Recipes

Cooking Healthy Meals for Kids: Veggies Can Be Delish!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

New York Personal Training

One common excuse personal trainers in NYC often hear from parents who aren’t eating healthy goes something like this: “I can’t get my kids to eat vegetables, whole grains, or anything else remotely healthy.” That is often followed up by something that goes like this: “and I can’t afford to cook two separate meals. Who has the time for that anyway?”

It seems a lot of people interested in weight loss programs in NYC want to get healthy. They know that they need to start consuming more fruits and vegetables and less fast food to do that, but turning around the eating habits of children to make it happen for the entire family is extremely challenging.

If you relate to these common complaints, you are like many others who turn to help and advice from personal trainers in NYC. The following tips are simple and straightforward answers to the problem.

No child is immune to healthy eating. You just have to approach the switch from fries to veggies in an appealing manner.

Make it Look Good

If you just hand a child a couple carrot sticks they are likely to turn their nose up and scream “I don’t like it!” The solution to this is to give them a combination of fruits and vegetables that with different colors.

Some examples might include:

• Fresh homemade fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, apples, and cubed peaches.

• Individual veggie platters with cucumber slices, carrots, and grape tomatoes. Include an organic, natural dressing on the side for dipping fun.

Healthy Substitutions Go Undetected

One piece of advice frequently handed out by personal trainers in NYC to parent clients goes something like this: “You don’t always have to tell them they are eating healthy.” Try to select healthier substitutions for the foods your children like most.

What exactly defines healthy? This short list will tell you what to look for:

• 100% whole grains (pasta, bread, etc.)

• Organic foods

• Hormone-free meats

• Raw produce

The goal is to give the kids foods as close to their natural state as possible. You do this without telling them by making simple substitutions. For instance, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with 100% whole grain bread, natural peanut butter, and perhaps fruit preserves with natural sweeteners.

Most kids won’t even notice the changes and those that do will adjust quickly. Parents following weight loss programs in NYC can even use this strategy to get healthier foods into their own diet without feeling deprived.

Sweet N’ Natural

Stop using the packaged sweeteners and switch to some of these much healthier, natural options:

• Nu Stevia

• Blue Agave Syrup

• Brown Rice Syrup

• Dates

If you can make your own applesauce or sauce from other fresh fruits, you can use that as a natural sweetener when baking. Since these ingredients are sweet and natural they allow you to create sweets for your children without contributing to the worldwide childhood obesity epidemic.

It is especially beneficial to switch from the sugary drinks kids love to drinks that are healthier and inspired by pure water. You may be able to create your own drinks with the above listed natural sweeteners or experiment with fresh fruit smoothies and hide some veggies in the mix.

Personal trainers in NYC hear parents complaining all the time about the eating habits of their children. You may be able to relate, but now you have the tools to turn it all around for your kids.

Sign up for your 50% Off Introductory Session by calling (212) 255-5842 or visit our website at www.methodfitness.com

Simple Ways to Weight Loss, Get Healthy & Find the Right Personal Trainer in NYC

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Simple Ways to Weight Loss, Get Healthy & Find the Right Personal Trainer in NYC

Does getting in shape and living healthfully seem impossible? Is it out of reach for you? 

It doesn’t have to be that way. Fitness can be simple. 

Let’s break it down into 29 simple strategies that lead to great health and a rewarding life

  1. Instantly eat less at every meal by switching to smaller sized plates. You will feel satisfied mentally since your plate is full but you won’t eat as many calories. 
  2. Join forces with our personal trainers in NYC and make sure to do something active every day. Connect with others trying to get healthy as well, so you have a network of support. 
  3. Have a long term goal that you want to reach. You have to know where you are headed before you can get there. 
  4. Allow our in-home personal trainers in NYC to believe in you, then believe in yourself as well. 
  5. Allow our personal trainers in NYC to pump up your workouts so you do more than just pass the time. Make every workout as effective and productive as possible. 
  6. Drink. Drink. Drink. Water is your daily companion.
  7. Reach out for help when you need it. 
  8. Learn high intensity interval training from our in-home personal trainers in NYC. They will help you burn more fat in a shorter amount of time.
  9. Speed up the metabolism so you burn more fat and feel more energetic…just eat a small, healthy meal or snack every three hours. 
  10. How bad do you want to get healthy? Ditch willpower and focus on the desire to get to that final goal. 
  11. Processed foods are now forbidden. They are filled with everything your body doesn’t need to be fit and healthy. 
  12. Get rid of high fat foods that are rich in calories and substitute with lean protein, whole grains, and leafy vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals.
  13. Look at all “health” or “diet” foods with a healthy dose of skepticism. Read the labels and make educated decisions. 
  14. Talk produces no results, but action delivers your goals. Stop talking. Start acting. 
  15. Push your limits by working out with others far beyond your level of physical fitness. Allow them to motivate and inspire you to push harder. 
  16. Take those negative thoughts and turn them around into positives. 
  17. Never take your calories in liquid form.
  18. Make sure you are aware of every morsel that crosses your lips. NO mindless eating.
  19. Meet with our personal trainers in NYC at least two – three times every week. Consistency rules. 
  20. Expect very high results and actions from yourself.
  21. High fructose corn syrup must be eliminated from your diet. It causes your body to store fat rather than burning it. 
  22. Take in lots of fresh vegetables and whole grains so you get the fiber and antioxidants your body needs to lose weight effectively. 
  23. Increase the burn of actual fat stores during cardio workouts by doing strength training first. Strength training burns up the sugars so you are ready to burn fat for the cardio session. 
  24. Balance the fats, carbs and proteins in your breakfast to wake up your metabolism. 
  25. You know you deserve better, so create better for yourself. 
  26. Make every workout challenging. If you don’t know how, hire our in-home personal trainers in NYC for ideas. 
  27. Track your progress toward very specific goals that can be measured easily. 
  28. Consume only whole grains, but use them sparingly since they convert to fat easily.
  29. Stop struggling and lean on our personal trainers in NYC for motivation and proven results. 

Put this list somewhere it will be seen every single day. Read and reread.

 Not So Sweet

You have to get away from sugary foods if you want to lose weight. Sugar causes your insulin levels to spike and that in turn leads to storing calories as fat. Look for lower calorie, completely natural alternatives like Stevia.

Recipe My Fav Green Beans

Get your vitamins and dietary fiber without all the calories by consuming green beans. This is a very quick recipe that has that tangy twist that makes veggies more enjoyable. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

  1. 8oz fresh green beans
  2.  2 teaspoons olive oil
  3. 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  4. 2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar
  5. 3 Tablespoons diced yellow onion
  6. dash of salt and pepper

 

1.. Steam beans so they have some crunch but are softer. 

2.. Whisk all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl then add in the beans. Toss. 

3.. Put in a serving dish. Serve.

Nutritional Information per serving 94 calories, 4g fat, 9.5g carbohydrate, 3.3g fiber, and 2g protein.

Refer your friends, family members, and other loved ones today! Spread the word and visit our trusted personal trainers in NYC today.

Sign up for your 50% Off Introductory Session by calling (212) 255-5842 or visit our website at www.methodfitness.com

How to Get Healthy & Fit on the Cheap – 5 Tips for a Balanced Budget & Diet

Friday, March 4th, 2011

One of the biggest complaints heard by clients in fitness boot camps for women today is that healthy food is too expensive. You can buy white refined spaghetti noodles for less than a buck but a box of 100% whole grain noodles will run you close to three bucks in most stores. In some regions of the country, even lettuce and spinach leaves are incredibly high in price.

Participants in weight loss boot camps want real strategies for eating healthy on the cheap and getting in shape for less. Forget the tired tips like clipping coupons. Most people already do that and most of the coupons manufacturers put out aren’t for healthy foods. Following are 5 quick tips for balancing the budget and your diet simultaneously.

1. One good water bottle is cheaper than a hundred plastic disposable bottles.

You probably already know that one way to get healthy and reduce expense is to exchange sugary soda, Kool-Aid, and other drinks for plain water. Taking this one step further, make sure you are not purchasing bottled water by the case. It may taste fresher and it is convenient, but it is also an unnecessary expense.

Unless there is something wrong with your tap water and you can’t afford a filtering system, you shouldn’t be paying for your water. Invest in one good water bottle and carry it with you wherever you go.

This is a great tip for ladies involved in fitness boot camps for women. You need water while attending weight loss boot camps and a bottle of ice water from home is easier to afford than a two dollar bottle from some vending machine or gas station.

2. Find cheaper sources of lean protein.

Lean protein is also essential for participants in weight loss boot camps because it helps restore muscle tissue and build it up stronger. Yet, lean cuts of meat can be quite expensive and the budget may not always allow for it. There are some much cheaper sources of protein that many participants in fitness boot camps for women are now embracing:

* Whey

* Eggs

* Tuna

You may also be able to find all natural canned white meat chicken which is cheaper than purchasing raw chicken breasts. Just note that there will be more sodium in the canned product.

3. Put your veggies on ice.

The cheapest way to get fresh vegetables is clearly to grow your own in the backyard or in pots on your porch or balcony. If you plant more than you can use during the growing season freeze the remainder to use until the next growing season.

If you can’t grow your own veggies, then start purchasing large bulk bags of frozen vegetables. Make sure they are not processed with butter sauces or cheese. You just want plain frozen vegetables.

Not only are frozen vegetables cheaper than fresh, but they don’t have the high sodium content of canned vegetables.

If you are interested in cheap ways to exercise, check out your local gyms and organizations that may offer weight loss boot camps. These group sessions are extremely effective for weight loss and can deliver better results than working out in a gym every day. You can also do simple activities like walking your neighborhood every day.