Wondering what to do with the kids at the neighborhood barbeque? With all the running around they’re doing, it’s a wonder they have time to eat at all. To keep them hydrated without slowing them down, many parents mistakenly reach for a sports drink or a soda for the quick fix. Next time come prepared with this great smoothie recipe for instant electrolyte replenishment that is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. Everyone will want a sip of this warm-weather staple.

Honeydew Kiwi Smoothie

• 1 ripe kiwi
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey)
• 2 mint sprigs, optional, for garnish

In blender, whirl melon, kiwi, lime juice and nectar until smoothly blended. If using frozen melon, divide smoothie between 2 tall, narrow glasses. If using chilled melon, pour smoothie into glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish each glass with mint sprig, if desired, and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 120 calories, 0 g. total fat (0g. saturated fat), 32 g. carbohydrate,
2 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 35 mg. sodium.

2 ears corn, cooked (boiled or grilled)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
10 basil leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

4 top sirloin steaks, about 4 ounces each

For the tomato and corn relish:
1. Cut the corn from the cob and place it in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, sugar, vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The relish can be served sold or at room temperature.)

For the steak:
1. Preheat the grill to high.

2. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.

3. Cook the steaks on the hot grill to the desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium.

4. Serve the steaks topped with the relish.

Serving Size: 1 steak with relish

Alright today is not going to be my usual type of correspondence.

I just want to share some great news with you that it’s been a truly AWESOME past couple weeks here at Personalized Fitness & Nutrition!  I hope I can send some of these ‘good vibes’ your way.

Why am I so pumped up this morning?

This past week we’ve received no less than 8 wonderful, heartfelt e-mails, letters, and cards from clients we’ve been working with for some time.  Just look at the client results!  Scroll down to May 2^nd..  You can do this people the only thing different from them to you is that they were people who followed through with their committment to live that higher quality of life.

ALL of them are just ROCKING IT right now.

And the list of success stories goes on, and on, and on.

Our clients are just killing it. Dont be left out and be featured on our next website!

And we couldn’t be more proud of em’.

Their secret is not some whiz bang new ‘shiny thing’ or some magic pill. They’ve simply been quietly and methodically, studying, implementing, and refining everything we teach them about how to build a successful fitness lifestyle over the last several months (and couple years in some cases).

Reminds me of 2 sayings I’ve had drilled into me over and over again my entire life.

“Hard work pays off”

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do”  Thanks Dad!

It doesn’t matter where you are today, or what you’re dealing with at the moment that may seem like a ‘crisis’ right now. You can and will RISE ABOVE IT!

If you just stay focused, work hard, YOUR time will come…. and when it does, oh boy, are you in for a well deserved rocket ride.

It might take a few weeks, a few months. or a few years…. but it WILL happen.

You have the power to create the future you want for your business, your life, and your family.

And it’s our pleasure to continue supporting you in any way we can to make that happen.

 Here’s to a great week and I hope this message gives you a ‘pick me up’ today if you needed one.

To your success,

Mark

P.S. One more thing and word of advice. If you’re frustrated with where you’re at today, then congratulations. That’s a GOOD thing! Train with higher intensity LESS Talk, and adhere to the nutrition and water prescription.

Because that frustration and discomfort will fuel you to continue working hard and accomplish what is necessary to grow.

One of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Franklin is “The best thing we can do for the poor is make them so uncomfortable in their poverty that they have the desire to grow beyond it”

So.. if you’re uncomfortable with your current circumstances… GREAT!

Use that energy as fuel to grow!

As a reminder this is Memorial Day Weekend.  Please remember to be safe and some back healthy next week.  We will be closed on Monday but will train as usual on Friday and Saturday!

 Happy Birthday Shawn….  (one of my brothers) I dont think he reads this though..   

This recipe is as refreshing as it is nutritious. Plump black lentils mixed with chunks of mango, strawberries, tomatoes and onions will tease your taste buds into submission. A splash of balsamic vinegar is the only flavoring that this colorful salads needs. Serve as a side dish or as a light meal.
Yield: 3 serving Here’s what you need…

• 1 cup black lentils, cooked
• 1 medium mango, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 6 medium strawberries, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the lentils in a medium bowl. Chop the fruit and onions, add to lentils.
2. Add balsamic vinegar to the lentils and fruit, mix until well combined.

Nutritional Analysis:

Eating for Looks & Life

Nutritional habits play an extremely important role in how you look and ultimately how you feel. Everyone needs to eat basic and nutritional foods everyday in order to survive. However, if your goals expand beyond everyday survival (such as fat loss or weight gain), then your requirements for such things as calories (energy), fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water can change dramatically.

Whether your goals are to simply eat for good health or to become a competitive bodybuilder, eating the right foods and maintaining a consistent and proper diet can become a difficult task. It may even appear to be impossible to eat the right foods and follow a nutritious diet with all that you have going on in your life. But ignoring or making no effort to manage your nutrition can have devastating consequences on your body.  

Here is a sample of a seven day diet…

KNOW THIS IS NOT EVERYONE PORTION SIZES OR RATIOS which is PERSONALIZED for you keeping in mind your goals..etc  This plan is for a VERY Active young adult who is competive.

Breakfast
1 cup cooked oatmeal with ¼ blueberries
3 egg whites scrambled with Pam olive oil spray

Snack
Fat-free yogurt with strawberries
7 to 10 almonds

Lunch
4 oz. chicken breast (grilled or baked)
1 cup broccoli
½ cup whole grain or brown rice

Snack
1 med apple
1 low-fat string cheese pack or low-fat cubed cheese

Dinner
4 oz. fish (salmon, tuna, halibut, etc.)
1 cup steamed spinach

Breakfast

1 med pear
7-10 walnuts

Lunch
Grilled chicken salad loaded with tomatoes, baby spinach, onions, cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms
Sweet potato

Snack
½ bell pepper
2 hard boiled eggs

Dinner
4 oz. red meat grilled
1 cup veggies steamed

Breakfast
Fat-free yogurt with chopped up apples and ground flaxseed
2 slices of whole grain or whole wheat toast

Snack
Cottage cheese with 7 grape tomatoes

Lunch
1 cup whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti
½ cup spaghetti sauce
4 oz. grilled chicken
½ broccoli steamed

Snack
1 med orange
7-10 almonds

Dinner
4 oz. grilled or baked chicken
Spring mix salad with lots of different veggies

Breakfast
½ small cantaloupe with non-fat yogurt
2 pieces turkey bacon

Snack
7-10 grape tomatoes
2 pieces of turkey

Lunch
3 Chicken tacos with corn tortillas with tomatoes or salsa, low-fat cheese, guacamole, or fat free sour cream.

Snack
1 cup of mixed berries

Dinner
4 oz. grilled fish or veggies
1 cup steamed squash or zucchini

Breakfast
Egg white omelet loaded with veggies and some fat free cheese
2 slices of whole grain or whole wheat toast

Snack
2 celery stalks with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter in each

Lunch
4 oz. of grilled chicken or fish
Sweet potato-no butter or salt may use plain yogurt for “sour cream” or use fat-free sour cream
5 asparagus spears

Snack
Cottage cheese with pineapple

Dinner
Turkey burger on whole wheat bun with tomatoes, baby spinach, onion, low fat cheese
Spring mix salad with your choice of veggies (oil and vinegar type dressing)

Breakfast
Breakfast burrito – corn or whole wheat tortilla
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers
Salsa

Snack
Melon slices with yogurt
7-10 pecans

Lunch
Tuna fish sandwich with fat-free mayo on whole wheat bread
Spring mix salad

Snack
3 slices of turkey meat (lunch meat)
6 baby carrots

Dinner
4 oz. grilled or baked meat (your choice)
1 cup of veggies steamed or a salad

Breakfast
2 slices of French Toast with whole wheat bread (use egg whites, cinnamon, and vanilla extract for batter)
1 pat butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Apple slices
Glass of milk

Snack
Cucumber slices and tomatoes

Lunch

Start National Barbecue Month off right by complementing any meat-lover’s spread with this vegetarian option. Tofu is a healthy alternative to red meat because it is low in saturated fat and high in nutrients and fiber. It also provides beneficial antioxidant phytochemicals – something you won’t find in the ordinary hamburger. But tofu is also protein-rich and your guests will love it paired with some favorite veggies.

Baked Tofu Kabobs

• 1/2 cup coarse brown mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. coarsely ground coriander seed
• 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. extra firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid, cut into 24 equal pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 12 large chunks
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 12 large chunks
• 1/2 Vidalia onion, peeled and cut into 8 chunks

In small bowl, mix mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic powder, coriander seed, soy sauce, paprika, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour into resealable plastic bag, add tofu, seal bag and marinate overnight.

Skewer tofu, bell pepper chunks and onion and place on baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes, turning skewers after 10 minutes. You may also broil or grill kabobs using same technique, although cook time will be different.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 220 calories, 12 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat),
13 g. carbohydrate, 11 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 460 mg. sodium.

Results

Maggie gained 7lbs of muscle and lost 1.6lbs of fat in 9 weeks which results in 2.2% loss in BodyFat!  Great Job Maggie!  BTW Maggie is 15 yrs old!! 

Maxine is a very hard worker and wants her results bad! She started Jan 22nd and lost 11lbs of scale weight while gaining 7.5 in muscle and losing 18.5lbs of FAT by March 7th! Then as time goes on we measured again 30 days later on April 7th Losing 10 more lbs of FAT!  I cant wait to see what she will do on the next evaluation!  Maxine is in the 530pm class with Nick

Charlene has been a runner for years andbegan training withour newest addition to the family Lisa Matthew! [More on Lisa soon with her availabilities]  “Charlene has definitely got stronger!,” Lisa said as they began Charlene’s reassessment.  Starting on March 10th and re-evaluating on April 29th Charlene gained one half a pound on the scale after working hard for 7 weeks!  I think she was beginning to doubt her results until we calculated all her “circumference” {is that right Lisa? LOL} Sorry inside joke!  Circumferences and body fat calculations!  Charlene actually had WONDERFUL RESULTS!  She increased her metabolism by gaining 5.6lbs of muscle and lost 5.1lbs of FAT!  Go Charlene!

Heather S. has been a joy to watch her transformation for me personally,she trains at 6am and always has a smile on her face.   Heather is roughly 5ft tall and started 9/3/08 at 147.5 lbs 35% BodyFat!  1/9/09 she was 120 and 19% bodyfat.  Now she is below her original goal of 108 now weighing 106! Yesterday I completed another body compsostion and she is down to 18.7% bodyfat!!

Silvia has been active for many years running and is really in pretty good cardiovascular shape when she walked in.  She could run 7-10 miles without blinking an eye! BUT Silvia had a bodyfat at 36.1% needing to drop 15% bodyfat without any prior success when she found Personalized Fitness.  I usually do not do the first re-accessent before 6 weeks but Silvia was determined to show change even though her prior disappointments.  I agreed to do her forst one at 4 weeks and she had lost only 2.5 lbs… BUT to our surprise she gained a whopping 9lbs of calorie burning metabolism [muscle]  while losing 11.5 pounds of FAT!!