Butternut squash is a perfect side for any of your any chicken or turnkey dishes.  Another amazing vegetable loaded with nutrients and absolutely delicious!

4 servings

1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter

½ teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1 teaspoon dry thyme

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Using a large chef’s knife cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Set the halves flesh side down on a cutting board and cut them across their centers.

Place the quartered squash on a baking sheet flesh side up and spread butter over the each piece and with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.  Cover with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the squash is very tender.

Let cool for 20 minutes, then spoon out the flesh and discard the skin. Mash and stir the squash, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information per serving: 132 calories, 22 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 345 mg sodium

When you go grocery shopping it‘s important to read food labels thoroughly; a lot of nasty chemicals, additives and preservatives can be hidden in the ingredients list.  At first glance, the nutritional information on a packaged product will look fine — no trans fats or only three grams of sugar.  However the chemicals hiding in the ingredients list can still do your body harm.  To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, let’s take a look at the contents of three different kinds of bread, all of which sound pretty healthy: organic whole-wheat, organic sprouted grain, and light whole-wheat.

Whole Foods Organic 100% Whole Wheat (1 slice, 110 calories): whole wheat flour, water, canola oil, vital, wheat gluten, sea salt, yeast, cultured wheat flour, enzymes (wheat flour, enzymes, ascorbic acid)

Food for Life Organic Sprouted Grain Bread Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium (1 slice, 80 calories): organic sprouted wheat, organic sprouted barley, organic sprouted millet, organic malted barley, organic sprouted lentils, organic sprouted soybeans, organic sprouted spelt, filtered water, fresh yeast.

Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Light, (2 slices, 80 calories): water, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten. oat fiber, soy fiber, molasses, fructose, cracked wheat, yeast, salt, wheat bran, nonfat milk, barley, wheat fiber, brown sugar, dextrose, natural flavor, calcium propionate (preservative), rye malt, soybean oil, sodium stearoyl lactylate, mono and digycerides, guar gum, xanthan gum, ethoxylated mono and diglycerides, monocalcium phosphate, soy lecithin, carrageenan gum, propylene glycol, caramel color, ascorbic acid.

Both organic breads only have nine ingredients compared to the 32 ingredients that are in the conventional/non-organic whole wheat light bread.  Think about it: can it really be necessary to add 23 extra ingredients to bread?  The fact is these ingredients are only there to keep expenses for raw materials as low as possible, and to extend shelf-life and increase profits.  Of the three breads examined here, I would definitely pick the Food for Life organic sprouted grain bread—the cheapest and healthiest!  I also understand all of the ingredients, and know that they have not undergone refinement or processing, but are left for me to consume as God intended!

Honey-Mustard Lamb Chops

This is a simple recipe and a nice change from the regular chicken or fish meal.  Prepare this the next time you have guests over and impress them with your unexpected culinary skills!  They’ll be even more surprised when they find out that it’s healthy!  Of course that does not mean you can have extra – remember portion control and stick to one serving!

6 servings

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
6 (5-ounce) lamb chops, trimmed of fat
6 fresh mint sprigs

Preheat broiler or grill. In a small bowl, mix the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, rosemary, mustard, garlic, onion powder, and dry mustard to create a basting sauce.  Brush each side of the lamb chops with the sauce and place on broiler pan or grill. Broil one side 5” to 6” from heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until brown then turn chops and brush with remaining basting sauce and broil for another 6 to 7 minutes or until brown. (Grill, basting and turning frequently for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through.)

Garnish with mint and serve.

Nutritional Information per serving: 314 calories, 38 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 104 mg sodium

—Anthony Robbins

People love to use excuses when it comes to explaining why they are overweight and out of shape: a slow metabolism, a messed up thyroid, a genetic predisposition, can’t afford a gym membership, don’t have day care, have to work, have to watch the kids, bad knee, asthma… the list is endless.  There is no excuse! No matter what your circumstances, there are ways to live a healthy life.  Remember who you are dealing with here!  I was raised in government housing on powdered milk, around lots of impoverished, single moms and battered children—I’ve seen and heard it all!  Yes, there are some stories that are more painful then others, but why make it a competition?  It’s time to take responsibility for your life, and use your experiences to make you smarter and stronger!

My clients who have accepted that they are responsible for their health have a much higher success rate. They recognize that if they had the power to become overweight and out of shape, then they also have the power to turn their lives around.  Those who have not accepted responsibility spend a lot of time making excuses and don’t believe in their own power to change.  They are so busy looking everywhere else for the answer that they fail to look in the mirror.

It’s time to face the truth: no one hid the ingredients list on a box of cookies from you. You chose not to read them.  No one barred you from the grocery store. You chose to eat out. No one forced that soda down your throat. You chose to drink it. And no one cut your legs off. You decided not to use them!

The purpose of getting you to accept responsibility for your state of health is to get you to understand that the same power you used to degrade your health is the same power you can use to improve your health.  The decisions that you make will determine your destiny!

Simple sugars and complex carbohydrates are both used to fuel your brain and your muscles.   One of the general problems with the American diet is that we are choosing the wrong carbohydrates which are nutrient-poor and high in sugar, salt, and calories that do not nourish our bodies.  Carbohydrates that are processed have lost most, if not all of their nutritional value, and are filled with preservatives to prolong shelf life.  I am going to give you a very easy way to decipher what carbohydrates are good for your body and what carbohydrates are bad for your body.   The bottom line is this: you want to avoid processed foods as much as possible, and choose carbohydrates that are wholesome, high in fiber, low in sugar and as close to nature as possible, untouched by man. It really is that simple.  Choose Whole Foods that are natural and untouched by man!

Bad carbohydrate examples are white bread, white pasta, cookies, cakes, deep fried foods, fruit drinks, sodas, high fat milk, high fat cheeses, high fat/sugar yogurts, fried chips and candies and junk food.

Good carbohydrate examples are: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread with fiber, whole-wheat pasta with fiber, brown rice, nuts,  beans, high fiber cereals and snacks, brown rice cakes, low fat/low sugar yogurt, low fat milk, and low fat cheese.  Choose carbohydrates wisely, looking for choices low in sugar, low in saturated fat, high in fiber and high in nutritional content (vitamins and minerals). Choose Carbohydrates that are whole and unprocessed.  Don’t give man the opportunity to change the biological structure of your food!  Wholesome, nutrient rich carbohydrates should make up 30-60% of your daily caloric intake.  There is 4 calories in one gram of carbohydrate.

Here is a link to my favorite 9 Day Cleanse! It”s called Isagenix http://bit.ly/gDymgl

You don’t need any equipment.  All you have to do is go out the front door.  You can do these Cardio Workouts on a treadmill, outside at the park, on a school track, around a football field or along the streets in your neighborhood.  Just make sure whatever location you choose that it is safe and convenient.  The amount of calories that you expend from this workout will vary from individual to individual depending on your level of fitness, height, age, weight, gender, genetics, metabolic rate and body fat percentage.

The Calorie expenditure range for a 30 minute Power walk/ Jog is approximately 250-350calories and for a Jog/Run/Sprint is approximately 350-500 calories.  As you can see the range is quite large.  I recommend that you use a Heart Rate Monitor while you are doing your workouts so that you can get a better estimate of your calorie output.  The Heart Rate Monitor will also help you recognize when you are slacking off so you can pump up the energy and put in 100% effort.  Take away the guessing game and get a Heart Rate Monitor.

Level 1

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

20 minute Power walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 2

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

6 Intervals 60-90second Jog/ 3 minute Power Walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 3

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

6 Intervals 2 minute Jog/ 2minute Power Walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 4

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

6 Intervals 3minute Jog/ 2 minute Power Walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 5

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

7 Intervals 3 minute Jog/ 1minute walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 6

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

4 intervals 5 minute Jog/ 1 minute Power walk

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 7

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

2 intervals 15 minute Jog/ 2 minute Power walk

Cool Down 3-5minutes

Level 8

Power Walk 5 minutes warm-up

Jog 30 minutes

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 9

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

4 Intervals 5 minute Jog/ 60 second Run/Sprint

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 10

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

4 Intervals 5 minute Jog/ 90 Second Run/Sprint

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 11

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

4 Intervals 5 minute Jog/ 2 minute Run/Sprint

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Level 12

Power Walk 5 minute warm-up

5 Intevals 5 minute Jog/2 minute Run/Sprint

Cool Down 3-5 minutes

Portion control is one of the reasons that people become overweight and obese.  You do not have to eat until every last bite is cleaned off of your plate.  We live in a society that sells the notion bigger is better, most restaurants serve a meal size large enough for two or three adults. When you are eating out, consider the meal that you order is two meals.  Eat half at the time you order and wrap up the other half to eat two or three hours later.  Your stomach is made up of smooth muscle and when you overeat, it will stretch out and your appetite will increase. You only want to eat until you’re satisfied, not until you are full. If you already have a large appetite, then it’s going to take a little bit more control at the beginning, but it is imperative that you decrease your portion sizes.  Don’t eat as if the food in front of you is the last meal you’ll ever have!  You can eat again in a couple of hours.  Whatever you didn’t finish on your plate will still be there in two hours.  Eating 6 or 7 small meals and snacks a day will decrease the number of calories you eat, and increase your metabolism which will help you burn more calories throughout the day.

by Jeanette Jenkins, Hollywood Trainer

1) Create a Plan. Every success in life comes from an intelligent plan. With a great plan you can get to your goals quicker and with much less stress and heartache.  Every Fitness Plan should include specific workouts and meal plans that are designed to achieve your personal fitness goals: weight-loss, lengthen muscle fibers, run a marathon, sculpt & tone thighs, burn belly fat, relieve lower back pain, compete in a triathlon etc.  To help you design a great plan you should consult with a qualified expert that is trained and educated with your specific goals.

2) Commit & Be Consistent. Yes everyone has days when they don’t feel like getting out of bed but you have to win the mind game.  You will always feel great after your workout is over. The hardest part is getting out of bed. Have a plan so you know what you are getting out of bed for and be accountable to a group, trainer or friend so you will be more committed and consistent. Practice mantra’s and self-fulfilling prophecies. There is power in words. Tell yourself “I am Strong, I Can Do This, It’s time to tap into my Super Powers!”

3) Make the Choice to Make Fitness Fun! If you approach working out and eating healthy as a sad experience and a “pain in the neck” then that is what it will be for you.  You have to make the choice to make fitness fun.  Making fitness fun is a state of mind. Be open minded and look for the positive in this new experience of eating healthy and working out and not only will you enjoy yourself but you will be releasing the happy hormones necessary for fat burning and positive energy flow.  There are many secrets hidden in the activities that you despise. When you change your approach and make the choice to be open minded and try new things with a positive outlook you will receive more than you could have ever imagined.

4) Create a Supportive Environment. Choose to spend your time with people who support and encourage your journey. Create an environment that allows you to be successful. If you cannot workout at home because there are too many interruptions then make arrangements so you can go to the gym for an hour. You must take care of yourself first so you have the strength and happiness to take care of everyone else.

5) Stop Making Excuses and Just Do it! Everyone has a sad story. You don’t have to be a victim of your past and you have complete control of your future.  Push all the excuses to the side and just GET IT DONE!  Less Talking and More Moving! You will feel great!

Millions of you are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other health related diseases simply because of making poor food choices on a daily basis.  Many of you then start taking prescription medications to help alleviate your symptoms.  Unfortunately, prescription drugs are not the solution to your problem.  A drug is a foreign substance to the human body and with it you have side effects.  So now you have a health related disease and side effects from the drugs you are using to help you deal with the life threatening symptoms from the disease.  Well for many of you it doesn’t stop there.  Why stop at one health related disease lets go for two or three.  Now let’s go for two or three medications to help alleviate the symptoms of all of those diseases.  You cannot continue to pump your body with drugs to try and cure the diseases that you are creating from making poor food choices.   At what point do you say to yourself “Okay SELF,  what is it that I am doing in my everyday life to cause all of these health related diseases (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity…)”  “Maybe I  should make a change so I can enjoy life and get off of all of these prescription drugs”.  You have the choice!  You can wake up and walk to the park with your grandchildren after a breakfast of oatmeal and blueberries or you can wake up and drive through the fast food window for your value meal breakfast on your way to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription drugs!

I know some of you may think that your body only needs a coffee and your favorite meal to function normally but it actually needs some essential nutrients.  The adult body requires the following Essential Nutrients to live and function normally:

2 Essential Fatty Acids: Omega-6 Fatty acid also known as Linoleic Acid

Omega-3 Fatty acid also known as Alpha-Linolenic Acid

21 Minerals- Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulphur, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Silicon, Iron, Fluorine, Zinc, Strontium, Copper, Vanadium, Selenium, Manganese, Iodine, Nickel, Molybdenum, Cobalt, Chromium

13 Vitamins- Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, E, D and K

8 Essential Amino Acids ( 10 for children and 11 for premature infants) – Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Histidine (children), Arginine, (Children), Cysteine (premature infants)

A Source of Energy (Carbohydrates are the cleanest source, Fats, Protein)

Water

Oxygen

Light

We have every nutrient available at our finger tips but yet the health of most Americans is worse then people living in third world countries. Unfortunately many people are malnourished or deficient in several essential nutrients due to:

Poor food choices

Lack of fiber in their refined processed food diets

Drug interferences with metabolic processes

Increased requirement due to life-style, environment, athletic performance, genetics, poor digestion, poor absorption, food allergies, intestinal injuries

Imbalances in bowel flora.

I recommend taking a multivitamin to make sure that you are getting your essential nutrients.  Choosing to eat organic whole foods will give you the opportunity to receive nutritional benefits from phytonutrients, phytochemicals and combinations of nutrients that are still yet to be discovered.  It is the combining of  nutrients in one piece of whole food that can create a magic or healing process that cannot be duplicated in a multivitamin or supplement.  As people continue to discover that the conventional food that they have been eating is slowly but surely killing them then they will be forced to make a change.