by kaytephil

A few of my favorite paleo recipes!

It’s been 2 weeks since the end of the 30 Day a2achallenge and I wanted to share some of my favorite paleo recipes with you all! I did some serious experimenting in the kitchen during those 30 days and I learned a lot! If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve probably have already seen these, but I though I should post them here so we can all access them a little easier! If you have questions about any of the recipes, you can leave a comment below or shoot us an email at average2athlete@gmail.com.

Chicken Marbella

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts, cut in chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prune
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients above, cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly.
Bake for 40 minutes

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

3 peppers (to stuff)
2 peppers chopped
½ onion chopped
1lb ground turkey
1 cup mushrooms chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
3-5 garlic cloves

Directions:

Cut pepper in half & place on baking sheet face down
Bake peppers at 350 for 15-20minutes
Saute onions, peppers, mushrooms & garlic in 1 pan
Saute ground turkey in separate pan
Combine turkey & veggie mix in one pan, add diced tomatoes & sauté together.
Stuff peppers

Coconut Chicken

Ingredients:

3 chicken Breast
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1 cup #coconut flakes
coconut oil

Directions:

Cut Chicken breast in chunks
Beat 2 eggs
Combine almond flour & coconut flakes in separate bowl
Dip chicken in eggs, then in almond/coconut mix
Cook in skillet w/coconut oil
Served with Grilled Pineapple & Snap Peas

Spaghetti squash with ground turkey & side of bokchoy

Ingredients:

2 spaghetti squash
1lb ground turkey
1 can marinara sauce
1-2 cups mushrooms
3-7 cloves of garlic
olive oil
2 heads of bokchoy

Directions:

Spaghetti squash

Cut in half length-wise
Scoop out “guts”
Place on baking sheet – Cut side down
Bake at 375 for 35 minutes
Scrape squash with fork

Meat/sauce & Bok Choy

Slice Mushrooms
Mince garlic
Split garlic & mushroom mix in ½
Sauté in olive oil in 2 separate pans
Cook meat with mushroom & garlic in 1 pan
Cook bokchoy in other pan for about 1-2minutes (as soon as leaves start to welt, take out!)

Chicken & Cashew Lettuce wraps

Ingredients:

2 peppers
½ onion
3 chicken breasts
1 head romaine lettuce leaves
¾ cup raw cashews
curry (to taste)

Directions:

Dice peppers, onions & chicken
Sauté together
Once almost cooked, add raw cashews & sprinkle curry
Serve on lettuce

Banana & Berry Fruitcake

Ingredients:

9 ripe bananas
5 eggs
4 egg whites
Cinnamon (to taste)
Berries of choice

Directions:

Mix/Blend banana, eggs, whites & Cinnamon
Pour in greased baking tin
Sprinkle mixed berries on top
Bake at 325 for 45 minutes!

Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
1-3 Tbsp Oil (I used coconut oil)
¼- ½ cup water
Salt/Pepper

Directions:

Steam bundle of cauliflower (over cook)
Add cooked cauliflower to blender
Add water, oil & salt to taste
Blend (Use blender or food processor)

Happy Cooking!

-Kayte

12.30.13

by kaytephil

On To The Next One! Looking forward to a great New Year after an incredible 2013

I can’t believe we are only days away from New Years Eve and the start of a brand new year! It’s been way too long since my last post, so I thought that I’d share a brief recap of what I’ve been up to this past year! A new year filled with infinite possibilities always gets me thinking about what I hope to accomplish in the future, so I’ve also decided to share my goals for 2014!

My 2013 Year in Review

I started the year off with a bang and had 2 amazing trips with the NBA just before we started this blog. I was lucky enough to travel to London in January to cheer for the Knicks vs. Pistons Game during the London Live series. Then in February, I traveled to Julia’s hood, Houston, Texas for the NBA All Star Games!

In March, Julia and I decided to partner on a Health & Fitness venture to inspire & motivate and help people find their inner athlete…thus, average2athlete was born! We’ve had such an amazing time making videos & posts, trying & sharing new recipes, developing our page & our voice and mostly interacting with so many awesome people via instagram, facebook & the blog! If you are reading this now, Thanks for following!! Our first event after a2a was born was the CMC Intrepid event in April. If you haven’t done so yet, check out our recap!

In May, we started our first a2aChallenge….a modified 25 day Whole30 Challenge. (Side note: We are starting another Paleo Challenge January 2^nd if you’d like to join!) At the time, I had no idea that this challenge would double as the start of my competition diet! In June, after about 4 weeks of prep, I competed in the Fitness America New Mexico pageant, where I ended up winning the Fitness division and earning my Pro Card!

The month of June ended up even better than it started! Not only did I run my first ever 5k race with the Clean Water for Haiti Organization, but my sister was married June 22, and I celebrated my one year wedding anniversary all in the same week!

Moving onto July, every year my family friends and neighbors volunteer for an adaptive water ski clinic with Three Rivers Adaptive Sports. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. There are so many incredible athletes that come out to ski….it’s so inspiring and a good reminder of the important things in life!

“If I can do this, I can do anything.”

The remainder of the summer held a Wedding in Vegas, being crowned the 2013 Equinox Burpee Champion, a Tough Mudder, an abbreviated neighborhood triathlon – named “Mini-Thon” and another CMC event with some of my favorite fitness friends!!

The Fall was almost as jam packed as the Summer! It started it off with a Bachelorette Party in Nashville, complete with a Bull Ride and Line Dancing! I also went hiking for the first time in upstate New York at Mohonk and I can’t wait to go again!

In October, I was given the opportunity to go on another amazing trip around the World with the NBA for the Global Games Pre-season circuit. We got to travel and perform with the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers & Philadelphia 76ers in Spain, Philippines & Taiwan!

As the fall wrapped up and winter officially started, I had one more Wedding, a great Thanksgiving with my family, the most unbelievable surprise 30^th Birthday Party EVER and an amazing Christmas week!

That’s a tough year to beat, but I’ve been taking some time to think about how I can grow in the new year. While I don’t love the idea of a “News Years resolution” that can quickly be abandoned, I do like the idea of a fresh start…a time to set some new goals. I wanted to share my goals for the year so you can help keep me accountable!

2014 Goals

Fitness

1.) Be more active on the blog & write more frequently! Stay tuned for more frequent posts in 2014! And let us know what you want to hear about by sending us an email average2athlete@gmail.com

2.) Be more consistent with my nutrition. I do so well when I have a short term goal ahead of me, but its not always easy in between to stay away from the sweets! I am hoping that the Paleo challenge that I mentioned above will help start the year off right!

3.) Try new things! Specifically, in the next 12 months, I want to do Crossfit, Soul Cycle, Yoga, Olympic lifting & go Rock climbing.

4.) Program for myself and stick to it.

5.) Improve skills – Pull-ups, Pistols, HSPU, Muscle ups & Double-unders.

Career

1.) Group Fitness – Get certified & start teaching classes.

2.) Further my education with additional workshops & certifications – Crossfit, KB, Animal Flow, TRX, FMS.

3.) Build Private Training Business – Expand private client base in NYC as well as virtually. (Send us an email for more info!)

Financial – SAVE MORE…..Duh! 🙂

Spiritual/Social – So these are a little more “Big Picture” & more of a guideline or a vision than actual goals, but I think they are a good reminder of how I want to live my life. So I am going to print these out along with my goals to hang on my wall so I am reminded everyday! (P.S. I’m a sucker for quotes, and a lot of these go along with my favorites!)

1.) Be present, Live in the moment. Don’t stress about the future and forget about the past.

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.”

2.) Don’t set limits.

“The only limitations we have are the one’s we set for ourselves.”

3.) Remember what’s important. Find the good in people and take each relationship for what it is.

“Be Kind; Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

4.) Don’t speak poorly of other people and don’t judge them.

“Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”

5.) Enjoy a little downtime & appreciate each days accomplishments.

“Let go of the need to do more and be more; for today, you’ve done the best you can, and that’s enough.”

6.) Stay positive. Volunteer. Make a difference.

That about wraps it up! If you made it this far, thanks for reading!! We would LOVE to hear about you goals, so send them our way!

Happy & Healthy New Years to you & yours!

Best,

Kayte

08.08.13

by Julia

Wonder Thighs and Bulging Bi’s (and banana muffins)

Howdy folks. Long time no chat. I’m sure y’all were sitting on the edge of your seats for the past 6 weeks, wondering, “OMGEEEEE WHEN IS AVERAGE2ATHLETE GOING TO WRITE ANOTHER BLOG POST?!?!?!” Well, not to worry because here it is!

It’s actually been a crazy month for me. A few weeks ago, I started as an Assistant Instructor at a place called The Fhitting Room, a boutique studio here in NYC that offers small group circuit training classes – think TRX, kettlebells, dumbbells, rowers, bodyweight exercises and burpees , lots of burpees.

I’ll go into the studio itself and all of the awesome people there in more detail in a later post, but basically I’m teaching anywhere from 5-10 classes/week – on top of my current job – before work, after work, on the weekends, you name it. I actually wasn’t sure how I would feel about teaching classes, but it turns out that I ABSOLUTELY love it. It’s exhausting, yes. You have to be completely on ALL THE TIME. Especially in such a small studio (classes are 12 people max), clients pick up on every little thing you do.

He changed the music too much, she looked out the window one time, he let the clock run for 50 seconds instead of 45. Woof.

I’m still trying to get the hang of my schedule – balancing 9+ hour days at work, teaching classes and finding time to fit in my own workouts. But when I’m in that room and class starts, that hour flies by and I somehow muster up every last drop of energy I have to scream and jump around. Plus I’m getting to work with some amazing instructors that I’m learning so much from already. It really is a blast. For anyone in the NYC area, I’ll be posting my class schedule here on a weekly basis in case you want to drop for some fun.

It’s fun to torture train people other than myself.

Long story short, life has been busy. In a good way.

Ok, this is where this post is going to get a little random…this is what happens when I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about body image, and why we have it so engrained in our heads that we have to be so damn THIN. I know the whole mindset now is supposed to be, “strong is the new skinny,” but I still don’t think that the majority of thinking has shifted. And even if it has, when people say “strong” are they really thinking about the amount they can squat? Or are they really thinking “toned,” in which case, the issue is still about body image.

Pretty sure there’s some airbrushing going on in this picture.

I get caught up in it myself. I preach about focusing on performance goals instead of weight or pant size, but at the same time, I have days where I hate my body, feel like my arms and legs are huge (even if they are muscle) and wish that I could fit into skinny jeans better. I look at pictures and feel like my arms look so much bigger than everyone else’s. I beg my legs to get more definition, my hips to get smaller, my abs to show more.

So what do I do when that happens? Do I hop on the treadmill or the elliptical for hours, trying to burn fat and consequentially burn off the muscle that I worked so hard to gain? Do I drastically cut calories in an effort to lose weight and inevitably screw up my metabolism?

The old me may have done that. But not now. No way. I take a step back, give myself a little slap in the face and tell myself to STOP ACTING LIKE A CRAZY PERSON! I remind myself why I train and why I love it. It’s not to see my legs get smaller or the number on the scale drop. It’s to squat heavier, to do more pull-ups, to jump higher, to run faster. Because those are the things that ultimately make me happy and have and will continue to make me a stronger, more confident person. What is not going to make me happy is trying to fit someone else’s unrealistic standards.

This post from Elisabeth Akinwale sums it up perfectly. She also references the book Bossy Pants, in which Tina Fey spouts out a list of attributes that every girl is supposed to have:

Caucasian blue eyes
Full Spanish lips
A classic button nose
Hairless Asian skin with a California tan
A Jamaican dance hall ass
Long Swedish legs
Small Japanese feet
The abs of a lesbian gym owner
The hips of a nine year old boy
The arms of Michelle Obama
And doll tits

We totally have all those things, right?!

Point is, no more trying to achieve and maintain a body type that is not meant for me. So my legs aren’t as long and lean as I’d like them to be, so what? They’ve gotten me through some tough ass workouts and races and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to show my “wonder thighs” some love! And as for my arms? Well I’ll take the ability to bang out pull-ups and push-ups with the big boys over skinny arms any day!

We all have those days where we look in the mirror and just don’t like what we see. It happens to everyone. So take a deep breathe and don’t get too caught up in the whole being skinny thing. There are bigger and better things to focus on that will make you a heck of a lot happier.

On that note, I’m going to leave you with a recipe so that you at least walk away feeling like you’ve gotten some useful information out of this post. I made these muffins a couple of weeks ago, thinking they would be a great on-the-go snack for when I need a quick energy fix in between work and teaching class. Well, I forget that when I post baked goods on Instagram, people ask to try them and I have a hard time saying no and the 12 muffins that I made were gone in a day. Needless to say, I’ll be making these again soon…and I will not be posting pictures!

Grain-free Banana Protein Muffins

Makes 12

2 (very) ripe medium bananas
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used Oxy-elite Vanilla Icecream)
1 tbsp chia seeds
4 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (2%)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon/vanilla to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix wet ingredients in blender. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and pour in wet mixture.

Spray muffin tin with coconut oil and pour batter into tin.

Lick bowl.

Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. I would remove these from the muffin pan before they cool all the way because otherwise they’ll continue baking in the pan and can get dried out.

Note: Amazing when slathered in almond butter.

Enjoy!

05.21.13

by kaytephil

The Home Stretch – Tips for AFTER the a2a Challenge

If you have been doing the 25 Day a2a challenge with us, we are in the home stretch! Only 2 more days left! This challenge means different things to everyone and no matter what your reasons were for starting the challenge, we are glad you joined us! So now, what’s next? Well, we have some tips and suggestions for AFTER the challenge. Hopefully these will help you continue on the healthy path you have been on these past few weeks!

1.) Evaluate how you feel and Recognize how far you have come. Take notes about any changes that you’ve noticed with your weight, body comp, energy levels or allergies/irritation from food. You may find that you love this way of eating!

2.) Don’t jump back into your old eating habits all at once – If you decide to add back dairy, grains, processed sugars etc, don’t add it back all at once. Try adding one thing at a time and evaluate how you feel. You may find that dairy or processed sugar really makes you feel crummy! But if you add it all back at the same time, you won’t be able to identify what it is that makes you feel that way.

This goes for alcohol too! With the Holiday weekend approaching, it’s important to remember that you haven’t been drinking for almost a month! Definitely enjoy yourself, but take it easy…moderation is key! Don’t let one Holiday weekend sabotage all of your hard work!

3.) Avoid the “because I can” mentality – To Piggy back off the last tip, try to avoid eating something just because you haven’t had it for 25 days. If it’s something you have been craving the whole time, then go ahead and allow yourself a meal or 2 to indulge…but DON’T have it just for the sake of having it. Before you splurge, evaluate and make sure its something you really want!

We have noticed that it’s become much easier to stay away from some of our old favorite cheats…the cravings have pretty much disappeared! Before you allow yourself to return to an old unhealthy favorite, take a minute to think back about how much harder it was in the beginning of the challenge to eliminate these foods. Now that your body has changed and craves healthier foods, do you really want to return to your pre-challenge habits?

4.) Make a plan – We have said it before and we will say it again, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail!” This applies to how and when you will reintroduce food, how you want to eat going forward and when/if you will have your cheat meals! If you have a plan for all of these things, you will be less likely to slide down that slippery slope.

5.) Set Goals for the long-term and short term – Having something to work towards, even small goals, will help to keep you on track! Write them down and keep them somewhere you will see every day!

6.) Maintain the Support of family and friends – Make sure they know that this new way of eating is important to you. Who knows, it might even rub off on them!

We hope that you have noticed some great changes over the past few weeks! We love how this challenge has made us feel and plan to continue with the idea of eating Paleo 80% of the time and non-paleo 20% of the time. If you decide to adopt this idea, figure out how many meals/days a week that is for you and plan ahead! The occasional cheat meal can be an important part to staying on track and keeping your sanity, but there are a few things to keep in mind!

Keep us posted on your progress this week! If you took before and after pics, send them our way! Let us know your weight loss, body fat % loss or just improvements in how you are feeling! If you have a blog or want to share your story, send us the post or entry and we may feature it here! Leave a comment, shoot us an email or just tag us on instagram @average2athlete.

If you haven’t seen on Facebook or Instagram, we are doing a giveaway this week for the best challenge recipe. Share your favorite a2achallenge recipe on your social media page before Thursday at noon and tag us @average2athlete, the challenge #a2achallenge, and the giveaway #a2agiveaway for your chance to win! (More details on out Facebook & Instagram.)

-Kayte & Julia

05.13.13

by kaytephil

The World of Fitness Competitions

If you follow us on Instagram, then you may already know that I decided last Monday to compete in a Fitness show on June 1st in New Mexico! I wasn’t planning to do any shows in the near future, but the opportunity came up and I couldn’t turn it down! If you know anything about competing in the fitness world, then you know that 4 weeks is definitely a VERY short prep! However, if you aren’t too familiar with this industry, you are in good company! I get a lot of questions from people about what a Fitness competition really is:

Is it body building? What do you have to do? What are the divisions? What do you get if you win? How do I get involved?

So, I thought I would give a little run down to help clear some things up! If you are thinking about making the decision to compete, there are a lot of different factors to consider to help you decide what’s right for you. I am not too familiar with the male divisions, so I apologize in advance if this is a little girly!

Female Divisions – Obviously not everyone has the same build or fitness goals, so they have created divisions for every one! If you are considering entering a show, take a look at some of the body types that are in each division and decide what suits you and your physique goals in order to help decide the best fit. Each division is judged using different criteria….and yes, this does involve walking and/or posing in a bikini in front of a lot of people! Here is an overview of the breakdown:

1.) Fitness – This is the division that I compete in. While there is a swimsuit round in all the divisions, this one is unique in that it also involves a routine round. The routine can involve anything, but should highlight your particular skills like dance, gymnastics, cheer and strength! The fitness look generally is athletic, fit & toned.

2.) Bikini – The appearance for this division should be fit, toned and feminine with the proper conditioning. These ladies can strut and pose in a way that best highlights their strengths.

3.) Figure – These competitors generally carry more muscle than fitness or bikini competitors. Often, unlike the bikini and fitness divisions, these competitors may have mandatory poses, whereas bikini & fitness choose their own.

4.) Body Building – This is just what it sounds like…ladies are judged on the mass, symmetry & leanness of their body. This division, like figure, generally has set poses.

Competitive Organizations – There are many different organizations that host shows….and they all have slightly different rules, division requirements, pro status’ and prizes (if any.) Some of the most well known are below:

So, if you’ve decided to compete and already picked a division and organization, what’s next? Here are some tips on getting started:

Pick a show – Choose a local/smaller show for your first one. It’s nice to work the kinks out in a small arena so you are comfortable when you hit the big stage!

Get a coach or mentor – Thank fully, I had some friends that had competed in the past. They gave me some great advice and connected me with my fitness mentor Sheri McCall Vucick. Sheri gave me the rundown with tanner, let me borrow her suit, gave me a meal plan, workout plan, music and helped with my routine! She is kind of a rock star!

Get a Meal Plan & Diet – Depending on the coach or program you choose, they may or may not provide this, but it is soooo important! You need to have a specific nutrition and training program that will be designed to make sure you peak on your competition day! This will also include drinking a TON of water!!

Practice your walk, posing and routine (if applicable) – Those girls who step on stage may look like it comes to them naturally, but you better believe that they have walked miles in their heels to make sure it looks perfect! It is so important to practice walking and posing!

If you have ever read Oxygen magazine, then you know Lindsay Messina. She has put together a great group of women who work together to prep for competitions. If you are in the New York area, check out the New York Divas. They meet most Saturday mornings for a workout and then practice posing and stage walk. Check out one of Lindsay’s videos on the stage walk here.

Get your gear – Here is a short list of what you will need once you make the decision to compete

Swimsuit/Bikini – Styles may change based on the division you select
Competition heels – Generally clear and not too high that you can’t walk in them!
Tanner – Practice this before stage day! I love Jantana & Dream Tan, but you have to find what works for you!
Glitzy jewelry – The more bling the better!
Costumes/Gown –Depending on the division/organization, you may need themeware or a gown.
Music/Theme/Costume – If you decide to do fitness, you’ll need these for the routine.

Have Support – Last but certainly not least, you have to have support from your friends and family! Competing can be like a roller-coaster, especially towards the end and after a competition. It’s so important to surround yourself with positive people who will help move you towards your goal!

Girls of Steel

If you are in the New York City area and would like some additional information or help with competition prep, I also offer privates for posing and routine choreography. Message me for more info: average2athlete@gmail.com.

05.05.13

by Julia

Dining out and Getting back to Human

I love food. Especially eating out. And living in NYC, there are ENDLESS places that I want to try. Part of the reason that I eat clean most of the time is so that when I do choose to treat myself to a meal out, which usually happens about once or twice a week, I can order whatever I desire and not feel guilty about it. Let’s face it, I’ve never been the girl to go to a famous burger joint, and order a salad. That’s just boring.

That’s why I follow the 80/20 rule, for the most part. Eat 100% clean 80% of the time, and use the other 20% to treat myself. (Except during the a2a 25 day challenge, of course).

That being said, I also hate the feeling of leaving a restaurant feeling so full that you can’t even walk, or worse, having to put up with a stomach ache for the rest of the night. So lately, I’ve been trying to make some healthier choices. Or at least work on portion control…

One of the new places that I tried today was Hu’s Kitchen. Here’s what they’re all about:

We started with the question, “how should humans eat?” The more we studied and experimented, the more we came to understand that we are primitive bodies living in modern times, that getting back to a pre-industrial way of eating was the best thing we could do for our health. But we knew we wouldn’t be satisfied until we figured out how to make our food not just nutritionally superior but also genuinely delicious.

Seriously, why don’t more places like this exist? Everything is gluten free, grassfed, organic, and their prices were very reasonable! Still not convinced? Check out their pillars.

Today I went with two eggs over easy, sweet potato hash and grass fed bacon. Everything is cooked in coconut or olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. My meal even came with a biscuit made from veggies, flaxseed and olive oil – how cool is that?

And I ate every last bite, obviously.

I will definitely be going back once the a2a challenge has ended to check out their Jordy cakes, juices and sample some of their sweet treats! Check out ChekMark Eats review for more on Hu Kitchen.

Ok, back to the main event. Although for me eating out is a semi-rare occasion, I know that many people eat out much more often than I do, either because they don’t like to cook, they travel a lot, they have to take clients out for work, or they lead a way cooler life than I do. Regardless of the reason, we’ve had a few requests for tips on making healthier choices at restaurants, so I thought I’d give my two cents.

1. Play an active role in restaurant selection. If your friends are deciding where to go for brunch on Sunday, do some research yourself and suggest a few places where you know you can find something on the menu for you. If your suggestions get shot down, well hey, at least you tried.

2. Stalk the menu before you go. If you check out the menu ahead of time, you’ll be able to select something healthy and be less likely to make an impulsive, unhealthy decision at the restaurant.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for modifications. You might feel awkward for the two seconds that you’re asking your waiter what type of oil they cook their vegetables in, but your stomach will be happier later. If you’re trying to eat gluten free, order your sandwich or burger without the bun rather than having it sit on your plate staring you in the face while you try not to eat it. If the chicken in the dish that you want is fried, ask if they can substitute grilled. If your dish comes with fries, ask for a side salad instead. There are tons of tiny modifications that can make the unhealthiest of meals clean!

4. Split meals. Ask your friend if they want to share something with you. Not only will you feel less guilty later after not polishing off an entire plate of french toast by yourself, your wallet will thank you too.

5. Order a salad to start. This will help fill you up before your meal arrives and also keeps you from munching on the bread in the middle of the table.

6. Choose a main dish with protein and veggies. These tend to be less processed with less hidden ingredients.

7. Stop eating when you’re full. You don’t have to clean your plate! You can take the rest home with you. Or in most cases, there is someone else at the table that will be willing to clean your plate for you.

8. ENJOY! Yes, it’s important to eat healthy. And yes, we all feel better when we do. But sometimes you just have to indulge. There are just too many foods out there to eat protein and veggies 100% of the time. Life is too short, live a little!

Finally, moving away from restaurants and back to cooking your own food, I’m going to walk you through my meal prep from last week to show you my lunch that was a2a challenge approved.

Julia’s Power Lunch

– Sauteed kale – grease skillet with olive or coconut oil, add kale, sautee until starts to turn brown and crispy

– Roasted sweet potatoes – cut sweet potato into cubes, toss in olive oil, place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes

– Roasted portobello mushrooms (from NomNom Paleo)

– Grape tomatoes (raw)

– Turkey meatballs – Combine 1/2 diced onion with 1 lb of lean ground turkey, roll into balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked

I portioned everything out into 4 tupperware containers and ate them for lunch Tuesday-Friday. As a “dressing” I used a very ripe avocado that I could mash up and stir into the mix.

Enjoy your week everyone!

– Julia

05.02.13

by kaytephil

Metabolism Rundown and a2a Egg Muffins

First off, I hope everyone participating in the 25 day a2achallenge has been enjoying these first few days! We have had such a great response from so many of you who have stepped up to the challenge! Stay motivated and keep sending those “a2a approved” healthy meals and recipes our way!

I know this challenge came at a great time for me and I’m excited to see how I feel and look after 25 days. If you are looking for the “challenge approved” egg muffins that I made earlier this week, they are at the very bottoms of the post and have really come in handy so far!

Since one of the objectives of this challenge is to restore a healthy metabolism, I thought I would take this opportunity to dive into what metabolism really is. It can be a huge player in fat loss…either working for or against you. This has actually been a hot topic in my daily life lately, as I have been working with a client on how to repair a damaged metabolism. While repairing metabolism is a little more involved then we’re going to get today, I’ll be sure to post more about that in the future and share my own story. Today I’ll just run through a general overview about metabolism and how you can boost yours!

So what is Metabolism?

Metabolism is a function of the body that processes food into energy. This process establishes the rate that we burn energy (calories) and determines how quickly we gain or lose weight. Essentially, our body is constantly burning energy…metabolism drives the amount of energy that the body burns in order to maintain everyday activities like eating, sleeping, sitting etc. There are many different factors that affect metabolism, which include:

Body Composition – More muscle generally leads to higher metabolism
Age – Metabolism slows as we get older
Sex – Men generally have a higher metabolism than women
Foods – The kind of food and timing of meals can impact metabolism
Activity (exercise) levels – Exercise can help boost metabolism

If you are starting to fear that your levels may be a little low, don’t panic! There are a number of things that you can do to increase your metabolism. I came across a great article, listing 23 ways to boost your metabolism and I have highlighted some of my top picks below:

1.) Build muscle – Simply put, having muscle burns more calories than fat…yet another reason to pick up those weights! (If you haven’t yet, check out Julia’s posts about lifting heavy and Strong is the new Skinny.)

OK, maybe not THAT much muscle!!

2.) Do interval training – Among other great benefits, this increases metabolism and resting metabolic rate.

3.) Eat smaller meals more frequently – This helps keep your engine revved and your metabolism high!

4.) Incorporate certain metabolism boosting foods into your diet:

5.) Drink more water!

6.) Sleep more

7.) Avoid fad, or severe low-calorie diets – These can actually end up slowing your metabolism down by tricking your body into thinking its starving! The result is starvation mode!

While I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to metabolism, I hope that it helped to give a general idea of what metabolism is all about and what you can do to help give it a boost! If you still want a little information about metabolism, check out this article.

Now for the Egg Muffin recipe! Feel free to incorporate some of the metabolism boosting foods into these eggs.

Egg Muffins

Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

6-8 Eggs
1-1.5 cups whites (Feel free to try a different ratio depending on how many yokes vs. whites you want…this can also be made with just 12 whole eggs! I did 8 eggs & 1 cup whites this time.)
Veggies of choice (I used broccoli & onion)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine eggs into a bowl & mix
Pour eggs into greased muffin tin
Place COOKED veggies into each muffin cup
Bake for 25 minutes & allow them to cool for 5
Tip: Use a knife to loosen the sides of eggs from the pan.

Enjoy!

-Kayte

04.24.13

by Julia

a2a 25 Day Challenge!

Yes, we know what you’re thinking. We haaaaaaaate the word diet. In fact, you may often hear us preaching, “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet,” whenever people speak of such things.

However, sometimes you just need a little motivation to get your booty in gear.

Enter the Whole 30 Challenge, “a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits and relationships with food.”

This is not a juice cleanse nor is this some crazy diet that forces you to eat cabbage soup for every meal. It’s simply eliminating any of the foods that could be having a negative impact on your health or fitness. Even if you think you eat healthy already, sometimes you don’t even realize that certain foods are making you feel tired, giving you headaches or causing digestive problems until you strip them from your diet completely.

Well, we have decided to do our own challenge, which will last 25 days instead of 30 (because we’re not going to pretend for one second that anyone would stick to this over Memorial Day weekend), and we’re inviting you to join us. Want to start “eating clean” but don’t know where to start? Well, here’s your chance! Feel like you’ve been going a little overboard with the “cheats”? Time to hit the reset button!

The challenge will begin on Monday, April 29^th and continue through Wednesday, May 23^rd. The rules are simple. Eat real food. Lots of veggies. Lots of protein. Fruits. Healthy fats. Nothing processed. No toxins. No inflammatory foods.

More specifically, here is what you can eat:

LOTS of vegetables

Meat – beef, chicken, turkey, ham, etc.

Seafood

Fruits

Fats from oils, nuts and seeds (almond butter is allowed if it’s made from RAW almonds only!)

Legumes that are allowed – green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas

Clarified butter or ghee

Vinegar – white, balsamic, apple cider, red wine and white (just make sure there is no added sugar!)

And here is what you CANNOT eat:

No added sugar of any kind, real or fake. For realz, none.

No processed foods.

No alcohol (I know, we’re crying over here too.)

No grains. This includes wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains, quinoa, bran germ, starch, etc.

No legumes. This includes all beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, peanutbutter and all forms of soy (soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, etc.)

No dairy. Yes, this means black coffee.

No white potatoes (sweet potatoes are ok!)

No “paleo” treats. This means no pancakes!

Now you’re thinking to yourself, “WTF am I supposed to eat? No bread?! NO PEANUT BUTTER?!?!”

Well, there are a million online resources where people have documented their Whole 30 meals. One of our favorites is Nom Nom Paleo, who documented her meals each day while completing the challenge.

We’ll also be posting our meals on Instagram (@average2athlete), and we’d love to see yours as well! Simply mupload your pictures to Instagram and tag #a2achallenge.

Ok, so you’re no longer afraid of starving, but now you’re thinking, “But it’s May and there are going to be so many fun happy hours I’m going to miss!”

Unfortunately, there is NEVER going to be a good time to do something like this. There will ALWAYS be an excuse. It’s only 25 days. 25 DAYS! That’s seriously nothing. You got this.

And don’t worry, there are things that we’re going to miss too…

Ok, enough embarrassing photos. Just join is. Pleeeeease? Misery loves company?

Oh, and we should probably also mention that this is NOT an excuse to stop eating altogether. That is absolutely not the point and please do not destroy your metabolism because you’d rather starve than eat your veggies. Enjoy this and eat up, knowing that everything you put in our mouth is GOOD for you!

Finally, we encourage you to take pictures of yourself (and calculate your body composition, if possible) before and after completing the challenge. However, during the challenge, just focus on eating right and think about how you feel. Trust us, if you stick to the plan, the physical results will come!

Questions? Let us know in the comments.

Good luck everyone!

~Julia and Kayte

04.17.13

by kaytephil

Counting Sheep

The other night, I shut down my computer at 11:00pm and already knew that with the alarm set for 4:30am, I was a far cry from getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep. As I lay there and tried to will myself to sleep as quickly as possible, my mind took off! I starting thinking of every little thing to put on my to-do list; ideas for new blog posts, workouts, client programs, vacation plans, bills etc…you name it! I tried over and over to quiet my mind, but it was no use. As I watched the clock roll past 11:30pm, 12:30am and finally 1:30am, I became increasingly more panicked and obsessed with falling asleep! The longer I lay awake, the worse I knew the next day would be. I’m sure you all know the feeling…when you walk around half awake, groggy and delirious. Sure enough, the following morning, there was no amount of coffee that would make me feel 100% with-it.

While 2.5 hours of sleep is an obvious deprivation, I often have the attitude that I can do without 8 hours and can make it through the day on a solid 5.5 or 6. However, running on less than 3 the other day got me thinking about how important sleep actually is to our health.

My niece Lilly, who fell asleep in the middle of dinner this week!!

We are all so focused on our day-to-day tasks like work, errands, training and groceries that we often don’t give enough thought to the importance of sleep…turns out, sleep is actually the most important activity of our day! Sleep is the only time your body has to regenerate itself, rebuild muscle and strengthen bones. No matter where you are in your fitness journey or what your goals are, sleep is essential for muscle gain and fat loss! Said best by the National Sleep Foundation, “Sleep Deprivation is the royal route to Obesity.”

After taking a closer look into the role that sleep plays for our body and health, I have a few key points to share. Below you’ll find some possible side effects of prolonged sleep deprivation.

General Health possible side effects of Sleep Deprivation:

Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Anxiety & Depression
Heightened levels of Stress hormones
Weight gain

While overall health is obviously the goal, a lot of our readers are interested in reaching a higher level of performance and a lower body fat. So, in order to make sure we don’t overload you with information, for this post we’ll zero in a little more on the last item and take a closer look at weight control & muscle growth. For more information on sleep and health concerns, check out the National Sleep Foundation.

Weight Control & Muscle Growth – Sleep deprivation can play a big part in weight control and muscle growth. Lack of sleep can cause your metabolism to slow down and can limit muscle repair and growth. Our bodies regulate hormones at night, especially those in charge of fat burning and appetite, particularly carb cravings! When you don’t get enough deep sleep, your brain thinks that you have insufficient energy stores and then goes into a state of starvation, which ups your appetite. In addition, Human Growth hormones, which stimulate the metabolism, are only produced in the hours of deep sleep.

So, How do you get more sleep?

Getting more sleep isn’t always just a product of just getting into bed a little earlier, (although that will probably help!) So, what can you do if you are having problems falling or staying asleep? Here are some tips:

Establish a routine – Go to bed at the same time every night & get up at the same time every morning.
Don’t sleep more than your body needs – Oversleeping can cause you to be sluggish and may disturb your subsequent night sleep.
Exercise or move everyday, but NOT right before bed, your metabolism can take up to 6 hours to slow down after you exercise.
Make it dark, quiet & avoid electronics close to bed.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol later in the day.
Have a light snack before bed (See below for my favorite before bed snack!)
Find a relaxation technique before bed. To quiet my mind, I read and my husband mediates every night!
Make sure you are getting the proper nutrients throughout the day to help you sleep at night! Sleeping problems can be caused by deficiencies in the diet. Check out some foods that might help you sleep better, like B6, Calcium & Magnesium! We’ve included a recipe below that incorporates some of these foods into one great meal!

I know this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sleep, but I hope this helped by giving an idea of how important it is to get some shut eye!

Sweet dreams!

Bedtime snack

Cottage Cheese & Bananas

Cottage Cheese & Bananas – ¼ – ½ cup cottage cheese and ½ banana.

We love this snack, not only because of the sleep enhancing nutrients (calcium & B6,) but the banana is a great way to replace the potassium lost during a hard workout and cottage cheese is slow digesting and gives our body what it needs during the night!

Salmon, Kale & Orange Salad

Ingredients

2-3 salmon filets
8-10 Kale leaves, washed, stemmed and cut into thin strips
1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 oranges, squeezed (1/4 cup juice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced olives
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

Add all ingredients (aside from the salmon) into a large bowl, stir and cover. Marinate in fridge for 1-24 hours (I’m impatient, so I only did 1 hour!)

Grill salmon and serve with clementine’s or mandarins oranges.

Additional Sources:

“Fit & Well” by Thomas D. Fahey, Paul M. Insel & Walton T. Roth
“The Eat Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno

04.05.13

by kaytephil

Performance Training, Plyometrics & Pizza

I’ve mentioned before that I love plyometrics. (Plyometrics, “Jump Training” or “Plyos” are explosive exercises that exert max force in a very short amount of time. For more info, check out this page.) I also love any kind of training that really gets my heart rate up, gets me breathing heavy and leaves me feeling like I might fall over or pass out! I guess it reminds me of conditioning for sports and makes me feel athletic…or maybe I’m just an adrenaline junky! Either way, any HIIT, circuits, cross-fit, sprints etc makes me feel amazing and yields results!

Some of my favorite plyometrics!

I mentioned last week that I had, on occasion, received flack from other trainers about all of the high-intensity jumping and plyometric training that I previous had in my program. While most of the jabs were well intentioned, after a while I started to question myself and began to shy away from jump-training. Instead of listening to my body and training in a way that worked best for me, I was altering my program to fit other people’s expectations. My body wasn’t responding as well as it previously had and I wasn’t feeling as accomplished post-workout.

Last week, I came across an article in oxygen magazine about the benefits of plyometrics, that got my wheels spinning. Some of the key notes from the article were that plyos;

Improve athletic performance
Encourage muscle change and adaptation
Increase metabolism and post-workout calorie burn

While these statements certainly support my love of plyos, it was this quote from strength and conditioning coach, Molly Galbraith, that really hit home and got me thinking:

“Plyometrics teach you how to produce force, absorb impact on landing and enhance body control, all of which contribute to stronger joints, a reduced risk of injury, and better skills when playing sports.”

This really opened my eyes and I began to notice a correlation between my training and recent injuries. Over the last 6 months I have incurred 2 injuries that have completely halted my training. I currently have a pinched nerve (possibly a herniated disk) that started as a sore neck the day before I left to cheer for the NBA All Star Games in February and worsened during the week while we performed. In addition to that injury, I sprained my ankle in October at practice the day before leaving for a 2 week NBA cheerleading trip around the world.

I Spy! Can you spot the air cast in all of these pics?

Before these incidents, I had never really been one to have injuries. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely a little reckless and careless in a bull-in-a-china-shop kind of way, but I’m also very “durable” as my husband would put it. I’ve spent a fair share of time in the ER for stitches, concussions and the occasional broken finger, but I’ve never really had an injury that kept me “on the bench” so to speak. Since Both injuries happened while cheerleading, I initially came to the most logical conclusion, Cheerleading = Injury. I thought, “Maybe this is a sign that it’s time to hang up my pom-poms, because lets face it, 29 is a little old to still be cheering!” And while age may play a little part, I’m thinking there may be more to it.

After taking another look at my training and injuries with the article in mind, I started thinking that maybe the correlation wasn’t directly caused by cheerleading (or age,) but by the change in my program. Since I began working out in a gym 11 years ago, I was training for my sport….Cheerleading. Everything I did in the gym was geared towards becoming a better athlete. And while I have always kept a well rounded program, we (the cheerleaders) definitely had more plyometrics and jumping than say, a marathon runner would…and for good reason, you practice what you will perform. Maybe these injuries had occurred because I was no longer as conditioned to perform cheerleading skills as I had been in the past. You need to train for your sport. If I am going to jump and flip, I should continue to train to be able to jump and flip.

Jump & Flip

Moral of the story, listen to your body. You are the one who is ultimately responsible for your health and the one who has to live with your decisions. When it comes to training, there is so much information out there…so learn all you can, apply what think you need and make the decisions that are best for you!

I am so looking forward to returning to my normal, balanced training program, complete with plyometrics! If you are looking for some plyometric moves to add to your routine, check out some exercises on our YouTube channel. My friend, college roommate, and kick-ass group fitness instructor, Caitlin McGowan and I videoed some of our favorite moves after her class yesterday.

Check out our YouTube channel here!

After Caitlin’s class

As a final note, while working through these injuries, it has been especially important to keep my diet extra clean! Check out this Egg White “Pizza” that I tried this week!

Egg White Pizza

Egg White Pizza

1.) Spray frying pan with oil, then cook egg white mixture (below) into omelette “crust.” Flip when fully cooked

5 egg whites (Add 1 Tbsp water and pepper to taste)

2.) Mix the following together and spread onto cooked eggs

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano

3.) Add to following onto the tomato sauce until cheese melts

1/4 cup ricotta cheese
sliced veggies (we chose mushrooms)
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

*Recipe adapted from “Clean Eating Quick & Easy Meals”

Enjoy!

average2athlete

EAT like an Athlete, TRAIN like an Athlete, THINK like an Athlete…BE an Athlete.

Tag Archives: clean eating

A few of my favorite paleo recipes!

Chicken Marbella

Stuffed Peppers

Coconut Chicken

Spaghetti squash with ground turkey & side of bokchoy

Chicken & Cashew Lettuce wraps

Banana & Berry Fruitcake

Cauliflower Mash

On To The Next One! Looking forward to a great New Year after an incredible 2013

Wonder Thighs and Bulging Bi’s (and banana muffins)

The Home Stretch – Tips for AFTER the a2a Challenge

The World of Fitness Competitions

Dining out and Getting back to Human

Metabolism Rundown and a2a Egg Muffins

a2a 25 Day Challenge!

Counting Sheep

Performance Training, Plyometrics & Pizza