Squats

Hey all! I haven't posted a workout in a while so I figured I'd share a part of my workout that I do on leg days.  One of the best workouts you can do, whether you want to build muscle or lose weight, is squats.  They work so many of your muscles at the same time   you just have to make sure you do them right! It isn't a squat if you cheat and don't go all the way down.  Ass to the grass is what I always say! It is controversial as to whether you should go all the way down when you squat because it could be damaging to your knees, but going all the way down will give you a strong core, back, and legs.  In my opinion, form is more important than the amount of weight your doing.  If you use more weight and aren't doing it right, you aren't going to see results and you'll probably end up hurting yourself.  Some things to remember when you're squatting: make sure you don't arch your back, keep your abs tight, and try not to extend your knees past your toes.  I won't go into detail because I'm not an expert but a good way to learn how to do a squat properly is to google it, watch videos, and read up on it because there are different correct positions as far as bar and foot placement.  Also, squats can be done in the squat rack, the smyth machine, dumbbells, medicine balls, etc...so do what you're comfortable with!

Here's the squat workout I do on my leg days:

Warm up with body squats

Feet positioned normal, about shoulder with apart:
2 x 10 medium weight
2 x 8 higher weight
3 x 6 highest weight

Feet positioned close together:
2 x 10 medium weight
2 x 8 higher weight
3 x 6 highest weight

Feet positioned very wide, toes pointed out:
2 x 10 high weight
3 x 8 max weight

*Come up only 3/4s of the way after you squat
*Little rest in between...30 sec or less! If you really want a good workout, do 30 second bursts of cardio (mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc.) between sets.

Sweet Potato Protein Waffles

I got a waffle maker as a gift for graduation and so I'm obsessed with it! I love breakfast food and I've been dying to make waffles, so now that I can I've been trying out different recipes everyday.  This is the first waffle recipe that I've made that came out perfect on the first try! These waffles are high in protein as well as complex carbs from the sweet potato, so they're a perfect post-workout meal... or whenever :)

Dry Ingredients:
-1 scoop whey protein powder (any would probably work. I used Cellucor Cor-performance Cinnamon Swirl... just make sure it's a hefty scoop!)
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-3 packets stevia
-lots of cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
-1/2 baked sweet potato. (The one I used was small/medium sized. Bake it in the microwave-- I fork it and heat it for ~7 minutes)
-2 egg whites (or 1/3 cup)
-Splash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

While your waffle maker is heating up, make the baked sweet potato in the microwave, and mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. When the sweet potato is done, peel off the skin and mash it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients.  Make sure you are mashing the sweet potato into the mixture well.  Note: The batter may seem a little liquidy (I'm not sure how thick waffle batter is supposed to be) but don't worry they turn out thick and fluffy!
Pour the batter onto the waffle maker and let it bake until it's golden brown! I topped mine with Walden Farms calorie-free syrup and that's all it needed :)

Nutrition Information (will vary depending on the protein you use): 237 calories, 18g carbs, 36g protein

Protein Frozen Yogurt

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've posted anything because of finals, but now I'm officially done with college and I have my B.S. in Nutritional Sciences! It still hasn't hit me that I'm done with college! I will be going on to do more school eventually. but in the mean time I'm so happy that I get more time to relax, go to the gym without having to squeeze it in between classes, and make up new recipes of course :)
In honor of it being warm out now I figured I would post one of my favorite things that I've been having every night for my last meal of the day-- protein frozen yogurt aka profroyo! It seems like a weird combination but I promise it's delicious.  It's high in protein and a perfect pre-bed meal because it contains greek yogurt and cottage cheese which are good sources of casein (see my Supplements section for an explanation of casein!). You can customize the recipe to make it to your liking and add whatever toppings you want! I don't usually measure it but here is the general base recipe:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup no fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup chobani plain greek yogurt
1/2 scoop protein powder (I use cellucor cor-performance either cookies n cream or cinnamon swirl. any protein works!)
1 packet stevia
splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

After mixing the base recipe, you can add whatever flavors you want.  Some examples of things I add: unsweetened cocoa to make it chocolatey, any extracts (vanilla, coffee, etc.), cinnamon, pumpkin puree, the list goes on!

After mixing everything together, freeze for about 90 minutes.  Then when you're ready to eat, add your toppings! Examples of some toppings I use: Walden Farms calorie-free syrups (chocolate or maple), half of a warmed up quest bar, nuts of any kind, peanut butter, Barbara's Puffin cereal, anything really! Make it your own, and enjoy :)

Pumpkin Recipes

So I go through these phases where I'm obsessed with a certain food (a few posts back it was zucchini)...and currently it's pumpkin puree! Pumpkin puree is typically eaten around Thanksgiving, but it really should be added to your everyday diet.  It's a complex carb that's high in fiber as well as other nutrients such as iron, potassium, and vitamin A.  Pumpkin puree can be added to pretty much anything.  It can also be used as a baking substitute! After reading this post you'll find that I especially like pumpkin and cinnamon together...seriously best combo.  Below are a few of my favorite recipes where I use pumpkin puree. I use Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin.

1. Pumpkin Protein Bread

Ingredients:

-1.5 scoops Cellucor Cor-Performance Cinnamon Swirl whey protein (you can use a different whey protein but macros will be different)

-1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

-3/4 cup egg whites

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-2+ tsp cinnamon

-3 tbsp flaxseed meal (Bob's Red Mill is what I use)

-1 tbsp baking stevia

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine and mix ingredients well.  Spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the mixture.  Cook for about 25-30 minutes.  

Per serving (I cut it up into 7 pieces): 68 calories, 5g carbs, 10g protein

2. Pumpkin Protein Pita

Ingredients:
-3/4 scoop Cellucor Cor-Performance Cinnamon Swirl whey protein
-1 tbsp Libby's Pumpkin
-Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
-Cinnamon
-1/2 banana, sliced
-Almond butter (optional)

Combine protein, pumpkin, and a ton of cinnamon (I don't know how much but I clearly love cinnamon so a lot!).  Then add a splash of almond milk and mix.  It should be a paste-like consistency (not too liquidy, but not thick like a nut butter either) so keep adding tiny amounts until it's like this.  Then spread the paste on a pita or wrap (I usually use a low carb wrap/pita or an Ezekiel pita depending on the time of day I eat it). Place the banana slices on the paste and fold/wrap the pita.  You can either put this on a George Foreman Grill (be careful it may ooze out a little) or just heat it up in the microwave! Sometimes I spread a tiny bit of almond butter on top after I heat it up (I use Justin's Maple Almond Butter-- so good!).
The cinnamon pumpkin mixture itself is about 106 calories, 3g carbs, and 19g protein (this will vary depending on what protein you use. Cellucor Cor-Performance whey is 130 calories per scoop and 25g protein). You can do what you want with it and don't necessarily need to eat it on a pita and/or with a banana.  Eating it like this can be a good breakfast, or pre/post workout meal....and it's SO yummy, but you can get creative!

3. Cinnamon Pumpkin Pie Oats

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats

-1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

-1 tbsp Libby's pumpkin

-1/2 scoop Cellucor Cor-Performance Cinnamon Swirl Whey (or other whey protein)

-1 packet stevia

-cinnamon

In a microwavable bowl, mix rolled oats, almond milk, pumpkin, and cinnamon.  Microwave for about 1:35 seconds (in my microwave I have to do 1 minute, stop it, then do 35 seconds or else it explodes!). Mix in whey protein, then mix in packet of stevia. Sometimes I add a few slices of banana... you can add whatever you'd like!

The Importance of Rest and Sleep

One thing that's a huge problem for many people is not getting the proper amount of rest and sleep.  For me, being a college student means late nights of studying and then having to get up early the next morning to study some more or for an early class.  Rest and sleep is especially important for those who are more active.  Your body requires more oxygen, uses and requires more energy, and must use this energy for tissue repair.  If you don't get enough sleep, this can actually cause you to gain weight.  This is because ghrelin, the hunger hormone, will increase while leptin, the satiety hormone, will decrease.  This will cause you to be hungrier during the day.  Lack of sleep can also affect insulin sensitivity and cause your fat cells to be more likely to store energy as fat.  Sleep is probably the most important part of recovery for your muscles.  Your muscles are actually growing when you're sleeping--not when you're at the gym! You're tearing muscle tissue when you are working out, and proper nutrients from the food you eat repair this tissue.  However, this tissue won't start being repaired until you are resting for a long period of time.  So if you don't get enough sleep, you won't allow your muscles adequate time to repair and grow.  Human growth hormone is also produced when you sleep.  This hormone plays an important role in growth, cell reproduction, and regeneration.  High levels of this hormone play a role in increasing metabolism.  Another hormone that is affected by sleep levels is cortisol.  Sleep helps lower levels of this catabolic hormone.  High levels can decrease your metabolism and cause muscle breakdown.  For these reasons, rest days are important to incorporate into your workout schedule.  As for the amount of sleep you should get, I think everyone knows that at least 8 hours is the general rule.  It can be different for everyone though.  In my opinion, quality is better than quantity so at least make sure that when you are sleeping, make sure it is a deep sleep with no interruptions!

Parmesan Zucchini "Fries"

Hey everyone! I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while. Lately I've had an obsession with zucchini, I literally put it in everything... veggie stir-fry, my egg white omelette in the morning, etc. My absolute favorite way to eat zucchini is baking them like "fries." I put fries in quotations because they aren't exactly like fries...but if I called them something else like parmesan zucchini strips that sounds super lame-- guess I gotta get more creative with my recipe names!  But anyway, most recipes for zucchini fries require bread crumbs to make them crispy like actual fries, but I didn't want the extra carbs! So here's what I do instead, and although they aren't exactly like fries they still taste amazing!

Ingredients for 1 serving (for one person):
1 medium zucchini
1/4 cup Egg Whites (doesn't have to be exact)
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Powder
Mrs. Dash

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Spray a baking sheet well with non-stick cooking spray.  Put the egg whites in one small bowl, and the parmesan cheese in another separate bowl (no exact amount...I just pour a little in the bowl, you can always add more but I think it's around 1/4 cup).  Cut the zucchini into strips the size of fries.  Dip the zucchini strips into the egg whites, then dip into the parmesan cheese so they are completely covered. Place on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle garlic powder and Mrs. Dash (any flavor).  Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping them half way.  For the last few minutes, I change my oven to broil on high.



Per serving: 78 calories, 5 g carbs, 3 g fat, 8 g protein.

Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers

I experimented with making some turkey burgers the other day and they came out so good! I was pretty impressed with myself :) They were actually really easy to make, and you can freeze the leftover patties so you have a quick meal on other days.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey (I used Shady Brook Farms 99% Extra Lean)

3/4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

2 Egg Whites (6 tbsp)

10 oz. package of frozen spinach

1/4 cup fat free Feta Cheese

Garlic Powder, Mrs. Dash

Cook the spinach in the microwave according to instructions.  Drain well. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix (I used my hands because you don't need to go crazy with mixing it).  Form into 8 patties.  I used a George Foreman grill to cook them and they took about 8-10 minutes.  Make sure you use a little non-stick cooking spray!

Nutrition Information per serving (1 patty):

129 calories, 2g fat, 22g protein