The MDW Cleanse

Soooo I am sure everyone is hurting from the long weekend. All of the liquor and fatty foods you've consumed.

The best thing to do this week is just cleanse. Eat lots of greens, drink plenty of water, even add some fruits or veggies to your water! Definitely do some cardio to sweat everything out, and you should be feeling refreshed in no time!

This weekend just kicked off the summer (although we have another few weeks until it is officially summer), so keep up the eating healthy and exercising weekly!

Easy Peasyyyyyyy ;)

Why You Should Add More Avocado to Your Diet

The benefits of eating an avocado are just great. Not only are they filling, but they are also super nutritious! Avocado is the good source of fat that you can eat and not feel guilty about! There are tons of ways to use avocado in an every day meal, and it's not even hard to cut up!

Avocados contain about 20 different vitamins and minerals! The fat content is high (about 15g), BUT there is absolutely NO cholesterol, and very little saturated fat. The majority of fat in an avocado is oleic acid. Oleic acid has some beneficial components to it. It has been shown that oleic acid is linked to reducing inflammation.

They contain a lot of potassium... even more than a banana! Potassium helps support healthy blood pressure levels.

Avocados are loaded with fiber. Fiber can provide many benefits to weight loss. It has also been said that avocado helps you lose weight. Many people who eat avocado in their meals or on it's own, tend to be fuller for longer periods of time, therefore, making a person not hungry for up to 4-5 hours!

There are plenty of nitty gritty facts I can get into, but I just wanted to point out the most important (well, at least in my opinion).

Enjoy those avocados! Make yourself some toast or a breakfast wrap, add it in a salad, put some on your omelette.... include it in your smoothies!!

Yummy, Healthy, Baked Chicken Tenders

Sick of that plain old grilled chicken you've been eating every day or night for dinner? Well now you can enjoy some breaded chicken tenders (or cutlets), that are just as healthy!

Last night I decided that I was going to make baked chicken tenders with a little bit of rice. It is such an easy, quick, and delicious meal!

All you have to do is coat a pan with some extra virgin olive oil, and set that aside. Take your chicken tenders (or thin sliced breasts) and throw them in some low fat milk.... I'm sure you are all wondering "where's the egg?!" There is actually no egg in this recipe. This is an eggless dish =) we are substituting milk for eggs here people! Once you have covered your chicken with milk, coat the tenders in some bread crumbs and place in your pan.

Your oven should be preheated to 350 degrees. Place the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning your chicken every 7 minutes. If you need to leave it in a little bit longer, or like your chicken to be a little crispy on the outside, then leave it in for a few more minutes.

After about 20-25 minutes, your chicken should be thoroughly cooked and ready to enjoy!

Amazing Grilled Chicken Salad (Homemade)

Sooooo I have to share this with you guys because this was just the most amazing salad I've had in a very long time.

My boyfriend (who will become an amazing chef soon) told me that he was going to make me dinner the other night, but that it was going to be a surprise. All he said was that it is super healthy and that he hopes I like it. Although it took a while to prep everything, it was well worth the wait!

The result....... a grilled chicken salad with a reduced balsamic, garlic, honey, and sriracha vinaigrette, and guess what? It was all homemade!!! The chicken was seasoned with fresh, home grown oregano. He also added some golden beets, which were cooked in a red wine vinegar, some organic, greenhouse orange bell peppers, brussel sprout leaves, mint, OH, and he added some almonds in there as well =). I definitely recommend trying this at home!

                                                     The masterpiece itself.....

Gym Buddy or No Gym Buddy? THAT is the Question!!

I used to like having a gym buddy, whom I could go to the gym with every day and talk to while we are on the machines, but NOW I would rather work out alone. It's not that I don't like having a workout buddy, but I just feel that I get so much more accomplished when I am alone, than if I am with someone else.

To me, working out with a buddy means that your gym time is going to be twice as long because all you two want to do is talk and gossip. Trust me, I love to talk and gossip from time to time, but I do not like distractions while I am working out. I like to listen to my music, get in the groove of things, and get shit done. Unless I am teaching a friend different exercises to do on their own, then I enjoy it =). I love helping others achieve their fitness goals.

With the male species, it's different. They have gym buddies to help spot one another while lifting heavy weights.

Does anyone else have a preference???

Take Two !!

I am NOT a morning person, BUT since MDW (and my 26th birthday) is only 3 weeks away, I have become determined to go to the gym before and after work. I started this week, and so far, so good!!

There are days where I will go only in the morning, because I am just too pooped when I get home from a long day at work! Now, going to the gym twice a day, let-alone once a day, could be a struggle for some, but if you are determined to look and feel good, and sexy, then you will be motivated enough to do so.

I try and get majority of my cardio in, in the morning, and some lifting as well. I also try and eat really healthy throughout the day, so that if I do decide that I am not going to the gym after work, I won't feel guilty for eating something I shouldn't have eaten. When I go to the gym after work, I do light cardio and weight exercises. I try and switch it up from time to time, where I will do light cardio in the morning and heavy cardio in the evening, or vice verse.

If you are just as motivated as I am to look and feel good, then you should try adding this to your morning routine before work =)

Avocado Toast.... MMMMM !!!!

Soooo I've been wanting to try this ever since it started "trending", and tonight was the night!!

I knew that I was going to like it because number one, I looooove avocado, and number two, because it's healthy!! I can't believe how many different recipes there are, for something so simple!

I decided that I needed to try my toast with some scrambled egg whites, and next time, I think I'll add a little hot sauce to it!! I added some salt, pepper, and lemon juice into my avocado spread, and boy was it just the right amount of flavor!

I definitely recommend trying this recipe, if you haven't already. It's a great breakfast that will keep you full, a small little snack before/after the gym, OR a healthy, simple, dinner (which is what I chose to make tonight).