Super Swap Out: Alternative Ingredients to Make Any Meal Healthy

Cooking can be difficult for some, especially if you are on a diet. It may be hard for some to cut out some of those things that we all love like desserts and veggie dips or salad dressing. If you are taking baby steps with your diet or are just looking to eat healthier in general, here are some ways to cut back on the fat, calories, carbs and all of the things you have to get rid of because they really aren't good for you.

Apple Sauce

Substitute for: oil, sugar and butter

 



Adds: fiber

Saves: saturated fat

 

 

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

Substitute for: sour cream

Adds: protein and calcium

Saves: fat and carbs

 

 

Avocado

Substitute for: oil or butter, can also be used as a dip or dressing

 

Adds: "good fat", lowers cholesterol

Saves: bad fat

 

 

Almond Milk

Substitute for: regular milk or heavy cream.

 

 

Adds: calcium

Saves: calories and carbs

 

 

Banana

Substitute for: sugar, butter and fat

Adds: potassium

Saves: fat

 

Some of these items may seem "higher in calories" than their substitute. Remember to break down the nutritional value per serving and you may not use the entire banana or avocado so you are not eating all of the calories. Sometimes the swap for a few higher is worth the gain when you get "good fats" or potassium. Overall, any natural ingredient will always be better for you than processed ones.

*Check out the recipe page for some super swap out recipes!

Running Before The Neighbors See

Ever look at someone running and laugh at how goofy they look? You have the waist wigglers, the arm flappers, the huffers and puffers, the head bobbers and the ones who do it all. You probably also think this is how you look when you run...

 

 You think you look like this....

 

 

 

When in reality, you look like this.

Not a pretty image huh! Don't sweat how you look, sweat because you ran. Get up off your butt and get out there. Run before the neighbors can see, disguise yourself with big glasses, Keep your head down (but don't run into any trees) or just not give a damn. While everyone else is on the couch you are out there running and one step ahead of the lazy bones.

I Love Chicken, I Love Protein

Greek Chicken Kabobs!

Chicken is one of my favorite meals. There are so many ways you can cook chicken, the options are endless. Of course one of my favorite ways is the healthy way. I am not a fan of sauce (other than BBQ) and I don't think it is necessary when just a little bit of seasoning can go a long way. Besides, if you add sauces and fry up some chicken you totally lose out on the amazing nutritional benefits of chicken. Chicken is low in fat, VERY high in protein (a single serving of chicken breast has 22grams of protein), and low in carbs. Combine the health benefits with this great recipe and you will have an amazing guilt-free meal you will love!

What you'll need:

 1-2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast

1-2 Whole Lemons (depending on size)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Oregano

Instructions:

1.) Preheat your grill to the desired setting.

2.) Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch thick cubes.

3. In a bowl pour 1/2-1 cup of olive oil (the amount of olive oil you will use will vary depending on how large the bowl is, but it should be enough to cover the chicken.

Add 1/2-1 lemon, and salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

5.) Toss chicken into the olive oil and lemon mix and let sit for 15 minutes.

6.) Place chicken on kabob skewers.

7.) Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the chicken.

8.) Sprinkle the oregano over the kabobs.

9.) Cook 15 minutes rotating every 5 minutes. If you need to cook longer then do so.

This meal is: Carb Friendly, Low-Fat, High Protein, Low Sodium and DELICIOUS :)



 

Running should be fun

Remember when we were little and running was fun? Who didn't want to run around outside all day playing capture the flag, kickball, penguin freeze tag or even running away from the friend's you didn't like.

Or how about running on this...

This would kick Wii's butt any day! This is the original Wii... with crappy graphics, cord's you tripped on and those circles that never worked when you stepped on them, but it was still fun! Running can still be fun! Make a game of it, challenge yourself each day by trying to beat your time everyday. Pretend you are running from a giant monster. Picture yourself as an Olympian and you are running towards the gold medal and your hot boyfriend Luke Bryan or Liam Hemsworth (if you are a guy reading this blog then run towards Heidi Klum or Mila Kunis). Just picture yourself doing something fun while running and it will be fun!

I took my first run in YEARS and I mean RUN with my dog and I couldn't believe no pain, I wasn't out of breathe, it felt amazing! I quickly learned that I will be losing my running buddy since I long distance running isn't for German Shepherds but that's ok. I live right in front of a 10 mile nature trail, I can make my own fun adventure. And just to be clear, by "running" and "long distance" I am talking about 3 miles, give or take. I don't think I ever ran that far in my life, but I do walk about 6 miles with the dog. Anyways, you will always be able to find yourself a fun way to run. Just ask me if you need some suggestions.

My motivation

Having motivation for working out is KEY! It can be vain and be to lose weight, look better, have more confidence, etc. It can be for health reasons such as strengthen your heart, better balance, strength and increase energy.

Or it could be for this!

 

 

T-minus 2 months!

 

Regardless of your reason to workout and eat healthy, you need to always keep motivated. Unless you are fighting your eyelids to stay open, being tired is no excuse. Start with a few jumping jacks, a few minutes of stretching and some pushups and you are guaranteed to get your energy back and start your workout!

2 week weight-in

It's been two weeks since I started Paul's killer kettlebell workout and the results are in!

Drum Roll Please............

Weight: -4ilbs
Hips: -2 inches
Waist: -2 inches
Arms: -1 inch
Legs: -1 inch

Here are some of my favorite exercises from BurrRidge Kettlebell Club's 90/Bridal Bootcamp Challenge.

Kettlebell Swings



 

 

Kettlebell Jerks

Back off!

 



So what is the deal with bra fat? Why can't we get fat in the good areas of the upper body like our boobs?  Why not... well because life is just not fair that way. We get the child bearing hips, stretch marks and bodies we will never get back again. Oh boy, I cannot wait!

 

Other than being unsightly, back fat is not a good thing. Many people when working their upper body focus mainly on their abs and neglect their backs. This is a no no! Whenever working any major muscle, you need to target them all. Example: If you work your quads you need too work your hamstrings, when you work your lats you need to work your pec. So when you work your abs, you need to work your back.  It is very important for the body to maintain muscle balance. This prevents injury, increases flexibility and strength. And as an added bonus, it helps the whole area look lean and sexy.  What good is having fab abs if you have a flab back? So next time you do some crunches or planks, finish your workout with these great back exercises.

 

Click on the picture below for the full workout!  And for fun, replace the weights with kettlebells.