The Week-ender 8.19

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Jenna-Marie

Guess what I did

That’s right!

I’ve begun the process of becoming a Spinning instructor, and orientation (phase 1) was held this weekend at BSC in South Station.

In two weeks, I will take the assessment online, pass it, and finally become am official Mad Dogg Athletics Spinning instructor.

Besides a very sore rear from spending 2.5 hours on the bike, I’m very excited for the “road’ ahead, and can’t wait to begin teaching.

Sunday morning, Matt and I craved an “out of this world” breakfast, so we headed over to Sound Bites in Somerville to satisfy our hearty appetites.

Fruit bowl filled to the rim with fresh kiwi, banana, apple, pear, papaya, mango,grapes,blueberries,cantaloupe and melon.

Matt’s Challah French Toast with more fruit and whipped cream

My egg white omelet stuffed with tomato, spinach, mushrooms and broccoli.

Pure deliciousness.

Afterwards, we drove to the SoWa Open Market, and SoWa Vintage Market to walk around and find some hidden gems.

I am a lover of antique furniture, old appliances, unique art and handmade candles, so these markets are right up my alley.

Although I didn’t purchase anything at SoWa, when I arrived to my parents for Sunday dinner, my Aunt surprised me with the ultimate kitchen tool that I’ve needed for quite some time.

A mango splitter! aka, a life saver.

We all need one of these in our kitchen, especially if you’re like me and end up making a mess of the mango cutting process..

crisis..averted.

Now onto another work week!

By the way..Head over the Frozen Oikos Decathlon page and vote for my team, Peach Mango.

When you do, you will receive a coupon towards a pint of Frozen Oikos, and each additional vote (once on Monday and once on Tuesday) gets you closer to the grand prize; $500 to Patagonia and 1 year’s worth of Stonyfield products!

FULL time Trainer

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Jenna-Marie

I am a Personal trainer who cannot say “no” to the smell of a burger, or desserts that look like this.

Who could say no to that!?

Not me Smile

If you workout regularly and eat healthy 90% of the time like I do, then you shouldn’t feel guilty when you’ve eaten too much, or “cheated” on your diet.

What’s done is done, don’t dwell on it. Today is a new day to start fresh.

Get yourself back on track by eating clean, and making it a priority to get your workout in. By the end of the day, you will forget all about that oh so delicious slice of pie Smile .

Unless it’s still in your fridge, and in that case, throw it away immediately!

Ella is the queen of over eating, yet she remains confident, even after she splurges on table food

Gorgeous

We headed over to the lake in Wakefield yesterday evening to walk around, listen to music and watch the fireworks. .

They ended just as a thunderstorm began to roll in at a rapid pace. It was cool to watch a battle unfold between the colorful explosions and crazy zig-zaging lightning in the sky.

Unsafe..but cool

Matt and I were on his motorcycle, and I luckily only got pelted in the face with a few quarter sized rain drops on the way home.

No biggie Smile

This morning’s breakfast was similar to yesterday’s “Crumbled blueberry muffin”, however this time I decided to scramble it at the end to make the consistency a bit more “oatmeal-ish”

1.5 Tbsp organic coconut flour
3/4 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 cup water
1/2 sliced banana
blueberries
cinnamon and a few drops of liquid Stevia

cooked for 5 minutes in the microwave and scrambled with a spoon at the end.

It was good!, and kept me full all morning.

I just finished my pre-workout snack of Greek yogurt, chia seeds, raw almond butter and blueberries, and will soon be on my way to the gym for a workout.

Today’s routine:

Cardio: 10 minute Incline walk. 20 minute Stair Mill. 20 Minute Elliptical.

Abs:

10 stability ball rollouts.
10 plank knee twists (per side).
10 mountain climbers.
10 second plank with right leg lifted.
10 second plank with left leg lifted.
10 second plank.

repeat 3-5x

Tomorrow is already Friday, and it looks like another HOT weekend ahead!

Let’s see what you’ve got, July!

Satur-Date {The Painted Burro}

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Jenna-Marie

Today is my day off from Insanity, so I decided to go for a light walk around the lake before heading over to my parents for a Father’s Day barbecue.

My dad and my beautiful niece eating ice cream in Aruba.

My dad has definitely played a role in my passion for health and fitness. He has always been into working out and eating healthy, and as you can see, it’s paid off!

Just goes to show that exercising and eating right will have it’s perks as we age.

Keep your body strong, fueled and stretched so it can carry you through life with ease.

There are no excuses.

Last night, Matt and I, along with some friends, headed to a Mexican restaurant/Tequila bar called The Painted Burro, in Davis Square.

I like to dress the part, so I wore the most festive shirt I could find

The Painted Burro is not your typical Americanized Mexican restaurant, so don’t expect an “On the Border” experience.

The eclectic dinner and drink menu is written in Mexican, and the atmosphere loud, hip and unique.

We had to ask the waitress to explain a few of the dishes, and she was very helpful and knowledgeable about how each meal was created.

To start, we ordered some drinks and nibbled on a bucket of perfectly baked corn chips with tangy, thick salsa.

Vodka, Soda Water, Lime Juice and Lemon

FROZEN BURRO COLADA: Goslings Black Rum, cayenne pineapple juice, cream of coconut

For appetizers, we ordered the “Pork Chicharron”, which is small pork wedges in a spicy-sweet tamarind glaze, along with the “Fundido” cheese dip and soft corn tortillas.

Amaaaazing! The combination of melty cheese, warm tortillas, and sweet pork tidbits made for the an intense burst of flavor and texture.

Not the most healthy, but delicious none the less

I also ordered the Romaine Salad, basically because of the dressing alone.

The smooth, creamy avocado was divine, and the spicy pepitas were the perfect addition the cool greens. It also came with anchovy’s, which I did not eat, and a tomatillo and agave vinaigrette.

As for our entrée’s, my dish won “Most Boring” at the table.

Spicy tomato Grilled Mahi Mahi with a string bean and jicama salad.

I must admit that I wouldn’t order it again. The “Veracruzana” sauce was a bit overpowering, and I found that it amplified the usual subtle taste of the white fish.

Matt ordered the DUCK LEG CAZUELA, which was out of this world. My fork spent more time in his dish than in my own.

Long Island duck, braised root vegetable & chile tamale, olives,
spring garlic, and oregano

It resembled a beef stew consistency, and all of the flavors complimented each other nicely.

The most unique entree at our table was the Yucatan Meatloaf, which is a ridiculous combination of spicy ground sirloin, chorizo, ham, chicharron, green olives and toasted almonds, topped with two fried eggs and guava ketchup.

So many ingredients that somehow worked to create this flavorful, mouth-watering dish.

From the décor, to the food, to the authentic and strong drinks, I’d recommend The Painted Burro to anyone looking for a fun night out with a spicy splash of Mexican flare. The fresh ingredients and love put into each and every dish, truly introduce eaters to the taste of a culture so full of life.

Well, I’m off! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

xoxo

Sweat Therapy

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Jenna-Marie

I’m still obsessed with my daily Yogi tea messages, and I have every intention of sharing the one’s that I find meaningful to my life, and maybe to your’s as well.

It’s my blog, and I can do what I want.

I’ve been alternating between the Healthy Fasting, and Lemon Ginger tea in place of my usual morning coffee

Because I eat a lot of vegetables, I occasionally suffer from indigestion, bloating and plenty of burping.

Fiber = Gassy. Classy.

I find that sipping these first thing, as well as after eating, helps to move things along a bit better.

I drank my tea in the car this morning on the way to the gym, and then headed straight to the weights for a quick arm workout.

3 sets of 12: Front Shoulder Raises, Lateral Raises, and Shoulder Press
3 sets of 15: Alternating Bicep Curls on incline bench
3 sets of 15: Triceps Extension

Once my friend/client arrived, we hopped on the Arc Trainer for a good hour of sweat therapy.

I always say that “sweating should be thought of as an emotional cleanse”.

Sweat out any stressors, worries, anger, frustration or sadness that lurks within you, and at the end, wipe it all away with your towel.

Following cardio, we ended with some quick abs, push-ups and stretching before heading home for post-workout breakfast.

Blueberry Banana Egg white Oatmeal with Chia Seeds

and some black coffee with Stevia in the Raw.

Hey, I didn’t say I was cutting out coffee completely :)

It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend and I’ve already seen a plethora of runners taking advantage of the sunshine and prepping for their run on Monday.

I would love to be on the sidelines cheering them on with an ice cold drink in my hand (it is one of the biggest drinking days here in Boston), but unfortunately I’ll be at work watching it on television.

Marathon Monday is looking HOT. 88 degrees…yikes!

Well I can’t stand to be inside any longer, so I’m off to seize the day. Matt and I are taking his bike out this afternoon, and later planning our usual Satur-Date at an undecided location.

I think I’m feeling a good piece of fish..or sushi?

We’ll see where we end up. Have a great Saturday! xoxo

Is Your Glass Half Empty?

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Jenna-Marie

Along with other Boston writers, I attended a luncheon sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt at EVOO in Kendall square earlier this week.

At the event, author Robyn O’Brien of “The Unhealthy Truth” and founder of AllergyKids, spoke about the importance of educating ourselves and our children on the benefits of eating an organic diet. Also, how to help make organic food more readily available in the U.S.

There is so much to learn about the food industry in America.

I could go on and on about brightly colored mac and cheese, purple yogurts, processed chicken, pesticide infested produce and chemically enhanced sweeteners that enter our body each and every day. However, the most harmful issue lies in the hidden poisons that we don’t even know exist. Poisons that inhabit the foods that are meant to be good for us.

What we think is a healthy choice, may in fact be treated with harmful substances that are slowly but surely killing us, and our future generations.

Robyn O’Brien is a successful mother of four, on a quest to rid America of the harmful ingredients found in today’s food supply. After her youngest daughter experienced an extreme allergic reaction from a small taste of scrambled eggs, Robyn was determined to find the cause behind the sudden, almost fatal attack.

What Robyn thought was her daughters first encounter with eggs was actually her second, which triggered an allergic reaction. The doctor explained that the first encounter was when her daughter recieved her Flu Vaccination, which is grown in eggs.

Good to know.

I plan on writing a few detailed posts about the hidden dangers in our food, but for now, I want to focus on exposing the fact that our food is not what it used to be.

Real.

America, meet rBGH.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone.

Developed by the company Monsanto, rBGH (sold under the name “Posiac”), is a synthetic growth hormone that was made to mimic the natural hormone, Bovine Somatotropin, which is produced by the pituitary glad in a cow.

In 1994, with the approval of the FDA, factory farmers began injecting rBGH into their livestock every 2 weeks to increase milk production by 10-15% or, an extra gallon per day. This resulted in more milk being shipped to grocery stores nationwide, and since we live in a nation where fast=convenience, this lab-made hormone seemed to be the answer to every Farmer’s prayer.

That is, until they began to notice their cows were slowly deteriorating.

Along with increased milk production, cows injected with this hormone also experienced the following,

Infertility (cystic ovaries, issues with uterus, low birth weights of calves) .
Disorders in digestion
Dying 2 years after injection
Increase in risk of clinical mastitis,(udder infection) resulting in both bacteria and pus leaking into the milk, along with the antibiotics used to treat the infection

Re-read that last symptom.

The milk that tops your cereal and fills your baby’s bottle may in fact be filled with bacteria, pus, and antibiotics. Not to mention the cheese in your sandwich, ice cream in your sundae and yogurt in your child’s lunchbox.

If these are the symptoms found in cows, how is this affecting our health and the health of our children?

Well..

Within the last 10 years, Milk allergies have skyrocketed to the number one spot in the U.S.

Coincidence?

Mothers who ingest rBGH while pregnant are also exposing their unborn child to the dangers of harmful chemicals. Studies have actually shown that this hormone is detectable in the womb, proving that we have been tainting our health starting from before birth.

No wonder so many disorders and sickness’ have increased throughout the past 15 years. There has been a noticeable increase in children born with Autism and other learning disability’s, as well as puberty hitting at a very young age.

rBGH also stimulates another natural hormone found in both cows and humans, called IGF-1, which regulates cell division, growth and differentiation. However, increased levels of IGF-1 have been linked to;

Prostate Cancer
Colon Cancer
Breast Cancer

Only 10% of cancer is a result of genes. This leaves the other 90% to stem from the environment, and sure enough, the U.S has the highest rate of cancer in the world. Premenopausal breast cancer was unheard of years ago, but is quickly becoming much more common in our society.

Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have all banned the use of rBGH in their food, and I think it’s time America hops on board as well. Artificial colors, genetically modified soy, government subsidized corn crops (High fructose corn syrup) and hazardous school lunches are being ingested by America at an alarming rate, and something needs to be done in order to stop it.

Don’t be ignorant to this important information. It can save your life, as well as your family’s life. Start educating yourself and rid your pantry of the following ingredients:

rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone)
GMO (genetically modified organisms)
Artificial. (colors, flavors)
Caged Eggs
High Fructose Corn Syrup

Shop at organic markets and ask your grocer if they offer organic foods. The more we demand their availability, the more available and cheaper the natural foods will become.

This may be a bit overwhelming, but start by doing one thing, and incorporate the rest as you go. Together, we can make a change.

Switch to white yogurt vs. colored, and let your kids add a few colored sprinkles on top. This reduces the load of artificial colors, while keeping the “fun” in eating.
For kids who are used to brightly colored noodles, start to wean them off of the chemicals by using half of the cheese pack instead of the whole thing. Each time you cook, reduce the cheese content more and more, until they are used to seeing a natural colored noodle. Then make your own healthy version.
Switch to pretzel goldfish instead of multi-colored goldfish in order to reduce exposures to artificial colors.
Offer chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is best) instead of M&Ms which are coated with artificial food coloring. Try to also sneak in some dried fruit such as blueberries, raisins or cranberries into the mix.
Suggest vanilla ice cream vs. strawberry or other artificially flavored varieties. Make it fun by adding toppings such as chocolate chips, fresh fruit, or a few colored sprinkles.
Only serve juices free of artificial colors. Read the labels and ingredients list.
Offer snacks such as pretzels and crackers instead of chips and bright orange Cheetos. Dip into all natural ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, salsa and yogurt.

Robyn noticed a remarkable difference in her children’s attention span, demeanor and happiness once she rid them of the harmful chemicals that they once ingested daily.

Be sure to make the switch. For your sake, and for you family.

Start saving America, One bite at a time.

Mangia!

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jenna-Marie

My weekend was filled with delicious food, fruit cocktails, sweet treats and laughs among friends and family.

On Friday night my mother and I joined our friends for dinner at Artu in the North End.

Artu is known for its old-school style dishes, set in a modern and trendy atmosphere.

A large bar greats you at the main entrance, and an intimate dining room is located in back. Unlike other restaurants in the area, Artu’s dining room is spacious, leaving plenty of room for necessery mobility.

We began the evening with some dangerously delicious Pineapple Infused Vodka Martini’s.

Fresh pineapple juice added the perfect amount of flavor and sweetness to my favorite clear alcohol. These drinks went down very easy, so I made sure to snack on bread while we waited for our meals.

Another drink that caught my attention…

Love the name! It’s Fabulous.

Since I was feeling silly from one too many ‘tini’s, I promised to return at a later date to give my coconutz a try

What I loved most about this restaurant was the simplicity of the menu. Also, the sides could be easily substituted without ruining the outcome of the meal.

This is a huge plus in my book, since I am the queen of food substitution.

I mean it. You name it, I’ve done it. Everything from salad instead of pasta, extra seasonal vegetables with no potato, grilled instead of fried, even tangy marinara in place of creamy alfredo.

Yes, I’m that girl. I’m sorry..kinda.

Most waitress’ and waiters role their eyes at my requests, however our waitress at Artu was more than happy to create a plate that each of us would enjoy.

Thanks Gabby!

I started my meal off with a mixed green salad, followed by fresh haddock that I paired with a grilled antipasto appetizer. Every bite was full of flavor and tasted even better than the bite before. The portion size was perfect, and I was left completley satisfied.

And buzzed.

Whether you are craving a drink with friends, a sandwich for lunch, or a romantic dinner with your significant other, I highly recommend Artu for a guaranteed good meal with spectacular service.

After dinner, we browsed in and out of the small boutiques filled with trendy jewelry,clothes and accessories. The North End has definitely made its mark in the fashion industry with stores like LIT, Case di Stile, In-Jean-ius and The Velvet Fly.

While trying on various styles of costume jewelry, the sweet tooth in all of us began to kick in. We headed over to Cafe Pompei for some coffee and dessert.

I opted for the strawberry shortcake, while my mother and our friends ordered strawberry,pistachio and chocolate gelato.

While Pompei’s dessert menu is extremely tasty, when it comes to gelato, I prefer to visit GiGi Gellatoria.

Along with cannoli’s and tiramisu, GiGi Gelateria offers an abundance of gelato flavors including coconut, lemon, amaretto and chocolate hazelnut.

This place is a must for Ice Cream lover’s everywhere.

Once our sugar and caffeine cravings were satisfied, we decided to take a walk through the Madonna Della Cava Italian Festival.

Beginning in July and continuing through to the end of August, a Feast is held each weekend to celebrate Italian immigrants, religious societies in the area and the Saints that represent each group.

During the celebreation, a Saint is honored and carried through the small streets of the North End by members of the sponsoring society. People pin money onto ribbons surrounding the Saint, which is then donated to the religious group in charge.

Along with honoring the Saint, vendors are set up throughout the streets serving everything from Fried Claims and Arancini, to sweatshirts and Henna tattoos, to purses and sunglasses.

A live band entertains the large crowd that comes from all over to enjoy an evening full of food, fun and celebration.

My parents grew up in the North end, so I have been attending the Feasts since childhood. I look forward to them ever year, and always see a familiar face around every corner.

On Saturday night, Matt and I headed back in town to meet my parents for a late meal at Antico Forno.

This quaint and cozy restaurant is one of my personal favorites. I have yet to order a meal that left me anything less that satisfied.

To start, we all shared a savory risotto dish filled with asparagus tips, grape tomatoes and melted mozzarella cheese. My parents and Matt split a Margherita pizza and a Ricotta, prosciutto and roasted red pepper pizza. Both were cooked perfectly inside the large brick oven, and each bite was insanely fresh and flavorful; even during the late night hour.

I wanted something light, so I opted for the Fresh Arugula salad topped with grilled shrimp, shaved parmigiano cheese and a white balsamic vinaigrette.

I added roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes for an extra dose of vegetables.

Living only 10 minutes away from Boston definitely has it’s perks when it comes dining and entertainment. When you are in search of an intimate night with the people you love most, the North End is definitely the place to be.

Salute!

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