Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Star-Struck Stir Fried Chicken, Asparagus and Mushroom

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The first night I tried this recipe, there was a meteor shower, that’s how I came up with the name. It kind of stuck and so my kids just refer to it as star-struck chicken. It’s quick to make, it’s healthy and it tastes great.

4 chicken breasts sliced into thin strips
1 pound fresh asparagus trimmed and cut 1″
4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 dried tomato, finely snipped
1 cup instant low-sodium chicken bullion
1/4 basil
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Coat an unheated large skillet with Pam.
Over medium heat cook chicken until juices run clear, retain juices.
Stir-fry asparagus in skillet about 4 minutes.
Add mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add tomato pieces, basil, water, and chicken bullion.
Cook until thick and bubbly.

Health Benefits:
Asparagus is a potent antioxidant that is high in nutrients. A natural aphrodisiac, it has been claimed to increase the libido. High in protein and low in fat, chicken is such a versatile meat that you can serve it several times in a week without cooking the same thing over and over. Mushrooms are high in zinc, potassium and a great source of fiber, though low in calories.

Daily Affirmations For A Healthy, Happy Life

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A healthy lifestyle can be your key to a happy life, not only today but in the years to come. Choosing to eat nutritious foods, staying active and exercising daily can improve your health and protect you from diseases later in life. But it has to be a conscious decision that you make for yourself.

Each day you are faced with many decisions and temptations. Whether to take skip the gym in order to take care of personal responsibilities, how to resist your favorite dessert at a family gathering, when to say no to alcoholic beverages, the list goes on and on.
In order to establish our stance on many of these challenges we need daily affirmations to keep us focused on our goal.

Daily affirmations are a great way to start the day. These declarations of powerful words and phrases help to lay the foundation for how you will handle the many little things that come up during the day. It’s a wonderful and positive way to stay devoted to a diet and exercise program.

Living a healthy lifestyle can mean never having to diet again. Once you establish a nutritious meal program and implement portion control, you can lose weight and maintain that weight loss by following this simple plan. By making these decisions, you can take control over your health and feel like you are making a difference.

Repeating your daily affirmations helps to supercharge your mind to follow the healthy lifestyle plan. By doing this everyday at approximately the same time each day will soon become a habit that your mind, body and spirit will crave. Use this time for positive thoughts, pushing out any negativity that tries to invade this process.

Practice healthy living every day. Along with your daily affirmations, begin a fitness journal to fortify your efforts. You can record everything you eat and drink and all of your physical activity within your fitness journal. These two tools work together to bring about a mind, body, spirit connection to your goal of a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Red Onion, Tomatoes, Black Olive, and Herb Salad

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This salad is as pretty as a pizza. All the colors come together to make this a vibrant dish the whole family will enjoy. Serve with a main dish, sandwich or bowl of soup. Add a sprinkling of croutons or flak seed for a healthy crunch.

2 lb. tomatoes sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1 cup black olives
1 red onion sliced thin
1 large hand-full chopped herbs basil, cilantro
4 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Arrange tomatoes on shallow dish like a pizza shape, add salt and pepper, onion slices
tomatoes, add herbs all over.
Add dressing.
Chill 20 minutes.

Health Benefits:
Low in saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar. This salad is full of antioxidants and is nutrient rich. A great source of fiber and easy on the digestive system. Eat it as often as you like, serve in a pita for your own pizza salad sandwich.

The Benefits of Eating 5 Square Meals a Day

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Who said that eating 3 meals a day was the right way to eat? This custom was created by the conventions of our society, not by the natural demands of our bodies. Nature dictates that when our bodies need food, we feel hunger. But by forcing ourselves to wait to eat, we tend to consume more calories in those three meals a day than we would if we ate 5 smaller meals.
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When we eat our full recommended daily calories in just three meals a day, we are loading up for the long haul, and we’ll tire out quicker than if we were to spread out our calorie intake throughout the day. Think of is this way, calories are our bodies fuel, but when we have to travel long distances without a steady supply of fuel, we’ll always be thinking about how much further we can go before we hit empty, and before you know it, you’re ravenous and you’ve eaten everything in sight.

When you spread your calorie intake into five smaller meals a day, you create a steady stream of energy that can keep you going without that drag you feel in between meals. It can increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout your day keeping your energy levels at a constant, instead of irregular highs and lows. This is because it regulates and stabilizes your blood sugar and insulin levels. When your blood sugar levels spike, this can signal your body that it’s time to start storing fat and can cause your energy levels to basically crash leaving you tired and ineffective during your day.

Switching to five meals a day can even help you lose weight because it can curb your cravings by keeping you full and not thinking about your next meal. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to switch from three meals a day to five meals a day.

Planning is essential to your success. It’s not just about eating five meals a day, it’s about eating the right meals. If you don’t plan ahead, you’re liable to select junk food that really provides empty calories and no real energy benefit. If you’re at work, keep a couple of emergency options in your desk in case you forget to plan appropriately. Some ideas for food options include mixed nuts, fruits like an apple or a banana, a half a sandwich, or some cut up vegetables like carrots.

Go slowly. Don’t expect to just jump from three meals to five meals. Start off slow and gradually increase the meals you eat. Start with eating four meals a day and do this until it has become a routine. Then, transition to five meals a day. Remember, you’re not eating more food. You are simply decreasing the amount of food you eat at each meal and increasing the times of day you eat.

Learn portion control. This is key to successfully making this transition without gaining weight. When you switch to five meals a day, you have to remember that you can’t eat the same big dinner or lunch that you used to when you ate three meals a day. Smaller portions spread out throughout the day are what you need to focus on. A general rule you can follow is to keep your portions about the size of your fist.

Split your meals. An easy way to transition yourself to five meals a day is to split your current meals. If you usually have oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, eat the oatmeal and save the banana for a couple hours later. If you have a sub for lunch, split the sub in half and eat half for lunch and half a couple hours later. Get the idea?

Remember to eat breakfast. A lot of people tend to skip this very important meal of the day. However, you need to remember that your body has just gone without food for more than eight hours, and now you’re asking it to get moving on your day. Do yourself and your body a favor and stop and fuel up before you start your day. Try to eat within an hour of getting up. This will tell your body it’s time to crank up your energy levels and help you have a much better morning.

Don’t wait too long to eat. This is a huge contributor to gaining weight. When we pass the point of no return, it doesn’t matter what we eat, as long as we get it in our stomachs and get it in fast. Set yourself to a schedule and eat before you are starving. If you know you are going to be out for a long period of time, pack yourself a snack. This way you have something to hold you over and you won’t be tempted to stop at the closest fast food restaurant.

If you go out to eat, get a doggie bag. Just because you are eating five meals a day does not mean you have to avoid going out to eat. With just a little extra planning and some self control, you can enjoy your favorite places. If you can, check the menu ahead of time. Most restaurants have their menus online for you to view. Pick out something to eat when you are not hungry. This way you can make sure you select something healthy. When you get to the restaurant, leave the menu on the table. Don’t be tempted to look at it. You already know what you want. If you start perusing the menu, you might be tempted to change your mind and opt for something that is far from healthy. Also, don’t eat the whole meal. This part might be hard, so it may help you to visually divide the meal on your plate, or ask for a box before you start eating so you can set aside a portion for later.

Ultimately, eating five meals a day instead of three can help you increase your metabolism and even help you lose weight. However, it takes self control and commitment to succeed with this meal plan. Make sure you plan ahead and gradually make this transition.

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Fruity Crab Salad With Curry Dressing

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I love to eat salads, so I’m always searching for new recipes. I tried this salad at a friend’s shower and it was delicious. I actually brought home a small container so I would have all the ingredients to try one on my own.

6 oz cooked crabmeat cut into bite size pieces
2 to 3 cups fresh fruit
All berries, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup low fat mayo
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbs. fat-free milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp. curry powder
4 cups torn mixed salad greens

Directions:

In large bowl combine crabmeat, fresh fruit and celery.
For dressing combine, mayo, yogurt, milk, curry powder mix.
To serve toss crab-mixture w/salad greens and divide mixture on plates.
Drizzle with dressing.

Health Benefits:
Delicate crab is low in fat and high in protein. Has been proven to reduce inflammation due to the high levels of turmeric found in curry. This powerful spice may also help protect against cancer, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease. Yogurt is full of prebiotics and probiotics to protect your immune system and fiber for a healthy colon.