Gluten Free Friday - Jenna's an amazing cook!

As always... TGIF!

It's a rainy day here, which always really affects my productivity. Every rainy day feels like a movie day! Alas, was up at 5am to train some clients, train myself and put in some work with the online business! Eating my breakfast while working on some documents, I was asked what it tasted like.... I replied with "progress!"

On Wednesday I had an amazing dinner and visit with Janina, and our two friends that we met on our Dominican trip, Marcos and Jenna. Jenna was so cute when inviting us to dinner, concerned about our specific diets and any allergies.... what a great host! She made such a good meal that I have to share all 3 courses with you... and the drinks! I will do so over the next few Gluten-Free Fridays.


Girls in Dominican

For the first course, Thai Mango Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
2 firm mangoes
1 sweet red pepper
2 carrots , coarsely grated
4 cups torn mixed greens
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint

Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp grated lime rind
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper



This isn't the actual salad. I waited until the end of the night to tell Jenna, "I'm writing a blog about you!" I didn't want to scare her off BEFORE she served the food :) It looked pretty like this and was delish!

Prep

In skillet, toast peanuts over medium heat until fragrant and dark golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

Peel, pit and thinly slice mangoes lengthwise. Seed, core and thinly slice red pepper. Set aside.

Dressing: In large bowl, whisk together oil, lime rind and juice, spy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Add mangoes, red pepper, carrots, mixed greens, green onions and mint; toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with peanuts.


Source : Canadian Living Magazine: May 2005

Thirsty Thursday - Cinnaberry

Hey everyone!

I'm on the go today - seems like shortened weeks just mean more to get done in a day! I enjoyed the long weekend, though. From the city, to the cottage, to the gym and just taking my time and not rushing. On Monday I prepped my meals in anticipation of a busy week and not being able to make it home, or have access to a blender. Today, I am mixing my shakes with water and a strawberry flavour packet. However, I had this Vanilla Cinnaberry shake earlier this week and wanted to share! It's a good option, and cinnamon has been shown to have numerous health benefits.

Cinnamon can help to regulate blood glucose making it an excellent choice for diabetics or those with hypoglycemia. For others, it will help regulate energy levels. Furthermore, it aids with reducing LDL cholesterol levels. This will contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html#ixzz234oGjIPJ



Vanilla Cinnaberry Shake

2 Scoops Vi-Shake Mix
3 tsp cinnamon
5 frozen strawberries
8 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Have you started your challenge yet!
It`s simple.
Set a health goal. Grab your nutrition kit...
Blend it, drink it and be fit!
www.allicain.bodybyvi.com

Gluten Free Friday - Frozen Protein Peanut Butter Bites

Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, Kamut and triticale. Some people have an intolerance to it. A large degree of the population does not assimilate dairy very well, either, says nationally known nutritionist and bestselling author Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.

Eliminating foods the body is intolerant of, such as dairy and wheat, can be helpful in a variety of ways. For example, the body is better able to absorb nutrients, Gittleman says.
However, not everyone reacts to a food intolerance in the same way, Gittleman notes, so other benefits of removing the offending food will vary.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/29606-benefits-wheat-dairyfree-diet/#ixzz21vB4c4Lu

This is a great gluten free treat to keep in your freezer when you are craving something sweet. Recipe was sent to me from Nicole B. Thanks Nicole!

Frozen protein peanut butter bites

2 scoops Sweet Creme protein powder
2 cups crunchy all natural peanut buetter
2 tbsp flax seed
2 mashed bananas
Carob chips (optional)

Make into balls and freeze!

Thanks!!

Helloooooooo everyone!

Today is a rise and grind kind of day! Sprang out of bed because I'm always excited to have my morning coffee and protein shake, then went to teach 6am and 8am Boot Camp. I fit in a quick circuit training workout afterwards.

I was talking to a former teammate of mine last night about how our training styles have changed so much since playing bball. For me, I no longer lift super heavy. I stick to higher reps and lower weight. Now, lower weight doesn't mean light weight.. it just means an appropriate amount of weight for the 15-20 reps I am doing. I find my body responds much better to this type of training and I perform better in races by doing so.

I left work today just feeling elated! It's mix of the summer weather, all of the fun I have been having with my family and friends, my purposeful workouts and the amazing people I get to train with. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to be be building a career, while I study for another peice that I can add to the fitness business. I want to say THANKS to everyone for working so hard. MERCI beaucoup to those of you who make health and fitness a priority and GRACIOUS for allowing me to be a small part of your life!

I made this video to express with my voice what I cannot with my words haha


I also made this banana bread, let's call it
ACAIN's gluten free banana bread
(because I've always wanted to stick my name on something).




It's made with healthier ingredients, some of which are superfoods on their own!

1 cup extra virgin olive oil - healthier option than butter/marg (monounsaturated fat)
10 drops stevia - plant-based sweetener, 0 cals, antioxidant
2 (1/4cup) egg whites - source of protein
1/4 cup greek yogurt - source of protein, I used a lactose free kind
2 mashed bananas - high potassium, low sodium so is helpful for prevention of high blood pressure
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour - I use Bob's Red Mill and this is good for those with celiac disease, or a sensitivity to gluten
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/8 cup salba - source of protein, antioxidants and high fibre
1tbsp cinnamon - helpful for maintaining blood sugar levels
Handful chocolate chips (optional)- because they're delicious and I wanted to.

Mix the wet ingredients together, the dry ingredients together and the add together. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins and enjoy.




It was painful for me to actually measure the ingredients, but I wanted to post this so you could make it too! lol Any banana bread fans out there?

Nothing matters but the weekend from a Tuesday point of view

This post is fueled by alcohol. No, I'm not day drinking.... but I had a few conversations this morning about everyone's weekend and obviously with it being summer, weekends revolve around drinks, food and overindulgence! When the regular routine comes back on Monday, you don't want to be a) experiencing a 2-day hangover or 2) only fit into your winter hibernation clothes. So, I've put together some tips.


Drink clear liquor. Might mean you’re playing flip cup with vodka.... be careful! While maintaining your fitness would ideally mean no alcohol whatsoever…. that’s not practical for many. So, stick to your clear liquors, like vodka which is about 60cals a shot. Beer and coolers are notoriously high in cals and sugar… so be proactive in your battle on bulge and if you drink, make it a clear liquor. Also, someone alerted me to the fact that Canada 67 beer is decent too!


Avoid snacking. I might be a snackasaurus rex, but I'm trying to make my breed extinct. Saying no to snacking is like Kim Kardash saying “no” to money. However, meals in the summer time, and long weekends specifically, tend to be ginormous. Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, potato salad, corn on the cob etc. etc. If you avoid the in between, just something-to-do snacking on chips and pop… and either wait for your meal or try something more nutritious then you can keep your total day calorie intake in check and still enjoy the wonders of the BBQ (and hopefully your sexy grillmaster/cabana boy) offers you!




Join in the fun! Frisbee, volleyball, wakeboarding….. all great summer activities that burn cals. Get out there and play!





Plan your workouts in accordance to partying. Get in a workout before AND after you drink/eat your body weights worth of burgers. This isn’t the way to make progress with your fitness, but it will keep you from gaining too much.


Healthy, active living is the best lifestyle!

P.S. Make the healthy choice and opt for MAN CANDY instead ! :)

Kitchen Workout - Healthy Fudge

Sunday Funday!

This heat is really messing up my routine... I want to give full effort with my race training and find that running in the heat causes me to come up with a hundred excuses to cut my runs short. So, I have been waiting until 8-9pm to train.

With all of my time during the day, I have been experimenting with healthy baking! My latest experiment was Protein Fudge.



5 Scoops Vi Shape Shake Mix

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

8 drops Liquid Stevia

1 tbsp Peanut Butter

1/4 Sliced almond

2-4 tbsp Almond Milk (I used chocolate)

To make the fudge, combine all ingredient in a box and mix together until stiff. Flatten into a pan and put into freezer for at least an hour!

I broke these into little pieces so they were easy to grab, and had it along with my shake for breakfast and lunch today. Obv use it as a treat and don't go overboard!

Yummy healthy alternative!

On another note I am looking to hire some health and wellness enthusiasts to help me build my fitness and nutrition business! If you are looking to make some income in your spare time and enjoy living a healthy active lifestyle, we should chat! Email allison@acaintraining.com

Elaine's Boot Camp and Body By Vi experience

Last September, my husband and I moved to Newmarket and I finally decided to use this moving month to make some changes in my fitness and lifestyle that were a couple of years overdue!

I found Alli through a simple on line search for a bootcamp and decided to give it a try. I was not looking for a gym with a lot of people or an individual program as I do best with a small group plus it is more affordable!

My first day was tough as it had been awhile (as I explained to Ali) but I had been my best a couple of years before this and was pretty sure I could do it again. It was time! Alli reminded me to do what I could, baby steps and the rest would come. Of course she was right. I loved that I finished the first session..that was a good step. The rest was to build up my endurance, and keep going.

Did I mention that I also had my 50th birthday in February and this was also my commitment to myself for my 50th year  . To be healthy and fit again. Menopause had also arrived early - bringing with it lots of hormonal changes, little energy, etc..I needed to do this first step in hopes that it would help with the rest.
It’s now 8 months later and all is going great – down two sizes and 30lbs. Thank you Alli for such a great boot camp! I love the classes and really enjoy the creativity in each one. The fact that each class is different is also what keeps me coming back. Each exercise is always explained in detail and this really helps me to hopefully do it right. I never knew you could do so much with a medicine ball , kettlebell, TRX and weights, etc.

I still have a ways to go..and will reach my next step as well.

Your recommendations on healthy eating program, etc has also helped and provided the energy I needed to get back into things.. I travel a lot and run a business with my husband so we are constantly on the road for both work and our own personal passion of travel. The Vi progam has also helped me to get back on track with an easy breakfast and lunch and additional energy. I’m now sharing with friends who are asking me what I’ve been doing. ..

I wished they all lived in Newmarket and we could add another boot camp class to the week!

Thanks again,
Elaine
(Elaine Carnegie, Newmarket, ON)

Thanks for sharing, Elaine! Your transformation has been incredible! You are doing this the right way; setting small, measurable goals and ticking them off one by one before setting a new one. I am proud of you!

Summer Break

Hellooo friends!

Today was the best day! Like I said in my last post, my only responsibility is getting myself to the Gym and that I did! I am trying out a 12 Week Live fit program, so got in my strength training workout after I trained a few ladies this morning. Afterwards, I had to drop my car off at the mechanic, so I decided to run home.

Then, I spent the afternoon reading for pleasure! Hasn't happened in quite some time! Throw in some healthy baking (see recipe below), and BBQing some chicken breasts and I had quite the productive afternoon.

My friend Sam had a free week pass to a new gym that just opened in Newmarket, so after I read we went over there to explore. Second workout of the day was plyo/core based and went like this:

10-15-20-15-10
Box Jumps
Dynamic Side Plank
Pushups
Jump Lunges
Bicep Curl to press

Sammy and I then did 10x 30 second on/30 off sprints on treadmill. I ran between 10-11.5 and was gassed by the end. But the workout didn't stop there! The new gym has a bball court, so we went in and shot around, and ended up playing 4 on 4 with some guys for another hour! I love this! Nothing better than playing sports, I'm lucky I have a friend like Sam who is into tough workouts and sports:)

Now I'm home and eating my bodyweight in chicken and veggies lol I am so hungry! I had a shake for breakfast and a shake post workout #1, but skipped lunch today because I was so into my book ! haha Making up for the loss now :)

Me, Sam and Katie at the Jays game



Here is the recipe!

Carrot Cake Protein Bars
Calories: 94
Fats: 1.25 grams
Carbs: 10 grams
Protein: 10 grams

Ingredients:
•1 cup oat flour (I used spelt flour)
•2 scoops body by vi sweet crème protein powder
•2 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/4 tsp salt
•1/8 tsp allspice
•1/8 tsp nutmeg
•4 egg whites
•3/4 cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
•8 oz baby food carrots (Today, I used bananas)
•4 oz water

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
3.Mix egg whites, Splenda, baby food carrots and water (optional) in a bowl.
4.Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5.Spray glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
6.Pour ingredients into dish.
7.Bake 20-30 minutes.

Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving
Source: www.bodybuilding.com

I chose to use the Body By Vi protein powder, I've baked with different brands before, and you can usually taste that "healthier" taste (lol) to something where protein powder has been substituted for flour.. I didn't really notice with this recipe any difference between regular muffins. I baked one for Sam and her family too... Sam what did you think about yours?

SEEEEEEE YA BYEEEEEEE