Quinoa and apple salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup raw whole almonds
• 1 cup white quinoa
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 1 small McIntosh apple, cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop nuts.
2. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve; drain. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir quinoa; cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until quinoa is tender but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork; let cool.
3. Whisk together honey, shallot, curry powder, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until dressing is emulsified. Add quinoa, currants, apple, mint, and nuts; toss well. Garnish with mint.

Per serving: 304 calories, 14 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbs, 154 mg sodium, 8 g protein, 5 g fiber

Source: Marthastewart.com: Quinoa-and-Apple Salad with Curry Dressing - Martha Stewart Recipes 

The Skinny on Obesity in America

This infographic really puts into perspective how big (literally) the obesity epidemic is in the US.

(Please click graphic to enlarge, if necessary.)

Source: EllipticalTrainers.org

Motivational Monday

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. " ~Henry Ford

Motivational Monday

"As we begin to take action toward the fulfillment of our GOALS and DREAMS, we must realize that not every action will be perfect. Not every action will produce the desired result. Not every action will work. Making mistakes, getting it almost right, and experimenting to see what happens are all part of the process of eventually getting it right..." ~Jack Canfield

Crockpot lentil soup

You have better things to do that spend hours cooking dinner, right? Here's a quick and easy soup that you can put in the crockpot in the morning and have dinner waiting for you when you get home in the evening.

Crockpot Lentil Soup
Serves about 4
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 tablespoons uncooked brown rice (or other grain)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Stir together all ingredients except parsley in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Tip: Use a food processor to chop the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic together to make the prep super fast.
2. Optional: Remove some of the soup and puree in a blender then return it to the pot or use a stick blender to partially puree the soup. 
3. Serve topped with fresh parsley. Goes well with a hearty whole grain bread.

Recipe adapted from "French Lentil Rice Soup" in The Costco Connection, October 2010

Trainer Tip: Running Stairs

Stair running is a great, high-intensity workout that helps build speed, power and cardiovascular fitness. Stair running is also a great addition to any agility training program because it builds quickness and foot speed while getting an excellent sprint workout.

Running stairs provides a cardiovascular benefit similar to that of running and is a great way to build sprint power. Many athletes run stairs at a stadium, but you can also look for a local outdoor stairway or a stairwell in a building with about a hundred steps.

If you haven't done stair workouts before, you should plan to start slowly and gradually build up your time and intensity. Stair running uses muscles you may not have used before and overdoing your first workout will result in unnecessary muscle soreness.

Stair Running Guidelines
- Make sure you warm up prior to your stair running workout.
- Begin by walking one step at a time.
- Avoid running stairs on your first few workouts.
- Do no more than two stair workouts a week.
- By week three you can begin running, perhaps two steps at a time.
- Use the return to the bottom as your rest interval, and then do another set.
- Work up to about ten sets per workout.
- Add stair running into you workout routine on your high-intensity training days or as part of an interval training workout.

Always stop your workout if you notice any injury warning signs.
source

Marilyn Delgado
Mama Bootcamp Elk Grove
[find your mojo]

Eating for Immunity

Please join Lorri Ann Code and Allison Brewer for this two hour workshop at Whole Foods Market in Sacramento!

Saturday, November 20th

Mama Bootcamp presents: Eating for Immunity

Noon to 2pm 

$20 to benefit WEAVE

Learn how eating well and caring for your body can bolster your immune system during cold and flu season. Think that eating healthy takes too long? Think again! This class will cover healthy meals and snacks that you can prepare quickly for your whole family. You will also learn about the importance of self-care to nurture yourself through cold and flu season and beyond.

To register for this class online, click here.

Eat THIS not THAT

Lorri Ann and food coach Allison Brewer (aka AlliBrew) appeared on Fox 40 to give some pointers on healthier eating. Some of the information just might surprise you! Click on the links below to see the show.

Breakfast


Lunch/Dinner


Is it just me, or did watching that make you HUNGRY (for good food, of course).

Motivational Monday

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." ~Ambrose Redmoon

Sunday Success Story!

Pauline Chetcuti is rocking Mama Bootcamp! She just finished her first 12 week session and is on the way to the wedding dress of her dreams. She's lost 18 pounds, 11% body fat and 32.5 inches since she's started, not to mention 2 pants sizes! Pauline has consistently gone to bootcamp three times a week, and her goal for her next session is to attend 4 times a week. She has started jogging, is rocking the 8 pound weights and stacked side plank position.

Way to go Pauline!

Take a deep breath!

Here's a training tip from yoga coach Maria:

Breathing is one of the greatest POWER tools we have. It connects us to the life of our bodies, relaxes our minds and increases oxygen.

Take 3 deep breaths and hold for the count of 10 on the third breath. Repeat 5 times 3 times a day!

Name 3 things you are grateful for!

Decide to live a Healthy and Happy Day Every Day!

Motivational Monday

"Your prime purpose in this life is to help others.  And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. " ~Dalai Lama

Success Stories from Elk Grove

Sara Rouse lost 1.7% body fat and 5.75 inches in 6 weeks! She is also working towards a 10 minute mile (her starting mile was 12:19, she is already down to 11 minutes, having shaved off a full 1:19)!

Tonya Fowler lost 1% body fat and 11 inches

Kristi Petrinovich lost 1.4% body fat and 3.5 inches

Awesome job ladies!