Get the Scoop on Sunday

Hi Everyone! 

With your free Team Beachbody account with me as your coach, you'll be receiving a weekly newsletter every weekend with recipes and tips for healthy living!   

Special Note: 

As many of you know, the Boston Fire Department lost 2 heroes this past week in a 9-alarm fire.  Thinking about what we can do to help these families, I've decided that ALL proceeds from my Tuesday, 4/1/14 Insanity class in Hyde Park, MA will go to the Lieutenant Walsh - Firefighter Kennedy Memorial Fund @ Boston Firefighters Credit Union.  If you can't make the class, but still want to contribute to the fund, please visit https://www.bosfirecu.com/  Thank you so much! 

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MEALSPIRATION SPOTLIGHT: Edamame, Tomato and Feta Salad with Fresh Basil

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound edamame (shelled) cooked
• 10 medium plum tomatoes seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup basil, fresh, cut into ribbons
• 1 small uncooked red onion finely sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:
To make dressing, in a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, water, garlic, salt and pepper, set aside.
In a large serving bowl, combine edamame, tomatoes, basil and onion; toss with dressing and sprinkle with cheese.  Yields about 1 cup per serving.

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UPCOMING Online RESULTS GROUPS:

Need some support and accountability to get to your health goal?  

Join one of these groups!... 

2. April's Online 21-Day Fix Accountability Group (starts 4/21) 

*21-Day Fix can be ordered now and is off backorder 3/31!

*I'll coach you through the 21-day fix's workouts and nutrition plan using an online accountability group. 

Recent Accountability Group Testimony: 

"Upper fix done...trying Ezekiel bread with hummus tonight that someone recommended! Have a great night everyone!" 

**Yes, we share what's working well, what's not, and RECIPES!!  

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EXERCISE SPOTLIGHT: 21-Day Fix

I'm just soo in love with this program that I need to spotlight it again. 

21-Days of 30 minute workouts and mindless nutrition.  Never count a calorie or use a measuring cup again ;)  

And, it's super cheap $60 so you can also buy some cute workout clothes! 

**www.beachbodycoach.com/nrf026 --> "Shop Team Beachbody"

**Video: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/nrf026?bctid=3124709772001 

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SHAKEOLOGY SPOTLIGHT: Honey Peanut Heaven 

1 scoop Strawberry, 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 tsp. all-natural chunky peanut butter, 1 tsp raw honey, and a few ice cubes.  Blend and enjoy. 

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FUN FACT SPOTLIGHT: PROGRESS

Before you try a new exercise, or increase the amount of weight you are lifting, ask yourself if you have mastered the basic version and therefore have "earned the right to progress."  Asking yourself this regularly will help you avoid injury!

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/kathleen-trotter/8-fun-fit-facts_b_3889711.html

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MOTIVATION SPOTLIGHT:

"Suck it up now so you won't have to suck it in later!" 

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FINANCIAL HEALTH SPOTLIGHT: Budget for Vacation

As the warm weather approaches, many of us will be going away on long weekends or vacations.  Here is some helpful info to budget your vacation...

Create a trip budget. To help you, use this free, web-based Travel Calculator, which can help you calculate the cost of gas, lodging, food and more. It’s also available as a free iPhone app, which you can download from iTunes.

http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/savingspending/budgeting/summer.php

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LIVE HOUR-LONG INSANITY CLASS SPOTLIGHT:

*Schedule is on my blog 

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CONTACT INFO SPOTLIGHT:

I'm always here to answer questions, coach you through a program, help you become a coach, anything!  Contact me :) 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicole.field3

Shakeology: www.myshakeology.com/nrf026

Team Beachbody: www.beachbodycoach.com/nrf026

Blog: www.funfitnesswithnicole.blogspot.com

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Have a fantastic, fit, healthy week!

Best,

Nicole

Chunky Monkey Shakeology

Whenever I go into Whole Foods, I am in awe.  I love looking at all of their products and reading labels.  There is always something new that catches my eye.  Today I treated myself to their store made honey roasted peanut.....to die for!! 

Of course I had to come home and experiment using it with my Shakeology. I decided on creating a chocolate banana and honey roasted peanut butter shake for my mid-afternoon snack...which is a super important snack because it gives me energy for my evening workout and keeps me from binging on dinner! 

With the chunky peanut butter and banana, I'll call it my Chunky Monkey Shakeology 

Here are the ingredients I used...

1/2 c unsweetened almond milk 

1 c water

1 medium frozen banana

1 scoop chocolate Shakeology 

2 tsp honey roasted peanut butter from Whole Foods 

Directions 

1. Blend all ingredients together

2. Enjoy (takes like a Wendy's Frosty...but better and more nutritious!!) 

Clean Eating Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I have a SUPER SWEET TOOTH and love that the 21-Day Fix allows be some sweets!!   It's all about balance, right?

The program's nutrition guide comes with tons of great recipes that I have slowly been trying out (I'm not a baker by any means!).  This week I decided to make the "Banana Oatmeal Cookies" for my students who are working so hard taking the state exam, MCAS.  I figured these would be a perfect treat because they are absolutely clean...no sugar to jitter them up!!

Although my kiddos didn't think they were "cookies," they did love them!

Here's the recipe, which makes 8 servings (2 cookies per serving).  For you guys and gals on the 21-Day Fix, 2 cookies is 1 yellow container.

Clean Eating Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients: 
Non-stick cooking spray
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 c chopped raw walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly coat baking sheet with spray.  Set aside.

3. Combine oats, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.

4. Add bananas, raisins, and walnuts; mix well.

5. Drop by heaping Tbsp. onto prepared baking sheet; flatten cookies with a spatula.

6. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes or until firm.

Right Music for H.I.I.T. Workouts

It's close to impossible to have an AMAZING workout without the right music!   

The Insaniacs in my classes are always asking me for my playlist so here are 5 of the 18 songs that we'll be working out to this week...    

Come to class this week for GREAT MUSIC & GREAT WORKOUT!

1. No Scrubs -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLequ6dUdM 

2. Wake Me Up -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcrbM1l_BoI

3. Summertime Sadness --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVjsGKrE6E8 

4. Timber --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUbLv4ThOo 

5. Wrecking Ball --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8 

Who doesn't love a good lasagna?

Comfort food is just that...comforting.  However, after eating it we don't feel too comfortable.  I certainly know that an excess of carbs makes me feel like I could sleep forever.  I've been committed to fuel my body with the nutrients that it needs to function at an optimum.  As a result of that, I'm always searching for clean eating recipes that are healthy for me....BUT still delicious.   No one wants boring food! 

Check out this recipes....BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA....AHHmazing. 

Stay tuned for pictures from my kitchen :) 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large butternut squash

• 1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef or pork

• ~36 oz canned tomato sauce (1000 g Italian passata for my UK friends)

• 4 oz (100 g) tomato paste

• 1 onion, diced finely

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup sliced olives

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 4 eggs, beaten

• Salt & pepper

• Coconut oil or fat of choice

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
2. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the diced onion in a spoonful of coconut oil until it’s softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork, garlic and oregano and raise the heat to medium-high. Saute until the pork is cooked through.
3. Add the olives, tomato sauce and paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and simmer while you prepare the squash. Note: this makes a tasty meat sauce all on its own or for use in other recipes.
4. Peel the butternut squash. Slice into very thin rounds by laying the squash on a cutting board. I tried to make mine about 1/8″ thick. The key is to make the slices as uniform as possible so they cook evenly. You could also use a mandolin to make them evenly sized. Be sure you have a sharp knife! Other recipes call for the squash to be sliced lengthwise into long sheets but this is very hard to do with a knife. The rounds enable quicker prep time and the result is just as tasty.
5. Now it’s time to prepare the lasagna: start with a bit of sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Then place the squash in a single layer (I used small pieces from the bottom of the squash, which I had to cut into half moons to remove the seeds, to fill in the gaps between the rounds). Now add another layer of sauce. Don’t skimp because the moisture from the sauce is what cooks the squash. Now add about 1/3 of the scrambled egg and smear it around. It will look gross. Stay the path. It’s going to taste awesome and gives the appearance of cheese.
6. Repeat the squash-sauce-egg sequence one or two more times, depending on how much you have left (I used two 9″ round pans so each ended up with two layers).
7. Finish with a light layer of sauce. I also used up some of the extra pieces of squash as decoration. Fancy. 
8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the squash.

Courtesy of: http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/03/25/butternut-squash-lasagna/