Fat-Burning Cookies 8.18.10

I found these in Oxygen from this month's issue and decided they are WAY better for you than my recipe I tried to revise a little while back. Try them and let me know if thy taste just as good too!


Fat-Burning Cookies

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
2 C whey protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 C low-fat small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 C honey
1/4 C canola oil
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C rolled oats
1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven 350degress
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and blend with a fork.
In a separate bowl, combine next 5 ingredients and whisk together with a fork, or use an electric mixer or food processor.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a fork. Mix in oats, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an oiled or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes until the cookies are slightly brown on top.

Nutrients per serving (2 cookies):
Calories: 99, Total Fats: 3g, Sat Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 72mg, Total Carbs: 11g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 5g, Protein: 7g, Iron: 0mg

Hope you love'm!
~Martha

My New Training Schedule

As a lot of you know, I have decided to compete again in another figure competition. So my workouts have changed a smidge and I am LOVING it! I was just starting to feel like my workouts needed a change anyway, so this was perfect timing for me! Here is what I look at every morning to tell me what to focus on for the day.

Monday:
Plyo-Metrics

Tues:
Full Upper Body

Wed:
Plyo-Metrics

Thurs:
Full Lower Body

Fri:
Plyo-Metrics

Sat:
Full Body Workout

Now if you are trying to lose some poundage, it is wise to do cardio within 8-10 hours of your heavy lifting days. I will probably do this 2 days a week for a few weeks and see if it is really necessary. My body-type might be fine with just sticking with the schedule I have written out above. Tweeking things is always a good idea until you find what works best for your body-type. Anyway, that's my plan for the next 2 months! Wish me luck!
~Martha

Boosting Your Metabolism and Losing Weight 8.11.10

So I've been learning a lot about certain foods and spices and how they help aid our bodies in increased metabolism (how fast you digest foods) and fat-loss. I thought you all might be interested in some of the things I've learned. I'll try to keep it short and sweet, but I'll warn you that I get really excited about stuff like this and it's hard to sum up! So bare with me.

Did you know that spices like cayenne, dried mustard, and ginger can accelerate your metabolism? And that dill, garlic, anise and fennel will assist you with digestion? Also, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and coriander will improve your insulin and glucose levels (that's for you ANGIE!). Parsley, cilantro, fennel, anise and apple cider vinegar will remove water weight and we all HATE excess water weight, right? I use apple cider vinegar all the time as my dressing on my salads and it's so delicious! Parsley and cilantro are so easy to grow in your very own gardens. I have some in mine this year and they make the perfect spice for my chicken wraps or tomato toasts or my homemade salsa. Something to be aware of is that hot spices can trigger water retention, so be careful of the chili peppers (note, cayenne is not a chili pepper).

If you are really trying to lose weight, you will want to stay away from dairy products of all kinds (with the exception of whey). Don't worry, you will still get your calcium from your greens like kale, collards, escarole, watercress, broccoli, and mustard and turnip greens.

I've always been a fan of protein because of the building and repairing factor after my intense workouts. I also learned that protein will raise your metabolism by 25% and will help aid the liver in activating it's detoxifying enzymes!

There is much more I would like to share, but I will stop here and post more as I have time. It's amazing what God has provided for us to keep our bodies functioning at their very best levels! It's always been right there in front of us and we can grow most of it right in our backyards! So the next time I'm looking for something to eat, I think I'll be choosing something God has provided us.....not man.
-Martha

Toasted Snack 8.10.10

Oh my! I found such a tasty quick snack that my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Here it is. I will post a picture of it tomorrow when I'm not so tired :)

Tomato Toasted Snack

1 sandwich thin
diced tomato
diced onion

Toast the sandwich thin. While it is toasting, dice the tomato and onion. Place them in a bowl with a tsp or so of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and fresh basil.

When toast comes out, mince a garlic clove and smear on the toast. Place the tomato mixture on top and enjoy! This is packed with flavor and has all the spices and veggies you need to boost your fat-burning cells! Great to have between lunch and dinner as a snack!

Hope you like it!
Martha

Tofu Recipe for You Vegetarians Out There!

I found this yummy-looking recipe made out of Tofu and Couscous in the Oxygen Magazine I received a few days ago. Haven't tried it yet, but I have not tried anything out of Oxygen that I haven't liked yet. So I'm sure it will be a hit!

Here it is...

Tofu Delight

1/2 C Whole-Grain Couscous
4 oz Cubed Tofu
1/2 C Broccoli
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

Cook/Steam all ingredients, combine and enjoy!
-Martha

Some Carbs You Might Enjoy 7.15.10

These are some of my carbs I enjoy when I don't have time to prepare oatmeal, sweet potatoes or other things like that. I'm not 100% positive there isn't another whole wheat tortilla out there that isn't better than these Mission Brand ones. I just quickly grabbed the first ones that didn't have anything processed in them. You would be surprised at some of the ingredients in these foods they advertise as "healthy" if you take the time to look! Next is my sandwich thins. There are several types you can buy, like multi-grain, honey wheat, etc. But I believe the 100% whole wheat ones are the best for you after you compare the ingredients. Next I have 2 types of Wasa Crackers. Some are more crunchy than others, but I love them all! You can have them with cottage cheese, peanut butter, bananas, etc to make a healthy snack! Lastly is a random item I decided to add. It's your green tea. Green Tea has been proven to have lots of healthy benefits and is a great antioxidant.

I hope everyone knows I didn't switch to all these new foods right away. I started small, a little here, a little there. As I got more and more used to different foods, I would try something else new. I don't like everything, but these are some of the things I do enjoy. I hope you are able to use this a guide to get you started in the right direction and give yourself time to try some a little at a time. Until next time ladies!
-Martha

Random Kitchen Items....7.15.10

Here are some random items I keep in my kitchen at all times. I can't remember what order I put them in, so here is a run down in no particular order. I have posted a recipe for Protein Pancakes, I believe it was our very first post actually. They are really good with honey or Agave Nector. You can find this ANYWHERE really. Next is your whole wheat flour. The brand doesn't matter, you just want it to be 100% whole wheat. I also posted Adam's Peanut Butter, most everyone has heard of this. I use Naturally More now (posted a photo of it on Cali's entry when she was talking about it). Both peanut butters you can find at Wal-Mart. It is good when you see the oil at the top of the jar because that means there are no hydrogenated oils in it. These oils are very bad for you, but manufacturers put it in to keep the ingredients from separating (mostly because we are too lazy to take the time to stir). The trick is to stir it when you open it, then place it in your fridge. It won't separate if it stays cold. Lastly is my organic yogurt. My favorite is Greek Yogurt (it's the best for you anyway), but I had ran out of that and this is what I got instead. Both kinds of yogurts you can find at Wal-Mart. I hope this is helping you all get a visual of what is out there that you can choose from as a healthy alternative to what you are currently spending your money on. Please let me know if you have any questions!