Tag: Blog

Master Reset

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Off season for me is from mid- October to Dec31st. My birthday is October 22nd, and I’m notorious for a month long celebration. What that includes is, more time away from the gym, enjoying a few extra glasses of champs and indulging in not-so-clean eats. It’s a two month free for all for me, and I enjoy every moment of it.

Birthday celebrations consisted of LOTS of dining out, an all girls trip by limo to the vineyard, and a vacation in Arizona- just to name a few festivities. After October, Thanksgiving sneaks up on us, another excuse to indulge. Before you know it it’s Christmas, the holiday where food is usually a little more decadent and the wine flows more heavily, and- it is also my favorite holiday. Then it’s the last hoorah- New Year’s Eve. I spend the last night of the year popping bottles, knowing the next bottle I pop will not be until February.

Jan 1st,2017 detox begins. Time to clean out all the toxins I have subjected my body to over the past two months. I have a few methods to detox, the most important method is WATER. I easily consume my body weight in ounces of water each day. Water is such an integral part of being healthy, you know the secret to know if you have drank enough water for the day? Urine. Drink until your urine is clear, those kidneys are working like a Brita filter. Plain water gets boring after a while, right? Right. Well, I have two recipes to bring some excitement to that H2o. Warm lemon water being one of them, and a grapefruit juice fat burner. I have posted about the importance of lemons previously, but just to emphasize on it’s benefits again, lemons help to increase your metabolic rate, thus allowing you to burn more calories and store less fat. It is best consumed within 30 minutes of waking up and before your first meal. I make a large batch so when I wake up all I have to do is warm it up. Lemons are known to provide energy, an extra benefit if you workout in the early morning. Secondly, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. It is best consumed before a meal, to aid in fat burning most effectively. Certain compounds in grapefruit burn up stored body fat. I, also, make a large batch of this and bottle it for convenience. I will post both recipes for my cleanses, below. Wheat grass is slowly entering my daily regimen, as well. I have included the link for the brand I am using. I will post, solely, on the benefits of wheat grass at a later date. Oh, and last, but certainly not least, NO ALCOHOL.

Meal prep Sundays have always been consistent year round for me, but my meals become super strict for the first 2 weeks of the new year. Lots of roasted veggies, protein shakes,egg whites everyday, lean proteins and rationed portions. I will also post a sample of my meal plan. I cannot express how crucial prepping meals are to sustain a healthy diet. When all of your meals are planned, there is no room to snack on something that can sabotage your weight loss goals. Lastly, it’s back to the gym for 6 a.m. gym sessions. Six days a week, 1 hour workouts(minimum), to shed those added pounds that have piled on for 2 months. It will take just as long to work off the fluff maybe more, maybe less, but persistence is key.

No alcohol for 30+ days, lemon water, grapefruit cleanse, clean eating, and working out. That’s it, that’s my secret, that’s my master reset. Think you can do it? I think you can.

Warm Lemon Water:

3 Organic Lemons = 1 Cup

2 Tsp Trader Joes’ Raw Honey

1 Large Dash of Cayenne

1 Cup Filtered Water

  • Juice lemons, mix honey,water and cayenne. Store in large glass bottle.Refrigerate. Heat to warm within 30  minutes of waking up every morning.

Grapefruit Fat Burner:

3 Grapefruits= 2 Cups

2 Tbsp Raw Honey

2 Tbsp Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Cups Filtered Water

  • Juice grapefruits, mix honey, apple cider vinegar and water. Add to bottles. Refrigerate. Drink before meals.

 

 

 

I’m Trending

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I have recently accepted a position of ‘Contributing Writer’ on an up-and coming New York based blog, My Trending Stories.

However, AmberEats will still remain my main source of relaying my posts to my friends, followers, and fitfoodies. My Trending Stories is simply a conduit for getting my previously posted stories out to a larger audience; I’m trying to recruit more AmberEaters 🙂

If you would like to be extra-super supportive, please go to https://mytrendingstories.com/profile/amber-lynn/  and give me a follow.

Thank you, first and foremost to my supporters, my foundation.

nutrabio

Don’t Sweat Not Sweating

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Dumbbells Up

Ya know when you do something differently that’s out of your “norm”, and then the next day you kinda don’t get back to your “norm”, and then it’s been a week and now you have a new “norm”?  Well that’s what happened to me. I was in the process of packing and moving and so, my fitness regime took a back seat. I had switched my gym schedule to nights prior to the move so, that time became designated to packing. I could have woken up earlier in the morning before work to get a workout in but, I didn’t. This led to me taking almost two months off from the gym, 7 weeks I believe. I didn’t miss going to the gym, at all. I knew eventually I would ease my way back in, I just had no intentions on doing it anytime soon, hence my 7 week hiatus. However, my eating habits remained the same;meal prep Sundays, clean eating. I maintained my weight and kept my muscle mainly due to, moving boxes and spending time unpacking. I actually ate less for a short, very short period of time!

As of two weeks ago I returned back to my regularly scheduled program. Meaning, 6 days a week, not just one or two days which, I did do a couple times throughout my hiatus, but I’m not counting those. The time I took off from the gym happened to be well needed, sometimes we need to hit the restart button. I gave my body a break from spinning, lifting, pilates, running, and yoga. Days weren’t revolving around fitness classes and budgeting time to fit in a workout . So, I returned to my temple of fitness, picked up some dumbbells and got right back at it. Before my time away from the gym I had gotten in the habit of getting my workout in during fitness classes, solely. A habit I needed to steer away from and get back to training myself. Don’t get me wrong, fitness classes kept me fit but, I needed that one on one time for myself, just me and the dumbbells all alone. I’ve designated Mon, Tues and Wed to Group Fitness Classes, and the remainder of the week I work solo. Weights, Sauna, and Stairs, Oh My.

Did I miss the gym? Not really. Did I beat myself up about not going? Not really? Did I enjoy being out of the gym? Absolutely. I think people start to develop this funk when they are away from the gym, people can tend to become depressed and then feed on that negative energy. You just have to keep telling yourself that you’re going to go back, you WILL be back. Make it a mantra , and who knows, tomorrow might be that day where you set your alarm for 5 a.m. and climb 42 flights of stairs on the StairMaster. I’m here to tell you, It’s ok to take time off! It’s like vacation time that you take off from work, yeah you may feel bad about taking time off, or worry about work piling up, but taking time off is encouraged. You are more productive after a master reset, it’s a fact! So, don’t sweat not sweating, even if it’s been 7 weeks.

Dumbbells up!

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Spring Sprout Orzo Salad

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Spring Sprout Orzo Salad

Ingredients:

1 c Cooked Organic Orzo

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced

1/2 Red Onion, Diced

1/4 c Fat Free Feta

1/2 c Shaved Brussel Sprouts

3 tbsp Fresh, Chopped Parsley

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 Fresh Squeezed Lemon

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

 

Let’s Get Sprouted:

  1. Cook orzo according to package.Let cool.
  2. Dice pepper, onion, and sprouts(if whole). Chop Parsley.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients, drizzle with EVOO and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Tidbits:

  • Trader Joe’s sells shaved brussel sprouts, much more convenient than chopping your own sprouts, You could always throw them in a food processor though.
  • Add more EVOO if you find the orzo too dry, or add more lemon.
  • Lemon zest is a great option to add.

Skinny Thighs

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Ingredients:

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 Tsp Paprika

1/4 C Raw Honey

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

 

Into the Oven:

  1. Preheat oven to 375*
  2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour, paprika, salt and pepper
  3. Coat each chicken thigh in the flour mixture and place in a greased or foil lined dish
  4. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce and garlic
  5. Pour honey mixture evenly over thighs, coat both sides completely. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for an extra kick
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes
  7. Uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes

Voila!

Ancient Grains

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Many of you maybe familiar with quinoa, but have you heard about Einkorn?  The first thing that pops in my head is “Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is a man!” from Ace Ventura. Einkorn is not a man however, it is a grain that has been around as long mankind, Einkorn was first cultivated 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. It is also referred to as a type of Farro, along with Spelt. Einkorn is a nutritious wheat with a high content of protein, phosphorous, vitamin B6 and potassium when compared to modern forms of wheat. It also has plenty of carotenoids – the natural red, yellow or orange pigments that are found in many vegetables and fruits, and in a few grains. Carotenoids have the medical properties that help in preventing serious diseases such as cancer. 100 grams of quinoa, which is known for its high content of protein, produces 13 grams of protein while einkorn produces 18 grams of protein.

So what do you do with einkorn? I will share with you what I did with this nutrient packed grain:

Tahini Einkorn Salad:

1 c of Einkorn

2 c Chicken Stock

1 Zucchini

Handful of San Marzano Plum Tomatoes

1 c Fresh Spinach

1/8 c Feta

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1 tbsp Tahini

2 tbsp Filtered Water

1 Fresh Squeezed Lemon

1 tbsp EVOO

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt/Fresh Cracked Pepper

Mix It Up:

  1. Cook the einkorn according to package using chicken stock, season with salt.
  2. Quarter dice zucchini, half tomatoes, chop fresh spinach and mix with cooked, cooled einkorn. Sprinkle feta and chia seeds, stir mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a small bowl whisk tahini, lemon, water and evoo. Pour over einkorn mixture,serve and enjoy!

Finkle and Einhorn,Einkorn…..

Show Love, Get Love, No Love Lost

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Support local, support organic, but most importantly, support a great cause.

The clean eating community that produces clean products, is very small in comparison to the big food companies. I want to dedicate a portion of my blog to clean products that I support, and that stand behind producing a transparent label, and are producing REAL food. The first company I want to share with all of you is, Hampton Creek. Hampton Creek Foods, is a food technology company dedicated to producing plant-based products. The first product they introduced was an eggs free egg replacement using pea protein! They currently produce Just Mayo, Just Cookie Dough, and Just Cookies, without real eggs. This significantly lowers the amount of cholesterol typically, found in these products when made with eggs. Cholesterol comes from anything sourced from animals, Hampton Creek products provide use with nutritional benefits of plants as opposed to, higher cholesterol levels from eggs found in mayo, cookie dough and cookies. These products have the consumers health as a priority, instead of money. I love how this product can potentially change the way food is produced hopefully, change the world of the food industry.

This company is made up of a team of geniuses; investors, chefs, and best friends who had a vision. Founded by two best friends who shared this idea of revolutionizing the food industry by utilizing plants as a natural source of protein. Parallel to their dream, I want to revolutionize the way people think about what they eat, educate. How are we supposed to know what to eat, If someone doesn’t provide us with the knowledge to make healthy choices?

Just Mayo is  a staple in my fridge, plain and more recently, chipotle! I love chipotle ANYTHING! I took a chance and reached out to Hampton Creek to see if they would allow me to share my love for their products with all of you. To my surprise, I received a quick, enthusiastic response from Holly Hayes at Hampton Creek. A few days later a received a hand written note and a coupon to try any product for free! I am learning that companies are big supporters of bloggers, you just have to put yourself out there, just like Joshua and Josh did from Hampton Creek Foods.

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In addition to support to/from companies, I have received an overwhelming amount of support from my peers. One in particular, Melly P – A dream chaser herself and a huge part of my life, my blog, and most recently, my gym partner. She was one of the people who told me to start blogging. I recently told her I need a blog log for all of my thoughts on the go, and the next time I saw her she had a 3 pack of blog logs for me and my first piece of fan mail!  She supercedes the definition of friend. It is so important to support your friends, family and loved ones, it really keeps them motivated. Companies work the same way, when you support a small company, you are funding them to keep producing. When you encourage your friends, you are funding their drive to keep going.

Show Love, Get Love, No Love Lost

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SPIN CYCLE AT THE DISCO

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There are so many different variations  of exercise;  Barre, Yoga, Spinning, Weight Training, etc.  I want to try them all, and yesterday I dipped my toes into the straps of a Schwinn bike, and pedaled just like I did when I was 7 years old trying to keep up with the boys in the neighborhood. Except now, I was in a small, dark, disco room(minus disco ball) on a stationary bike that had too many settings that needed to be adjusted – lift the seat to hip height, push the seat forward, make sure the handlebars are elbow distance from the seat, use less tension then increase tension. WTF? Then came spin shoes- I need shoes to ride this bike, too? I wore my cute Turquoise Nike’s and laced them up tight, I thought that was an important rule. Apparently, they make shoes that just clip right into the other side of the pedal, no strap needed. After finally getting adjusted just to sit, there was a fancy little screen on the bike. Aw snap! I get to track my progress. This was going to be great for me to get an idea of the distance pedaled, RPM’S and calories. It’s always good to know where you stand so you can improve each time thereafter. Now, time to spin….

An hour class, 3 bike positions, a packed disco room, a male instructor who liked the song “bulletproof”( like, a lot) and the bass bumping. My goal going in was to try to ease my way in, I didn’t want to burn myself coming out the gate. I followed the instructors lead with each stride he made, I tried to match his tempo and the tempo of the music. You start off at a laxed pace, and then you start to build momentum, increase the tension with a slight turn of a red knob, and just ride it out. It took me until about mid way through to get a feel for the amount of tension I needed to increase/decrease, there were definitely times where my legs would just burn. Ah-ha, this was the part of the experience I was waiting for, I love the burn.  I would check the time to see how close we were to being done, just so I could judge whether or not I could afford to increase the tension on my bike just a little bit more. That red knob determines dead legs or not. Dead legs weren’t an option, weight lifting the next morning was already pre-meditated. You really start to vibe with the music and ride to the beat. Good music and a good instructor is really all you need for a successful workout. I wish the class was more energetic, my friends need to come so we can take over with our energy and fist pumps #girlsquad.

Wind down time….I did NOT die, like i was told i would. Literally, some woman assured me i was going to die. Now the results on that little screen – I rode 10.4 miles. I look over to my right and this chick did 23 miles, I look to my girl Melly P to the left of me, and she rode like 14 miles. Where I stand, i have no idea, but in my mind I tried something outside of my element and I enjoyed it! I am planning on incorporating it into my fitness regimen, for sure.  From here on out it’s 11 miles + and cranking up that red knob!

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Carriage Chaos

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How can a store be out of carriages? This was obviously a forewarning for the chaos I was about to subject myself to at…. COTSCO. On this particular day, there was limited parking, a crowded cross-walk and a line to get in! What is this, the club? As frustrating as it was to find a place to park, I couldn’t find a carriage anywhere either! I was stalking people leaving the store so that I could sweep in and take theirs. Once inside, the lines were out the wazoo, you couldn’t drive a cart around, AND they only accept cash or AMEX. As hectic as it sounds, it IS the perfect, most cost-effective way, to buy a lot for great price, which is perfect for me for meal prepping. They have a great selection of organic products; fruits, grains,protein powder, and even organic meats. Here are a few examples:

Quinoa at a local grocery store is about $5.99-$9.99 for a small 8oz bag, at COSTCO I bought 3 POUNDS for $7.99! Leafy greens such as, spinach, kale and swiss chard-3 lbs $4.99, it will usually last me a week to a week and a half, and that’s between two people. After years of looking and trying to find a clean protein powder, one that actually tastes good, I stumbled upon Orgain at Costco. Two pounds of quality protein powder range from about $30-$50. However, it is almost nearly impossible  to find an organic, non GMO, clean protein powder and one without added sugar(sucralose) or red#40. COSTCO carries a brand -Orgain, 2.74lbs and guess how much? $29.99, when on sale it is $24.99! Organic, non GMO, 21g plant based protein, no added sugars and it’s chocolate fudge flavor! Then there is edamame pasta, thank you COSTCO for this one, it will change the way you think about pasta and have you never looking back at traditional made pasta-bleached flour pasta. This pasta is made from organic, non GMO green soybeans(edamame) and water. That’s it! In just a 2oz serving, there is 24 grams of protein, it’s super high in fiber and a natural source of iron. It’s great with pesto or even with some fresh garlic and olive oil, so yum! This was also a great deal, for just $9.99 for 2 lbs. These are just some of the examples of how eating clean doesn’t have to be expensive, you just need to shop around.

I plan on sharing more shopping tips and tricks on how to save a buck while eating clean. I am all about a smoking deal.

Shoutouts to the savvy shoppers!

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