Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

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Motivation Monday: Sue’s Story

Today we share the success story of our member Sue!

Her energy and excitement is contagious and we couldn’t be more proud of her journey.sue

“My journey with Peak Performance began with PT after falling and suffering a fractured shoulder. I started PT last October and had a very successful experience. Every therapist and assistant was amazing! As I did my therapy exercises each week I noticed signs displayed advertising their guaranteed weight loss program. I had a strong desire to finally lose weight as it was something I battled with most of my life. After speaking with Pam Geisel, one of the Physiologists, I became more excited and encouraged. I started working out under Pam’s guidance in March. I joined the Guaranteed Weight Loss program that included both exercise and nutrition. I have spent about eight months working weekly with Pam and I cannot say enough good things about the program. I have lost close to 30 lbs. and dropped several clothing sizes. I not only feel better physically, but emotionally too. I have reached a goal that I never thought possible. Pam has treated me with encouragement, enthusiasm and kindness. Thank you for helping me to achieve my goals! Thank you so much Pam for everything!”

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

  • Medium-sized head of cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
  • 3 roasted garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Fill a large saucepan with about an inch of water, and insert a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil, and add the cauliflower florets. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, allowing the cauliflower to steam for 6-8 minutes, or until fork tender.
  2. Drain the steamed cauliflower, and transfer to the bowl of a large food processor. Add in the roasted garlic cloves and seasonings, and process to your desired texture.
  3. Enjoy!

Holiday Baking Swaps

‘Tis the season for baking homemade holiday cookies and treats! This is a wonderful family tradition with recipes that have often been passed down for generations. But is grandma’s cookie recipe steering you off track? Simple ingredient substitutions can help you create your own healthy holiday treats to start new traditions!

  • Oil and Butter- Swap for applesauce, grated zucchini, olive oil, or avocado
  • All Purpose (white) flour- Swap for almond meal, whole wheat flour, oat flour, or quinoa flour. It is important to note that flour swaps are not even and in many cases you must increase the liquid as well. Use other recipes as guidelines or begin with a partial swap.
  • Milk- Swap for almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or hemp milk
  • Eggs- Swap for bananas or 1 tbsp. chia seeds with 3 tbsp. of water
  • Sour Cream- Swap for plain Greek yogurt
  • Peanut Butter (with additives)- Swap for all natural peanut butter

Recipe of the Week: World’s Best Braised Cabbage

Ingredients:

  • 1 Medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 large yellow onion (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

Directions:

1-Heat the oven to 325. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or a baking dish (9 by 13 inch works well).

2-Trimming the cabbage: Peel off and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. The cabbage should weigh close to 2 pounds (if you don’t have a kitchen scale, consult the grocery store receipt). If the cabbage weighs more than 2 pounds, it won’t fit in the baking dish and won’t braise as beautifully. To remedy this, cut away a wedge of the cabbage to trim it down to size. Save the leftover wedge for salad or coleslaw. Then cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges in the baking dish, they may overlap some, but do your best to make a single layer.

3-The Braise: Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock or water. Season with salt, pepper, and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after an hour. Don’t worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them: just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out at all, add a few tablespoons of water.

4-The finish: Once the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the oven heat to 400, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt.

Variation: Braised green cabbage with Balsamic vinegar. You can also add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the cabbage to enhance it’s sweetness. In step 4, after you remove the foil, sprinkle on 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic and turn the cabbage with tongs to distribute the vinegar, then roast for another 15 minutes, uncovered as directed.

 

Original recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet can be found here.

Holiday Party Survival Guide

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, everyone has a party to attend. Friends are getting together for drinks, the office holiday party is on Saturday night, and everyone gathers for dinner with the out of town relatives. You can stay on top of your goals straight through the New Year, as long as you have a plan. Follow these simple tips to survive all your holiday parties this season.

 

1. Eat Before You Go

Have a healthy snack or meal before you go to the party. This will help you avoid binging. If you’re full, you’ll be less likely to pick at snacks or overindulge at dinner.

2. Plate Your Food

When choosing appetizers, have a plate in hand and set a limit. If you can see what is on your plate, you know how much you’ve had. By sticking to one plate, you can exercise portion control. This helps prevent mindless munching.

3. Stay an Arm’s Length Away

If you’re mingling with friends and relatives, have your conversation away from the snacks. Mindless eating happens when you’re lost in conversation, but the chip bowl is right in front of you.

4. Don’t Drink Your Calories

For some people, holiday parties are accompanied by festive drinks. Drinks mixed with soda add empty calories and are high in sugar. Many beers have 100 or more calories per 12 oz.  Be aware of how much wine you pour, it’s easy to double your portion in a wine glass. Stay hydrated and save some calories by having a glass of water in between drinks.

5. Keep Your Routine

Just because you have a party to attend Saturday night, doesn’t mean you should skip the gym in the morning (we’re open 8am-2pm). If you’re anticipating a big, holiday dinner, make sure you still have a healthy breakfast and lunch- you don’t want to be fasting all afternoon and starving by dinner time.

6. Dinner > Dessert

When there is a lot to choose from, start by filling half of your plate with vegetables or fruit. Next, pick your protein: chicken, fish, turkey, etc. When dessert rolls around, choose just one delectable treat for yourself; it is the holiday season after all!

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

December Challenge: Hold Onto Those 2015 Resolutions!

It is officially December, which means the holiday season is upon us. Along with the holiday cheer comes hectic schedules, holiday parties, and endless amounts of food. We often find clients putting their workouts and fitness goals on pause during this time, hoping to “pick it back up in the new year.”  This year we challenge you to approach December a little differently. Don’t wait until January to set new resolutions; instead, set some December goals that will help you end 2015 with a bang.  This will involve some planning, time management, and will power but we believe in you! Utilize the next 4 weeks to not only spend time with friends and family, but to continue to achieve your goals towards a healthier and happier you.

For the next 4 weeks:

1)   Map out your week on Saturday. Write down all of your appointments, parties, meetings, and obligations. Now schedule yourself 3-5 appointments with yourself for your workouts. Put them down on paper and commit the time to you!

2)   Prep your meals on Sunday. Go grocery shopping, plan your meals, and prep food to ensure you have healthy meals all week long. It will be much easier to walk by those lunch room treats if you have healthier options already waiting for you.

3)   Have an emergency workout. This workout is 10-20 minutes, requires zero equipment, and can be done anywhere. This is going to be your go to workout for when something unexpected comes up, the weather gets bad, or you just need a quick stress release. Check back soon!

4)   Hydrate! We say it over and over again but water is very important. Water is an essential component to every cell in the body. It is also important because dehydration can also be mistaken as hunger, which can lead to overeating. As the temperatures continue to drop, we lose our external cues to drink up. Set hydration goals throughout the day and check in with yourself.

5)   Write down 3 goals for yourself for the next 4 weeks. Whether it is to try a new recipe every week, fit into a NYE outfit, or challenging yourself to new exercises, NOW is the time!

 

Feel free to share your favorite tips to staying accountable through the holiday season!

 

By: Pam Geisel

7 Tips for Staying in Shape this Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us! From Thanksgiving through the New Year is when people often put on a few pounds. The holidays pop up, you lose track of your routine between the shopping and parties. Then January rolls around and it’s time to start exercising- but this doesn’t have to be you! By staying on track with your exercise routine and watching your portion of pumpkin pie, you can keep up with your goals! We put together some tips to help you stay in shape this holiday season.

1. Act Like a Kid – Step out of your comfort zone! If there’s snow on the ground, get some cardio in with a little snowball fight with your family. If you’re feeling adventurous, find a local ice skating rink and take your loved ones out for a skate.

2. HIIT Workouts– If you are strapped for time during this holiday season, try a High Intensity Interval Workout. This circuit uses a 2:1 work to recovery ratio, which means you’ll be pushing yourself hard for a full 2 minutes before taking a 1-minute active recovery break. It only takes 10-20 minutes of your day!

3. Set a Goal– Set a specific, tangible goal that you can achieve during the holidays. There’s a huge chunk of time from now until New Years Day. That’s plenty of time to learn correct squat form or do a pushup/ abdominal challenge!

4. Mall Rat– As it gets colder don’t, give up your daily walking routine because of the weather! Local malls are a perfect place to get your steps in and stay on top of your goals.

5. Holiday Runs– Start a new tradition and participate in a Holiday Fun Run/Walk with your family. Get everyone in a healthy groove for the New Year!

6. Plan– Plan Ahead. If you are invited to a holiday party, offer to make or bring a healthy side dish. If you are hosting the party, you have more control over the menu so make wise, choices when planning.

7. Portion Control– Thanksgiving is once a year. With that said, it is okay to have turkey, potatoes, and a slice of pie, as long as you’re watching the portions; moderation is the key this holiday season!

 

 

By Sally Leahy

Recipe Of The Week: Autumn Ratatouille

Servings: 4-6

Calories per serving: 154

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small onions, cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 cup green beans, trimmed
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup water
  • cilantro, to garnish

Directions

  1. 1. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a large heavy pot and place on medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, stir in the garlic, jalapeño, and red pepper and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the squash and parsnip and continue frying for 5 minutes
  2. 2. Lift the vegetables out of the pot and into a medium bowl, leaving as much of the oil in the pot as possible. Add the remaining oil. Add the string beans, zucchini and eggplant to the pot and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. 3. Return the veggies that are in the bowl to the pot. Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir well, then pour in the water. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
  4. 4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the veggies from the pot into a large, deep roasting pan to make an even layer. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Find the original recipe from Marcus Samuelson here!