Monthly Archives: April 2014

Apr292014

Make One Healthy Decision Every Day

There is a very simple rule Hungry and I try to adhere to: make one healthy decision every day. It can make the difference in your mood, your body, your spirit, your day–you name it! Everyone has a different something, but it’s great that it is an actual something. The way to achieving great health is through baby steps. Nobody ever took a big leap to their ideal body or lifestyle…it takes progress. And that’s a good thing. If we never take little steps towards our goals, it will never stick. It will never become a true part of our life.

The one healthy decision I make is choosing Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk. When I’m craving something to drink other than water, I know I can pull out the carton of the Silk Almondmilk and take a glug. It prevents me from getting into other stuff like soda or fruit juices that I avoid. It’s something that helps fit into my macros and my journey to good health. It is non-GMO verified, plant-based, heart-healthy, and has 50% more calcium than dairy milk. It’s my little step each day. And it’s one I take every day (multiple times).

I believe it’s important for everyone to take this little step. It could be taking the stairs, taking a walk during lunch, avoiding the bag of chips, or taking a few minutes for a meditation. People think getting fit is always a dramatic change. Well, it shouldn’t be. It should be little steps each day which eventually turn into habits which eventually turns into a permanent lifestyle. Pick a healthy choice every day and you will see that eventual, permanent change.

For me, Silk has lots of these healthy choices. From Almondmilk to their Soy Milk, I always keep the fridge stocked so that I continue to make these healthy decisions each day. This helps me create a better, happier me. You already know that Silk helps us bloom. Try it out for yourself! Sign up for the Silk.com newsletter and receive free coupons, sweepstakes, and monthly chances to win a YEAR’S supply of Silk products. If it works for me, it will work for you. Also, check out Silk’s Facebook Page. I literally JUST found an oatmeal recipe that I’m dying (and drooling) to try! Like their page and you’ll be in for good tips, recipes, and general happiness-helpers. I wouldn’t lie! Make a healthy decision every day to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What healthy decisions do YOU try to make every day?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Apr282014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Always hard to tell Nymeria’s features

Hungry took a motorcycle class!

Me being real cute

Noke had her first groomer’s visit…went great

We hosted a Healthy Kids Day!

Yay YMCA (Fit is in the center)!

Went for a good run

Some good cheap eats

Hungry and Fit at the 2014 Boulder Humane Society Gala…superhero themed obviously!

Home workouts with a sleeping pup

Apr262014

Vega Bars Review

As a Sweat Pink Ambassador, I was chosen to sample and review new Vega Bars of all assortments. Lucky me! Before this, I had never tried Vega Bars. Sometimes, I’m wary about nutrition bars. Some have a plethora of unnatural ingredients, but not so for Vega Bars. Despite a few differences, I would definitely pick up a Vega Bar in the store.

IT’S LIKE CHRISTMAS

There are a few reasons Vega Bars rise above other energy/protein/nutrition bars:

1. They don’t leave your stomach feeling iffy. I’m an active girl. I’m a personal trainer by profession and I work myself hard after-hours as well. I frequently use bars to fuel my day. However, some bars under certain brands make me feel blah. My stomach gets bubbly and my desire for activity plummets. With Vega Bars, after I eat any kind of them, I feel good. There’s no bad after-effect, just natural energy. I appreciate that.

2. They have simple, natural ingredients. Some other bars have ingredient lists longer than I care to read. Vega Bars‘ are short and simple. They are all organic, natural ingredients. It’s good to know what you’re putting in your body to fuel isn’t crap. Vega is in support of this notion.

3. They actually taste good! Taking the above point into consideration, it does happen where the taste buds aren’t exactly jumping for joy. Not with these bars. With the Vega Bars, you enjoy every chomp, almost feeling like you are indulging yourself. They are delicious and nutritious! Not a bad combo, there.

4. They have probiotics. I was especially excited about this once I read one of the bar’s packaging. I’m always trying to have enough probiotics in my system to have a healthy gut. I had never heard about a bar having a considerable amount of probiotics! Usually I would run into drinks or pills. I love this little aspect about it.

Bad photo as I obviously already tore into the bar

I’ll keep the bullet points short, but you can see that they’re an all-around solid company making delicious nutritious bars. My only qualms would be to add more protein, but it’s tough with natural ingredients like this. Getting 15g from a healthy bar is fine by me. Vega has several different types of bars, setting each one apart for different purposes. Let’s check them out:

Vega One Bar. This is their meal replacement bar. It’s useful for those time you’re scrambling out the door to work when you realize you haven’t eaten yet. Pop one of those in your mouth and you’re set. Calorically-sufficient, this bar will hold you over until morning tea time. It keeps your tummy AND taste buds happy!

Breakfast on the go

Vega Snack Bar. I could munch on these all day. I am always hungry mid-morning and afternoon, and those who know me, know that I’m not pleasant when I’m hangry. These have peaceful ingredients while not being too high on the caloric scale. It’s the right combination to keep you energized until your next meal.

up close and personal with a snack bar

Vega Sport Energy Bar. Now I especially love these. I always struggle with eating the right thing right before or during a workout. I either eat too much and feel awful or eat too little and I feel distracted by hunger. Popping one of these delicious bad boys into my mouth kept me going during even the most grueling workouts (i.e.: hill sprints). And yet again–no negative feelings from the tummy!

As I went for a trail run

Vega Sport Protein Bar. When I feel like I felt yesterday after my longer run, I need to be replenished. That’s what this bar does. It replenishes you with natural carbohydrates and protein, to get your body back up and running again. No post-heartburn or stomach ache. Just pure recovery. I can dig it.

Grateful for replenishment and recovery

Vega Bars get a thumbs up from Hungry and Fit. Natural ingredients with good macros paired with great taste is a win win for us. If you happen to see one at a store, just try it out. Certainly a product we can get behind. Eat Vega Bars to stay hungry and fit!

Apr252014

If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)

For the past few weeks or so, I’ve been trying this fitness philosophy called “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM). It’s a slightly controversial idea. People in the fitness industry love to argue and contest each other’s philosophies. I’m fairly open-minded and like to try new things. I did the whole strict clean-eating thing, did protein-shake only, fruit-only cleanses, and so forth. Strict bodybuilder clean-eaters don’t care for IIFYM. However, plenty of people adhere to IIFYM.

So, what is IIFYM? In this philosophy, you have a set number of calories you can intake based on if you want to cut (lose fat), maintain, or bulk (gain mass). From those total calories, your macros are split up. Macros (aka macronutrients) are your proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. You get a certain number of each (this site has a great calculator for it). For example, I have around 1930 calories per day, my designated protein intake is around 130g, fat is like 55g, and carbs hover around 230g.

In many fitness regimens, you are supposed to eat clean (no crap). However, in IIFYM, you can eat dirty IF it fits your macros. So if I eat cleanly and focus on high protein and medium fat/carbs, I can have a big ol’ bowl of ice cream later. Your diet revolves around “hitting your macros” in any way YOU choose. For some people, it’s great because it allows them to be flexible. For others, they can’t handle all the temptation. Some people don’t even believe it works because there’s “dirty” eating involved.

You can treat yourself every day if you budget for it!

For me, it has gone fairly well. I don’t always hit my macros, sometimes because I don’t get all my suggested calories and sometimes because I go over a few. So far, I’m kind of liking it. It allows me treats but also sets a limit. Gives me some moderation. I’m not sure how long I will keep doing this, but I will stick with it for a bit longer. Tracking your nutrients is vital, I use MyFitnessPal (add me! “nanathetiger“). We may go back to strict clean-eating soon. Who knows!

Gotta love brussel sprouts 🙂

It’s good to know all the fitness philosophies out there. Some (MANY) are fads, but it’s worth investigating to find out what works for YOU. There is no one-fits-all fitness regimen. Something could work perfectly for you, but completely fail for me. It’s important to try stuff out and see what your body and mind likes best. As always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

I wonder if it’s tough being so cute all the time

Apr242014

Book Review: The Way of Kings

Part of being fit is having a healthy mind. I believe that’s done well by reading. They say the best way to learn how to write better is to read. This book could be one of the best cases for that. The Way of Kings, written by Brian Sanderson, is a wonderful, inspiring read. It’s a book in the fantasy genre, set in its own made-up world. The plot and setting are complex and gets more and more so as the story continues. Sanderson is impressive in the way he completely constructs this world, as if it truly did exist at one point in time. My favorite thing is when a fantasy book seems real. I hate spoilers so this won’t really give much at all.

Image source

It is slow-going at first. I must mention that I am listening to the audiobook, not reading the print. This helps me on my runs and is thoroughly enjoyable to listen to on my way to work. Once you continue reading, however, the pace certainly picks up. There are times where I simply couldn’t stop listening. Sanderson is obviously very smart. This is not something he’s written on a whim. Everything slowly starts become interwoven and people who seemed unconnected find themselves on the same path. This makes the story so very exciting.

The fantasy world is set in the age of sword and shield, in the world of Roshar. Knights, wars, and magic, too. There are a few unique parts to this world which I especially enjoy that I will mention. One part are the spren. Characters and history in the book have trouble defining what they exactly are (though it continues to be researched). Spren are little beings or spirits that represent emotions and nature. If someone is in pain, pain spren will wiggle up from the ground. Flame spren will dance as little red figures upon a fire. Creation spren will spark up if someone is deep in creating something (like art). And so on and so forth. This concept is so fascinating because each and every spren (and there are tons–think of every emotion and element) is shaped, colored, and behaves differently. Absolutely love it.

The story doesn’t just follow the path of one main character. You get to see all parts of this very complex world from many different perspectives. One from an inspiring slave, one from an honorable High Prince, and one from a girl trying to save her family’s fortune. Eventually, everything comes together. And even though the viewpoint is spread out, you actually care about each and every main character who gets the spotlight. Characters are far from perfect and like to meddle in gray areas, but they generate great loyalty from you and also from other characters in the book.

Image source

When you are reading this book, it feels like you are straying into a world in a constant war with very little passion left. The drawn-out feeling from the war gives you the sense everyone is tired of it, and that something big must be coming up to break the boredom. A tide starts to rise and bursts at the end. All the connections are revealed and you find the time you invest in this story is worth it. It is certainly a long book but, once again, it is worth the read.

If you want to get lost in a different world full of intricacies carefully planned out by the author, give The Way of Kings a try. It’s a fantastic read that promises to suck you in and hold you there. In fact, I’m reading the sequel right now! Can’t get enough of it. I love books that play out in a way that makes you respect the heck out of the author. The things that are planned out that you never expected. How it makes you appreciate the time and dedication to his craft to weave such a captivating story. I give this book a big thumbs up! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Apr232014

Our “Staycation” in Pictures

You may have noticed that we have lapsed in our posting the past week. This is because my parents came in for an Easter visit! It’s been tons of fun. We did loads of stuff and there are tons of pictures that I still need to steal from other family members. Here’s a short snippet. But no worries, we are back in the saddle here at Hungry and Fit!

Spring has sprung!

We went to Estes Park…mum is modeling…

Mum made tons of lovely breakfasts

Noke got to enjoy the sun as the whole family gardened

EASTER!!

Noke cuddling

Rainbow!!

Some darn good food…

Good view of Boulder

Mum made scones

Mum being ridiculous

Eldorado

Poor Noke

She gets revenge

Good Indian food

Good Korean food

Fit’s parents…miss them already

Apr162014

Glazed Cinnamon Scones

You know what day it is–Wednesday! The day I bring some form of treat to my co-workers. It was a toss-up today between glazed cinnamon scones and another healthy version of brownies. This won out this week! It looked slightly intimidating, but it was fine once I got rolling. Similar process in making the scones as in my mum’s. I substituted a few things like put less sugar and added in whole-wheat flour to make it a little more healthy. These are delicious. They simply crumble into your mouth as you bite into it. The cinnamon settles nicely with the texture–it’s a keeper. Let’s try it out!

Crumble it up!

Knead it out!

Pie?

Love this mixture…

Glazed Cinnamon Scones

2014-04-15 22:51:42

Serves 8

A fiber-rich delicious glazed cinnamon scone

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Prep Time

17 min

Cook Time

11 min

Prep Time

17 min

Cook Time

11 min

Scone Ingredients

2 cups flour (1 whole-wheat, 1 regular)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp granulated sugar

Dust Ingredients

1 tbsp sugar
1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients

3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tsp milk
1/2 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

Let's first start with the scones. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F and grease up a baking sheet.
Get out a big bowl and put your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in there. Cut the butter into the dry mixture until it gets crumb-y.
Separate the egg and put the egg YOLK in a separate bowl along with the sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Mix that up.
Add this to the dry ingredients and mix it until it combines (don't overdo it)
Flour up a surface (I use a cutting board) and put the dough you've made into a ball on the surface
Knead it into around 1/2 inch thickness and then cut into eight pieces
Place the eight pieces on the baking sheet
Take out the egg white and whisk it until frothy. Brush it onto the scone pieces
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the egg-whited scones
Put in oven for 10-11 minutes
While it bakes, let's make the glaze. Mix the powdered sugar, milk and maple syrup until it forms up properly into a glaze
When the scones are done, let them cool a bit and then drizzle the glaze over

By Hungry and Fit

Adapted from Money Saving Mom

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

Once you get rolling, you won’t stop! There may be one or two less scones going to work tomorrow because they perhaps made a way into my stomach. Oops? I hope you enjoy this recipe and use it to spread happiness all around! Keep baking to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sleepies

Apr142014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Getting some sun!!

Excellent dessert including Ben & Jerry’s, strawberries, and Toblerone!

Puppy kisses, obviously

Delicious Sakio

Sajah loves to find high spots…

Video games (ESO), duh…

Adorable little girl

Enjoyed time outside

Ate clean

and delicious

Home workout and a pedicure

Apr132014

The Clean-Eater’s Breakfast

I was going to title this “The Bodybuilder’s Breakfast,” but I was worried that would scare too many people off. As in they would see my head on Arnold’s body. Bodybuilding is just creating a toned and muscular body! But that aside…if you want to do some clean eating, here’s an easy way to start your day. I have this most days out of the week. It keeps me full for a long period of time and it satisfies my taste buds. Oatmeal and hard-boiled egg whites. Pretty common ingredients. Simple, nutritious, delicious.

I always put hot sauce on my eggs…you could call me obsessed

Oatmeal is such a foundation for creativity!

Clean-Eater's Breakfast

2014-04-12 11:24:45

Serves 1

A great way to start the day, full of nutrition and satisfaction

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Cook Time

5 min

Cook Time

5 min

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (however you can use any kind, it will just take longer)
raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
anything else you want to add- bananas, nuts, other dried fruit, maple syrup, etc
3 hard-boiled eggs

Instructions

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil
Take your hard boiled eggs and delicately peel the white off and drop in a bowl
Add any hot sauce you want to the eggs and cut them up with your fork
Once the water for the oatmeal boils, stir in the oats
Soon after, put in the cinnamon, raisins, and any other additions you would like

Notes

Hard-boil the eggs beforehand to make it a super quick breakfast

By Hungry and Fit

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

You can spiff up the oatmeal all you want. While I was in contest prep, I just had cinnamon in it to limit my sugars, but you can go wild with it! In college, we used to put the weirdest things in. Hey, it’s fun! This breakfast is sure to provide long-lasting satisfaction with no guilt involved. Eat clean to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Apr112014

Raspberry Crumb Bars with Lemon Glaze

I’m trying to make it a recurring theme to bring goodies to our weekly management meeting. It’s been going pretty well so far. It also reminds me to get in the kitchen–something I love to do, but don’t do nearly enough. For the past two years, I’ve been collecting recipes I want to try. This week’s treat was a good one, if I don’t say so myself! Raspberry crumb bars with a lemon glaze. Yes, it’s as it good as it sounds. Making a crumb bar was slightly intimidating for me, but it turned out to be fairly simple. I tweaked the original recipe that this is based on, including using whole-wheat flour to up the fiber!

Raspberry Crumb Bars with Lemon Glaze

2014-04-10 21:03:10

Yields 20

A delicious tart treat just over 100 calories

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

34 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

34 min

For the bars

1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp butter, at room temp
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsbp granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup raspberry jam

For the lemon glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease up a 8x8 baking pan or dish
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in small bowl
In a larger bowl, mix butter and sugars until nice and smooth (you can use electric mixer if you want)
Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest until mixed through
Slowly add the flour mixture, pouring some of that water in between. It should resemble coarse crumbs
Spread 2/3 of the batter into your dish and then spread the raspberry jam as evenly as you can across the whole thing (this can be tough as the crumble wants to stick to the jam and roll with it)
Pour the rest of the batter on top of the jam layer
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on the top
While it bakes, make the glaze--just mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest
When the bars are done, let them cool for 10-15 minutes and then drizzle that delicious glaze! Allow it to set and you're done!

By Hungry and Fit

Adapted from Damn Delicious

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

Pretty simple, huh? And pretty DELICIOUS too! I’m pretty proud of achieving this one. You can play with the recipe as you want–change the flour, the jam, have fun with it! These will definitely go in my permanent recipe book…in my mind. Enjoy the recipe! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC