Healthy Snacking!

Healthy Snacking Recipe

Photo courtesy of “Full Helping”

I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not a doctor. 

But I know about food. I know how to cook… pretty well, I’m told. I know about carbs and calories, sugar and fat, balanced eating styles. I know about food obsession and addiction, from firsthand experience. I know that most of us sit somewhere on the scale of “eat to live” and “live to eat”.  

That said, I can definitely tell you that exercise and a lifestyle of wellness is not just in the gym (or dance floor or activity).  It begins in your internal terrain. A need for good nutrition and recovery actually supersedes exercise!  You might be surprised to hear that. 

I am often asked what I eat. When?  How much?  Am I a “meal person” or a “grazer”?

My answer:  yes.  I eat meals AND I snack!

I generally choose the good stuff. I’m a firm believer in (basically) the 80/20 “rule”.  80% of the time, I eat clean and healthy.  20% of the time, I treat myself reasonably. (My treats are french fries, nuff said.)

The days of “no snacking between meals” 

are long over. Thank you. I didn’t like that rule. 

I love snacking. And I do snack. A LOT. 

Some days are linked together with a string of snacks, either because I’m really hungy and need to, or I don’t have the time or the right schedule for full meals. 

I’m offering this snack recipe to you all because it has quickly become a staple and favorite. Everyone loves it. Even those that don’t like chickpeas. It’s high in protein and the right fats. Not bad on the glycemic scale either…. leave out the raisins if you need no sugar. I use golden raisins because I don’t like the brown ones. And I put all the aromatics on the garbanzos before roasting, lemon, balsamic, aminos. I also roast a bit longer, letting them get dark and a bit dry and crunchy, and let them cool in the oven after i turn it off. 

Enjoy!

RECIPE

* 1 cup of roasted chickpeas

* 1/2 cup of almonds

* 1/2 cup of raisins

You can vary those proportions as you like, and you can double or triple the batch as needed. For me, this yields four snack servings or so.

Roasted chickpea directions:

* 2 cups cooked chickpeas

* 1 tbsp olive, coconut, or avocado oil

* 1 tbsp tamari, nama shoyu, or Bragg’s liquid aminos

* 1 tbsp lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients and bake in an oven set to 375 for about 35 minutes, moving the chickpeas around with a spoon halfway through. You want them to get nice and brown! After you’re done roasting the chickpeas (and dehydrating, if you wish), simply mix them with the almonds and the raisins.

Strong by Zumba®!

STRONG by Zumba® has arrived!

Strong by Zumba®Tuesdays at 5pm and Fridays at 9am with Steph. For Zumba enthusiasts and those who’ve never set foot in a dance fitness class. This is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) synched completely to music, or TEMPO TRAINING. You will be challenged! And there are many modifications to suit all levels. 

The Power of TRX


DSC_0870Have you given TRX a shot? Are you a focused devotee?

Or maybe a bit nervous to try a class?

TRX is truly for (just about) everyone. I have yet to find, in my almost 30 years of experience, a training tool and method that targets function,strength, balance, core conditioning, intensity, flexibility, mobility, speed, agility and endurance all at once! The incredibly simple principle of leveraging gravity and the participants body weight is just awesome.

I discovered how great it was to squat and lunge in full range of motion again when I thought my knees and hips would no longer tolerate that. I was elated that I could train my muscles hard still, yet have the support my joints now needed.

The exercises are easy in form and familiar. Once you master a basic training exercise, a squat for example, you could add plyometrics or one legged variation for an increase in difficulty. Some of the more difficult moves, say an atomic push-up, have variations and are meant to be worked toward in your training plan. Walk before a run, right?

The equipment is genius in its simplicity. Just think, Navy SEALS are pretty innovative and…. They need to train in an “anytime, anywhere” reality. A strap, a fulcrum and handles…you’ve got a portable trainer!

Studio 108 offers several classes each week. Full hour functional TRX classes, 30 minute Power 10 classes, and combination workouts that include TRX and Spinning with Steph and Chad are on the schedule. Check one out!