Chicken Burrito Bowl

This quick meal-prep style meal is super flavorful and easy to customize.  Layer the cooked brown rice with shredded chicken and your desired toppings. So good!  Ready in 20 mins.

C29.5g     P31g     F6.5g

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (makes 1,139g/eat 74g)

INGREDIENTS

•2 pound (907g) raw chicken breast

•2 cup (512g) “Pace” mild picante salsa

•1/2 tsp salt

PREPARATION

  • Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Use the “high pressure” setting to cook for 15 minutes.
  • Do a quick pressure release when finished cooking. Shred chicken with two forks.
  • Slow cooker directions: Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until chicken is tender and shreds easily. Shred chicken with two forks.  Use any brand of salsa, the macros are generally very similar!

Cooked Brown Rice (you should eat 103g)

103g cooked brown rice

Burrito Bowl Toppings (makes 1 serving/eat 1 serving)

INGREDIENTS

•1/8 avocado fruit, without skin and seed (17g)

•2 tbsp (33g) “Pace” mild chunky salsa

•4 slice (4g) fresh radish

Other optional zero-macro toppings include: cilantro, lime wedges, or chopped onion.  Shredded cheese would be a delicious addition to this meal too. Just don’t forget to add the additional macros in.

PREPARATION

  • Sprinkle on top of your burrito bowl! Yum.

Environment Makeover

Our environment affects our nutrition, especially inside our homes. If a “bad” food is within reach, someone within your household will eventually consume it. And, vice versa, if a healthy food is in your household, someone will eventually consume it. 

Keep healthy foods near you and convenient. Keep unhealthy foods away from you and inconvenient. Remember, garbage in equals garbage out. You need quality fuel for your machine. Anything that triggers poor nutrition choices should be eliminated from your environment or kept in a less-convenient location. Figure out what triggers poor choices; reduce and eventually, eliminate. 

Create a structure that promotes good health. When your nutrition is structured, you do not have to think, you can simply execute, which creates simplicity. A clean environment will create ease in clean meal prepping each week. 

Once you develop a routine of keeping healthy foods within your reach, it will quickly become a habit and that will make the difference. 

So, between now and when our upcoming nutrition challenge begins, you should follow these tips to stock and organize your pantry into a healthier one. 

  • Create Space: You want your pantry to easily display all of your foods. This will create ease when planning your meal prep for the following week. You should also clean out your spice cabinet and organize it neatly (maybe even alphabetically).
  • Use Clear Food Storage Containers: These can be used to display your dry goods, such as flour, nuts, brown rice, etc. Keeps things nice and neat, rather than having bulky boxes or bags in a variety of sizes that fall over and never stay where they need to. If buying new containers doesn’t fit into your budget, cheap baskets from walmart can also do the trick for organizing some of these items.
  • Group Similar Items Together: Create a system that you can stick to. No more shuffling through canned goods to figure out if you have what you need. For example: 
    • Top Shelf is for your clear storage containers for dry goods
    • Second Shelf can be for Oils, Vinegars, Condiments, Etc.
    • Third Shelf is for canned goods, nut butters, sauces, anything in a can or jar
    • Bottom Shelf can be used for your kids snacks and/or other treats, because let’s be real…we all know they will manage to sneak into the pantry eventually, BUT let’s keep them at a minimum and NOT at eye level. I even suggest putting these in a basket or drawer so they aren’t actually visible every time you open the pantry. 

If you haven’t signed up for our Fall Into Fitness Nutrition Challenge, what are you waiting for? Six weeks of accountability. Six weeks of new recipes. Six weeks of healthy habit building. Six weeks of nutritional guidance to get you on track before the holidays. You only have one body to live in, treat it wonderfully. Make the change. Only you can.

Green Cuisine Frittata

We’ve got a Green Cuisine Frittata recipe for you on this Foodie Friday!! This is a perfect meal prep recipe for the weekend! Cook you one of these bad boys and you’ll have breakfast for four days! Share it with your spouse if you feel like being nice and I promise you it will be a hit! They’ll never even realize they are eating so many vegetables!! You can pair it with a simple refreshing fruit to complete the meal! Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Ingredients:

  • Egg whites (6 large) – 1 cup
  • Whole Eggs – 2
  • Salt – 1 pinch
  • Pepper – 1 pinch
  • Olive Oil Cooking Spray
  • Spinach – 2 cups
  • Pumpkin Seeds – 2 cups
  • Broccoli Florets – 1/4 cup
  • Peas (frozen or canned) – 1/4 cup
  • Zucchini – 1/4 cup
  • Green Onion (small diced) – 1/4 cup
  • Garlic (minced) – 2 tsp
  • Low-fat feta cheese (crumbled) – 1/2 cup
  • Turkey Ham deli meat – 4 oz

Instructions:

Whisk egg whites, eggs, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan (with a heat-resistant handle) on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray. Add spinach and saute’ for 10-30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the pumpkin seeds, broccoli, peas, zucchini, onion and gralic. Saute’ for 1 minute. Evenly pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the pan. Cook for a couple minutes until the top of the mixture begins to bubble. Evenly spread the cheese and ham on top of the frittata. Turn over on to broil. Place pan in over until egg is cooked (approximately 2-5 minutes). Remove from the over, place onto a plate and serve. 

This recipe is borrowed from Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover

Does CrossFit Make You Bulky?

There is a huge misconception when it comes to CrossFit and gaining muscle mass. I’m sure you have seen the big time CrossFit Games athletes on TV with their ripped physiques and bulging muscles, lifting heavy barbells overhead for multiple reps. CrossFit usually gets a bad rap due to what is perceived on television. Many folks think that joining a CrossFit gym will make them big and bulky. I won’t say it can’t make you bulky, because there is always a chance, just like in any other sport; however, there is more that goes into it than just lifting weights. 

Most important thing to remember here is that you are in charge of your body and the way in which it looks. If you were to sit on a couch all day while you binge watch Netflix and shovel junk food into your mouth, then you would most likely end up with a not-so-athletic body. Same goes for working out. The more you put into your fitness, the more you’ll get in return. Your physique is all determined on your diet, how often you exercise and what sort of supplements you consume. 

Take top winning Games athletes Rich Froning and Tia-Clair Toomey. Many would say they have well defined, “bulky” bodies. Personally, I think they look awesome! What you may not realize is that these types of athletes follow a strict regimen of working out multiple times a day, eating thousands of calories to fuel their bodies properly and not to mention the continued help they receive from their mentors and trainers to keep them on track. If you really put it into perspective, most of these Games athletes do CrossFit for a living. They’ve made fitness their priority and solely focus on this day in and day out.

So back to getting bulky with CrossFit. Like I said, there is a chance that it could happen, but this is all in your control. Say you join a gym, you’re working out, lifting weights, doing burpees and box jumps, sweating like crazy, yet you go home and eat a whole box of Oreos; there’s a good chance you won’t loose the lingering body fat you so desperately want to get rid of. Instead you start to build muscle while holding on to your body’s stored fat, which in turn makes you appear “fluffy fit”. This is where your diet comes into play. Change your eating habits and the fat will surely melt off to reveal all of those strong muscles you’ve earned at the gym.

One key factor that plays a huge role in your muscle mass is whether you are male or female. Most females don’t eat enough food, or enough of the right types of foods to produce the muscle mass that you see on the female competitors at the CrossFit Games. Also, genetically females do not produce nearly enough testosterone to gain mass like men do. For comparison, a man’s testosterone levels are between 240-950 ng/dL, while a woman’s levels are about 8-60 ng/dL.

Now if you think even a little bit of muscles, especially on women, is unattractive, then maybe CrossFit, or any sport for that matter really is right for you. But, maybe we can persuade you otherwise. Think about this…would you rather a woman wearing shorts to have a flat bottom or a fuller posterior? Let me tell you, there’s no better way to get a plumper backside than with squats and in CrossFit we do ALOT of squats! 

Once you have been practicing CrossFit for awhile and eating a relatively healthy diet, you should start to slim down and gain lean muscle mass. For women you may notice a more shapely figure; rounder perkier posterior from squats, lunges and deadlifts; and sculpted shoulders and arms from pull-ups, push-ups and kettlebell swings. Be proud of your muscles! Embrace them all with open arms. They are your trophies to show off to the world for all of the hard work you’ve put into your health and fitness! Your self-esteem and confidence will sky rocket when you look and feel good about yourself!

Smoothie Jars

This Foodie Friday post answers your questions when it comes to food prepping in bulk and snack ideas!  Smoothie Jars for the WIN!

Simple and easy to measure in advance, stash in the freezer and voila! You’re always 3 minutes away from a healthy, refreshing smoothie.  You can adjust the serving size to your preferred portion and change up the ingredients to meet your macros if you’re counting! Keep this in mind for the upcoming nutrition challenge! Easy way to stay on track!

The recipe makes 6 smoothies ~ Each smoothie contains: Carbs-51, Protein-25, Fats-4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cup pieces (330g) fresh or frozen mango

• 2 cup (325g) fresh or frozen mixed berries

• 2 small (6″ to 6-7/8″ long) (202g) banana (sliced)

• 3 cup (90g) baby spinach

• 6 scoop (192g) Vanilla Dream Driven Whey Protein Powder

• 3 cup (720g) unsweetened almond milk

PREPERATION

  • Set out 6 Mason jars. In the bottom of each jar layer ⅓ cup mango, ⅓ cup mixed berries, ⅓ of a sliced banana (about ⅓ cup), and ½ cup baby spinach. Pack the ingredients lightly in the jars so it comes out easily later!
  • Tightly close each jar and place in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to blend, add the contents of the jar to the blender along with ½ cup almond milk and 1 scoop of protein powder.
  • Blend until smooth and creamy, adding extra ice if desired.
  • You can also use regular fat-free milk and extra whey protein in these smoothies. 
  • You can also make smoothie packs using freezer safe zip-top plastic bags instead of glass jars. Divide the fruit and spinach between the bags, freeze, and blend as instructed.
  • Optional toppings: hemp seeds, chia seeds, nut butter, granola 

Why take Amino Acids?

If you are reading this we could assume you are already a supplement taker or at the very least, interested in what supplements you could be taking to help you reach your goals. If you also consider yourself an informed consumer, one who is thrifty and does not fall for gimmicks you probably choose your supplement stack based on what will give you the most bang for your buck. What we are discussing here is whether it is worth it to add BCAA’s (Branch Chain Amino Acids) to your supplement arsenal.  We thought we could simplify the decision and give you 4 BIG benefits of BCAA’s to strongly consider.

BCAA’s Increase Muscle Protein Synthesis (mTOR)
We lift weights and train to build bigger stronger muscles, duh, but exactly how does the building process work? Resistance training triggers protein synthesis, a signal that tells our body to use proteins to construct new muscle tissue. Supplementing with BCAA’s during and after resistance training can increase the protein synthesis signaling, meaning more muscle growth! Even without resistance training BCAA’s can aid in the preservation of lean tissue and help prevent fat gain! Which brings us to reason number 2…

BCAA’s Increase Fat Burning and Metabolism 
BCAA’s are made up of three amino acids, Leucine, Iso-leucine, and valine. Iso-leucine in particular, along with enzymes is used to breakdown glucose and fatty acids to be used as energy in the body. This increased energy outflow and fat oxidation allows for a more forgiving metabolism, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. BCAA’s are a great supplement for keeping muscle while staying lean.

BCAA’s Improve Strength and Endurance Performance
We all know that a protein rich diet is ideal for packing on lean muscle tissue, however a diet rich in protein can be boosted with the supplementation of BCAA’s particularly Leucine. Leucine increases muscle protein synthesis, thus allowing for more of the proteins you ingest to be used to build new muscle and add more strength. Because BCAA’s increase the efficiency of fat and glucose being burned as energy having them present in the blood stream via a dietary source can lead to greater endurance. BCAA’s also slow the uptake of tryptophan to the brain, reducing the feeling of exertion or tiredness brought about by high intensity training. Basically you slow your brains way of telling you “I’m exhausted, time to slow down”.

BCAA’s Decrease Soreness Experienced from High Intensity Training 
Did you hear that? Less soreness! If you have been unconvinced so far this should begin to sway you. BCAA’s ability to prevent muscle breakdown and aid in the rebuilding process of skeletal muscles means you experience less post workout soreness. This allows you to train with more intensity, more frequently!

When looking at BCAA supplements remember not all are created equal. Look for a product with at least 2 grams of Leucine and one that has Leucine making up at least 40 percent of the total content. Commonly a ratio of 2:1:1 (Leucine:Isoleucine:Valine) is found.

Michael Siharath

Ole Glory’s Athlete of the Month for September 2019 is none other than Mr. Michael Siharath. Some of you may know him as White Mike, others may know him as Asian Mike. It doesn’t really matter how you refer to him, either way he’s the same Mike that we’ve all come to know and love!! 

Mike’s CrossFit journey first began in the summer of 2015. His girlfriend wanted some company and asked him to join at Ole Glory CrossFit with her. One step through our doors and he’s never looked back. Even though his girlfriend is no longer a member at our gym, Mike has stayed as loyal as they come. He remembers “Fight Gone Bad” being his first real CrossFit workout and he can only describe it in one word, “horrible”.

Since starting at Ole Glory, Mike has noticed a significant increase in his endurance, and even states that he can still “ball against the young bucks”. They have a way of keeping him on his toes and making him come back for more. Since squatting is one of Mike’s strong suits, he can usually give them a run for their money. Those strong legs must be contributed to playing soccer in his younger years during high school.

If you’re familiar with Asian Mike’s cultural background, you’ll know how they take pride in cooking delicious Laotian dishes. Part of his strong commitment to our gym is to not only maintain a healthy lifestyle, but also so he can indulge in all of his favorite home cooked meals without feeling quite as guilty. Although, sometimes it does catch up to him and he’s forced to get back on track with his nutrition goals. But honestly, who doesn’t love a good egg roll from time to time?

In Mike’s normal non-CrossFit life he is 35 years old. He enjoys drinking and watching Saints football when he’s not working. During Laos New Year Mike enjoys having OG members over to show them a good time; so if you’ve never experienced Laos New Year, make sure you add it to your bucket list.

Mike is a hardworking athlete who always shows up with a big smile on his face, ready to workout and ready to make others laugh in the afternoons. As stated earlier, Mike loves any type of squats, so it should come as no surprise that Hero WOD “Murph” is his favorite. However, anything with HSPU or muscle ups is still on his list to conquer. 

When we asked Mike what he enjoyed most about Ole Glory, he stated “the people”. We can guarantee “the people” of OG like Asian Mike equally as much!

If anyone is interested in giving CrossFit a try, this is what Mike had to say, “Good form takes time, don’t give up just because you can’t perform a movement. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.” 

Mike’s favorite quote is “Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a boat and a truck to pull it.” Congrats again Mike! Keep up all of your hard work!

Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats

Happy Friday Ya’ll!! Whose ready for another easy meal prep recipe for the weekend?? I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and it’s superb! It does take a little more time than other meal prep recipes because of the cook time for the spaghetti squash, but I promise that it’s well worth the time invested. Stick the spaghetti squash in the oven as you prep the rest of the meal and you’ll be done before you know it. We hope that you’re enjoying these Foodie Fridays and it’s helping to keep your nutrition on track! We have an upcoming nutrition challenge starting in October so get ready to GET SERIOUS before the holidays!!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 small spaghetti squash, 24 oz each
  • olive oil spray
  • 1 lb 93% ground turkey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 oz canned tomato sauce, 1/2 can
  • 3/4 cup part-skim shredded Mexican cheese blend, omit for W30
  • For the Pico De Gallo:
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 jalapeno, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or two if they don’t fit). Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and soft yellow strands. Spray the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the squash facedown on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes or until the flesh easily pierces with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add the onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
  • Combine the ingredients for the quick pico de gallo in a medium bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
  • Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the inside so the strands appear. Spoon scant 1/2 cup meat inside each squash bowl. Top each with 2 tbsp cheese and transfer them to the oven and bake another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, top with pico de gallo and serve immediately!

Read more at https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-taco-spaghetti-squash-boats/#dZoR2LhVxVvTfyHx.99

Core Stability

We all want those 6-pack abs but 500 sit ups a day is not necessarily the answer. Did you know that a strong core can offer us so much more than just washboard abs?

CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program.  We use functional movements performed in a wave of contraction from core to extremity.  Much of our work focuses on the functional axis of the human body, along with the extension and flexion of the hips, torso, and trunk. 

CrossFit’s definition of core strength is midline stabilization.  Midline stabilization is the ability to maintain rigidity and stability.  This translates to improved efficiency, performance, and power output.  Regardless of what your sport is, the ability to keep midline stabilization is critical.  When you have a weak core, energy is lost in its deflection whether you’re throwing a punch, riding a bicycle, or squatting.   

Understanding the core action helps us understand it’s function. It stabilizes and protects the spine by creating stiffness that limits excessive movement in any direction including extension, flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation.  In terms of strength exercises in CrossFit, midline stabilization is the most important thing we focus on while performing the squat, deadlift, presses, snatch, clean and many others.  The core’s responsibility is to limit movement.  These movements require the spine to hold a rigid position, so the hip and shoulder joints can move with force. Complete these exercises with good form and you are training the core.  Consistently increase the load of an exercise using good form and you make the core stronger.  

So next time you are ready for a month long ab challenge, maybe consider taking your lifting up a notch.  Add 5 lbs to your usual working weight during a WOD, and push yourself past your comfort zone on lifting days.  Just make sure to focus on good core, and midline stability!  Of course accessory work like planks, GHD sit ups, hip extensions, and L-sit holds all have there place too.  After taking your core strength to the next level, don’t forget the real MVP when it boils down to getting lean enough for those abs to peak through…NUTRITION!  We all know “Abs are made in the kitchen!”