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I Did It!

Well friends, after three weeks of an on-going argument between myself and myself—I finally won and got my butt to the gym this morning. Without even setting my alarm, I woke up at 5:45 on the dot, quickly changed, brushed my teeth and was on my way. Luckily the gym is only ten minutes away, so after 25minutes on the elliptical I still had enough time to go home and shower and get ready for work. Of course if I packed all my gear and got ready for work at the gym it would allow for a longer workout, but I'm not quite ready to get organized the night before. Plus, it would be just like me to forget a vital component like a towel, makeup bag or undergarments........Today I forgot my water bottle. It's tough going 25 minutes without a sip.
Here's hoping this is the beginning of a new routine, and a few more calories burned in the process. Wish me luck!

Kale chips-Yum!

Lately I had been hearing a lot about kale chips. Chef's and nutritionists had been touting them as a great snack food. When Gwyneth Paltrow was on Ellen a few month's ago she was saying how even her kids love them. From what I've heard the crunchy texture combined with the savoury taste are a great alternative to potato chips.

Oxygen' nutrition editor Helen Vong whipped up a batch on the weekend and shared some with me. They were delicious. And as I tend to do, I've already started thinking of alternative ways to eat or prepare them. Topping my salad with them is first on the list. 

Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Ready in 20 minutes  Makes 4 servings

1 bunch kale

Olive oil spray or 1 tbsp olive oil  

Lemon juice

Sea salt, to taste

1.              Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.              Use a knife to remove kale leaves from its thick stems. Tear kale leaves into bite size pieces and place onto cookie sheet.

3.              Drizzle kale with oil and toss gently to mix.  Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. 

Morning Workouts-Help!

What time of day do you workout? I've always preferred lunch time or right after work, but lately I find these times just aren't working for me anymore. For the past week or so I've been entertaining the idea of early morning workouts. I'm totally a morning person, but for some reason have never been motivated to get myself to the gym that early. But now I see the appeal of getting my workout out of the way and having the rest of the day free. Plus, I've heard morning workouts give you a little extra energy kick throughout the day.
So tell me this, for those of you who do manage to get up before 6am and head to the gym, what's your secret? When your alarm goes off Monday morning, especially when it's pouring rain, how do you drag your butt to the gym. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Battle Ropes Training

Check out Oxygen's fitness editor Rachel Crocker trying out battle ropes, a new strength and conditioning technique!
A big thank you to Medcan's John Vizzini and Vince Rinella for rolling out the "green" carpet and taking the time to show us this innovation in fitness.
Stay tuned for a future issue of Oxygen where you can learn your very own routine.

A lesson in innovation

Tomorrow my fitness editor Rachel Crocker and I are going on a field trip. We're going to see a demonstration of a new fitness technique. It's very popular right now in New York City, and we've included a small blurb about it in a recent issue of Oxygen.
Are you intrigued? Stay tuned next week for all the details. Reminder to self—bring your camera.
To all my Canadian friends, happy long weekend. To all my friends south of the border, same to you, one week later!

My latest obsession

When Kristi Youngdahl submitted her Success Story to Oxygen, she included an interesting nugget of information. One of her favorite clean recipes is this: Preheat oven to 350. Spray 12-serving muffin tins with nonstick spray. Put 1 tablespoon each of old fashioned oats and blueberries in each muffin cup. Top off with liquid egg whites. Stir each cup; bake for 20-25 minutes. 
Last week I decided to give it a shot. The first time I made the recipe, I did it exactly how Kristi suggested. I brought them into work and they were a hit with the Oxygen and Clean Eating staff members. This past weekend I added raspberries to the mix, and I think they turned out even better.
Now I've become obsessed with finding even more variations. One of Oxygen's designers Megan suggested a dash of cinnamon. Assistant Editor Kirstyn added a slice of banana to the top once it was done baking. Clean Eating's Alicia is aiming for a savoury quiche-like concoction I'm looking forward to. 
If you have any suggestions, please send them my way!