Leah Sarago Fitness

New Recipe of the Week: Guilt-Free Apple Crisp

leadestiny729 — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:35:32 +0000

This guilt-free dessert is easy to make and delicious! This recipe was designed for individual portions, so mini pie plates for perfect for this dessert. The problem with making dessert a lot of times is there is too much unless you are serving a crowd, so this recipe offers a generous portion that keeps your sweets in moderation for the day! I use Saigon cinnamon because it tastes the best.

From Leah’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

Makes 2 servings (use two mini pie plates or ramekins)

1 large apple peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon apple juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Saigon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two small individual pie plates or 2 ramekins. Combine all of the ingredients above and pour into pie plates. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. While baking, combine the crisp topping ingredients below and remove foil from pie plates after 30 minutes. Evenly distribute half of the crisp topping for each pie plate and bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes. Serve with a small scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream.

Crisp Topping:

1/4 cup + 1 TBS. old fashioned oats.

1/2 TBS. flour

1 TBS. butter

1/2 teaspoon Saigon Ground Cinnamon

1 TBS. packed brown sugar

Recipe of the Week: Indian-Inspired Grilled Chicken Skewers

leadestiny729 — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:41:30 +0000

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenderloins

1/2 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt

1/2 TB. fresh grated ginger

1 medium garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coriander

dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all of the marinade ingredients except the chicken in a bowl. In a large plastic bag that can be sealed, combine the marinade mixture with the chicken and coat well before refrigerating for at least three hours or overnight. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes and prepare the grill. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Insert one skewer in each tenderloin and discard the marinade mixture. Grill the chicken skewers. This is nicely served with grilled vegetables and basmati rice.

Optional: You can use this marinade as the dipping sauce by making more and thinning the consistency by adding some fresh lime juice. Keep the sauce refrigerated. Make sure to discard the the yogurt mixture marinade containing the raw chicken.

Why do planks and pushups cause wrist pain?

leadestiny729 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:11:52 +0000

It takes time to build strength in the wrists during mat work. At first, supporting your body weight may feel tiresome to the wrists. It may be a matter of a few pointers to prevent wrist pain during mat work, or possibly your wrist extension range of motion needs to improve before supporting your weight in this position. Please be advised that if you suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or have a past injury to the wrist that is causing pain, you may need to eliminate plank work on the hands completely and instead perform forearm plank or downward-facing dog on the forearms (dolphin pose). Take rests as needed or alternate forearms and hands until you feel no pain in the wrists. Please read the pointers below to help prevent pain in the wrists while building strength and flexibility at the same time. Remember, listen to your body!

FORM POINTERS:

Make sure you are not on carpet or a thick foam mat. This will cause too much extension at the the wrist. Use a good yoga mat on a hard wood surface.

Avoiding cupping of the palms or lifting of the fingers. Press through the index finger, thumb, and the palm of the hand to alleviate pressure. It is very common for the fingers to lift off the floor while the heel of the hand takes all of the force and this will cause pain.

Keep the shoulder and wrist aligned over one another to avoid straining the shoulder joint and the wrist.

If you are beginning mat work for the first time, take breaks as needed and stretch out the wrists in between exercises. You can alternate from forearm to hand for exercises. Set a goal of 4 reps on hands and 4 reps on forearms to build strength and learn the proper technique.

Activate your muscles by connecting your mind to the muscles supporting your body and performing the exercises. For example, in side plank don’t fall into the arm, press away from the floor. Take the modifications to get the form correct and to get the most of the exercises. You will get more out of an exercise performed correctly in a modified version than performing the advanced version poorly. Recruit not only the shoulders but the back, core, and biceps/triceps. Think of activating every muscle!

Advanced exercisers should take the modifications sometimes as well to continually work on form in all positions. For example, your arms may be strong to hold you in side plank but you are having difficulty keeping the abdominals fully engaged (pushing the belly out during plank). Go back to the modified version to connect the naval to spine and once you can keep the abs zipped up, you can move into the full version of the plank exercise.

Perform flexion/extension stretches for your wrists in addition to rotational movements (circle the hands).

These pointers should help get you stronger on the mat. Give yourself time to adapt and progress. Listen to your body. And, as noted above, if you have a previous injury or a condition that causes pain like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you can still get the benefits of planks on the forearms. Go to free downloads to watch a demo on forearm side plank for form pointers.

Recipe: Skinny Pasta

leadestiny729 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:44:05 +0000

Many people are still afraid to eat “pasta” on a diet, but you shouldn’t be afraid of this recipe! Moderation is always key with any food group INCLUDING protein. Overconsumption of protein beyond the recommended 10-15% of your daily recommended caloric intake will be stored as fat! In fact, your body can’t even absorb all the protein ingested with these “high protein, low carb” diets. It isn’t right to assume the more protein you eat, the more weight you will lose. This just isn’t the case. Most of the weight loss from high protein diets are water loss. This is why you see the results fast if you stick with low-carb, but gain 5 pounds after one bowl of pasta! For every one glucose molecule (carbohydrate), there are four molecules of H2O. The water molecules attached to the ingested glucose is the source of the water weight gain. Monitoring caloric intake versus expenditure is, and has always been, the most important factor for weight loss – if this is your goal. This pasta recipe works great because, not only does it offer a high amount of fiber to help keep you full, but it also contains an adequate amount of protein to moderate blood sugar levels. Additionally, it offers ALA Omega-3 (essential fatty acid that promotes heart health) from the ground flaxseed. This is my usual go-to lunch…I LOVE the Barilla Plus Pasta brand.

Here is the Nutritional Information for Barilla Plus Pasta.

Ingredients:

Barilla plus pasta one serving ( Angel Hair and Spaghetti are my favorite)

1/2 tbs olive oil

Squeeze of half of a lemon

1/2 cup Steamed broccoli

Sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta to package directions and save a small cup of pasta water. Steam broccoli and mix in with cooked pasta. Add the rest of the ingredients tossing to evenly coat. Use pasta water as needed to prevent the noodles from sticking together or preventing the pasta from tasting dry. Serve immediately.

Ballerinas with Biceps???

leadestiny729 — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:13:10 +0000

Listen…if your goal is sleek and feminine arms (which is my assumption if you are purchasing something called “Ballet Body”), then repetitive concentric bicep curls is exactly what you should NOT be doing – my workouts are designed to strengthen the biceps through isometrics and stability. If, however, your goal is bicep-specific strength and/or increased muscle girth (size) of the upper arm, then bicep curls should be included in your training regimen (but again, this is “Ballet Body”, not “Leah’s Hour of He-Man Arms”). In my experience, for feminine and functionally strong biceps, carrying bags of groceries, holding crying babies and toddlers, and hoisting loads of laundry is all the repetition and training that’s needed. And for triceps, one of the most important upper body muscle groups…there’s lots of planks and pushups

Exercise Download of the Week: Dancing Abs II Demo

leadestiny729 — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:10:11 +0000

DOWNLOAD

Recipe: Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon-Basil Horseradish Sauce

leadestiny729 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:33:47 +0000

From Leah’s Kitchen

Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon-Basil Horseradish Sauce on Whole-Wheat Couscous and Asparagus

Ingredients:

4 Wild Salmon filets

Asparagus (1 lb.)

1 Package of Whole Wheat Couscous

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup skim milk

2 TBSP. (or more to taste) horseradish

3 TSBP. fresh basil (chopped)

1 clove garlic crushed through garlic press (fresh garlic not from the jar)

1 TBSP. fresh lemon juice

Zest of half of lemon

2 tsp. soy sauce

Olive oil

Sea Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Remove salmon from the refrigerator and rest for about 15 minutes before cooking. Meanwhile, make the lemon-basil horseradish sauce by combing sour cream, milk, horseradish, 2 TBS. basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside. Keep the 1 TBSP. of chopped basil for garnish. Chop each asparagus spear into four pieces and saute in pan on medium/low heat with about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Season with a splash of lemon juice and sea salt. Cook the whole wheat couscous according to package and keep warm.. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper on flesh side. Heat 1-2 TBSP. olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat until the oil is hot and almost smoking. Place salmon flesh side down and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the flesh side is golden brown before flipping over and cooking for 3-4 minutes on other side until the salmon is opaque in the center. Serve the salmon on top of the whole wheat couscous with a doll up of horseradish sauce on top of each filet with the garnish of chopped basil. Serve with a healthy serving of asparagus to complete this meal.

Enjoy!

BBQ Nachos

leadestiny729 — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:48:15 +0000

From Leah’s Kitchen

This recipe is quick, easy, and the perfect alternative to the restaurant version. These BBQ nachos actually make a great dinner option for the whole family because this recipe is quite balanced in nutrition and who doesn’t love nachos! And, while it may seem “unhealthy” to have nachos for a snack or dinner, there is nothing unhealthy about this recipe because I use lean ground turkey or shredded chicken, reduced-fat mexican cheese, multi-grain/flaxseed tortilla chips, and a large portion of shredded lettuce. Even if you prefer a particular tortilla chip, this recipe is still healthier than the restaurant version as long as you do not completely drown the chips in cheese. I like Snyder’s of Hanover Yellow Round Corn Tortilla Chips because they are 40% less fat than regular tortilla chips. These chips definitely taste better if you want to go with just a lower calorie option. If you want to pack in more nutrition, you can use the Trader Joe’s Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips which still taste great with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. organic lean ground turkey or shredded chicken

1 package of taco seasoning (MSG-FREE)

1 bottle of chipotle bbq sauce or any bbq sauce (avoid the brands containing sodium benzoate)

1 bag of LITE Mexican Cheese Blend from Trader Joe’s or any reduced-fat mexican cheese

shredded lettuce (1 bag or 1 head of lettuce)

1 tomato chopped

1/2 red onion minced

1 avocado diced (optional)

Diced jalepenos (optional)

1/2 bag of tortilla chips

Light sour cream

Cilantro fresh or frozen cubes from Trader Joe’s

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the turkey and cook according to the taco seasoning packet. Add 1/2 -3/4 cup bbq sauce to seasoned ground turkey and simmer on low. Using a large casserole dish arrange one layer of tortilla chips with the bbq ground turkey and a sprinkle of cheese. Repeat this for 1-2 layers. Place the dish in the oven to allow the cheese to melt. In the meantime, prepare the lettuce (the pre-cut /washed lettuce shreds from the grocery store are my favorite time saver). Chop the tomato, prepare and dice the avocado, and mince the red onion. In a small bowl, combine 1/4-1/2 cup low fat sour cream with a frozen cilantro cube or chopped fresh cilantro. When the cheese is melted and some of the chips look slightly brown on the top layer after about 10 minutes, remove the nachos from the oven. Serve immediately!

To serve, spoon one serving onto a plate and top with a large helping of shredded lettuce (enough to fill a salad bowl). Sprinkle with some red onions, avocados, tomatoes, and jalepenos on top. Finish by topping with a teaspoon of the low fat cilantro-cream. Enjoy!

Exercise Sequence of the Week: Short Sequence from Cardio Arms III

leadestiny729 — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:19:24 +0000

DOWNLOAD

Soup Slimming Recipe- Homemade Chicken Egg Noodle

leadestiny729 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:26:01 +0000

This is my go-to homemade soup that I always make whenever I feel like I’m coming down with a cold. It is not only comforting but healthy for your body while you are feeling under the weather. The added bonus is that soup is very filling so you can still keep your calorie intake in check…especially when you are not feeling well enough to workout.

Ingredients:

1 organic free-range whole chicken

6 organic carrots (peeled and ends trimmed)

6 organic celery stalks (ends trimmed)

2 garlic cloves peeled (whole)

1 whole yellow onion peeled and quartered

1 bag thin egg noodles or gluten-free pasta (rice can be substituted as well)

3 eggs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

Fresh parsley chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, place whole chicken, carrots, 2 celery stalks, garlic cloves and yellow onion. Pour enough water to cover chicken and vegetables ( approximately 10 cups). Heat to a simmer on medium uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and full cooked and carrots are soft.

Using a colander large enough to hold the chicken/vegetables, pour the chicken stock through colander into a large bowl. Pour the stock back into the pot and set aside on stovetop. Throw away the garlic cloves, celery stalks, and onion. Mash the carrots with a fork to break up into smaller pieces but do not puree the carrots. Place the carrots into the pot with the chicken stock. On a cutting board, chop the remaining 4 celery stalks and add to the pot. Take a handful of fresh parsley and finely chop and add to the pot. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with parmesan cheese and set aside. Using two forks, separate the white chicken breast meat from the chicken and place on cutting board. Shred with two forks and add to the stock pot. Heat the chicken soup on medium/high to a boil and quickly whisk the egg/parmesan mixture into the boiling soup. Then quickly stir the soup to separate the eggs. Turn the soup back down to medium low and cook until the celery pieces are tender. Skim the fat and oil on top of the broth with a spoon or fat skimming tool. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a separate pot, boil water and cook the egg noodles to package directions. Do not add the noodles or rice to the soup pot because the pasta will absorb all of the liquid. Pour yourself a bowl of soup with a serving of noodles and enjoy!

NOTE: Keep the noodles in a separate container when storing as well. The soup will be more condensed after the first day, so you can add 1/2-1 cup water to each bowl of soup based on serving.