Chicken and Fish and Turkey, Oh My!

I am so excited to announce my very first free clean eating challenge group, targeted at eating clean while on vacation!  Even when I became a coach, I was really resistant to clean eating, or at least labeling myself as a clean eater!  It seemed too difficult and there were a lot of things I didn't want to give up!

But soon enough, without even realizing it, I started slowly incorporating and substituting clean foods into my daily routine.  Like I said, it was a slow, gradual change.  But with the change in my diet, I started to see a change in my body as well.  It was pretty incredible and I became a believer.

You can make some amazing clean meals, but it's important to start with the staples.  Here are three, very basic meat recipes.  You can season these three forms of protein with any fresh or dried spices, or a combination of spices.  You can all add these to salads, stir fry, casseroles, tortillas, anything!  If you ever need suggestions, hit me up!

BAKED CHICKEN BREAST (from the Portion Fix Eating Plan)
(Makes 1 serving)

4 oz raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1 tsp. olive oil
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.  Place chicken in ovenproof dish.
3.  Drizzle with oil.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
4.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

Cooking Tip!
Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness and weight of the chicken breasts.  Cook chicken breast for the following times:
3 to 6 oz: 15 to 20 min
7 to 12 oz:  18 to 25 min
13 to 16 oz:  20 to 30 min
You can also season chicken with lemon or lime juice!


WHITE FISH (from the Portion Fix Eating Plan)
(Makes 1 serving)

4 oz raw white fish (such as cod, tilapia, halibut, etc.)
1 tsp. olive oil
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, optional)

1.  Preheat broiler to high.
2.  Drizzle with oil.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
3.  Broil fish for about 3 to 4 minute on each side or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Cooking Tip!
Cooking ties may vary depending on the thickness and weigh of the fish.  Cook fish for the following times:
4 to 6 oz:  5 to 7 minutes on each side
7 to 12 oz:  6 to 9 minutes on each side
13 to 16 oz:  7 to 10 minutes on each side
You can also season fish with lemon or lime juice!


GROUND TURKEY
(Makes 4 servings)

1 lb raw ground turkey
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, I use 1 TB)

1.  Saute ground turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon.
2.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
3.  The turkey is finished when there is no pink left.
4.  Drain excess fat by pouring it off into a disposable container and dispose of (do not pour fat down your drain!  It will solidify when it cools).

When Should You Rest?

In terms of health and fitness, the fitness part has always come easy for me.  I have always been easily motivated to workout.  In college, I used to wake up at 6 am (the time when most kids were just going to bed) and walk in the dark, through the city to the other dorm gym where it was only ever me and the one other person insane enough to wake up "that early".  I loved it.

Now that it's summer and I'm working less, I try to squeeze in two-a-days.  Because, why not.  I love it and it makes me happy.

On the other end of the spectrum are people who HATE working out.  They can't get motivated and they can't find an activity that they enjoy.  Maybe, they're (gasp!) lazy.

Whichever is the case for you, everyone needs rest days.  The struggle for me is reminding myself why they are important and not feeling guilty about taking them.  The struggle for the other half is not making up excuses to rest and being able to differentiate between a rest day and excuses.

HOW DO YOU KNOW if it's time for a rest day?

1.  Be able to identify pain vs. soreness.  You may be feeling muscle soreness... but is it painful in a way that you know is not right?   PiYo is actually a fantastic workout to do when your sore because of the stretching (even though the strengthening also makes you sore!).  The more you work out, the more you will know when the pain is not right.

2. Is your resting heart rate high? Do you wake up in the morning and feel like your body is rushing and you're not well-rested?  An elevated resting heart rate is a sign of stress.  While working out can be an emotional stress reliever, it is not a physical stress reliever.  If your body and heart are feeling stress, it's time to take a day to rest (ha that sort of rhymed).

3. Are you having multiple nights with bad sleep? Many things can cause a poor night's sleep, but when you have a few in a row, your body isn't repairing your muscles the way that it should, so a break is probably needed.  Obviously, stress can cause a bad night's sleep but so can overtraining.  Normally, working out and eating healthy should actually improve your sleep because your body is finally functioning as it should.  Your insides aren't working overtime to try to digest substances (processed foods) that shouldn't be in your body. However, when you're overtraining, the opposite happens.

4. Be able to tell the difference between being run down and being lazy (or just wanting to snuggle back in bed!). Being run down is an exhaustion that you can feel in your entire body. You're too tired to focus or breathe.  This is another time you really have to rely on knowing yourself.  If you haven't done anything strenuous in a while (physically, mentally or emotionally), you probably aren't run down.  

5. You're sick. I have heard that if you have a head cold, carry on with your workout, but if it's a chest cold, you need to let it ride. AGAIN, listen to your body. Usually when I'm just stuffy in the head, a workout really clears me out.  Actually, even when I'm not stuffy, I use a butt-ton of tissues when I work out.  But sometimes, a headache can be so bad, you just need to lie alone in the dark.  Sometimes, when you're coughing so much, you can breathe and everything is strained.

It may be worth it to try to start your workout and see how it goes.  Even on my worst days, a few minutes into my workout I feel great.  But there have been times when I've started and then stopped because I know I needed to.

WHY SHOULD YOU REST?

1. Rest prevents injury by preventing overuse.  

2. Your muscles need rest days to repair.  When you use your muscles, the tiny fibers actually start to tear.  As those little fibers repair, they actually become stronger than they were before.  If you don't give them time to repair (work the same muscles every day or don't take rest days), they will continue to tear and you won't see much improvement.

3. Your immune system needs a break!  Part of what helps those little fibers repair themselves is your immune system.  If it is working in overdrive to repair the muscles you're working, it's not able to fully do it's job to make sure you don't get sick! Overtraining can actually weaken your immune system and make you sick!

4. You don't want to retain water.  If you are just starting to work out or starting a new program, the shock to your body could actually cause you to retain water (this is why you shouldn't weigh yourself in the first few days of a new workout regimen).  A rest day will allow you to release some of that water you've been unnecessarily holding on to.  Retention of water in your joints can also inhibit them from moving and working properly.  The fluid build up can cause unnecessary stress on your joints and cause injury.

5. This is your life. If you're not doing things you enjoy, what is it all for? Take a day off and spend it with your kids, your cat, or take a nap! We'll all understand and make sure you're back at it tomorrow!