Which type of muscles are you training?

Our body is composed of many different groups of muscles and each person has a unique composition of muscle tissue in their body. Where do you think you fit in?

There are three types of muscle fibres: slow twitch (Type I) and fast twitch (Types IIa and IIb). Slow twitch are characterized by having long contraction rates, being resistant to fatigue, relying on oxygen as their main source of metabolism, and are used primarily in endurance type of activities that don't require a great deal of force.

Fast twitch fibers on the other hand have short but powerful contraction rates, are highly fatigable due to their reliance on anaerobic metabolism that produces lactic acid, and are more suited to activities that are powerful and quick in duration.

Ideally, it is best to train both types of muscles fibres - however, some athletes will train one type more over the other. When's the last time you've seen a bulky soccer player? Or a slim sprinter?

To read more about muscle fibres, check it out here --> http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/MuscleFiberType.htm

QUIZ TIME:
What type of muscle cells (fast twitch or slow-endurance fibre) are involved if you see an athlete with bulkier muscles, in comparison to an athlete with longer and thinner muscles?

The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules For Living

Several years ago, I had a chance to see the Dalai Lama with my father when he came to Vancouver to GM place, I have to say he surprised me with his words of wisdom and sense of humor. Recently, I am reminded of his rules for Living. Here they are;

The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules For Living

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

-Respect for self
-Respect for others
-Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Pumpkin Protein-pow bread

Now that Fall is here I get in the baking mood. Especially when it comes to using Pumpkin. After all who doesn't like Pumpkin? It's one of the lowest sugar and high protein pumpkin breads I think I could make without actually adding protein powder. Almond flour is packed with protein, fiber, and good fats. Keep portion control in mind! moderation is key!

Serves: 8 slices
Each slice: 219 calories (244 if using honey)

* I used the www.Myfitnesspal.com app, as seen in the below screen shot, to calculate these totals. If you haven't used this program yet I would suggest trying it! Add me as a friend ;)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup Organic Pumpkin Puree
2 cups Almond Flour
1/4 cup apple sauce or Honey if your not limiting you sugar levels
2 Large Eggs (separated; whip egg whites and fold into batter)
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately very well.  I recommend using a mixer to blend all the ingredients together nicely.  It will be a thicker batter.  Put in a loaf tin.  Bake at 350 for 30-40  minutes.  I took mine out at 40 minutes.  I personally like my breads very moist so I think it could have come out 5 minutes earlier. Next time I may add 1 Tbs of Coconut Oil and see what happens. I love to experiment!  Either way, the pumpkin bread is delish and the fact that the entire loaf has half the sugar content than most recipes call for, is awesome.   I love being able to get away with less sweetener!  The healthier the better!


Have a great day!
Kim

My top 3 smoothies

The Energy Booster - my all time favorite! Just be carful of the calories. This is meal replacement.

Potassium-rich bananas deliver energizing carbs, while protein powder and peanut butter give you energy to get through the three o'clock slump. Pantothenic acid, a B vitamin in yogurt and honey, helps convert food into fuel. Iron-rich wheat germ and cinnamon up blood oxygen levels so you won't get winded during your midday workout.

What You'll Need
2 frozen bananas, peeled and chopped
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp wheat germ
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 c low-fat Greek yogurt
4 Tbsp skim milk powder 2 c ice

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 294 cal,7 g fat(2 g sat), 38 g carbs, 102 mgsodium,4 g fiber, 25 g protein


Super Power antioxidant smoothie

This berry-based beautifier will get a thumbs-up from your dermatologist for its skin-smoothing combo: anti-aging vitamin E from wheat germ, sun-damage- fighting omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed, and vitamin C from berries. "Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, tissue that literally holds your skin together and reduces the appearance of fine lines," says certified dietitian Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads. Plus, the oleic acid (a type of monounsaturated fat) in avocado has been linked to reducing wrinkles.

What You'll Need
1 c blueberries
1 c pitted cherries
1/2 c strawberries, hulled
1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 c ice

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 153 cal, 5.6 g fat(1 g sat), 23 g carbs, 35 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein

Strawberry hurricane smoothie

This hearty blend is stocked with filling fiber from fruit and protein from tofu. "Fiber helps you feel full without contributing tons of calories, and protein is the most satiating nutrient," says WH advisor Lisa Drayer, R. D., author of The Beauty Diet. Get added ammunition from the omega-3 fatty acids in flax seed oil. "Omega-3's help increase your metabolic rate and burn fat," Avanti says. "They've also been found to reduce the size and number of fat cells, especially in the belly."

What You'll Need
1 c strawberries, hulled
1 c cubed mango
1 lime, peeled and seeded
2 Tbsp flax seed oil
1/2 c silken tofu (1/4 of a package)
1 1/2 c ice

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 165 cal,10 g fat(1 g sat), 18 g carbs, 6 mgsodium,3 g fiber, 3 g protein


Taken from women's health magazine.
Read more at Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/healthy-smoothies#ixzz29rHKSE00

Clean tandoori chicken

Clean tandoori chicken

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tbs oil
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbs chopped garlic
2 tbs chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper (stem and seeds removed)
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala (it’s an indian spice, so it may be in the authentic aisle of your grocery store)
1/2 tsp cayene
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Cut diagonal slices 1 inch apart. 

1/2 inch deep on thicker chicken breast. Put chicken in a baking dish.

In a blender combine oil, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper until paste.
Add paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala & cayenne, process until well blended
Add yogurt and lemon juice, process into a smooth sauce, scrape down the sides to combine all ingredients. 
Pour marinade over chicken, turn to coat and rub into the slits. 
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for min 4hrs to 24hrs.

Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 35 minutes. Make sure to get all the sauce on the chicken. 

You can also grill this, indoor grill or BBQ (makes a bit of a mess on the grills), but tastes awesome! Cook for 8 - 10mins on first side. Turn and baste as needed. Cook second side 8 - 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Continue this process until chicken is done (25-30minutes)”

Chicken Soup with White Beans

This is a hearty soup that can be made ahead and refrigerated.  Reheat with a little more chicken stock.

Chicken Soup with White Beans

Serves: 2+
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes 
 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 chicken breast, diced or shredded
½ tsp Italian spices
400g can white beans, rinsed and drained
400g can diced tomatoes
½ litre chicken stock
4 cups chopped fresh spinach

METHOD
Heat oil and add onions and garlic; cook until onions are lightly browned.

Add chicken and over medium-high heat cook chicken until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add Italian spices, beans, tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to boil.

Reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in Kale or Spinach and simmer for 5 minutes.

Sugar free? Fat Free? No Way!

Some of you may be saying "yuk" or "boring" when you read Fat free and Sugar free recipes - however, there are some with medical or non-medical reasons that require them to cut sugar and lower their fat intake.

Say "YES" and try these recipes!

To kick off a series of Fat Free, Sugar Free, Low Carb recipes, I present to you:


Baked Kale Chips = 50 calories per cup
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
Sea salt, to taste


Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

I sprinkle this on my sons rice (sort of like seaweed) on salads or accompanied with eggs. Of course you could simply chow down on these alone. 1 cup is less than 50 calories so there is little guilt associated with these. Enjoy!





Quinoa Egg Stuffed Pepper
Makes 1 serving = 260 calories

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 large green peppers
• 1/4 can chicken or vegetable broth
• Pam spray
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• green pepper tops, finely chopped
• 1 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1 oz chopped asparagus 
• 1 oz chopped zucchini
• Clove of garlic, minced
• Tsp of salsa (no sugar added)
• 1/2 cup of egg whites

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Get out a deep pan or casserole dish.

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in medium saucepan, turn down to low, put the lid on and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes; then lightly fluff with a fork. The quinoa should be a bit under-cooked, it will finish cooking in the peppers.

Meanwhile, clean peppers, cutting off tops and chopping tops into fine pieces. Arrange the green peppers in deep casserole dish and pour the vegetable broth into the bottom of the casserole. Cover and put in oven to steam peppers slightly before filling, about 5-10 minutes. Do this while preparing the filling.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, spray skillet with pam, saute onion, chopped green pepper tops, asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms and cook until green peppers are soft and onions are transparent. Add garlic and stir. Heat through, then add salsa and turn heat down to simmer, and let cook, uncovered, for a few minutes.

Remove from heat and fold the quinoa into the veggie mixture in skillet. Be careful not to stir too much; that will break the quinoa down.

Remove peppers from oven and stuff with the filling. Top each pepper with egg whites and return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until peppers are soft, and the egg whites have set and starting to brown.

Let peppers sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Lift gently out of casserole and serve whole.






Easy Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients: Quinoa flakes or flour, 2 eggs

Optional: Coconut oil, cinnamon, stevia or Xylitol

Cooking Directions: Mix 1/3 cup of quinoa flakes or flour with 2 organic eggs in a bowl, add 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add more quinoa flakes or flour if runny or until desired consistency is achieved. Stir until everything is completely blended then add to a pan set at medium heat. Sprinkle cinnamon, stevia or Xylitol if desired.


Dry Ingredients:

•  2 cups Quinoa Flour
• 2/3 cup Coconut Flour
• 2-3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon Stevia or Xylitol
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups rice or almond milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients.  (A shaker cup intended for protein shakes works great).
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto a lightly oiled non-stick pan warmed over medium-high heat.
5. When bubbles form on the pancake, flip and continue cooking and 30sec - 1 minute.
6. Enjoy the deliciousness!