RUSTIC SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH SWEET POTATOES

During my Whole30, it was important that I maintained variety with my meals. It can get boring eating the same piece of meat with the same seasoning or marinade, prepared the same way, week to week.  

This recipe for shepherd's pie is not only a great option to varying the ways in which to enjoy meat and veggies (Whole30-compliant or not), but it's also a hearty dish that can be made ahead of time and frozen for a quick meal fix for later on. 

Rustic Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 

olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

1/2 lb. lean ground pork

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 

1 heaping tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried rosemary

salt and pepper
1 cup roasted eggplant, 1/2-inch pieces

1. Wash and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute onions over medium heat until tender. Add  pork and saute until cooked through. Add peas.

3. Add tomato paste, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Add broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for ten minutes. Finally, add the roasted eggplant. Heat through and remove from stove top.

4. Mash potatoes with broth, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

5. Place pork mixture in a 5" by 9" glass baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top.

6. Cook in a 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Try This: Maximize the flavour! For added dimension, include warming spices in your sweet potatoes, like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. 

Stay tuned for my Whole30 reintroduction phase update!

image via bbc good food


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

METABOLIC CONDITIONING

Today, I'm redirecting your attention to Sisyphus No More, a blog by one of my fitness instructors, A. He has a lot of really informative posts about diet and fitness (all based on his own experiences/trial-and-error). It's definitely worth checking out!

He recently wrote about metabolic conditioning - what it is and how it can benefit you - and, of course, included a workout.While you can find the workout with accompanying videos on his blog, I've also included it here for your convenience and under the WORKOUTS tab for future reference.

If you complete this circuit three times through, your entire workout could be anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Depending on how much time you have on any given day, you can alter the number of rounds you do. As for the dumbbells (and kettebell), I recommend using a weight that is challenging. In order to know what is challenging, follow Sisyphus No More's general rule for metabolic conditioning - keeping it tough. As he says, this workout is "supposed to push you way past your comfort zone. If you're not seriously out of breath and tired after one round of this workout, then your weights are too light or you're going too slow - or both." 

Perform each complex followed by 45 seconds rest, 1-3 times through

TOTAL: 15-20 minutes once through

Complex 1

Alternating Lunge Presses x 12
Lunge Curls x 12
Alternating Plank Extensions x 12
Double Lateral Jumps x 25

Complex 2
Lateral Squat Presses x 12
Snatches x 12
Leg Up Push Ups x 12
Power Jacks x 40

Complex 3
Super Burpees x 12
Around The World x 12
Tricep Lunges x 12
Single Arm Swings x 30

Complex 4
1/2 Man Maker Burpees x 12
Bent Over Rows x 12
Half Cleans x 12
Squat Jumps x 25

Complex 5
Super Burpees x 12
Clean & Press x 12
Stiff Legged Dead Lifts x 12
Mountain Climbers x 75

Complex 6
Pass Pass Pass Shoot x 12
Cleans x 12
Renegade Rows x 12
Kettle Swings x 30

Because of the intensity of metabolic conditioning, I don't usually do these types of workouts on my own - the primary reason being that I find it super difficult to motivate myself to actually push as hard as I can (if I'm not going as hard as I can, there's not much point). If you're the same, grab a buddy and get them involved, too. It's amazing how much working out in pairs or a team can help motivate you to work harder than you would on your own!


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

WHOLE30: FINAL COUNTDOWN (3 DAYS LEFT!)

After discussing the Whole30 with a few friends who have tried it/done it, I think it's safe to say that while, in the grand scheme of things, it's not that difficult of a challenge, it isn't easy either. Sure, it's fine if you have the time, focus, and commitment to plan and prepare all of your meals so that they're Whole30-compliant. But, when some of your favourite foods contain dairy (cheese and ice cream, anyone?) and/or you're used to six small meals a day instead of three, things can become a little tricky. You can forget about enjoying that hot sauce on your scrambled eggs in the morning, because it just so happens to contain sugar. And hey, your go-to bevvy from David's Tea? It has stevia.

In the past 27 days, I have dealt with bittersweet goodbyes (or "see you later's") to some of my favourite foods and slip ups, too: Thanksgiving dinner, friendly lunches, and most recently, the footy awards banquet, where I ate both roasted white potatoes and the teeniest amount of cheese (gasp!). I've learned to approach food as fuel and sustenance, not just as comfort and indulgence (but okay, indulgence sometimes, and for the duration of my Whole30 this means dates and dried coconut).

But all that aside, while it can be challenging (at first) to map out your Whole30 diet and figure out what you can and cannot eat, let's get real. It's only 30 days. And, now as the end draws nearer, I'm planning my next line of attack: the reintroduction phase.

Starting Wednesday, I will slowly reintroduce the foods and food groups that were eliminated from my diet 30 days past: alcohol, dairy, grains, legumes, and sugar - but wait, I'm kind of in a pickle here. It Starts With Food recommends that you reintroduce dairy on day 1, gluten-containing grains on day 4, non-gluten grains on day 7, legumes on day 10, and so on and so forth. But what if you already know how certain foods affect you? What if I already know that highly processed sugars make my joints ache and my thinking foggy? What if I already know that I have probably one of the lowest tolerances for alcohol out there and that when I have just three sips of wine, I start to get tipsy? I am already aware of these effects, just as I am familiar with the ways in which wheat or gluten also has an impact on my health and well-being. Therefore, I am most interested in the reintroduction of dairy, non-gluten grains, and legumes. So, my question is: can I reintroduce dairy alongside sugar and alcohol if I already know the effects of the latter two? That is, can I go back to consuming sugar and alcohol (in limited quantities, of course) right away and on the same day, while at the same time, reintroduce dairy?

Okay, you caught me. The truth is, R and I are celebrating Halloween this weekend with a party at our place and I'd like to have a sweet or two with a drink or few (woah, rhyming!), and I've stocked the fridge with a load of cheese.

And, so.

Technically, you're supposed to reintroduce the eliminated foods or food groups one by one, but the approach that I've decided to take is to only schedule the reintroduction of foods with which I have yet to experience any symptoms. Again, these are dairy, non-gluten grains, and legumes. First up? Dairy (if you've read any of my Whole30 blog posts, this should really come as no surprise).

image via cannelle et vanille


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

CABBAGE ROLLS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SPINACH

A recipe for cabbage rolls can only mean one thing: I was craving comfort food.

When I think of cabbage rolls, I'm reminded of my childhood, of home, of my mother and my grandmother cooking late into the night. Cabbage rolls are one of those classic dishes you don't serve to dinner guests, but share with family.

Keeping with my Whole30, these cabbage rolls don't contain rice or any grain, for that matter. Instead, I used nutrient dense butternut squash and spinach, making these cabbage rolls a fabulously healthy addition to your fall menu.

All right, so my cabbage rolls don't photograph well (at all), but they're delicious nonetheless!

Cabbage Rolls with Butternut Squash & Spinach

1 cabbage
2 cups ground pork
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup butternut squash, cubed & roasted
1 1/4 cups chopped spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

1. Separate cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop cabbage leaves in the pot and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool.

2. For the filling, heat a pan with olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the ground pork and cook through.

3. In a large bowl, combine onions and pork, squash, spinach, garlic, and the rest of the seasoning ingredients. Mix well.

4. In a large crock pot, pour 1/3 of the crushed tomatoes and spread around so the entire bottom of the pot is covered.

5. Place a small portion of the filling in the centre of each cabbage leaf and roll leaf around filling (like rolling a burrito, since you do that all the time, uh). Neatly pack filled cabbage rolls in the crock pot. After completing one layer of cabbage rolls, pour another 1/3 of the crushed tomatoes to completely cover the rolls. Continue to fill and pack cabbage rolls, and finish with the last 1/3 of the crushed tomatoes completely covering the very top of the rolls.

6. Season with red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Turn crock pot on low-setting and let cook for 6-8 hours.

Makes 20-25 small cabbage rolls.

Try This: There are different ways to prepare the cabbage leaves (and I think I took the more difficult route). If I am correct, you can actually cook the entire cabbage head and then separate the leaves, rather than the other way around. This might make separating the leaves easier, and therefore avoid rips and tears along the way.

The alternative to making cabbage rolls in a crock pot is, of course, the oven. The standard temperature and cook time for (most) recipes is 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. 

What's your go-to comfort food?


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

LET'S TALK BOTTOMS

I like running. I like running on a crisp autumn day. I like running to clear my mind (and how a good long run can magically turn my irrational thoughts rational). I like running for fitness, both the superficial and heart-healthy kind. And, I like running with a buddy, who can motivate me even on the earliest (and sometimes chilliest) of mornings.

Thanks to my friend L, I've been running a lot more lately. And when I run a lot, I tend to burn a lot of extra calories and lean out quite nicely (!). That said, while most of us are happy to lose a few inches around our waists, when I'm running as much as I have been lately, I start to fear the loss of one thing: my butt.

Oh no, you didn't.

If there's one thing I don't like about running, it's the potential to lose that nicely formed curvature I've worked so hard for just to be left with this blah bump flat surface that limits any potential of filling out a string bikini and warrants very few dance moves (what's the point?!). Plus, as an actor, you can understand how wanting to "look good" might play a factor in all of this.

I spent one summer running a lot. And while I was able to lose the extra weight I put on in the first two years of my undergraduate degree, my backside had dwindled down to nothing. There I was - ten pounds lighter and without a single curve. No posterior. No derrière.  No junk in the trunk. Nada. It was gone.

Genetically, I think I could go either way on the butt bandwagon. Round or flat? I'm Portuguese and Chinese, you figure it out. Regardless, running as much as I did that summer really showed me what a lot of cardio and a lack of strength exercises can do to shaping my natural physique (whatever that may be). In order to get my butt back, I employed a couple of simple exercises. Cue: squats, lunges, more squats, even more lunges.

Obviously, I began  to worship squats and lunges.

And now that I'm running a lot more again, I've amped up my workouts to always include some kind of lower body exercises (squats and lunges evidently being my favourites).

I threw together this lower body workout a couple of weeks ago. I like it because it's quick and straight forward. It's 100 reps each of five different exercises, for a total of 500 reps (hence Lower Body Blast 500).  It is entirely up to you how you would like to complete the 500 reps. If you find it too difficult to do all 100 reps of one exercise at a time, split the workout up into two, three, or even four rounds. For example, you could do 25 reps of each exercise four times through, still completing a total of 500 reps.

This workout is meant to exhaust the leg muscles and get that booty burning, so regardless of how you complete the workout it should be very challenging. I chose to do 100 reps of each exercise straight through, and was definitely struggling near the end.

Include this routine as part of a larger workout! Or if you don't have much time, this routine is also great on its own. By the time you're finished, your legs and butt should be burning (my hamstrings were sore three days later!).


Lower Body Blast 500
Do 100 reps of each exercise:

Sumo Squat Kicks

Jump Lunges

Jump Squats

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Single-Leg Pulses


As you can see, there's no video for this workout. Instead, I've included a link for each exercise. In case you're not sure what the exercise is or you just want some further instruction about form and function, click on each exercise and it will take you to a short demonstration.

Hey, look! My love for a shapely behind isn't anything new - check out this post from my former blog.

image via women's health mag


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

WHOLE30: DAYS 16-21 (SIMPLE YUMS)

I'm two-thirds of the way to completing my first Whole30 and while I had a few slip ups during week two, I've stayed strong since - and so why give up now, right? The next week and a half should feel like a piece of cake.

Huh, did someone say cake?

Okay, I'm not really craving sweets so much, but cheese? Yes, I still talk about cheese - a lot. That being said, I still haven't given in to temptation. I handle cheese pretty much all week when I'm watching the kiddies and I have yet to dive into a mound of mozzarella or gnaw on a thick slice of Gouda.  I've come so far, after all. Why call it quits now?

And, hey! If there's one thing (or two or three) that I've learned while doing my Whole30, it's that food can taste really good, even without grains, sugar, legumes, dairy, or alcohol. So, what's the big deal right? Sure, I miss my weekly cheese binge, but what about all of the tasty things I can eat?

Since starting the Whole30, I've discovered that sometimes simple is better. Take this recipe for Almond Chicken. It's my take on the ol' Shake 'n Bake classic, but it's completely grain-free. The recipe only requires a few ingredients and about a half hour in the oven, and voilà! They're a delicious alternative to ordinary roasted chicken (and if you're doing the Whole30 or a similar challenge, chicken stir fry).

(Grain-Free) Almond Chicken

1 pkg. (5) chicken drumsticks
1 cup coconut flour
salt and pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 egg
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup ground almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.

2. Grab three bowls. In the first bowl, mix together coconut flour, salt and pepper, and paprika. In the second bowl, whisk together egg and mustard. Finally, place ground almonds in the third bowl.

3. One at a time, take a drumstick and coat it first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and then in the ground almonds until completely coated. Place on baking sheet, and do the same for the rest of the chicken pieces.

4. Lightly dress the coated drumsticks with a bit more olive oil (you could even use an olive oil cooking spray here, the idea is to add a bit of oil to the chicken so that the coating turns golden and crispy).

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning once.

Makes 5 drumsticks.

What's your favourite way to prepare chicken?


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

CHICKEN, NO PIE

As the days get shorter and the evenings cooler, our bodies start to crave hearty comfort foods in place of summer's lighter fare. That said, ditching salads for baked pastas and roast beef isn't always the answer. 

Although it's nice (and completely necessary) to indulge every once in a while, it's also important to maintain a healthy diet, and not just during bikini season but throughout the cooler months as well. This recipe is for Hearty Chicken Stew (adapted from Clean Eating's Chicken Pot Pie), a simple yet satisfying and nutritious lunch or dinner. Made using fall food staples like onions and carrots, this recipe is quick enough to whip up in time for a last-minute dinner and easy enough to duplicate (or triple!) and pack and freeze for later.

Hearty Chicken Stew
adapted from Clean Eating

olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. coconut flour, or any other flour for use as thickener
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add olive oil. Sauté onions until fragrant.

2. Add chicken and carrots. Sauté until onions are slightly browned and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add peas and sauté for another minute until thawed.

3. Stir in broth, orange juice, and bay leaves and cook until broth is warmed. Sit in coconut flour* and reduce heat to medium. Stir constantly until broth is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

*if using potato or corn starch, be sure to dissolve the starch in about 1 tsp. of water before adding it to your stew

Try This: The original recipe uses chicken breast, which would be a leaner option. For something like a stew, I like to use chicken thighs because of their extra flavour.

The orange juice is my own adjustment to the recipe and I find it adds a really nice sweetness to the chicken and vegetables. Feeling adventurous? Try pineapple juice instead!

And, if you want a more filling stew, try adding sweet or Yukon gold potatoes.