3000 Calories and On a Cut…BF Eats Edition

My friends!

I have wanted to do this post for a while because I get a lot of questions about how my boyfriend is loosing weight and continuing to eat ice cream and copious bowls of cereal. I figured I would show you instead of explaining it, but lets get the simplest explanation out of the way first..

You will loose weight if you’re in a caloric deficit (unless there is some hormonal or physical barrier, which actually is in only like 2% or less of people..). WITH THAT SAID… we want you to perform at your best, feel energized and enjoy your diet so you can sustain it.

My philosophy as a coach is that I want people to never feel deprived, as that leads to unsustainable dieting and weight regain. I also want people to be healthy so a nice balance of mostly wholesome, nutritious foods with a treat of their liking that fits within their macro meals is what I tend to do. This allows them to stay on track while also giving their bodies the fuel it’s wanting and used to using.

I’m going to say this now…your body runs BEST on whole, unprocessed foods. It just does. You will be leaner, have greater energy and perform better on those than a pile of junk, so those IIFYM people eating donuts pre workout…yeah they may not gain weight because they have factored it in, but do you think that donut will give them the best training outcomes?

Probably not.

Also keep in mind that a treat to one person is not the same for another person. While some would want to work in seem ice cream (like my bf), others may really really love a sweet potato with peanut butter as a sweet treat. They both can work as long as your other nutrients are in check.

So thats the shortest I can explain that, so lets get into food now so you can see it come to life.

Breakfast. I was off yesterday so I got out the waffle iron and made him some protein waffles.

Not pictured was the 4 egg whites scrambled with roasted red peppers, spinach and some cheddar Allegro (lactose-free) cheese

These used Yummy Sports Nutella protein and I topped it with caramelized banana + almond butter + Walden Farms syrup (doesn’t upset his stomach so he likes to use it)

Waffles–> blend together 2 tbsp coconut flour + 1 tsp chia seeds + 1/2 scoop whey + 40g oats + 1 egg white + 30g unsweetened apple sauce + 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tsp baking powder

Meal 2: This one he eats around 10ish and happened to be his pre workout yesterday. As a PT manager he works a split shift so gets some flex time late morning to go and lift

This meal is super easy to meal prep and he loves it. This version is with sweet potatoes and extra lean ground beef. He’s also pretty happy with the portion size on that one. #AlwaysHungry #BiggerPortionsAreBetter

Meal 3 –> This was his post workout. He got a bit delayed getting to the gym so he was starving. He does take some pre workout and the stimulants calm his appetite a bit during his workout, but afterwards…look out.

I like to call this the volume ‘kitchen sink’ stirfry. He has about 48g of carbs per meal but for extra volume uses the cauliflower rice to make this meal massive. With the remaining carbs he likes some roasted potatoes in his stirfry and this week, instead of quinoa, he added left over chickpeas to fill in the rest of the carbs.

Immediately post workout he also has a protein shake. No you don’t need to have a protein shake immediately post workout if you’re going to eat, but mentally he feels better if he does, so protein protein protein..

We found this company at the Pro Show and they are super yummy and have no fillers or even gums! Happy tummy’s all around.

He has another protein shake in the later afternoon…because always hungry and his protein is really high. The higher protein is an experimental thing that my coach suggested so he’s trying it out. He likes it so far.

Before any comments..no high protein doesn’t hurt your kidneys if you’re a healthy individual. Studies have also shown that even a surplus in calories in protein doesn’t lead to the same degree of fat mass gain as fats/carbs. They have also shown that higher intakes in those who are in a deficit maintain greater lean muscle mass while loosing fat mass than those following traditional macronutrient ratios

Down the hatch goes protein shake numero two.

This is also very easy for him to just have while busy at work with clients or his staff. Great flavour on this one too and we got this for like 10 bucks because it was on blow out at GNC.

Dinner –> As I was off, I like to make him fun dinners and I happen to see a Poke kit at the grocery store so that was all I needed. Deconstructed sushi is great in his eyes and I got to make a pretty Poke bowl like all of the ones I see plastered on IG

Great success. He loved it and basically everything (minus the rice) is raw so it’s fast to make too. He’s a bit picky about how he eats his mango, so he picked that out to save for last but other than that, it was a thumbs up from him.

In the bowl –> tuna poke + sauce, serving of sushi rice, seaweed salad from Zehrs, avocado, zoodles, sesame oil, ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce and some wasabi…plus mango that he picked out.

Bedtime Meal –> So this is where his treat comes in. His last meal is eaten with me in bed every night for us to unwind and watch a show together. We love our bed time snack routine and he takes it as his snack treat time.

Protein is a standard (which we both have a protein to start..they are not eaten together haha) and than the fats and carbs are typically where he has some fun. Last night he tried out the popcorn I got for him, which was a white cheddar jalapeño flavour. He liked it and it had a nice kick to it.

…

So that is a day in the life of my bf on a cut. I won’t do the specific macro breakdown for you because that is personal to him and will serve nothing to you BUT he is loosing weight steadily and eating 3000 calories at the moment.

Ladies and gents, you don’t need to starve to loose weight. If you treat your body correctly and keep your metabolism high + your psychological self in check, you will get where you need to go. Patience and consistency are key and enjoying your life.

I hope that has helped a bit and thank you to my love for letting me steal pictures of all of his food yesterday before he ate it…

TGIF!

-Chelsea

When Your Man Is Cutting…

I’m backkkkk and I have more time than ever so you all are going to help keep me distracted mmmkkayyy?

So when you’re a nutrition consultant and your boyfriend asks you to help him cut, you be a good girlfriend and not only help slow his roll with his cutting style, but you track his macros and make sure this cut is more successful than previous cuts.

Most people like to cut crazy fast and so that is actually a challenge all on its own because he wants to drop faster than this ‘Pro’ wants to because #Impatience. But leave it to me and science and he will see I will come out on top in the end. He will be keeping as much of that muscle as possible due to slower cutting.

The numbers are only one part of the equation though, you see, when in the bodybuilding lifestyle there are many a things a girl should do for her man to show her support during the hard times of “Summer Shredding”

You must tell them they are not getting small. 

There is a fine line between telling them they are getting shredded vs them perceiving you think they are getting small and scrawny. They are getting leaner BUT they are also growing massive shoulders at the same time….Really emphasize that! LOL! Keeps their ego happy while they feel they are starving, despite only a 200 calorie deficit.

Guys can shush it when the are loosing weight at 3000 calories

You have to constantly remind them that if they’re hungry that just means they need more veggies in their life…Or water.

If I ever didn’t have time to help him prep his food for the day, it was missing a certain filling and micronutrient dense addition. He has quickly learned how much veggies help keep his stomach from growling longer.

If they are also doing a caffeine/Pre/Stimulant detox…watch out. 

Oh boy, a cut PLUS no pre-workout. That is fun times. You’re job is to be the motivator and not cave when they say you can look at the protein powder while they “talk to the sales person,” which means they are getting a pre-workout sample.

#ISeeEverything

You should help them with their food…

Or else they will be lazy a bro and just pack chicken and rice…than complain how much they hate chicken and rice and how life sucks.

Work on those wifey skills and help them out. I have taken it upon myself to be on top of his meal prep but MAN I did not realize how much food was needed for 3K calories…

Maybe bit off more than I could chew but the creativity is a’ flowing friends.

Here’s some ideas for you based on some of his favourites. 

Turns out he loves spaghetti squash. Hello volume! Plus he likes how filling it is while saving some extra carbs for later when he gets his fun meal..aka cereal

Cauli “rice” was also a great fine. that whole pot was 4 servings…FOUR and it’s massive.

We experimented and made cannelloni stuffed with Lactaid cottage cheese (higher protein, less fat) + canned crab meat. He liked them but with the amount of protein he needed, he felt like the crab was lost.

Shepherds pie was also a success. Really simple recipe too!

For 4 servings…

~2 large sweet potatoes, roasted and than mashed with rosemary, garlic powder and chili flakes

~around 800g of extra lean ground beef that was sautéed with mushrooms, zucchini and onion + liquid smoke, rosemary, 2 tbsp tomato paste and some fennel seeds.

Plop the beef mixture in the bottom of a sprayed tin and top with the mash and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the top browns a bit (you can add some butter on top, I just sprayed it a bit with some coconut spray)

He loved his little dairy free mac n’cheese cup. I used a lactose free, skim mozzarella cheese that we recently found at Zehrs and mixed it with some quinoa pasta (again, higher protein) and baked it in a ramekin until the top got nice and toasty. Served with a baked (my tin foil method) turkey breast fillet with steak spice and sautéed snap peas.

 

He was very very happy with his waffle sandwich. I tried to do the whole sweet potato chicken n’waffles thing but it had to be more macro friendly so I made a kabocha squash waffle (lower carbs) with chicken breast meat, his lactose free mozzarella cheese and a runny egg and he quite enjoyed it…

When the photographer/chef says you have to show the sammich contents while pretending to eat it…

Kabocha Waffle (makes 2 waffles)

Blend together –> 90g cooked and mashed squash + 1/2 cup or 40g oats + 1 tsp baking powder + 1 egg white (32g) + Italian spices + water to make a thick batter. 

Spray your waffle maker (mine is sad and makes flat waffles…) and cook your waffles as directed. 

Annddd these little beauties were a quick and fun lil recipe from The Lean Green Bean that he actually loved.

I used a lactose free white cheddar in the centre of each meatball (which was made with extra lean ground turkey + some chorizo sausage) and then rolled them in panko + Italian spices. The cheese burst while they were baking and turned out great over zoodles and sauce with spinach (cuz micros…).

And finally…breakfast. He has come to love avocado english muffins with runny eggs and turkey bacon but sometimes breakfasts sammiches sneak in there too…

His camera makes this food look all glowy and such

Turkey bacon + spinach + Chicken breast + runny egg + sriracha and mustard on a whole wheat bagel. Good to go.

Ladies, if you and your man are into the bodybuilding lifestyle the time between March and summa generally means cutting season. Put your apron on and get your ‘swole’ comments ready because he would do the same for you so make him feel special during this hardship.

Have some fun and surprise him with some fancy feasts that fit his macros and you will win his heart and keep him shredding 😉

And if you don’t do that lifestyle, hope I gave some interesting food prep ideas!

Much love friends! 

Best food prep staples?

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes With Chocolate Chips

Pancakes can make every day a lil better no?

Well, my housemate wasn’t feeling the greatest a few mornings ago so I decided to do what I do best and get my tushie in the kitchen to whip up something to lift her spirits.

The result?

A plate full of fluffy, tender patty-cakes full of caramelized banana and some slighty-naughty chocolate chips.

They did their job well as she was full of smiles as she slathered some natural honey on top and ate it with her finger’s.

#ThatsLoveAtFirstBite

Incredibly simple to make and for not that much batter, you get a four cake tower! Now thats what I call happiness.

Gluten free (if you use certified GF oats) and made without a drop or sprinkle of sugar because that spotty death looking banana truly is a sweetheart despite it’s dark demeanour  😉

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Serves 1 

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

~1/4 cup oat flour + 2 Tbsp rolled oats
~1 egg (or an do an egg white)
~1 medium RIPE banana
~1/2-1 Tbsp natural almond butter
~1/4 cup almond/cashew/milk of choice
~1 tsp Vanilla extract
~1tsp baking powder
~Cinnamon
~1-2 Tbsp chocolate chips (optional but for chocoholics its kinda mandatory..)

Directions:

1. Mash 3/4 of the banana in a bowl.

2. Whip in the egg, almond butter, vanilla extract and milk of choice.

3. Add your dry ingredients minus the banana and chocolate chips. If the batter is way too thick, you may need a tbsp or 2 more of liquid but that depends on the size of the banana. Batter should be not runny, rather, pourable-but-spreadable

4. Heat a large non stick pan in medium. Add a bit of coconut oil.

5. Take 1/4 of the batter and plop into the pan forming a thick pancake. You can make two or more per pan depending on your flipping skills.

6. Slice you banana and place some slices and some chocolate chips on each cake.

7. Pop on a lid and let it cook low and slow until the bottom is golden and firm. NOTE These won’t bubble.

8. Flip and let cook for about a minute more without the lid. Remove from the pan.

9. Re-spray your pan and make pancakes out of the remaining batter using the same method.

10. Voila all done!

Top with whatever you would like. Honey, maple syrup, more fruit, etc, etc.

I hope you enjoy! 

I missed fat Tuesday by a long shot, but hey, I play by my own rules. 

-Chelsea

“Basic Bi***” Oatmeal

Friends!

So I finally got around to doing a tutorial on how to make my oats. I have been asked a lot throughout the past decade (wow that feels weird saying that) how I make my oats because, I’m an oatmeal pro and I ain’t afraid to say it.

It’s not hard you just have to put a lil creativity and patience into it. Trust me, it’s well worth it.

Anyways, I decided this morning was going to be the time to do it so I hope you enjoy it. Please excuse my poor video quality. I know I say this all the time, but for real friends, it’s the best I can do currently. I hope the content is enjoyable enough to make up for the crap-tastic video aesthetics.

Click the link below the video picture to take you into the tutorial to make oatmeal from every white girl’s dreams….

Link

-Chelsea

Muuufffiin Mondays

Hey Friends,

Happy Monday! Fresh start to the week.

What are your goals this week?

Today I’m hoping to tackle some ice cream, which I haven’t had in about 2 months so I’m trying not to work myself up about it too much because I do have a hint of excitability about it because it’s Jays, and I truly do love Jay’s homemade creme de la creme and I miss it. Wish me and my tummy luck.

So, I’m starting off this week with a recipe as I made some muffins to take to the gym last night and I got asked for the recipe.

Now, I have been experimenting with flourless baking for a while and now have ventured into making my own blends up and they still have been working nicely. The basic idea comes from a few very good recipes that everyone that I have baked them for has lapped up, so check them out here and here. If you’re okay with oats, here is another goodie! Gluten-free baking can be tricky because the ‘flours’ often leave the goodies dry, tasteless or they just fall apart due to lack of structure. Hint hint gluten is a protein and gives goodies structure.

What I have found is that the ‘formula’ in these recipes has always turned out nicely and although they are more dense than your traditional goodies, most people don’t mind it because they are so moist due to the heavy hand on the healthy fats.

Yes friends, healthy fats.

The base of all of these recipes is nut butter. So rather then flour bases, you use fats and they turn out great!

Fat is not bad, fat is flavour. Remember that!

So any who, want some muffins that will leave you more satiated than a traditional sugar-laden muffin? Well checky checky.

So onward we go to the recipe.

The basics.

Peanut Butter Apple Muffins

Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the following wet ingredients:

1 cup (about 250g) natural peanut butter

1/2 cup (about 125g) apple butter

125g (or more) shredded apple

1/4 cup (about 65g) liquid egg whites (or a whole egg, I was out)

125ml unsweetened cashew milk (or other liquid)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix those in your bowl and then add the following dry ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut flour ***

1 tsp cinnamon (or more)

1 tsp baking powder

1 Stevia packet (adjust for sweet tooth)

*** if you don’t have coconut flour, you should be okay to reduce the milk by half

***Feel free to add other mix-ins: nuts, raisins, etc

Here is the consistency you are looking for.

Thick but still pourable.

Once you have combined everything, pour into a muffin tin lined with liners. Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes (rotate once half way through) or until they are just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack and allow to cool and set for at least 15-20 minutes.

Then enjoy!

Macros for each muffin if you’re interested. 

Cals: 160 Carbohydrates: 12g Fat: 11g Protein: 6g Sugars: 8g Fibre 2g

…..

These lil babies should be put in the fridge as they don’t have any preservatives to keep them as fresh like a typical processed goodie would be if left on the counter.

Tell me what you think if you try them out 🙂

Have you had success with gluten free baking?

Favourite gluten free products?

-Chelsea

Healthier Sammich Cookies

Happy Humpday my Friends!

Half-way through the week and I’m pulling out a random recipe for you! I have been baking goodies a lot lately, like twice weekly, but have been on a recipe follow, rather then a recipe create, type of mood. Well, I recently made these wonderful cookies by Monique over at Ambitious Kitchen for my gym and they really seemed to enjoy them. So, in regular Chelsea fashion, I decided to take her recipe as inspiration, twist it a bit and then double the fun by turning them into cookie sammiches.

I mean, I don’t think there are many people who will say they don’t like a good ol’ cookie sammich. Am I right? These lil guys just happen to be a lil bit more wholesome then your regular off-the-shelf or from the freezer (depending on how you roll) sammich treats.

The centres of these beauties are a ‘frosting’ of sorts that lacks any type of processed crap. Only 3 very real ingredients make up this rich and aromatic icing and none of which are sugar. You will have to start scroll-a-rollin to find out what is in said frosting but it was also inspired by another great blogger, Angela from Oh She Glows. Check out her recipe (which was a big hit as well) here.

So without further ado, I bring you my take on a healthier cookie sammich inspired by two wonderful bloggers. I hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies

With a healthy peanut butter and banana ‘frosting.’

Makes 8 filled cookies

Wet Ingredients

~1 medium/large banana (about 110g), ripe.

~1 cup natural peanut butter

~1 egg

~1/4 cup coconut sugar *

Cream the ingredients together with a wooden spoon and set aside.

*Can probably leave out if you or those you are cooking with don’t have a super sweet tooth. I was cooking for a bunch of people so wanted to add just a bit.

Dry Ingredients

~1/2 cup quick oats

~2 tbsp peanut flour (or PB2, or Chocolate PB2. I used Nut’s n’More Chocolate peanut flour)

~1/2 tsp baking powder

~Pinch or two of salt

Mix together in a bowl.

Add as many chocolate chips (or cacao nibs for a sugar free option) as you would like. I used Enjoy Life mini chips.

Set your oven to 350 degrees and on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, form heaping tablespoon balls of dough and plop them on the sheet about 2 inches apart. Once they are all on the cookie sheet, take your hand or spoon and smoosh them into thick pancakes.

Pop them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until they are just set.

Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to firm up. Remove to a rack and let completely cool.

While they are cooling, you can make your ‘frosting.’

In a bowl mash and combine 1 large ripe banana + 2 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) + approximately 1/4 – 1/3 cup of peanut flour (or PB2).

Once the cookies are cooled you are ready to make them sammiches!

I think we all know how to make a sammich but for recipe purposes, take a spoonful of frosting and dollop it on the underside of one cookie. Place another cookie on top and voila…

…You get frosting filled sandwich cookies that are made with wholesome and natural ingredients.

Hows that for snackin?

Want one?

Well I just told you how to, so what are you waiting for? Get baking! 😉

What are your favourite filled cookies?

Peanut butter cookies or chocolate chip?

-Chelsea

Sund-Wiches Do Come True

Hey Friends,

Random idea comin at you on this lovely Sunday. So I will say that I think I’m a pretty decent sammich maker. Well, I have never had bad feedback from my creations so that means I’m awesome right?

Anywho, I love making sandwiches for other people because really, like a salad, sammiches are really an endless, anything-goes type of food. If you like something, throw it on there. There are no limits to a sandwich and the more stacked it is, generally the more impressive it is in da mouth…and the belly.

Another thing I like about them?

You don’t need to make it super gluttonous to make it taste great. A super tall and show stopping sandwich can be made completely from wholesome ingredients and be both satisfying and healthy all at the same time.

So when it comes to making the perfect ‘wich, what are some of the rules?

Well, there are no rules like I mentioned before. You like something? Throw it on there. There are no borders.

So the point of this post then? Well, maybe I can give you are some tips on what I think adds to the nommness factor based on my sandwich making experience.

Rita leerrrvves her eggplant –> Toasted Rye Bread + Avocado + Healthy Breaded and  “fried” Eggplant + Tomato + Fried Egg

The number one thing I will say is that bread better be toasty!

Crunchy Factor #1!

Toast it, throw in a pan, broil it, panini that **it. Whatever you do just don’t leave it soft. That just ain’t right.

What about if you don’t want bread?

Not to worry I have you covered.

~Sweet tater or other starchy veggie ‘bun’

Link

~Thick green wraps (collards or chard leaves work best IMO)

~DIY buns like the awesome gluten-free, paleo english muffins from Arman

Link

~Homemade pancakes or waffles make amazing buns as well.

More Crunch factors?

Crunch is a major help for mouth-feel. Other then the bread, I don’t think too much crunch is a good thing so perhaps one raw thing of two, but don’t go crazy and do the whole thing crunchy or thats too much.

IMO them raw, vegan sammiches just don’t do it for me. Cold and overly hard…

Pick your crunchies

~Sprouts (omega’s anyone?)

~Lettuces (spinach, spring mix, cabbage-slaw for a thai inspired sammich)

~Crunchy bacon if that’s your thing

~Crunchy coating on something (healthy ‘fried’ eggplant or an almond or oat/flax meal coated chicken)

Healthy Fried Eggplant –> heat a lil bit of coconut oil in a pan on medium/high. Slice an eggplant fairly thin. Dip in an egg or white white wash and then dip in a mixture of breadcrumbs or mix of gluten free oats/flax for GF option + some optional parmesan cheese. Place in the hot pan and let it cook until crispy. Flip and then remove when done. If they are still looking a bit raw due to thickness, toss in the toaster oven at 400 and roast until cooked through. 

~Veggie chips. I like to make zucchini chips by tossing slices of zucchini in some olive oil and a touch of pink salt and roasting them off at 400 degrees until crispy (flip once).

Okay now you need something melty…

Sammich fit for a workin’ man (aka my Daddy)–> Toasted Italian Baguette + Melted Cheddar + Home Roasted Tomatoes + Chicken + Sprouts + Spring Mix + Mustard.

Melty is just appealing and although you can do cheese, you can also have other melty things be just as exciting (see you dairy-free friends, I gotcha covered too ;-))

Melty Goodness factors

~Cheese obviously. Go with something different and try out Brie + Caramelized Apple or Pear. OR Cheddar + Green Apple +Turkey

~Roasted watery vegetables –> Roasted tomatoes do the trick nicely

~Peanut Butter if you’re going sweet…

Bring on the pancake ‘buns’ and melty peanutty goodness. Link 

…Throw in sautéed banana for another top up to the melty goodness factor.

Okay Something Protein-y..

A sammich has to have some staying power right? There are the obvious meats and such but here are some twists and maybe some protein ideas you may not have thought about:

~Smoked Salmon –> Fresh! Pair this with Avocado + Sprouts + Spinach + A homemade greek yogurt + cucumber spread.

~Beans –> Vegan Option! Make a spread out of chickpeas, white beans, etc and then add some roasted veggies like the wrap below.

Grilled Veggie Wrap loaded with Garam Masala + Carrot Hummus

~Shrimp –> Yes even shellfish can be put in a sammich. A healthier version of a Po’boy if you will.

Chipotle Shrimp and Avocado Sandwich 

Last but not least…

A Sauce of Sorts..

A sandwich just isn’t a sandwich if it’s dry. So, there are your BORING… condiments like mustard, ketchup and maybe BBQ sauce, but what about things that are more fun eh?

~A Yolky Egg–> How awesome is it when you press that baby down and the yolk gushes out?

~Avocado –> Duh.

~Hummus –> People underutilize this glorious and vegan spread. Try more then just the basic hummus variety. Sundried Tomato hummus with an italian-style creation. Olive hummus for a greek version. Or…

Grilled Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Sandwich

~Pesto –> Basil Pesto is absolutely amazing, but there are other great ones out there as well.

~Tzatziki –> Going Greek?

~Cranberry Sauce –> Make it homemade and add it with Turkey to feel like Christmas all year ’round.

~Peanut Butter…? Apparently it’s a ‘thing’ now to put peanut butter on your burgers. Interesting…

Peanut Butter Burger with Strawberry Relish

So yeah, now that you’re bursting with ideas, go make your fine self a sandwich and report back with your creation 😉

Oh and we don’t discriminate here on Lil Miss Fitness Freak…

Lettuce Cup + Miss Dash Extra Spicy Haddock + Brown Rice Mixture (brown rice + Mushrooms + Onion) + Sprouts + Spinach + Waterfall of Mustard

Spicy fish tacos with brown rice (fish burrito?) and all the mustard count too.

Hope you had a great weekend all and enjoy the long May-24 weekend!

-Chelsea

Friday Fitness Questions #3

Hey Friends!

Okay so this week I wanted to share a lil fun thing with you all and not have it be so long and research-y if that is okay. Give your minds a bit of a break. I will give you a bit of information but I will keep it short because, instead, the main focus will be these guys…

Link

So what are these cute, seedy teddy’s you ask?

These are Strawberry-Orange glutamine infused gummy bears. This particular recipe was from the North Coast Natural’s website, which produces fermented L-Glutamine powder, and I was quite excited to find it as this idea of turning my glutamine powder into gummies has been something I have wanted to do for a quite some time now.

So a bit on L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is an amino acid (the most naturally abundant actually) that helps in the body’s ability to repair tissues. If you have heard of it, you have probably associated it’s usage with bodybuilders and athletes to help reduce muscle soreness but it’s benefits have been found to go beyond that. Check out the facts page on the North Coast Natural’s website (link) for all of it’s benefits, but to mention a few:

~It has been found to help heal the gut. For anyone with IBS or other inflammatory bowel diseases, glutamine can be used as an aid to help rebuild some of those damaged tissues and alleviate some symptoms of those gut disorders. Many studies (such as this one) have also shown that it maintains the integrity of the gut lining in post-operative patients, which may prove beneficial in their recovery process.

~Because glutamine is also a major fuel source for the cells of your immune system (lymphocytes, neutraphils, macrophages, etc), it has been shown to be beneficial for illness prevention. This may be especially helpful in athletes where the incidence of illness may increase due to greater stress on the body. (Link Link2).

~There is mixed evidence on whether soreness post-workout is alleviated in all athletes, but many articles support its usage in sparing protein for the rebuilding of tissues and possibly increasing lean muscle mass (see link).

So there’s just a few of the other great benefits of glutamine, but if you want to learn more just check out the first link I posted!

So do you need to supplement with it to gain it’s benefits?

Generally no. Perhaps supplementation would be required in those needing/wanting higher doses (post-illness/intense training for repair and/or gut problems) but for a general dose there are other natural forms of this amino acid.

Like Gelatine!

Vegans may be cringing right now, so if you are vegan you will have to find another source. Apparently red cabbage is the highest of the veggies, with fermentation helping to increase bioavailability. Overall, like all things it seems though, your best sources are animal based (link).

I digress…

So going way back to the gummies….

If you’re not using a supplement form of glutamine, like in the first recipe, then you can still make the gummies! Never fear! Try out this easy recipe for blueberry gummies.

Link

As stated in the recipe, you can take out the maple syrup for a sugar-free version, as I’m sure the frozen fruit you add will be sweet enough and provide a good flavour.

I hope you found this post interesting and let me know if any of you have tried making something like this or working with gelatine.

So tell me…

Have you ever tried helping your gut with Glutamine?

All my athletes out there, do you find it helps with muscle soreness?

-Chelsea

A Recipe…Say What?!

I know right, how long has it been?

I have heard from some of my readers that they miss my random recipes. I never felt like my food posts were anything special, but hey, if they’re easy and tasty, why not share them?

Oh…

Happy Green St. Patty‘s Day y’all!

Celebrating?

For me, I’m not a drinker, so this holiday that is pretty much based off of getting wasted for cheaper is really just an excuse for me to put green into as much of my day as possible.

Cue wearing a sparkly green shamrock headband to the gym.

Yeah, I dress up to go sweat. 😀

Anywho, back to the recipe

…what’s a recipe again? HA

Savory oats. 

….Crickets….

Yes I realize I just said savoury and oatmeal in the same sentence BUT hear me out.

Oats are really like a blank canvas. Just like rice, or for a more similar texture, polenta or risotto. They are a neutral base screaming for flavour blasting toppings. Many of us have come to perceive oatmeal as purely a sweet dish, but really, you can turn it savoury just as easily and it will still be that warm bowl of comfort you know and love.

So before you say “bleh!” give them a chance. I made this particular bowl for my housemate, Rita, and she absolutely loved them. My other housemate, Emily, on the other hand was stuck in ‘sweet oats only’ mode and was afraid of them despite saying they smelled awesome.

I will convert her just you wait.

😉

So I went to the internet searching for some inspiration. I can confidently say that this girl knows how to make a pretty damn good bowl of proats but I had too many thoughts going on and needed something to calm them down a tad. Plus, I didn’t want to screw up the first bowl of savoury oats for zee housies because then they would never touch them again.

Can’t have that can we?

Hmmm..

Mexican? Rita loves avocado, beans…not so sure.

Taco! Spicy, yes, avocado, yes…hmm..

Wait, what is that seaweed in the cupboard…?

Sushi oats. Bam, sold. 

So with that, the bowl you see before you was created. Now if only I had some wasabi and pickled ginger….

I hope you will conquer your fears and try this out. It legit smelled like sushi so if you swing that way, it’s something you would enjoy I’m sure.

Asian Sushi Oats. 

Serves 1

Ingredients for the Oats:

~1 Serving of Rolled Oats (1/2 cup)

~1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth

~1 egg or 1/4 cup egg whites

~1 tsp oil of choice (coconut, avocado, sesame or peanut)

~1 tsp minced garlic

~1-2 tbsp diced onion

~approximately 1/8 cup dried seaweed or other sea vegetable (I used dulse)

~1 chopped green onion.

NOTE. I did see many sites saying to add a dash of fish or oyster sauce to the base so if you have it on hand go for it. Just only use a little bit. 

Directions.

1. Heat your oil in a pot (use one that had a lid) on the stove at medium/high heat. Chop up your vegetables. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and sauté until they are softened and fragrant (a few minutes).
2. Add your oats, sea vegetable and broth, place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil.
3. When it comes to a boil, remove the lid and bring it down to a simmer (medium heat). Stir your oatmeal consistently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. If it soaks up too much liquid too quickly, simply add some water. When the oats have ALMOST reached the consistency you like, crack your egg (or add your liquid egg whites) to the pot and stir quickly to prevent scrambling the egg. *It should stir in with little to no white bits.
4. Cook for a final minute or two and then remove from the heat. Stir in half of your green onion and keep 1/2 for garnish. Keep warm while your prep your toppings.

For the Toppings

~1 egg

~1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

~other half of the sliced green onion

~Chili flakes to taste (optional)

~Drizzle of sesame oil and/or soya sauce.

~any other sushi like topping of your liking. I would recommend some seaweed (Rita has this cool dried and sticky seaweed-sesame strands), avocado and perhaps some pickled ginger. Smoked salmon would make an amazing topping as well if you are all fancy and such.

Simply fry up you egg for a runny-yolk doneness. While that is cooking, place all of your toppings on your oats. Top with the egg and drizzle with your topping of choice. If using sesame oil BE CAREFUL that stuff is strong!

Take pretty picture for IG and then dive in…

Oh wait…

Break the yolk. Then take another picture of that #YolkPorn

…

Then you can dive in.

So yes, savoury oats sushi style. Good protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Fuel up my friends.

Enjoy!

Have a safe St. Patty’s Day night!

Are you afraid of savoury oats?

-Chelsea

 

Eggs, Eggs And Moooe Eggs.

My Friends, this is a random post comin’ at you all thanks to my Dad’s breakfast plate.

I challenged myself to make him a new style of eggs every single morning this past week, and I think I may have done it. You see, he loves his eggs and although he would be perfectly content eating scrambled egg whites every day of his life, I decided to be annoying and give him his precious eggs in a different form. He may or may not have finally complained this morning that he really just loves the taste of his eggs plain…

….I can’t blame him though because if someone were to try and take over my oatmeal I might put up quite the fuss. We just like what we like around here.

But he let me be creative for as long as he was willing to stand it and so I came here to bring you some ideas on what to do with the simple egg.

Of course, if you’re in the same boat and just like them plain and simple and then by all means enjoy them in their purest form, but for those that are looking for something a lil different, he are some ideas for you.

You can scramble your eggs with a lil milk and perhaps cheese if you’re feelin extra special.

Here are the steps on the ‘perfect scrambled eggs’ 

Or you can do fried eggs with a runny yolk on a sammich…

Or even better, make it a bagel-wich…

My Dad’s had a runny egg + sautéed tomatoes + mushrooms + onions + Cheddar

Even better still is doing open face with them fancy shmancy ingredients.

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Runny Egg toast. Find here. 

This one I didn’t do for my Dad for a few reasons:

1 He won’t go near fish of any kind with a 4 foot pole.

2 He would ask me where the second piece of bread is. #CarbaholicAlert

3 He’s against anything green and mushy. Please don’t be offended beautiful avocado, he’s just weird. I still love you.

You can also bake your eggs into things…

Like potato skins

Find this recipe here. It is very similar to what I did. I wrapped the potato in foil and baked until it was tender then scooped out the inside and placed the egg inside. I threw some green onion on top with black pepper and baked it until the egg was set and then sprinkled it with his shaker parmesan cheese. 

…Or peppers

My Dad’s breakfast this morning was a egg baked into a green pepper with homemade hashbrowns. For the pepper, I just cut away about a third of a large pepper and took the inside membranes + seeds out and cracked an egg inside. I baked it covered with foil at 400 degrees until the egg was cooked. No runny yolk, but I’m sure you can get one, I just wanted to make sure the whites were fully cooked or my Dad would have refused to eat it lol. 

I turned them into a pizza omelette…

Recycled picture of my pizza omelettes. Simply throw some egg whites and pizza spices in a pan (one medium low heat) and let them cook slightly before topping with all your favourite toppings. Cover it and let it fully cook through. Finally, crack an egg right in the middle and cover again until the egg is just cooked enough so that you get that runny yolk I failed to get in the picture above. 

Or you could just do a basic omelette…

But who really wants to be basic? Ever made a baked omelette?

Greek Salad Omelette found here.

So I think I did pretty well for switchin things up. He did like them, he just wants to go back to his routine eggs for a lil bit. A few other ways you can do eggs, which I didn’t try for my Dad because, like I said, he wants to taste his eggs, are:

Quiche.

Frittata.

Breakfast Burritos.

Egg Muffins.

So yes eggs are simple, easy and healthy ingredients to work with but they don’t have to taste boring at all. Switch it up and try any of these ways to enjoy this wonderful, wholesome food.

What is your favourite way to eat eggs?

What is your favourite breakfast items? You know it’s all oat gains over here.

-Chelsea