Protein Post Workout Cookies

1 Cup    Oat Flour

3 Cups  Rogers Porridge Oats or plain large flake oatmeal which will lower fat a bit

1 tsp.    Baking Soda

1/2 tsp.  Salt (second batch I took out as you don’t need it)

1/2 tsp.  Allspice or pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp.     Cinnamon

1 Cup    Raisins (loosely packed) they are super good with chopped dried apricots which are lower in natural sugars

1 Cup    Whole Pecans (then chop)

2 tsp.     Minced ginger from a jar

4            Egg whites (1/4 cup)

2 cups   Unsweetened Applesauce

1/3 cup Stevia Baking Blend (I use Stevia in the RAW)

1 tbsp.  Lemon rind

2 tsp.    Vanilla extract

3 scoops Phd Pharma Pure Vanilla Protein find it here (http://www.phdnutrition.ca/phdpharma-pure.html)

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix dry ingredients chopped pecans and raisins in one bowl

Mix wet ingredients and slowly add dry. Mix well and scoop using ¼ cup measuring cup and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and using a fork flatten the cookies to approx. 9cm.

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Nutrition per cookie is approximate from SELF DATA (makes 24 cookies)

Calories  115

Fat           5gr

Carbs      22gr

Fiber       3 gr

Protein 7 gr (you can up the protein by reducing Oat flour to ½ cup and adding 3 more scoops of protein) this will increase the protein to 13-14 grams per cookie, however they will be more dense and taste more like biscotti.

Sugar 8gr

Sodium 71 mg (if you omit adding salt sodium will be 25 mg.)

These are sooo good….If you like cookies crunchy reduce heat to 300F and bake for 20-25 min.

If you keep them in the freezer you will not be as tempted to have 2 or 3... :) 

ENJOY!!! 

https://www.facebook.com/phdnutritioncanada

It's breakfast time: Sweet Celeriac Root Hash

Sweet Celeriac Root Hash

I have been loving all of the winter root vegetables, so I tried to get creative this morning. I created this sweet and savory breakfast hash and threw a dollop of it on top of a spinach and mushroom frittata. The final picture didn't come out too beautifully, but it tasted fantastic. The recipe below will serve two people, and you can make a really delicious mash with the leftover half of the celeriac root. It is an awesome potato substitute with way more flavor and great nutrients.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 celeriac root, peeled & shredded
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled & shredded
- 1 small apple, peeled & diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- Olive oil

- sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Add diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft

3. Add shredded celeriac, sweet potato, and apple (use a cheese grater or food processor for these)

4. Season with a little sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it fully cooks through and gets a little crisp like hash browns. I stirred it quite a bit at first but then let it sit for a few minutes at a time so the bottom would brown.
6. Serve on top of your favorite frittata or topped with poached eggs.

   

  

Source:

Sooo Paleo: Sweet Celeriac Root Hash: Happy Sunday people. Today was an interesting and informational day for many reasons: 1. (I thought) I bought a rutabaga for today's r...

The Long-Term Effects of That Fast Food Meal

I thought of sharing this blog post from another site as I found it fascinating. What your body actually goes though after you have your planned cheat meal.

Don't get me wrong they are tasty and most if not all of us do it and embrace every moment of the experience. For competitors this happens every week for some maybe even twice a week....as we reefed with the wrong foods. What brings me to write this blog is the mental game I myself go through planning and deciding what my next cheat meal will be for some the new word is treat…Whatever you want to call it it’s probably BAD for you….

I myself have not had one since my birthday which was in early March and I must say I have had mental days where I just wanted to give up…I have had a couple reefed meals with clean wholesome foods but not a restaurant binge or anything like that…It has been hard to stay on track day in day out sometimes thinking how my relationship with food is now vs. before I started my fitness journey. Yes! Its all about finding balance….Its the HOW that is the challenge.

I have been able to balance it now but I did have a lot of ups and downs over the last year trying to figure it out…What is my maintenance level am I under my calories …way over and so on…Listening to your body can be a tricky thing. What to follow Blood Type Diet, Paleo, High Fat Low Carb….Low Fat…and the story goes on and on.

Currently I am prepping for my 4^th show and this thus far is my favourite prep of all…Why? Because in the off season I have discovered what my body needs vs. wants.

What foods I cannot tolerate due to sensitivities and how eliminating them has made a huge difference in my overall well being. I still have tough days where I have cravings and want to eat for 5…but this comes with the lifestyle of being focused on a goal of stepping on stage.

Am I hungry….No not at all…this is where my body tries to trick me and tell me what it wants vs. needs.

Anyhow onto the blog post…here it is. Have a read and maybe when you’re planning your next night out you will make better choices and focus on the company around you and not so much on the overload of fast foods you’re planning on consuming…

Source: Kimberly Snyder Blog

No matter where you live, the Fast Food Machine (FFM) will try to get you. They want you, me and everyone that ever eats a meal (yeah, in other words everyone!) or has a dollar in their pocket to support their ever-expanding empire, which is built on a sickening foundation of the cheapest, most processed “food” that contributes to myriad diseases and sickness.

So what I propose to do here is to start you thinking, really thinking, about the implications of every fast food meal. Some will say “Everything in moderation,” but I say not so with fast food. Each fast food meal digests to leave hormones, steroids, next-to-impossible to digest oils, cheap refined sugars and so many other horrible substances in your body that we made a whole infographic (below) on the subject.

Please share this with friends and family members that eat fast food. Maybe next time old Micky D’s calls out to them they turn their back and go somewhere healthier to eat or just eat a simple, but infinitely healthier meal at home.

Courtesy of: Kimberly Snyder

Protein Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Ingredients:

2 cups of raw almonds

¼ cup of almond flour

¼ cup egg whites

¼ cup raw no sodium almond butter

Splash of pure organic vanilla extract

1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate whey protein (I use Advanced Genetics Iso-Phase)

½ tsp of cinnamon (you may use more)

2 packets of stevia

Directions:

• First I make a paste with egg whites and protein powder to avoid lumps
• Place everything together into a blender or mixer and blend until everything is well combined
• Place almonds in a large bowl and add the creamy goodness and mix the almonds and let sit in the fridge for 30 min or overnight (the almonds will absorb the vanilla extract and cinnamon)
• If you have too much of the coating add more almonds to use up the coating…More almonds!!! 
• Once you pull the almonds from the fridge mix them one more time
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place almonds on baking sheet
• Bake at at 350F for 12-15 minutes until the almonds start to brown so keep checking them throughout as every oven is different

Some Tips:

Tip #1 Any leftover coating maybe mixed with some oats and a little more egg whites to get the right consistency of cookie dough and made into a couple of protein cookies. Yummy!!! No waste!

Tip #2 Any leftover baked coating that fell off may be used to sprinkled over your Greek yogurt or morning oatmeal.

South Delta Leader - It takes two to make a change

Source:
South Delta Leader - It takes two to make a change
By Robert Mangelsdorf - South Delta Leader
Published: January 11, 2013 11:00 AM 
Updated: January 11, 2013 11:22 AM

Committing to a healthy lifestyle can often mean drastic changes in every aspect of your life. But having a partner who is supporting you every step of the way can make all the difference in the world.

A year and a half ago, husband and wife Grace and Andrew Bukowsky, decided to make that change. And by holding each other accountable and relying on each other for support, the couple has transformed their lives.

Today, both Grace and Andrew compete in all-natural body building competitions, and this April, Andrew has a shot at the International Federation of Body Building’s world finals.

The couple’s journey to fitness began in 2011, when after years of being overweight and unsatisfied with their health, they vowed to turn their lives around.

“We weren’t happy with how we looked, we weren’t happy with our bodies at all,” says Grace, who is the general manager of Cove Links Golf Course in Ladner.

For Andrew, getting fit was very much a matter of lifeand death.

“My dad died at 39 of a heart attack, and here I was, almost the exact same age, and I was the heaviest I’d ever been,” he says.

The couple started with an intense home video workout routine, and began to see results. But it wasn’t until they started working with husband and wife personal trainers Dean and Leigh Brandt that the weight really started to come off and their bodies were transformed.

“When we started on our own, we weren’t really giving 100 per cent,” says Andrew. “There’s just so much information out there, it was hard to get focussed.”

Having a personal trainer design an exercise and diet plan for the couple helped them zero in on what exactly they needed to do to get the results they were after.

“It’s hard work,” says Andrew of the couple’s transformation. “But the more you do, the easier it becomes.”

And the results soon came.

After they each lost about 30 pounds, the couple started to focus on reshaping and redefining their bodies, instead of merely getting fit.

When the opportunity came to compete in body building competitions, the couple jumped at the chance to show off all their hard work.

Grace finished fourth at the Canadian Body Building Federation’s Sandra Wickham Fall Classic event this past November.

After finishing seventh at nationals last year, Andrew earned himself a spot at the IFBB world qualifier event in Winnipeg this April.

“It wasn’t a goal initially,” says Andrew of competing. “But when the opportunity came up, we thought why not?”

Having a goal to focus on also gave the couple added motivation.

“Having a goal gives you that extra fire,” he says.

The changes the couple has made have gone far beyond their physical appearance, however.

“This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” says Grace. “My confidence is up, my energy is up, I don’t have any aches and pains.

“I feel better and look better than when I was 18,” says the 38-year-old.

But it’s not about looking a certain way, it’s about being healthy, she stresses.

In addition to turning their lives around, Grace says their focus on health has rubbed off on her 14-year-old daughter, who now works out regularly with the couple.

“We are a fit family,” says Grace.

And while regular exercise is important, nutrition is No. 1 in the Bukowsky household.

Grace says the couple eats as much fresh organic food they can, with no fillers or added sodium.

Breakfast typically consists of oatmeal with egg whites and cucumber. Then a  “super greens” smoothie before a snack of apple, almond butter, and a protein shake. Right before a workout, Grace and Andrew might have another protein shake, along with yams or oatmeal, and some rice cakes for after wards.

Instead of sports drinks, Grace says they prefer coconut water to rehydrate.

An afternoon snack might consist of salad with no dressing, except for a little bit of vinegar.

“We eat like babies,” she says. “Every two hours or so.”

Dinner is usually fish or meat, with rice and green veggies, then an egg white crepe with peanut butter before bed.

“We spend about $800 a month on groceries,” says Grace. “Our bodies are like machines, they need to be fueled.”

Giving up unhealthy food is like overcoming any addiction, says Andrew.

“You have to make it a priority in your life,” he says. “You have to make it a routine, and not just a habit.”

Andrew recently quit his job as a restaurant manager and began working a personal trainer and fitness manager full time.

“I still work out with a personal trainer, though,” he says. “Having a personal trainer gives you someone to be accountable to, and helps you focus your workout.”

As a personal trainer, he’s seen what happens when couples don’t support each other.

Often when one person in a relationship makes the commitment to get fit, and the other partner isn’t on board, that partner can often end up sabotaging the efforts of the other, he says.

“They may not even be aware they are doing it, but it happens.”

Andrew says the support the couple has for each other has helped make their transformation possible, and strengthened their relationship.

“It’s the key to being successful,” he says.

• You can follow Grace and Andrew’s progress on their blog, The Fit Life 24/7, at gracebukowsky.blogspot.ca

facebook.com/TheFitLife247

Twitter:
@gracebukowsky
@andrew_buk

Water and Salt...What you need to know!!!

Take Water Seriously!

Post Source

Here are some Water Intake Facts

Our Health is Truly Dependent on the Quality and Quantity of the Water We Drink

·         Your muscles that move your body are 75% water

·         Your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water

·         Your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water

·         Your brain, the control center of your body, is 76% water

·         Even your bones are 25% water

From nerve impulses that travel around the body, to the transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the system, water plays an integral role. It is vital that you drink plenty of water. Water not only provides you with nutrition, but it removes toxins. Water is your body's principal chemical component. 

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you do not have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. When the body gets low on fluid, every process will likely be compromised.

Dehydration can cause a diverse array of symptoms including:

·         Headache

·         Fatigue

·         Muscle cramps

·         Constipation

How Much Water Do You Need To Drink, and How Often?

A Few Simple Calculations to Assure You are Getting Enough Water/Salt Each Day

To better determine how much water you need each day, divide your body weight in half. The answer is the approximate number of water ounces you should drink daily. You should drink half of your body weight in ounces.

For me it’s about 55-60 oz min…I usually drink 4 liters. I train hard so I need to ensure I am drinking enough

Here are some Salt Intake Facts
Post Source

How Much Salt and How Do I Use It?

Maintain the Proper pH Level for Your Body by Balancing Your Salt/Water Intake

¼ tsp. per quart of water (4 cups) you drink daily. You can put the ¼ tsp. of sea salt in your water, or season your food with it, as it is suggested

What is important is that you get the proper balance throughout the day. You can't take all your salt in just two times a day, no more than you could do all your breathing in only two times a day. You cannot drink half of your water in one sitting and then the rest later that day and expect to be fully hydrated.

What is a Good Sea Salt?

Celtic Sea Salt

Good Celtic Sea Salt is totally unprocessed, kosher and hand harvested. It is dried by the sun and the wind, retaining the ocean’s moisture and locking in a vast array of vital trace elements. It is a coarse, moist salt that gets a light grey hue from the pure clay sole it is harvested from. There is no comparison, in taste or in health effects, between mineral-rich Celtic Sea Salt and chemically-treated iodized salts. This Unprocessed salt has a rustic old-world flavor that is more assertive than other varieties.

It is Important to be Sure You Are Getting the Right Kind of Salt

Good quality of sea salt contains more than 80 trace minerals. Be careful when buying sea salt or Celtic Sea Salt. If it does not list minerals on the back, the odds are that you have just bought expensive, prettier packaged table salt. All salt came from the sea at one point. So it is legal for anyone to label their low grade salt as sea salt. Good Celtic Sea Salt is NOT white or dry.

Unrefined sea salt is what you should look for.

It contains 98.0 % NaCl (sodium-chloride) and up to 2.0% other minerals (salts):

·         Epsom salts and other Magnesium salts

·         Calcium salts

·         Potassium (Kalium) salts

·         Manganese salts

·         Phosphorus salts

·         Iodine salts

Altogether, real unprocessed salt contains over 100 minerals composed of 80 chemical elements.

The composition of crystals of ocean salt is so complicated that no laboratory in the world can produce it from its basic 80 chemical elements -- nature is still a better chemist than people.

This salt has been used since beginning of life, by ocean plants, by animals and by human beings.

At all cost avoid Refined salt (Table Salt), which is 99.9% (sodium-chloride). It almost always contains additives, like 0.01% of potassium-iodide (added to the salt to avoid iodine deficiency disease of thyroid gland), sugar (added to stabilize iodine, and as an anti-caking chemical), aluminum silicate. FAKE!

But.....Isn't Salt Bad for You?

All the medical and scientific studies condemning table salt would appear to be justified, except for the fact that these studies examined only refined white salt, a biologically damaging, completely unnatural, and chemical substance to say the least.

In the industrial refining process, as many as 82 trace minerals and essential macro-nutrients are  removed on purpose, leaving only a single compound made of sodium and chloride. Can you believe it?

I hope this makes sense and clarifies some misconceptions about Salt the real deal and not the chemical crap sold in stores.

Thank you for reading.... Sweeteners are on my next To Do list...

Grace

A little colour therapy-Today's Inspiration

TYRER SHARPLES

Today's inspiration for me was a little colour therapy. I was simply inspired by an outfit one of my girlfriends was wearing during her workout session at the gym. When I looked at her she was beaming with confidence, happiness and overall  wellness…it made me think of how color impacts me everyday from what I wear to what I eat and the surroundings I am in and wondered what it does for others?

It made me think that Colour is light of life….Without light there is no life

Thinking a little deeper as I was training myself made me realize colour could very well be the most magnificent experience we take for granted. Look around, it's everywhere, surrounding and embracing us. We interpret life as much through colour as we do shape, texture, sound and for some even smell and taste.

For me colour is the very essence of life as it can influence our emotions, our actions and how we respond to various people, things and ideas. Even though much has been studied and written about color therapy and its impact on our daily lives for me its very simple I look at my surroundings and try to be inspired as colour touches every part of my daily activities from my meal prepping, my gym sessions and simply the things around me.

I haven’t studied the theories behind colour therapy but can share a little into what the basic meanings are so maybe others can relate their feelings and reactions to the colours that surround their life.

Here are some simple meanings of colours and the energies contained within. I am sure there are many versions with different definitions and meanings but this is what they mean to me most of the time…When I actually take the time to notice my surroundings.

Secondary Colours, Shades and Metals:

Pink symbolizes: love, beauty

Brown symbolizes: earth, order, convention

Orange symbolizes: vitality with endurance

Gold symbolizes: Wealth, prosperity, wisdom

  

White symbolizes: Purity, Cleanliness

Black symbolizes: Death, earth, stability

While white reveals, black conceals

Gray symbolizes: Sorrow, security, maturity

I guess the point I am trying to make is next time you put on your gym outfit take a little time and choose colour over the standard, whatever it may be. 

Be confident that colour will bring you happiness and further confidence and drive to reach your goals. It will not only make you feel better but inspire those around you as well.

This will be something I focus on as the New Year is just around the corner...Literally. Bring more colour to my life in 2013!!!

Thank you for reading and a big Thank you to Tyrer for inspiring me today xo

You may follow Tyrer on:

FACEBOOK: TYRER SHARPLES
FACEBOOK PAGE: IRON DOLLS FITNESS

" All forms of matter are really light waves in motion."

- Albert Einstein

A New Year’s Resolution

A New Year’s Resolution

Fitmark Ambassador, Andrew Bukowsky, gives advice on achieving your goals. 

A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the change of a habit. A key element to a New Year’s Resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year and most of all, the anticipation of new beginnings. People committing themselves to a New Year’s resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year.

This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous and most often, if not always, is a failure. Why would I say that you ask? Because majority of people just say they are going to do something without actually planning ahead and then acting on their words. As the end of the year approaches the resolutions come to surface and it’s when I hear; “On January 1st I am starting a diet, I will lose weight, I will eat better, or save money,” however most often than not, when asked people never have an action plan, just a goal and sometimes maybe a vision.

I started my journey of transforming my lifestyle about two years ago in this same manner…With a goal, somewhat of a vision, but no plan of how I will actually do it.
It’s easier said than done to say eat clean, exercise and results will follow. As I started my journey with my wife, we were far off from knowing what “Clean Eating” really was.
You think you know, you exercise every day and little is happening.
You can read all the books and on-line feeds but until you commit to consistency it really means nothing.

Finally 6 months into our so called clean eating and exercising with minimal results we got help from a husband/wife team of personal trainers who taught us how, when and what to eat to lose weight, get fit and stay fit. The guidelines were strict, direct and to the point. We were committed, determined and stuck to it. We told everyone of our VISION, not so much of our goal, but the vision itself. This is after all, a journey and not a quick fix. Here is a list I recommend for everyone that has a vision, or is in the process of creating one, or wants to set a goal and needs a plan. In addition, I don’t recommend planning further ahead than 90 days or 12 weeks.

This applies to everything not just diet, eating and losing weight. These principles can and should be applied in everything we do from relationships, our work, fitness level and friendships. I will apply the list toward the fitness category:

• Vision: Share this with as many people as you can, especially those who will be your support circle….if you don’t how will you be held accountable and how will other know what your needs are and trust me you will need the support.
• Outline your goals and be as specific as possible and are measureable.
• If you can afford it…GET A COACH! Someone who really knows their stuff for meal planning and a workout program. At least for the first 90 days of your journey.

This is not a sales pitch, since I have become a personal trainer and a nutrition coach. It really was the foundation to my success. I highly recommend it. It will keep you focused and stress free knowing you are in good hands and having the freedom of following a well-designed program and seeing changes was huge for me and my wife.

• Define what an effective meal plan is for you by either doing extensive research or talking with your coach.
• Rid your home of anything that will not support that.
• Start ridding your diet of junk food (candy, fast food, sugars) immediately
• Enlist the aid of a workout partner who’ll be in it for the long haul. For me it was my wife. This was and continues to be a joint effort day in, day out.
• Make a list and shop in advance to buy all of your food for meal planning.
• Purchase supplements and protein powder, based on advice specific to your personal goal(s).
• Outline your training regimen for the entire 12 weeks.
• Start building endurance by including cardio, especially if you have been inactive aerobically.
• Cook the night before, pack the next morning. THIS IS A MUST!!! Fail proof!!!
• Start writing down everything you eat.
• Write down your workouts and details about them. Include details of your progress.
• Get extra rest. This is so important!!!
• Share your success! You will be surprised, but chances are you will find you will inspire others around you, without even knowing it.

I’ll finish by saying, why wait until January 1st to start your journey to a healthy lifestyle. There is no better time than now, to get fit and feel great.  If you need help or advice, please feel free to contact me with any questions, or comments.  I will be happy to share my experience and offer any assistance I can, to help you begin your journey, or work towards achieving your goals.

Stay fit,
Andrew Bukowsky
Fitmark Ambassador 2013

FACEBOOK: Andrew Bukowsky

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Please Visit link below for an exclusive Givaway from the Fitmark Team!!!

OK, let’s get after it. Giveaway time!

Click the image and you’ll be directed to our Facebook page where you can leave your comment and enter the contest to win a Fitmark Bag. We’re asking everyone, what’s your 2013 goal and how will you achieve it? Good luck!

Win a Fitmark Bag

Stay fit,
The Fitmark Team

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