Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

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Recipe of the Week: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Big thanks to Peak Performance Fitness member, Anne F., for sharing her recipe!

A great way to enjoy the taste of a Chinese restaurant in your own home- these copy cat lettuce wraps are just like the real thing!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 1  tbsp freshly grated ginger  (I use less; the flavor can overpower)
  • 1 can diced water chestnuts
  • 2 sliced scallions
  • ¼ red pepper finely chopped
  • 1 head of lettuce

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
  2. Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. At the last moment, stir in the red pepper.
  4. To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a soft lettuce leaf, (like Boston lettuce) taco-style.

 

Recipe of the Week: Italian Sausage Bean Soup

Peak Performance has some excellent chefs!

Thank you to our gym member, Helen, for sharing her recipe this week.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1-1/2 hours
Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. bulk Italian chicken or pork sausage
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves sliced
  • 4 cans chicken broth, 14-1/2 oz reduced sodium
  • 2- 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14-1/2 oz)
  • 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
  • 1 large carrot sliced
  • 2 celery ribs sliced
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh sage
  • 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary crushed
  • 6 cups chopped fresh kale or spinach
  • Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

  1. In a pot, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
  2. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, barley, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
  3. Stir in the kale or spinach; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender and the kale or spinach is wilted.
  4. Small pasta may be substituted for the barley and added during the last 10 minutes of simmering or pasta can be cooked separately and then added before serving.
  5. Enjoy!

 

Recipe of the Week: Tomato Vegetable Gazpacho

The gym members at Peak Performance Fitness are also excellent chefs!

Thank you to JoAnn for sharing her recipe this week.

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 or 5 tomatoes (may be from a can)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 pepper (I prefer red)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 ½ cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup vinegar (I add some balsamic)
  • ¼ cup olive oil (I add to individual bowls on serving)

 

Directions:

  1. In food processor, start with onion then add garlic, peppers then cucumber then tomatoes. When pulverized put in bowl, add liquids and refrigerate.
  2. Serve cold with drizzle of olive oil.
  3. The longer it stays in the fridge the stronger the flavors. Will last at least 10 days.
  4. Enjoy!!

Tips for Sticking with Your Exercise Routine

We asked Peak Performance’s own Exercise Physiologists about how they have created routine in their lives. From working out, to meal prepping to staying hydrated, read on for their best tips!

Summer is over it’s back to school and work. Whether you had a break or not, the start of a new (school) year presents a great opportunity to get into a new fitness routine! For everyone who forgot about fitness over the summer, here are a few tips for getting back on track this fall.

  1. Make a plan: “A failure to plan, is a plan to fail!” Take a look at your class/work schedule at the beginning of each week and make a plan to get in some form of exercise at least 3 times throughout the week. Make appointments with reminders on your calendars so you don’t “conveniently forget”, and remember your health is just as important for your future as work and school.
  2. Find a friend: Try to find a workout partner. Working out with a partner is a great way to challenge yourself and can be more fun than working out alone. A partner can help to motivate you to push beyond what you would normally do on your own, as well as hold you accountable on days when you are slacking.
  3. Have a goal: Make short term and long term goals. Long term goals can be losing a certain amount of pounds by the end of the year, or maybe participating in a race like the Massapequa Turkey Trot 5k we do every November here at Peak (wink wink nudge nudge cough cough). Short term goals can be even more helpful if the long term goals seem overwhelming. Making it to the gym 3 times in a week, or trying a yoga/spin/kickboxing class are some short term goals that are easy to accomplish and can get you on the right track.
  4. Keep it short: Days are already packed with school, work, homework, family and social obligations, no need to spend hours in the gym. As long as you stay consistent throughout the week, you can get great results from shorter (15-30 mins) workouts. Have an idea of what you want to do before you get to the gym. Walk in, be efficient, stay focused on your workout, and keep up the intensity.
  5. Eat and Sleep: Eat and Sleep. That’s it. Try to maintain a balanced diet, and make sure your drinking enough water. Plan rest days throughout the week and try get a healthy amount sleep each night (at least 6-8 hours). Recovery is key for achieving your fitness goals!

 

By David McCalla

Recipe of the Week: Herbed Lentil Quinoa Burgers

Big thanks to Peak Performance Fitness member, Barbara W., for sharing her recipe!

A great way to enjoy BBQ season and have a vegan meal that tags all your micro nutrient needs!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz can red lentils
  • 1 cup Cooked Quinoa
  • 1 Small Carrot
  • ½ Bell Pepper, minced
  • 1 Scallion, Chopped
  • 2 TBSP Cilantro, Chopped
  • 2 TBSP Parsley, Chopped
  • ¼ TSP Salt
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ Cup Cornmeal
  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil

Directions:

  1. Pulse the lentils and quinoa in a food blender until it holds together, if the mixture is too dry, add a tsp of water
  2. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and stir in the carrot, bell pepper, scallion, cilantro and salt and pepper
  3. Shape the mixture into 4 patties, refrigerate for an hour
  4. Spread the cornmeal into a shallow dish and dredge the burgers to coat
  5. Add the olive oil to a heated nonstick skillet
  6. Cook burgers until golden, about 5 minutes each side
  7. Serve however you like, on buns, over salad or plain as is!

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 patty

  • 282 calories
  • 9g Fat
  • 42g Carbs
  • 12g protein

 

Tips for Making a Habit of Drinking Water

We asked Peak Performance’s own Exercise Physiologists about how they have created routine in their lives. From working out, to meal prepping to staying hydrated, read on for their best tips!

Developing a routine with hydration should be as essential as brushing your teeth in the morning or washing your face at night.  Too many people don’t hydrate their bodies enough on a day to day basis; this is why it’s one of the very first things we address when beginning an exercise program at Peak. Many times I will ask a client “how many cups on average do you think you have a day?” Many people will answer with “3 bottles a day” and point to the water bottle they have in their hand, whether it be an 8oz Poland spring or a giant Yeti 36oz.  Many people will admit they don’t get enough water, but somehow struggle with remembering to drink.  Others even claim they don’t want to be burdened with going to the restroom more frequently, but when I pry I find many of them are going to the restroom frequently at night but not during the day.  That is due to the body slowing down at night and renal function may to, but what about the waking hours?  Those missed opportunities to nourish your body, shouldn’t we focus on that? My general recommendation to new clients starting out is 8 x 8 oz cups per day; this is commonly more than they are used to. However, there are no actual hard and fast guidelines due to the fact that number depends on many factors such as body mass, the rate at which you sweat, heat and humidity, exercise intensity and duration.  Regardless of your water intake, since everyone’s is different, developing a routine in order to hit that mark every day is the key piece.

Reminders can be very helpful when developing a new habit.  I love setting a reminder in my phone, whether it’s for a meeting, remembering to wish my cousin good luck, and yes, drinking water. Each reminder has its significance in my life. Many times it’s the little things in life we take for granted; our bodies will continue to run even if we neglect it, but how can we increase its efficiency? What we don’t realize is that these unique systems that make up the human body are all integrated by the vast circulation that is dependent upon water.  Physiologically nothing would happen without the presence of water; therefore shouldn’t it be a higher priority?  Many of us drink a cup of coffee before we even have a cup of water in the morning.  Make hydration a priority in your life; add it as a reminder in your phone every hour to drink.

If you are utilizing a reusable water bottle, try this tip for holding yourself accountable: each time you drink your entire water bottle, place a rubber band around it.  This is a simple way to track your fluid intake throughout the day.  This will also give you an idea of how much water you normally drink on days when you are exercising light or hard and days when you are busy vs. days you are not busy.  Find out what’s holding you back from drinking more water because we all can use the extra hydration.

Brandon Ayala, CSCS

Recipe of the Week: Summer Eggplant and Zucchini

Peak Performance’s members are really just of chefs who know how to cook & eat healthy.

Thank you to Donna P. for sharing her recipe!

 Ingredients:

  • 2 small eggplants
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 4 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. Cut eggplant into small chunks. Mince garlic. Finely chop onions.
  2. Coat sauté pan with Extra virgin Olive oil. Sauté eggplant and onion about 5 minutes on medium/medium low heat until starting to soften. Stir occasionally.
  3. While eggplant and onions are cooking finely chop bell peppers and cut zucchini into small chunks.
  4. Add peppers, zucchini, garlic and Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir to combine. Cook 5 minutes
  5. Chop tomatoes and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a shake of red pepper flakes. (Of course this is optional).
  6. Simmer on low until vegetables are tender. About 20 minutes. If there is too much liquid cook uncovered for last 5 minutes.
  7. Finely chop basil and stir into the vegetables. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Tips for Establishing a Healthy Routine

We asked Peak Performance’s own Exercise Physiologists about how they have created routine in their lives. From working out, to meal prepping to staying hydrated, read on for their best tips!

What is a routine and why is it important to me?

Not to be confused with a popular French Canadian dish, a Routine is a task or behavior performed regularly. It can be daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly- and it can be anything from brushing your teeth, to changing the oil in your car, or getting to work and the gym. Each task is some part of every person’s life to some degree of regularity. In relative terms, a routine is what’s considered a normal pattern for someone. Although the “normal” can vary from person to person, it provides structure, familiarity and helps to form habits that can save time and energy (two of our most valuable resources).

How would I set up a routine to benefit my life?

Routine behavior is almost autonomous, meaning that we don’t give it much active thought from to start and finish. For this reason, it can be tricky to consciously kick an unhealthy pattern out for a more beneficial one. Some tried and true methods for positive routine forming involve some thought organization, a bit of planning, and most importantly time and patience.

First: Recognize the behavior that you would like to change or add. Write it down. Next: Take some time and write down your daily routine, then find out if your new goal or task fits into your current routine, and write it in. If the change is drastic, you may want to break it into smaller steps to make the transition easier. The difficult part of this process is taking the conscious effort over the next few days and weeks to perform that task as it fits. With consistency and repetition, that new task or behavior will become a habit, streamlining your life into a healthier version of itself.

 

By Matthew Rhodes, MS