Monday, March 31, 2008

YUMMY MONDAYS : SUPER SNACK


Typical trail mix isn't slimming, but these homemade medleys are. A 1/4 cup serving has fewer calories and is a tastey portable snack.


ALMONDY APPLES


1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds (unsalted)

1/2 cup cornflakes

1/4 cup walnut pieces

1 cup dried apples slices cut into bits


Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds. When they sizzle (about 3 seconds), remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.


108 calories per serving, 4.4 g fat (0.4 g saturated fat), 16.1 g carbs, 2.2 g fiber, 1.5 g protein




SPICE, CRACKLE, POP


1 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 cup Rice Krispies

1/4 cup roasted cashews (unsalted)

1/4 cup roasted peanuts (unsalted)

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 tbsp dried blueberries

1/2 tsp ground cumin


Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add turmeric. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.


94 calories per serving, 4.3 g fat, (0.7 g saturated fat), 13.3 g carbs, 0.9 g fiber, 2.1 g protein.


Saturday, March 22, 2008

BOMB BAY OF THE DAY : THE STRAPPER





Nothing is more annoying than having your bra strap show when you're wearing a sleeveless top. The Strapper is an easy device you wear to keep those bra straps up and it helps lift and support.





All I can say is its AMAZING!! So simple I wish I would have thought of this!! I'm on the petite size, so nearly every bra top I wear I used to use string, or a rubber band to pull the straps together. The problem is/was that the string or rubber band always looks "funky" or put a dent in my back. The queen of all Hollywood gadgets, my fabulous friend and make-up artist Tiffany discovered this little gem. They come in various sizes and colors.  Now you can wear all of those sexy racer back workout tops, or just keep those tacky bra straps from falling down on your arm. Its made of a soft material so it very comfortable and doesn't stick to your skin. And talk about easy to put on!!! Now, they're not perfect...I wish they were made out of a rubbery material instead of plastic as I have to admit I have had them pop out of place while working out (though rarely). So if the creators of the Strapper are reading this... please consider creating a version specifically for workout wear! 

They're the bombay









HOW TO PUT ON "THE STRAPPER":



1. Before putting Bra on, loosen Straps (usually most of the way) enough so when you bring them together there is no discomfort.
2. Working behind your neck, hold the Strapper like an "H" and weave your strap around one arm of the Strapper.
3. Switch hands and do the same to the opposite side.
4. Slide down with fingers and find your Comfort Zone.





This amazing product is sold all over online, just google "The Strapper". Or for all those Target shoppers you can find it there as well.







YUMMY MONDAYS: A SKINNY CAESAR



Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 12 minutes.


Ingredients


Olive oil cooking spray

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt,

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,

1/2 cup silken soft tofu

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons grated and 1/4 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

8 cups romaine lettuce cut crosswise into 2-inch strips

1 1/4 cups fat-free croutons



Preparation



1. Heat grill pan to medium-high. Mist chicken breasts with olive oil spray, and season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill chicken until just cooked through, about 5–6 minutes per side. Place chicken on a cutting board and let rest about 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute; cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix next 8 ingredients and remaining salt and pepper in a blender until well-combined and creamy, scraping down blender sides, as necessary. Add 1 tablespoon water to thin. Stir in grated Parmesan.
3. Toss lettuce, croutons, and dressing in a large bowl; divide among 4 plates. Arrange chicken over salads, sprinkling each evenly with shaved Parmesan.




Yield
Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups lettuce and 1/4 pound chicken)



Nutritional Information
CALORIES 269; FAT 10g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 2g); PROTEIN 31g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 178mg; SODIUM 510mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13g

Sunday, March 09, 2008

WOOOHOOO!! Back to the Blog!

Well, it's a start. Today will just be a few paragraphs and my return of the Yummy Mondays.

So let me tell ya what I'm up to today and later I'll fill ya in on what's been going on
in the last couple of months :)

As for today...I'm typing this from my MacBook (I totally heart all things Apple) from the desk chair of
my hotel room in the lovely Burbank, California (about an hour from my home). My call time is
7:30 am, which is when my fabulous friend and make-up artist Tiffany (who seems to know
every fashion, make-up and beauty tip the celebrities use) will take me
from "OMG...SCARY" to camera ready! Most days we've finished around 7:30 pm! Long -
long days lately.

I'm filming a new series called, "ChaLEAN Extreme" (little play on my name...that btw..
does not have Mom very happy to have my name intentionally
misspelled. The program name is growing on me! The program itself I couldn't be more
excited about. More details to come, but in a nutshell, it's a strength training program
built on the science and research I have been studying for the past year. The program
is built on the concept of Undulating Periodization and heavy weights to create very
different results in men than we see in women. Men get leaner and bigger, women get
leaner, but smaller. Both species are happy!

Every 30 days the program changes. Every 30 days you do a different style of lifting..
a different program. The results of all of our testing are jaw dropping, eye popping
and life changing for me.

So... in order to replicate exactly what I've been doing with these people every
week (5 days a week)... I had to film 5 to 6 workouts for every 30 days to last
people 3 to 4 months! The result...somewhere between 16 and 18 fat stripping,
metabolism blasting workouts that I really think are the most sound and
and life changing workouts anyone will have seen to date on the market. Not
because I created it, but because I really used the best University studies to
create something based 100% on what works.

Whew. I've filmed 14 so far, 4 more this week! It' a bit taxing (okay to be honest..
I'm completely insane and off my rocker right now..,) but only because it
takes me out of my normal daily routine and temporarily away from my kids and
hubby several days a week... which me "no likey". My family and my routine
keep me sane.

(Now picture me in a yoga pose breathing deeply) But I'm blessed to do what I do and
this is a small price to pay for the huge impact I know this will make on people, especially
those who like me (approaching 40) thought that their age had something to do
with the metabolism slowing... it's actually a loss of muscle. More on that later.

Anyway... to summarize I have been working on this project 7 days a week for the past
6 months. I apologize for my momentary absence from my blog, but when my
workload increases, I cut back in luxories (like blogging) so that I don't have to cut
back on family time.

Well....4 more videos this week, then I promise a deep breath, some
snowboarding, and a detailed update and all the juicy details about a program
that will turn at home exercise on its head! Til then, here's a Yummy
Monday!



XOXOX

Chalene

YUMMY MONDAYS: Soy Sesame Salmon


1 lb. of Fresh Salmon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Toasted Sesame seeds

Nonstick Vegetable oil
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:
Set your oven rack to the highest level, allowing enough space to place a baking pan beneath it.
Turn broiler to high.

Coat baking pan lightly with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray. Remove salmon from packaging and place on pan with skin side of fish down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Broil on high for 7 minutes.

Remove baking pan from oven and sprinkle salmon with low-sodium soy sauce and a pinch of sesame seeds; broil for 2 more minutes.

Remove pan from oven and let salmon sit for a few minutes before removing from pan. When you do remove salmon from pan, leave the skin and fatty dark part of the fish behind.

NUTRITION FACTS:
Serving size: 1/2 of fish before cooking, Calories: 260, Fat Total: 13g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Carbs: 1g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 32g