Zumba Queen

Did you ever find a workout routine you love that best embodies your own workout philosophy? I know corny, but that is exactly how I feel when I am doing zumba.  Whenever I miss a class it completely throws off my day and I am totally bummed! I think for me it is the fast pace and that I love to be challenged.  I have to be constantly moving to benefit the most from an exhilirating aerobic workout.  The class is truly a mixture of all different fitness levels and people adjust the workout to meet their own needs. 

The only thing I do wish is that I could pick up the routines a little faster.  This week the instructor started teaching us a few new songs.  It takes about 3 weeks before I am totally comfortable I have memorized all the new steps.  As I look around the class I see how some people just instantly catch on.   However once I have learned the songs I am totally loving it and have no trouble keeping up! I have thought about getting Zumba certified after tax season ends in April. I just wish there was a magic wand I could wave around to help improve my coordination and ability to learn the routines faster.

I am excited for my class this afternoon because my gym is offering a zumba class for kids that I am bringing my 12 year old daughter to. A future zumba queen in the making perhaps?

And how about you, what types of workouts do you enjoy? Are there exercise classes that you love and which keep you highly motivated to stay active?

Pineapple Fruit Salad

I love a healthy fruit salad.  I served this with stir fried steak and peppers.  It consists of fresh fruit mixed with greek yogurt and toasted coconut in a fresh pineapple.  For the canned mandarin oranges I tried Libby's Skinny Fruits which had no added sugar (105 total calories in a 15 oz. can and 6 grams of sugar for a 1/2 cup serving).  An average pineapple contains about 3 cups fresh pineapple if substituting canned pineapple chunks.  This recipe yields 6 servings at approximately 176 calories.

Pineapple Fruit Salad

1 fresh pineapple (or 3 cups drained pineapple chunks may be used)
1 (15 oz) can of mandarin oranges drained (Tip- Look for varieties with no added sugar)
1 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
1 and 1/2 cups red grapes
1 and 1/4 cups plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup coconut milk (or to desired consistency)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Stand the pineapple upright and cut a third off of one side leaving leaves attached. 

Remove strips of pineapple from the center leaving a 1/2 inch border on the sides. 

Discard the core.  Cut strips into bite size pieces.

Slice the fresh strawberries into bite size pieces.

Add the drained mandarin oranges, red grapes, and fresh strawberries to the fresh pineapple.

Combine greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup (or less) coconut milk to reach desired consistency.  Combine with the mixed fruit.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the pineapple shell. Sprinkle with the fresh toasted coconut.

Yields 6 servings at approximately 176 calories each.

Stir Fry Steak and Peppers

I prepared a stir fry with sirloin strips and peppers for dinner on Thursday night.  I marinated strips of sirloin steak which I served with brown rice and a pineapple fruit salad.  The recipe serves 4 and has approximately 550 calories per serving.  I don't prepare steak very often, but we do enjoy it as a special treat.  It helps to keep it healthy by trimming the excess fat and serving it with plenty of fresh vegetables.  Enjoy!

Stir Fry Steak and Peppers

1 pound sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup soy sauce (I used a low sodium variety)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Sherry
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon clove garlic
1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 cups mushrooms
1 TBS. olive oil to stir fry beef
1 tsp. olive oil to stir fry vegetables
Cooked brown rice

Cut the sirloin steak into thin strips and trim the excess fat.

In a seperate bowl mix together soy sauce, honey, sherry, ginger, red pepper flakes, and the clove garlic.  Pour over beef stirring to combine and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While steak is marinating slice the mushrooms, onions, and peppers into thin strips.

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil to medium in a skillet. Add beef slices and stir fry until just cooked through.

While beef is cooking, heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet to stir fry the peppers and onions.  I heated them seperately until they are just crisp.  I wanted to make sure not to overcook the vegetables so that they retain their nutrients.

Add vegetable mixture to beef mixture and stir fry for 1-2 minutes to allow the seasonings and flavors to blend.

Serve immediately with cooked brown rice.  I served this dish with a pineapple fruit salad which I will share in a later blog entry.  There are approximately 550 calories for the steak, vegetables, and brown rice. 

Carrot Bran Muffins

 

I came up with a recipe for carrot bran muffins after having a little fun in the kitchen.  I added some fat free sour cream to keep the muffins moist.  Natural applesauce to reduce the amount of vegetable oil I used in the recipe.  I am pleased with the result.  There are approximately 135 calories per muffin.

Carrot Bran Muffins

1 cup boiling water
1 cup coarse bran
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup preferred sweetener (or sugar)
1/4 cup natural applesauce
1 cup fat free sour cream
4 oz. jar baby carrots
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

In a small saucepan, mix bran and boiling water.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 Meanwhile combine honey, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl.

Mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, preferred sweetener (or sugar) and cinnamon in a separate bowl to combine.

Add egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Then add applesauce and the fat free sour cream.

Then stir in the bran mixture, shredded carrots, jar of baby carrots, raisins and walnuts.  Add cupcake liners to a muffin tin and pour in the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Yields approximately 18 muffins at 135 calories each.

Small Dietary Changes That Really Add Up

Sometimes it's just the little things you do that can really add up.  I'm thinking of the types of changes that may not seem like they would make a big difference.  I know I could never give up my coffee habit.  One change I have made is that I no longer add 2 teaspoons of sugar to every cup of coffee the way I once did.  I don't know about you but I am a big time coffee drinker.  I would estimate I drink at least 3-4 cups a day.  And let me do the math.  Two teaspoons of sugar 4 times a day amounts to a total of 8 teaspoons.  There are 15 calories in 1 teaspoon of sugar.  That means during a typical day that would add up to  an additional 120 calories a day for 4 cups of coffee.  Now I no longer add sugar to my coffee, but I admit I haven't given up the half and half.

Another change I have made is that I have become much more conscientious about serving sizes.  Yes, I admit it, I measure out how much cereal I put in my bowl before I eat it.  It might seem a little silly, but serving sizes can be deceptive.  As an example I am looking at the nutrition label of the Old Fashioned oatmeal I eat in the morning.  I eat 3/4 cup oatmeal daily and this adds up to a total of 225 calories.  However if I didn't measure it and made 1 cup of oatmeal instead, this would add up to a total of 300 calories for 1 bowl.  This would mean an additional 525 calories in a week.  It is easy to see how quickly all those additional calories could add up.

Here are some examples of a few simple healthy diet swaps that add up big.

• Try mixing in fresh fruit to greek or plain yogurt instead of buying pre-sweetened yogurt.
• Beware of juices with too much added sugar.  Drink water or seltzer instead.
• Pack fresh fruit in your lunches for snacks instead of sugary and unhealthy junk foods.
• Watch the mayo and try using mustard on your sandwiches.
• Carefully check your cereal labels and steer clear of items containing too much added sugar.
• Try eating a healthier baked potato instead of french fries.  You can add a variety of healthy toppings for a great treat.
• Be careful of the salad dressing you choose.  For example 2 TBS. light blue cheese dressing saves a whopping 80 calories over 2 TBS. regular blue cheese.

Traditional Black Beans and Rice

I served this side dish along with the chicken fajitas I prepared.  It is a little spicy and has a bit of a kick.  I shared the fajitas recipe in my previous blog entry.  This recipe appeared on the back of a can of Bush's black beans. I prepared brown rice in my rice cooker to serve with the black beans.  I have been using brown basmati rice as I love the flavor and it is a great source of dietary fiber (16% of the daily requirement in one serving).  There are approximately 107 calories in one serving of the black beans and rice dish.

Traditional Black Beans and Rice

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drain and reserve juice (I used the low sodium variety)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Tabasco sauce)
2 cups cooked rice
Lime wedge or sliced mango (optional)

Finely chop the green pepper.  To facilitate this process, I used my Kitchen Aid mini chopper to finely grind the pepper.

In a skillet heat the olive oil.  Add the chopped peppers and onions and cook until tender. 



Dice fresh tomatoes to add to the onion and pepper mixture.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, thyme and garlic salt, cook 3 minutes.  Add vinegar, hot pepper sauce,  and reserved juice, continue to cook for 5 minutes. 

Serve over warmed rice.  Add a lime wedge or sliced mango if desired.  This recipe yields 6 servings at approximately 107 calories.

Chicken Fajitas

My family loves chicken fajitas.  With all the colorful vegetables and peppers they are a very healthy dinner. The marinated chicken has a wonderful flavor.  For our meal, I set out whole wheat tortillas, fat free cheddar cheese, salsa, and fat free sour cream.  I served the fajitas with traditional black beans and brown rice.  I will post the beans/rice recipe in a seperate blog entry.  One chicken fajita has about 350 calories and one serving of the black beans and brown rice is approximately 107 calories.

Chicken Fajitas

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
dash pepper
1/2 red onion
1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
whole wheat tortillas

To make the chicken marinade for the fajitas combine the fresh lime juice with the olive oil.  I used a hand juicer which worked great.

Add in the red pepper flakes, ground cumin, garlic cloves, chili powder and dash pepper and stir mixture to combine.

Slice chicken breasts into thin long strips.  

Pour marinade mixture over chicken and stir to cover the chicken pieces.

Place chicken in the refrigerator to marinade for at least an hour or up to 3 hours.  Next you may begin slicing the peppers and onions into thin strips shortly before you are ready to start cooking the chicken.

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet.  Add the onions and peppers and stir until they are softened and then place in a bowl and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Add chicken and cook until meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear. 

Then add the peppers and onions to the chicken and heat together in the skillet for 1-2 minutes.  I sprinkled some Emeril's southwest seasoning on the warm chicken/pepper mixture.  If you have some lying around the house it adds a nice flavor to this dish.

Divide the chicken and peppers among the whole wheat tortillas.  Serve with fat free sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomato and whatever other toppings your family enjoys.  Yield is 4-6 servings at approximately 350 calories/serving for 1 fajita with a whole wheat tortilla, some fat free cheddar cheese (1/8 cup) and 2 tablespoons each of fat free sour cream and salsa.