Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)
Cook + Learn with Zespri Kiwifruit - Media Launch #Zespri4Life
Back on June 16 I was given the opportunity to attend an amazing event: Cook + Learn with Zespri Kiwifruit. The event was hosted at Nella Cucina on Bathurst St in Toronto. I honestly had no idea that there were so many ways that you could use kiwifruit in cooking. We even had a celebrity chef! We started the lunch off with kiwi cocktails or juices. I obviously chose the alcoholic version as my pre workout hah. It was delicious. Followed by soup, tacos and finally dessert. All were made before our eyes by the talented chef. We all definitely left with a renewed love of kiwifruit and just how healthy and delicious Zespsri is. We also learned it can be used in cooking and not just as a separate fruit. Thank you Zespri for such an amazing event. I had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and I definitely left with my tastebuds feeling satisfied. I really enjoyed learning more about the nutritional benefits and versatility of Zespri Kiwifruit.
* All photos curtsey of Ryan Emberly.
Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)Zespri Kiwifruit Media Lunch. Toronto, ON, Canada. June 16, 2015. (Image: Ryan Emberley)
Hey guys I wanted to share this yummy recipe for a healthy salad! Give it a try and let me know how tasty it was!!
#Zespri4Life Black Rice Salad with Kiwifruit and Cashews
Prep time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 15 minutes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled black or brown rice
2 Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit, peeled and cut up
1 cup quartered strawberries
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup salted cashew pieces
In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. In large bowl, stir dressing into rice. Stir in remaining ingredients except cashews. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend. Stir in cashews just before serving.
6 (3/4-cup) servings
*1 cup uncooked black rice yields 2 1/2 cups cooked rice.
Recipe tip: A serrated peeler works best for peeling kiwifruit.
Serving Size: 1 Serving Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 80), Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 1.5g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 270mg, Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 7g), Protein 4g; % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6%.
*Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
GIVE IT A TRY! YUM!
Hey Guys! Below is my Beretta Farms Smart Snacking Review:
Smart snacking can be a tricky endeavour. Whether you are hitting the gym mid-day or going right after work, eating for your workout can be difficult to fit into your schedule. This is why responsible snacking is so important! To avoid resorting to sugary granola bars or worse nothing at all, having an arsenal of portable snacks full of protein is key!
I recently had the opportunity to try Beretta's Last Rep Clean and Jerky and their Protein Puck Power Cookie! I totally loved them. ESPECIALLY the Last Rep Clean and Jerky! GRASS FED JERKY! WHEAT?!?! OMG! I love meat. Especially jerky. And this is healthy! What a great healthy snack! The bag was actually packed full and air sealed. I used it for a couple of different times I was running low on energy and needed some protein. It was a lot of servings and stayed very fresh. It also was delicious! By delicious I mean ADDICTIVE. I wish I had more 🙁 You can buy it on their site by the case... I would love a case....HINT HINT. http://www.berettafamilyfarms.com/shop/65-last-rep-clean-and-jerky
Beretta'sLast Rep Clean and Jerky and Protein Puck Power Cookie are great on- the-go snacks made with all-natural ingredients. These snacks provide you with the energy you need to get through your workout or even just your day. I used the puck as my last snack after coaching track and it re-energized me.
GMOs have resulted in MILLIONS of pounds of herbicides #ConcealOrReveal - Train It Right
Just in time for Mother's Day weekend, Just Label It just launched a very special video with some celebrity power to drive home the message that MOMS are a very powerful part of all this--Protecting their babies from all the monsters in the world.
This is also a reminder that GMOs have resulted in MILLIONS of pounds of herbicides, something the World Health Organization has deemed a probable carcinogen, into our air and water creating such an intense public health danger that 60-100% of the rain samples in the MidWest are testing positive for glyhosate via the US Geological Survey. Glyphosate is Monsanto's Roundup, which is spayed on over 78% of GMO crops. It's literally raining carcinogenic herbicides because of the increase of GMOs.
Fitness isn’t all about working out hard in the gym everyday. It's a lifes It is much more than that. It not only includes exercise but diet and hydration. I call water, “liquid courage.” It gives your body life, regulates your core temperature, lubricates joints, gives your skin a healthy glow, and keep you from being bloated. “Liquid courage” is particularly important during exercise. Your body sweats to get rid of toxins and to cool off your body. However, you need to rehydrate yourself before, during and afterwards.
Dehydration can cause drops in blood volume that can cause muscle craps, extreme fatigue and/or dizziness. You should always have a water bottle close by when working out. I always say if your thirsty it is too late. This is because at this point you are already well on your way to dehydration. That means you need to make sure that you are drinking water all day long and not just during workouts. Stay away from juices they contain high amounts of concentrated sugar and no one needs those excess calories. Also note that the body wants to turn sugars to fat. If you are performing endurance exercises for long periods of time you my want to consider something that has electrolytes. I suggest more natural electrolytes such as coconut water rather than powerade or gatorade.
Follow these tips to stay hydrated:
1. Drink at least 2L-4L of water a day
2. Carry a water bottle
3. Avoid prolonged periods in the sun
So keep that “liquid courage” close because it will help you succeed in your health and fitness goals.
Take grocery shopping into your own hands. The following three steps will help you to properly navigate your way through the grocery store in order to support your healthy lifestyle, avoid diet sabotage, and impress your family or the significant other in your life. Carry these tips in this article before you make your next trip to the grocery store and remember to never go grocery shopping if you are hungry.
STEP 1: THE SHOPPING LIST
Before heading to the grocery store prepare a comprehensive weekly shopping list. I recommend sitting down on a Sunday to plan out your main meals for the week, from there you can create a shopping list of all the ingredients/items you will need to make your healthy meals. You can do this on a scrap paper, in a notebook, iphone or blackberry.
Having a list will help you stay focused in the grocery store and avoid picking up “temptation items” that can be detrimental to your healthy, clean eating diet. Lastly, remember to stick to the main rule: IF IT’S NOT ON THE LIST KEEP IT OUT OF THE CART! That meals not even an extra candy bar at the counter. Sticking to the list also helps you stay within your budget.
STEP 2: THE GROCERY STORE
For the majority of your food items you will only need to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. Processed foods and foods that contain sugar and startch are what is normally found in the aisles. Along the perimeter is where the fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, and whole grains can be found. You can venture into the aisles for food items like flax seeds, oatmeal, cooking oils, spices, or whole grains.
STEP 3: READING LABELS
Reading food labels can be very confusing and most people don’t really know what to look for. Avoid foods with: Trans fats, long ingredient lists with lots of artificial ingredients and added chemicals, unhealthy additional sugars such as sucrose, glucose, sugar, maltodextrin, corn syrup etc. Do not believe everything you read because occasionally food labels make claims to trick you into thinking they are the healthy choice when they truly aren’t. Watch out for statements that include claims like “no added sugar”, “contains real fruit”, “all natural”, “fat free”, “low carb”, “high protein”. Be aware and investigate these claims by checking nutrition labels and ingredient lists. These claims are made in order to deceive people into buying it so don’t fall into their trickery so always double check.
Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
Remember to lose or gain weight you must eat more. Most people only eat two to three big meals a day. Male or female youneed to eat more often to be healthy and have the body that you want. However, it is important that you make your food clean and healthy for both healthy weight loss and weight gain.
Follow these ten tips for successful clean eating for your perfect body:
1. Eat five to six small meals a day. If you eat less your body may be a risk for malnutrition, diabetes or it can even cause weight gain in the form of fat storage.
2. Never skip a meal. When you skip a meal your body goes into starvation mode and tends to store fat in unwanted places. If you eat frequently (i.e five to six small meals) your body stays constant and does not go into starvation mode and store fat.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbs every meal. Make sure to include dark green veggies in every meal as well. Remember that variety is the spice of life and having variety at each meal is very important.
4. Avoid sugars and processed foods, refined sugars, and white breads. The best way to do this is try and shop along the outside aisles of a grocery store and avoid the middle (and the candy store). Alcohol is also included in the avoidances. A lot of alcohols are high in sugar and calories especially if you mix them so make sure to always avoid cola’s and juices.
5. Drink plenty of water. On average you should be drinking at least two litres a day or 8 glasses of water. However, if you are active or out in the sun for long periods of time you should be drinking even more.
6. Take a daily vitamin. It helps with nutrient absorption and that will help you digest your clean diet properly.
7. Avoid fried foods and saturated fats. These are high in trans fat and will cause you to gain weight and store fat instead of build lean muscle.
8. Take a daily dose of Omega 3. There are many health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. They can boost heart health and lower triglycerides. Omega 3’s also help with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and many more.
9. Prepare your meals beforehand. Try making your meals on Sunday night for the rest of the week. If you fail to plan you have planned to fail. Make sure that you have lots of tupperware on hand for your meals, label them for the different days and refrigerate them until you need them.
10. When choosing a protein make sure to chose a lean meat such as chicken, turkey, fish or lean ground beef. If there is excess fat on your cut of meat simply cut it off. Avoid seasonings for your meat that contain sodium and cook with olive oil or coconut oil instead of using fattening butter.
These ten tips if followed properly will guarantee success in your search for the perfect diet for the perfect body that women want. However, it will only be successful if you are exercising regularly. So hit that gym, plan your meals and eat a variety of clean planned and prepared meals.
Are You Eating Enough Protein?
Protein is the major source for building material for the body and next to water is the most plentiful substance in the body. Protein is important in the growth and development of all body tissues and is used to build and maintain muscles in addition to many other bodily uses.
Protein requirement always differ according to your body size and activity levels. Some calculations are very simple, and many nutritionists calculate your protein requirements by dividing your total weight by two and the result indicates in grams the amount of protein you require each day.
For example, a person weighing 160 pounds requires approximately 80 grams of protein daily. Lean meats such as chicken and fish are great sources of protein. A 6oz chicken breast contains approximately 30 grams of protein and 6oz of white fish contains approximately 35 grams of protein.
5 Tips To Help You Lose Weight
Here are 5 tips to help you lose weight and it’s easier than you think.
1. Don’t be afraid to lift weights. Total body strength training is one of the best ways to get improve your metabolism. Lean muscle burns more calories than fat. Try strength train between 2-3 times a week and it will help you tone up and lose weight faster.
2. Do cardio. If you’re doing cardio make sure you are doing intervals on any of the machines between 15-30 seconds long are the best. Try going at a good pace for 15-30s then increasing the resistance and intensity for 15-30 seconds. Do tis for 40-60 minutes.
3. Get into a proper sleeping pattern. Get to bed at the same time most evenings. The best sleep you can give your body to recover is between 10 to 12pm. So try and time your sleep between those hours. The ideal amount of sleep is between 5 hours to 8 hours.
4. Eat 3 to 5 times a day with healthy snacks in between! Make sure to have a protein and a dark green with every meal. If this snack is a shake, be sure to add more than just water to your protein, and try to make a delicious smoothy with your favourite fruit.
5. Identify the mental and emotional stressors in your life. Try to write out everything in your life that is a stressor and decide to a) get rid of it, b) change the stressor or the situation or c) accept the stress and move on. Stress also causes your brain to release cortisol (a hormone that causes fat storage).
Going to the gym alone is tough. There are many mistakes. Below are some of the most common problems that I see at the gym on a day to day basis. They are simple and easy to correct. Once adjusted you will feel better and achieve a more efficient and effective workout.
1. Proper Workout Wear. For your own saftey proper gym shoes should be worn. Weights could fall at any moment and land on your toes and break them or your foot if you are in sandles etc. Also for women a good sports bra goes a long way when exercises, and makes your workout more comfortable and enjoyable. Make sure to shower after your workout because sweat can cause bacteria growth. The last thing you want is something along the lines of athletes foot.
2. Abdominals. Keep your back pressed against the ground, and your belly button pulled in. Try and not bend your neck to keep everything in line.
3. Breathing. Inhale during the negative motion, and exhale during the positive motion. Don’t hold your breath, this could cause hernias or other injuries.
4. Using Weight Clips. Proper safety at the gym is very important. Too many times we through the weights on the bar for squats, bench, or curl bar without putting on the clips. Without the clips any slight movement left or right could send the weights flying, and could cause injury to yourself while lifting or to others next to you.
5. Stretching. Stretch at the end of your workout. Don’t bounce while stretching. Instead, hold the position; bouncing can cause injuries. Stick to static stretching, and hold for at least 30 seconds.
6. Lunges and Squats. Don’t let your knees go past your toes during any exercise. The best example is the squat or lunge. Drop your hips down, and sit back when squating as if there is a chair a little to far back for you. Keep legs shoulder with as well. This will help you avoid injuries.
8. Biceps Curls. Be sure there’s no space between your elbows and the sides of your body when performing bicep curls. A lot of times we like to hold the arms out from the body.
9. Running. Heel to toe if you are going for the distance. Dorsi flexed and on the balls of your feet if you are doing sprint intervals. Both should not be performed heavy, but light footed. Don’t forget to use your arms. They are just as important as your feet and legs, and when used your running economy is better (i.e. more efficient).
10. Diet. Lack of water decreases your energy level, and fatigue almost always lead to poor technique. You should replenish your stores after your workout no more than 20 minutes after. This helps with muscle growth and recovery. Try a scoop of chocolate promasil added to water or non fat milk.
11. Personal Trainer. When you get a personal trainer, make sure that they are properly certified and have their CPR. Also make sure that they are just taking you through mindless workouts. It is important to have a periodized plan for best results, and always have a goal. The goals are what will keep you motivated besides having set appointments with your trainer.
12.Holding on tight to Cardio Equipment You should hold lightly and keep a tall posture posture. If you feel confident it is even better to do it hands free. When you naturally swing your arms it promotes more calorie burning and improves your balance. That will help with day to day activities.
Everyone is attracted to something different in a partner. On average women want a man that is not too skinny and not too big. We all want someone who is healthy and takes care of their body not just in the gym but at home with food choices. A perfect mate isn’t 100 pounds and definitely isn’t a 300 pound muscular superhero. There is a balance.
Going to the gym alone is tough. There are many mistakes. Below are some of the most common problems that I see at the gym on a day to day basis. They are simple and easy to correct. Once adjusted you will feel better and achieve a more efficient and effective workout.
