Have you ever heard the saying fail to plan, and you plan to fail? This can be very true when it comes to sticking to a clean eating plan. When was the last time you went to work, or school and didn’t pack a healthy lunch or snacks? What did you do when you got hungry? Common answers include grabbing something from the vending machine, cafeteria, grabbing something at a restaurant or simply not eating. If you are eating clean, you are probably eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The best way to stay on track is to make sure you prepare your meals in advance and pack a cooler EVERY DAY. This week my local supermarket had ground turkey and chicken on a buy 1 get 1 free sale, so I bought 12 pounds and made meatloaf, meatballs, chili and turkey muffins. They are all packed in individual servings in freezer bags. The night before, just take out the next days meals, throw some fresh or frozen fruit and veggies, fat free yogurt or cottage cheese in some tupperware, count out 15 or so almonds, and you’ve got your days food all set to go. I find this makes eating clean easy and convenient.
Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca
Tired of your current leg workout? Give this one a try:
4 x Tri-set – “Hellified Lunges”
- 12 Double Walking Lunges
- 12 Walking Lunges
- 12 Squats
Perform all three exercises in a row, with no rest. Ideally, you will use the same weight for each exercise so there is no downtime. I used a 45 lb olympic bar with no additionall weight. Rest 90 – 120 seconds between sets. Perform up to 4 sets.
4 x 12 Sumo squat – hold the barbell in front of you, hands inside your thighs. Using a wide stance, toes pointed out. Keep your chest and head up as you perform this exercise.
4 x 12 Stiff legged deadlift
4 x Superset:
- 12 Seated calf raise
- 12 Standing calf raise
Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca
I found this recipe on bodybuilding.com and made a couple tweaks. Definitely on the spicy side. These are good to have on hand when you need a quick snack, although they don’t last more than a day or two with my husband around!
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
- 2 tsp. dry yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, grated
- 3 tbls egg whites
- 2 lbs. ground chicken or turkey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all spices, onion, carrot and oatmeal. Prepare 2 muffin tins with non stick spray and muffin liners (I’ve tried with and without – clean up is much easier if you use the liners!) Add the egg whites and turkey and mix together with your hands. Form into balls slightly larger than a golf ball. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.
Makes approximately 20 “muffins”
Do you have a clean recipe you want to share? Send it to us at recipes@optimumbodies.com.
Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca