ENERGY WATER??!?!

So what if you could get an adequate amount of energy and hydrate your body at the sametime, while keeping it all natural?  Well you can!!! With Element water, made right in our own backyard in Saratoga Springs,NY. Created by Steve and Kristen Gilbank, of Saratoga.

Element is infused with caffiene and theanine. Also, created with purified water. Theanine is an amino acid which is found in tea. With 50mg of caffiene infused into a tiny bottle of the good stuff, and tasting just as refreshing as ever, Element has a lot to offer. HOW..how? just how you say?!? Well...The secret to the madness? Tasteless and colorless caffiene extracted from GREEN coffee beans!!!

With the origin of energy goodness infused into 16.9 fl oz. bottle, being only about 20% of your daily water intake; what more could you ask for?...

So quench your thirst while receiving all natural energy all from a little bottle of good old H2o, without all of the sugar and other additives!

 hydrate,motivate, and concentrate is there slogan...
True? I've tried it!!! So Try it out for yourself!!! >>>>>>> YUMMM
              xoxo   Jamie

PROTEIN BARS!?!?!

Okay, So since I've just started a second  job which I dont have time to eat at I have to get creative. I've tried alot of protein bars and meal replacement bars.  But it's really hard to find a bar without a high amount of sugars and saturated fat, and nasty additives. Theres a new bar by Balance out there that i want to try....  

NIMBLE by Balance It has a 40-30-30 ratio- which means its based on

40% -carb, 30%-protein , 30%-fat..They have a lot of added vitamins and minerals..with only 4g of sugar +10g of protein!!

 I'm definitely DIEING to try...but they are on backorder

Another bar thats a fav but more of a treat...Doesnt ring in to nice with the 6g of fat..(It's a little higher in fat)... Is Chocolate Mint By Luna...from there protein line. 

I used to make a protein bar but I haven't done it in a while..AND this bar was good, but it needed a little revamping! I found when i used to make it, it was a little on the soggy side..So depending if you like bars on the crunchy side or soft you can tweek the recipes...

There's a couple recipes that I've tried and tweeked for protein bars and these were the top TWO...

Chocolatey Ninja

4 cups of oats
4 heaping scoops of protein powder
1/2cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
2 liquid egg whites
1/4 cup light syrup
1/3 cup raisins
6 oz of Trop 50 orange juice
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
4 packets of truvia
Mix together all ingredience, Put down wax paper on a cookie sheet or a a 9 by 13 pan...DON'T spread to thin to all four corners or it will come out too thin and rubbery like!!
Bake for 8-9 mins @350F

Nutritional value per bar- 173 calories; 1.8g fat; 14g Protein; 43g carb

Punchy Protein bars
3 cups of Oats
8 oz of fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup of raisins
4-41/2 scoops of protein powder (depending on thickness)
1/3 cup of splenda or alt sweetner
dash of vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Combine ingredience with an electric mixer. If consistency is too thick you can add some water or milk. I added a dash of skim chocolate milk!!! ( MY absolute FAVORITE is Over The Moon..idk how they keep it so thick and creamy just for skim, but it's delish) Spread in an 8x8 pan. Place in fridge for an hour or so til hardened.  CUT into about 10 bars

Nutritional value per bar- 164 calories; 1.8g fat; 16g protein; 20g carb


So remember you can add anything you want into your protein bars or make subsitutions. Thats the funnest part!!! So make it your own creation!!

Until next time...Stay healthy!!!
                       
     xoxo Jamie

Blue Blue BLUEBERRIES!!!

So, I went Blueberry picking yesterday!!! Super fun!! I think I munched on more than i picked ha. I love going picking...any kind of fruit or veggie. The berry crop was pretty decent, considering its coming to the end of the season. The weathers been nasty the past couple days, but its was so super nice and hot when we went.  I decided to kick it in my boots for the festivities ha.  

So of course there are so many ways to eat a blueberry...

Since it's been hot...you could freeze your blueberries and then eat them as an icey frozen treat

Add to greek yogurt!!

Mix the little blues to cereal or oatmeal

Make a blue smoothie with them

So, I add blueberries to my Spinach salads, with cut up strawberries as well + some sliced almonds! Great way to add in a punchy amount of Vitamin C. 

Melting Dark Chocolate + Dipping fondue style...double your trouble of antioxidant blasting foods in one snack!! :)

A 'berry' delish all time favorite Blueberry recipe of mine is BLUEBERRY OATMEAL PROTEIN PANCAKES..

1 egg whites (1/4 c. liquid egg white)
1 egg

1/4c unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup of oats

1/2-1 scoop (depending on the way you like your consistancy) I use Cinnamon Bun flavor

1/2 cup skim milk

2-3 packets of sweetener

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

+ Blueberries!

First add together the dry ingredience and mix then add in the liquid and the berries

About 120 Calories per cake. -Makes about 4 reasonably sized..on the large side.. cakes

Blueberries are loaded with health benefits!!! They are loaded with antioxidants, the highest amount out of all the fruits.

If you want to keep your blueberries for a later date...just preserve their bodies by freeezing them!! The freezing process doesn't take away any of the flavonoids or antioxidants..They are a great snack with only 80 calories a cup, which gets you a pretty killer kick of your daily vitamin c requirement.

Blues are relatively low on the Glycemic Index. They have a suitable amount of fiber, which can help improve digestion. They are also proven to help fight against aging and memory problems!!

BBQ SWEET POTATOES & CHICKEN

So, there's this uuhhhmazing recipe that is an all time favorite of mine.  I absolutely love love love sweet potatoes. AND I couldn't live without chicken of course. So both of my two favorite foods. SWEET POTATOES + PULLED CHICKEN= DELISH. So...I hope you are so very well prepared for the recipe of the CENTURY. What you will need is a medium sizes tater, 4-6oz of chicken breast pulled(using a fork & sharp knife shred down the striations) Dinosaur BBQ sauce (or any bbq sauce of your choice) BUT Dinosaurs is my absolute fav, and with only 28 calories per serving!!! You will also need fat free sour cream (but this is optional).

BAKE or microwave the tater. (make sure you poke some holes in it before the bake, then after slice open on side) After BAKING the chicken MIX the shredded chick in a bowl with the BBQ sauce. When complete- STUFF the shredded chick inside and add a dollop of the sour cream on the tip top, you can also add some extra BBQ sauce on top for flavor. 

Nutritional Value based on 4oz chicken breast, 1 medium sweet tater, 4 tbsps. bbq sauce, 2 dollops of fat free sour cream

In total this dish is about 370 calories...give or take the amount of condiments used& size of breast/potato

About 40g carb, 40g Protein, 4g or fat!

Sweet potatoes are a POWER carb.  There are so many benefits of consuming these earth tone orange friends. They are pretty low on the GI scale. They contain the antioxidant beta -carotene which when consumed converts into Vitamin A in your body. They contain a relatively decent amount of fiber, they are a complex carbohydrate. In order for the body to absorb the nutrients, these taters need to be eaten with some amounts of fat (a couple grams) because Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin., this is a true story for Vitamins D,E, and K as well. 

Sooooo, A brief history lesson for my FUN FACT friends ;) (haha): Did you know Sweet potatoes are 10,000 years old, one of the oldest veggies ever. Brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus!!!haha

But when GROCERY SHOPPING make sure that you aim to try to buy organic ones. Potatoes are just one of many veggies that have a decently high amount of pesticides. Because they don't have a hard shell, pesticides are easily transferred through their thin skin.

But until next time....Stay healthy!!!

XOXO       Jamie

EGGS EGGS EGGS & OATS

So of course oatmeal is a staple of my diet.  AND egg whites are as well.  SO, with that being said I thought hmmm...I'll COMBINE both. So Oatmeal + Egg whites= YUM.   I love love love oatmeal so much. So I'm pretty lucky that I actually like it and the texture doesn't bother me.  But for all you texture people out there oatmeal can be a real Buuuuuust. Egg whites are a great source of protein and no fat and like 1gram of carb. Eggs in general have alot of benefits. They are great for your eyes as well as hair & nails.  They contain essential amino acids also. So, just recently I tried this concoction. Super tasty.  I already mix oatmeal with various fruits and cinnamon. Cinnamon spice can help with digestion. I have to change it up constantly because it can definitely get boring. So, with this do 1/2cup to 3/4cup oatmeal & 1 to 1.5 servings of egg whites which adds only 30-45 cals & 6-9 extra grams of protein & then add water on top of that. Pop it in the microwave. For some sweetness I add some drops of Stevia, or a couple packets of purevia.  A super good way to add in some extra protein. 

Other ideas for breakfast oatmeal:

PB&J oatmeal!! super Delish...add a tsp or so of each (I don't use full sugar jelly)

Pumpkin pie oatmeal...2 tbsp. of canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, & sweetener of choice

Apple Pie oatmeal....chopped up apple slices, apple pie spice, cool whip free

Sappy Oatmeal- oatmeal & light syrup

Punchy Protein Oatmeal- Oatmeal with protein powder (I use bsn lean dessert cinnamon bun flavor)

Raisin vanillalious Oatmeal- oats with  1/2 tsp. of vanilla flavoring, raisins, dash of brown sugar

Any Fruit of choice 

Lavish oatmeal is pretty good..Just have to make sure you add the right amount of water 

  until next time... XOXOXO      

                                              Jamie

Doooooooo It...

I think personal training is the best investment anyone could ever do for themselves. Personal trainers are great teachers, and not because I am one. But, you can learn sooo much. I feel like it gives you a new concept on fitness. A new way of thinking when working out. A PT can also bring to life new ideas and give you a broadened horizon on exercise. Sometimes it's the simple fact that showing up would be an option if there wasn't someone waiting for some people, or for others they just don't know what to do.. So many people are intimidated by the gym.  I definitely used to be. It's easy to just go to the gym and hop on an elliptical  for a half hour and call it a day. But working out is so much more than that.  Incorporating a strength training and stretching regimen into your routine is so super important. There are so many benefits to exercise and strength training in general.....Boosting your overall mood and energy levels, wards against diseases, strengthens& maintains better bone and joint health, promotes better sleeping habits, controls weight, stave off Alzheimers & memory problems, and much more.  Feeling better about your body and yourself physically and mentally is extremely healthy and important.  Sooo clearly these are great benefits.  Exercise is all about long term.  Setting long term goals for yourself and gradually working towards them is the best route.  It's not going to happen over night.  BUT, set reasonable attainable goals. Once i reach goals, I set new ones. There is  never a finish line to goal setting, achieving those reachable goals for yourself is a never ending process. So take baby steps, and stay on track.

  "You have the power to become anything that you want to. Set your expectations for yourself, and know that you'll become whatever you think about."


           Stay Positive & Healthy!

     XOXOXO  Jamie

Beat it...

So, last week I worked for Powerbar at the Ironman in Lake Placid.  That was a fun time.  Those athletes are in outstanding shape. And I got a lot of free Powerbar stuff, pretty sweet. So, Powerbar products are pretty yummy. A lot of them are pretty high in sodium, so watch out for that. BUTTTT the absolute best tasting product is their Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites..yummy.  The Chocolate flavor is pretty good too. Pretty much like a dessertSoo.. I realized that it's very mountainous up there, and when you run downhill one way, its inevitable that your going to have to run back up the ginormous hill you just ran down. HA Ugg, I don't do to much steep hill training, so that was a quite a burn.  But, i found this pretty sweet website that gives you choices of songs that go with your running pace...It helps you find music based on the bpm/mile time....TO the BEAT http://jog.fm/  Sooooo most definitely worth checking out!! DO IT.  


 xoxo   Jamie