Whole Wheat Berry Pancakes Recipe

Whole Wheat Berry Pancake Recipe

• Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1/2 cup of mixed berries
• 1/4 cup of egg whites
• 1 tablespoon of stevia
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink sea salt

• Directions
• Mixed all the dry ingredients together. Sift through the flour and other dry ingredients accordingly.
• Add the almond milk and egg whites together. Slowly mix with the dry ingredients. Add the mixed berries. If using frozen will have to add more flour.
• Heat a pan to medium high and lightly grease it. Use a 1/2 cup to measure out the pancakes. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes each side. 
• Makes up to 4 pancakes. 

How to Have A Healthy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving is today and many of us are planning on seeing family, friends, and eating good foods. Here are some easy tips to make your Thanksgiving a healthy one!

• Eat only 1 - 2 servings of turkey and other sides
• Do not overload your plate
• One serving without skin: 4 oz. = 173 calories (depending on how it was cooked)
• Limit your eating to 2nd's and not 3rd's
• Add whole grain to your stuffing (brown rice, bulgur, millet or barely)
• Lowers many chronic diseases 
• Helps weight management 
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers gum disease and tooth decay
• Include at least 3 dark green vegetable side dishes
• Has less calories per serving
• Has vitamins, lowers cholesterol, and blood pressure
• Tons of Fiber to keep your weight management in check
• Recipes:
• Broccoli, Shitake and Red Onion Roast
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots
• Use Turkey Bacon for less calories
• Healthy sweet potato recipe
• Sweet potato is loaded with vitamin C vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and iron
• Used by bodybuilders to help build muscle
• Recipe
• Sweet potato & Quinoa Casserole
  
• Healthy pie recipe
• Make sweet pies without all the unwanted extra calories
• Recipe:
• Pear Custard Pie
• If you want to try everything that is displayed to eat for Thanksgiving, then get small portions of each.
• Getting 1 - 2 oz of each dish will save you unwanted calories you do not want to take in and will save you from looking like a prude during Thanksgiving.
• Take your time while eating
• Your body does not know it is full until 20 minutes. 
• Take your time and converse with your family and friends. I'm sure there is a lot of catching up to do.
• Drink red wine, low calorie beer, fresh squeezed juices, and/or water
• Cut out sodas, especially diet sodas
• Red wine is loaded with anti-oxidants
• Drink beer like Miller 64 and other low calories that are under 100 calories
• Fresh orange juice or homemade organic lemonade has less calories than the high corn syrup prepackage ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

        ~Candace~

New Moon and How It Can Be a Positive Phase for Your Fitness!

Image Credits: JCCC Astronomy

The moon revolves around the Earth, which puts it in 4 main phases: New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon & Last Quarter.

The New Moon is the beginning of the Lunar Phase, and it looks like a slender, crescent in the sky. Spiritually it means for new beginnings and renewal, a chance to start over with a clean slate! When it comes to fitness there are many times you will fall off the bandwagon, but it does not mean you can't start over! As I have been practicing my photography skills lately, taking shots of the moon in distinct phases, I started looking up more information about it and saw how the spiritual meaning can really help my clients organize themselves mentally and spiritually to reach their fitness goals. 

Shot with My Nikon D3400

New Moon Journal Ideas:

You should be writing down your workouts, how much weight you used, your food intake and how you feel in your fitness journal. If you have not, this could be the reason you are not seeing the changes that you want. As a personal trainer, I always make note of clients' workouts, changes in training phases, their triumphs and failures besides also creating their meal plans. This is why you pay so much for personal training because we do all the paperwork (journaling), motivation, implementing and changing the plan that you are not capable of doing on your own. So, make sure if you do not have a personal trainer that you work with, write down everything when it comes to reaching your fitness goals. 

Here Are Some Other New Journaling Ideas to Consider Adding:

• What motivates you? 
• Release unhealthy habits that are hindering your fitness success and try out healthy ones. 
• Write down 3 - 5 reasons why you want to get healthy. 
• Visualize how you want to feel and look inside and out. 
• What is your favorite way to get yourself delighted over working out? 
• What fitness goals would you like to achieve by the next Full Moon? 

2013 Austin, Tx.

Write a goodbye letter to something that is no longer helping you reach your goals and fitness goals. Burn this letter under the New Moon as a way to release anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, fears, stress, and old habits. Make a visualization board for your regular and fitness goals! Seeing your goals in front of you really helps you to stay focused! Try out a new healthy recipe you found online, or a friend shared.

My Beginning 2007

 

Another thing to try is making a list of your greatest fitness accomplishments. This also includes just staying consistent with going to the gym. That is a huge accomplishment because most would rather be home. Make a playlist of your favorite songs for workout and cardio sessions. 

Stay focus, stay consistent and the changes will happen!

Candace

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Casserole Recipe

 

• Ingredients:

4 cups of diced sweet potato

3 tbsp of water

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 cup of thinly, sliced onion

2 tbsp of garlic

2 cups of chicken broth

1/3 cup of wine white

1 1/2 cup of quinoa

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 paprika

1/2 cup of queso fresco

1/4 cup of fresh cilantro

• Directions
• Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Step 2: Add sweet potato cubes, onions and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add broth, quinoa, wine, salt, cumin, cinnamon and paprika. Bring to a boil. 
• Step 3: Spoon the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are tender and the liquid is fully absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes.

• Step 4: Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 8 inches from the heat source until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Beaver Full Moon is a Time to Rid of Bad Habits & Negative Thoughts that Effect Your Fitness Goals

Blood Moon Eclipse

During the Beaver Full Moon is a great time to start dump the bad habits and negative thoughts. Take on this Holiday season free of any impediments holding you back from reaching or maintaining your fitness goals. It is time to reach those goals and intentions before the Winter holidays are here. The Beaver Full Moon symbolizes the beaver's ability to be creators of their own lives which is the perfect time for self-reflection, meditation, and celebration for changing your life to the best it can be health wise. 

Blood Moon Partial Eclipse

On the other side, the Blood Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus symbolizes indulging in "the good life", comfort and pleasure is prioritized. Make sure to keep a healthy balance of the "good life". Taking part of too many Holiday celebrations that coincide with drinking alcohol and decadent foods can ruin all that hard work you have spent training and eating clean. Lots of pleasure can be found with maintaining an equilibrium of being healthy, keeping your fitness goals intact and enjoying the Holidays with friends and family.  

Beaver Full Moon 

Beaver Moon Spiritual Meaning and Intentions for Health and Fitness

• Protection
• Protect yourself from negative influences that will ruin all the demanding work you have put into getting healthy and strong.
• Release
• Release all those negative thoughts and bad habits that will steer you away from your fitness goals.
• Cleansing
• Drink lots of water, eat nutrient dense foods, get 7 - 9 hours of sleep, destress with fitness and meditation. Get outside and take a walk, run or bike. Getting in tune with nature has a very cleansing and relaxing effect on the human body. 
• Empathy
• Don't feel negative thoughts towards people who don't understand your fitness journey. Just remove Negative Nancys from your circle and surround yourself with likeminded, positive people. Remember, they lash out at you because they feel they must be responsible for their own fitness. 
• Transformation
• You are the creator of your own life. It is never too late to transform it into a healthy one physically and mentally. 
• Preparation
• Everything takes preparation. So does eating healthy, maintaining a weekly workout schedule and regular life. Our phones have made it very easy to schedule the week/month for work, family life and play. You can also use a pocketbook journal with a calendar. Schedule your workouts and meal preps just like you would schedule any other important appointment. You will have enough time to prepare for anything if you schedule it beforehand. 

Become and maintain the dream version of yourself you have always wanted to be. Make a visual board of your next goals for the end of the year to the beginning. Review your New Year's resolutions from the beginning of this year. Did you reach all or most of them? Get rid of old clothes that do not fit any more. You do not need to hold onto an item of clothing out of guilt. Donate, sell or throw them away. Having these clothes will only give you the opportunity to get comfortable with gaining weight again. 

There is nothing selfish about taking care of your health and well-being!

Candace Foxx

Immune Boosting, Inflammation Reducing and Vitamin C Rich Tonic Recipe

 

Hibiscus, Ginger & Echinacea Tonic

1/2 gal of distilled or spring water

1/2 cup of dried hibiscus

1/4 cup of fresh ginger root

1/8 cup of dried echinacea flower

Directions: Make an infusion and boil the herbs for 10 - 15 minutes on medium high. Strain the herbs and store in the fridge. Drink whenever you feel you need a boost for the day! 

Hibiscus: 

• Protects with antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and anthocyanin
• Fights inflammation
• Lowers blood pressure & cholesterol
• Promotes weight loss
• Fights bacteria
• Supports liver health

Ginger:

• May provide relief from motion sickness and alleviate nausea from morning sickness or chemotherapy
• Helps manage blood pressure and support heart health
• Helps manage weight and blood sugar levels
• Can relieve pain and inflammation
• May have cancer-fighting properties

Echinacea:  

• Contains antioxidants flavonoids, cichoric acid and rosmarinic acid which help to bolster the immune system. 
• Encourages production of white blood cells. 
• Contain compounds called alkamides which can further promote antioxidants actively lowering blood sugar levels, reducing anxiety and treating certain skin conditions. 
• It may also be used to treat pain, inflammation, and migraines 
  

Sources:

• Clevlandclinic.org
• Healthline
• Happy Earth Tea Company

 

Apple Oatmeal Bread Recipe

Apple Oatmeal Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

•  Greek Yogurt 1 cup
• Olive oil ¼ cup
• Stevia 2 tb spoon
• Cinnamon ½ teaspoon
• Salt 1½ teaspoon
• Whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups
• Rolled Oats 1 1/2 cups
• Yeast 2½ teaspoon
• Apple (peeled and diced) 1⅓ cups

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 400 and grease your bread pan. I used a mini bread pan mold in the video above.
2. Add all the ingredients except the apples in a bowl. Add the mixture into the pan of the bread machine.
3. Select the required “dough cycle” and push start. Check the dough after 5 minutes.
4. Add the apple pieces 5 to 10 minutes before the ending of the last kneading cycle.
5. After the dough cycle is done, transfer it to your greased pan and back until a gold crust appears on top. With the mini bread pan I used, it took about 30 - 45 minutes. 

Tiktok Username: @candacemfoxx

 

 

Take It Easy While Coming Back to the Gym After the Quarantine

The year 2020 has not been kind to all of us and if you did not have the luxury of having your own home gym, you probably lost your gains of muscle and gained fat instead. I have seen posts of people talking about that they have gained 25 lbs in 2 months of being quarantined. I have to break the BAD NEWS for all of you, it might take LONGER than 2 months to lose that weight all over again. Unfortunately, it is very easy for our bodies to gain fat, but it takes 10 times as much effort to lose the weight. One of the things you have to remember is you have to make a deficit in your caloric intake plus burn calories in order to burn fat. You also have to burn at least 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat. Your intake is 80% of the equation and you have to get back on track while you have access to a gym now. No telling if it will be shut down again in the near future. 

Take it easy when getting back to the weight and cardiovascular training. If you have not lifted since they shut the gyms down, do not expect to lift the same amount of weight you were used to before. You will not be able to push the weight and can easily injure yourself. Why do that and then end up not working out for a longer period of time. Start out with light weight and do enough repetitions were you feel a burn sensation in your muscles. Your gonna get sore all over again like it was the first time training. It will not be a pleasant feeling, but you did it one time before you can do it again. As you get used to the light weight training and you do not feeling a burning sensation while training, then it is time to move up in weight. Moving up slowly will ensure that you do not get injured. Train smart and with your brain, not your EGO!

The same for the weights is the same for the cardiovascular training. Long time ago, I had to take some time off of running because I was not gaining the weight I need for off season. I was used to running 7 miles or more. I took off 9 weeks from running and other types of cardio. When it was time to start with my competition prep, I decided to go for a run and told myself that I would only do 3 miles. Well once I got to 3 miles, I felt like I could go to 5 miles. I ended up running 7 miles, went home took a hot shower and made sure I stretched real good. Well, once I settled in that is when the soreness started to kick in. It went from SORENESS and STIFFNESS to PAIN. I could not stand it after 3 days and had to go get Cryo Therapy. After being flash freezed alive, I came out 70% better than I did walking in. I looked like the Tim Man from Alice in Wonderland! I also had to have several sessions with my massage therapist to help with the stiffness. I learned my lesson and will never do that again!

So if you are getting ready to get back into your old gym routine, just remember to take it easy! You will get back to your old PRs and distance in no time as long as you do it the smart way! 

Vitamin C Rich Kiwi, Blackberry, Blueberry & Blood Orange Salad

Ingredients 

2 Kiwi Fruit
1/2 cup of Blackberries, Raw
1/2 cup of Blueberries, Raw
1 Medium Blood Orange

Directions:

1. Peel and chop up the kiwi fruits and blood oranges and place them into a bowl.

2. Wash the blueberries and blackberries with warm water and place them into the bowl with the kiwi fruit and blood oranges.

3. Cover, Chill for a an hour and serve.

Fruits that Boost Your Immune System During Quarantine Pandemic

Now more than ever we need to be careful around places we go to and people that we see. In order to have a further protection from the inside we have to eat to boost our immune system. Here is a list of foods that will strengthen your immune system during this crazy time period! 

Fruits: 

Image Credits Essentials by Catalina

Acai Berry

• This berry is loaded with anthocyanin which may provide protection from DNA cleavage, estrogenic activity, enzyme inhibition, boosting production of cytokines, anti-inflammatory activity, lipid peroxidation, decreasing capillary permeability and fragility, and membrane strengthening.

Image Credits: healthline.com

Elderberry

• This fruit may help fight inflammation because all of the antioxidants it contains. Research shows, an extract from the berries appears to block flu viruses.

Image Credits: Real Simple

Citrus Fruit

• Vitamin C may increase the production of white blood cells and they are key to fighting infections.

Dried Tart Cherries

The high antioxidant content in dried tart cherries may bolster the immune system, including reducing the risk of upper respiratory tract symptoms. They also have a natural melatonin that aids in getting a restful sleep.

Kiwi

Kiwi contains folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts white blood cells to fight infection, while kiwi’s other nutrients keeps the rest of your body functioning properly.

Image Credits: Health Line

Over 200% percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in one single papaya. They also contain a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects. Papayas have great amounts of B vitamins,  folate and potassium in which all of which are beneficial to your overall health.

Image Credits: Wikipedia

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice may help your body fight bacteria and several kinds of viruses.

Image Credits: Shape.com

Watermelon

Watermelon has plenty of an antioxidant called glutathione. It powers up the immune system so it can fight infection. The most glutathione in your watermelon is near the rind and the red pulpy flesh. 

Sources:

https://www.health.com/food/immunity-boosting-foods

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1082894/

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-immune-foods

Beginners: Beware of Fast Paced 30 Minute or Less Workout Programs

Are You Ready 30 Minute or Less; Fast-Paced Workout Programs?

I'm sure there are plenty people out there that FINALLY started their NEW YEAR NEW ME for 2020, barely got themselves used to doing some fitness activity and NOW quarantined at home for an undisclosed amount of time. Now what do you do? There are a lot of advertisements for at home workouts that require time and some equipment and then there are other programs that are fast paced and only take 30 minutes or less to do. Before you jump on the band wagon to these types of quick workouts, ask yourself, are you ready for high impact workouts?

A lot of these exercises do not seem like much, do not use much equipment and being done fast with a workout sounds very appealing, but how long has it been since you were active like the instructors are the program? If it has been more than 6 months since you were training consistently, you need to start from the beginning with regular slow paced workouts with adequate amounts of rest. This might sound boring and asking for too much time, but this will greatly reduce you chances of getting injured which will lead you to stopping your fitness goals for an undetermined amount of time. 

If you lack flexibility, core strength, joint stability and muscular development then you are deconditioned and need to start with a low intensity exercise program. A type of program that starts the focus on core strengthening, joint stability, flexibility and muscular endurance. Starting off with exercises that use a Swiss ball, Bosu ball and one legged exercise are key in strengthening stability and muscle coordination. In addition, the increased difficulty of using unstable exericses helps burn more calories which burns more fat. These types of exercises are done with moderate amounts of weight with high repetitions. Once you have mastered exercising with untable enviroments then you are ready to move on to more strenous type of training

In order to see results, I would recommend engaging in this type of training for at least 4 - 6 weeks. Log your workouts in a journal along with sets, reps and weight amounts. When an exercise becomes too easy is when you move up in weight. On this blog you can find many examples of exercises that include a Swiss ball (stability ball), a Bosu ball and are one legged. You can also find other examples on my Youtube Channel 

Total Body Calesthenic Workout II

Keep your fitness during quarantine by doing simple bodyweight exercises!

Decline Push Ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps 

Can be done on the knees for beginners

Boat

3 - 4 Sets

45 sec - 1 min.

Beginners start with the knees bent and the heels on the floor

Box Frog Jumps

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Can be done without the box and jumping in place instead

TRX Back Row

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Alternative exercise: Inverted Row

Side Ups

3 - 4 Sets

15 Reps

One Leg Squat to Box

3 - 4 Sets

12 - 15 Reps

Incline Push Ups

3 - 4 Sets

Maximum Reps

Bird Dog 

3 - 4 Sets

45 sec - 1 min each side

Execute without the Bosu Ball

Eggs Florentine Recipe

Image Credits: Egg Farmers of Alberta

Ingredients:

Spinach · raw - 2 cup

Egg · whole · raw · fresh - 3 large

Cheese · parmesan · grated - 2 tbsp

Salt · table - 1 dash

Spices · pepper · black - 1 dash

Spices · nutmeg · ground - .5 tsp

Preparation & details:

Wilt spinach in a skillet over medium heat.

Season spinach with salt, pepper and nutmeg. When spinach is hot, crack eggs on top. Salt and pepper the eggs and put the lid on. In a few minutes, the eggs will be steam-cooked.

When they are almost how you like them, sprinkle the cheese on top of the eggs and put the lid back on until the cheese is melted.

Mediterranean Chicken Recipe

Mediterranean Chicken with Cucumber Salad

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breastEdit
1 medium onion
4 roma tomatoes 
4 Roma tomatoes whole (2-3/5" dia)Edit
1 cup of bone broth
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander

Directions:

Step 1: Dice up the chicken breast into cubes and the onion. Heat up a large skillet and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken breast with the onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and pepper. Cook until chicken is all white.

Step 2: Add the Roma tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and broth. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.

* Tastes great paired with brown rice and any other green vegetables