Whether long-time yogi or yoga newbie, those taking to their mats understand (or quickly discover) that building a strong core is essential to growing in and mastering many poses while staying safe in the process.
The more strength in your core, both stomach and back muscles, reduces the amount of energy expended for simple movements and increases the amount of energy available for bigger physical challenges. Plus, a strong core offers protection from fatigue, poor posture and lower back injuries. Read on to learn more and find out six of my favorite yoga poses for a strong core. Continue reading →
One bite of my Brazilian Beef & Plantain Bowl (with egg, honey and toasted coconut) and you’ll happily say “Tchau” to a tower of pancakes, waffles or buttered toast in the morning! Loaded with protein, quality complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium and other essential nutrients, this easy breakfast made with leftover steak will fuel you for a full morning of demanding activities! The flavor combination may sound weird, but trust me, it’s so delicious! Pra caramba!
The protein in the recipes is a combination of 3-oz. left over lean steak (like top sirloin, strip, tenderloin, flat iron, etc.) and a single, sunny-side up egg. Along with a little bit from the plantain, you’re getting about 28 grams of protein with this meal – the ideal amount to consume in a single sitting.
It’s the perfect morning meal for a Protein Challenge! Each day is a new start, so beat yourself up if your diet wan’t exactly “on point” yesterday — you get a new chance to eat well today!
I always feel best when I’m eating 25g – 30g protein evenly spaced at each meal. Plus, it helps prevent snacking!
If you’re not familiar with plantains, you can typically find them in most grocery stores in the “exotic produce” area. This “vegetable-banana” is a less sweet and a little more starchy tasting than a regular banana – but so yummy when baked, microwaved or sautéed! They are a common ingredient in the cuisine of Mexico and Central / South America and in Brazil go by their Portuguese name of “banana-da-terra.”
Oh, and now for something crazy beef & bananas that isn’t actually food! It’s me planking until failure the other day before teaching a Grilling 101 class at the Texas Beef Council.
A video posted by Jennifer Fisher (@thefitfork) on
I’ll teaching a class on “Empowered Meal Prep – Protein for Fitness” at thePinner’s Conference in Dallas on Sept 9 & 10th. I’ll be sharing this Brazilian Beef& Plantain Breakfast Bowl along with a delicious Molasses & Pepper Flat Iron Steak recipe and Super Iron-Boosting Steak Spinach Salad. Sign up for my class, I’ll also have beef swag and lots of tasty samples! Use the discount code FITFORK at online registration to save 10% on the very reasonable cost that allows you access to 100+ classes on food, fitness, crafts, home décor and more! Or, if you just want General Admission to shop and see the sights (no classes), you can get a free pass ($7 at door) using FREESHOPPING. RESISTER HERE
Have you ever used plantains in a recipe? Do you have a planking hashtag for me? Are you watching the Summer Olympics? What has your favorite moment been so far? Please share in comments, XOXO – Jennifer
Power up your day in savory-sweet South American style with this hearty, protein-rich steak breakfast bowl featuring plantains, coconut, honey and an egg!
1/2cupunsweetened, shredded coconutraw or toasted, if desired
2tablespoonshoney
Instructions
Add coconut oil to medium skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sauté chopped plantains and yellow peppers for approximately 6 to 7 minutes, or until plantains turning golden brown and peppers softening.
In the last 90 seconds or so of cooking, stir in steak chunks to gently reheat without overcooking. Slide the steak mixture into 4 cereal-sized bowl and set aside.
Immediately poach or fry eggs to your preferred level of yolk “doneness.” Slide a cooked egg on top of each bowl of beef mixture and season with salt, pepper, sprinkle of coconut and a drizzle of honey!
Planks can be compared to eating your veggies or brushing your teeth. You don’t have to like doing it, you just need to get the job done — and it only takes a few minutes per day. Just like vegetables or proper oral hygiene, planks are a great way to look good, feel good, improve your overall health — and attract new friends! Ha ha!
Holding the plank position may look like child’s play, but don’t let the simplicity of this no-equipment, body-weight exercise give you a false sense of bravado.
Planks are hard and humbling. I’ve seen planks that can make grown men and women cry. Recruit a friend to make the pain more fun!
Core strength, balance and flexibility are just some of the benefits you’ll gain from practicing a plank – plus, you’ll stand taller, straighter and prouder! Who am I to judge if you want to pull up your shirt to show off new found abs and obliques. In addition to the abdominals, other muscle groups used include those in the back, chest, shoulders, and neck. Getting into the plank position helps to loosen up hamstrings (lordy, I need that) as well as calves and arches of the feet. Planks also demand concentration and a focus on balance to keep from toppling over, especially in some of the advanced variations.
Being able to hold an abdominal plank for two minutes (with good form) is an indicator of good fitness. Remember to tuck in rear end push belly button up, keeping a straight line from the top of your head to the back of your heels. Try my 5 Minute Plank Workout either in the morning or at the end of your next gym session. It’s just 5 minutes so no excuses, plus you’ll love the results after a few weeks! If you can’t hold the planks for the recommended amount of time, just lower into a resting position until ready to tackle the next one.
Or, try the whole five minutes at once, no variations to break it up — just go for it!
Also, I wanted to tell you to save the date! Prevention Magazine’s third annual R3 Summit is returning to Austin on Jan 15-16. I’ve been the first two years and can’t wait to go back to this health and wellness conference to learn new ways to take action when it comes to my health and happiness ((R3 = Revive, Refresh, and Reinvent).
R3 is an award winning 1 ½-day long experiential event taking place this year at ACL Live at Moody Theater. Guests enjoy a wide scope of wellness workshops, fitness classes, tastings and health and beauty consultations – there is something for everyone and keep an open mind because you may discover something amazing that you never thought was for you – last year I was blown away by the Reiki healing and the artistry of the women doing henna tattoos.
But, you know I was also all about the clean eating demonstrations and meeting the celebrity chefs. I also “competed” in a wild tuna cook off!
Confirmed speakers for the 2016 R3 Summit in Austin on Jan 15-16 are:
Dr. Travis Stork -Emmy®‐nominated host of the award-winning talk show, The Doctors, and a board-certified emergency medicine physician
Lizzie Velasquez -motivational speaker, author and activist, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
Chad Sarno -culinary media spokesperson for Whole Foods Market and VP of Plant-Based Wellness of Rouxbe Online Culinary School
Monica Pope -James Beard nominated Houston Chef and Restauranteur, Top Chef Masters
Mary Joan Cunninghman – #ThrivewithMS
Dr. Mark Hyman – nine-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate
Save $20 on a weekend pass by using discount code PVNR3AUFORK at check out on the registration site. If you’re going to be there, let me know so that we can plan a meet up!
So, do you plank? Have you ever been to Austin? Ever had a henna tattoo? Ever had your tongue read (oh, that’s a whole other post!)? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer
First of all, many planks, thanks and healthy well wishes to my friends checking out Zarbee’s Naturals this week!
Have you ever been caught up in the buzz around a new healthy product you’ve seen on social media? Probably so, considering you’re reading a blog right now and a recent Deloitte study reports that at least 33 percent of us are influenced by the products we see promoted in our social media channels like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and others. It’s a good thing and how we all can stay happy, healthy and helping our “hives” — meaning our families and larger communities. For me personally, I trust the opinions of friends I’ve developed via these channels – many are experts in their fields and I rely on them to sniff out the latest and greatest products for optimal health!
However, one of my pet peeves is not being able to easily purchase the product – either it’s an online orders only company (I hate to wait), sold in hard-to-find or overly exclusive stores (I need convenience) or is some sort of distributer or subscription situation. However, Zarbee’s Naturals, that effective and amazingly tasty product line of delicious vitamin drink mixes l blogged about last month, is super easy to find —- it’s at Target!
Whoohooo, just when I thought I couldn’t love Target more, they keep upping their awesomeness by stocking some of my favorite things (like Zarbee’s Naturals) in their “Made to Matter – Handpicked by Target” program. It is just SO EASY to run down to my neighborhood target to pick up a few boxes of the chemical-free, safe and natural wellness solutions offered by Zarbee’s Naturals — look for all six varieties on the Immunity Aisle.
In addition to convenience, I appreciate the fact that I know Target is selling me Zarbee’s Naturals at a fair price that won’t bust my budget! Perhaps, I’ll even have enough left to go treat myself to a new cute workout top or maybe this awesome bike. Or, #allthestarwarsthings
Amen to these sentiments that Zarbee’s Naturals shares – “In a community, the happier and healthier one person becomes individually, the happier and healthier everyone becomes collectively”. I believe this is truth for your own personal hive of family members as well as your larger social media family. It’s always the perfect season for being happy and healthy and connecting with friends – so take care of yourself (and your community) with Zarbee’s Naturals.
I love chicken salad. Cool, creamy and packed with lean protein, chicken salad is a go-to meal on my family’s overscheduled evenings. With multiple obligations that have us crisscrossing each other’s paths, I make dinner less stressful and more healthful (avoiding fast food) by whipping up a big batch earlier in the day, plate it up on lettuce and leave waiting in the fridge for self-serve meals as people arrive home.
Unlike deli chicken salads, my recipe for Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is much friendlier on your figure. No-fat Greek yogurt replaces most of the mayonnaise used in traditional chicken salad; just a bit of reduced-fat mayo is added in for the familiar flavor. Dried cranberries add a hint of natural sweetness and toasted pecans give a satisfying crunch! Serve on lettuce (my favorite way) or sandwich between bread, dollop atop crackers or roll up in a wrap.
Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup diced celery
1/4 cup green onions, sliced (including tops)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (no sugar added)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons reduced-tat mayonnaise
6 ounces 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
Add first 9 ingredients to a large bowl, and stir with a fork to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight before serving. This gives the flavors time to mingle.
Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce.
Serves 6.
Now that you’re fueled up with a healthy salad topped with Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, you’ll have plenty of energy later in the day to knock out my “Just Jump & Plank” WOD I created for Core Power. All you need is a bit of space and a jump rope and you’ll be getting a great cardio workout along with some core-strengthening action. Have fun!
