Badass Fitness

Badass CEO's Favorites: Summer 2011 Edition

Imagine the eighth level of hell. A fiery, torturous furnace where the afternoon "rain" is nothing more than a rain of smoking-hot fire.

This, dear Badasses, is Tallahassee, Florida during the summer. Around here, summer starts right around Memorial Day and effectively hangs around like a hot, wet sponge until Halloween. It stinks.

Summer officially began last week, but Tallahassee hit a record 105 degrees a good week or so before that. We also set some sort of "most consecutive days of 90 or hotter" record. Awesome. NOT.

Amid such wretched heat, I present you with my favorite fitness and health 'finds' - a few bright spots to make the summer of 2011 worth sweating through.

Hopefully, some of them will make you happy, too. Drum roll, please...

BADASS CEO'S FAVORITES of Summer 2011

1. Fooducate: This daily blog consistently is a rich treasure trove of no-nonsense information about food products and nutrition. Fooducate unveils the truth behind "it's so good for you" health claims and explains the skinny-- and not so skinny - on everything from mac n cheese to energy bars and frozen diet entrees. But the coolest thing is the Fooducate app for iPhones and Droids that allows you to scan an item in the grocery store and quickly get the Fooducate info on that item. I am still a Blackberry devotee, but am closer than ever to getting an iPhone - all because of Fooducate. For now, I am signed up for their daily blogs. So far every one has taught me something.

2. Bosu Trainer: Squats, pushups, pikes, cardio drills like leapfrogs and burpees - put enough Bosu Trainers together, and you get a heart-pumping, body-sculpting, Badass playground! The Bosu Trainer is a recurring 'player' in my classes and training sessions - and as much as it can make their muscles burn, clients and students also love it. And who can blame them? The Bosu makes workouts challenging AND fun.

3. Zobha and Lucy athletic wear: I have long been a devotee of Lululemon and Athleta, but ever since I tried the Zobha and Lucy lines, I am hooked. These two lines feature pants, shorts, tops, sports bras and jackets in bright colors, flattering fits, and durable and movement-friendly fabrics. All for prices comparable or less than Lululemon and Athleta. Forget baggy sweats. Fitness and fashion CAN go hand in hand. And when you look good, you feel good - all the more motivation to work harder when working out.

4. Ultimate Muscle Protein (Chocolate): This whey and caseine blend protein powder from Beverly International has the best taste and consistency, and its nutritional profile is strong (120 calories per scoop, less than 4 grams of fat, no sugar, 4 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein). It is delicious with oatmeal, in smoothies, and with Greek yogurt. My chocolate pudding "trick": Just mix a scoop or two with reduced amounts of water or unsweetened almond milk. Stir it until it is smooth and refrigerate. Within half an hour, you have thick, creamy chocolate pudding! And lots of muscle-building protein. Get it for less at allstarhealth.com.

5. Bolthouse Farms dressings: "Light" and Fat-Free salad dressings are a potential minefield of overly processed Franken-stuff and way too much sodium. Bolthouse Farms, bless them, offers a line of delicious, flavorful dressings with REAL ingredients like yogurt, apple juice, nonfat milk, egg yolk and vinegar. My favorite is the chunky blue cheese, which plays a starring role in my apple-blue cheese summer coleslaw. It is just 50 calories and less than 5 grams of fat for 2 tablespooons but tastes as rich and creamy as any blue cheese dressing out there.

6. Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon: In my world, cinnamon makes everything taste better - be it oatmeal, cookie batter or even smoothies.  It's also great for regulating blood sugar. So I love Kashi's new cinnamon-dusted whole grain version of Cheerios, which are low in sugar, fat and have about 150 calories for a cup.

7. Mediterranean Snack Food Baked Lentil Chips: Rice cakes are cardboard disguised as food. Baked potato chips usually aren't much better. But the grease factor of regular potato chips makes them a less than ideal snack. Lucky for us, The Mediterranean Snack Food company's Baked Lentil Chips comes to the rescue for your next snack attack. These lentil chips, available in varieties like Cucumber Dill and Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper (and sold at most grocers and gourmet/organic places like Earth Fare and Fresh Market), are crispy, light and amazing on their own or dipped in hummus or guacamole. And you don't have to limit yourself to 5 chips to keep the calories low. A serving size is 22 chips, which is perfect for an afternoon snack, and just 110 calories and 3 grams of fat. The chips even offer 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber and are gluten-free. Buh-bye rice cakes. These are the bomb.

8. You Bars: I am a huge advocate of whole food. Real food. Unprocessed food. I don't like to eat things that feature of a laundry list of unrecognizable Franken-gredients. So I am in love with You Bars. This online site walks you through the making of your energy bars, protein cookies, trail mixes and shakes. You can literally choose every single ingredient that goes into your food, and then you get to name it. Do you want cashew or almond butter, or soy nut? Cherries or Goji berries? Oats or no oats? They're about $3 per bar, but I'm OK with paying more and knowing what I am eating. The website even calculates the nutritional profile as you build your bar. So cool.

Coming up: Simple But Strenuous - Pushups + Squats x many reps = Badass kickin'...

Fellow Badass Recruits share a few healthy recipes

I love the Badass Army. You guys rock - and not just for reading this blog and sharing your questions, thoughts and personal stories. You also rock in the kitchen, proving that healthy eating doesn't have to taste like cardboard!

Today, I am passing along two recipes that fellow Badasses recently sent to me. One is a great pre- or post-workout smoothie; the other is a great fish entree. If you have something you want to share, please pass it along via email (shannon@badassfitness.net) or in the comment box below. Happy eating!

Tammy Curry Means' "Mean-Good, Not Curry" Smoothie

From Tammy: I've switched to mostly gluten free and this seems to get me through the mornings after my workouts at 5:00 am.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup - Almond Breeze Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 Scoop - Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla Protein
• 1 Scoop - IPP Non-GMO Soy Lecithin Granules
• 1 Tablespoon - Cold Milled Ground Flaxseed with Mixed Berries
• 1 Medium - Ripe Banana (preferably frozen)
• 7-8 Medium - Fresh Strawberries (preferably frozen)

Directions: Blend in a blender until berries are all incorporated. I use the fruit frozen so that I don't have to dilute the smoothie with water by adding ice.

Calculated Nutrition per serving: 326 Calories, 29g Carbs, 10g Fat, 29g Protein, 18g Sugar

Badass Reader and student Mollie Hamm shared this chicken recipe she found in Oxygen Magazine, which is a great resource for healthy cooking ideas.

Hold the Hamm Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

*Prep and cook time: 35 minutes
*Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:  

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 oz skinless chicken breast
• 1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge
• 1/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup diced tomato
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp oat bran
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic fresh, chopped
• 1 4-oz sweet potato

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Cut chicken breast on half and set on baking dish.

3. In a small mixing bowl, mash together the cheese wedge with cottage cheese. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Mix well.

4. Stuff the cheese mixture into one side of the chicken and use the other half breast to top it. Dust the top with oat bran.

5. In another bowl, toss together broccoli and cauliflower with oil and garlic. Place on the baking dish beside the chicken.

6. Bake chicken and vegetables for about 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, wash and poke a few holes in the potato with a fork. Microwave for about 8 minutes (turning after 4 minutes).

8. Plate the chicken breast, vegetables and sweet potatoes. Serve with a vegetable such as asparagus.

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 530, Total Fats: 19g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 80 mg, Sodium: 490 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 52g, Dietary Fiber: 13g, Sugars: 12g, Protein: 45g, Iron: 4mg

Coming up: Your Target Weight Math, and the Badass CEO's Summer Faves!

Chips are for kids; these 'Chick' Chips are for Badasses

Badass CEO Truth No. 53: If you put a bowl of chips in front of me - Hint of Lime Tostitos, Sun Chips, Kettle-Cooked Lays, Cape Cod, etc. - odds are I will eat a handful...and another, and another, until they are all gone. 750 to 1,000 calories later, I am kicking myself yet thinking, 'I wonder if there is another bag.'

Yep, salty chips are my weakness. Same goes for popcorn, Cheetos (witness my orange handful at left), honey mustard pretzels, etc. I am a snacker, and I don't do the whole "moderation" thing very well when it comes to these salty treats. I want my chips in large quantities.

I know I am not alone.

So what are we to do? How to balance our ChipSession with this whole Badass Journey thing?

Sometimes, we just have to give in and let ourselves live a little. But this week, we can also learn a new culinary trick:  Chick Chips. (sadly, no relation to Marshmallow Peeps...)

My colleague Emily shared this recipe for spiced, roasted chickpeas - her go-to snack for satisfying her salty, crunchy cravings. As she put it: "These are so good, you want to eat the whole pan. And if you do, it's OK! Because it's just chickpeas!"

These are amazingly easy and fast to prepare, and so nutritious.

The base for hummus, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are a versatile and cheap food. Rich in good carbs and protein but low in fat. One cup has less than 300 calories, 12 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbs and less than 3 grams of fat. That's a lot less fat than a cup of salted nuts.

You can use them for homemade hummus, in salads, and now as a salty snack. Here's the recipe. Go ahead, try to eat just one. And then have that aha! moment when you say to yourself: "I don't need to eat just one! These are chickpeas!"

Emily's Chick Chips

Preheat oven to 425.

Rinse and drain one can of chickpeas. Spread them onto a rimmed baking sheet sprayed lightly with olive oil. Pat them slightly with a paper towel to remove most of the remaining moisture. Season as you desire - I used cumin, salt and pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.  Cook for 20 minutes, then turn the oven up to 450 and cook for about 5 more minutes or until they are crispy. Put into a serving bowl and snack away!

(Note: These would also be great, crispy and seasoned like this, on top of a green salad or a couscous salad on a warm spring or summer day.)

Coming up: Attention Cardio Fiends - trying to run to lose? Here's a big reason to pick up a dumbbell...or two!

Plan a little, save a lot (of fat and calories)

Think about the days when your lunch and other midday eating has been the unhealthiest. If you're like most of us Badasses, poor eating is the unfortunate result of poor planning - as in, you didn't make lunch ahead of time or plan a healthy takeout option.

I know, I know. Right about now you're thinking, Who has time to plan and shop and chop and cook?

The answer is: YOU have time, because it takes less time and effort than you think. The Badass Foodie, who is now also my co-worker and unofficial second-in-command of Moore Consulting Group's Corporate Wellness Program, proved it this week when she hosted a healthy luncheon for the staff.

The menu featured turkey chili, an Asian-inspired coleslaw, a lentil and chickpea salad, and a broccoli salad. Each dish is one that can be made on Sunday and eaten throughout the week. These dishes are the kind that get better the second, third and fourth day as the flavors meld and marinate together. They're also cheap as far as ingredients, and for the most part are instant-prep-and-enjoy.

The Asian slaw, for example, takes all of 10 minutes and features zero mayonnaise. The turkey chili requires ingredients prep and cooking, but even the onions and peppers can be bought pre-chopped in the product section to cut down on chop time. Plus you can make a huge batch and freeze half for the cold weeks ahead, maximizing the value of the time you spend in the kitchen making it.

The staff loved these dishes, all of which are high in protein, fiber and other nutrients but low in calories and fat. So give these a try - maybe one recipe each week. What better way than this to kick 2011 off with a Badass Bang?!?

 

Asian Ginger Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1 head of green cabbage, chopped thinly (Lazy Kirsten’s alternative: purchase a bag of “coleslaw cabbage lettuce” at Publix)
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 3 green onions, chopped – green and white parts
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
   

Directions:

1. Combine all wet ingredients together in a bowl, taste and adjust salt and sweetener accordingly.
2. Pour over dry ingredients, enjoy!

 

Kirsten’s Kickin’ Broccoli Slaw

 

Ingredients:

• About 2 pounds of broccoli, florets removed and diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 cup of dried cranberries, sweetened naturally
• ½ - ¾ cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup chopped cashews
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoon Stevia or Agave Nectar (or some sugar substitute)

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients - broccoli, onion, and craisins into large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice to keep fresh while you prepare dressing.
2. In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Taste the dressing and adjust salt, pepper and sweetener appropriately.
3. Pour dressing over coleslaw, toss together and enjoy!

Mediterranean Lentil and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 1 cup chopped red or yellow peppers
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• Fresh basil (if you have on hand, definitely use – takes this dish to a whole new level!)
• Dried herbs: basil, rosemary and oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I used agave nectar, and recommend using a sugar substitute if you prefer.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, careful to fold in feta gently.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to marinate.

Kirsten’s Choc-Full-‘O-Veggie Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Turkey, Lean
• 2 cans of kidney beans, drained and sorted
• 2 cans of low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato paste, preferably low sodium
• ¼ cup canned pumpkin (optional)
• 1 can low sodium chicken broth

Vegetables:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 – 2 red and yellow peppers, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, large dice
• 2 large carrots, large dice
• 1 cup of yellow corn (fresh or frozen)
• 2 -3 large summer squash, large dice

Other seasonings:

• 1 Tbs garlic
• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs Ketchup
• 1 Tbs Agave Nectar
• 2 heaping Tablespoons Chili Powder
• Spices, to taste:  Cayenne pepper, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, seasoning salt, Tabasco, black pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. Brown turkey over medium heat with 1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. In large soup pot, begin by sautéing chopped onion and garlic in 1 Tbs Olive oil over low heat until onions are translucent.
3. Add other chopped vegetables to sauté – celery, peppers and carrots. Sautee for 5 – 10 minutes, until aroma begins to change and vegetables become soft.
4. Add summer squash and yellow corn, continue to cook.
5. As the pieces of vegetables start to stick to the pan, turn up the heat and add half the can of chicken broth. Simmer for 2 -3 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and continue to simmer while you assemble and add your spices.
7. Note – add spices in increments and layers – tasting the whole time!
8. Add all spices, starting with chili powder and then adding pepper, cumin, nutmeg, salt, Tabasco and pepper.
9. Add cider vinegar, ketchup and agave to taste.
10. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour.
11. Stores up to a week in the fridge – Enjoy!


Coming Friday: A Badass field trip unveils a food philosophy to live by...

Badass CEO's Favorites: Summer 2010 Edition

We're sweating our way through the dog days of summer, and we need pick-us-ups and good healthy stuff to get us through!

With that, I give you the Badass CEO's Favorites, Summer 2010 Edition:

1. Blue Diamond Natural Pecan Nut-Thins: These crackers are ideal when the potato chip munchies hit. They have the crunch and salty flavor of a potato chip, sans the fat and empty carbs. Made with mostly rice flour and pecan meal, they're also wheat and gluten free. Just 130 calories and 3.5 grams of fat for 16 crackers, and these are great spread with hummus or peanut butter - or just eaten solo.

2. Sahale Snacks Soledad Almonds: I never would have thought to combine almonds with flax seeds, bits of dried apple, dates, balsamic vinegar and red pepper, but lucky for me the creative culinary minds at  Sahale Snacks did! Sahale makes a whole line of nuts mixed with sweet and spicy, but this is my fave. This makes trail mix seem so 1975, and it's the ideal snack to satisfy any type of craving - be it for something sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, or chewy. The ingredients are all natural, few in number, and nutritionally superior. At 130 calories and 9 grams of the good kind of fats per quarter cup, the only danger in opening a bag is potentially eating it all in one sitting!

3. Aveda Sun Care: If you happen to be a Badass with highlights or color-treated hair, or if you swim alot, add this spray your summer beach bag and/or workout bag. I always use Aveda hair products because they work wonders, and they smell like the flowers and plants from which they are made. The Sun Care is essentially spray-on UV protection that prevents the sun from messing with that beautiful hair color you love so much.

4. Orville Redenbacher Natural Popcorn Salted, 50% Less Fat: Y'all know how I feel about Frankenfoods that sound like some sort of nuclear warhead activating agent. So when I recently discovered this microwave popcorn with just a handful of real ingredients, none of them artificial or processed, and a salty buttery flavor that belies its impressively low fat and calorie count, I was sold. Just 20 calories per popped cup, less than 4 grams of fat, and infinite amounts of tastebud-pleasing flavor. This is my new 4 p.m. office snack to tide me over until dinner!

5. Calorie Counter by FatSecret, Blackberry App World: I am officially in love with this free download, which I put onto my CrackBerry last week when the Badass Trio set off on our clean eating, metabolism-boosting pact. As the ultimate Type A taskmaster, this detailed exercise and eating log simply rocks my world!  Every morning I can log in my weight as shown on the scale first thing, and throughout the day the Calorie Counter lets me track all of my activities - be it cycling, walking, "desk work," standing, weight training or housework. It also lets me input every single thing I put in my mouth - thanks to an impressive database of foods, from generic items like "strawberries, 1 cup" to a Whataburger Triple with Cheese (I looked that up out of curiosity, and you don't even want to know...).

As the day progresses, you can see how many carbs vs protein calories you're getting, how much fat and sugar, etc., and whether you are taking in more calories than you're burning or vice versa. This handheld food log inevitably shows you patterns you never saw before, which is key to any behavior-changing, clean-eating transformation. And it prevents mindless snacking, if only because you'd rather walk away from the chocolate chip cookie than have to take out the BlackBerry and input "cookie, 1 small, snack, 3 p.m."

iPhones and other smartphones have similar downloadable food and exercise logs, so find the one that works on yours and get it on there!

Coming tomorrow: Badass Foodie delivers the ultimate Man Cookie. All it needs to make it 100 % perfect is a side of beer and boobs...Hint: Bacon is a key ingredient. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Badass CEO: Heaven is an organic veggie co-op

The Badass CEO is in veggie heaven. Organic-veggies-from-a-local-co-op-heaven, to be exact.

I have bought into a local co-op with several co-workers, all of whom are enthusiastically participating in the company wellness program I launched in April.

The first delivery came Wednesday, and it exceeded expectations. HUGE zucchini and cucumbers, delicious tomatoes, beautiful squash, and field peas - all grown organic, and local.

For 12 weeks, at less than $100 per person, we will get a weekly delivery like this. That is a far better deal than buying organic produce at a traditional or even an organic grocery store. We also get the bonus entertainment of eagerly wondering what the coming week's veggies will be. But the best part of all this is that it will force us to eat more veggies, and to learn new ways to cook vegetables that we might not have otherwise tried. I have never made field peas, but thanks to a co-worker's wife I have a recipe to try this weekend.

My Badass will be better off for the effort. So will the environment. Remember, the food we eat - and its source - is written all over our Badasses. Organic and local means it is free of pesticides and Franken-stuff.

Exercise is vital to staying lean, fit and strong. But food is 80 percent of the equation, if not more. Within the blink of a fish n' chips basket, we can undo a couple of hours working out.

If we stuff ourselves with deep-fried, processed junk, the Badass looks like it's got way too much junk in the trunk. But when we feed our Badass temples with fresh, real foods, we feel and look REAL Badass.

If you do some research, there is probably a veggie co-op or the like in your area. I encourage you to add it to your Badass Bucket List of health and fitness! If you do, you can try out recipes like these. They are proof that the most delicious foods are often simply prepared:

Shannon's Sliced Tomato Treat

• 1 large tomato, sliced thick
• 1 to 2 tsp. olive oil
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped

Arrange the tomato on a salad plate. Drizzle with the olive oil, add the splash of vinegar and the cheese on top. Season with the salt and pepper, and sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes. Devour.

Roasted Squash and Zucchini, Colavecchio-Style

• 1 to 2 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• 3 Tbsp grated pecorino-romano cheese
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano, or fresh chopped oregano

Deb Hunt's Field Peas

• 1/2 lb field peas, shucked
• Equal parts water and chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: A few pieces of ham or bacon

Cover fresh peas with a mixture of water and chicken broth (equal parts). Add salt and pepper to taste (I add at least ½ tsp. per quart) and bring to a boil. Turn to low after boil and cook for 30-35 minutes more.  For more flavor you can add ham pieces toward the end. Yummy with corn bread!

Coming next week: Building your endurance; the Badass Foodie returns; and is that workout hydration or just a liquid sugar disaster?

Badass Foodie gets dressed up -- and sauced!!!

I'll have my dressing on the side, please.

It’s a dieter’s mantra, our motto when we face the treacherous outside restaurant world.  And, on the whole, it’s a pretty good rule of thumb to follow. Restaurant-style dressings and sauces can pack a serious caloric punch, causing you to chow down on extra calories without even realizing it.

Most typical restaurant-style salad dressings will cost you about 200 calories per serving – especially thicker sauces like Caesar, Ranch and Blue Cheese. But even the healthy-sounding vinaigrettes at many popular restaurant chains can be sneaky, packing in fat and sodium. Unless you’ve studied a menu before hand, you will have no idea what you're feeding your Badass.

For example, at Panera, the popular lunchtime café and sandwich chain, you might order a healthy salad with the “Herb Greek Vinagrette” salad dressing. Sounds pretty light and relatively healthy, right? Wrong. This innocent-sounding vinaigrette contains a whopping 220 calories and 24 grams of fat in a mere 1.5 oz serving (About 3 tablespoons)!

Many of the salad dressings, sauces and marinades we use at home aren’t much better. Take a look at the back of your trusty bottle of Ranch dressing and you’ll see many ingredients you don’t recognize, plus oodles of extra sugar and more calories than you need to be wasting on what is, essentially, a condiment.

It’s not just salad dressings that can catch us in a serious condiment calorie conundrum. Other sauces, spreads and dips can be diet traps as well. A quick swipe of mayonnaise could mean 100 calories and 9 grams of fat. That Honey Mustard sauce you love to dip your chicken in? It’s usually made with a sour cream or mayonnaise base – with artificial colors and flavors and added sugars to make it yummy.

What’s a Badass to do? … Make your own dressings!

When concocting your own salad or entrée, you can easily whip together your very own Badass dressing.  Not only are they healthier, cheaper and tastier – they’re versatile and can be used on all sorts of meats, salads and vegetables.

I normally take a few minutes and make a small serving that is enough for the meal at hand. BUT, I also occasionally make enough for a week and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Are you confused? Wondering how in the world you can make your own dressing? Don’t be! No matter the homemade dressing, there are almost always a few basic elements:

• Acid: Red wine vinegar, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, etc.
• Oil: Think any healthy oil, such as extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
• Seasonings: Salt and pepper are a must, plus fresh or dried herbs, garlic, wasabi, cumin, curry, you name it! This is where you make the dressing your own.
• Thickener (optional): Greek yogurt, feta cheese, pureed avocado, etc.

My “go-to” salad dressing is super easy to assemble, and I put it on nearly every salad I make at home – I love balsamic vinegar, and I’m never disappointed!

Badass Foodie Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Note: All measurements are VERY flexible – I usually experiment with a “dash of this, dash of that” so play a bit and figure out what you enjoy!

• 2 - 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 heaping spoonful of nonfat Greek Yogurt (for thickening and creaminess!)
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper
• ½ tsp of agave nectar (or a pinch of sugar)
• Fresh herbs – usually a bit of basil, cilantro or rosemary

Blend, and pour over your favorite salad or vegetable dish. Easy!

Hungry for more? Here’s a few other ideas:

Homemade “Honey” Mustard

• ¼ cup lowfat or nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon of paprika, garlic and cumin
• 1 teaspoon of agave nectar (natural sweetener – but honey could work, too!)

Blend and serve – this makes a thick, creamy honey mustard sauce – perfect for sandwiches, salads and chicken!

Cucumber Dill Dressing

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ cup cucumber, peeled and seeded, then chopped into small chunks
• Salt and pepper to taste

Blend together and serve!

Orange Citrus Vinaigrette

• 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp honey

Coming tomorrow: It's Friday! Stretch yourself to revive yourself!

 

The Badass Truth: Not all energy and protein bars are created equal

You walk down the aisle filled with protein bars, energy bars, 'meal replacement' bars, and you are faced with a sea of choices.

The bars are all packaged so perfectly, with healthy names and slogans that sound so pure: "Bare," "Nutrition for Sustained Energy," "vegan," "Whole Nutrition," "Eat Good. Look Great."

But are the virtuous claims all true? Is that really the best bar to keep you moving down the road to a more Badass you?

The answer, much like life, turns out to be more gray than black and white. The best bar for you depends on your workout, what you eat the rest of the time, and how important it is to you that the bars be more real, all-natural food than highly processed,  lab-engineered ingredients.

It also depends whether you care about sugars, carbs, and whether you consider the bar to be a snack or a meal replacement. And when are you eating it? Before a leisurely walk or midway through a 30-mile bike race? For a walk, you don't need a lot of carbs. For a long run or cycle, you need more carbs. And if you're trying to build muscle, you're going to want a high-protein bar.

The more natural and cheaper option, of course, is to make your own. But that's not always practical. So to help you all sort through the endless choices, I picked out several that I have tried and am going to break down the pros and cons. I have a couple of favorites, as you'll see. And these all clock in around 200 calories, so if you are using them as a "meal," add a smoothie or fruit or something to supplement it. And if you're taking these for a long race, you might consider packing more than one.

The Bar Wars

Larabar: Dubbed "The original fruit & nut food bars," this slogan is absolutely fitting.

Pros:

• The ingredients are few, and they are all fruit and nut and the occasional spice like cinnamon or salt. The Peanut Butter Cookie bar is just dates, peanuts and salt. The Apple Pie bar is dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts raisins and cinnamon. Doesn't get much more real than that!
• The sugars are all natural, the sodium negligible. The fats are unsaturated, the "good fats" brought to you by the nuts.
• Packed with lots of naturally occuring vitamins and minerals, thanks to the fruit and nuts.

Cons:

• The taste is not for everyone. If you don't like dates or raisins, you won't like these.
• The protein isn't as high as in the "protein bars" that have added soy and whey protein.

Balance BARE Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond: "Bare" doesn't exactly fit the lengthy ingredients list

Pros:

• These are tasty, a good way to curb a chocolate candy bar craving if you get a variety like the Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond.
• Less than 25 to 30 carbs per bar, and that isn't primarily sugary carbs.
• Lots of vitamins and minerals, including 100% of your daily vitamin E, 50% of your daily vitamin A, and 25% of the recommended B vitamins and folic acid.
• Only about 10 grams of fat.
• Protein is a decent 13 grams in this bar.
• 5 grams of whole grains

Cons:

• Of the fat, 3.5 grams are saturated fat.
• Ingredients include straight-up corn syrup and lots of processed, "what-the-heck-is-that?" ingredients that sound suspiciously like sugar: oligofructose, maltitol, high maltose corn syrup, carrageenan, and "mixed tocopherols."

Luna Caramel Nut Brownie: Dubbed "The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women"

Pros:

• Super tasty, and available in flavors like Peppermint Stick and Lemon Zest.
• The bars are mostly organic ingredients, and recognizable: toasted oats, roasted soybeans, brown rice syrup, cane juice, cocoa, walnuts.
• Good source of fiber (3 grams in the Caramel Nut), and provides 100 percent of the recommended daily folic acid.
• Just 25 to 30 grams of carbs per bar, including the fiber and 12 grams of sugar (other varieties vary slightly, but are within that range).
• Low in fat.

Cons

• Some of the fat is saturated.
• Protein is less than 10 grams per bar, so that might not be enough for what you want.

KIND Fruit + Nut: The name says it all.

Pros

• Gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, high in fiber and low in cholesterol, sodium.
• Ingredients are pure: nuts, honey, puffed rice, dried fruit, etc.
• Relatively low in carbs and sugars, with just 12 grams of carbs and 8 grams of sugar in the Nut Delight flavor.
• 5 percent of the company's profits go to the PeaceWorks Foundation, so if you like such causes, have a bite!
• The flavors are simple, but wholesome and naturally sweet. You can feel quite virtuous after eating these!

Cons

• Higher in fat than some of the other bars (though it's the "good fats" found in nuts and seeds).
• KIND offers a Sesame and Nut with Chocolate bar, but the chocolate isn't the overwhelming flavor. So if you're trying to beat a chocolate craving post-workout, this line of bars won't do it.
• Less than 10 grams of protein in most bars.

CLIF Bar (Banana Nut Bread flavor)

Pros:

• Nice sweet flavor and a chewy texture that almost reminds you of real banana bread or a brownie.
• Low in fat, and 4 grams of fiber plus 100% of the daily recommended vitamins C and E.
• Lots of organic ingredients, many of them recognizable real food: roasted soybeans, diced bananas, cane juice, unsweetened chocolate.

Cons:

• These bars tend to be more in the 250 calories and over range, and the carb count is higher than other bars (the banana nut has 42 grams.)
• The sugar is high, at 22 grams, and I noticed the first ingredient listed is "organic brown rice syrup," which is basically a honey-like sweetener. So organic, schmanic -- it's still made more out of a syrup sweetener than anything else. You might as well just eat a slice of banana bread.

Pure Protein High Protein Bar: For when those Snickers cravings hit

Pros

• Great chocolate flavors: Chocolate Deluxe, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and S'mores, to name a few.
• Low in fat, low in sugar, and less than 20 carbs per bar.
• Has 25% of daily recommended calcium and vitamins A,C, and E.
• High in protein: 19 to 20 grams per bar

Cons

• All sorts of manufactured and processed ingredients, from "fractionated palm kernel oil" to "hydrolized collagen (is that something you inject into your forehead for wrinkles!?).
• Contains sugar alcohols, which might cause an uneasy stomach.

So there you have it, a breakdown of the bars. I would love to hear your thoughts on these. And if you a favorite go-to bar not listed here, let us know!

And my faves? For all-natural, "real food" goodness I go for the KIND bars. For those moments when I want a Snickers bar or when I want my protein snack to have chocolate in it: PURE Protein bars!

Coming up: Conquer ancient pyramids -- via treadmill...Awww yeah! Hello glutes!

Recruitment in the Badass Army starts young

You drop the Eff Bomb in front of your toddler, and whattaya know? She drops her sippie cup the next morning and exclaims with a sweet smile..."Eff, Mommy!"

You eat a donut for breakfast but try to give your kindergartner a banana with oatmeal. "No!" he says. "Donut!" Well, who could blame him? He just wants the same breakfast as Daddy.

Children see, hear and mimick just about everything they see adults do -- the healthy Badass stuff, the just plain bad stuff, and the lazy stuff. From those observations of your habits they start to form their own. At an early age.

So when you're living the Badass lifestyle, your children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews are watching and mimicking. When you're vegging in front of the couch with a bucket of fried chicken, don't be surprised if they end up doing the same.

So what's it gonna be, Badasses? What kind of Badass Army are you building under your own roof?

Based on current childhood health statistics, the Badass Army we are building in our footsteps is weak and headed for a life of blood pressure medication and cholesterol drugs. They eat and drink too much junk. They sit around when they should be running around outside. They worry about insulin for their diabetes when they should be worried about Clearasil for their pimples.

I am not a parent yet, but I am the oldest sibling and my maternal instincts run deep. I have cared for many baby and toddler cousins. When I see out-of-shape children who couldn't even slow-jog a mile if their life depended on it, I feel sad, angry, frustrated, and sad all over again.

If I can achieve anything with this blog, I hope to reverse that trend. Maybe only for a few little Badass kiddies. But hopefully for many.

The only way that happens is with your help. And you will benefit just as much as your baby Badasses. I guarantee your journey to fitness will be less bumpy if you aren't doing it alone. 'Finding time' for exercise will be easier if you turn that exercise into family time with a bike ride or a game of Frisbee. Eating healthy won't be such a chore if you turn it into a weekend cooking lesson with the little ones.

My friend Jenn, aka Badass Bertsch, got her little guy Patton two cookbooks for Christmas, including Betty Crocker Kids Cook! Book. Jenn says it is a great first cookbook for kids interested in learning how to be little chefs.

Now Patton, 8, loves making healthy smoothies for the whole family including his brother Tripp, 10. The boys, at Mama Bertsch's urging, are also active with baseball and tennis. (Check out Tripp's swing!) 

My friend Stacey, a blog reader, spent a recent weekend in the kitchen with her little boy Walker, cooking the Italian Vegetable Stew recipe I shared on the blog. And Walker often rides bikes with Dad, an avid cyclist.

At my gym the other day, I walked into the 7 a.m. Spinning class as the 6 a.m. crew was just wrapping up. I saw a school-age boy, probably about 12, wiping down the bike he had just ridden. His mom was right next to him, cleaning off hers. I asked him if it was his first time taking a class, and he smiled real big and said yes.

"It was fun," he told me. "I liked it."

That made me so happy, I just about cried. I mean, how awesome is that? There he is, before school, exercising and revving up his brain for the day of learning ahead.

So the next time your kids want McDonald's for dinner or yet another round of Nickelodeon reruns, remember that the Badass Army always needs fresh recruits.

I know it's often easier because of time constraints and the realities of our own impatience to just give in to their pleas for fries and coke. But consider these alternatives, and you might be surprised how the little Badasses like them:

• Skip the fast food line and have a turkey burger grill party at home.
• Let them make their own little pizzas and use low-fat cheese and turkey pepperoni on whole-wheat English muffins or pitas
• Look for healthy options, even at fast food places. Subway, McDonalds, and Starbucks all have fruit as sides instead of fries, milk instead of soda.
• If they want juice, give them permission to get messy -- by squeezing fresh OJ themselves!
• Schedule weekly activities that get them moving, and get you together asa family: bike rides, Frisbee, tennis, even Marco Polo in the pool.
• Let them help plan dinner, with thi game: How many colors can we get on the plate? That way they have to include something veggie and nutritious.
• Find local 5Ks that include a 1K walk/run option -- perfect for the little ones. Hopefully they'll get hooked on the race-day energy of all those crowds!

And, a final suggestion: Show them this recipe from Patton and ask your little Badasses if they would like to make tomorrow's breakfast!

Patton's Pineapple Smoothie

• 2 medium Bananas
• 2 cups fat-free Vanilla yogurt (or substitute with Greek yogurt)
• Chef's Choice of:
• • 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
  • I cup orange juice

Mix it all up in a blender and serve! (Patton likes to use fresh strawberries and fresh pineapple with the yogurt and bananas, and he skips the orange juice). Serves 4.

Coming tomorrow: Friday Confessional -- Whataburger for breakfast!? Fro-yo and pecans for 'dinner, and a bottle of wine with Brett Farvre!