Beer Battered Fish Tacos w/ Tomato & Avocado Salsa





S.F. Note: Tomatos are in season and full of flavor which makes the salsa pop with flavor. No dairy was used in our version. Doubled the recipe for 3 people and used cod as the fish. Did not use mango or black beans just went with corn tortillas, fish and salsa and really loved the flavors! The family, kid included, gave this one two thumbs up! Very quick and easy to make! Enjoy;)

From Eating Well

Lovers of fried fish get the taste without all the calories, and the salsa adds a fresh, clean note. To complete the Baja theme, serve with black beans, some diced mango and a bit of light sour cream.

Makes: 2 servings, 2 tacos & about 3/4 cup salsa each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Tomato & Avocado Salsa

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 jalapeno, minced

2-3 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of cayenne, if desired

Fish Tacos

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup beer

8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 corn tortillas, warmed

Preparation

To prepare salsa: Combine tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime juice to taste, kosher salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in avocado and cilantro. Add cayenne (if using).

To prepare tacos: Combine flour, cumin, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.

Coat tilapia pieces in the batter. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Letting excess batter drip back into the bowl, add the fish to the pan; cook until crispy and golden, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the fish with tortillas and the salsa.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate salsa (Step 1) for up to 3

Train Your Brain

I just read an article about how marathon runners deal with the many challenges that come their way over the course of 26.2 miles.  Anyone who has ever run a marathon or participated in an endurance event knows that the state of our mind and bodies can change in an instant.  What might feel like a perfect race at 20 miles, can become a physical and mental meltdown at 21 miles.

We have often talked about the power of the mind to push beyond what our bodies "think" they can do.  One of the coping strategies mentioned by a runner in the survey was the power of the mind.  When the going gets tough, she invokes the mantra, "Where the mind goes, the body follows". 

Studies on how elite athletes push through pain to achieve great performances support the importance of our mental strength in achieving our goals.  Four time World Ironman Champion, Chrissie Wellington, obviously knows the importance of physical strength and conditioning in becoming a world class triathlete.  But she also acknowledges that physical strength can only take you so far.  In discussing details of the extensive training that triathletes go through in preparing for an event she states, "But it's when the discomfort strikes that they realize a strong mind is the most powerful weapon of all."  She goes on to say, "I believe that it is my mind that has carried me through to some of my greatest victories -- a mind that I have had to work hard to train and hone."  That is no small statement when you consider the endless hours of physical training the go into preparing for an Ironman event. 

So what are some ways you can train your mind to push yourself through good physical pain and achieve new physical gains?

• Acknowledge the strength you have gained.  When the going gets tough, remember all the hard workouts you have already pushed through.  You CAN do it again!
• Remember your goals.  Tell yourself...  "I am working this hard because ________."
• Repeat a mantra.  If you identify the pain as a negative emotion you will be present in the pain.  If, however, you repeat a mantra such as 'Go hard', or 'To the finish', you will create a positive state and more easily push through.
• Finally, know that it will pass.  Soon the workout will be over. 

Research has actually shown that pain is often just in our heads and is not actually a signal of physical distress.  Remember that pain is temporary, finishing lasts forever.  So as long as the pain is good pain, push to the finish!

Metabolic Warrior & TRX!

Do you know what this is? :) 

It is one of our Metabolic Warriors taking her workout on the road! Kathleen took her suspension trainer so that she could keep her workouts up on vacation! Great job Kathleen! 

Another warrior, Steve, was gone for part of the summer but every week he completed metabolic and TRX programs! 

Caroline, had to miss the trainings at Big Park this week but while away she has kept up with the programs on her own!

Heidi is getting quite the reputation for sticking with the programs too! She has her out of town visitors join in with her at home! She takes the workouts to Lake Powell with her and once when under the weather and home bound she did the workout on her own!

It is easy to read about these accomplishments but for  the most seasoned metabolic veterans it is more difficult to do such high intensity training on your own! So good job to all those mentioned here and others we may have overlooked! Be inspired by your comrades and be inspiring by staying active!

Spinach & Shrimp Salad

This power salad is full of lean protein, omega-3s, antioxidants and healthy fats.

By Monique Ryan, MS, RD; Photography Peter Chou

SPINACH AND SHRIMP SALAD
Ready in 25 minutes • Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb precooked frozen shrimp, thawed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lime zest
¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups spinach
2 cups romaine lettuce
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
½ cup strawberries
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1" cubes
8 tbsp low-fat honey mustard dressing (I do not like to use low fat dressing..a better alternative would be olive oil and a balsamic vinegar such as honey ginger, available at Divine Oils at Shugrues Hillside or Olive Oil Traders in Old Town Cottonwood)

Instructions:
1.    Heat oil in a skillet and sauté shrimp with lemon and lime zest until warmed through.
2.    In a bowl, mix together onion, spinach, lettuce and beans. Top with orange, strawberries, avocado and shrimp.
3.    Stir in dressing and toss to mix. Serve.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 428, Total Fats: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 226 mg, Sodium: 381 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 30 g, Dietary Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 12 g, Protein: 36 g, Iron: 6 mg

Mocha Banana "Ice Cream"

Guess what? This cold treat contains no dairy! Frozen bananas lend themselves perfectly to an ice cream–like texture. And at under two hundred clean calories, you won’t have to save it for cheat days, either.

By Tiffany Bachus, RD; Photography Peter Chou

MOCHA BANANA "ICE CREAM"
Ready in 5 minutes • Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 frozen bananas
1 tsp instant coffee or espresso
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 oz dark chocolate (approx. 3 squares), finely chopped

Instructions:
1.    Remove bananas from freezer and let sit on the counter for 5 minutes.
2.    Peel bananas and break or cut into chunks, then place into a food processor. Pulse about 20 times until bananas are in small pieces, then blend until smooth. If necessary, stop the machine and scrape from the sides.
3.    Add the coffee, cinnamon and chocolate to the food processor, and blend again to fully incorporate. Serve.

 

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 190, Total Fats: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 g, Sodium: 8 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 32 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 19 g, Protein: 2 g, Iron: 1 mg

Running for Hearts in Flagstaff

Kathleen, Holly and I had a fun day last Saturday when we met up to run the Hearts 911 10k. The race was organized by the Shadows Organization, a non profit group that raises money for heart testing on first responders. The race started at 7100 feet and climbed for 3.2 miles before returning downhill for 3.2, yes 6.4 miles not 6.2....these things happen sometimes at races. Kathleen and Holly were true Metabolic Warriors and they kicked it down and flew up the mountain!  It was an honor to run with them! They did Smart Fitness Proud!

Keep up the hard work, it pays off on these kind of days!

Run, Eat, Walk, Eat, TRX, Eat, Bike, Eat... lose a pound?

Aaaaaaah... it's good to be home.  Vacations are fun, but tiring.  I am thinking that doing the metabolic workout tonight might be easier than all that traveling around...  but I could be wrong... and I am sure I will KNOW I am wrong mid-way through round one. 

I took the entire time off from metabolic training but was active the entire trip.  And it paid off.  I was able to enjoy the food and drink guilt-free and actually come back one pound lighter than when I left. 

As most Europeans do, we covered miles and miles and miles on foot and on bike.



Biking along the Mosel river
in Trier Germany

Looks like the PERFECT spot for TRX.  Mosel river in Cochem Germany
with the Reichsburg Castle as a backdrop.

This round is for breakfast.

Thinking about lunch already....

The menu at the bed and breakfast sounded great for dinner.

One more round for dessert.

The reward!  Actually this was my one and only splurge and I had help eating it.

 

Watch TV and shorten your life span?

"After the age of 25, every hour of TV watching cuts almost 22 minutes off the viewer's lifespan."  This is an eye-catching headline, and the claim of researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia.

In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine researchers looked at the TV viewing habits of 11,000 adults in the decade-long Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle survey.  They concluded that compared to adults who watch no TV, Australians who spend a lifetime average of 6 hours per day watching TV can expect to live 4.8 years less.  You may wonder, who actually watches 6 hours of TV per day?  According to the Harvard School of Public Health, in the U.S., people average about five hours of TV time each day. 

As with any study or survey it can be difficult to determine if there is a direct cause and effect relationship.  According to Dr. David L. Katz, founding director of the prevention research center at Yale University School of Medicine, "The more time we spend watching TV, the more time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the TV, and the less time we spend being physically active.  That in turn means greater risk for obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to anticipate, notably diabetes, heart disease and cancer."

Other studies have also pointed the finger at TV for contributing to health problems.  A Harvard study of TV viewers showed two hours per day of TV time increases risks for developing type 2 diabetes by 20 percent and heart disease by 15 percent. More than three hours of daily viewing increased death risk across all diseases.

Interestingly, studies have also shown that it is not necessarily the "sit time" alone that contributes to obesity and disease.  According to the Harvard School of Public Health, "there’s evidence that watching TV—and, especially, watching junk food ads on TV—promotes obesity by changing mainly what and how much people eat, less so by changing how much they move."

We are not condemning all TV viewing but we once again think we need to step back and look at the bigger picture.  If an individual is watching 5 or 6 hours of TV per day, engaging in mindless eating while doing so, and not getting the recommended amount of daily exercise, then they probably will increase their risk of disease and die younger.  However, will watching one hour of TV per day actually reduce your lifespan by 22 minutes if you have a healthful diet and are exercising?  Also, what about the quality of the programming?  Viewing that promotes thinking and learning has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and dimentia.  As with any other study, we suggest you look beyond the shock value of the headline and determine what useful information ,if any, you can take from it. 

Key Largo Lime DeLight

by Allison Frahn

Fitness RX

Ingredients:

Filling:

1/2 cup cold almond milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup cold water
1 TB lime juice
1 TB fat-free cream cheese
1/2 pkg. sugar free vanilla pudding (dry mix)
1 scoop (approximately 30g) vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup Cool Whip Free

Crust:

2 TB graham cracker crumbs
1/2 TB coconut oil, softened, or at room temperature
Pinch sea salt

How to Prepare

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs and coconut oil in a small bowl with a fork until well mixed and crumbly.
2. Press graham cracker mixture along the sides of the bowl to form a crust. Set aside.
3. Mix milk, water, lime juice, cream cheese and pudding mix in a separate bowl with a wire whisk for 1 minute until smooth. Feel the burn!
4. Whisk in protein powder and Cool Whip until fluffy (approx. 30 secs).
5. Scoop filling mixture over crust.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, and…as always…Enjoy!

NUTRITION DATA
Per serving (recipe makes 1): 320 calories, 25 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fat

Workout HARD, Recover HARD

You know by now that when you show up for one of our trainings, you are showing up to train hard!  We see you give 100% and we want you to get the most for your efforts.  If you don't pay as much attention to your recovery as you do to your workout, you are not maximizing your gains.  We have emphasized the importance of recovery days in between your training where you combine easy cardio workouts and rest days, but there are additional steps you can take to enhance your recovery and help your body heal naturally.

Proper nutrition plays a key role not only in recovery but in injury prevention as well.  Processed foods such as refined grains and sugars and artificial sweeteners all increase systemic inflammation and detract from our body's ability to heal itself.  Removing acidifying foods from your diet such as dairy, wheat, alcohol and soft drinks can also improve healing.  Acid producing foods cause minerals to be drawn from the muscles and bones in order to neutralize the acid which prevents the tissues from healing.

Enough of the diet "don'ts"...   what can we include in our diets that will aid our recovery?  Protein, protein, protein!  Protein is required to repair all body tissues and to build new cells.  Try putting some of that protein on top of a salad.  Dark leafy greens are high in essential vitamins and minerals which can help strengthen bones and connective tissues.  Also try to include omega-3 and turmeric in your diet as these have been proven to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. 

Regular massage can also be a great tool for improving recovery.  Massage can help realign the body by releasing knotted muscles that may be putting strain on the body.  Releasing the knots will also improve blood flow which allows nutrients and oxygen to flow properly to help promote healing. 

Finally, we'll say it again...  REST!  We have repeated over and over again that physical and mental stress will throw off our hormone balance and will impair our ability to lose weight, gain muscle, and recover.  So show up, work hard, and put as much effort into your recovery as you do your workout.