How To Get Fit (and Stay That Way)

It’s a good idea to start by banning the word ‘diet’ from your perception about eating healthy. Diets usually do not work. Why? People eat healthy momentarily to drop a few pounds, then return to the junk that made them fat in the first place. It’s a vicious cycle! In order to lead a healthy life – and to look lean and fit and feel awesome as a result – a ‘diet’ should result in life change in how you eat.

Today, I’m going to expose some diet misconceptions that could help clear the air on why we’re not as fit as we could be.

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Peppered Beef Jerky Burns Fat?

I’m convinced. After spending a week eating peppered beef jerky for protein (about three times a day), I looked trimmer and did in fact shed a couple pounds. Of course there were other factors – I didn’t eat junk food during that week and I walked at least 30 minutes a day for exercise – but I’m convinced that peppered beef jerky played a factor in trimming my waist and providing energy throughout the day.

A bit of research on this theory shows that the high protein content in jerky feeds your muscles and in turn burns fat. Also, anything peppered or spicy really does speed up our metabolism (ay, mex food lovers)!

Either way, jerky tastes delicious! I was a bit disappointed however when I found that most grocery store versions contain loads of sodium, sugars, and even MSG (monosodium glutamate)!

Therefore, I buy Hal’s Homemade Jerky. Hal sells his delicious, MSG-and-sugar-free jerky locally in his Oklahoma town, but it is available to the masses via Ebay. Best part? He offers free shipping on all orders, and when I received my jerky  in the mail it was sealed fresh with mini packets of spicy pepper. Thanks, Hal!

Recipe: Spicy Salmon Filet

Tonight I think I’ll do a little grocery shopping and restock my cupboards. They’re so bare, afterall, people would swear I don’t eat. It’s just that I’m not cooking enough of my own meals anymore when on-the-go options have taken precedence in my life. More on that later (I think I’ve found a miracle diet snack of sorts, stay tuned)…

Looking through my archive of recipes, I figure it to be a perfect time to start baking and steaming healthy meals again. Tomorrow night, I think I will make my honey and I a spicy salmon dinner, chock full of omega-3′s for the both of us and spices to spark his taste buds and my metabolism.

Salmon filets are a piece of cake to bake or grill, but the spicy concoction requires a bit of mixing and the following seasonings:

Spicy Salmon Rub

You can use a different type of fish or even chicken if you’re not fond of salmon. I recommend baking or grilling your meat for best nutrition.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt (optional)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

Blend the spices together in a small bowl. Coat both sides of your salmon filets or other meat with the rub. If you will be baking, place the meat into a pan lined with aluminum foil then stick in the oven for the allotted baking time. If grilling, lightly coat the pan with canola oil or water then grill for 4 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

I will serve my salmon with steamed jasmine rice seasoned with ginger and steamed asparagus. Yum, can’t wait!

We can all channel our inner domestic diva.

Thanks, Martha!

Fitness Bit: Beverage Calorie Count

I can’t help but hear a dear friend’s calorie mantra chime in my head: “Never drink your calories!”

She essentially meant that we shouldn’t drink the bulk of our calories that are high in sugars and fats. Personally, I stick to water, diet sodas, tea, and the occasional lite latte or low-carb energy drink. However, when we’re out at restaurants or bars and we want our favorite mixed drink or beer, who’s to tell how many calories we’re actually drinking – on top of the rest of our food? Thanks to WebMD and some of my own research, we’ll now an idea:

For easy reference, copy and paste this table into your computer’s word processor then print, or take notes to store in your handbag.

Nifty!

Vitamin Energy…Gives You Wings!

This weekend has been ultra relaxing with sleeping in, taking walks, and baking muffins. My apartment has smelled quite fragrant for the past couple days, with Deep Chocolate and Banana Vitalicious muffin aromas stagnant in the air. My friend Shanna has me hooked on Vitalicious treats, as we can indulge in yummy goodness that is low in fat and sugars and high in vitamins. What more could you ask for? I buy the multipack muffin mix and get creative with the recipes.

As soon as Glaceau Vitamin Energy drink hit the shelves locally this weekend, I had to try it. Tropical Citrus tastes amazing and is chock full of B vitamins plus vitamin C, caffeine, and taurine. This is definitely my new favorite energy drink. It deserves a photo op.

Haiiiiiiiii <333 (Shanna would totally get that.)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

How To Whiten Teeth Naturally

Yesterday, the unthinkable happened to me. It’s every high-maintenanced girl’s nightmare: I accidentally left the house without makeup! Let me explain.

Some people consider it taboo for a woman to do her makeup on-the-go or in public. I consider it a necessity. Because I am chauffeured around everywhere I go (the elegant way of saying that public transportation – or my boyfriend – are my primary means of transit), this is a prime opportunity to do my makeup as I tend to wake up late and hurry out the door on most mornings. To my horror, when I reached in my bag yesterday morning in the car for my Lancome cheetah print makeup tote, it was MIA! Fortunately, there was stray lip gloss in my bag. It was my only resource. My bare eyes made me look tired the whole day, despite the fact that I was awake and cheerful for the most part.

I now contend that the bare minimum a girl could need on an occassion like this are lip gloss, eyeliner or mascara (which I WILL keep spares of in my purse from now on)…and pearly whites to distract attention away from dark circles.

Which brings to me to this fabulous, all-natural teeth whitening remedy.

How To Whiten Your Teeth Naturally

We will be using strawberries! Not only are they fabulous and tasty in smoothies, the malic acid in them helps to whiten your teeth. Combine one strawberry (crushed to a pulp) with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and spread across your teeth with your finger or a clean toothbrush. Leave on for 5 minutes and then rinse well. Your teeth will be sparkling in no time.

NY-based Adina Carrel, DMD contends, “This is a fast, cheap way to brighten your smile. Be careful not to use this too often, though, as the acid could damage the enamel on your teeth.”

Loves it! It sure beats peroxide teeth whitening. Maintain your pearly whites with a white-enhancing toothpaste: GoSMILE Lemonade Smile Whitening Protection Fluoride Toothpaste. I love lemon flavored toothpastes!

Fitness Bit: Caffeinated Workouts

Did you know that incorporating a bit of caffeine into your pre-workout routine might just help you burn a few extra calories?

A small amount of caffeine – such as a cup of iced tea or your favorite diet caffeinated beverage – will help alleviate muscle aches and give you an added jolt of energy. Just what you need to keep you going longer and stronger at the gym! Don’t forget to hydrate during and post-workout with plain h2o – naturally.

Side note: Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not cause dehydration. According to FitSugar:

“Lawrence Armstrong, of the Human Performance Laboratory, concluded that moderate caffeine consumption (up to about 500 milligrams a day) did not adversely impact exercise. While caffeine is a mild diuretic, meaning it briefly increases urine production, moderate amounts are not enough to interfere with a workout by causing excessive fluid loss. Dehydration is about the balance of fluid intake and fluid loss.”

So skip the decaf before the gym and add a little pep to your step! My choice faves are Peach Ooh-La-Long Honest Tea (an organic lightly sweetened black tea) or a Diet Rockstar energy drink if I’m feeling sassy.