Kale Salad

RECIPE: KALE SALAD

Many nutrition experts now recommend getting 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. This filling recipe is a great way to meet this requirement and fuel your workouts with a wealth of healthy fats, omega-3 fats, vitamins and other nutrients! Best of all, it's another recipe that you can make in 10 minutes or less, and it keeps well in the fridge for next-day leftovers! Reach for this salad when you're craving a flavourful, healthy snack, or combine it with lean protein for lunch or dinner. The ingredients for this salad are just a starting point. Feel free to add any other plant foods you enjoy, such as peppers, tomatoes, olives, berries, or broccoli.

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch organic Kale, any variety

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar ( read the label before you buy your balsamic. Many have added sugar)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 clove minced garlic

1 cucumber, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries (juice-sweetened) or raisins

salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans

DIRECTIONS FOR THE KALE SALAD RECIPE:

Rinse and wash kale, and chop into fine ribbons. Put the kale in your salad bowl, and massage with your hands to soften the kale's tough texture. You'll feel the kale begin to soften. Once it has, combine all other ingredients, toss, and enjoy!

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The Perks of Hiring a Personal Fitness Trainer at Home:

Posted on: 05-2-2012 by: Darren

The Perks of Hiring a 

Personal Fitness Trainer at Home:

Going to the gym regularly is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Unfortunately, not all people have the luxury of time to actually go to the gym and exercise.

For those who still want to maintain a great level of physical fitness, you can actually hire a trainer who is willing to visit you in your own home. There are a lot of advantages and benefits when hiring a trainer and having them visit your place instead of you going to the gym.

Here are some:

• First of all, this step makes it more convenient for you as the client.
• Because your trainer will be the one to drop by your home, you can plan your workouts according to your schedule.
• You need not to drive yourself to the gym right after work or drive home after each session because the personal trainers will be in your abode as per schedule.
• There are many people who prefer home fitness training programs because they are able to concentrate on the movements and workouts. Basically they will not be getting distracted.
• If you are at home, you become more attentive to the trainer and you can follow his instructions easily without feeling so conscious because no one else is watching you.
• Another great thing about hiring an in home personal trainer is that you can actually exercise within the comforts of your own home. This means that you do not have to wait for other people to finish using the machines and you are also sure that the equipment and materials that you are using are clean and safe.
• Because the fitness training is personal, you can personalize the program to fit your lifestyle. The trainer can even tailor a specific training program for you if you want to improve certain areas of the body like the thighs and the stomach.
• After the workout, you can immediately take a warm shower in your own home and wear comfortable outfits. You do not have to shower with other people and drive back when you are too tired from the workout

Recipe: The Triple T, A.K.A Tasty Tahini Tuna

Posted on: 05-6-2012 by: Darren

Recipe: The Triple T,  A.K.A Tasty Tahini Tune

Tuna salad has earned a bad health rap in delis and restaurants, thanks to its tendency to be drowned in Mayo – a nasty source of fat and preservatives.  This version of Tuna salad is mayo-free, packed with nutrition, and best of all, can be made in about 8 minutes. Get creative by wrapping it up in sheets of nori  (sheets of dried seaweed that can be purchased in most grocery stores and health food stores). Here’s what you need to make 2 servings: Tuna Salad Recipe: 1 can of flaked light tuna (vegans and vegetarians can use one cup of chickpeas pulsed in a blender) 1.5  Tbsp tahini 1 tbsp lemon juice ( try to use fresh. The bottled varieties often contain nasty preservatives) 1 Tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil 1 green onion, finely chopped 1/2 avocado, sliced or cubed 1 tsp dried cranberries – try to go for those sweetened in apple juice to avoid refined sugar 3 leaves kale, any variety. (you can sub the kale for spinach, swiss chard, or any other leafy green) cucumber ( or any other veggies) for garnish 1-2 sheets of nori (optional) 1 tbsp fortified nutritional yeast (optional) salt to taste Pour tuna into a bowl, and mix with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil. Wash kale and massage until kale softens.  Add onion, avocado, cranberries and kale, and toss. Garnish with veggies of your choice, and enjoy! Here’s Why You Should Eat This! Besides being fast and easy to prepare, this dish is a nutritional powerhouse that you can feel great about putting in your body! Kale is widely regarded as one of the healthiest foods in the world, providing protection against diseases like cancer and heart disease. It’s a great source of beta carotene, calcium and vitamin C, and many other vital nutrients. The avocado and olive oil provide your body with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) – that’s good fat that protects your heart and immune system, while the tuna gives you protein, as well as a dose of omega-3 essential fats. The onions provide anti-inflammatory effects, while the Nori gives your body iodine and carotene. Cranberries for garnish nourish you with vitamin C,  the cucumbers are a rich source of potassium, and tahini contains B vitamins and significant amounts of calcium.   Finally, the fortified nutritional yeast, which can be purchased at most health food stores, is loaded with vitamin B12.  Have this salad for lunch, or as a light meal after a workout with your Build Yourself trainer!

Summer Workouts

Summer is finally here and it’s time to enjoy the nice weather, get those running shoes on and hit the outdoors.

This time of year opens many opportunities for outdoor exercise.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Walking- 30 minutes a day

2.  Jogging- jog for 5 minutes, walk for a minute and repeat. Great way to give your body an “interval training (change of speeds) workout”.

3.  Hikes- go out with the family for the day and enjoy the outdoors! This will give your legs a tremendous workout.

4. Hill training (a park would be a great place to do this)- running up hills, lunges, do continuous squats till the top of a hill. All of these are great work- out ideas for hill training.

5. Swimming at the beach of pool.

6. Try a more exciting workout- rollerblading, biking, volleyball or any other out doors sport.

7. You could also have a workout session outdoors (just ask your personal trainer in advance).

Just remember to hydrate between sets and bring a towel with you because…

YOU ARE GOING TO SWEAT!!!!!!!!

Why do I need a personal trainer?

If you are already asking yourself this question you have probably found yourself attempting many times to stick to a workout schedule and have for some reason or another not achieved success. For many people it is very difficult to follow a regular workout regime. This is where the personal trainer comes in.

A personal trainer can:

• Help you set realistic goals for yourself

• Create a workout plan to meet your needs

• Monitor your workouts to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly, and to provide you with feedback and motivation.

• Make sure you are doing the exercises using the correct techniques in order to prevent injuries.

• Assist you with their expertise in using new equipment.

• Assess your execution of the exercises to ensure-

• you are staying within in your body’s limits

• or challenge you with more difficult exercises

• provide creativity and a fun factor to your workouts (no one wants their workouts to become boring or mundane)