According to Wikipedia: “A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, piri piri sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt. It has been called ‘the world’s most complex cocktail.’”

All I know is… they’re delicious!

If you want a rockin’ good juicy steak, treat yourself with a bloody mary inspired marinade.

Bloody Mary Steak Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 Tbsp horseradish
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 12 shakes of Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Lemon’s worth of juice
• 1 pound skirt steak or flank steak

Preparation Instructions:

Whisk together the tomato juice, horseradish, minced garlic, tabasco, Worcestershire, and lemon juice.

Pour marinade into a baking dish.

Add steaks and cover.

Place in refrigerator for 2-10 hours.

Pre-heat your grill.

Take the steak out of the marinade pan and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Let the meat rest for a few minutes and then slice it across the grain.

Serves:

4

Nutrition Information:

250 Calories

32 grams protein

5 grams carbohydrates

11 grams fat

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This steak goes great with a big side of barbeque Bok Choy, here’s the recipe: http://woldfitness.com/2008/07/how-to-make-bbq-bok-choy/

I hope you’re having a great holiday weekend!

The 4th of July is a time to celebrate this GREAT Country we live in with your family and friends.

Most everyone will be celebrating at picnics and parties where you’ll be surrounded by high fat foods, sugary drinks, and killer desserts.

Essentially… Foods laced in a ton of FAT and SUGAR! Not the best environment for losing weight and sticking to a healthy eating plan.

Here are a few eating tips that will help you cut down on junk, yet give you the satisfaction of not totally depriving yourself:

1. Skip the hot dog and have a grass-fed hamburger instead.

2. Grill a chicken breast with a NEW seasoning or marinade.

3. Skip the bread with your burger.

4. Skip potato chips and choose veggies with a guacamole dip.

5. Skip high sugar desserts and make a dish of Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and blueberries, it will have a red, white, and blue theme!

6. Skip the deep-fried fries or mashed potatoes and make a blue Okinawan sweet potato dish.

7. Make your potato salad with mustard instead of mayo.

8. Make a fresh salad with a ton of veggies and put the dressing in there lightly – oil and vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette. NO cream dressings.

11. Use smaller plates! Have big portions of healthy items and smaller of not-so-healthy.

12. Don’t hang out near the food table!  Play with the kids instead :p

13. Drink light beer, red wine, and skip anything with soda! Make a pact with yourself to have a glass of water in between each drink.  (For holiday drinking tips, check out this post: Ways To Beat A Hangover)

14. Bring a healthy dish YOU like and don’t go hungry.

15. Eat some healthy snacks before the party so you don’t go crazy once everything is out.

16. Send leftovers home with everyone else!

Use these tips to help you stay on the weight loss track

I wish you and your family a Happy & Safe 4th of July!

Eating healthy at fast food restaurants can be tricky.

Today at bootcamp someone asked me what I think of the Low Carb Six Dollar Burger From Carl’s Jr.

I think it’s an ok decision when you’re stuck out on the town and everyone you’re with wants to grab a burger.

The 570 Calorie Low Carb burger has a 100% black angus beef patty, two slices of cheese, tomato, red onions and dill pickles wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf.

If you order it without mayo, mustard, or ketchup, and just one slice of cheese, you can get it down to just under 400 Calories.

If you’ve got to eat out, grab the Low Carb Six Dollar Burger!

Do you ever hear things like this?

“Comfort food”

“Special treats”

“Reward meals”

What exactly is “comfort food”?

According to Wikipedia: “food consumed to improve emotional status, whether to relieve negative psychological affect or to increase positive feeling.”

Comfort foods “improve emotional status” by turning on the reward centers of your brain.  You feel more like a winner after you eat your comfort food.

And, as Charlie Sheen will tell you, winning is addictive.

But the problem with comfort foods is that they lead to comfort bodies:

What if there was a way to turn OFF the food reward centers of your brain?

A way to turn down the need for the emotional lift that comfort foods can bring?

Turns out you can turn down your “neural response to visual food stimuli”:

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 May 5. [Epub ahead of print]
Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli After a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens: A Pilot fMRI Study.
Leidy HJ, Lepping RJ, Savage CR, Harris CT.

This study used brain imaging scans to see if breakfast would alter brain activity in overweight girls and to see if additional protein would produce more alterations.

It did.

The group that ate a higher protein breakfast (50 grams of protein) had a much reduced food motivation and reward response.

What does this mean for you?

Eating a higher protein breakfast will help you stop viewing food as a reward.

Now, fifty grams of protein may seem like a huge amount (especially if you’ve been skipping breakfast)…

So I want to give you a simple plan that WORKS: It’s called 30/30/300.

• Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up
• Eat at least 30 grams of protein in your breakfast
• Eat at least 300 Calories at breakfast

Simple

Following the 30/30/300 plan will raise your metabolism, help you lose weight, and cut down on comfort food cravings.

For more info on food cravings and brain chemistry, check out these other articles from Wold Fitness:

Sugar Cravings Taking Over Your Brain

Are You An Emotional Eater? (Quiz)

End Emotional Eating

Salads can be so much more than iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots.  Salads should be delicious and nutritious – not boring and limp.

Today I want to share 8 greens that will boost both the taste and nutrition of your salads.

Salad Booster #1: Arugula

I’d describe arugula as “mustardy,” which helps to add flavor when you’re cutting down on salad dressing.

Arugula will also give you a good dose of calcium and magnesium.

Salad Booster #2: Watercress

Last night I had plum and chicken kabobs over a watercress salad. Delicious!

Watercress is a little peppery, and contains awesome phytochemicals that fight airborne pollutants like tobacco smoke and exhaust fumes.

Think of a watercress salad as a HEPA filter for your lungs.

(Update: One of my clients told me her grandmother used to crush watercress and feed it to her whenever she had a cold lodged in her chest.  Grandmas rule!)

Salad Booster #3: Spinach

Spinach and I get along so well I have to remind myself to branch out and eat lots of other vegggies. I cook down as many as 8 cups of spinach into my morning eggs.

Spinach is a great source of both lutein and zeaxanthin – antioxidants that protect your eyes from aging.

A study from Tufts University found that eating spinach frequently lowers your risk of age-related macular degeneration by 43 percent.

Salad Booster #4: Romaine

Romaine tastes a little bit like celery, without the bother of strings getting caught in your teeth.

It is a good source of beta carotene (more than 700 micrograms per cup).

The University of Illinois showed that high levels of beta-carotene inhibits the growth of certain cancers by 50 percent.

Salad Booster #5: Kohlrabi

I didn’t like kohlrabi the first time I had it, but now I can’t get enough! It tastes like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip (seriously).

Kohlrabi has potassium (an essential element) to help lower your blood pressure.

You also get a dose of glucosinolate, a phytochemical that has been shown to help prevent some cancers. Cool!

Salad Booster #6: Endive

Crisp, slightly bitter, and full of fiber – endive is a great addition to any salad.

A cerving of endive also has plenty of folate: an essential B vitamin. People who don’t get enough folate have a 50% greater risk of developing heart disease.

Salad Booster #7: Bok Choy

Bok choy tastes a little like cabbage… but it has A LOT more vitamins!

You can get even more cancer-fighting, age-reducing phytochemicals from eating bok choy: flavonoids, isothiocyanates, and dithiolthione.

Salad Booster #8: Mustard Greens

This is advanced salading right here. Mustard greens are spicy, crunchy, and delicious. The only caaveat I have about them is to start off with small servings if you aren’t used to eating vegetables. Otherwise your digestive system might rebel!

Mustard greens are a good source of tyrosine, an amino acid that can help with both your memory and your concentration.

There you have it! 8 delicious ways to add more flavor and nutrition to your salads. Now for a bonus tip:

BONUS SALAD TIP

Most salad dressings are packed full of sugars, vegetable oils, and gummy coloring agents. Gross.

If you want to add some moisture and some flavor to your salads, add in some fruits and nuts.

I add a few raisins, a bit of chopped apple, and some chopped walnuts to my broccoli-watercress salads. Mmmmmm…

Other good moisture/flavor additions to a salad are: cucumbers, berries, bell peppers, chopped dried fruits, and meat.

Have fun and eat some delicious salads!

I’ve got a very interesting article to share with you today. It’s from my good friends and fat loss cooking experts Dave and Karine from Metabolic Cooking.

In this article, you will learn:

1. Why most “healthy” cookbooks use ingredients that actually make you fat.

2. How to ensure your meals are optimized for fat loss.

3. What to do so your meal plan doesn’t hit a fat loss plateau.

I’m telling you, this is pretty awesome

Is your food making you FAT or burn MORE fat? (article)
By Karine Losier & Dave Ruel

If you’ve tried fat loss diets before and have used a variety of weight loss cookbooks to try to lose body fat, then you very likely know by now that those fat loss diets and the “healthy” cookbooks that go with them don’t work.

What is it about them that makes successful weight loss so difficult to achieve?

Well for starters, most “healthy” cookbooks are NOT designed with high Metabolic Thermo Charge ingredients. They are not using the metabolic powers that certain foods have to make your body burn more body fat. Instead, they use ingredients with very low thermogenic effect.

Why does this matter? Because the Metabolic Thermo Charge of food stands for how many calories your body will burn just by breaking down the nutrients each time you consume a certain food.

Most people have absolutely no idea of the power some of these foods have over the fat burning processes that go on inside the body, and so they never really think twice about them. BIG MISTAKE.

For example, simply consuming high-quality protein with most meals will naturally burn off more calories and move you closer to your target weight. Lean protein has a very high “Metabolic Thermo Charge”. Spices also have a strong thermogenic effect on your body. Combining certain foods together, such as chicken and turmeric, with help you burn more fat after you eat it.

Interesting, right?

But that’s not all. Another thing to consider is whether or not your so-called “healthy” cookbook has a real structure. Too often, cookbooks are just a bunch of recipes thrown together at random – you pick and choose what you feel like eating at that point in the day. That is NOT going to make you burn fat faster!

Having a structure is mandatory if you want to rid yourself of stubborn fat. That’s why we developed a quick and easy “Metabolic Nutri-Profile” system for all our recipes, so you can see precisely what nutrients you’re taking in, which ensures that each meal makes the most of your metabolic rate.

Don’t make the mistake of venturing into the food jungle without your compass!

So we’ve talked about the food and the structure of your eating plan. Sounds like we’ve got it covered, right? Not yet!

Ever followed a diet to a  T and all of a sudden noticed that you stopped losing fat?

This is called the Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon. It occurs at that point in your diet when your body knows precisely what it’s getting in terms of food and has fully adapted to it. When it reaches this state, your metabolism slows down and fat loss screeches to a halt.

In order to avoid the Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon, you have to vary your nutrient intake regularly, shocking your body as time goes on. This keeps it guessing and ensures your metabolism stays on high at all times. Having a wide range of fat loss recipes at your fingertips makes avoiding this frustrating condition a breeze!

Now you know the REAL score when it comes to fat loss and dieting! Be sure to watch out for these three sneaky saboteurs next time you make the decision to lose fat!

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I told you this was great info, right?

Dave and Karine know everything it takes to be successful when it comes to burning fat faster. And in Metabolic Cooking, they provide you with a huge collection of awesome fat torching recipes that will:

1. Help you burn fat faster with the help of specific Metabolic Thermo Charged ingredients

2. Efficiently structure your meal plan with their simple and effective “Metabolic Nutri-Profile”

3. Fight the Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon.

If you struggle with food or nutrition, Metabolic Cooking is your knight in shining armour.

Metabolic Cooking <——- Recipes that burn fat faster!

I’ve got to admit: I’m not a huge fan of ground turkey.  This simple burger recipe is about the only way I like to eat it.

Makes 3 Servings (3 Burgers)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/8 cup minced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl.
2. With clean hands, squeeze it together until it’s very well combined.
3. Divide into three equal portions and form into burgers about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick.
4. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Place over medium-high heat.
6. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side until cooked through.

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 184
Protein: 33g
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fat: 4g

I found this recipe in my Metabolic Cooking System cookbook.

This simple recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare, and only 7 minutes of cooking time.  I like to quadruple the recipe and have the rest for lunches and snacks.

Blackened chicken breast tastes great shredded or sliced over a spinach and arugula salad and is one of my favorite “pack-and-go” lunches – nothing to heat up, and it’s not messy

Blackened Chicken Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• extra virgin olive oil

Blackened Chicken Breast Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot.

2. Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Lightly oil the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil on both sides (a Misto sprayer works great for this), then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.

3. Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute.  Flip and cook for 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

My friends over at Prograde Nutrition come out with a lot of terrific nutrition articles, but this is definitely one of their best.

It’s also one of the most important articles you can read because it directly impacts your ability to lose fat fast.

Read it here <- Click here

Seriously, if your goal is to lose fat then you need to read what the research says about this hormone. This article does a great job of explaining it in easy to understand language.

Read it here <- Click here

I’ve always told people that breads and pastas would bind up their guts, but I never had a simple way to explain it.

And then this came to me….

What is the recipe for bread?

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp baking soda
• 1½ cups water
• 2 tsp vinegar (cider or white)

What is the recipe for paper mache glue?

• Water
• Flour

Eating bread and pasta is basically making paper mache glue in your gut.

Ew.