keynote speaker many organizations. As a solo practitioner in private practice who is also a small business owner, she has a unique perspective on the problems of health care delivery, the true costs of healthcare and viable solutions.
200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes by Alison Lewis - Book Review
If you are like me and you hate drinking your calories a smoothie bowl sounds like a much better option. You literally can make anything into a smoothie bowl. Author Alison Lewis is also an internationally published author of two cookbooks, a professional recipe developer, nutritionist, and the owner of Ingredients Inc., a food and travel media company based in Birmingham, Alabama. So when it comes to food she definitely knows her stuff.
From reviewing thats amazing book I have learned how simple it is to prepare a smoothie bowl. I incorporate a lot of her recipes into my client programs when they get sick of shakes or for a great late night snack. They can be very satisfying and satiating. This book was originally published back in April but because of my prep I was unable to make use of it until now!
The book has easy to make recipes that don't involve a lot of complicated ingredients, and it even includes kid friendly recipes. She also gives you topping alternatives and options. You can get as creative as you want on top of the base. There are yummy dessert recipes, any time of the day recipes and even smoothie bowls with coffee and tea as the base. And if you follow my social media you will know that I love both my coffee and my tea! So you know those are some of my favourite recipes. Another one of my favourite recipes that she includes is what she calls the Peanut Butter Cup. It's on page 99 in the kid-friendly smoothie bowls. Be careful it is addictive!
Overall I give this book an 8/10. There are some really great healthy ideas for smoothie bowls. I wish that there was calorie counts and macros for those of us who do competition prep or track macros. And there are a lot of great recipes but no pictures to go with the recipes and I love a book that shows me beautiful photography along with the great recipe! I would suggest getting this book and adding it to your collection for fun meal prep ideas! Especially if you have kids!
To purchase the book from amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/200-Best-Smoothie-Bowl-Recipes/dp/0778805336
150 Best Recipes For Cooking In Foil - Book Review
Foil packet meals = cooking at its simple best
I couldn't agree more with the above statement. As you guys know I am a fitness competitor and prepping meals is a huge part of my nutrition when I am on prep. It can be very time consuming. That means I am always looking for quick and simple recipes to get my food ready so I have more time for training. I also want them to taste good. I don't limit my sodium on prep so I flavour everything! And foil packets are so much fun, easy, and help create amazing flavours with your ingredients. They can also be prepared for oven, bbq or even camping!
This book: 150 Best Recipes For Cooking In Foil by Marilyn Haugen has quickly become one of my favourites for preparing meals! The delicious grilling and one recipes offer convenience with minimal cleanup. I hate cleaning so this is tremendously helpful for me. Its also great for the busy person who doesn't have a lot of time. Many of the dishes I ate ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze for reheat later.
I also like that the ingredients that she uses for her recipes are easy to find every day ingredients. You just chop, mix and you are ready to go. I make mine in the oven but you aren't just limited to the oven with these recipes which is particularly useful no matter what your cooking situation is.
I give this book an 8/10 simply because it is in black and white and not every recipe has a photo. However every recipe that I have tried has been amazing! So grateful to have been sent this book!
If you're looking for your own copy check out: https://www.amazon.ca/Foil-Packet-Cooking-Recipes-Grilling-ebook/dp/B01GZB1YDY
150 Best Meals In A Jar - Tanya Linton - Book Review
I love mason jars! I have always said that "everything tastes better in a mason jar." And it does! Thats why I was excited to receive this book 150 Best Meals In A Jar. Once you start using mason jars you will see just how easy it is to do meal prep, eat on the go. You can even be as innovative as you want with the recipes. There really are no limits.
The book has a wide variety of delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It includes soups, snacks, fruit and vegetable salads, grain and legume salads, pastas, rice bowls, over night oats and even desserts.
My favourites are the over night oats. I always love including that into my own plans as well as my clients. One of my top fav recipes is the chocolate protein smoothie that is on pg 19.
The recipes are easy to follow, have great ingredients that are easily available and most often times you already have in your panty. Tanya Linton also provides great variations of the recipes so you aren't limited to exactly what she has in the originally recipe.
Overall I give this book an 8/10. There arent pictures of each recipe but there are just so many amazing options and variations its a go to book for meal prep. If you are into health and fitness and want amazing healthy recipes this is a go to!
To purchase your own copy head on over to:
Hey Guys! Do you have picky eaters in your family? If you said yes to that question you definitely need to pick up this book! Sneaky Blends by Missy Chase Lapine, the New York Times -Bestselling Author of the sneaky chef has cooked up another great recipe book.
I was sent this book a while ago and since I was on prep and following a meal plan it was hard for me to implement some of these recipes. Now that I have a little more flexibility in my diet I have been experimenting with them quite a bit. I even think that I have found a way to include them into my next prep.
The book was originally launched in September 2016 and retails at $19.99 US and $26.99 Canadian. This book includes recipes for 15 base blends, 75 mouth watering dishes, each using a base blend and also Missy's custom blends cleanse which is a 3 day body reboot. She gives you good tips and tricks on how to start blending and there are amazing pictures of all of the blends!
You don't even have to have picky eaters in your household. I would recommend this book to kick start your own health and help transform your body. Almost everyone has a blender and why no use it to blend your way to better health. This book has 100 sneaky blend recipes that help teach you the power of purees. With recipes you could never dream up yourself Missy will have you craving the most unique combinations.
Why does blending help with your health goals? A study at Pennsylvania State University found that swapping vegetable blends for some of the more high caloric ingredients in recipes helped participants eat 357 fewer calories each day. Thats 2, 500 calories a week!
I give this book a 10/10 and I think it is a must have in every house hold. It will give you tons of variety and options for your meal prep!
Want to know more? Visit https://www.thesneakychef.com/sneakyblends/
Juice Guru - Transform Your Life By Adding One juice A Day - Book Review
I know we have all had our fair share of juices. But buying in a store can be fairly expensive. If you have the luxury of your own juicer or you happen to have gotten gifted one for Christmas even better. Did you know that almost 90% of us don't get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in our diet? With busy lifestyles these days its often hard to eat the right amount of veggies. Juicing definitely makes it easier.
I would highly recommend the Juice Guru book by Steve & Julie Prusssack if you are new to juicing and want to have a book on hand to use. By following the straightforward guidelines in the book, you will take a huge step in transforming your health. It will also help you learn how to apply the science of habit so that juicing becomes an enjoyable practice you adopt for life rather than a short term experiment.
This book demystifies juicing and will help you incorporate this regimen into your daily lifestyle. It includes a 21 day plan that will help you get started that has 100 flavourful fruit and vegetable juices.
Ive tried quite a few of the recipes in this book. Mostly the veggie ones as I don't eat a lot of fruit on prep. One of my favs was the Nothin' But Greens which can be found on page 119 in the power greens section of the book! Give it a try and let me know how you liked it!
The book is available on amazon for purchase:
https://www.amazon.ca/Juice-Guru-Transform-Your-Adding/dp/0778805298
Let Them Eat Wheat! Using Ancient Wisdom/Modern Science to Overcome Food Intolerances - Book Review
I was recently sent a book by Dr. Jon dullard to review. The title of the book was Eat Wheat - A scientific AND Clinically-Proven approach TO Safely Bringing Wheat AND Dairy Back INTO your diet.
What I loved about the book: Its based on scientific facts that he has used with thousands of patients to help them cure their food intolerances. This book is a real eye opener and a must read for fitness and health enthusiasts or anyone that has dietary issues/intolerances. Its great also because it is evidence based.
I also enjoyed that he discussed the underlying cause of the gluten-free explosion. And that he goes on to discuss that when you eliminate wheat and dairy fro your diet it may illuminate your symptoms but it may also be a temporary solution.
This book is also a great read because it helps you learn how to navigate around food toxins in modern what and dairy and reveal the hidden science on the benefits of wheat and dairy. Through this he helps you see that you can retrain your body to digest wheat and dairy again. These things are very applicable for health but for bodybuilding and aesthetics it does not 100% apply in my opinion.
Has gluten been found guilty without a fair trial? It wouldn't be the first time an innocent food was given a life sentence. For example, after almost 60 years of so-called "hard science" condemning cholesterol, we now find out that the science was flawed and high cholesterol saturated fats, such as butter, have been officially taken off the FDA's nutrient concern list. Is it possible that we have wrongfully given gluten the boot as well? Turns out, if you’re gluten-free or dairy-free, you might not have to be!
Eat Wheat: A Scientific and Clinically-Proven Approach to Safely Bringing Wheat and Dairy Back into Your Diet (Morgan James, January 2017) by Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP, addresses this timely topic of food intolerances. After 3.4 million years of eating wheat and only 500,000 years of hunting meat, through Eat Wheat, Dr. Douillard reminds us that humans are actually genetically better equipped to eat wheat than meat and the true Paleo diet, clearly, included glutinous grains like wheat and barley.Dr. Douillard is a former NBA nutrition expert and creator of LifeSpa.com.
He has spent the past 30 years and has seen more than 100,000 patients in his natural health practice, helping to improve their digestive systems and begin to eat wheat again.“The most common dietary advice doctors have been giving their ailing patients for the past 30 years is to stop eating wheat and dairy,” says Dr. Douillard. “It’s just not that easy. Helping folks navigate around the processed versions of wheat while rebooting the digestive system is simply absent in medical practice, while being gluten-free has become a movement. We are fooling ourselves to think that all of our problems will disappear by just avoiding wheat. For years, I’ve seen patients after they have stopped eating wheat and dairy, and while they almost always feel better initially, the symptoms all too often return, leaving them with hardly anything to eat. With Eat Wheat, we can do better.”
Eat Wheat presents the science on the other side of the gluten-free aisle. For example, ancient wheat has been shown to have twice the gluten content of modern wheat yet decreased inflammation two-fold and lowered cholesterol and blood sugar.
So how could the more glutinous grain actually be healthier? In addition, wheat was a fall harvested grain that humans are well adapted to eating. Wheat digesting enzymes and microbes proliferate in the fall and winter to break down this so-called poison, gluten. So what is the real cause of America’s gluten sensitivity?
Eat Wheat explains how a breakdown in digestion has damaged the intestinal wall and leaked undigested foods and environmental toxins into the body’s lymphatic system, causing “grain brain” symptoms and food allergies. Although eliminating wheat and dairy from your diet may help your symptoms, it’s a temporary solution. The book addresses the root cause: the inability to digest well and break down harmful pollutants and toxins that can lead to more serious health concerns.Backed by more than 600 scientific studies, Eat Wheat is a revolutionary guidebook to regaining your digestive strength and safely bringing wheat and dairy back into your diet. It will also:
- Reveal hidden science on the benefits of wheat and dairy
- Help you navigate around food toxins in modern wheat and dairy
- Detail how to flush congested lymphatics linked to food intolerance symptoms
- Teach you to follow natural digestive circadian cycles
- Help bring your blood sugar back into balance
- Teach you proven exercise and detox techniques to reboot strong digestion and achieve optimal health and vitality
“Your digestive strength is the key to a long, healthy and vital life,” adds Dr. Douillard. “The choice as to whether or not you can eat gluten or dairy shouldn’t be decided for you because of weak digestion, it should be decided by you as a preference.”
Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP, is a globally recognized leader in the fields of natural health, Ayurveda and sports medicine. Over the past 30 years, he’s helped over 100,000 patients repair their digestive system and eat wheat and dairy again. He is the creator of LifeSpa.com, a leading Ayurvedic health and wellness resource on the web with over 4.5 million views on YouTube. LifeSpa.com is evolving the way Ayurveda is understood around the world, with over 700 articles and videos proving ancient wisdom backed by modern science. Dr. John is the former Director of Player Development and nutrition advisor for the New Jersey Nets NBA team, author of six books, a repeat guest on the Dr. Oz show, and has been featured in Woman’s World Magazine, Yoga Journal, the Huffington Post and dozens of other publications.
For more information, please visit www.eatwheatbook.com,www.lifespa.com, and connect with Dr. Douillard on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Eat Wheat will be released in ebook form on September 1, 2016, and in paperback and hardcover on January 10, 2017. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon, Eat Wheat Book and all major booksellers.
