Curried Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Did you know Quinoa is high in fiber and high-quality protein?

In fact, it contains more protein than any other grain while also packing in iron and potassium.

One half cup of quinoa has 14 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.

This superfood is classified as a whole grain and is naturally gluten-free.

Despite the amazingness of this protein-packed grain, I've never been a huge fan of it.

Until now.

I have found a great recipe, and I'm gonna share it with you!

Curried Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Makes approx. 6, 1 cup servings

1 cup dry Quinoa

2 cups water

1 Tbs. Hot Madras Curry

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. crushed/ground red pepper (cayenne)

pinch of salt

Combine above ingredients in a loosely covered microwave safe bowl, cook on high for 8-10 minutes (or until most of the water is absorbed) and let stand in microwave. Alternatively, you can cook the Quinoa and water according to package directions, adding spices with Quinoa.) Chill.

In a big bowl, combine:

2 medium carrots, finely shredded

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 thinly sliced scallions

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and finely chopped

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a separate small bowl, mix

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. lime zest

the juice of 2 limes

and toss over the fruit and veggie mixture, then mix together with chilled, spiced Quinoa.

Serve over 1 cup of salad greens.

Just some friendly advice...

They say it takes about 30 days to develop a habit. Here's my challenge for you:

Start NOW!

By starting developing healthy habits now, you can avoid the holiday weight gain and get on top of your health and fitness before things get crazy busy and you get wrapped up in the holiday hub-bub.

Don't know where to start? That's what I'm here for!

Email anytime: amusgrove@hotmail.com

Avoid Becoming a Statistic This Fall

My favorite time of year is Fall. I don't know if it's because of the festivities, the friends and family get-togethers, or because I love getting my Fall fragrance candles out of the cupboard. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!!! My downfall is Fall, though. I love candy from Halloween, I love eating at Thanksgiving almost more than I like Christmas, and I love the leftovers! I just love food, have I ever mentioned that?!

Statistics show that on average, people gain 11 pounds from October 31st to January 1st. ELEVEN POUNDS?! That's significant! Decide NOW if you want to be a statistic this year, or if you want to be proactive and start making choices NOW that will affect your health and wellness for the better. Don't just say you'll do better at portion sizes or not eat certain things, get SPECIFIC with your goals. For instance:

1) My opinion is to not deprive yourself of anything, ever. So if there's something you like, have it, just have a small portion. If you love Snickers (at Halloween), pick one day, have ONE Snickers, and be done. It's OKAY to throw Halloween candy away. I promise! If you love pumpkin pie, have a small piece or make a healthier, crust-less version. I will be posting a great pumpkin pie recipe soon!

2) Fill up on veggies from the veggie tray FIRST before grazing the other party food.

3) Make healthier cooking choices. Cut down on some of the fat by substituting apple sauce or chicken stock instead.

4) Drink lots of water! I like drinking a big glass of water right before a party or other place where I know I'm going to want to eat a lot. It helps you feel fuller and also has a huge list of other amazing benefits.

5) Start a workout program NOW! If you currently aren't working out, I can give you advice on where to start with your workouts. It takes 30 days to get into a habit, (I'm full of statistics today!) so if you start NOW, you'll already be into a great routine by the time Halloween gets here. Plus, workouts help boost your mood, which can be helpful in the cold, winter months.

6) Look for new, healthier recipes for your holiday feasts. Yes, it might be tradition to make your Grandma's stuffing, but if it's packed with butter, trying a new recipe might be a great idea. I will be posting lots of healthy recipes this Fall for you to try!

I'd love to hear your advice. What things to you try to do SPECIFICALLY to not over-indulge during the holidays? Let's hear it!

In-Laws

For some people (most people, I should say), having the in-laws visit is a horrible, dreaded, completely unpleasant time that only happens for holidays or special occasions. They stress about having things perfect order. The house needs to be clean, whether they're going to get along with them and they count down the minutes until they leave.
Luckily for me, this isn't the case.
I LOVE my in-laws! They visit every other month or so, and it's great. We get along, sometimes too much! My husband sometimes jokes that they like me better than they like him. My mother-in-law and I are very good friends, in fact, I consider her one of my best friends. My father-in-law is a laid-back, cool guy that is very easy to get along with. They come, they stay, and we have a great time. They're awesome with our son...he loves playing with them and hates when they leave.
The ONE thing I DON'T like about when they visit is all of my regularly schedule eating plans go right out the window. D'oh! I think that my MIL and I are bad for each other because when we get around one another, we want to bake and try different treats. And because they are visiting, it kind of feels like a vacation, so of course, you make excuses. Well, I do at least. It's kind of a bad combination. Oh yeah, and of course you go out to eat more when you have visitors, right? So far we've eaten out at a cajun place and a bakery.
I have no willpower!
Luckily, today is a new day. After eating a lot yesterday, AND the day before that, actually, I've decided I hate feeling like crap. And by the way, I DO feel like crap when I eat that way. So, today it's back to my Shakeology. I need a good scrub brush in my insides, to really clean the junk out, and that's what I feel like Shakeology does.
So yes, I guess I AM counting down the days until they leave, but ONLY because I need to get my eating back on track, and clearly I can't do that when they're here. You know, it's that no willpower thing that I'm lacking!

Eating Right is Essential

So many of us have busy lives and fitting in a workout is hard enough, let alone eating right too. Did you know that 80% of what we look like is because of what we eat? 80%!!!! That's crazy! That just goes to show that we need to be watching what we eat, (and no, I don't mean looking-at-it-as-it-goes-into-our-mouths, type of "watching") but keeping track of what we put into our bodies, every single day. Here are a few pointers that I have for doing this:

*When grocery shopping, go shopping with a purpose. Plan healthy, realistic meals for your family before you go to the grocery store. This helps on spending less as well as helping you eat better because it's planned out.

*Have a plan of what you're going to eat for the whole day. For some people, planning this the night before works, some like to do it first thing in the morning. I plan every meal, as well as my snacks. If I know what I'm eating and around what time, I'll know what to reach for instead of roaming my fridge or pantry when I'm hungry. PLAN IT!

*Write down every thing you eat. This includes portion sizes and measurements of the amount you're eating. If you can, it's helpful to learn of the calorie content for these things too. That way you know how many calories you're consuming in a day and can monitor that more closely. If you want to lose weight, this is KEY! Even if you're trying to gain or maintain your weight, knowing how much you're actually consuming is very important!

*Some of my favorite websites for healthy eating are, of course, the Team Beachbody site (www.amymusgrove.com), www.eatcleandiet.com and www.sparkpeople.com. There are so many free resources out there to help with meal planning and keeping track of calories! If you want more advice, I'm just an email away!

"Everything you put in your mouth shapes what you look like." -Tosca Reno

Where Have I Been?

Blogging has definitely taken the back burner in my life recently. I've been consumed with parenting, teaching, housekeeping, and Facebook. I've actually recently deleted my 'other' blog and now I will just maintain my fitness one. If you're reading this and want to keep in touch, check here or catch up with me on Facebook.
Anyhoo...
Lots has been happening. I'm crazy for Zumba right now, and so are the members at Menifee Valley Athletic Club. We're going to be adding another Zumba to the schedule, starting in February. (See sidebar.) It's going great. I love teaching and interacting with great people.
I also just got certified to teach Spinning. I've kind of been slacking a little since the certification and haven't even gotten on a bike since. But my goal is to Spin at least once, hopefully twice, a week. I need to get stronger on the bike so that I can feel confident teaching.
Another goal of mine is to run more. Running is going to slim me down in the areas that I need slimming down in. My hips and thighs have always been my biggest problem area. I really want to incorporate more weight lifting as well. It's frustrating because it's hard to fit everything in when I'm teaching as much as I am. I'm not complaining though, since I do love my classes right now and I feel healthy, strong, and not tired, so that's good. In fact, I finally got on the TM today and did some hills and sprints. It was a good run.
Healthy eating is something that we're incorporating more of at our house too. Protein, healthy carbs, and vegetables for breakfast and lunch. Protein and vegetable for dinner. I'm trying to eat more often, with smaller portions. I have struggles, but I feel like I'm making positive changes that influence my family every day. That's a good feeling.
One woman said to me yesterday after Zumba class, "I joined this gym because of you." That was one of the best compliements I've ever received as an instructor.

Gym and eating

I've been trying to get into a new routine that includes going to the gym every morning. We wake up between 7-7:30, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush our teeth, and then we're off to the gym. I've been really good about it the past two weeks. Sebastian loves going to the Kids Club there, so it's a good thing for both of us. I've been going to some new classes. I like Spin, and I also tried Power Yoga yesterday. That's a good one too. Very challenging! Body Blast is a toning class that is a great workout, but I just like the faster paced workouts. I wish there were more Spin classes during times that I could go. But today I ran a little bit for the first time since the marathon. It was good. I'm going to try to incorporate speed work and hill work. I don't know if we're going to do the Memorial Day half marathon this year, but I want to be ready in case I decide I want to.

Now if only I could get my eating habits in check, I'd be set. Actually I feel like I've been doing a little better. I bought Jessica Seinfeld's 'Deceptively Delicious' cookbook. The recipes use pureed fruits and vegetables that you can't even notice. It's a great way to incorporate healthier eating, and I really like that. I'm not keeping track of my points, necessarily, but I'm just trying to make good choices. I know what a sensible breakfast is. That part is easy. Then I have a snack when we get home from the gym. Lunch and dinner are the harder parts of my day, I guess. With these recipes, hopefully I'll be able to do better.

Breaking free from the comfort zone!

I've decided to start doing Weight Watchers again. I'm doing it the free way this time. I'm not signing up for meetings or online stuff, I'm just using my Points calculator and a free recipe builder that I found online. I guess I've been doing this for about a week or so. Probably a little less. I've been making better choices. For instance, I'm not eating all of Sebastian's scraps that he doesn't eat, I'm just throwing them away. I also have stopped eating his snacks. Before, I was sharing all of his snacks with him. Totally mindless. I'm staying near 20 Points a day. A couple of days I have had treats, but definitely in moderation. I don't want to deprive myself of any one thing. If I want some candy, I'll eat some, but not the whole bag, you know? I haven't actually weighed myself for a while, but the last time I was at the doctors office, I was about 150. You know, that comfortable number that I keep coming back to and have been for years. I don't want to be 150 just because that's what I know. I want to see 130! Wow, what would that be like? Some of my jeans that were fitting a couple of months ago are now very tight and I hate that. I think that I'll be using those jeans as one of my measures for success. I have found already that the more prepared I am, the better it goes. I have breakfast for about 3 points, and then I plan my mid-morning snack. Usually I have a Smart Ones for lunch, and then an afternoon snack. Throw in a sensible dinner (usually a WW recipe) and you've got a great day. Planning and preparation are key. So, here's to good eating...

4 miles down...

Alright, yesterday was a day spent at Disneyland, so we didn't eat super great. Mostly PBJ's, but also a Mickey Mouse cookie, a few bites of Brandon's oatmeal raisin cookie (which by the way, Disneyland has the best oatmeal cookies I've ever eaten in my whole life!! Seriously!), popcorn, Coke....obviously not great. It's a good thing that we walked so much. Does that count for something? Today is a new start and kind of the beginning of the journey Heidi and I are taking together. This morning I've eaten half of a banana, I've run 4 miles, and now I'm getting ready for a mid-morning snack. Brunch, I guess. Anyway, I'll be teaching TK tonight, and then this week I really have to run more. I'm slowly phasing church aerobics out since it's totally not enjoyable right now. Here's to a good kick start to losing weight and eating healthy! Just think lifestyle change, lifestyle change, lifestyle change....I've got the exercising part down, it's just up to the eating part!