FIT is U

🥑🥚This appetizer can also double as a protein-packed anytime snack.

TIP: You might want to double this recipe because it’s seriously craveable. 🤤

Guacamole-Stuffed Hardboiled Eggs
(serves 6)

6 large pasture-raised eggs
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with water. Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat so the eggs cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, pour out the hot water, and cover the eggs with ice-cold water. Let the eggs stay in the water and when they are cool enough handle, peel them.
Let them cool to room temperature or put them in the refrigerator until they are cold.

Make the guacamole: Mash avocado in a medium serving bowl. Stir in onion, tomato, and garlic. Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes so that the flavors blend.

To assemble: Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. Fill each half with about ½ Tbsp of guacamole. Place on a serving plate and enjoy!

🎄Merry Christmas from your friends at Fit Is U. Wishing you all the joy of the season!

❓What can you do this week to finish 2022 strong? Share below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

❓MYTH OR FACT ❓

🤔Choose the “fat burning” program on cardio machines if you want to get lean.
🙈
🙉
🙊

🔥MYTH🔥

Fat-burning programs on cardio machines have you working out at a lower intensity.

On one hand, it makes sense.

Your body does burn a higher % of fat when you work out at a lower intensity.

But … you don’t burn a lot of calories OVERALL when you exercise at a low intensity – so it doesn’t add up to a lot of fat calories.

The best bet: Because you burn more total calories when you work out harder, it can also mean you burn more fat calories.

Plus, you’ll get more fitness gains!

The best approach: aim for burning more calories overall — rather than just focusing on fat calories.

REFERENCE:
www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/3044/5-more-fitness-myths-that-won-t-go-away/

🕎Let the light shine bright! Happy Hanukkah from your friends at Fit Is U.

🍸It’s mocktail time! 🎉

This drink looks festive, tastes great, and just happens to be packed with antioxidants and gut-friendly probiotics.

If you can’t find ginger kombucha, try berry- or cherry-flavored kombucha.

🍒You can use fresh or frozen cherries – just be sure to pit them first!

NOTE: Most kombucha contains less than 0.5% alcohol which technically means it’s a non-alcoholic drink.

Cherry-Kombucha Mocktail
(serves 2)

1” (2.5 cm) slice of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
¼ cup (60 ml) 100% tart cherry juice (no sugar added)
Juice of 1 small lime
1 x 12-oz (355 ml) bottle of ginger, berry, or cherry kombucha
For garnish: pitted cherries and/or ginger slices

In a mason jar or shaker, muddle the ginger and rosemary. Slowly stir in the cherry juice, lime juice, and kombucha.

Pour into ice-filled glasses, straining if necessary, and add optional garnish.

🔥What goal are you focused on this month? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🥘🔥Go for a walk after your holiday meal!

Here’s a new healthy tradition to add to your holiday celebrations: going for a short walk within 60-90 minutes of eating dinner!

Studies show that light walking (even for just a few minutes!) can help lower your blood sugar.

Plus, it can help ease your digestion, too!

It will also get you out of the house and breathing some fresh air.

Done regularly, studies show taking a brief walk after eating can help ward off type 2 diabetes.

Do you usually walk after holiday meals?

REFERENCE:
www.healthline.com/nutrition/walking-after-eating
www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20220809/short-walks-after-meals-cut-diabetes-heart-risk-study

🚗When you take a long road trip, do you drive straight through or do you stop to sleep at night? 👇👇👇

🍐Here’s a surprisingly easy dessert that happens to be low in added sugars.

Poached Pears with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
(serves 4)

4 ripe pears (use a firm variety like Bosc)
¾ cup (180 ml) unsweetened apple juice
½ cup (140 ml) red wine
3 cinnamon sticks

Spiced Chocolate Sauce
2 oz (48 g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice mix

Poach the pears: Peel the pears then cut them in half lengthwise, then remove their cores. Place them cut side down in a saute pan. Pour in the apple juice, wine, and cinnamon sticks.

Place the pan on medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes, until cooked through but firm – poke them with a fork to test.

Flip the pears over and cook another 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the pan and onto serving plates.

Place the chocolate and spices in a microwave-safe bowl and place in a microwave. Heat until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Drizzle over the pears to serve. YUM.

🤔💪When you realize that only YOU have control over your actions, you unlock incredible power! What did you challenge yourself with this week? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

⭐️It’s that time of year again! “I love Christmas!”

WELCOME TO YOUR 12 Days of Fitmas Workout!

This holiday-themed HIIT workout will leave you feeling fit, strong, and proud of yourself.

Why create a special holiday workout? Well, first: because it’s FUN.

And even MORE importantly, keeping your activity level up over the holidays will help you:

Sleep better
Fight off colds & other illnesses
Feel more upbeat & relaxed
Have more energy

This workout is done to the format of The 12 Days of Christmas song.

Here’s how it works:

There are 12 rounds … and every round, you add a new exercise that corresponds to the day it represents in the song.

So, for round 1, you would do 1 minute of jump rope (do “pretend” jump roping if you don’t one).
Round 2 you would do 2 push-ups + 1 minute of jump rope.
Round 3 would be 3 lunges (each side) + 2 push-ups + 1 minute of jump rope … all the way to round 12, where you'll do the whole thing from day 12 through day 1.

Listen to your body and take breaks as needed!

Let me know how you feel after this workout! hehheh.

😋These sausage patties are absolutely delicious!

They make a great weekend breakfast — or you can whip up a batch as part of your meal prep and enjoy them all week long!

TIP: When you form the patties, make sure the blueberries are tucked safely inside. Otherwise, during cooking, they can end up in the pan instead of in the sausage patties!

Sweet & Savory Blueberry Breakfast Sausage
(makes 8 sausage patties)
1 lb (455 g) ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup blueberries
1 tsp olive oil

Place the turkey, garlic, maple syrup, spices, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix together until combined. Gently add the blueberries, stirring until they become incorporated into the meat mixture.

Divide the meat into 8 equal-sized portions (divide in half, then in half, and in half again), and form into patties about 1 cm thick (about ½ inch).

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the sausage patties and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side (until they are browned and cooked through).

Yum! Serve with your favorite toast or with eggs (or both).

Have a cup of tea. Some studies suggest that drinking green tea can help with balancing your blood sugar – and the caffeine in it can definitely give you a little energy boost.

🔥Being accountable isn’t about being punished if you don’t reach your goals. It’s about being SUPPORTED along the way.

Do you have an accountability partner? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

👉Avoid Holiday Heart Syndrome 🔥

Have you heard of Holiday Heart Syndrome? It’s a serious problem – and it can happen when you indulge in too much salty, fatty, or rich food… as well as alcohol.

Experts call it Holiday Heart Syndrome because a lot of people overindulge this time of year.

All of those “extras” can cause your heart to beat irregularly (atrial fibrillation aka AFib).

It’s most common in people with heart issues, but it can also happen to people with no known issues.

Over the long term, AFib can lead to serious heart problems.

Some symptoms: palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, and lack of energy.

The best bet: MODERATION! Don’t overdo it and keep up with your healthy habits as much as possible!

REFERENCE:
http://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-avoid-holiday-heart-syndrome

🎁How are you doing on your holiday shopping? Have you started yet …. Are you done?!

🥣This is a fast & easy plant-based soup that carries a hefty dose of plant-based protein.

… and it’s made with frozen peas!

This is easiest to make with an immersion blender but you also can use a regular blender – just be careful!

🥗Serve it with sprouted grain bread and a side salad for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Fast & Easy Pea Soup
(Serves 4)

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups (810 g) frozen peas
Two big handfuls of baby spinach
4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium vegetable stock
½ tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Sea salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is transparent, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the peas, spinach, stock, thyme, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peas are heated through and the spinach is wilted. Stir in the nutritional yeast.

Carefully blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can blend it in two batches in a regular blender, being careful not to splatter any hot liquid. Taste and add sea salt if necessary. Enjoy!

Great memories 😃

❓MYTH OR FACT ❓

🤔 Myth or Fact: Plant-based and/or organic foods are always healthier choices.
🙈
🙉
🙊

🔥MYTH🔥

These two terms can give you valuable info, but they don’t tell the whole story.

🧐You still have to read the ingredients list and WHOLE nutrition label.

That’s because organic foods – especially snacks – can be filled with added sugar and not much fiber or protein. Plus, they might have a lot of calories for the amount of nutrition they offer.

When it comes to plant-based foods, the only real criteria for the label is that doesn’t contain animal products.

So… if you’re trying to boost the health factor of your food choices, look for products that aren’t heavily processed … and aim for choices that are:

✅Higher in nutrients like fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals and
✅Lower in unhealthy fats and sugars.

❓What’s one thing you always look for on a food label? 👇

REFERENCES:
www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/organic-snack-foods-unhealthy/
www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/is-vegetarian-or-vegan-diet-healthy.html #:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%2C%20over,foods%2C%22%20Fricke%20points%20out.

😋Do NOT be intimidated by this recipe
Feel free to experiment with different flavors based on what you have on hand.
You could serve these over chickpea pasta or as a main dish with a side salad … or on top of a salad.

Vegan “meat” balls
(Makes 10 “meat” balls)
1 15-oz (425 g) can black beans, rinsed
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup (185 g) cooked and cooled quinoa (tip: ⅓ cup (55 g) dry quinoa = 1 cup cooked)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp coconut aminos

Preheat your oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Dry off the black beans using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place the beans on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the beans feel dry to the touch. Remove the beans from the oven and raise the oven heat to 375ºF/190ºC.
While the beans are baking, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic. Continue to saute until the onions are softened, and then remove the skillet from the heat.
In your food processor, pulse together the beans, sautéed onions & garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper flakes. When it reaches a loose mealy texture, add the quinoa, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and coconut aminos. Pulse until it barely forms a wet “meaty” dough.
Taste and adjust seasonings. If you prefer a cheesier taste, add more nutritional yeast.
Scoop out 2 Tbsp at a time, forming into balls. Place on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Heat the oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and when it’s hot, add the “meat” balls. Saute turning occasionally until each ball forms a crust. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 min until the meatballs turn golden brown.
They are ready to serve as-is, or you can simmer them in your favorite marinara sauce for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve these with your favorite pasta or zoodles, as a hearty sandwich filling, or as a side dish with veggies.

❓Q: Which is better, blending or juicing?

It depends on your goals, but blending (aka making smoothies) has a slight edge over juicing your fruits and veggies!

✅Juicing does give you more nutrients per ounce … PLUS you’re able to absorb those nutrients better. Juices also tend to be lower in calories than smoothies.

🔥BUT… juices lack lack a very important bonus that smoothies provide: FIBER! (Which is great for your gut and general health.)

🧐Which do you like better, fresh juices or smoothies? ⬇️

REFERENCE:
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/juice-smoothie
www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/juicing-vs-blending
www.health.com/nutrition/juice-vs-smoothie

Throwback Tuesday!!!

💡As Audrey Hepburn said: Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, I’m possible.

🧑‍🍳You can use this fast & easy plant-based queso as a dip OR a sauce over veggies, pasta, and the list goes on!

You control the thickness by how much water you add. If it gets too thin, just add some more cashews to thicken it up.

✅This recipe will keep covered for about a week in the fridge.

Cashew Queso
(makes 6 servings)

½ cup - 1 cup (120-140 ml) hot water
1 cup (120 g) raw cashews
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)

Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender, starting with just ½ cup (120 ml) of water. Blend until creamy, adding water if necessary to create a smooth consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasoning – add more hot sauce for heat, nutritional yeast for the cheese factor, or cumin for smokiness.

Pour into a dish and serve as a dip … or use it as a sauce