food

pomegranate benefits

Lately I’ve had a newfound obsession with pomegranates! Although they are messy and tedious to eat, you can also buy just the seeds in a convenient container. I have been finding myself going back for more every time I am at the market, so I decided to do a little research in lieu of my fascination.  Here’s some interesting findings:

  • Pomegranate is the most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits
  • Lowers risk of cancer, especially prostate and breast
  • Lowers cholesterol and risk of heart disease
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Helps control your weight
  • May have benefits to relieve or protect against depression and osteoporosis

As an original native of Persia, Persians believed Eve actually ate a pomegranate instead of an apple in the Garden of Eden. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life. It is also believed to be a symbol of good luck according to Greeks and Chinese. Sorry to get “historical” on you, but I find all of this so interesting!

Many studies show that pomegranate is one of the most powerful, nutrient dense foods for overall good health. These findings clearly show a correlation between pomegranates and their positive effect on both human and animal cardiovascular, nervous, and skeletal health. This is one fruit that you can’t afford to exclude from your diet! Eat up peeps!

Try this nutritious smoothie and let me know what you think:

 Have a great week and thanks for reading!

(sources: drfuhrman.comGlobal Healing Center)

in the spirit

In the spirit of Valentines day, (my favorite holiday) I am dying to share what made our day so special! Some of you may despise this “love” day, others swoon, but I’m a romantic so I couldn’t help myself! I spent the evening with my love.  He has been so supportive with my fitness passions, life and journeys, I can’t thank him enough. Jeff, you are the most amazing spirit and I am so lucky to call you my best friend, boyfriend and true love. I am a big believer that a girl should receive flowers and love everyday of the year, and he makes this happen! Spoiled and very lucky I am!  And can’t forget my Dad…he always has and always will be my #1 Valentine. 🙂

Here is a recap of a few special moments:the dress (from Asos, on sale!)

The beautiful roses and phenomenal food at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A Hubert Keller Restaurant, this place is 5 star, and the food IS all that it’s cracked up to be!

Among other wonderful gifts, I decided to make this cute fruit bowl, instead of your average heart chocolates. Thank you Pinterest for this idea! Corny, I know…but he loved it! Did I tell you, that I am giving up chocolate, cheese and alcohol for Lent?! Yes, you heard that right! I am giving up ALL 3…they are my biggest weakness and I decided to do it big this year for a healthier 2013! Wish me luck. 🙂

My brand new Nike pants that he surprised me with! Can you tell that we LOVE health and fitness?! Can’t wait to hit the gym with these babies today!

Leaving you with this cute little saying that I found via Instagram. 🙂

 I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine’s Day and thanks for reading!

Garlic Shrimp Stew Recipe

This recipe is to die for! My mom found it in Runners World Magazine, and we both gave it a shot. Needless to say, it is a keeper. Shrimp is full of protein and selenium, a mineral that aids in recovery. Perfect recipe post exercise.

I posted this picture on the Facebook page and Instagram, which led to many questions so here is the full recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 1 bag of frozen shrimp from Trader Joes)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
  • 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 15 ounce cans white beans, drained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil and pimenton. Add shrimp to skillet; sauté 1 to 2 minutes; add half the garlic the last few seconds of cooking. Spoon shrimp into a bowl and set aside. Return skillet to heat; add 2 tablespoons oil, pepper flakes, bay leaf, and remaining garlic. Cook till garlic is golden, a few seconds. Add tomatoes; cook till most of the liquid evaporates, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook till tomato mixture darkens. Add beans and broth; simmer till it’s a thick stew, 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and parsley; cook till heated through. Drizzle with remaining oil. Serves 4.

You can also experiment with any seafood you like, it doesn’t have to be shrimp! I would imagine it would taste phenomenal with chicken as well. This recipe is full of flavor, a little spice, so simple and a perfect meal post exercise.

Calories per serving: 436; Carbs: 37 G; Fiber: 9 G; Protein: 35 G; Fat: 17 G

Enjoy!

Easy Protein Ball Recipe

This is the easiest no bake “baking” ever! So delicious and the perfect snack! Thank you Megan Trafton – I heart muscle for sharing this recipe! So here you have it… PROTEIN BALLS:

Ingredients:

  • whey protein (I used both vanilla and chocolate)
  • oats
  • water

Yep……thats it! Um, can you say easy? Oh, and not to mention, the fewer the ingredients the fewer the calories. Perfecto!

Step one: Blend the oats and protein in a blender to get a fine consistency. I used a 50/50 ratio and that seemed to taste great.

Step two: put the blended oats and protein in a bowl and dribble a little water into the bowl. It is tough to get the right amount of water, but be sure to start off with only a drip and add more as you need. The purpose of the water is to get the mixture to stick in a ball, but if you use too much water it will be a sticky mess! Trust me, it is hard to get the right consistency so start with very little water.

Step three: roll the dough in a circular motion with your hands to form a ball. I then rolled it in more protein powder to stop them from sticking to each other. This takes patience, but the results are worth it.

Step four: Refrigerate and enjoy!

And that’s all there is to it! I love bringing these to work to munch on every so often. They are the perfect protein snack and often curve my craving for sweets.

Be sure to check out Fit & Fierce on Facebook for more recipes, motivation and fitness tips!

Another great Facebook page for some fitness inspiration, is Megan Trafton-I heart muscle. Go check her out!

Have a great weekend! -Jenna

Super Bowl Clean Eats

Happy almost Super Bowl Sunday!!! The 49’rs are in it to win it! Woohoo! Luckily, a friend of ours is having a party with tons of delicious food. But what is there for me and other healthy eaters to feast on? I’m sure it won’t be healthy in the least bit, so I compiled some clean eating appetizer recipes to accompany a Niners win. 😉 (Hopefully I didn’t jinx it!!)

For more wonderfully clean recipes visit my friends at:

1. Chips and Guacamole 2. Baked Turkey Burgers 3. Baked Kale Chips 4. Spinach Dip 5. Spicy Buffalo Wings 6. (not pictured) but another fave Skinny Layered Pizza Dip

xo,Jenna

Copyright © 2024 · Theme by 17th Avenue

Copyright © 2024 · Amelia on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in