 I just checked in with my friend from high school and Northwestern University who now resides in Italy to see how she and her family were holding up (at the time fo this post, Italy is on lockdown due to Covid-19). She jokingly said, "Send workout tips for people trapped at home," and I thought, "YES! I've got just the thing!" I made this video a few years ago (back when there was no pandemic and I had ugly curtains) and it still holds strong today as it did then! There's SO MUCH STUFF around the house that can easily be used to help you get your sweat on. Let's face it: Exercise is KEY to keeping us healthy and we shouldn't let the Coronavirus scare us away from that. Please watch the video below with a breakdown of what the workout will look like below that. Enjoy! WHAT YOU'LL NEED: A suitcase (to travel with! You know, up and down the hallway...) Hand towels A heavy book A gallon of water/milk/detergent/etc Two wine bottles A very sturdy chair Something to balance on your hand (like a slipper) A reusable grocery bag with something in it (that has some weight to it) Dog and/or cat* *Do not use for exercise unless they're super relaxed. See bottom of post for example. Do the following exercises in order with little to no rest between them. Take 2 minutes after the last exercise before doing the circuit again. 1. Suitcase carry: Do this for about 45 seconds in each hand. If you feel this in your low back despite bracing your core, make the suitcase lighter or use something else. 2. Towel mountain climbers: Perform 10-15 on each side. The leg that slides in should feel pretty weightless so you can stabilize using the extended leg. Your torso should be still enough to balance something on it. 3. Goblet Squat: Perform 10. Keep your knees behind your toes and aim to bring your thighs parallel to the floor. 4. Renegade Row: Perform 10 on each side. This is where the very sturdy chair comes in; keep your shoulder right on top of your wrist here and keep your hips quiet. 5. Step Up: Perform 10-15 on each side. Again: STURDY CHAIR. If that's not an option, perform this instead. 6. Pec Flies: Perform 15. Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout. 7. Turkish Getup: Perform 1 on each side. Now, if you don't know this move it can seem pretty daunting. Here is an awesome post breaking it down piece by piece. If you'd rather not learn this new exercise, though, do this instead (10 on each side). 8. "Kettlebell" Swing: Do 15 of these. Keep in mind that at the top of the swing, your body is in a vertical plank position which means your glutes, abs, thighs and armpit muscles need to be tight! If this seems too complicated, try 15 of these instead! So how was that? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment below! Oh, and that example of only using your pet for exercise if they're super relaxed? See below.
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 One of my nutrition coaching clients travels a LOT. One thing she's working on is changing up the habits that have caused her to gain weight on these trips in the past. I think we've all been there: Whether it's Miami with our girlfriends or in Paris with our spouses and kids or Shanghai for work, it can be very difficult to practice abroad the healthy living habits we have at home. Over-indulgence is real, it can happen for many reasons, and it can leave us feeling crappy when we come home. When my client dug deeper into why the travel over-indulgence happened, it all came down to stress: Stress about having to be "on" for parents and siblings; stress from having to be available for the kids all the time throughout the trip; stress from having very little time to recharge batteries. Even when it's FUN, these stresses can pop up. And so she would dull said stresses with sugary drinks, ice cream and other snacks, and alcohol. But she wasn't having it anymore. (Amen, Sister!) Does this sound familiar to anyone? I know it does for me! When I asked how she could see herself replacing those old habits, here is what she told me: She made a self-care kit! She took a beautiful bag that she had and filled it with items that would help her take steps to pause, breathe and do something just for HER that could help her recharge. How cool is that? I think it's SO cool that I'm going to list 10 items I would put in MY self care kit that I think you'll like, too!  1. Calming essential oil roll-on. My friend and business coach Pamela gave me a Stress Away roll-on before I had to give a big talk and I swear it calmed my nerves. Maybe it was the power of the scent, maybe it was a placebo effect but either way I felt (and smelled) ready to conquer! Lavender oil is also said to have calming powers and may be easier to find in person.  2. Your favorite tea. Black, green, herbal, whatever: Sometimes a nice warming drink you can put in a mug and wrap your hands around it like a hug can also warm up the heart and soul. Just make sure you don't caffeinate too late in the day...  3. That book you can read again and again. (My favorite is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; it takes me away to Hogwarts where I would have been a Ravenclaw...)  4. Mini Band. Movement heals so if you can step away for a few minutes and knock out some exercises, it might just elevate your mood! Mini bands are so easy to travel with because they take up VERY little space and there's a whole lot you can do with one!  5. A Journal. You can use it as a diary, as a sketch pad or even something you can just scribble in. Putting a pen to paper can help you sort out your feelings in ways ruminating in your mind won't. So get yourself something you'd be excited to put your emotions down in and get going.  6. A Checklist. I'm in good company when I'm surrounded by other people who write down a to-do item they have ALREADY done just to cross it off. Sometimes I only get through my workouts just so I can mark every set as done. This checklist from Steel Petal Press (where I get all my cards) is pretty awesome for my fellow crosser-offers.  7. Balls. TruFit trainer Kathryn Lehner introduced me to these TuneUp therapy balls that are softer than Lacrosse balls and harder than tennis balls. So, in other words, they are balls that are perfect for working out the kinks (between your shoulder blades, behind your knees, under your feet... the list goes on).  8. A clone of your furry friend. Being out of town sans the pet you cuddle with all the time can feel really strange and we know how much animals can bring happiness to your life... which is why companies that make stuffed animal clones of your pets even exist (and isn't it rad that they do?)! There's no shame in adults having stuffed animals, y'all!  9. Silly Putty. If you are someone who uses their hands a lot or who bites their nails/twirls their hair/etc when they're anxious, carrying some silly putty around can be a very handy alternative to those habits AND it can help ground you a little more in that stressful moment. Keep an egg in your kit, place some of that putty in your pocket and live your life!  10. Index cards. Yes, they're old school, but just like there's something different about putting pen to paper, there's something about reading from a physical piece of paper rather than from a device. What are these index cards for, you ask? They are affirmations you will write to yourself. You can remind yourself of all the reasons you're trying to stick to healthy habits; you can remind yourself that whatever stress you may feel will be temporary; you can remind yourself of all the reasons you are so special. Basically, you can pull the cards out at times of weariness to get your groove back. I hope this started getting your creativity going with how you can make your OWN self care kit! Is there something you would have listed that wasn't mentioned? List it in the comments below!
 I know I'm not Oprah but I still want to share my favorite things (related to fitness) for the holidays! Here are some treats that I swear enhance my own exercise routine and keep me excited to stay consistent. If you've got someone in your life (or ARE that someone in your life) who works out, consider these options as holiday or New Year's gifts! WORKOUT ENHANCERS!Grippy Socks Barefoot training was hugely popular for a few years (and still is in some gyms). Training without shoes on can be hugely beneficial for a variety of reasons but not everyone wants to go full-on nekkid with their feet. This is why I've grown super fond of grippy socks! Thanks to Barre and Pilates, these socks are pretty easy to come by. Try out this brand if you want more "serious" lifting socks. If you're looking for more "everyday" grippy socks, though, you can try out these or these! AirPods I know these are pricy (compared to those free earphones that come with the actual phone) but I have to say: They've been 100% worth it. These AirPods are the most comfortable earphones I've ever had (do your ears get sore from wearing earphones for a long time? Mine do...). When you're doing dynamic movements in your exercise program, it's really best to go wireless if you can. No one wants to get tripped up in cords. A Kettlebell There isn't a whole lot you CAN'T do with a kettlebell: Turkish Getups, swings, goblet squats, chest presses, rows, deadlifts, halos, armbars... The list goes on. The ability to use the bell for mobility, strength and cardio is pretty cool and I can't say regular dumbbells can do all of that with the effect kettlebells have. The "standard" bell weight for women is 16kg (36lbs) and 20kg for men (45lbs). But everyone is different so get something that sounds like it's JUST a little heavier than you can do so you can work up to that weight being your usual go-to. Fanny Pack Fanny packs have become WAY more mainstream so this is truly a good time to get someone you love one of these without a look of confusion. Why? Because they allow you to go on a run/walk/hike/adventure without fear of your keys or wallet falling out of your jacket (which is how I lost my license and credit card once...). Let your loved one get after it out there! Silicone Ring From Enso's Instagram Account One of my best friends was given a GORGEOUS Art Deco engagement ring. She loved it so much she wore it when I trained her before her wedding. And the band broke. Turns out you're not supposed to work out with your engagement or wedding ring on. Who knew? Well, a lot of companies, actually, because there are a lot of silicone ring options out there now that allow you to be active with your hands while keeping your jewelry intact! Enso is a really well-known brand but I got a fun multi-pack here. RECOVERY ENHANCERS!Massage! Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash Recovery needs are REAL if you want to exercise long-term and injury-free. Plus, who doesn't love a massage? (Well, some people might not so I have some other recovery ideas below). If you have a particularly active loved on, you could even spring for a 90-minute treatment. My favorite local Evanston massage therapist? Dan Plyter! Dan doesn't have a website but you can book with him my emailing him here. If you'd rather book with a female, Erika Bitto is my go-to. You can also book a massage with her through Dan. CBD Cream Does your loved one complain about sore muscles? CBD creams are all the rage right now and for good reason (in my opinion). I love my Charlotte's Web cream for some overnight soothing after hard workouts. If you're in the Evanston area, you can visit my favorite CBD store, Botanica. Not super into CBD? Mix a little bit of this essential oil blend with some coconut oil and get similar muscle-warming effects! Bath Salts Sore and overworked bodies can stand to give themselves a nice, hot bath once in a while and a soothing bath isn't complete without some Epsom salts. Don't confuse these with bath bombs (which my pelvic floor PTs advise against). I love Epsom salt baths so much I order this 20lb bag from Amazon... Sprinkle in a few drops of that oil you might have also bought above to kick the recovery up a notch. POST-WORKOUT PRIMPING!Shower In a Bottle If I'm being honest, the best time for me to work out is after I see clients but I often have other places to go after with no chance to shower. That's OK now because I've discovered a shower in a bottle! This foam cleanser works surprisingly well and doesn't have a super aggressive smell like icky body sprays have. Gotta love products that don't let you have any excuses not to work out :) Dry Shampoo Sometimes you want to give your hair a little post-workout zhuzh (yes, I had to look up how to spell that). I've tried a TON of dry shampoos, this is hands-down my absolute favorite. Spray away, this shampoo doesn't leave any powdery residue! I hope this helps at least jog your mind with some ideas for how to support your loved one's fitness endeavors! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask below! Thanks for reading!
 September is Better Breakfast Month which I think is great! This is a month of transition for lots of us (end of summer, back to school, all that jazz) and is a perfect time to be more mindful and purposeful with what we are eating. Every morning is a clean slate for a new day and since breakfast is Meal #1 of the day for most of us, this subject speaks to me! What Do I Mean When I Call Breakfast "Meal #1"?
Whether you have time to sit down to breakfast in the morning, you grab-and-go or wait until lunch time to have Meal #1, here are some nutrient-dense ideas for all seasons and reasons. Some of these recipes require a little bit of time to prep up front and some don’t. Just FYI :) Let's get going!  Fiber Bowl: Seasonal Roasted Veggies With Your Choice of Eggs
 Veggie Frittata
 Greek Yogurt With Fruit
 My Take-Everywhere Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean With a Banana NOTE: I am typically vehemently against cereal but have introduced it into my life this year for time-restraint reasons. Traveling for conferences and meetings over the years has taught me that I prefer eating breakfast in my room while I get ready AND it saves me a bunch of money!
These breakfast options are obviously the tippy tip of the iceberg but they're my go-to favorites. I hope you enjoy them!
Do you have a favorite healthy recipe for Meal #1? Share in the comments below!  There we were: 20 fitness professionals in a warm room on a Sunday morning, about to spend 8 hours together learning about how to be better coaches. It was hot, it was pouring rain and the energy level was a low. Completely pretending I was still in college, I had been out with friends the night before and went to bed at 12:30AM only to be woken up at 5AM by Bama. So it was a little rough. Which is why the way we started the day was so cool and I thought I’d share it with you. Dr. Lisa Lewis, one of our two presenters that day, took us through a mental preparation exercise before diving into the information. Although this was meant to center ourselves for the next few hours, I thought it could be a brilliant way to get mentally checked in before heading into a workout. Imagine you are about to exercise. But, not matter whether you love it or don’t, you might just be feeling a little scattered. How do you mentally prepare yourself for the task at hand? Try these four steps (the ones listed below the actual pie chart of my very own brain):  Mental preparation before workout 1. Create intention:
Let me know if you have any questions and if you want to follow Dr. Lewis, you can find her here and here. And if you want to laugh as you learn about exercise, you can find Tony here! (And if you’re not already following me on Instagram, do sohere and here for crying out loud!)  Bama demonstrating a very good "sit" in a familiar environment to her: Begyle Brewery In this episode of "Bama Goes to School", we are going to talk about the business of managing expectations when we're in different environments! Someone at Urban Pooch asked Pamela the instructor, “What is normal to expect of a dog’s behavior outside of the classroom?” Bama’s school goes by levels so dogs start at Level 1 (where they learn sit, down, their name, for example), Level 2 (stay, come, heel... this is where we are), all the way to Level 5 and dogs graduate level by level once they've passed some tests until the owner is happy with how well-behaved their dog is. The thing is, I can feel TOTALLY happy with Bama's behavior in school or at home but once she's outside, it's like I don't exist and neither does any of what she's learned at school! WHY can a dog can who can FINALLY “stay” and “heel” really well in school (YAY, BAMA!) not understand what a basic “sit” means at a stop sign (BOO, BAMA!)? Because of the environment, that’s why. The classroom and home are comfortable environments where our dogs are at ease and get into a certain routine. But, explained Pamela, dogs might very well behave at least one level — if not two! — below their current school level when they are outside of their familiar spots, at least for a little while. Newer environments or situations can leave dogs feeling stressed or excited so their ability and willingness to hear you say, “SIT!” is just not there. We humans may be more complicated beings than our doggie counterparts but how often do we ask ourselves what our habits should look like outside of our "normal"? We think we should be on our “best” behavior no matter where we are: Home, work, business trips, vacation... But, like dogs, our behavior might change because we're in a stressful situation; or we're excited about something; or we're in a different country that speaks a language we don't know; or we're in a season that brings with it a totally different schedule (or lack of one) than the rest of the year. Like summer. For example: We may be skilled at staying away from ice cream at home but when we’re in Rome, we can’t say no to gelato! Or, we pat ourselves on the back when we stick to our gym schedules whenever life is “normal” but we berate ourselves when we don't fit in a workout before 8AM meetings start at the Shanghai office when we might be jet-lagged! I decided to bring this up this week because summer vacations are upon many of us, work trips aren't slowing down and next week is the 4th of July which could mean BBQ'd everything, beer and wine and all types of jello molds depending where you are... I am a big believer that each season brings with it opportunities to swap out certain habits for others. So for the next few weeks, we’ll examine what those summer habits and skills might look like because you deserve to put yourself in a winning position when it comes to feeling your best while thoroughly enjoying every moment in the sun.  Bama demonstrating exactly why she doesn't hear me say, "Heel" outside: A wascally wabbit... Ready? Here’s habit one, the way I present it to my CleanSlaters:
Choosing your best option, no matter where you are There are two big times of the year where we find ourselves in situations where we feel like we have no “healthy” options: the summer (on vacations, at cookouts, etc) and from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. So we plod along, looking like Charlie Brown after Lucy takes the football away and think, “Well, I have no good choices here at this barbecue/holiday party/all-inclusive resort so I might as well just have it all.” We eat a bunch of food, drink a bunch of drinks and can’t even enjoy a second of it because we feel annoyed/guilty/sad. So we consume even more to numb ourselves. Practicing actively choosing one option over another — even when our options are 5-cheese pizza vs pepperoni pizza — puts the power of choice back in our hands. Once we take ownership of our choices and decisions, the chances of us overindulging go down while the chances of us having fun and living a full life go up! HOW CAN YOU PERSONALIZE THIS SKILL? You likely won’t have to do this at every meal but see if there is one part of your day this could help you out. This habit can look like this:
What do I mean by "best choice for me", exactly: By "best" I might mean: healthiest, best-tasting, least-costly, on one of Anthony Bourdain's best of lists (happy belated birthday, AB), best-looking... the list goes on. The takeaway is that it is an active choice made by you. But what if I don’t want to pick between one option and another? Not choosing between two options IS a choice so own it! If you decide you’d like to eat both options, you can always choose to alter the portion size. Just be in the moment and enjoy it. What if none of the items are healthy? Sometimes there won’t be a single veggie is sight. Sometimes there may not even be a non-fried option in sight. And you know what? That’s OK. You can still make an active decision. For example, let’s take the pizza example above. You’ve got your choice of cheese or pepperoni. You could choose the pepperoni slice because you know it’ll taste better. Own it! You could choose the 5-cheese because it just looks better. Own it! Own the decision and you’ll be more satisfied and will very likely eat less. Whew. I feel like I just threw a lot out there. I also feel like this "choosing what's best for you" skill isn't talked about a whole lot so: If you have any questions/concerns/feedback/anything, please post a comment below or email me! Let's chat!  Bama sitting AND staying in her dragon costume, ready to watch the Game of Thrones finale. Remember when we’d watch The Biggest Loser and be in AWE of the contestants who were able to get through their workouts despite having a broken ankle and eat 1500 calories a day even though they exercised for eight hours in that day and thought, “Wow, Jillian Michaels is SO MEAN but I guess that’s what we all need sometimes.”? Even in personal training school, we couldn’t stop watching. Forget the fact that we KNEW that show was abusing these poor contestants, there was still this dogma that losing weight and getting fit required going all in, all at once and that it wouldn’t be pretty. The bad news is, some still believe you have to go all in to see and feel results. The GOOD news is, thankfully, that it’s becoming more en vogue in the fitness industry to learn how to meet our clients where they are and use positive reinforcement rather than shame someone to help them out. Turns out this actually applied to dog training methods, too! Even the most loving dog training gurus would use fear tactics and place dogs in positions where they couldn’t possibly succeed so they could be scolded into learning how we DID want them to act. Luckily that’s turned around and now the training methods point to teaching your pet how to WANT to act the way you want them to. As y’all know if you read last week’s newsletter, Bama has been working hard on understanding what “stay” means. Pupdate: Still working on it but improving! Bama’s trainer Pamela tells us that when teaching a dog to stay you have to deal with “the three Ds”: Distance (how far away you are from the pet), Duration (how long your pet stays in “stay”) and Distraction (all the things we cannot control that might distract your animal). Right now it would be crazy for me to expect Bama to “stay” in a seated position on the sidewalk as I run into Starbucks to grab coffee with the urban world happening around her. Let’s take this into the human realm. When learning a new skill or habit, be it exercise- or nutrition-related, we need to deal with our own version of the three Ds which I am calling “FIT”: Frequency, Intensity and Time. Let’s use “to exercise” as the habit we are trying to work on. Looking through the FIT variables, here are some ways to choose how you will practice this new habit: Frequency: How often either throughout the day or throughout the week you will practice this habit or skill. Intensity: In this exercise example, intensity can mean how hard you want your workout to be that day on a scale of 1-10 and it can also mean how long you want your workout to be. Time: How long, in days/weeks/months you choose to practice this habit or skill this particular way. I am a planner and the reason I like to play with Time is because it can remind me that whatever I’m working on, I can take it one day at a time for a length of time of my choice. While you can take the habits and skills you learn with you for the rest of your life, playing with the Time variable helps to remind us that there will be moments in our lives when we may decide to tweak how we practice something! For example: Want to lose those last 10 lbs before a big event? You may choose to restrict your diet and eliminate all added sugars and alcohol for two weeks and reassess how you feel after that.  Bama blissed out after class. Let’s go back to Bama for a minute: In learning to "stay", we are pretty much always going to deal with Distraction. If I was taking Bama for a walk at prime dog-walking time and I asked her to “stay” sitting down while I run into Starbucks to get coffee, do you think this 10-month-old puppy who’s just started to work on this could do that? Um, no. We’re already playing with Distance (I'd be many yards away from her) and Duration (it’ll take a few minutes to make my Americano) and then, layer Distraction on top of that! People coming up to pet her, birds flying around, children yelling from the playground, loud buses coming by… Am I setting Bama up for success here with her “stay”? NOPE! Would it be silly of me to expect that she’d stay in her seated position exactly as I left her? YES!
Now, may I ask: Have there been times that YOU have expected yourself to succeed in a situation that might have been too bogged down with Frequency, Intensity and Time? Something like, “I haven’t worked out in a year but I will start going t the gym Monday through Friday (F) for an hour (I) before work from now on (T).” That might work for the outlier but for most of us, it’s putting us in a tough spot where it will be hard to succeed. When going through the FIT variables, put yourself in Bama’s paws. How can you play around with Frequency, Intensity and Time to set yourself up for success in our "to exercise" example? Here are just a few ideas:
We’ve believed for so long that in order to get fit we need to do tough things. Well, yeah, you need to make a change or change won’t come and that might take a little mental toughness and body soreness. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be wildly successful with every step (and stay) you take along the way. Crazy Dog Lady Reporting for Duty.  Me and my shadow I am officially a crazy dog lady. I am obsessed with our 10-month-old corgi/Jack Russel rescue. Her name is Bama and she loves chewing on anything she can get her mouth on; chasing after anything that moves on the sidewalk (birds, rabbits, leaves, you name it); sitting perched at the window like a cat as she looks out at the world with wonder. She does not like: Car rides in the city. She also loves going to school to learn new tricks and how to be a good girl (and, let’s face it, getting treats and praise). I don’t know what I was expecting with doggie school but I can tell you that it wasn’t a deeper insight into coaching people. That is exactly what going to Urban Pooch as done: Given me more empathy and a deeper understanding of how to set myself and others up for the greatest amount of success when learning new skills and habits. Yes, as a coach I help people get stronger and help them shift some of their behavior around food but at the core, isn't my biggest responsibility to help my clients tap into their potential to be their most awesome self? Over the next few weeks, I'll explore some of my biggest Aha! moments and what I've been reminded of while bonding with Bama. And I hope it sparks a little something with you at the same time.  Week 1: Start Where You Are Can you imagine bringing a not-yet-fully-housebroken puppy to its first day of doggie school and expect them to know how to "stay!" after one lesson? Would you expect a baby who’s just learned to roll over to know how to walk the next day? Would you expect anyone to hold a conversation in Japanese after one class? Would you expect yourself to be able to be really good at pushups a week after starting to learn them?
Logically, we can understand how the above scenarios make no sense and yet when it comes to us, we often do not give ourselves the grace of taking a good, hard look at where we are in our process. We are high functioning people who learn quickly but when our bodies don't react the way we expect them to in the time that we've given ourselves, we can get frustrated and fold in the towel. But what if we learned to understand where we REALLY are and meet ourselves there? We’ve been trying to teach Bama to “stay”. Which she doesn’t understand because she wants to follow us around everywhere! So when learning “stay” at school, I was at a loss because I’d start to take a small step back and she would automatically move toward me. Pamela (the instructor) saw I was struggling so she came over to give some guidance. “Try asking her to stay and then moving only one leg back?” “Really? But then I'm not even moving away from her.” “Think of it from her perspective: She's a puppy who wants to be at its owner's side and it's suddenly going to know how to stay put as you walk away from her? It’s OK to start really small,” she said, “because then you can build on the skill little by little.” We practiced with me stepping literally one leg back. She stayed. Once she'd practiced that for a while, we were able to make the game harder: I stepped one leg back and shifted my weight back with it. She stayed! A while later I took an actual two-legged step back… SHE STAYED AGAIN! And as we've been practicing all week, she's learning to "stay" as I walk further and further away! Bama needed to start with far more elementary steps than some of the other dogs in the class and that was 10000% OK. We were able to meet her where she was and where she needed to start and, thanks to that, she's been able to make great strides! Why can’t we treat ourselves like that? It can feel soul crushing to seem like you're not moving forward with your health and fitness goals. If frustration happens when reality and expectations don't match up, could it be that we need to reexamine our reality? What if we took a little bit of time to figure out where we truly are instead of where we think we *should* be? Y'all: Sometimes spending time on the ground floor is the only way to move forward and up. And SOMETIMES we find out there are floors below that we should visit. These times aren't setbacks; they're just ways we get to lay a strong foundation. I mean who wants to stay in a house built on a foundation made of straw? I'd rather stay in a house built on a foundation made of carefully poured out concrete :) Wouldn't you?  Let me be honest: Every time Anthony Bourdain would make fun of vegetarians, I would chuckle a little. When you study exercise and nutrition, it’s sort of branded into your brain that if you want to lean out and build muscle, you want to eat .8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Of course these numbers vary depending on how much you want to weight and your body type and blah blah blah. So I’d think, “Ok, vegetarians. Good luck building muscle without eating MEAT.” Archaic and wrong. I know. And trust me when I say that I no longer think this but I DO want to recognize that it can take a little bit more planning to get adequate protein if you’re eating a mostly plant-based diet. Now, since one of my really active clients does eat a plant-based diet*, I thought it would be fun to gather up info about non-meat sources of food that are high in protein! Here's a list of non-meat foods I find yummy and versatile that are also high in protein**: Edamame: 22g/cup Hemp seeds: 6g/oz Lentils: 18g/cup Greek yogurt: 24g/cup Green peas: 8g/cup Quinoa: 8g/cooked cup Artichoke hearts: 4g/cup Spinach: 5g/cooked cup Kamut: 11g/cooked cup Mushrooms: 3g/cup white and shiitakes, 4g/cup portabella Tempeh: 16g/3 oz Black beans: 8g/.5 cup Chia seeds: 6g/2 tbsp Steel cut oats: 5g/.5 cup cooked Brussels sprouts: 4g/cup Broccoli: 4g/cup steamed Sweet potato: 4g/cup Asparagus: 4g/cup cooked Tofu (extra firm): 9g/3oz Plant-based protein powder like Vega Sport: 30g/scoop  Proof a vegetarian dish is AbFab. Photo from alexandracooks.com. Click on the image for the recipe. Here are a few things to consider if you are consuming a plant-based diet and are focusing on protein:
So now let’s pretend you are a woman looking to lose fat and build muscle and are trying to eat roughly 1500 calories per day. I would want this client’s food be comprised of 30% protein. In this case it turns out to be roughly 120 grams of protein per day. Here’s how we’d make that work: NOTE: As a nutrition coach in Illinois I CANNOT prescribe a meal plan. I can simply help you put something together WITH you or make suggestions. I just thought it would be helpful to see what one day might look like. So here it is! Breakfast: 1 cup Greek yogurt (with the lowest sugar content you can find!) with 1 Tbsp chia seeds and a 1/2 cup of blackberries mixed in. One of my favorite former clients Kelly loved putting in frozen berries for texture so that’s what I’ve plugged in. Lunch: Salade Composée (that’s French for a salad that is hearty enough for a full meal): A fine mix of greens, roasted and steamed veggies with a Green Goddess dressing, topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds. I don't write restaurant menus so use your imagination for more flavor-packed adjectives ;) Dinner: The yummiest recipe I’ve made in a long time, pictured above: Curried Lentils with Kale and Coconut Milk. Check out the recipe here. The serving size I used is 1/4 of the recipe plus 3 oz cubed tofu mixed in. You could ALSO cut a 3-oz portion of extra firm tofu, season it with spices, lightly brush with oil and grill it, eat it on the side. If you know me, you know I do not usually like to plug in my food into a calorie calculator. But, for the purposes of this post, I thought I would to use as an illustration. Here is the outcome:  My own MyFitnessPal breakdown based on the proposed Day of Plant-Based-Eating-With-Lots-Of-Protein! As you can see, this day turned out to be just over 1500 calories, 124 grams of protein (remember our goal was 120) AND a whopping 42 grams of fiber to boot! That's a lot of fiber, guys. I'd make sure to drink plenty of water if I were you. Whether you're a vegetarian or like to only eat meat occasionally, know that getting adequate protein from mostly plant form is absolutely doable! It just takes some planning (and possibly a B12 supplement; check with your doctor). If you're someone who feels like they could use some help with some of their habits and skills surrounding their own diet, give me a shout! You can reach me via email, sign up for CleanSlate28 or call 312-497-8999. If you need a little extra help requiring a registered dietician, I can also help connect you! If you are a vegetarian (or even a flexetarian or pescatarian or vegan) and have your own tactics for how to get protein in, share them in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you! *By “plant-based” here I am also including dairy and eggs in this list.
**Grams are estimates; I've seen slightly differing numbers here and there so I picked what I saw the most frequently  Snacks. I love them. I want them. Sometimes I actually need them to keep me from raiding all of the cupboards in my kitchen when I get home feeling famished! Whether you’re trying to lose weight or lean out or gain weight, I'm sharing these go-to snacks. They are yummy, filling AND satisfying (you'd just adjust the portion sizes based on your goals!). I know what you're thinking because I am, too: Donuts and cookies are yummy, too! I don’t know that they’re truly filling or satisfying, though. And while those 14 almonds you just laid out on your desk might fall into the category of a "yummy" or "filling" or "satisfying" snack, I highly doubt you can honestly tell me they’re anywhere near a combo or all three. Frankly those almonds make me really grumpy. Here’s the thing with snacks: We have an abundance of food here in the US. No matter where you go you’re surrounded with snack foods that make it seem like snacking is a totally normal thing you can do all of time. Now, if you’re vacationing in Belgium for the first time, you may find yourself nibbling on chocolate or waffles or a stroopwafel or fries throughout the day. I mean, I’d go to bat saying you SHOULD be your first time.  (Case in point) But if you’re living your regular day-to-day, your snacks should serve a purpose: To fuel you when you've been hungry for a little while until you get to your next meal. Snacks aren't supposed to exist to ease stress or to make you feel happier when you’re sad and that is an entire other subject (presented by the amazing Josh Hillis; click here). The snacks below should absolutely be enjoyed because they will give your nutrients, vitamins and minerals, will taste good and will help you not grab all of the food in sight at home because you were SO HUNGRY. Alright, so why do I like these to-go snacks? I like them because they all have a combination of protein, fiber and a little fat which means they have the goods to be satiating and filling. And, given that a lot of my clients run around a lot, these snacks had to be able to be grabbed out of the fridge (and some can even be eaten in the car). Without further ado, I present you with my seven favorite on-the-go snacks!  Turkey roll with hummus and sliced peppers Of course turkey gives you a good dose of lean protein but the hummus also gives you a little bit of vitamin A, K as well as minerals like potassium and magnesium thanks to the chickpeas. Sliced pepper will add a nice crunch and some vitamin C. Just lay out a few slices of deli turkey, spread on some hummus and add in pepper slices. Season with a little cayenne if you like heat. You can totally make this in advance for the week!  Chia pudding with berries Two tablespoons of chia seeds give you almost 5g of protein, 5g of omega 3s, and a whopping 10g of fiber! Berries add a good kick of fiber, too, as well as vitamins C, A, K, potassium, folate and calcium. You may want to prep these in advance, too, and keep them in the fridge for the week (or just make it the night before). Fill a small jar with 2 Tbsp of chia seeds, a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of honey (to taste). Next, add 3/4 cup of the milk of your choice (I recommend flax or oat milk because they have a thicker consistency). Close the lid and shake it like a cocktail shaker. Add in your berries (I normally use frozen ones) and stick in the fridge!  Monkey balls! I posted my recipe for these so long ago but now they're all over Pinterest. They're definitely grab-and-go and if you make a BUNCH, go ahead and stick some in the freezer for the future! Note: I was on an elimination diet when I posted the recipe for these so you can be a little looser about your protein powder blend and sweetener of choice but the proportions for the recipe are the same. You just get a good dose of protein if that's a tough macro for you to get enough of (like, if you're vegan or vegetarian). The combo of protein and fat (from the coconut flakes) help even out the carbs from the banana and oats so you don't get a carb crash. Again, for the recipe, click here!  Edamame We order edamame at Japanese restaurants every time we go but can't seem to remember that Trader Joe's sells them in the freezer section! In just one cup of edamame in the shell, you get 4g of fiber and 10g of protein! Plus, they're incredibly easy to season to your taste: from salt flakes to old bay, truffle salt to tajiín, soy sauce to that amazing Japanese chili pepper blend shichimi togarachi... The possible flavor profiles are endless ;) Simply put that cup and your chosen seasoning in a container and take it with you!  Quest Bars These next few snacks fall into the category of yummy and best when you're out of town or truly have no time to prep at all. Quest Bars tout having around 20g of (whey) protein, 17g of fiber and very low in carbs (they use sugar alcohols to sweeten instead of sugar so although it brings down the carb count significantly, not everyone can stomach sugar alcohols; just be aware of that). I personally think the only flavors worth checking out are cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough. Keep your intake of these to one per day; that fiber count in a sitting can be no joke if you're not used to getting that much in one go.  Siggi's Yogurt There are a lot of cool yogurts out there and Siggi's is one of my favorites. They do a great job making a yummy yogurt with relatively less sugar compared to most other brands. That said, their Icelandic-style yogurts have around 15g of protein in them! I'd recommend 2% milkfat for it to be more satiating (although the 0% ones are good, too!).  P3: Portable Protein Packs I discovered P3 snacks on a road trip at a KwikTrip (shout out to my FAVORITE gas station shopping experience in Wisconsin!). Let's face it: When road tripping, it can feel like a treat to get snacks like chocolate or Doritos (I'm not alone here, right?). But when road trips are not a once-in-a-great-while occasion, finding a quality snack when you still have hours to go before your next meal can be challenging. I found these P3 snacks one day and they've been my go-tos. Now, I'm not saying these are healthier than those turkey hummus rollups above (they're not). But when faced with making the best choice for you in the moment, P3 might be it! They each have a meat (ham or turkey or chicken, etc) as well as a small handful of nuts like cashews or almonds and a little cheese. There are now other combinations but they're relatively well-balanced and at least have the fat and protein content to help keep you full. I hope these snacks give you some fuel to keep in your back pocket or get your creativity going with other options! Which leads me to this question: What healthy, well-rounded snacks are YOUR favorites! Comment below! |
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