Seasonal produce

Eating produce that is in season where you live offers a multitude of benefits. Not only will you be eating "green" by reducing the amount of travel that your food requires to get to your table, but your health will benefit as well. Produce that is grown near where it is sold is fresher, healthier (fewer nutrients are lost because it hasn't traveled for days to get to you), and tastes better. 

Here are a few resources to help you find fresh produce near you:

• Local Harvest will help you to locate farmers' markets and family farms near you
• What's in season? This list (also available on the Mama Bootcamp Printable Resources page) will help you build your shopping list!
• Placer Grown- if you live near Placer County, California, this website is incredibly helpful!

Motivational Monday

"Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you."

~ Marsha Norman

Trainer tip - Music is Motivational!

CREATE A MOTIVATING PLAYLIST!!!!

Published 06/06/2008 in Runner's World Mag
Playlist plan: Strong lyrics

Why it works: A 2006 study at York St. John University in the U.K. found that students could hold a 2.4-pound weight straight out in front of their bodies at shoulder height for up to 10 percent longer when they listened to motivational pop or rock music for an entire torturous session. The all-music workout beat out listening to white noise and listening to music for only part of the time. But the key is to choose tracks with lyrics that get you amped you up--yes, even if they include the words "Don't Stop Believin'."

I think any sane woman would enjoy the motivational ditties below. But I won't be offended if you decide to sub in a few of your own go-to tunes; pretty much anything you recklessly belt out in the shower or your car is on the money. One tip: Songs that mention specific actions ("Jump!"), particularly those that include body parts ("Put your hands in the air!"), will really light a spark under you when you're struggling to finish that final set of lunges.


Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Like a G6 - Far East Movement
So Big - Iyaz
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Only Girl - Rihanna
Club Can't Handle Me - FloRida
Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk
I Gotta Feelin - Black Eye Peas
Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Take It Off - Ke$ha

That's 10 of Coach Marilyn's picks - what are YOURS?

"Eat this, not that!" shopping list

A while back, Lorri Ann Code and Allison Brewer appeared on Fox 40 news in a segment called "Eat this, not that!" The story featured high fat and calorie foods and offered quick and easy alternatives that were much healthier. (See segments here). 

Here is a shopping list for those quick and easy meals! (You can download a printable copy by clicking here.)

Meal	Ingredients
Homemade tacos	-Lean ground turkey or can of black beans
	-Mexican seasoning
	-Corn tortillas
	-Romaine lettuce
	-Chopped tomatoes
	-Shredded cheese (optional)
	-Avocado slices or guacamole
Homemade wrap	-Whole grain lavash bread
	-Hummus or cream cheese
	-Chopped/shredded veggies (lettuce, spinach, carrots, cabbage, onion, etc.)
	-Turkey deli meat or toasted veggie burger
Veggie burger	-Veggie burger patties
	-100 calorie burger thins
	-Lettuce, tomatoes, onions
Sweet potato oven fries	-Garnet yams
	-Olive oil
Breakfast pita	-Whole grain pita (1/2 per person)
	-Scrambled eggs
	-Shredded cheese (optional)
	-Chopped veggies
Pita pizza	-Whole grain pita
	-Canned chopped tomatoes or pasta/pizza sauce
	-Shredded cheese
	-Chopped veggies
Breakfast pita with cream cheese and/or jam	-Breakfast pita (any flavor)
	-Cream cheese (optional)
	-100% fruit jam (optional)

Food Rules

These tips are taken from (some paraphrased) Michael Pollan's "Food Rules". The book goes into detail about each of these (and more- there are 64, total). Some of these are funny but they are all very true!

1. Eat food. Mostly Plants. Not too much.
2. Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
3. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot.
4. Avoid food products that make health claims.
5. Pay more, eat less.
6. Eat slowly, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.
7. If it arrives through the car window, it isn't food.
8. Eat all the junk food you want--as long as you cook it yourself.
9. Avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or that include d) high-fructose corn syrup.
10. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.
11. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. (Use the Farmer's Market)
12. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
13. You are what, what you eat, eats too.
14. Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.
15. Do all your eating at a table.
16. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does. (Think "snack shop" at Chevron!)
17. Consult your gut. (Eat until you’re 4/5 full.)
18. Cook and, if you can, plant a garden.
19. Be the kind of person who takes supplements. (Although don’t necessarily take supplements).
20. Eat more like the French. Or the Italians. Or the Japanese. Or the Indians. Or the Greeks.
21. Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism.
22. Don’t look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet.
23. Have a glass of wine with dinner.
24. Pay more, eat less.
25. Eat Meals.
26. Eat wild foods when you can: Wild greens have higher levels of useful phytochemicals and omega-3 fatty acids. Wild fish have higher omega-3 levels than grain-fed farmed fish.
27. If it’s a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.
28. Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of your milk.
29. Buy smaller glasses and plates.
30. It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Chee-tos or Pringles.)
31. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it.
32. Break the rules once in a while.

Motivational Monday

"Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself."

~ Suzanne Somers

Eating for Immunity class THIS SATURDAY!

Join Lorri Ann Code and Allison Brewer for this two hour workshop at Whole Foods Market in Sacramento. Space is limited, to please SIGN UP TODAY!

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.

For questions, please contact Lorri Ann or Allison. We hope to see you there!

Split Pea Soup

Looking for healthy comfort food that's easy to make? Try this split pea soup from GetNatured!

Simple Split Pea Soup
1 1/2 cups split peas (green, yellow, or a mix), sorted and rinsed
6-8 cups of water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1-3 tsp liquid smoke (to taste, optional)
Sea salt (about 1 Tbsp) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions and carrots. Saute until the onions are lightly browned.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour. Serve the soup topped with homemade croutons.

To make croutons, I chopped up the heals of a few loaves of bread that were lingering in my fridge for just such an occasion. I tossed them with olive oil, salt, fresh chopped parsley, and minced garlic and baked them at 300 degrees until they were crunchy (about 25 minutes, turning once or twice).

Tip: Double the recipe and portion out leftovers into single serving reheat contains for easy grab-and-go lunches!

Motivational Monday

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
~Walt Disney

Kim found her MOJO!

Here's her story:


A year ago I decided to make some major changes in my life. While I did not have any serious health issues, I was overweight, had high blood pressure, was exhausted and out of shape. I decided it was time to focus on my health along with transitioning from a corporate career to purpose-driven ventures. For the past decade I had been completely focused on my family and my career which left little to no time for myself. I was an occasional runner but did not make it the priority that it needed to be to keep healthy and fit.

As I left my corporate job and decided to renovate my life, I looked into ways to get in shape. I was turning 50 this year and wanted to set fitness goals for myself. I decided to join a bootcamp and train to become a tri-athlete. I looked at various options and chose Mama Bootcamp. I like working out with other women for the camaraderie and support. I also liked that many of the women were first time tri-athletes so I was in good company.

As I began training with Mama Bootcamp I was apprehensive about the swimming part of the Tri training. I am a strong swimmer, I grew up at the beach in San Diego, but I had never swam competitively and, hence, did not have form or technique. The boot camps began and it was very difficult at first. I had not had any strength training or regular core workouts in a long time. It was difficult to do even some of the basic exercises, but I stuck with it and went to 2 to 3 boot camps a week and then started the Tri training a month later. The coaches were very motivating and made the work outs fun.

It has been an amazing experience! I competed in 4 triathlons over the summer, I climbed the back side of Half Dome in Yosemite, I hiked 100 miles over 9 days and I am training to run the California International Marathon in December. I am in the best shape I have ever been in for a very long time, possibly my entire life! In the 6 months I have worked out with Mama Bootcamp I have lost a total of 53 inches and reduced 9% body fat. Working out with the coaches and women of Mama Bootcamp has been a life changing experience. It is a fun and supportive environment where I am getting in shape and spending time with amazing women.

I look back at my last ten years and I affectionately refer to them as my ‘Fat Forties’….Now I look at turning 50 this year and I call this next decade my ‘Fit Fifties’…I can’t wait for all the adventures that I am fit to enjoy!!

Kim in 2009:
Kim in 2010 (on Half Dome!):

And here's Kim herself:

Bored with food? Go exploring!

Does your grocery list look the same every time you go to the store? It's time to shake things up!

 

Here are two things to try:

1. Try one new veggie and/or fruit each week. Peruse the produce section of your supermarket to find something that you haven't had before (or haven't had in awhile). Pomegranates are beginning to appear in stores- how long has it been since you had one? (Tip for opening a pomegranate.) 
2. Visit the bulk foods section and choose a new-to-you whole grain. Use in place of rice in a dish, top with roasted veggies, or serve warm for breakfast with fruits and nuts. One excellent grain to try is farro.  

Need some help with cooking new grains? Check out this website.

Feel free to share you discoveries and recipes in the comments!

Motivational Monday

"Its never to late to be who you might have been."

~George Elliot