Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

Fitness

Recipe of the Week: Quinoa Peanut Brittle

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Servings: 12
Calories: 123 kcal

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 3/4 cup raw peanuts, chopped
  • 1/3 cup rolled oats, uncooked
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp. coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 2/3 cup pure maple syrup

 Instructions:

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F and lining a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the uncooked quinoa, chopped raw peanuts, rolled oats, coconut sugar, chia seeds, and sea salt and then stir to combine.
  3. Add melted coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup, and then stir again until everything is fully mixed.
  4. Transfer the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
  5. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, watching it carefully near the end to avoid burning.
  6. You’ll know the brittle is ready when the color becomes evenly golden brown and the edges begin to darken, get bubbly, and spread out across the pan.
  7. Let cool completely before breaking into bite-size pieces with your hands.

 

Original recipe from A Sweet Pea Chef can be found here!

Making Yourself a Priority this Holiday Season

Making time for exercise and prioritizing your life is not always the easiest thing to do; and during the holiday season it is even more difficult. Let’s face it, eating “healthy” this time of year also feels almost impossible! Let’s work together to help make this “Mission Impossible” very possible!

Let’s start by planning ahead – whether it’s your day, week, meal plan or fitting in a workout. This can be applied year round, but it’s vital the holidays when planning around events. Start by looking at your work and social calendar then plan out your meals and set time to workout. The most successful people are those who plan ahead and continue to proactively workout more leading up to the holiday parties. You know the one “where you eat way too much unhealthy food”… Avoiding that holiday weight gain comes from consistency – both exercise and nutrition – instead of trying to make up by burning off the party calories. If time is not on your side, try making your workouts shorter, but more frequent by exercising 4-5 days a week or more if you can. If the family is getting together, maybe even invite a friend or family member to workout with you. A healthy, holiday challenge can keep you on track even through the busiest time of year.

Try planning out your meals for the week ahead of time – start by looking at which meals are dinners out or parties then fill in the rest. What do I need for lunch at work? Which nights am I getting home late? Plan out the week’s menu and try to prep meals ahead when you have free time. Consistency with healthy eating allows you to stay on track between holiday party foods. Remember, one meal is not the end, its repeat offenses over time which can steer you off track.

3 Holiday Health Management Tips:

  • Plan meals ahead of time
  • Schedule in your workouts
  • Remember our health and happiness is what the holidays should be about

Take the time to be proactive as the parties start poppin’. By avoiding playing catch up after the holidays, your future self will thank you. Your health is the most important gift you can give yourself. Make the time for you.

 

 

Recipe of the Week: QUINOA CHILI VERDE

 

Green is good! This vegan Quinoa Chili Verde is filled with tomatillos, poblanos and mildly spiced, and a nice change from the usual chili routine! Bonus – this recipe is vegan!

Prep Time: 10 min          Cook Time: 25 min          Total Time: 35 minutes                Yield: Serves 4 – 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 1b. tomatillos, diced or quartered or 1 can (15 oz) crushed
  • 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, deseeded and diced
  • 1 cup corn (fresh off the cob, frozen or canned)
  • 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Optional Garnish:

  • avocado, diced
  • bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
  • cashew sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Saute: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil/water over medium heat and saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic powder, oregano, cumin and chili powder, cook for 1 minute more stirring frequently, or just until spices and herbs become fragrant.
  2. Simmer: Add tomatillos, poblanos, corn, beans, quinoa and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and let rest a few minutes before serving.
  3. Serve in individual bowls topped with garnish of choice.

NOTES:

  • Add in a package of organic tempeh for added hardiness. Three Grain Tempeh is my favorite flavor wise.
  • Adjust the spices to your taste. If using broth, you may like it as is, if using water, you may like to add more.
  • Slow-Cooker: This can also be made in the crock pot/slow cooker, add all the ingredients, cover with the vegetable broth and cook on medium or medium-low for 4 hours.

 

Recipe of the Week: Creamy Chicken One-Pot Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced Brussels sprouts
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Boursin cheese
  • 1¼ teaspoons dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Prep: 35 m
Ready In: 40 m

  1. Combine pasta, chicken, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, onion, garlic, Boursin cheese, thyme, rosemary and salt in a large pot. Stir in water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked and the water has almost evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chives.

 

Nutrition:
Serving size: about 1½ cups each
Per serving: 353 calories; 10 g fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: AUTUMN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Total Time: 70 min

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
  • 1.5 pounds potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (try half sweet potatoes, half Yukon gold)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (or breakfast sausage)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 handfuls roughly-chopped fresh kale, tough stems discarded
  • 15 eggs, whisked
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, to taste

 INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Line a large baking sheet (or two medium baking sheets) with parchment paper; set aside.  Lightly mist a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Drizzle evenly with the oil, and season with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.  Toss the veggies until they are evenly coated with the oil and arranged in an even layer.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Remove baking sheet(s) from the oven, and carefully transfer the veggies into the prepared baking dish; set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, as the veggies are roasting, cook the sausage in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until browned.  Once the sausage is browned, add in the garlic and kale and sauté for an extra 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Remove pan from heat, and transfer the sausage into the prepared baking dish; set aside.
  4. In a separate large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, Old Bay seasoning, plus an extra 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  5. Once the veggies and sausage have been cooked and added to the baking dish, use a spoon to give them a brief toss.  Then spread the mixture out in an even layer in the baking dish.  Carefully pour the whisked egg mixture evenly on top of the veggies and sausage.
  6. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out completely clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Serve warm. Then slice, serve, and enjoy!  Or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Running & Walking Efficiency

Walking and running both seem simple enough- just put one foot in front of the other. However, in order to walk or run efficiently you must understand how to move your body. Use these simple tips to help you cross that finish line with ease!

Posture

How are you standing or sitting now as you read this? Think of a string running through your center to pull you straight up and maintain that tall posture. This way you are not leaning forward or backward. By paying specific attention to keeping your core tight, this will directly help your posture.

Stride Length

Maintain a short, quick stride when you are walking/running. When we plant our foot in front, the goal is to have the hips knee over the ankle. Rather than trying to reach forward with your foot, focusing on a faster turnover will help plant the foot properly. Not only is this more efficient movement, but it may help you prevent injury.

Stride Rate

This goes along with our stride length. A faster step will help you move more efficiently than trying to take longer steps. Specifically for running, an ideal stride rate is about 180 strides per minute (or 90 per foot). Slower stride rates may indicate more vertical movement, which is less efficient (wasting energy). If you listen to music, try a faster bpm and try to match the cadence – remember this will not change immediately and takes time to learn.

Arm Swing

When running, try keeping keep your elbows bent at about 90*. Your goal to avoid letting your arms creep up too high (think T-Rex arms) or shrugging the shoulders. As you’re moving, be sure to keep your arms at your sides and avoid letting them cross over in front. If you keep pumping those arms at your sides, your legs will follow!

Relax Your Shoulders & Hands

Take the tension out of your shoulders and hands. Relax your shoulders by keeping them down and away from your ears (think back to that long, tall posture). Avoid keeping a tight fist and open your hands to let them naturally swing at your sides.

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser, MS

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Linguine in JETS Sauce

Shout out to Peak Performance Fitness member, Wendie, for sharing her family’s recipe this week! Serve up this zucchini linguine with shrimp for Sunday night dinner. It’s prepared in homemade sauce, appropriately named for some Sunday football – JETS Sauce!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes
  • 5 cloves of garlic (whole)
  • 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • ½ minced onion
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 10 basil leaves (fresh)
  • 24 large shrimp (peeled & deveined)
  • 2 large zucchinis (spiralized or shredded)

Directions:

  1. In a large pasta pot, pour in 2 Tbsp of olive oil on low heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in the whole garlic cloves. Cook until lightly browns. Toss in the minced garlic and onions and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Toss in the crushed tomatoes. Add in 10 basil leaves and cook uncovered for 45 minutes on medium heat mixing occasionally so that the sauce doesn’t burn.
  3. Add in the zucchini and mix together so the sauce covers it all. Place a lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add in the shrimp, mix together and keep covered for 5 minutes or until pink.
  5. Serve it hot & enjoy!

 

 

Set the Tone with Dynamic Stretching

When walking into the arena to begin exercise, whether that arena is in the gym or the great outdoors, it is important that you set the tone for the day. Your workout needs to begin with a warm-up that compliments the intensity of your exercise. The greatest threat to performance is the lack of preparation or a poor warm-up routine.  When going for a run or walk many people have a routine before they begin exercise: whether that routine is swinging their legs back and forth to create motion around the hips or twisting to the left and right to loosen up their lower back: Whatever it may be, are you consciously thinking about the activity you are about to engage in, the intensity you are about to give, the time in which you plan on exercising for and the current injuries or ailments you are battling at the time?  So much goes in to planning a workout therefore it is essential that equal thought is placed on planning your warm-up resulting in ultimately crushing your planned workout while minimizing injury or local muscle fatigue.

A large part of a dynamic warm-up is neurological in the sense that you are making a mind-to-muscle connection. The dynamic warm-up gives your body ample time to understand and process the stress you are about to place on your body so it can respond with the correct rate of force by recruiting select muscle fibers.  Take the guessing out of the equation and allow your body to go through a 15 minute dynamic warm-up to maximize efficiency.  If you’re going for a run ask yourself, what specific deficits do i have?  When you go for a run do you start to develop tightness around the ankles?  Adding in some ankle mobility would be a good idea with the objective to loosen up the ankles and get them tracking properly to disperse energy into the appropriate areas via tendons and ligaments.  Try performing walking heel raises to improve the elasticity in your calves, butt kicks to wake up the hamstrings, or work on mobility with deep squats to open the ankles and hips.

Everyone’s warm-up will be different and tailored to their specific needs required for the workout. Setting the tone with dynamic stretching  will help prevent injuries and keep your body working at maximal efficiency.

 

-Brandon Ayala, CSCS