Fitness Archives | Page 3 of 8

Light & Tangy Asian Tuna Salad with Buckwheat Soba Noodles

April 5, 2019

Send nooooods.

I meant to post this earlier today, but if you follow me on Instagram and saw my stories, I had a bit of an adventure this morning. I had some curtains ordered that were delivered to the wrong address and I went to pick them up from the gentleman who received them and was kind enough to call me.

Has that ever happened to you? Would you go to a stranger’s house to pick up a package?

Anywho, I made this Asian Tuna Salad yesterday for lunch and it was so good, I made more for dinner! I love how light and summery this feels. The tang of ginger with the roasty sesame oil…Ugh. It’s heaven. This is perfect as leftovers, too, because that dressing soaks into the soba noodles even more and *hallelujah!* It’s even better tasting, even if it’s not as pretty the next day.

This is the perfect lunch to make en mass for a summertime get together. Be sure to make a double batch of that dressing to use on a salad or as a marinade for chicken, because, quite frankly, it’s BOMB. I was even eating it on plain soba noodles while taking these pictures…. Don’t judge me.

Measuring spoons gracious courtesy of Styled Settings.

Can’t get over how cute those measuring spoons are! Snag some of your own!

Who says tuna salad has to be weighed down with mayo? Tangy, gingery, garlicky goodness awaits you! **You can also substitute regular lettuce for the soba noodles and have an even lighter, carb-free option!

Asian Tuna Salad w/ Buckwheat Soba Noodles

Makes: 2 servings
Total prep time: 15-20 minutes

For the salad:
1-2 5 oz. cans tuna in water, drained (I used 1 can, but you can up the protein by adding more)
1 bundle buckwheat soba noodles
1/4 large carrot, shredded
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
~1c . cabbage, shredded
3-4 radishes, chopped small
2 T. cilantro, chopped fine
1/2 bundle green onion, chopped fine

For the Asian dressing:
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/8 c. + 2 T avocado oil
1 T. tamari
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger, grated fine
1/8 t. salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1/8 t. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cook soba noodles according to package, rinse with cold water and refrigerate.

Combine ingredients for dressing, whisking well.

In a medium bowl, toss tuna, cold soba noodles, dressing and salad ingredients together, making sure to everything is well coated. Serve cold!

My mise en place is usually a little messy…

Buckwheat noodles: hipster cousin to regular noods.

And like I said above, you don’t have to use noodles. Toss all ingredients with some crunchy romaine for a bright summery salad, or just drizzle the dressing over plain tuna and munch away!

That’s what I love about food: there’s no wrong way to do it.

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Coconut Matcha Iced Tea

January 26, 2019

I drank a lot of coffee growing up. I started when I was about 10! I loved it, but as the years progressed, I realized my beloved drink was beginning to give me a stomach ache.

Nowadays, I can have about a cup. Of decaf. And even then, most days I just stay away from it because I don’t want to deal with the nausea. So I started looking for an alternative to coffee–something with a little caffeine (I’m SUPER sensitive to caffeine, iced tea gets me wired!) but that wouldn’t keep me up at night or give me a sour stomach.

I’ve always been a tea fan, and I just happened to stumble upon matcha one day and, well, game over.

Matcha is made from the entire green tea leaf. Instead of steeping the dried leaves, they are ground into a fine powder and dissolved in water for supercharged health benefits. Matcha contains a class of antioxidants called catechins, believed to have cancer-fighting abilities; it also has high levels of cholorphyll, known to reduce inflammation in the body.

Plus, I like the way it tastes.

It’s smooth and green and super refreshing when blended with my favorite coconut water. It may not be summer yet, but I’m sure dreaming of it while sipping this tasty drink!

Interested in making your own? It’s important to use good quality matcha, or you just won’t get the full experience and health benefits.

The matcha on the right was bought from my local grocery store, a rather inexpensive brand. The one on the left is from my favorite matcha retailer, Mizuba Tea Company. All of their tea comes from their organic farm and 100 year old family matcha tea manufactory in the Uji region of Japan. When I drink my matcha from Mizuba, I know I’m drinking preservative-free, radiation-free, non-gmo pure tea. It’s pretty awesome to know the exact type of quality tea you’re putting into your body.

Since matcha is very finely ground, it needs to be mixed really well or you’ll get green lumps and that is not delicious. You can do this a few ways, depending on the appliances you have: with a chasen in a chewan, (a traditional Japanese whisk and bowl), a shaker bottle (like for protein shakes), or a blender. I use a shaker bottle because I’ve yet to get my hands on an authentic chewan.

Whichever you decide to use, grab it and add:

1 teaspoon of Mizuba Tea matcha powder
2 cups of Coco Vita coconut water (1 regular carton)

That’s it! Shake it! Shake it! Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Ahem. That’s if you opted for the shaker bottle approach, of course. Grab a glass, fill with ice, pour and ENJOY! If you like it a little sweeter, add a dash of honey. Or if you like it a little creamier, add a splash of coconut milk on top!

Now, join me in dreaming of warm summer days.

We live in Arizona, so I can’t really complain when the temperatures get to the 60s and low 70s this time of year, but to me that’s just not warm! The desert has claimed me as her own. I get chilly in anything below 80 degrees.

Be sure to @ me on Insta if you try this recipe! Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

@sunnyjennadanielle

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Low Cal Breakfast Sandwich

January 18, 2019

Who loves breakfast?!

I do! And by breakfast, I mostly mean eggs. I’m a certified eggaholic and I have zero shame. I get pretty excited to eat eggs every morning, but need to switch it up every now and then so I don’t get burnt out–not on eggs, just on everything else, mmmkay?

This little sammich has been on heavy repeat at my house in the mornings. My step daughter loves it and asks for it every morning. “Anything with bacon.” She says. I tend to agree.

Admittedly, I burnt myself out on these about 6 months ago and they just hadn’t crossed my mind lately until my girlfriend Paige (@Paige_nicole03) featured a similar breakfast sandwich on her Insta story.

So, I copied Miss Paigey-Poo and brought them back strong.

These tasty guys are only 320 calories and make a fabulous start to your morning. Pair them with a piece of fruit and a cup of joe (or one of my matcha lattes!) and you’re setting yourself up for a super productive day.

I am not typically one to coach my clients to count their calories because it can be easy to fall into a counting obsession which is just plain unhealthy. But it’s important to understand that, in order to lose weight, no matter which diet you follow or what food you eat, you need to be taking in less calories and burning more.

So, that being said, if you’re looking for a seriously tasty, low calorie breakfast that has a little bit of every food group in it, look no further.

1 Thomas’ Multi Grain Light 100 calorie English muffin, toasted
2 slices of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon, cooked to desired crispness
1 slice pepper jack cheese
a few leaves of baby spinach
1 egg, cooked to desired doneness

If you’re weary of the spinach, I suggest you just put it on there. Baby spinach has a very mild taste and you’re getting extra greens in your diet. I like hiding baby spinach in eggs all the time, because it doesn’t really add a lot of taste.

This breakfast takes me about 15 minutes in the mornings, including clean up. That means more time for makeup, hair, kid’s hair, packing lunches, feeding pups, getting dressed, making phone calls, and generally any other crazy morning duty.

So tell me, are you a breakfast person?

Self Love

January 12, 2019

Practicing self love is not as romantic as people make it out to be.

It isn’t just about bubble baths and trips by yourself, although these are wonderful vehicles for it. Self love is about digging deep in to what feels off and figuring how you got there, adjusting your view on it, allowing yourself to see it all impartially, then working every day towards shifting the beliefs that got you there.

Yes, self love could be taking a trip alone. But then it’s about learning to be comfortable with the silence that ensues. It’s about using that silence to set down the building blocks for accepting and trusting yourself more completely. For being brutally honest with yourself and recognizing the areas you need to change in order to show up as your best self. To set all pettiness aside and learn to see others as a reflection of yourself—all connected as a global family.

Yes, there’s a lot of work involved in self love. But it’s a totally beautiful thing and I encourage you, whatever you’re experiencing, to pursue it.

Before you book that solo trip to Bali, go grab a notebook and a pen. We’re going to start journaling.

I’m not talking any “dear diary” scratchings you may have done in elementary school, although that’s somewhat of a start. Journaling is a way to lay everything out and raw in front of you in order to figure out where obstacles are coming from and if your actions are actually a reaction to them.

Copy these down in your journal and record your answers.

Admittedly, this is just the tip of the self-care iceberg. There is no wrong way to work on yourself. Learning to let go of toxicities in your life, setting boundaries, learning to say “no” without feeling like you have to explain yourself–it all takes practice and time.

What is something you’re learning to let go of?

How do you practice self care? Do you notice any internal changes when you take the time to be good to yourself?

7 Simple Life Hacks to Lose Weight

January 4, 2019

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing–that’s why we recommend it daily.” -Zig Ziglar

Losing weight can be frustrating and confusing. Keto diet? Carb-free? Atkins? South Beach? Teas?? WRAPS?? PILLS??

I’m here to tell you: chill. It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to follow some fad diet to get results. I’ve put together a list of simple life hacks to help get you started on your way to losing body fat. Will this help you lose 10 pounds overnight? If you’re looking for those kinds of results, you won’t find them on my site.

What these hacks will help you do is feel better, and get into healthier habits that can result in weight loss.

1. Don’t drink your calories.

Sodas, teas, juices, sweet coffee drinks, and alcohol are all big culprits of empty calorie intake. These can be sneaky, and add up over the course of a day. I want to be clear though: following a calorie count isn’t as important as simply nixing unnecessary sugars and carbohydrates in your diet.

2. Drink more water.

3 out of 4 Americans are dehydrated. All of the above mentioned drinks do have water in them, but in order for your body to be able to process them, it uses the water in your body to adjust the acid levels in your stomach to be able to do so. That leaves less water for your body to actually hydrate your. Dehydration can cause fat retention, headaches, brain fog and more! Drink your water!

3. Cut out fast food.

Sure, it’s quick and easy when you’re pressed for time, but fast food (along with portions, see #4) is one of the big reasons why a large majority of Americans are overweight. Look at any urban street corner and I’ll bet you can find a fast food joint. Preparing healthy snacks for yourself such as fruit, veggies with hummus, a protein bar, or boiled eggs will help when you’re pressed for time and hungry. When you eat healthy snacks throughout the day, you’re much less likely to get hangry and make an unhealthy decision. People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.

4. Portion control

American restaurants typically serve massive amounts of food. That, paired with the a clean-your-plate mentality (did your parents do that? Mine did!) equals too much food being consumed in single sittings. Your protein should be the about the size of your open palm, carbs and veggies should be the size of your closed fist. It seems small, doesn’t it? When you eat healthy snacks throughout the day, not only are you keeping your metabolism going, you’re also aiding in not overdoing it at meal time.

5. Move!

Whether you’re sitting behind a computer most of the day, or tend to watch a lot of TV, it can be easy to grow stagnant. Go for a walk after dinner, or get up and do jumping jacks during commercials. You’d be surprised how just moving you’re body a little more than normal can lead to weight loss.

6. Skip fried foods.

I’m sure you know that fried foods aren’t good for you. Yes, they taste delicious. Cooking at home can help you avoid fried foods, but when you’re dining out, it can be hard to pass them up. Remember your goals, choose a baked option instead and know you’re making a change in your body.

I say this all the time: Take it one meal at a time. Don’t get down on yourself because you ate badly yesterday. Pack your healthy snacks and do better today.

7. Stay motivated.

Zig Ziglar said it best: motivation doesn’t last. Create a vision board on Pinterest, or cut out magazine pictures and glue them into a notebook of things that motivate you. Have a goal you’re working towards? Find a picture of something that reminds you of it and put that front and center. Look at your vision board every morning to remind yourself of what you’re going to accomplish!

There you have it! They’re all very simple, really. You have to want to make the change and execute! I believe #7 is very important, especially on days when you’re feeling low or unmotivated.

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