Simple and Delicious Sunday Breakfast (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes 
Try these healthy, moist and delicious pancakes packed with a punch of protein.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

- 1 scoop of vanilla casein protein 
- 1 whole egg 
- 1 egg white 
- 1/2 cup oats 
- 1/3 cup 1% cottage cheese (my favorite is Friendship in the pink container) 
- 1/4 cup of water  
- Cinnamon 
- 1 Rome Apple
-  1/2 tbsp Coconut Oil 
- 1 tbsp Whipped, organic sweet butter
 
Recipe:
1) Put oats in blender and turn into oat flour. 
2) Add in protein powder, eggs and cottage cheese.  Blend.  
3) Add in water to make the batter a little less thick.  
4) Turn on 2 skillets to low to medium heat.  
5) Slice up Rome apple.  
6) Add 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil to one skillet (for pancakes) and 1 tbsp of butter for the apples.  
7) Add apple slices to buttered skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon.  
8) Once apples start to soften, pour pancake batter into the skillet with coconut oil.    
9) Flip pancake after a few minutes (once browned).  
10) Each serving is typically 3-4 small to medium sized pancakes, so batter makes 6 to 8 pancakes.  
11) Once the pancakes are done, top with apples and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Nutritional Info:
Calories    326.5  
Fat            12.5 grams  
Protein     25.7 grams  
Carbs        33.7 grams  
Sugars      8.5 grams  
Fiber:       6.6 grams

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

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Simple ways to survive your summer social life (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

In my opinion, the summer is the best time of the year - the beach, bbqs, pool parties, outdoor concerts, picnics - there are so many fun things to do. But all these festivities can sometimes make it difficult to make healthy choices.  Here are some simple ways to survive your summer social life. 

Contribute to the party and offer to bring food. 
More often than not, I will go to a party or BBQ and there are not many healthy choices. One way of getting around this dilemma is bringing your own food. And no, I don't mean doing this in a "I'm on a diet and cannot eat your food" kind of way. Your friends will straight up think you are weird and talk behind your back. I mean offer to contribute to the food spread and bring something that's healthy and that both you (and the other guests) will enjoy eating.  Things like lean meats and veggies that you can put on the grill (kabobs could be a big hit), healthy summer inspired foods (there are some great healthy options here) or a fruit bowl for dessert. There are ways to bring healthy options without looking like the perpetual dieter that can't enjoy themselves at a social gathering. Show your friends that healthy can be delicious.  Please leave the protein shakes at home! 

Make better drink choices. 
If you are planning on drinking alcohol, make better choices. We all know alcohol isn't healthy, but if you are like me and enjoy a cocktail every now and then, it's good to know what the better options are in terms of calories. My go-to drink is typically vodka and club soda. If you want to add a little flavor, consider adding some fresh fruit - a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange, or my new favorite technique is muddling fresh watermelon. 

Another drink that is refreshing and low calories is a white wine spritzer. It's 1/2 white wine and 1/2 club soda. My favorite wine to do this with is Riesling.  If mixing drinks is inconvenient, opt for a bottle of prosecco or champagne.  

If you absolutely need to have that frozen strawberry mango margarita, my advice is to just have one. It is ok to indulge every now and then, but I typically keep it under control by limiting myself.  Those sugary drinks have more calories than you want to know!

Not drinking alcohol?  There are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages that are fun and come without the hangover.  Be creative! 

Get active! 
You are most likely going to be outdoors, so it is a great reason to get active and burn off those extra calories you may have consumed.  Get the party started by bringing games – a frisbee, football, volleyball – activities that require little equipment and are good for a group of people.  You will be surprised how quickly everyone wants to join in the fun! 

Enjoy yourself, you’ve earned it. 
For those of you that follow me, you know I’m all about being healthy, but also enjoying life’s indulgences.  This is where the 80/20 rule comes into play.  If you are truly healthy 80% of the time, you can afford to treat yourself every now and then.  So if you have been spot on your diet all week, then you’ve earned that special treat on the weekend.  I also find that letting myself have those “indulgences” makes it easier to keep with my healthy eating plan.  If you slip up, don’t turn it into a 3-day feeding frenzy!  That is when you do the real damage and sabotage all the hard work you have been putting in.  Be smart about it and watch your portions.

Bottom line – enjoy the summer, have fun and make the best choices you can!

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

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Simple things to maximize your health and fitness program (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

Today’s Simple Sunday (#SimpleSunday) post is focusing on simple things you can do to maximize your health and fitness program.  Are you busting your rump working out and not seeing the results you were hoping for?  Then maybe one of these factors is coming into play.

• Get enough sleep:  I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is hard to get a full night’s sleep.  Too   According to Harvard University, chronic sleep loss can contribute to weight gain, high blood pressure and affect your immune system.  In order to be your best, you need to make sure you are getting around 7-8 hours of sleep.  Check out Health Magazine’s suggestions on how to get a better sleep here.
• Hydrate yourself: Drinking water is important for everyone, but even more so for people with a physical lifestyle.  According to the Mayo Clinic, "the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate needs adequate intake of 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages per day for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women." Are you looking for an easy way to track your water intake?  I found this great water drinking app called iDrated. Enter your water consumption and it will let you know when you are fully hydrated.  
• Reduce your sugar intake: Part of a healthy diet includes keeping your sugar to a minimum.  My tips – cut out the soda (and no, don’t switch to diet), don’t eat unnecessary sugars and try to eat fruit that is lower in sugar content.  If you saw my last blog post, I spoke about refined and unrefined carbs.  Sugars fall into this category.  You want to consume more unrefined carbs and keep the refined (or processed) carbs to a minimum.  Refined carbs tend to offer little nutritional value, digest quickly and convert into gluclose.  White sugar is an example of a refined carb.  Honey and turbinado sugar are unrefined carbs.  I use both honey and Sugar in the Raw, but in small portions.  Fruits are also contain unrefined carbs.  I tend to stick to those fruits with a lower sugar content – think berries, apples, watermelon, etc.  Click here for an overview of the sugar content in fruit.
• Eat the right foods:  This is similar to the prior entry, but it is important enough to call out.  If you are still trying to figure out your diet, PLEASE get on My FitnessPal.  You can track everything you eat and break it down into the macro and micro nutrient percentages.  This will help you stay on track and aim for a daily target.
• Breathe properly while doing exercises:  Don’t hold your breath when you work out!  Click here for some great breathing tips from Health Magazine for various types of activities.

I hope these tips help you think about ways you can propel your health and fitness to the next level!  Tune in next Sunday for more simple solutions to become more healthy and fit.

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

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Disclosure: I am not a nutritionist, dietitian or doctor.  I’m writing about what has worked for me and hopefully it will help you during your journey to become more healthy and fit.  It is suggested that you speak with your physician before starting a new diet or workout program.

Simple Nutrition & Grocery Shopping (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

I get a lot of questions about nutrition and what I eat to both maintain and lose weight.  For those of you that follow me, you know that I’m all about moderation.  I eat clean 80% of the time and leave the other 20% for those things that I should not be eating or drinking everyday (ie. alcohol, pizza, desserts).  It helps to keep me on track because I know when I eat healthy all week, I don’t have to worry about indulging a bit on the weekends.

I haven’t always eaten healthy.  I went through a period where I was all about convenience and fad diets.  I’ve done it all – frozen diet dinners (yuck), the no fat diet (Anyone remember that one?  Why did we ever think a carb filled, refined bagel was better than eggs, cheese or nuts?),  the no carb diet, the cabbage soup diet (yeah, that one was lovely)...  The list could go on and on. The one thing that each and every one of these diets had in common is that they didn’t work and they were not healthy.  Yeah, maybe I lost a few pounds, but I put the weight back on as quickly as I lost it.  I couldn’t keep the weight off for the long term.  It wasn’t until I started eating good, healthy food in normal portions that the weight started to come off.  I’m proud to say I’ve been at a healthy and consistent weight that I’m happy with, for several years.

When it comes to your diet, the first thing I always suggest is getting on My Fitness Pal (www.myfitnesspal.com).  It is a website/app where you track everything you eat during the day.  It tracks everything from calories to macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, Fat) all the way down to the micronutrients (all your vitamins and minerals).  This will allow you to assess exactly what you are putting in your mouth, and make choices based on the calories and macronutrient percentages you are aiming for.

Now for the groceries.  I tend to only shop on the perimeter of the supermarket, because that is where all the healthy stuff is.  Stick to real, whole food and you will be off to a great start.

Shannon’s Simple Sample Grocery List:

• Lean Meats (ie, Chicken, Pork, beef, turkey
• Seafood (ie, shrimp, salmon, canned tuna)
• Whole Eggs & Egg Whites - I will usually eat 1 whole with yolks and 2 whites.  Don’t be afraid of the yolk, there is good stuff in there.  But you also don’t want to overdo it.
• Light Cheese – I buy low fat cheddar cheese or Baby Bell light to snack on during the day.  Great source of calcium and protein.
• 1% Cottage cheese – Another great source of protein.  My favorite brand is Friendship, in the pink container (plain mall curd).
• Vegetables – Can’t really go wrong here.  If you are trying to lose fat, just watch portions on veggies that are high in carbs like potatoes.  I recommend sweet potato over white.  Corn and peas are also higher in carbs. Yellow &Green squash are low in carbs and taste when grilled up. Spinach, Green Beans, asparagus, Brussel sprouts are also some of our favorites.  Just about anything green is good.
• Fruit – Again, fruit is a great part of any diet.  My only suggestion is to limit consumption or serving size of fruits that are really high in sugar. For example, I wouldn’t eat more than one banana a day, and sometimes I will just have a half serving.  Here is a good overview of the sugar content in fruit: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatfruit.htm. Best to stick with the fruits that are low to medium in sugar content.
• Whole Grains: (ie brown rice, quinoa, sprouted breads, oatmeal etc.). When you are eating carbs, make sure you are eating the good carbs.  I try and stay away from refined carbs that are digested quickly (think processed) and stick to unrefined whole grains which your body digests slower.  Here is a good article on good carbs: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/        I wanted to make sure I mentioned Ezekiel Sprouted Breads/  Sprouted grains are said to offer more nutrition.  I buy bread when I want to make a sandwich or have toast for breakfast. Ezekiel also has English muffins, and the Cinnamon Raisin ones are my fav.  Here is some information on sprouted grains: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/sprouted-whole-grains.
• Beans (ie, chick peas, lentils, kidney beans).  Beans are high in both fiber and protein and good for you.  Hummus (made from chick peas) is a great dip with veggies or whole grain pita, and also great as a spread on a sandwich or wrap.  Just watch the serving size.
• Coconut Oil – I do most of my cooking with coconut oil.  I’m allergic to coconut, so I was surprised to learn that I could use refined coconut oil.  The allergens are removed during the refining process.  Talk to you doctor first if you do have an allergy.  Here is some information on coconut oil: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil. I started to use it when I read about the harmful effects from other types of oil.
• Greek Yogurt – I get plain 0% fat free and add honey or fruit.  My favorite brand is Fage.  I don’t like the flavored yogurts because many of them contain chemicals and additives, and have a lot of added sugar (approx. 20g per serving)
• Organic Low fat milk (1% or 2%)
• Organic Butter – I have the real thing and just watch the servings. There is no “I Can’t Believe it’s not butter” at my house.
• Sugar in the Raw – I used to consume A LOT of sugar substitutes (also known as chemicals) and I swear it started making me sick.  Now I only use the real thing in small quantities (ie. 1 teaspoon in my morning coffee).  The brown Sugar in the Raw is my favorite.
• Seltzer Water – I cut out soda because I was drinking diet (Coke Zero).  For me seltzer was a great alternative.  I still got the carbonation that I liked, but without the chemicals.

There are obviously other things I buy, but these are the staples you can find in my cart.  I hope it helps you next time you are at the grocery store!

I want to mention that I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian.  I know a lot about food (from years of personal experience), but I just want to be upfront about that.  I’m just letting you know what has worked for me and hopefully help you make better choices next time you are buying food.

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

www.teamfitini.com

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What is Shakeology? - By Shannon

I’m sure you’ve heard about Shakeology, but you may not know exactly what it is.  Shakeology is a nutritionally dense shake that helps you meet your dietary requirements while providing more energy, helping with digestion, curbing cravings for sweets and assisting in weight loss (along with a healthy diet).  I use it to form a sound nutritional foundation, ensuring that I get all of the important micro nutrients (nutrients beyond your macros protein, carbs & fats) that without, I would be missing.

It is a powder that you can mix in the blender with liquid (water, milk, juice, etc) and ice.  Some people also just mix the powder with liquid for a quicker option.  In my opinion, it is much better in the blender with ice.  You can also add other ingredients such as fruit or peanut butter, but I suggest you keep an eye on the “add-ons” so you do not over do it with the added calories.

Shakeology comes in 5 flavors:

• Regular Chocolate
• Vanilla (New!)
• Vegan Tropical Strawberry
• Vegan Chocolate
• Greenberry

I usually have it for breakfast as a meal replacement.  After I workout, it is a great way to replenish my body and give me the extra energy I need to start the day.  It takes less than a minute to make in the blender, so it is super convenient for a grab-and-go meal or snack.  Here is a video we put together showing how we like to make Shakeology.

Interested in trying it?  If you would like a free sample, sign up on Team Fitini with a FREE Team Beachbody account and then fill out the form on our website.  The individual packets cost us around $7-8 for product and shipping, so we will only send them out if you sign up on our team. 

Are you asking yourself why should you sign up on our team?  Why not?  It is totally FREE, and you get a coach to help you on your journey to become more healthy and fit.  A recent Beachbody study proved that individuals that worked with a coach and drank Shakeology daily were much more likely to see results than those that did not.

Are you still not sure about Shakeology?  You can try it risk free.  Team Beachbody offers a 30-day money back guarantee.  You can buy Shakeology, use the entire bag, and if you are not happy with the way it tastes or the way it makes you feel, you can send back the empty bag and get your money back (minus the shipping).  Best deal ever! Beachbody believes in this product, so you can test it out without worrying about wasting your money if you don’t like it.  Chances are you are going to love the shake and the way it makes you feel.  I started using it about six months ago and have never felt better.

You can order Shakeology directly from our site by clicking here.

If you have any questions about Shakeology, email us at TeamFitini@gmail.com.  

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