Flat Ab Challenge Final Week

Only a few more days until we take the tape back out and measure you up! I hope you have been working on your cardio and strength, but even if you weren't as spot on as you had hoped, I encourage you to measure and test; take those pictures! Just see the difference and maybe find a little motivation to go one step further!

Today, I am posting the final ab video. Again, there are five movements, which should each be completed for 30-60 seconds five times. I apologize for lack of a full film. My phone does not allow me to upload full films, I guess. Some people had trouble watching my last one, so I went back to the explaining version. Though they are quick explanations, you can always pause the film or write each exercise down before doing the sets on your own!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR1PDsfZTSI&feature=youtu.be

A few weeks ago, my girlfriends and I went to see Katy Perry perform in Portland, Oregon. While in town, we ate at PF Chang's, my sister's favorite restaurant. We ordered the lettuce wraps, but as I looked down at the wrap, I couldn't help but notice all of the grease dripping off from the tip. Could this really be the healthiest option?

This week, I have found a healthy lettuce wrap, which is gluten- and dairy-free (celiacs, rejoice!).

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Cups

Recipe from Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites
serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil, such as Canola or Vegetable
• 1/2 pound ground chicken breast
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
• Minced fresh chilies or jalapeno – more or less depending on how hot you like it
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated into “cups”
• 1 handful of cilantro & mint, cut into finally chopped

DIRECTIONS
Heat a wok (or large saute pan) over high heat. When hot, swirl  1 tablespoon of oil and add the ground chicken. Use your spatula to break up the meat and spread out of the surface of the pan. Cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes.
Push the ground chicken to one side of the pan and swirl the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. To the oil, add the shallots, red onion, garlic, and fresh chilies and saute until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add fish sauce, lime juice and gluten-free soy sauce.
Serve with lettuce cups and herbs.
Enjoy!

Flat Ab Challenge Week 3

Welcome to week 3! You have made it this far! This is a good week to check in. Re-weigh yourself, take your measurements, get some halfway photos!

A few people requested I do the full exercise in the video, so this week, you will find 30 seconds of each movement in the video. There are only five movements, each done for 30-60 seconds. Make sure you do the exercises three times with a minute break in between!

https://fbcdn-video-p-a.akamaihd.net/hvideo-ak-xfp1/v/t42.1790-2/10491403_651109341672712_158684041_n.mp4?oh=e613ea6b830722c01638fe58137c5c30&oe=542A0ACC&__gda__=1412041164_ef621d844a54e94c2d191173791e923a

Wednesday is the first of the month! Let's try a real challenge: For the first three days of the month (Wednesday-Friday), I challenge you to give up all processed foods and white sugar. Increase your intake of water, fruits and vegetables. If you get a really bad craving for sugar and just cannot stay strong, drink a glass of milk. This should help curb your cravings!

As always, here is the suggested recipe for the week. It is getting colder out due to the new season, so here is an incredible paleo chili recipe I made last week; honestly, it tasted phenomenal! I highly recommend you give it a try!

AIP Carrot and Sweet Potato “Chili”

Photo and recipe thanks to Mickey Trescott

AIP Carrot and Sweet Potato "Chili"

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons solid cooking fat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 cups carrots, cut into large chunks
• 4 cups sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 4 cups bone broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
• 1-2 avocados
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat your cooking fat in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring.
2. Add the carrots and sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until gently browned. Add the bone broth and sea salt and bring to a boil, cover and then simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
3. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a skillet until thoroughly cooked throughout and browned. Set aside.
4. When the vegetables are finished, add the ground beef and stir to combine. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes covered at a simmer. Serve each bowl garnished with avocado slices and fresh parsley.

Flat Ab Challenge Week 1

I want to start this post by saying: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOT ABOUT STARVING YOURSELF OR LOSING INCHES QUICK. This is about changing your habits, what you eat and the way you treat your body. Throughout the month, I will be uploading homework you can do three times a week at home on top of your regular cardio exercise (I recommend twenty minutes or more 4-6 days a week, depending on your current level of activity). Don't come into this challenge saying, "Man, I have so many inches to lose. I'm going to cut everything but vegetables from my diet, workout 3 hours a day and only eat 900 calories a day." That approach is the best way to lose some quick weight then put it all plus more on as soon as the challenge comes to an end. It's not sustainable. Don't even go there, folks.

Throughout the month, I encourage you to keep track of your food calories and the calories you burn through physical activity. I do this through an app called MyFitnessPal. It's awesome; you can track everything you eat and see how much you lose by walking for 12 minutes. If you want accountability, you can add me and fix your settings so I can see your daily food journal. My username is: itriharder. Add me!

Alright, so here it goes! Welcome to the Pure Awesomeness Flat Ab Challenge! I'm so excited to have you all participating.

Below is a video of exercises for week 1. I recommend doing each move for :30-:60 seconds. After completing the set, take a one minute break and repeat two more times. Do this 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days.

Here is a fun recipe from Fitness Magazine, which includes foods that help banish bloat in the stomach. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Lemon-Walnut Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley*
2 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted walnuts*
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice, steamed
Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest. Dust the chicken with the flour and season with the salt and black pepper.
2. In a very large skillet (or two medium-large skillets), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to turn translucent, 1 minute. Push the shallots to one side of the pan, add the chicken breasts, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Cover, and let simmer over low heat until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish, leaving the liquid and shallots in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in the parsley mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve over the rice with the lemon wedges.
*Use a mini food processor to reduce chopping time.
Nutrition facts per serving: 293 calories, 36g protein, 19g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.3g saturated), 2g fiber

Wrestling Gorillas

Recently, someone told me that working out is like wrestling a gorilla; you don’t stop when you’re tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired. As a competitive triathlete, I follow this full-heartedly. Whether I am swimming, biking, running or surfing, I aim to give every workout everything I have to offer that day.

Growing up, I was involved in almost every sport my high school had to offer. During my first year of college, I realized my zeal for running and hiking. In the summer of 2009, I traveled around Europe, where I hiked the Swiss Alps, cycled around The Netherlands and visited the Olympic Training Centers in Germany and Italy. I also studied the European approach to exercise and athletic conditioning. Since then, I have worked to incorporate both European and American approaches to my classes and workouts. I enjoy learning and am constantly taking new classes and trying new activities in order to make my classes more fun and invigorating.

Four years ago, I discovered a Pilates teacher in Santa Barbara who had such passion for movement that I felt inspired to learn more. Through taking classes taught by other instructors, reading books on functional strength training and within my own training, I realized the importance of a strong core and all of its stabilizing muscles. With my knowledge, I developed an approach to core maintenance based on yoga, Pilates and functional strength training principles. I call this approach Optimal Core Performance.

Optimal Core Performance will challenge your strength and flexibility in ways you did not think possible. This 60-minute class is designed to develop and strengthen the core and stabilizing muscles that an athlete needs in order to support efficient biomechanics while helping to prevent injuries. In this class, you will boost your metabolism, tone major muscle groups, lose weight and trim inches from your body while improving your core strength. You will not only see, but also feel the difference in your flexibility, strength, body shape and energy levels.

I love to smile and I have a passion for what I do, but don’t be fooled by my bubbly personality; my number one goal is to give you the workout you came in for and have you leave feeling accomplished and tired. I believe that you have to push yourself to your own limits. My goal is to design a workout that will give you killer results, but you have to be motivated to stick with it and find your gorilla. Once you find him, don’t stop until he gives up.