Guest Post – Katie’s Kitchen

Quinoa is an amazing ingredient that everyone should have in their pantry.  You can use it in almost any recipe that you would use pasta or rice or as an easy side to meat and veggies.  Quinoa is great not only because it tastes good and lends itself to a variety of uses, but because it has a very high protein content.   Unlike pasta or rice, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.  This of course, makes quinoa a perfect choice for vegetarians.  Quinoa is also gluten free and easy to digest.

This recipe is one that I have made many times and it is so delicious, you’ll never think of it as a ‘health food.’  It’ll be the hit of your weekend cookouts or beach parties!

Quinoa Corn Salad

Serves 6                                                                                                              

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 red onion, small, minced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

Directions:

1.  Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold, running water. Bring water to boil in a small pot, add the quinoa and salt, and bring to a boil again. Cover and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for an additional 5 minutes. Strain off any excess liquid and spread the quinoa out to cool on a tray while preparing the remaining ingredients.
2.  Steam or lightly sauté corn until just tender and cool to room temperature. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Season with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce to taste. Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Combining healthy meals like this with our personal training or bootcamps in Monmouth County is the perfect recipe for a toned and lean body!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

1.  Water Consumption is NOT Important for Weight Loss.  This is one of the myths that I thought had finally been banished; however, I just ran across it on a major weight loss website in the past few days.  An ‘expert’, who is nothing more than a journalist student…and struggling with weight loss, said that water will not lead to fat loss.

I beg to differ.  In fact, water is extremely vital for carrying out chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism.  Without proper water intake, the body doesn’t metabolize fats efficiently.

Divide your body weight by 2 and drink that much water (in ounces) daily to kick fat in the ass!

2. Don’t Eat Carbs Because They Will Make You Fat.  I can’t tell you how often I hear this.  Have you ever heard of fruits, vegetables and whole grains?  These are all carbs…and they are healthy.  In my over a decade of training, I have yet to see a single person get fat from eating too many fruits or vegetables. 

I do recommend that my Freehold Boot Camp members eat a lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet, but that does not mean that carbs are bad.  Protein is great because it takes more energy to digest and also aids in muscle regeneration.  Carbs play a major role in diet though because leafy green vegetables keep you full and offer vitamins and minerals.

Steer clear of processed carbs like cakes, cookies, most cereals, and white breads and you will be fine.

3.  Fat is Bad. Hmm, you are probably totally confused right now.  Fat is NOT bad for fat loss?  Before you think I am absolutely crazy, hear me out.  The fat free craze has confused so many people over the past few years to the point that most people will choose a fat free food (that tastes disgusting) that is packed with tons of extra sugar rather than eat 3 grams of fat. 

When looking at food labels, pay attention to saturated fats and sugars.  The extra sugar will not only be stored as fat, but it will also leave you hungry within a very short time…and have you craving more sugary, fatty foods.

Instead, eat some fat, which will keep you more full.  Just do your best to stay away from saturated fats, which cause major health problems.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Just a warning -  I am about to go off on a rant. 

 Those of you who know me personally may be a bit surprised by this post. 

You see, my parents raised me to always try and be polite as possible and to deflect any type of confrontation.  I hate seeing people do anything but smile and be happy…and I especially hate to disappoint people. 

I think I got mixed up somewhere though between being completely honest with people and being too “polite”.  My “polite” side has caused me to FAIL some of you who workout, when in reality you need a good swift boot in the ass and to be told “Suck It Up!”

I will be the first to admit I failed some of you and will never allow that to happen again.  I would much rather risk someone leaving rather because I pushed them than knowing I may have not given everything in my power to change a life and instilling a positive, healthy lifestyle.  I mean, we all workout to get good results and feel good, right?  So, if we are making the effort to go to the gym, then why wouldn’t we want to work hard?

My first bit of complete honesty is that getting in great shape is not easy!  You have to work your ass off for it and responsibility needs to be taken.  I will work myself to the bone to HELP you get where you need to be, but you must be the one to follow through when I am not around.

So work hard, keep a positive attitude and kick some ass!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Katie and I decided to head over to the dog park on Sunday since it had been a while since Tuggy had been able to run free.  He just loves to get out there and run around chasing dogs, being chased and dodging the dog owners who stand around. 

We immediately became the unpopular group when Tuggy walked out and chose his first ‘victim’, a small chihuahua.  Tuggy ran a few small circles around him and then gave a playful pounce to get the other dog chasing him.  It lasted about 15 seconds until the other dog quit.  Poor Tuggy ran around like the unpopular kid on the playground looking for someone to play with…until another female Boston Terrier came along and ran and played with him for the next 45 minutes. 

Tuggy was running faster than I had ever seen and jumping over other dogs as he chased his new female companion.  He was like a totally different dog now that his energized little friend was around.  This was until she took a water break and he decided to put on the moves on by air-humping at her, but that is another story.

What is the reason for this post, besides talking about mybest  buddy…and dog, Tuggy?  Well, Tuggy wasn’t enjoying himself when he was around the lazy dogs.  He had the energy being sucked out of him every minute and wasn’t doing the things he was capable of. 

This happens with people all of the time.  It is a fact we act and become just like the 5 people we spend the most time with in our lives.  Are you hanging out with energy suckers?  Complainers?  Crabs?  Underachievers?  If so, then it may be time to find a new pack and live up to your full potential.  Find like minded people who enjoy working out, work hard, are positive and push themselves.  I guarantee that you will reach your goals way faster than you could have ever imagined.

More on Tuggy in the future when he shares his favorite healthy human snacks with you….Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

A common question that I get from a lot of new clients is “how do I lose that extra belly fat?” Everyone wants a toned and tight belly and mid-section, and I’ve got good news and bad news.

The bad news is that you cannot spot reduce where you lose fat. Most people know this but still get wrapped up doing crunches and weird things on the swiss ball in attempts to trim that belly fat away. Sorry folks, you can do crunches until you are blue in the face. Then you’ll just be blue in the face and probably have awful posture. Okay, anyway…

Your body is a unit, things work together and as much as we all want to “trick” our bodies, it won’t happen. When you exercise and eat right, you mobilize fat and eventually burn it for fuel and energy. Wherever you have the highest concentration of fat cells will take the longest to break down and lose just because there is more of it.

So, that’s the bad news but it’s only bad if you REALLY love doing crunches. If not, then let’s move on to the good news. Just like everything in life, you’ll have to put in a little work to get the results but it will be well worth it. Here are the top three things you MUST do if you want to lose belly fat and create a trim, athletic looking body. These things will ensure that you are in fact losing fat all over, and you are creating a rapid metabolism that burns fat while you are not working out (awesome, huh?)

#1 way to lose extra fat around your belly and mid-section: Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet consists of 5-6 small meals and snacks per day, always eating breakfast, and having fruits, veggies, lean proteins, low fat dairy, whole grains and nuts as the staples to your nutrition plan. Drink 1/2 of your body weight (in pounds) per day (in ounces) to ensure proper hydration and mobilization of fat. If you starve yourself or gorge yourself, say goodbye to a trim mid-section because either your metabolism is going to slow down to a snail’s pace or you are just constantly storing excess calories.

#2 way to lose belly fat and trim your mid-section: Strength training. This is by far the BEST way to boost your metabolism to create a furnace effect where your body is burning while you are not working out. Get involved in a metabolic strength training program which will combine large movements into complexes so you are moving from one exercise to the next. (ex: squat, push up, stair sprints, kettlebell swings) This type of training will elevate your heart rate, pump up all major muscles to burn more calories, and is much more fun and functional than sitting on a machine or using the treadmill for a jog. You will burn a ton of calories during the workout but you are also going to kick start your metabolism so that you are burning calories like crazy after the fact. Many studies today are showing up to 36 hours of “afterburn” with a properly designed workout.

#3 way to lose belly fat: Interval training instead of slow, steady cardio. This type of training has a similar effect to the metabolic strength work I just talked about. It’s not nearly as good for building lean muscle but will help you burn a lot more calories, raise your metabolism and also strengthen your heart and lungs. The idea behind this is that you work hard for a set interval (ex: sprint for 1 minute) and then recover for a set interval (ex: walk for 1 minute) to recharge your body and give you energy to complete the next set while still working. This is much more effective than just running for 3 miles.

If you are looking to trim your mid-section and lose that extra few pounds of belly fat, stick to the basics and avoid the crunches and tricks on the ball. Sure you’ll burn a few calories but if you don’t create an efficient metabolism and fuel it with healthy foods, you will be slowing your progress exponentially.

Make sure you are integrating these factors in your fitness training program. You’ll see amazing results quicker than you ever imagined, and you’ll actually have more fun. Keep checking back to Greg’s blog for awesome fitness tips and motivation!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Shake

½ a ripe banana (use a very ripe banana for the best banana flavor),
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter,
¾ c. skim milk,
½ scoop Prograde LEAN Meal Replacement Shake 

Blend

Calories:  304

Protein Pumpkin Pie Shake

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. pecans walnuts or almonds
1/2 c. cottage cheese
1 scoop Prograde vanilla protein powder (a little more or less to your taste, depending on how sweet you like it),
3/4 cup COLD water (again, a little more or less, depending on the thickness you prefer-but regardless of thickness preference, MAKE SURE THE WATER IS COLD!).
 
Blend, pour into a glass, and enjoy a (seemingly) sinful taste of dessert!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mud

1 scoop Prograde LEAN Meal Replacement Shake 

1 tbsp. Natural Peanut Butter

1/3 c vanilla rice milk/skim milk

mix LEAN with peanut butter and stir in milk until a thick ‘mud’ is made.  Chill for 5-10 minutes and enjoy with raspberries

*This is my favorite!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

 Here are 6 Rules to think about during your day if you want to be a success at losing weight, making money, being a better person or anything for that matter. 

 Let me know what you think…

 Rule 1: Stop Blaming Circumstances!

 One of my first clients I had back in the day was a 56 year old nurse who worked the night shift and then came right into train with me after 12 hours of work.  She was also going through menopause and had lost her husband to a heart attack.  She lost over 35 pounds in 3 months…and did the longest plank I have ever witnessed…7 minutes!

Rule 2:  Don’t Ever Quit!

 Nothing comes easily or without hard work.  Sometimes you just need to plug away to see great results.

Rule 3: Don’t Blame Other People or Things!

 You are responsible for your successes or failures.  Sometimes you just need to get rid of crabs.

Rule 4: Focus on the Goal -Not the Bumps in the Road!

 Your energy should always be spent on reaching the goal.  Unfortunately, many people spend 90% of their time bitching about all of the reasons why they can’t reach it.

Rule 5: Stop Pretending to Know Everything

 People who hire coaches or advisers are over 85% more successful than those who do not.  If you want to achieve weight loss, hire a personal trainer.  If you want to be a better golfer, hire a golf pro.  I would say 100% of professional athletes have their own coach of some sort.  Makes sense, right?

Rule 6: Move Closer to Your Goals

 Everything you do in a given day either brings you closer to your goal…or further from it.  Eating that extra cookie brings you further from fitting in your jeans.  Doing that extra interval gets you closer.  Pay close attention to what is helping you or hurting your success.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Here is a pretty awesome video from Tony Robbins. He may have the biggest chompers in the world, but this guy is a pretty motivating dude.

Hope you enjoyed the video.  If you are looking for a Colts Neck Personal Trainer , then you should read this before you start your search.Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Hope you are doing great!  Thought you may enjoy some of these pictures that I came across.

Ouch…

Katie’s & my future baby?

I bet Jenny Craig is jealous of this picture…

Wouldn’t be surprised if I saw one outside of WOW next week…

Big guy with a little dog..

The Xerox machine may have screamed for this one…

Hope you enjoyed these and I look forward to your comments!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS

Here’s the story…

While taking a nice scenic walk on the shores of Alaska, a man took in the beautiful coastline and watched the locals fish for crabs off the rocks.  He then noticed a white five gallon bucket near a few fisherman.

As he gazed into the bucket, he saw a number of crabs climbing around.  However, 1 crab in particular caught his attention.  This crab seemed extremely motivated and kept working his way to the top of the bucket getting within inches of escaping.

The man got the attention of the nearby fisherman to let him know he was about to lose one his crabs that he caught.  The fisherman just laughed and told him to keep an eye on what was about to happen.

What happened next could trult affect your life from here on out…

The motivated and hard working crab that had just about lifted himself from the bucket was quickly pulled back down by several of the other crabs at the bottom.

Does this remind you of the general population?

I bet there are times that you are extremely motivated and think that not even a brick wall could stop you…until that crab from the bottom of the bucket pulls you back down and makes you think otherwise.  Your passions, goals and dreams are yanked out of sight by the fearful crab in your life.

Sometimes this crab is a best friend, coworker or family member who fears losing you, or fears change, or fears being left way behind in life.  Their fears are masked by the look of true concern, but in reality they are just bringing you down and bursting your bubble.

I have seen this take place during group workouts and it is truly poisonous to everyone involved.  One ‘crab’ can pull down the emotions and drive of even the most motivated person.  Identify these people and steer clear as you keep your goals and inspirations in mind at all times!Greg Carbone, CSCS, CPT, YFS