Monthly Archives: May 2013

May152013

H&F’s Friends: Gammiannes Attic

We always appreciate local and individual businesses… especially those who recycle and upcycle goods of all kinds. (Upcycling is converting useless waste products into new and useful products that people can enjoy once again.) In the suburbs of New York City, lives a kind soul with a love for helping people and art projects.

Gammianne has collected vintage goods throughout the years and has recently opened an Etsy shop in order to make them available to people who are either looking for those unique decorations to complete their homes or for a one of a kind gift for that special someone. With over 1,500 Facebook likes, 210 Twitter followers, 1100 Etsy followers and 447 admirers it seems obvious that the attic is a popular destination. With 120 sales and 161/161 (100%) positive feedback, it also seems that the attic is an ethical and reliable business. Having opened in January of 2011, Gammianne has provided great customer care for over two years without a single complaint.

Gammiannes Attic is the perfect example of a secondary or tertiary job and small home business that can help support our economy by keeping forgotten items from collecting dust forever. Every piece is unique and has a great story that she describes in as much detail as possible. Once the product is ordered, Gammianne will typically add other free merchandise without even telling you. It is quite a nice surprise and who doesn’t like good surprises?

The reason we appreciate Gammiannes Attic so much is the support she shows for other Etsy shop owners. Gammianne acts like a mother and mentor to so many young artists and craftspeople just starting out with their sales. We have received countless recommendations from art to candles to incense to soaps and more. She is the epitome of a friend and caring business partner and you won’t even know about the favor she is doing for you until your sales start increasing out of nowhere.

For all of these reasons, Hungry & Fit are proud and excited to announce Gammiannes Attic as their friend. For more information or for unique vintage goods please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/gammiannes. Recycling, upcycling and helping others are all a part of being hungry and fit!

May142013

Hungry’s Movie Reviews: Iron Man 3

Last Sunday, a few days after the grand opening, we decided to add a few extra dollars to the nearly $175 mil opening weekend that Iron Man 3 boasted by seeing it in 3D. Luckily it was an early showing at Century Boulder so it only ran us about $11 a ticket. This review is a week late and it may prove to be better that way because it will contain spoilers. I repeat… SPOILERS follow. I will try to save them for the end and give another warning before they appear if you want to continue reading.

Marvel has done a good job lately creating The Avengers. Both DC and Marvel have gone through countless reboots of characters throughout all of the versions of their movies. Within the past decade Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and Mark Ruffalo have all appeared as Hulk in major motion pictures. The X-Men have been consistent in casting but the only good movie has been First Class. The latest versions of Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man all have my seal of approval. Also, in my opinion, The Avengers is Marvel’s best representation to date. I think I’ll save all this for another post as I continue to Iron Man 3.

Robert Downey Jr. has done an incredible job as Tony Stark and he is the reason that this series is so good. I would not have enjoyed any of the movies in the trilogy if not for him. The soundtrack is as bad as every other Marvel movie soundtrack and stories have not been up to par. The same holds true for this third film although I enjoyed the story the most with the exception of the predictable and disappointing ending. The rest of the movie was entertaining and engaging. I recommend it for anyone looking for a pre-Summer blockbuster and a good old time. Here comes the spoilers and my personal nerdy issues.

The changes made to Aldrich Killian and The Mandarin made for a good movie, but they could have made this trilogy so much better by doing the following. If you noticed in the first movie, there is a terrorist group ran by “The Mandarin” known as “The Ten Rings.” The Mandarin is Iron Man’s arch-nemesis and one of the super-villains of the Marvel universe. He is a highly skilled martial artist and intellectual being that has ten rings of power from an ancient civilization that grants him powers. Each of the ten rings gives a power and you can look those up if you care or don’t know them. Let’s say it would make for quite a fight scene on the big screen but they decided to throw The Mandarin away like he never existed in the comics.

Furthermore, Killian never was injected with Extremis. He helped develop it with Dr. Maya Hansen but the real enemy in that story was Mallen. Mallen was injected and later fought with Iron Man in some brutal fights before finally being blasted to death by repulsors to the head. Killian committed suicide sitting at his computer because of the monster he created. They essentially combined those two characters in this movie. It’s not a huge deal because no one read Earth 616 but this is how the trilogy would have been amazing. The second movie was so bad I stopped watching it. Maybe I’ll give it a second chance. Nevertheless, keep the first movie as is with the ties to the Mandarin. Next, make the third movie into the second and scrap Mickey Rourke. Lastly, bring Mandarin back in the third movie as an actual villain. You can keep the Ben Kingsley being an actor on drugs and everything, but then have him stumble across the ten rings and actually want to take over the universe. Okay, that’s enough ranting and maybe they can take me up on that idea for a reboot or a third Avengers movie.

All in all the movie was well worth the money and I look forward to Iron Man’s return in the upcoming Avengers 2. Dream to be a superhero and workout like them to be really hungry and fit!

May132013

H&F’s Friends: The Swim School of Boulder

We are happy to announce a new page on the site that contains businesses and individuals and entities that we consider our friends. These friends are all ethically operated and are some of our go to options for personal needs and referrals to others. All of these businesses are locally based and meet a high standard that we require in order to show our support in public. The first partner to be introduced is The Swim School of Boulder.

The Swim School of Boulder is located at 3015 Bluff Street in none other than sunny Boulder, Colorado. It operates Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. offering classes for nearly everyone. The only exception is infants younger than six months. Children and adults of all ages and levels have options for instructional swim. Additionally, since the school is operated through Ocean First Divers, ample opportunities exist for learning how to snorkel and scuba dive as well.

The Swim School of Boulder uses the Swim Schools International standards for instructing. That means that every teacher is fully certified, insured and experienced in not only teaching proper technique but also dealing with all populations. Here is a fun fact… level 1 certified instructors are also official Special Olympics Aquatic Coaches. Swim Schools International put together a very good program to cater to all swimmers. It balances safety and technique but its greatest accomplishment is having a continuous open enrollment with no limitations for a swimmer to move to the next level. This means that the consumer is not paying money for their child to practice skills that they have mastered. The same goes for the adult levels. This must be a nightmare for the school’s staff but it is the best possible situation for the customer.

What I appreciate the most about The Swim School of Boulder is their own high standards that seem to exceed Swim Schools International. From my experience, I know that if you go to a recreation center or larger facility you often have many instructors working one or two hours a week. This allows them to pay their staff less and be able to cope with absences. This also means that you have many employees that are not trained, skilled, or passionate. Often you will find high schools coming in after school once a week to work with the swimmers. This might not always be an issue but the consistency is questionable. At The Swim School of Boulder every teacher is a former NCAA swimmer (Division 1, 2 or Club) or highly successful triathlete… or both. Not that I have anything against people who do not have college degrees, but every teacher here has graduated and is capable of putting their time and effort into teaching everyone how to swim. This business entity, whether it is on the diving or swimming side, was created and is driven by the passion of the people working there.

Now we will allow you to find out more for yourself by visiting www.swimschoolboulder.com. Their commitment to preserving the environment, teaching everyone lifesaving skills and supporting local businesses are just a few of reasons why Hungry & Fit are proud to announce The Swim School of Boulder as one of their friends. We recommend The Swim School of Boulder and Ocean First Divers for all instructional aquatic needs in the Boulder area. Stop by their shop and get in the water if you want to stay hungry and fit!

May112013

Fresh Bell Pepper Stir Fry

We’ve done some other stir frys, like one with noodles. This time we chose to go with our Indian rice that we use. Stir fry should always be a go-to if you have fresh veggies in the house. This stir fry centers around bell peppers as I grabbed a bunch from the grocery for a great price. Easy to do, if you’re pressed for time at night, you could always chop them earlier on or the night before (I chopped them up before our push-muscle workout–sample here). This can be vegetarian or not, I added some chicken in for Chris, and I stayed with the veggies.

My plate

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3 normal people [I always have to put in normal because Chris eats everything in the world]

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
1/4 red cabbage
3 cloves garlic
4 mushrooms
1 package boneless skinless chicken
soy sauce
sesame teriyaki [optional: you can use whatever sauce you would like]
1 cup rice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

Put your rice in the rice cooker and get that ready to go
Once rice is done, toss some rice vinegar and sesame seeds in there and mix around, let it
Cut up all your veggies

So beautiful

Cut the chicken into thin strips on a different board if you are eating meat

Put oil into a wok and throw some crushed or cut garlic in there. Then, add the vegetables to the wok. Pour soy sauce and any other sauces you would like to flavor the veggies

Still pretty

Once the vegetables are cooked and flavored to your desire, throw some oil and garlic in another smaller saucepan and heat it up. Then put the chicken strips into this pan and cook. This only takes 5 minutes max. Toss with soy sauce, teriyaki, and sesame seeds

Once your chicken is done, assemble plates. Load the bottom with rice, top it with vegetables, and then some chicken (if you are eating chicken). It’s good to go!

My plate

Chris’ plate

Again such an easy dish to make and such an easy dish to eat too! It’s delicious, nutritious, and filling. It also has beautiful colors if you use different peppers. Enjoy with whatever vegetable and seasoning you have. This is a great dish to stay hungry and fit! Cheers!

May102013

Fat-Roasting, Glute-Burning Leg Circuit

After a 2 mile run around McIntosh Lake (see the run here), I decided to get my leg workout in the fast, no-break circuit kind of way. For this, it’s best to find yourself in a park, a beach, a backyard–somewhere with some space. But of course, if you’re locked in an apartment in an Alaskan winter, you can always modify it for small space too. This is a great workout for those who have little time and want high intensity. Let’s do it!

Lock n Load Legs Circuit

1. Lunge 20 feet (or for 20 seconds). You’re going to lunge yourself to your first “station” in this circuit.

2. Scorpions until failure. These work the hamstrings. Go on all fours, lifting one bent knee up and down behind you. Do it until you can’t do another rep. Switch to other leg.

3. Lunge 20 more feet to the next station (or 20 seconds). Think about a triangle as a formation that we’re doing (the stations set up in that way).

4. Plie squat until failure. The link has the best full description. Start in horse stance, squat down, then lunge left and then right! These are killer on the glutes and quads. Do them until you drop.

5. Lunge 20 more feet to next station (or 20 seconds stationary). ‘Nuff said.

6. Step ups until failure. For this, I had a little grassy incline that I used. If you’re at home, you can use a chair, a couch, or a coffee table (just don’t tell your partner!). Or at the beach, build up a little sand incline. You get the idea. Step up and drive the knee up every time. Until you can’t step up another time!

A super blurry older picture of me performing a step up

7. Doggies until failure. For this, you’re on your hands and knees again. Kick your leg back and then a full rotation around back to starting position. This targets your glutes. The more you do, the more those muscles will tighten up. Do them until failure and then right away on the other side.

And repeat as much as you have time for. Again, this can all be done stationary in one place. Just try to keep it non-stop. You can rest and have water in between the whole sets, but to get that burning, cardio effect, just keep going! Have fun and stay hungry and fit!

May092013

The Easiest Black Bean Soup You’ll Ever Make

If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know it’s been pretty rainy here in Colorado (see my thunderstorm run). I wanted an easy, hearty dish to fill our stomachs with warmth and comfort on another rainy night. I got the recipe from here, and added my own goodies to it. The simplicity of this “soup” is ridiculous. Seriously. And it’s vegan too, if that’s how you want it.

Ready to be eaten!

Prep Time: 1 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Serves: 3-4 normal people

Ingredients

2 cans black beans
1 bag frozen veggies
your own blend of spices
[optional] mushrooms

Directions

Put 2 cans black beans into the pot and start simmering in a pot
This is optional, but I put about 3 cloves of garlic into the pot as well

Add your frozen veggies and any other herbs, spices, or veggies you would like (or meat)

Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes (until everything is warm) and stir occasionally. If you are cooking ahead of time, it doesn’t hurt to simmer as long as you want to for deeper flavor
Serve with a side (I did cornbread)

Ready to be eaten!

I prepared all of this before a workout. After the core workout (sample core workout here), I came home, popped the cornbread batter in the oven, and heated the soup up again on the stove. It was definitely the perfect meal for a rainy night and I get to enjoy it again for a rainy lunch. It has ample amounts of protein for my healing muscles and great fiber for the whole body.

Cheers! Stay hungry and fit!

May082013

Running with Thunder

First of all, that sounds like an awesome Native American name. Second of all, let me start off with saying that, I am not a runner. I am not good at running, but I am learning to be better. Most people think, since I’m a personal trainer, that I am good at and/or enjoy every form of exercise. Wrong. But right now, we are gearing up to do an obstacle race (i.e. Warrior Dash) training class so I need to get my endurance up. Okay, back to why I’m writing this.

I’ve been running two miles lately, never going past it. I’ve been able to manage it semi-alright lately. And I’ve been trying to do it at a park, McIntosh Park, close to work. With the mindset of doing another 2 miles yesterday, with the possibility of going a little further, the clouds rolled in. I didn’t really think it was going to rain, but as I hit the pavement/trail, drops began to fall. Thunderheads were in the distance and, soon enough, they began rumbling. Rain starting falling heavier and lightning flashed–actually saw the bolts!

McIntosh Lake

By the two mile run, I still had enough energy. I had my headphones in, but no music playing (didn’t feel like holding them) so I could hear the rain and thunder. Somehow, I think it energized me because I was enjoying it. Though my feet were getting tired, I plugged on. I was slightly wary of getting struck by lightning during the no-trees part, but I figured that would make a good story, too.

I ended up running the full trail–3.6 miles! I was absolutely shocked and extremely proud of myself for going the whole way without stopping–at a decent pace too! Took me 32 minutes for the thing. After an experience like that, I can appreciate running more, and if you’re looking for a gift for a runner in your life, look no further than That Sweet Gift!

Moral of the story: Don’t fear the rain

Real moral of the story: Don’t ever limit yourself, you never know what you can achieve

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sleepy

May072013

Strong is the New Skinny

I hope you’ve been seeing this around. Within the recent decade, gyms, fitness centers, and health clubs have been booming. And along the last couple of years, females have been admired for getting buff. Especially this and last year, as I’ve noticed, there are tons of phrases coming out like “Strong is the new skinny” and I am 100% on board with that. For too long, women have been shuffled into a space where they are expected to look a certain way.

Hello, earth to people–everyone’s body behaves, evolves, and trains differently. That’s it. Check out this post to learn more about fitness definitions like “mesomorph” that describe different body types. Now, I’m not saying, go and eat 5 cheeseburgers because it’s okay to be fat. No, it’s not okay to be overweight for your body type–not because of how you look, but because of the health inside of you and the problems it can create. No, I’m saying, that it’s okay to have more than 15% body fat, that skinny is out, and strong is in.

Abby Wambach, the “gladiator” of the US Women’s National Soccer Team

Once you begin strength training and really building yourself with endurance, strength, and agility, you find power. Think of our Olympians–they’re sexy because they’re strong. And guess what–it is HEALTHIER to be strong. Often times, it can be unhealthy to be skinny. It’s a whole new level of empowerment. I ask you to stop shying away from your broad shoulders like I once did and embrace them. They give you great power for swimming, back workouts, and overall strength. They help you become a better athlete.

Me during a pull workout a few months ago

Some people call me skinny and I stop them. I don’t have a lot of body fat, but I do have a good amount of muscle. I am strong, not skinny. I almost take insult to being called skinny now when I would’ve loved that compliment five years. Times have changed and perspectives are almost coming around to where they should be. I am lucky enough to have someone like Chris who admires me for my strength, which all should do of their partners instead of desiring unrealistic and unhealthy figures. I apologize for the rant, but I’m sick of people starving themselves to get a certain look. Feed your body and put it through work. Love yourself, love your body, and love the power that strength can give you.

Treat your body with respect and kindness. STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY

May062013

Restaurant Review: Arabesque (Boulder, CO)

It was a Friday afternoon, we had both gotten off work around 12:30pm and we were ready to eat! It was beautiful out, unlike the few random snowy May days we’ve had. On these kind of days, we want to have a nice slow meal, and enjoy ourselves off somebody else’s food. We went through our options and decided on Arabesque, a highly-rated place on Yelp with one $. We’ve always wanted to try it. Its customers boast that it has the best chicken shawarma in Boulder. We had to compare it to our favorite place, Mediterranean Market.

When we arrived, it was packed. And it wasn’t exactly what we expected. We expected it to be small and family-owned, yes, but there were lots of rich, well-dressed people (and we come directly from work in our YMCA gear) and just had a chalk-written menu. We looked over the (short) menu and decided what we wanted and then took a table outside (the inside–which is tiny–was packed, and it was beautiful out!). This place supposedly also had the best Chai in town, so I ordered that along with water.

Delicious hot chai

Now this chai was delicious. It came in a big mug and was piping hot. But I still love my Tibet Kitchen homemade chai too. The water came out in a tall pitcher with thin glasses–very elegant. And it was flavored with something I couldn’t place…lavender and honey, or something similar. Very refreshing. Chris ordered the chicken shawarma plate and I ordered the hummus wrap.

Chris’ shawarma plate

Our waitress, I think, was near the end of her shift and didn’t take our order down correctly. I ended up receiving a chicken wrap instead of just hummus, but I told the kitchen, and spoke to who happened to be the owner and he was very apologetic and delivered a fresh hummus wrap as quickly as he could. Chris wasn’t pleased with that service, but the wife of the owner (who also was the cook) bustles out to clear off a table next to us and Chris asks if he can have their scraps (yes, we don’t like to waste food). She says, “Of course!” and he says, “Never want to waste food,” and she goes, “Yes, I know! Stupid!” She has an accent…not sure where from. She shoulders me with good humor and says, “You’ve got eat chicken in my place!” Her good humor and friendliness got us back on track.

Wrong chicken wrap (still looks delicious)

My hummus wrap

I ate it up quickly as did Chris. Chris said it was the best chicken shawarma he’s had. And you can tell–he cleared the plate completely. Buuuut, the portion was way too small for him. Not even just for him, I agree that there wasn’t that much chicken and pita. Probably because we’re used to Mediterranean Market’s huge portions. And just because we were enjoying ourselves and–more so–because we can’t turn down baklava, we ordered a big baklava. We, of course, devoured it completely. It was one of the best baklava I’ve had. Perfect texture and structural integrity, filled with goodness–can’t really describe the perfection.

BAKLAVA

If you’re in Boulder, stop by this place. It’s good food, but small portions, so don’t go too hungry. And don’t you DARE skip out on the baklava–it’s just too good. I wish I still had my chai with the baklava, it would have been perfect together. The owners really made our experience that much better, we would come back again. Cheers!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Hi, my name’s Sajah and I’m a firefox

May042013

Power Protein Breakfast: Waffles, Greek Yogurt, and Fruit

Besides Weetabix, this has become one of my go-to breakfasts when I have enough time in the morning. It’s packed with protein and fiber, sending you ready to kick butt on the day ahead. Now, typically, store-bought waffles aren’t the best for you. But that all changed when one day I was craving waffles while we were grocery shopping, and I scoured the frozen section for some decent waffles. Tip: always pass up the Eggo’s. Another tip: NEVER PASS UP THE VAN’S.

Yep. The name of this natural brand of waffles is Van’s. And no, I did not receive any money from them for this post (though, I wouldn’t mind a tip if they stopped by). Good nutritional value at 180 calories per 2 waffles, 10g protein, 2g fiber, 6g sugar and no saturated fat. Can you say, “YES PLEASE.” But there’s more to this power protein breakfast. What’s a breakfast without greek yogurt? Alright, enough chit-chat–look down for this 5-10 minute breakfast recipe.

Ingredients

2 Van’s protein waffles
2 dollops of 0% Fage Greek yogurt (or any kind you have)
1/2 tsp butter (optional)
100% pure maple syrup OR agave nectar
2 strawberries (but any fruit will do)

[I’m literally salivating as I write this–it’s that good]

Directions

Put waffles into toaster/toaster oven for 5-10 minutes (or until golden brown on both sides)

If you want to, spread a minuscule amount of butter atop the two waffles and plate them.
Put a spoonful of greek yogurt on each waffle

Pour your syrup or agave on top (however much you’d like)
Cut up your fruit and put on top

And DIG IN. I literally look forward to this the night before I know I have time in the morning to make it. It’s a perfect-sized breakfast with enough protein to start the day off deliciously and will keep you satisfied more than that bowl of Raisin Bran. Next time you go waffle shopping, try Van’s. It is so worth it. This is a mouth-watering breakfast that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty or heavy afterwards. I have a very active job (I’m a personal trainer after all…) and this is the perfect thing to start the day right. This is a meal that will encourage you to be…hungry and fit! ENJOY!

I mean, come on, LOOK AT THAT

BONUS KITTY PIC