Warm Spinach & Pepper Salad

Warm Spinach & Pepper Salad (Serves: 1)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps feta cheese
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper

Cooking Instructions:

• 1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• 2.Add peppers and sauté for 1 minute, turn heat down to medium and continue sautéing for 3 minutes.
• 3.Add garlic and lemon juice sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• 4.Add spinach. Sauté until all the spinach has wilted.
• 5.Off heat and stir in feta. Serve immediately.

Meal Type:

• Salads and Salad Dressing

Prep Time:

• 5 Minutes

Cooking Time:

• 5 Minutes

Personal Training Tip: Agility drills – Bodies By Design

Bodies by Design Fitness Tips

Jason uses Equalizers and cones to perform various agility drills, which are aimed at improving co-ordination, speed and footwork.

The first exercise is a lateral movement through a series of Equalizers. To do this one, make sure you step in the Equalizer with one foot, then the other, and then step out in the same fashion, making your way down to the end. Keep your knees nice and high as you step through. Now shuffle back to the starting point and repeat. Make sure to work both legs. The next exercise is the single-foot hops over the Equalizers. Holding one foot off the ground, jump over the Equalizer, making sure you stick each landing before performing your next jump. Jog back to the starting point and repeat on the other leg. For the first drill using the cones, get down into an athletic stance before shuffling sideways and forward through the cones. As your footwork gets better, try to improve your speed. The last exercise is another lateral movement. As you shuffle down the row of cones, lift the same leg with a high knee. Repeat with the other leg.

Baked Salmon Dijon

Baked Salmon Dijon: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fat free sour cream
• 2 tsps dried dill
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5 tsps Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon yields lemon juice
• 3 tbsps chopped scallions
• 32 oz salmon fillets

Cooking Instructions:

• 1. Whisk sour cream, dill, onion, mustard, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend.
• 2. Pre-heat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
• 3. Lightly oil baking sheet with cooking spray.
• 4. Place salmon, skin side down, on prepared sheet.
• 5.Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper, then spread with the sauce.
• 6. Bake salmon until just opaque in center, about 20 minutes.

Meal Type:

• Main Dishes

Prep time:

• 10 Minutes

Cooking Time:

• 20 Minutes

Training Myth: Fats shouldn’t be in your diet

Fat has gotten a bad rap because of its high caloric content per gram, however, there are many benefits of having fats in your diet.

There’s only one type of fat you want to avoid at all costs: trans fat. This man-made fat is not only bad for your health, but it can increase lean muscle breakdown and fat storage. The fact is, you need about 20-30% of your total calories from fats, as research shows active people with lower fat intake have lower testosterone and energy levels.

So be sure to consume monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, with foods such as avocados, nuts, olive oil, salmon and trout. The reason? These fats aren’t readily stored as body fat, they are easily burned for fuel during exercise and they stimulate fat burning.

Mark Broadfoot, Apprentice Trainer // If you want more information on Bodies By Design’s Apprenticeship Program, click here.

What should I do if I want lean muscles instead of bulky muscles?

This is one of my favourite fitness misconceptions.  You see, all muscle is lean!  Just take a look at an anatomy book and you will see what I mean!   What makes a muscle appear bulky is the amount of fat underneath the skin surrounding the muscle.  Get rid of the fat and ta-da, you have will see your “lean” muscle.  Do yourself a favour and do the pinch test.  If you can pinch it, it’s fat! 

Inspire to Aspire,

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

Will getting more sleep help me lose weight?

For most people the answer is yes.  New studies show people that don’t get enough sleep tend to weigh more.  Sleep can affect levels of the appetite regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin.  On a personal note, when I was a competitive bodybuilder I did not get much sleep, but I noticed that on the weekends when I did get more sleep I would be able to break weight loss plateaus.  How much sleep?  I recommend 6-8 hours, and it’s true that active people need more sleep then non-active people.  Sweet dreams! 

 

Inspire to Aspire,

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

Personal Training Tip: Dumbbell Boxing Circuit – Bodies By Design

Bodies by Design Fitness Tips

Bandele performs a boxing circuit using dumbbells, which effectively targets your shoulders, chest and core.

Personal Training Tip: Stability Ball circuit – Bodies By Design

Bodies by Design Fitness Tips

Megan demonstrates a four-exercise circuit using a Stability Ball that works your entire body.

This Stability Ball circuit has four exercises. Try to do 15 reps for each move. First, you’ll do pushups off the ball to target your chest, triceps and core. To make this move easier, place your hips on the ball before you place your hands on the floor to do your pushups. To make this exercise harder, the ball should be on your shins. Make sure you keep your core tight and back stable (don’t sink your back) while doing this motion. The second exercise is the back extension, which targets your lower back. Here, pick a spot near a wall as you’ll need to place your feet against the wall before you lower your hips on the ball. Place your hands behind your head and then bend at the waist, lowering your body all the way down and back up again. Remember to keep your back straight and don’t hyperextend at the top. The third exercise works the hamstrings (the large muscles on the back of your legs). Grab a mat and lie on your back with your bum close to the edge of the mat. Place your heels on top of the ball, then lift your bum up (and keep it there!) while slowly rolling the ball towards you, and then back out. To make this move harder, try it with one leg raised in the air. The fourth and final exercise is a multi-functional movement using the legs, core and shoulders during three movements – the deadlift, squat and overhead raise. While standing and holding the ball in front of you, place your feet shoulder-width apart and then bend at the waist to perform the deadlift. Then lower your bum to complete the squat. Finally, lift the ball up over your head and stand up straight.

What food does not lower your cholesterol?

If you need to lower your blood cholesterol, you need to eat more fibre.  But not all fibre affects cholesterol.  Which of the following foods will not help lower cholesterol?

See the correct answer below

a) oat bran

b) wheat bran

c) kidney beans

d) grapefruit

e) apples

Be carefull, I got this wrong the first time around!

And the answer is :  Wheat Bran!

The fibre in wheat bran is insoluble.  Insoluble fibre helps prevent constipation and may also protect against colon cancer.  Soluble fibre, which is found in oat bran, legumes and fruit, help lower blood cholesterol.

“Book a free consultation and 1 on one session”

 

Get More Tips On Health

How effective is water in reducing joint and back pain?

Scientific research indicates 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease joint and back pain for up to what percentage of sufferers?

a) 20%

b) 30%

c) 60%

d) 80%

The answer might shock you!

And the answer is: 80%!

Many people suffer from joint pain as they get older and become less active, so it’s a no-brainer that everyone should be drinking a good amount of water each day. I prefer sparkling water, for the fizz and I feel full – a great diet tip!  P.S. If your fizz choice is pop, avoid Tonic and go for Soda Water – Tonic Water has 90 calories a can, Soda has 0!


Inspire to Aspire

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

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