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.

Photo Shoot Ready? How to....

This is one of the questions I get on our Facebook Page: The Fit Life 24/7.

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot the same way you prepare for a show?

Andrew and I do photo shoots that are close to shows as well as outside of show times so if we are close to doing a show....we do nothing as we don't want to mess with progress for stage, besides if the photo shoot is less than 4 weeks you should be pretty lean and its the perfect time to do a shoot.

However outside of show prep times this is one of the reasons Andrew and I try to stay relatively lean so if a great photographer will be in town or we go on vacation the preparation is quick and easy. I would like to say I am always ready but that's not the case so sometimes its nice to schedule a photo shoot if you don't have any shows coming up ..Pay for it and make a plan, work hard and capture the progress after. It can be the motivating step to get back on track.

I also like the images as a reminder why I started this journey during times outside of show preparation and if its close to ShowTime I like to compare progress.

Personally, I don't rely on crazy, last minute "tricks" to get ready for a shoot. If the photographer you are working with is good they will find a way to feature you in the best way possible....

Besides you are either ready or not...as the tips do not change the way you look they simply enhance what’s already there.

Here are a few minor tricks I have picked up over the last few photo shoots I have done. So here goes...

 Diet:

-In general I follow a carb cycle with low, med, high days. I stay on this up until the week of the shoot.

-4-7 days out: I begin limit sodium intake (condiments and dressings, cooking methods etc.)

-2-4 days out: I cut out carbs (except from greens) and eat lean white proteins with asparagus (a natural diuretic) and consume a lot of water (4-6 liters)

-The day before the shoot I consume only  750-1000 ml of water and add carbs back in (dry carbs like rice cakes work best for me)

-The day of the shoot I drink water when/if I start to sweat or sip on it throughout the day

Workouts:

-7 days out I stop my usual workout split as I don't want over-fatigued muscles or soreness (which may cause water retention and muscle swelling). I do full body workouts with lower weights and higher reps. 1 exercise per body part, 4 sets, 18-20 reps. You should be lean enough a week out so I don't do a lot of cardio. Sometimes I will do walking on treadmill or sauna sessions depending how I feel.

Misc. Tips:

-I drink distilled water starting a few days out and usually add lemon. (works to cleanse the system and acts as diuretic) a lot of opinions on this but it works for me so I follow this routine

-Dandelion root tea is a great natural diuretic if water retention is a concern

-Epsom salt baths the 2 days before the shoot, the last one is before tanning

-I always spray tan the night before, as my last prep task and rinse the morning of

The main thing I learned is that  balanced eating, training keeps me be in shape so getting ready is pretty easy. I have been able to manipulate my physique naturally in a short period of time with no stress to feel great and enjoy the experience of each shoot. I am not always super lean but that is part of the process.

 My First Photo shoot 

Kelowna May 2012

Second - end of June 2012...This one is after a show so my body is fuller and more curvy

Third photo shoot was in Las Vegas September 2012- Olympia Weekend

            Fourth shoot was with BAM Studio few days before my last show 

  November 2012

It's Treat Time-Nutella Flavoured Protein Shake

Nutella Flavoured Protein Shake

Ingredients:

•1 scoop of vanilla protein or peanut butter protein (more nutty flavour)

•2-4 Tbsp. Natural Cocoa (unsweetened) based on how much chocolate you like

•Dash of Cinnamon (just a sprinkle)

•4-5 teaspoons of Sugar Free Hazelnut DaVinci Sweetener (available at most grocery stores or Starbucks brand)

•2 Tbsp. Hazelnut Butter (if you can have the fat) available in most organic isles but you may skip it and up the sweetener

•1/2 Cup Unsweetened low calorie Almond Milk

•5 ice cubes

Directions:

1.       Add all ingredients into blender….blend until frothy and Enjoy!

You can reduce the almond milk and make into a paste…actual Nutella for apples or on top of rice cakes

You may have to play around with the flavour profile a bit...so the consistancy is to your liking but the flavour is bang on.

Like ·  · Shar

Baby It's Cold Outside

With the cold weather in full swing I thought to share my creation for the spiced pumkin latte.This is one of my favourites on the weekends as it tastes like pie.

I hope everyone enjoys it as much as me and Andrew.

SPICED PUMPKIN LATTE

 (Makes 2 lattes)
Ingredients
4 tbsp. ground coffee
1 tbsp. pumpkin spice (no sugar added, just the spice mix)
2-1/2 cups water for brewing coffee
2 cups unsweetened calorie reduced almond milk or coconut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract +1/2 tsp. caramel extract
2 tbsp. of sweetener of choice
Directions

Step 1 – Combine the coffee and the pumpkin spice and brew as usual with the specified amount of water.

NOTE: I made this using a French press. So it was easy to get these specific measurements.
If you use a coffee maker, you’ll need to adjust the amounts of all the ingredients based on the amount of coffee you use.
You can double or triple or….

Step 2 – Pour the almond or coconut milk and sweetener in the bottom of your cup and pour half of the hot coffee over that.

If using a coffee maker, be sure you use the type that requires the paper coffee filters. The spices will clog your machine if you have the other type that doesn't use these filters.
I simply brew stronger coffee and heated the coconut milk with sweetener and extracts and added the strong coffee after...as I like everything to be hot.
If you have an espresso machine it's even easier....you make the milk mix and add the spices to it ...heat on the stove or use a steamer and then add the espresso and it's ready.

Sip and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content of Clean Version
1 serving = 1/2 the recipe
Calories: 50
Total Fat: 3 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 189 mg
Carbohydrates: 5gm
Dietary fiber: 0 gm
Sugars: 2gm
Protein: 2 gm

STARBUCKS PUMPKIN LATTE NUTRITION DATA
16 oz. (small/grande)
No Whipped Cream
Using 2% milk
Calories 310
Calories from Fat 60
Total Fat 6g
Saturated Fat 4g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 210mg
Total Carbohydrate 49g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 47g
Protein 14g
Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com.

Baking-Clean Healthy and Nutritious

Baking up a storm.....

It was a great weekend to try and start testing the recipes some are my own and some are creations of my girlfriend Tyrer so I can't take credit for the base of the zucchini loaf series below.  I just added my own spin to each one to change the taste profile.

These loafs are perfect as a post workout treat or mid morning coffee snack. All of them use clean source of carbs, protein and veggies. All in one goodness. Can't get any better than that.

I have so many things on my list to cook, bake and enjoy I just don't know where to start.

I hope you give these a try and let me know how you like them.

Zucchini Loafs 4 WAYS

Each Loaf Makes 12 slices

ZUCCHINI-BANANA

2 cups oat flour*

2/3 cup Truvia, Krisda (Stevia) or sweetener of choice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 x 30 gram scoops vanilla protein powder* (low Carb is best) I use Advanced Genetics Iso-Phase...Amazing!!!!

1 1/3 cup grated zucchini (not peeled) (2 small)

1/4 cup egg whites

2/3 cup unsweetened low calorie coconut or almond milk

1 banana finely chopped

ZUCCHINI-CHOCOLATE BANANA

2 cups oat flour*

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted TO PREVENT LUMPS

2/3 cup Truvia, Krisda (Stevia) or sweetener of choice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 x 30 gram scoops vanilla whey protein powder* (again low Carb is best) AG Iso-Phase Chocolate is my choice for this one...

1 1/3 cup grated zucchini (not peeled) (2 small)

1/4 cup egg whites

2/3 cup unsweetened low calorie coconut or almond milk

1 banana finely chopped

ZUCCHINI-CARROT

2 cups oat flour*

2/3 cup Truvia, Krisda (Stevia) or sweetener of choice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 x 30 gram scoops AG Iso-Phase vanilla whey protein powder* or any low Carb protein (read labels)

2/3 cup grated zucchini (not peeled)- 1 medium

1/4 cup egg whites

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (1 snack pack)

2/3 cup unsweetened low calorie coconut or almond milk

2 cups of finely shredded carrots

ZUCCHINI-PUMPKIN SPICE

1 cups oat flour*

2/3 cup Truvia, Krisda (Stevia) or sweetener of choice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 x 30 gram scoops AG Iso-Phase vanilla protein powder* or any low Carb protein

2/3 cup grated zucchini (not peeled)- 1 medium

1/2 cup egg whites

2 cups of canned organic canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

2/3 cup unsweetened low calorie coconut or almond milk

AG Iso-Phase BUY IT HERE!!!

*NOTES:

-Do not substitute different flour for oat flour in this recipe, or else it may not turn out.

You can easily make oat flour by grinding regular or old fashioned oats in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift cocoa powder to prevent lumps. Add in other dry ingredients (oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, stevia, spices where applicable and protein) and mix until well blended. Make sure it’s well blended or your loaf will not rise evenly.

To the same bowl, add in the wet ingredients (zucchini, egg whites, milk). Mix until well blended.

Pour into a prepared loaf pan lightly coated with coconut oil. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. The timing will depend on your oven and the pan you use. No need to check until the 35 min mark.

Allow to cool on a rack and slice. Enjoy.

Hope you enjoy this holiday season with your friends and family.

Thank you for visiting.
Grace

Contest Prep, Results and Goals!

Sandra Wickham Fall Classic 2012

Two Weeks Post Show….Ahhhh Life is good!!!
It’s been almost two weeks since my last show Sandra Wickham Fall Classic which was held on November 10th, 2012 in New Westminster…

What a ride to this show prep was….The last 12 weeks have been busy to say the least

• New Plan  
• New Training Style
• Team Photo-shoots
• And Yes 6 am Cardio Dates :)

Team Elle Fitness

5 days in Vegas for OLYMPIA weekend smack in the middle of my prep …Nothing like a little distraction to meal planning, training and all those samples at the EXPO…Not easy but it was a fun filled 12 weeks.

I Placed 4^th and super happy with my progress. I get it now….the training the meal planning and how much manipulating goes into creating a bikini class body or any class for that matter.

Morning Show just got back stage getting all settled in

Me and Elle 

Huge Thank you goes out to my coach and trainer Elle Iakovenko my Sponsors, PureForce Nutrition and No Limit Muscle as well as Derek Crossman and of course my cardio and training partner my hubby Andrew along with the rest of my friends and family.

My lil medal and lucky number :)

Having  placed 6^th in Masters and 8^th in OPEN at my last two shows for being too lean …and working towards presenting a softer look at this show felt really good. Yes my glutes, hamstrings and quads could have been tighter but that was the risk I had to take to not come in shredded…lol …I like the lean mean look and I am rocking my 6 pack abs proudly two weeks after the show….I so missed them. Not sure how long they will stick around…

Eating clean sure helps….Have only had 3 treat meals since the show…I must say pretty good! First one the night after of the show followed by one for Ashley’s Birthday at Romer's Burger Bar…those lil doughnuts were killer!!!  Oh…and that glass of wine with dinner I had last Sunday with Bex was glorious!

Cookie treat from Tyrer...Glorious!!!

Learned my lesson from my previous two shows…to avoid blues, bloat and serious rebound you've got to keep it nice and clean and slowly add different foods as if you were testing for an allergy.…and same goes for cardio slowly reducing it has made a huge difference in keeping in great post competition shape…besides its nice to stand in front of the mirror everyday and see yourself lean and healthy rather than sluggish, bloated and totally not motivated. Been there done that….Never again!

This was a huge change from my last prep doing everything gradually and with thought process.

I have reduced cardio to twice a week now and just  little post workout and have gradually increased my food intake over the last two weeks…I didn't feel hungry this prep and some might say I didn't prep hard enough if I didn't feel hungry. 

Well I guess I didn't then…I am fine with that!

I certainly will never live my life hungry…Cranky due to limited things I can have during prep YES but not hungry! 

It’s honestly not worth it for me and a total set up for failure in my opinion.

Anyhow this was a great experience and it’s “GROW season” now. I will work on coming in tighter in my lower body for the next show which is held June 28th, 2013 and hopefully put on some much needed upper body muscle…..

It will be my daughters 15^th Birthday a week before my next show and I am attending a wedding a week before that…so those events should be interesting….as I have a hard time not celebrating special occasions…So maybe a sip of bubbly and a bite of cake will be in the cards J

Me and Veronica at Popeye's Booth where she worked both Day and Evening shows! My lil athlete...

Veronica will start prepping for her show in January and will enter OPEN class at the Western Canadians held in Kelowna, BC on May 18^th, 2013

I am very proud that she has decided to look at fitness as a part of her life and excited as her body is showing some great progress since she started training with me and Andrew about 4 months ago so I can’t wait to see her step on stage.

Initially I was a bit worried how she could handle the prep, the training, that little bikini…the plastic heels and all. But she’s not …She’s confident so why am I worried! Tough cookie!!!

She is having her suit custom made by Colleen Campbell aka “The Suit Lady” in Langley BC. Which is great because we can customize the size of the top and bottom to Veronica’s comfort level and her Dads too…He is going to have to watch her practice her posing after all…I can’t wait for that…I laugh every time I think about it.

Since becoming involved in the fitness industry and Andrew becoming certified as a personal trainer and getting a diploma in fitness and nutrition I have learned a lot about positive self image and that you have to work hard to stay healthy not just slim…I want Veronica to learn about her own self image and what she wants to look like and not have her body image be dictated by the food epidemic going on.

You control how you look but eating healthy wholesome foods and training your body like a machine to look the way you want it to look. It’s simple as that. There is a lot to learn about your body and how it works on the inside before you can see how it will look on the outside.

I guess it’s the same with who we are as people. “Never judge a book by its cover”. Someone may look slim but be totally unhealthy or have a bigger frame and be totally fit and healthy. Everyone has a story! As a family we strive to find and maintain the perfect balance.

You can follow our journey

https://www.facebook.com/TheFitLife247

or join in and follow Veronica's journey 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronica-Bukowsky-Fitness/246655942123415

There is always some negativity that comes from stating you opinion and sharing with others how you choose to live your life as a person and as a family. Some you motivate and inspire and some you don’t.

I have learned to listen to my gut and only accept people in my world who have a positive outlook on life and bring out the best in me…All others sadly don’t matter.

I have tried to look past negativity and find goodness in everyone but unfortunately it’s too much work and I have more important things to worry about than keeping up with others…lol

My focus over the last 6 months has been on my family, my life and a few close friends that have supported me through phases of my life some good and some bad.

Other than that not much else has been happening in our little Fit Life world.

We are looking forward to spending the holiday season together with friends and family attend a few holiday parties along with hosting our own for all of our fitness friends and then celebrating the New Year with a BANG! Then real work begins….not really it’s already began but I like to be on the wagon for the New Years resolutions craze. Not sure what mine is yet…

Make More Money…Spend Less…Ya that’s a good one I think! Ha ha

Thank you for reading and hope you visit again.

Grace

The importance of Food Prep….

Whether  you’re an athlete or the average person trying to get fit and stay fit, one of the most important tasks in making sure you are successful in your fit journey is making sure you are getting enough calories, protein, and meals in a single day.

I often find this to be the most challenging aspect for myself, my family and most.

We can all kick butt in the gym a few times a week, take our supplements and hope magic  happens, but reality is we are busy and most of the time sleep deprived and ensuring that we are getting the right kind of food, when we  need it, is by far one of the most important  tasks.

Luckily there are simple options I follow with my family that have made our Fit Life a success.

I prepare a lot of food twice a week. Sundays and Wednesdays work best for me and my family. It doesn't take a lot of energy to have a few dishes going at the same time and pots boiling while you're watching TV or doing house chores, and Wednesdays are often rest days for me and my husband and now our 14 year old daughter as well. 

We lift "Mon/Tues, Thurs/Fri" with Cardio or active rest days Saturdays and Sundays. I recommend this for most gym goers out there, as this allows an hour to two of extra time mid week to prepare food. If you’re in season preparing for a competition this may change your schedule a bit but since I have kept this routine in both on and off season I know it works and our meals stay fresh for the week.

Most people use Plastic Tupperware containers which may or may not be BPA Free. There are a lot of containers out there so if cost is of concern….switch over one by one spreading the expense a few weeks apart. Read labels to make sure that if you choose plastic you opt for the safest option possible. I got this multi size-pack at Wal-Mart for less than $25.00 and added a few large units for my proteins.

In my case Rubbermaid Glass Food Storage Containers have been my “Saving Grace”

There are a lot of glass containers out there but I find these to be easy to store and they come in a lot of sizes to fit into all fridge configurations.

Rubbermaid Glass containers have lids and bases that neatly nest for compact storage. Lids snap to bases and other lids to make finding the right lid a breeze. Glass bases are designed to stack neatly, which saves space and prevents them from getting stuck together. Rubbermaid glass containers are also ideal for reheating foods in the microwave (yes microwaves are bad but I am a busy girl) and the glass bases are oven safe up to 425°F. Plus, a built-in gasket which creates a leak-proof seal that keeps foods fresher, longer.

Oven, Microwave, Dishwasher, and Freezer safe

Bases and Lids are BPA FREE!

The wonderful thing about cooking food in batches allows variety in our meal planning for the next day. Let's be honest we don’t want to be eating chicken breast 5 times a day I personally need excitement to stay on track and the thought process of being able to eat a verity of different foods throughout the day allows me and my family to stick to a clean eating lifestyle and not only that it means that we can enjoy 3 ounces of chicken, 2 ounces of steak, a little fish, and some almonds with each packed meal, along with whatever carb and veggie source we portion into the container.

We use a cooler to keep our containers of food at safe temperature throughout the day. If you do not have access to a microwave, then consider cooking foods which taste equally delicious cold as it does warm. Beef probably does NOT fall into that category at least for me.

Always keep some food on hand which means cook larger batches and portion a few meals and store in the freezer - in the form of frozen dinners of the healthy variety - for those Wednesday and Sunday nights when you run out of food or you had to adjust your schedule for your mid week and weekend cook-off days.

Other than that, get cooking - the food storage container will soon become your friend!

If you want to get in the best shape of your life - you need to make a plan set a goal and follow through!

Thank you for reading

Grace