Quick and Easy Dinner: Lemon Ginger Pork with Brussels Sprouts

I may have said this previously, but I didn't eat Brussels sprouts growing up as a kid.  It's not that I didn't like them, I just had never tasted them.  I ate just about every other vegetable:  asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower...and I loved them all.  When I was an adult (just a few years ago, actually) I tried Brussels sprouts for the first time and I love them, too!  Come to find out, my mom does also, so I have no idea why she never gave them to me when I was growing up.  Anyway, the point of that story is Brussels sprouts are delicious and you should try them.  This recipe cooks them very simple with salt and pepper.  Annnnnnd I also had no idea they were BrusselS sprouts (with an 's' at the end) until, um, about 3 months ago.  Learn something new everyday...

Lemon Ginger Pork with Brussels Sprouts

2 servings

Yes, this is a winter plate.  In the middle of summer.

Ingredients

8 oz. pork tenderloin

1/4 c onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 T olive oil

2 T soy sauce

2 T lemon juice

1 t lemon zest

2 t ginger, minced

2 c Brussels sprouts, cut in half

salt and pepper

Put the onion, garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, ginger, and pork tenderloin in a bag and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.  Pre-heat oven to 375°.  Over a medium-high heat, heat a non-stick, oven-safe skillet and add pork to sear on both sides.  Arrange Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Put pork, in the skillet, and the Brussels sprouts into the oven.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until pork is done and Brussels sprouts are soft.

Focus T25 Day 3: Total Body Circuit

Let me start out this review by saying a few things.  First of all, I was sore today.  Not my whole body, but specifically my calves and hip flexors were hurting.  Once I started working out my calves were burning big time and my quads got in the mix there with the squats.  Second of all, this is not my favorite workout in this program.  It is an all-over workout, which is good, and it uses body weight, so no equipment.  I don't know there's just something about the flow of it that I don't like.  That doesn't mean I hate it or I'm not going to do it, I just don't love it.  I still ended up getting a great workout and was sweating big time, as usual.

Time for the review!

Today's Workout:  Total Body Circuit
Time:  25 minutes plus just over 3 minutes for the cool down stretch
Equipment:  None

The set-up of this workout is similar to the last workout:  do a progression of moves to get to a final move, then put all of the final moves together in The Burnout.  Unlike the last workout, this workout doesn't give you any stretch or rest throughout--it's constant up and down cardio and strength moves.

Warm-up:

• High Knee Lift (marching with knees high)
• Lift on the Toes (same as above, this time on the toes)
• Slow Control Jog (alternating left and right knee)
• High Knee Jog

• Hop Hop Turn (I would call this a hop turn:  you start facing left, hop once and then face the right)
• Jump Rope Run (back facing the left, alternate left and right foot forward and jump rope the arms)
• Hop Hop Hook (same as above, this time do a hook)
• Hop Hop Hook Squat (same as above, this time land in a squat with every hook)

Progression 1:

• Plank Shoulder Tap-L (in plank position, tap your right shoulder with your left hand and keep your core tight)
• Plank Shoulder Tap-R (switch hands)
• Shoulder Tap L and R with Push-Up (tap the shoulder left and right and then do a push-up)
• Shoulder Tap with Push-Up (tap the right shoulder, push-up, tap the left shoulder, push-up)

Progression 2:

• Alternating Front Lunge
• Alternating Front Lunge Squat (do the lunge on both legs, then jump into a squat)
• Alternating Front Lunge Squat 2x (same as above, this time jump two times in the squat position)
• Lunge Squat Progression (turn left lunge, center squat, turn right lunge, repeat)

Progression 3:

• 2 and 2 Jab (jab two times with your left arm, two times with your right, turning your hips and using your core)
• 2 and 2 Jab Turn (jab two times, then turn the other way, jab two times and repeat)
• 2 and 2 Jab In and Out (jab two times moving the feet in and out in a jack position, switch to other side)
• 2 and 2 Jab Moving In and Out (same as above this time move backwards with each jab and in and out--this is very fast!!)

Progression 4:

• Plank Hold (keep your core tight, back straight, elbows and shoulders in line)
• Plank Walk (in plank position, bring the left arm and left foot out, then bring the right arm and foot in to meet the opposite arm and leg, repeat)
• Plank Walk In and Out Abs (same as above, but do a plank walk left, then in and out abs, plank walk right, in and out abs)
• Plank Walk Squat Hold (plank walk left, jump into a squat position and hold, go back and down into plank and repeat on other side)

 Progression 5:

• Sprint
• Power Squat (jump down into a squat, arms out in front of you)
• Sprint Power Squat (sprint and then jump into power squat)
• Sprint Turn Power Squat Center (sprint, turn to the left, turn center and jump into squat, repeat on other side)

Progression 6:

• Walk Feet In and Out (in a plank position, walk the feet in four times, lifting the hips, then back four times)
• Hop 3x Feet In and Out (same as above but 3 hops in and out)
• Hop 2x Feet In and Out (same as above but 2 hops in and out)
• Pike Up (same as above but--you guessed it--one hop in and out)

Progression 7:

• Side Squat (simple squat facing left)
• 180° Squat (squat and then turn to face the right with a jump--use your core)
• 180° Squat Touch Floor (same as above but touch the floor each time you squat)
• 180° Squat Burpee (same as above, but do a squat right and left, back into burpee, hold the plank, then back into squat and repeat)

Progression 8:  (How are we still doing progressions?!?)

• Alternating Spider Lunge (in plank position, bring the right foot up to the right hand, back into plank, repeat with left)
• Spider Lunge Push-Up (same as above, but when the foot returns to plank, do a push-up, repeat)
• Spider Lunge Back Push-Up (right foot up, push-up, right foot back, push-up, repeat)
• Oblique Knee Push-Up (in plank position, bend the elbows into a push-up and then bring the knee up to the elbow--and try not to drop dead)

The Burnout:  (OMG, finally!!!)  Repeat all final moves of the progressions:

• Shoulder Tap with Push-Up
• Lunge Squat Progression
• 2 and 2 Jab Moving In and Out
• Plank Walk Squat Hold
• Sprint Turn Power Squat Center
• Pike Up
• 180° Squat Burpee
• Oblique Knee Push-Up

Stay on the floor!  Good news is we only have about 2 minutes left!

• Floor Sprints (in plank, alternate pulling your knees into your chest--I would call these mountain climbers on the floor)
• Body Run (alternate right and left foot forward and right and left arm forward--make this big, exaggerated and feet wide)

And just like that, you're done!  Whew!  This is a tough workout.  The up and down gets the heart rate way up and alternates strength and cardio moves so you get a great all over workout.  One thing that I want to say about the cueing in this workout is that to me, it's backwards.  I can't think of another workout that I've done where you start every move on the left, but for some reason, Shaun T does in this program.  I always want to start with the right, so usually I'm off sides.  It doesn't really matter, just is kind of odd and feels weird to start on the left!  I know I'll be feeling this workout tomorrow!

Quick and Easy Breakfast: Lox and a Bagel

I love salmon!  It is especially delicious when it is accompanied by cream cheese and a bagel.  Now, a lot of nutrition experts say that you shouldn't eat bagels because they are so high in carbs, blah, blah, blah.  I an NOT an expert, so don't go by why I say, but I say EAT THE BAGEL.  Someone who grew up eating bagels and whose entire family is from New York could never not eat a bagel.  I don't even know if this is considered a real bagel since it's whole wheat, but I digress.  I also don't know if this could be considered a real recipe as it is literally 3 things put together, but, hey, let's give it a whirl anyway.

Lox on a Bagel

1 serving

2 oz. lox

1 T light or whipped cream cheese

1/2 whole wheat bagel

tomato slices, to taste

 1 c cantaloupe (or other fruit)

 

Toast the bagel 1/2 to desired doneness.  Top with cream cheese, tomato (if desired), and lox.  Serve with a side of fruit.

 

There you have it!  Doesn't get much easier than that!

 

• Make sure when you're buying lox that you look for smoked salmon or lox that is not soaked in oil. It should either be in a container prepared by your local grocery story or in pre-packaged in the seafood section.
• I usually don't use a tablespoon of cream cheese.  I've never been a big fan of it, so I just do a light spread.  You can use up to a tablespoon.
• I buy either Thomas' 100% whole wheat bagels or, now that I have a Publix in town (!!!!! I love Publix!), I buy the ones from their bakery.

 

Quick and Easy Dinner: Chicken and Shrimp Stir-fry

I love simple and easy dishes, especially when it comes to dinner.  Who wants to spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen when you're tired from working all day?  This is a very simple recipe and it's delicious!  This recipe takes only about 5 minutes to make!

Chicken and Shrimp Stir-fry

2 servings

 Ingredients

1 1/2 c (3 oz.) uncooked soba noodles (find these in the Asian foods section)

1 T safflower oil (or a similar oil)

4 oz. raw chicken breast, sliced

1/2 c snow peas

1 c bean sprouts (I didn't have these in my pantry so I did without)

4 oz. peeled shrimp

1 t ground ginger

1 t garlic powder

1 t low-sodium tamari

Cook the noodles and set aside.  Typically, these noodles take about 5 minutes to cook:  boil the water, add the noodles, cook for 2 minutes, drain.  Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook for a few minutes, then add snow peas, bean sprouts, and shrimp and cook for 1 or 2 minutes (be sure not to overcook your shrimp!).  Add ginger, garlic powder, and soy, stirring frequently.  Toss with noodles and split between two plates.

• You can substitute brown rice for the soba noodles.
• Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce, so if you don't have it, just use soy instead. 
• I added some carrots so I could have more vegetables.  I used two whole carrots and sliced them.  When I cooked them, I added them in with the chicken.

Focus T25 Day 2 Review: Speed 1.0

Day 2 is done and ready for a review.  This is my favorite kind of workout:  cardio at a very fast pace.  Not only does it test your cardiovascular system, it also tests your brain!  As always, there is a modifier, so if there are any moves that you don't feel ready to do yet, watch Tania.  Let's get going!

Workout:  Speed 1.0 (in month 2 there is 2.0 and in Gamma 3.0--they get progressively more difficult each time)
Time:  25 minutes with a cool down that is about 2 1/2 minutes (this is the same as yesterday's--Shaun calls it the "cardio cool down")
Equipment:  None

At the beginning of this workout (and throughout) Shaun T says that it is about "speed, stretch, and stability."  The set-up of this workout is as follows:  you start with what could be called a warm up, but you really just jump right into the moves, then you do a cardio move followed by a stretch move, and then at the end, you do The Burnout, which is where you put all the cardio moves together and end with a short stretch.  I believe each of the main moves are 1 minute.  They may be 45 seconds, hell, they may be 30 seconds but they're just so intense it seemed like they were a minute.

Warm-Up:

• Jog
• Hop Hop Turn (Shaun has to turn to the left, do two hops to turn your body to face the right and then do two hops to go back to the left)
• Hop Hop Hook (same as before, except this time when you turn, do a hook with your left arm and then your right)
• Hop Hop Hook Squat (same as above, this time go into a squat when you turn)
• Jog

Main Moves:  Again, here you do a cardio move, then follow it with a stretch.  This repeats until you get to The Burnout.

• Up and Over (bring your left knee up and tap your toe to the outside of your right foot, then switch to the other knee)
• Quad Stretch (pull you heel up towards your butt, keeping your hips in line)

• Burpee with Front Kick (go down and back into a burpee and when you come up, kick your left leg and then right alternating)
• Knee Bend (put your left ankle on your right knee and bend into the stretch with your hands in prayer at your chest, switch legs)

• Side Hop Uppercut (as you jump side to side, do an uppercut--make sure to use your core)
• Side Stretch Lunge (bend into your right knee keeping your left leg straight side to side *random comment time!  everytime I hear the music at this part it reminds me of Lil' Kim's How Many Licks and then I can't get it out of my head...until the next move starts, of course, because then I'm thinking about that...)

• Low Crossjack (bend your arms and alternate crossing them above and below each other at chest height while your feet cross in front and back of each other)
• Hip Flexor Hold (push your right heel towards the back wall and feel the stretch in your hips, switch legs)

• Zig-Zag Hop (feet move side to side for 4 counts and then alternate knees up)
• Knee Hold (alternate pulling our knee into your chest--don't mind the sweat on your legs!)

• Squat Thrust with Crisscross (do two squat jumps forward and then four quick crisscrosses with legs and arms alternating, then two squat jumps back and repeat)
• Leg Crossover Stretch (bring your left foot to the outside of your right foot and reach down, switch sides)

• Heisman Crossword (Heisman is in the Insanity and Max 30 warmup, so you may be familiar with it:  it's 1-2-3-knee to the left and then back to the right, then to the back and then front)
• Heisman Crossword with Clap (same as above but clap under the knee that is up)
• Flat Back Roll-up (stretch up, go down into flat back, bend to the floor, hands on knees and roll up)

• Crisscross Hop (cross feet in front and back and then hop up--this is my favorite move in this workout!)
• Crisscross Hop with Half-Tuck Jump (same as before but instead of just doing a hop, hit the thighs in a half-tuck jump--not as much of a favorite)
• Calf Stretch (same position as the hip flexor stretch before, but this time push your heel into the ground to really stretch the calf)

• Slow/Quick Jab  (do two punches with your right up, two with your left, then go into a squat and do 8 quick jabs)
• Chest Opener Stretch (keep knees bent, interlace fingers and push out to stretch the chest while straightening legs, then interlace fingers behind your back to stretch the chest)

The Burnout:  Repeat each of the cardio moves

• Up and Over
• Burpee with Front Kick
• Side Hop Uppercut
• Low Crossjack
• Zig-Zag Hop
• Squat Thrust with Crisscross
• Heisman Crossword/Heisman Crossword with Clap
• Crisscross Hop/Crisscross Hop with Half-Tuck Jump
• Slow/Quick Jab

Stretch and Stability:  the last minute or so is some stretching:  arms up and breathe, flat back down to the floor, jump back into plank, up into downward dog, back into plank, feet wide to standing and roll up; repeat; breathe two times at the end.

Cool down:  make sure to do this!  It's about 2.5 minutes at the end.

I also added Ab Attack 10 to this from Insanity:  Max 30.  You can find my review here.

I like this workout, partly because you get the stretch, but then I dislike the workout for the same reason.  I like the cardio parts but then I feel like I get off my rhythm when I stop to stretch...but it is nice to catch my breath every once in a while.  I really enjoy The Burnout and like that this workout has a slight stretch at the end and then the cool down. 

Insanity Max :30: Ab Attack 10

Well, hellooooooo there!  I am not currently doing Insanity:  Max 30, but rather another Shaun T workout called Focus T25.  However, I have done I:M30 several times and felt like I wanted to add on an ab workout to my cardio today.  I picked Ab Attack to stay within the Shaun T theme.

The workout is 10 minutes, 10 moves, 1 minute each.  Even though it's only 10 minutes, you will feel this workout.  Yowza!  Let's get to it!

Workout:  Ab Attack 10
Time:  10 minutes

• Seated Tuck Jump (sitting down, knees bent, bring your knees into your chest and tap your thighs)
• Side Plank Punches (turn over into plank position on your forearms and alternate punching to the right and left, keeping your core tight and your hips still)
• Knee-Push Extension (back into seated tuck jump position, this time "push" off of your thighs, arms overhead and lay flat, then pull back into seated position)
• Reciprocating Knee (back into plank on the forearms, alternate tapping your knee to the ground, making sure to keep your core tight and your hips tucked)
• Switch Kick Punches (on your back, one leg up to the ceiling, the other parallel to the ground, punch towards the foot that is in the air and then switch legs and arms)
• High-Plank Toe-Tap (in a high plank position this time, alternate bringing your knee in towards your chest and tapping your toe--this is at a very fast pace and takes a lot of coordination and core control!)
• Sprint (sitting, alternate legs out straight and arms moving fast like you're sprinting but sitting down)
• Push-Up Back Extension (lay flat on your stomach and then push up into plank, back down on the ground and lift up your arms and legs)
• Knees-up Ab Attack (sitting with your knees bent, alternate pushing your hands out in front of you quickly)
• Drum V (straighten our your legs so your body is in a "v" and then punch yourself in the stomach--very difficult to keep your legs straight and your abs engaged, my hip flexors always start burning)

And there you have it!  This is a great addition to any workout because it is a very quick and effective ab workout.  You will feel it when you're done and it's only 10 minutes.  Try not to laugh tomorrow!  :)

Focus T25 Day 1 Review: Cardio

I know that I haven't been posting much to the blog recently and for that I am sorry!  With school starting last week I was super busy not to mention very tired.  Plus, I figured that nothing I was doing was worth blogging about anyway.  I have to be honest:  I wasn't as on track as I should have been with my eating nor working out last week, BUT I am back this week, starting fresh, ready to take on my latest self-inflicted challenge, Focus T25.  I started this program a while ago but something else came along and I stopped without finishing the full 60 days.  Well, not this time!  I have an accountability group to help me and I will get through it!  I love fast-paced cardio and Shaun T, so this is perfect for me.

It feels good to know I'm burning a ton of calories in only 25 minutes!

I made it through workout one with minimal incident, only semi-wanted to stop once but didn't, and didn't shed any tears (yet).  The reviews for these workouts are going to be a little different than 21 Day Fix and Extreme because the workouts are different.  For the first month the calendar rotates through 5 different workouts labeled "Alpha" and then the second month moves into more intense workouts called "Beta."  There is also "Gamma" which can be added on as a third month.  I plan to add that on after I do the 60 days of the base program so the whole program will be 90 days.

Without further yapping, let's get to the review!

Workout:  Cardio
Time:  25 minutes, plus a 2 1/2 minute cooldown (it is very important to do this--never skip the cooldown and stretch!)
Equipment:  None

The set up of this workout as best I can describe it is you do several moves that "build" up to a final move in a progression.  I believe each of the moves is approximately 30 seconds, but between hair and sweat flying, I couldn't see nor focus on the timer.  I was too busy trying to breathe!  After you do four of those progressions, you then do something called 'The Burnout," which is where you put those final moves together.  Then, you move on to the next set of four moves.  This is done twice and then you finish with a power move and pseudo-cool down at the end of the actual workout.

Progression 1:  Jumping Jacks

• Alternating Knee Lift
• Alternating Knee Lift on Toes (same move but don't put the heel down)
• Slow Control Jog (you have to really balance here on one leg--keep lifting your knee up to your waist)
• High Knee Jog
• Jack Feet (in and out with hands together in prayer at the chest)
• Double Jack Feet (same thing as above but two out and two in)
• Double Jack Feet with Arms (when feet are out, arms are up)
• Jumping Jack (touch fingertips each time at the top)

Progression 2:  Step out Lunge with Floor Tap

• Step out Lunge (feet start together, turn left and lunge leg back, then step together and turn to the other side, opposite leg back)
• Step out Lunge with Hop (same as before, except this time hop to switch legs)
• Step out Lunge with Knee Tap (lunge with a hop and this time touch your knee)
• Step out Lunge with Floor Tap (lunge with a hop and touch the floor, make sure to keep your back straight)

Progression 3:  Lateral Mountain Climbers

• Heel Tap up and Back-L (keeping your right leg still and slightly bent, move your left foot up and back quickly)
• Heel Tap up and Back-R (same as above but switch legs)
• Lateral Sprint (quickly move feet side to side)
• Lateral Mountain Climbers (still moving side to side but now go into mountain climbers, where you bring your knee up to your waist and quickly alternate)

Progression 4:  Half Tuck Jump

• Jump Rope (feet together, small jumps off the ground)
• Up and Back Jump Rope (same movement but now move forward and backward with each jump)
• Slow Up and Back Jump Rope (same move as before but when you jump forward hold for a beat and then move backward and hold for a beat)
• Half Tuck Jump (quick jumps off the floor and slightly bend knees, tap your legs each time your jump--you don't have to get very high off the floor for this move, which is rare for Shaun T...)

Burnout 1:  Jumping Jacks, Step out Lunge with Floor Tap, Lateral Mountain Climbers, Half Tuck Jump

Now we move into the next set of movements.  We don't come back to the ones we already did in this workout.

Progression 1:  Hop Hop Squat

• Slow Squat (regular squat, squeeze on the way up)
• Hop Squat (squat position, stay low, jump "just about an inch" off the floor--my jump was about a centimeter)
• Hop Up and Back (two hops up and two hops back, staying low the whole time)
• Hop Hop Squat (two hops to the left and into a squat, two hops to the right and into a squat)

Progression 2:  On Your Mark Up and Down

• On Your Mark Sprint-L (get in an "on your mark" position with your left leg back, right leg bent, and when Shaun T says, explode up into a sprint)
• On Your Mark Up and Back-L (in the same position as before, don't go into a sprint but rather bring your left leg up in front of your right and then back into the on your mark position--this is fast)
• On Your Mark Spring-R (same as above but on the other leg)
• On Your Mark Up and Back-R (same as above but on the other leg) 

Progression 3:  Switch Kicks (oh, everybody's favorite!)

• Low Kicks (arms up by your ribs, kick your feet out quickly--here he says "I bet you're thinking, 'Shaun T, I never thought you'd give us a break like this'" and you're right, he isn't because soon we'll be doing something insane)
• Low Kicks Heels Up (same as before but this time keep your heel off the ground)
• Low Kicks Fast (quickly alternating feet kicking off the ground but keep it low)
• Switch Kicks (arms moving and kick ups fast and alternating up to your waist) 

Progression 4:  Speed and Agility

• Running Lunge (alternating feet up and back quickly)
• Up and Back (start with feet together and move your left leg forward, feet together, right leg forward, quickly)
• Side to Side (open your feet to the side like you're doing a jumping jack, in and out quickly, hands moving open and closed with the feet)
• Speed and Agility (here you put Up and Back and Side to Side together so it goes like this:  up center, back center, out two times [it helps if you say it in a rhythm])

Burnout 2:  Hop Hop Squat, On Your Mark Up and Down (L then R, 15 seconds each), Switch Kicks, Speed and Agility

Power Move

• Hop Up an Back (hands out in front, hop the feet forward and back quickly)
• Hop Side to Side (keeping the upper body still, move the hips side to side quickly)
• Speed Knee Slow (alternate lifting knees and tap the knee each time)
• Speed Knee Fast (like before but move the knees fast!)
• Fast Jog (alternate knees and move hands in a fast jog)
• Slow Jog (alternate knees and move slowly from one to the other, like at the beginning)

Oh, boy, and just like that, you're done!  This workout does go by surprisingly fast!  After the workout is the cool down, which consists of some quick stretches for the legs and back.  Do this cool down.  Your body needs it to bring the heart rate down and stretch the muscles to prevent soreness and injury.

I really enjoyed this workout!  I love intense cardio and this fit the bill.  My legs were seriously burning on the lunges, but that just means it's working, right?  I'm looking forward to tomorrow which is Speed 1.0.  I actually did this workout as an added cardio workout when I was doing Chalean Extreme and I'm really looking forward to it again!