Janelle's Awake Shake!

Longing for something more than egg whites and veggies in the am with my oatmeal, I thought about creating something that had a combination of protein, veggie and fruit to have on my way out the door to train clients.

Below is what I came up with and despite the green color and thought of having veggies in your protein smoothie I think you will find it extremely DELISH! Try it out and let me know what you think. You could even call it the "GREEN MONSTER" to get the kids to try...after all it is Halloween month :)

4 ice cubes
1.5 scoops banana whey protein (if you only have vanilla or strawberry that will work too)
1/2 apple
1/2 pear
1 handful of spinach
1 small cucumber, peeled
1/2 cup water, apple juice or skim milk (use only water if trying to cut cals & fruit sugars)
1/2 lime squeezed


Blend all in blender until smooth. ENJOY!

Back from the Olympia!

Well here I am 5 days later and I think I've finally recovered from Vegas! Although I didn't get to sight see and enjoy it as much as I'd like this time around I'm headed back in November to compete in Fitness America and Bikini America and will have my second half with me to enjoy the Vegas fun with!

This month I was there working at the Mr. Olympia Fitness Expo for ISS Research, makers of the yummy Oh Yeah! bars and drinks. My partner in crime, Lori Harder and I had a blast working but also treating ourselves for Sushi at NOBU and joining the other Savage (www.cathysavagefitness.com) ladies at the Oxygen Magazine party.

The show and expo were great, although the flight was sooo long and my layover was delayed to boot :(

The 2009 Mr. Olympia is now three-time winner Jay Cutler! Which is pretty cool considering I'm competing in Jay Cutler's New England NPC show in Boston at the John Hancock at the end of this month -OCTOBER 31st!

Until next time...

Busy Bee

I know it's been awhile since my last post but I can assure you I have been busy ;) Busy cooking new fun healthy recipes to share with you all, busy enjoying the Summer us New Englander's have been waiting for only to realize it's already gone :( busy training clients and myself as I prepare for the Fall fitness season -mainly FITNESS AMERICA NATIONALS in LAS VEGAS (www.fitnessamerica.com)

Today I'd like to share with you a few recipes you are sure to love and I assure you you're body will thank you!

Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
2-3 leaves of Romaine lettuce
1 Roma tomato or Sun gold (baby orange-soo sweet!) tomatoes, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup green and red pepper, diced
1/2 can (3 ounces) white albacore tuna, drained
6 Oz. container 0% fat plain Organic Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Mix the ingredients into the tuna and Greek Yogurt. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar and add a scoop into a lettuce leaf, roll –up and enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Per serving

Servings Per Recipe: 1
307 calories
3 g total fat
10 g carbohydrate

Grilled Bass with Strawberry Salsa

*Inspired by my boyfriend Steve the Fisherman :)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 4- to 5-ounce fresh or frozen sea bass or halibut steaks, 1-inch thick

1 small lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

drizzle of honey or honey mustard

Directions:

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Finely shred lime peel. Peel, section, and chop lime; set aside. In a small bowl combine lime peel, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne pepper. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of each fish steak; rub in with your fingers.

2. Get grill to medium heat. Place fish grill and cook for 7 to 9 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, gently turning once halfway through grilling time.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine chopped lime, strawberries, cilantro, cumin, and the 1/8 teaspoon salt. Serve with grilled fish.

Nutrition facts per serving:

• Calories 137
• Total Fat (g) 3
• Carbohydrate (g) 7
• Protein (g) 22

Digging for Motivation...

So living in New England has it's ups and downs, one of the downs being the WEATHER! It has rained the whole month of June and I'm seeing a lack of motivation in my clients and believe it or not myself. So how do we get past this? Whether you are loosing motivation because you just want to enjoy the Summer months with friends, are too busy at work, are not seeing the results you want, or rainy days have you down... there is a way out of this hump.

First you need to remind yourself of your goal. Why you want to get there and how you are going to accomplish it. Visually think of how you will feel and look when you have reached your goal. Is it to be 10 pounds thinner, is it to have leaner legs and glutes, is it to simply have more energy and feel more confident? If you have met your goal before this should be easy, however if you have not, you can still think of how you will feel when there. The joy and confidence you will feel knowing you accomplished your goal, the energy you will have, the happier you will be around others and your families etc.

Another tip on goals is to tell someone you trust and confide in. By telling someone you are committing to your goal and can't procrastinate when someone asks you how your doing with progress. It's easier to lie or put things off in our own heads, but by owning up to your goals and having a buddy check-in with make you be honest with them and yourself ;)

Secondly, treat yourself- no not with food but with some fabulous new gym clothes! A new pair of pants or top that make you feel good and will make you feel good in the gym. This is a good temporary fix to building your confidence. I personally love LuLuLemon and PrAna because the material is nice and thick and pulls everything in (they look great too!)

Lastly, load up the iPod or MP3 player with new tunes that will get you moving. I know if I have a new playlist on my iPod it excites me listen to it and see the drive it gives me in the gym to get things done. Another great technology tool is the iPod alarm doc- where you can plug your iPod into the doc and wake up to the song of your choice...a great way to get moving and motivated in the am! Keep your gym clothes in your car or by your bed too for easy access to them so you'll be sure not to miss a workout!

Good luck with your goals this month everyone! GET OUT THERE AND LIVE :)

PASSION...

People often ask me how did you get into competing in fitness? Well, it's simple it was a dream of mine since ever since I first saw Fitness America on ESPN back in high school. I was amazed by these beautiful, strong women. But at the time didn't beleive I could ever be strong enough to do anything like that. I loved being on stage, competing in pageants, but for me to be athletic like that, I thought was way out of my reach. I played soccer and basketball, but wasn't a good runner (always the back of the pack) but still I always tried my hardest in practice to be the best I could be at the sports I played. Once I went to college I still had the dream, started to research the sport of fitness a little more and thought that maybe I could one day do something like that. I started to really workout in the gym and felt that I was actually getting some strength. It wasn't until after college though that I realized I couldn't just keep dreaming anymore. I wanted to make this dream a reality, and I was going to do everything in my power to figure out how.

I didn't know if I'd be any good, nor did I know where to start, but thankfully I stumbled upon Cathy Savage (http://www.cathysavagefitness.com/) and my dreams started to seem clearer. My goal was in sight and after meeting with her and her team at the time I made the commitment to step on stage.

Why am I telling you all this, well that was my dream to compete, however I did not know that fitness would be my lifelong PASSION until I actually stepped on stage in April of 2005.

One gift you must continuously protect and cherish is your excitement and passion! Only passions, GREAT PASSIONS, can elevate the soul to GREAT things. NOTHING GREAT in the world has been accomplished without passion and enthusiasm. SO work hard at your dreams and goals. By constantly reminding yourself of your passions, joys, thoughts and feelings torwards your goals you will achieve them.

What is your passion?

Have a fabulous week everyone :)

Spring Into Positivity!

Emotional positivity breeds happiness and good things!

Replaying past triumphs, victories and happy times in your mind is a powerful way to motivate yourself and stay positive. Staying encouraged isn’t easy, it’s a full time job. One great way to help keep you motivated is to post quotes, pictures of things you desire, happy times you’ve had etc. close by so you can always reference them and remind yourself this is where you want to be, whether it be mentally or physically.

Be careful having conversations and associations with people who are negative and can bring you down in a instant. By steering clear of negativity you will start to see yourself differently and your happiness will begin to catch on to others around you J

This week try and stay positive and see the light that will soon surround you!

Don't let Easter EAT YOU!

With Easter right around the corner everyone is thinking about what they'll be making, all the goodies they'll be eating and family they'll be visiting, but come Monday, April 13th everyone will be saying...URGH why did I eat like that and how can I get back on the wagon as beach season is closing in ;)

Easter can be a day of fun and YUM without hindering your diet or health, you just have to be prepared ahead of time. Now I'm not saying you have to eat only turkey and veggies -unless you are competing in a show within weeks -you know who you are ;) But you do have to go into the day knowing what you are willing to say no to and what you absolutely can't miss out on (Grandmas apple pie, a Cadbury egg, or those yummy mashed potatoes anyone?) but you do have to pick and choose. If you do this you won't feel like your missing out and you'll also feel GREAT about the choices you made and most likely won't have the guilty feeling come Monday morning at the office.

Below I've prepared an excellent way to start your Easter morning with a healthy breakfast to kick start your metabolism and keep you from munching on all the pre-dinner treats. After a healthy breakfast you'll feel satisfied until you're mid-day Easter meal and won't feel like you have to have huge helpings of everything available.

Some helpful hints when deciding what to eat on Easter day:
Veggies are your friends- Start by loading up your plate with veggies (salad, carrots, green beans, asparagus-whatever may be available that you like) this should fill 3/4 of your plate.
Power packed protein- Choose your protein, either ham or turkey is most popular for the Easter Holiday and if able to choose from the two, choose the Turkey- It's less fatty and lower in sodium, not to mention loaded with protein that will satisfy your hunger!
Just pick 1 or NONE- Most people will have mashed potatoes, rice and rolls at the table. You don't need all three ;) so choose your favorite. Now if you decide you'd like a piece of dessert instead, skip out on the starchy carbs all together at the dinner table and save those cals for what you really want at dessert time. You'll most likely be filled up enough with the protein and veggies you chose anyway.
Slow the pace- by eating slowly and enjoying the dinner time with family and friends you're more likely to eat less.
I hope you enjoy my recipe and tips. Pass it on :)

Janelle's Crustless Quiche

Ingredients
1 cup spinach (not cooked)
2 1/2 Cups liquid egg whites
1/4 Cup chopped onion (I prefer red onion)
1/4 Cup chopped green bell pepper
1 Tsp garlic salt
1 Tsp ground black pepper
1 Tsp Thyme
2 Tsp fresh basil (or 1 Tsp dried if fresh unavailable)
2 of Trader Joe's sun dried tomato chicken sausages, chopped *OPTIONAL

Mix all together in a bowl then pour into a round non-stick baking dish (3" deep x 9" diameter) and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.