Grilled ginger chicken & orange sesame asaparagus

This past weekend we celebrated Easter early and because of dietary restrictions I changed from pork to chicken and made this DELICIOUS meal from the Cooking Light magazine. You will not be dissapointed!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Orange-Sesame Asparagus and Rice

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: about 2 ounces pork, about 3/4 cup asparagus, and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients

2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed (changed to chicken)
2 tablespoons canola oil (used olive oil)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
5 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons fish sauce (substituted with Worcestershire sauce)
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons honey
Dash of crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (top before serving if desired)

Preparation

1. Cut each tenderloin crosswise into 12 even slices. Gently pound each slice to 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine canola oil, syrup, sugar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, fish sauce, and ginger in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add 8 pork slices to pan; grill 90 seconds on each side. Remove pork from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining pork. Reserve 16 pork slices.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat asparagus with cooking spray. Add half of asparagus to pan; grill 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Place asparagus in a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, orange juice, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, honey, and crushed red pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add juice mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and rind to asparagus; toss. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

4. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, rice, green onions, in a medium bowl. Serve with remaining 8 pork slices and asparagus mixture.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving (NOTE: this varies if you substitute chicken)
Calories: 445
Fat: 15.2g
Saturated fat: 2.4g
Monounsaturated fat: 6.8g
Polyunsaturated fat: 5g
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrate: 53g
Fiber: 8g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Iron: 6mg
Sodium: 620mg
Calcium: 90mg

Be a weekend warrior!

It's FRIDAY!! We all LOVE to hear that. It takes all week to get here. But when we've been good at planning all week and want to relax or we have a busy weekend, its sometimes easy to throw everything we know and practice right out the window!! Two days of full blown negligence can results in a "heavier" Monday in more ways than one. 
Learn how to use the weekend to focus on fitness and nutrition, recharge and rejuvenate without sacrificing fun.

Shop on Saturday

By the end of the work week, your fridge probably contains a whole lot of nothing. Rather than eating string cheese from last May (that never ends well), do your grocery shopping on Saturday so you can stock up for the rest of the weekend and work week ahead. Ordering in or dining out from Friday to Sunday can be expensive and unhealthy since you may not know how things are prepared.

Plan Your Meals for the Week

Don't just aimlessly pile up your cart at the supermarket. (Turkey, gummy bears and an onion does not add up to dinner!) Planning ahead saves time and money. Making a list of what you'll need for complete meals and snacks helps you get in, get out and get back to your weekend! If you need some cooking inspiration, peruse your favorite food websites for healthy meal ideas and trade recipes with your friends.

Don't Try to Catch up on Sleep

While tempting, yes, but sleeping until noon on a Sunday morning will not make up for the minimal amount of shut-eye you got last week. Try keeping within 30-60 minutes of your regular bedtime and wake time. Sticking to a schedule promotes better quality sleep which has a lasting impact on many other things in your life. 

Create a Weekend Workout Schedule

Weekends are the perfect time to invest in your long-term fitness and nutrition goals (especially because you don't have to fight anyone for an elliptical). Follow a weekend workout schedule so you can plan your day accordingly. If you have a set time and a game plan, you're less likely to skip out on your workout. Tip: go before you start tackling your to-do list for the day. This also frees up your late afternoons for a Netflix marathon of your choice. Yes!

Don't Drink your Calories

From coffee to cocktails, high-calorie drinks can really sabotage your diet. Steer clear of fattening specialty coffee drinks and go for a small skim latte with cinnamon sprinkled on top. When you're out on the town, anything frozen and/or topped with an umbrella (think daiquiris and margaritas) is probably loaded with calories. Opt for light beer (100 calories a bottle or less) or one shot of hard alcohol mixed with a zero-calorie soda and lime. Avoid high-calorie sodas or juices. Be sure to order a water or club soda in between drinks to rehydrate

Spring forward in to better health!

Looking to make some changes? Spring is now officially here and we immediately start thinking about summer and bathing suit season!! We often find ourselves a little sluggish from the lack of winter workouts (or even just a lower intensity). One report from The Daily Mail found that 59% of women say they pack on an average of 4.5 pounds during winter. We often change our workout habits in either style or type of workout and frequency. This can have an impact on overall strength and endurance as well. 

Feeling tired?
Feeling weak?
Feeling overweight?


Now is the time to take charge and make a commitment to your health. Whether you are looking for more energy, want to build lean protein and and get strong or have more endurance in your workouts, or you want a complete overhaul, I have solution just for you. I will personally help you build your program and coach you along the way! 

How can you say "no" to amazing products that come with a coach that helps you achieve your goals??

Contact me to help you pick the right bundle for you!

SPRING INTO AMAZING HEALTH!

The 24 Day Challenge Bundle:
This is for someone who needs an overhaul or a jump-start with goals of being healthier, more energetic or losing weight. This program will gently clean your body and prepare it to absorb amazing nutrients. Along the way you feel cleaner and more clear, have more energy and may lose weight that you've been trying to get off for a while. There are multiple ways to customize this program specifically to your goals and flavor tastes. 

Learn more about the 24 day challenge program!

The Protein Rich Bundle:
This is for the person that is looking to become leaner without losing strength or wants to add muscle to their body. These products provide the right mix and amount of protein to promote protein synthesis and muscle building. They also preserve lean muscle during exercise and in times of reduced calorie intake as well as repairs your muscles after exercise.

Want to add lean muscle mass? (which takes up less room thus giving a slimmer appearance)
Want to add high quality protein to your athletic training regimen?
Want to tone and define your body?
Need an added boost to your current weight-loss program?

Get your Protein Rich Bundle in chocolate.

The Energy Bundle:

If you are lacking energy to power through your workout, to get to all your kids activities AND clean the house or just in general, this system is for you! Packed with healthy energy you need and a comprehensive nutrition system, you have everything you need to conquer that to-do list! The MNS includes both core nutrition, appetite control and sustainable, healthy energy that will last throughout the day. Spark will give you clean, no roller coaster like energy with a flavor that tastes great! 

Choose your spark flavor and MNS System and bundle.

Give me my body back - My 24 day challenge journey

Time sure does fly. We're done with 24 days and our little boy is a week shy of his two month birthday! Hard to believe the pregnancy picture below was me just 2 months ago! I thought I'd never see my feet again! Some might think...maybe she wasn't that big to begin with so her results are unfair....um I was a bowling ball!! My belly was stretched to the max. I gained a total of about 28 pounds during pregnancy. My little boy was 7lbs 13oz (I thought he was heading towards 9 pounds at a week late but thanks goodness that wasn't the case) 

Staying in good health during my pregnancy played a roll I think in getting back quickly. 

I did workout consistently and was an avid user of Corplex with Iron, Probiotic, and Catalyst.

The corplex replaced and trumped my previous prenatal vitamin and the probiotic kept my system moving. The catalyst was my favorite little amino acid builder helping me hang out to the lean muscle and not putting on a lot of fat. But the baby's health is number one and while you do what you can, we ALL gain weight and will ALL spend time getting back in shape after! It's A LOT for a body to go through, which is why they leave it up to women:)!

The AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge was certainly a challenge but knowing what the products and program to do, it kept me in check. The cleanse is never my "favorite" part but the the clarity you feel in your body after you are done is amazing! I found a TON of new recipes that I really enjoyed that I might never have before. Like Tilapia... first time I ever had it but the spicy seasoning I had with it was so good!

The cleanse got rid of build up in my body, like an oil change and got it ready to maximize all the nutrition we put in on the second phase.

The MAX phase is truly my favorite part. That first day that you put the MNS into your system, you have such amazing energy and you feel "fulfilled" in a new way. I wasn't crashing or falling asleep at my desk. I was ready to take on the day! We still found plenty of new recipes to try and really clean ways of meals that we thought we had to "give up".

Some of my favorite recipes: (click the link for the recipe)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Chicken Fajitas

Slow Cooker Chili

Spicy Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

My workouts varied as I was still on maternity leave for much of it with little time to workout. I tried to stick to 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes. I did some Insanity, PiYo, Tabata and strength training. Sometimes it wasn't all at the same time but 30 minutes minimum nonetheless.

FINAL RESULTS

On day 24 the final weigh in showed i'm down 12 pounds and measurements show 11 inches from my hips, waist, thighs and chest! This a good start and great motivation to keep going showing getting back into shape after baby CAN happen! Even with baby #2!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING A CHANGE, then take the challenge!

Contact me to build a customized 24 day challenge with me as your coach!

bethblanchard79@gmail.com or visit www.advocare.com/120221986/24daychallenge

WHAT'S NEXT.....The Lean in 13 Fat Melting Challenge! Things get serious with a 3 burn, 1 refuel day nutrition plan and a daily workout guide. We're adding in muscle gain and thermoplus and bumping up to MNS E! It's go time!

Guilt Free Cauliflower Pizza

I'm a HUGE fan of pizza as is my man so as we entered our 17th day on the 24 day challenge I was needing to get a little creative so we can follow the healthy guidelines but have our favorites too.This veggie-powered pizza cuts out gluten and grains without cutting flavor!

This recipe uses freshly grated cauliflower as the base for the crust and doesn't fall apart like you'd think! (nor is it super thick like pizza crust). Feel free to add your favorite veggies to this guilt free meal! I chose peppers, jalapenos, onion and topped it with turkey pepperoni (which will change the nutritional content)

 Picture provided by me. Recipe from popsugar.com

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick spray
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave and let cool.
3. Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
4. Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

PiYo Please!

This amazing new program has captured my heart! For a long time I have been a fan of Chalene Johnson and many of her fitness program. I am always watching what comes out and always loved the results and moves of Pilates or Yoga but never liked the low grade intensity or "slowness" if you will. I like to keep moving one thing to the next and love that bigger push to sweat through intensity. Enter PiYo!

If yoga and pilates are not the right fit for you but you love the idea of stretch, sculpt and strength, this is the workout for you! PiYo is a hybrid, athletic workout, which combines the mind/body practices of yoga and Pilates, as well as the principles of stretch, strength training, conditioning and dynamic movement. During a PiYo class, you will find yourself standing in a yoga pose one minute, and down on the floor in a Pilates pose the next!

It is a pre-designed class that will really get your heart rate going as it features various styles of yoga and Pilates in continuous movement and flow from one exercise to another. Sometimes I describe PiYo as a hyper version of yoga, but with the benefits of deep breathing, balance, stretching, strengthening and relaxation. And to top it all off, the music is awesome!

This class gets your heart rate up, gets your body sweating out calories and tones and sculpts. I've never felt so good, sweat so much, and increased my strength and flexibility all with one program. I just love this program and look forward to bringing it to area classes!

Currently for March, I will be teaching PiYo strength on Tuesdays at 12pm at OMC Sports Medicine in Rochester. I will be adding more classes soon and potentially a community ed class soon! Stay tuned to Spark the Fire fitness page!

Day 3 - March Madness Muscle Challenge

Today's 3 challenges on the March Madness Muscle Challenge are the Burpee, the plank and glute bridges. Form is CRUCIAL in any exercise but in all honesty, why do them if we aren't going to do them right!? Here is walking you through each of these the right way.

5 second plank
The plank is one of the best exercises you can do for your core because it builds isometric strength to help sculpt your waistline and improve your posture. And depending on the type of plank you try, you can also engage your back, arms, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings. Win!

Need variations!? Check out 20 Ways to do a plank!

5 Glute Bridges

Bridges are not only the perfect exercise for a perfectly rounded rear, but they will also help keep your back healthy and pain free.

How to do it: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so your body forms as straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause in the up position, then lower your body back to the starting position.

5 Burpees

Not only will burpees turn you into an athlete, they’ll also help you scorch fat, rev up your metabolism and get you conditioned like no other exercise can do. Burpees are an awesome, calorie-torching, strength-building, full body exercise.

Just follow these simple steps:

• Squat Position
• Squat thrust to plank
• Push up
• Frog jump
• Squat jump

March Madness Muscle Challenge

I LOVE having goals and something to work towards. And its even better when you have friends to join you to push you, motivate you and keep you on track! I started a group on Facebook to take on this March Madness Muscle Challenge. It's just 3 exercises each day that will alternate every 3 days and take it up a notch! Add this to your current workout and use it just to get started! 
JOIN OUR GROUP ON FACEBOOK!

Calf Raises

• Position toes and balls of feet on calf block or elevation with heels and arches extending off.
• Place hand or hands on support for balance.
• Lift one leg to rear by bending knee.
• Raise heel by extending ankle as high as possible.
• Lower heel by bending ankle until calf is stretched.
• Repeat. Continue with opposite leg.

Tricep Dips

• Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet positioned together.
• Place your hands in the edge of the edge with your knuckles facing out.
• When you do the dips, don’t flex your arms to more than 90 degrees.
• Keep your abs and butt tensed during the exercise.
• Slowly lower yourself and then push back up again.
• Breathe in as you go down and out when you push away.

Push Ups

• Get into a plank position with hands planted directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder width apart). Ground the toes into the floor to stabilize the bottom half of the body. Engage the abs and back so the body is neutral. In other words, flat as a… plank (ah, now we get it!)
• Begin to lower the body—back flat, eyes focused about three feet in front of you to keep a neutral neck—until the chest nearly touches the floor. (Note: Some experts say a push-up isn’t a push-up unless the chest actually grazes the ground). Don’t let the butt dip or stick out at any point during the move; the body should remain flat from head to toe all the way through the movement. Draw the shoulder blades back and down, while keeping the elbows tucked close to the body, so the upper arms form a 45-degree angle at the bottom of the push-up position.
• Keeping the core engaged, exhale as you push back to the start position as explosively as possible without leaving the ground (pow!). That’s one!

Walking Lunges

• Step forward with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot.
• Lower body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor.
• Stand on forward leg with assistance of rear leg.
• Lunge forward with opposite leg.
• Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite legs.

Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can place your hands behind your head. …
• Begin the movement by flexing your knees and hips, sitting back with your hips.
• Continue down to full depth if you are able,and quickly reverse the motion until you return to the starting position.

Leg Raises

• Lie flat on your back with your legs stretched out in front of you. If you feel uncomfortable, try lying on carpet or on a yoga mat. If you have back problems, fold a towel and put it under the curve of your back, just above your hips. Keep your hands flat down on the ground.
• Bend your legs and raise them, keeping your toes pointed. Your thighs should be perpendicular to your body, while your shins are parallel.
• Straighten your legs so that they’re pointed at the ceiling. Keep your toes pointed. For a harder workout, skip Step 2 and slowly raise your legs to the ceiling without bending them.
• Slowly lower your legs to about an inch off the floor. Don’t just let gravity work for your – make sure you’re in control. If the exercise feels too easy, try to lower more slowly.
• Slowly raise your legs back up to the ceiling.

Plank

• Assume a modified push-up position with your elbows bent 90 degrees and both forearms resting on the floor.
• Position your elbows directly underneath your shoulders and look straight toward the floor.
• Your body should form a perfectly straight line from the crown of your head to your heels.

Bridge

• Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Raise your hips so your body forms as straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause in the up position, then lower your body back to the starting position.

Burpees:

• Begin in a standing position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Now, lower your body into a squatting position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Kick your feet back so that you are in push-up position. Keep your hands firmly on the ground to support your body.
• Lower your chest to do a push-up. Bring your chest back up.
• Kick your feet back to their original position. Stand up, and then jump into the air while clapping your arms overhead.
• Repeat.