Awesome Healthy Choc-Nut Fudge

This recipe comes from my friend and Holistic Health Counsler, Csilla Bischoff. http://www.csillabischoff.com and it looks yummy!

If you try it, please let me know what you think.



This is great for those who like the taste of coconut.

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil (I like Nutiva brand)

3/4 cup pure cocoa powder (or carob powder)

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup almond butter (or org. smooth peanut butter)

1 tbs pure vanilla extract

shredded coconut, chopped nuts, goji berries, chopped dates etc

Directions:

In a bowl mix 1 cup coconut oil with 3/4 cup pure cocoa powder. Add 1/4 cup almond
butter. Add 1/4 cup raw honey or a little more depending on your taste. Stir until
smooth. Add 1 tbs vanilla. Heat gently in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over
a simmering pan of water. Pour into 8×8 pan that you previously lined with parchment
paper and smeared it with some butter. The mixture is very liquidy so be careful
when you carry it to the fridge. Freeze for 10-20 minutes. Then, place in refrigerator.
When ready to package, cut it into squares and wrap in creative ways.

NOTE: Before pouring into the pan, add shredded coconut flakes, chopped nuts, chopped
dates, goji berries ... etc. to your liking. Then, proceed with recipe.

Quinoa Salad w/ Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes

Quinoa Salad w/Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes

1/2 c quinoa
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet potatoe
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
1 c water
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 can black beans, drained & thoroughly rinsed
Juice from 1 lime
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place quinoa in a small-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly. Heat
oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet with a tight-fitting
lid. Add sweet potato, scallion, and chile & saute until fragrant,
about 2 minutes.

2. Add quinoa; toast for 2 minutes. Add water and salt. Bring to
a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer until quinoa &
sweet potatoe are tender, about 10-12 minutes. If liquid remains
unabsorbed in the pan, raise heat to high & cook for 2 minutes until
it boils off.

3. Stir in blac beans and lime juice. Serve warm or chilled,
sprinkled with cilantro.

Makes two side-dish servings. Per serving: 350 calories, 10 g fat,
1,090 mg sodium, 62 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 11 g
protein.

This dish is very high in sodium and I'm not sure why becuase rinsing
canned beans usually cuts that down, so if your carefully monitoring
your sodium intake, watch out!

Green Gazpacho Soup

After seeing this recipe in a magazine I decided to make it because it looked tasty and easy. It turned out to be both!

This might not be in season right now, but it is loaded with vitamin C, has healthy fat from the avocado and it's raw. Three pluses in my book.

Here it is:

1 medium avocado, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (I only used 1/4)

1 clove pressed garlic (I used 1/2 clove)

3 sprigs chopped cilantro

1 Tbs. lime juice (I didn't measure and just squeezed 1/2 medium size lime)

1 cup water

Blend half of the mixture until smooth. Mix both halves together and serve immediately.

This is easy and very tasty, although I added a little salt to my recipe.

Try your own variation and let me know how it comes out.

Homemade Hummus, yep I made it!

Do you get Parent's Magazine? I do and I love the recipes that look tasty and simple. My daughter, Audrey, and I love hummus so I decided to actually make it! Some of you already know that I cook very simplistically. Cooking and meal prep is not something very enjoyable to me, but it is an absolute necessity if you want to eat healthy. Hummus isn't even cooking, so I thought this should be a snap and it should come out just as tasty as the store bought hummus.

Here's the recipe from the magazine:

• Puree one can of chick peas, drained
• 2 Cloves pressed garlic
• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbs tahini

This is what I actually did:

• 1 can drained and rinsed (to reduce sodium by up to 40%) chick peas minus a small handful that Audrey ate
• 1 Clove pressed garlic
• Juice from 1/2 lemon, plus some of the pulp because the lemon half was slightly "used" on last night's fish
• 2 1/2 Tbs tahini
• Water, because it was way too dry and crumbly
• Cilantro leaves, to cut the garlic taste
• oh, yeah, and I added some salt back in after rinsing it from the chick peas!

Here's my opinion on taste: 1 Clove of garlic was way too much! As many can attest, my kitchen skills are lacking so maybe I used a giant piece of garlic thinking it was a regular size...I don't know. Even still, it was tasty and I will make it again

Here's what I'll do: Eat it anyway, after all it's food and I love food! Maybe puree a another can of chick peas and add to the batch already made.

If you try the recipe, please post a comment on how you like it and what changes you made, if any.

Also, any other ideas on how I can fix my hummus?

Please post your comment.

In good health,

Marie

Basking Ridge 4 Week Boot Camp Blast

To be brief, at the request of some clients, we are offering a 4 week Boot Camp Blast! Here are the details:

When: Monday's September 27 - October 18
Time: 9:00
Where: Harry Duhnam Park
Cost: $105

This is Monday's Only! A great way to change up your current routine and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Contact me at MarieAndeFitnessCoach@gmail.com or 908-963-5257.

I look forward to seeing you there!

In good health,
Marie

Event: Organic Foods for Weight Loss Without Breaking The Bank - Sep 14 @ 7:00pm

Have you been hearing the buzz about organic foods and you're
not really sure what to believe? Are organic foods really
any better for you and what do they have to do with weight
loss? Find out tonight at 7:00 p.m. when Susan
Lang-Saponara, R.D. who is Shop Rite's Live Right
Merchandiser will teach you all you need to know about
Organic Foods for Weight Loss and how to do it Without
Breaking The Bank!

Susan is an expert in the field of organic foods and very
easy to talk to. Please come to this very special event
offered by Marie Ande, The Approachable Trainer and
Flemington Boot Camps. It takes place at The Little Gym of
Flemington (next to Pete's Bike Shop) from 7-8 p.m. Susan
has offered to stay and answer all of your questions, too!

Bring a friend, there's no cost for this learning and eye
opening event.

Last Minute Boot Camp Class!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend!

If you are in town this weekend and looking for a little motivation to get your bum moving here's a last minute deal!

What: Fat Burning Boot Camp
When: Monday, September 6
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Where: Mine Brook Park, Old Croton Road, Flemington
Cost: $15 (that's less than the regular drop-in fee!)
RSVP: Today, Sunday, September 5 by 7:00 p.m.
FatBurningBootCamp@gmail.com or go to http://www.FlemingtonBootCamps.com and hit the contact button

Please RSVP...I won't show if you don't:)

Super easy way to get green leafy veggies into your diet

We hear it all of the time "eat green leafy veggetables".

Somewhere in the back of our head we know we should be eating
them because they are good for us, but do they taste good and
how in the world should they be prepared. Here's a super
easy recipe for KALE. By the way, kale is loaded with
vitamin A, beta carotene, and calcium.

Wash and chop into one inch pieces, sautee in olive oil and a
little sea salt. That's it! How much easier could it be.

Later, I'll share some more easy ways to enjoy this super
veggie!

If you have a super easy way of preparing kale, please share
it with the rest of us.

Training for a race to lose weight? Think again!

So you've decided to train for a 5K, half marathon or even a marathon to lose weight? After all, look at all of those runners, they're skinny, right? So that means there's a good chance that if you train like them you have got to lose some of the excess baggage around your waist or thighs.

Well, think again. All of that long, not to mention, boring, cardio could actually cause you to stay fat!

Steady state exercise, like a long jog or run, raises stress hormones, keeps them raised and lowers anabolic (think build muscle) hormones. This is an optimal state for maintaining your excess body fat!

You may have heard about exercising in your fat burning zone, but this is old school thinking when it comes to fat loss. This fat burning zone theory states that in order to burn the most calories you should work within a specific, moderate heart rate zone or intensity so you burn most of your calories from fat.

The problem with this is two fold. One, while it's true that the percentage of calories burned during the exercise session comes from fat, it is not true that you burn more calories overall. With this type of training you are limiting your body's "afterburn" or rather you are limiting the amount of calories your body will use to repair and recover. This type of training also tends to lower your immune system and break down muscle. Two, your body actually becomes better at storing fat! Yup, you're body is prepping itself for the next long, boring, cardio session. In effect, you are lowering your metabolism.

Stick with bursts of high intensity exercise training that will boost your metabolism, help your body recover faster and burn more fat. That's what we do in Fat Burning Boot Camp:)

Please post a comment if you've been training for a race just to lose pounds.
Click the share button below if you know someone who might benefit from this article.

In good health,
Marie

Event: Foundations (beginners) Boot Camp - Sep 13 to Oct 8

FOUNDATIONS is a "boot camp" exercise class for beginners.

If you've always wanted to try boot camp, but are afraid that
you're "not ready" than this is the class for you! Learn
basic movement patterns, get stronger and feel confident.

This structured environment will keep you motivated and keep
you coming back for more!

Event: Fat Burning Boot Camp - Sep 13 to Oct 8

Experience a new kind of boot camp class. Don't be
intimidated! You'll get a real work out that challenges you
and is actually do-able! Real Women, Real Expert, Real
Results. NEW TIME,/CLASS right after kids get dropped off at
school!

Event: Super Size Me! - Aug 17 @ 7:00pm

In Super Size Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock unravels the
American obesity epidemic by interviewing experts nationwide
and by subjecting himself to a "McDonald's only" diet for
thirty days straight!

To register: 908-963-5257 or FatBurningBootCamp@gmail.com

An apple a day....

The Power of Apples

• 
  High in fiber (about 5 grams). We need about 25-35 grams per day.
• 
  The soluble fiber in apples is called pectin and can decrease appetite for up to four hours.
• 
  Apples exert a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar despite their sugar content. This is in part because of their fiber content, but also because they contain phloretin: a flavonioid-type, blood sugar stabilizing phytonutrient found exclusively in apples.
• 
  Eating apples can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes because of the antioxident activity of quercetin, which is in the skin.
• 
  Eating the peels also appear to inhibit the growth of liver cancer and colon caners
• 
  Apples contain a wide variety of anit-inflammatory, anti-cancer phytonutrients.
• 
  Apples may play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma and type 2 diabetes when compared to other fruits and vegetables
• 
  Apple consumption was positively associated with increased lung function
• 
  Apple consumption was positively associated with weight loss

Resource: Perrricone, Nicholas. The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Now we know why. If weight loss and healthy living is on your plate it makes sense to add apples into your diet today!

--
In good health,

Marie

Will You Get Results Like Amy?

In her own words:

I started boot camp with Marie two months ago and I have to say, it's by far the best decision I've ever made. For many years, I paid my gym membership, which was a complete waste of money because I never went. What boot camp has provided me with is structure! Imagine having an expert at your disposal, one who ensures you're exercising properly and at the same time ensuring a healthy total body workout. Marie guarantees results (assuming you're eating properly) and she delivers on that promise. My clothes fit better and better yet, my pants are too big!!! The group of girls in class and I have formed a camaraderie that’s motivating and challenging. Don’t be intimidated by this class as I was on the first day and I promise, you’ll be welcomed by everyone. It will change your life without a doubt!
Amy

Thank you, Amy for those inspiring words!

If you want results like Amy's then join us for Fat Burning Boot Camp by clicking the link in the right column. Just a beginner you say...come for Foundations on M/W/F at the park. www.FlemingtonBootCamps.com for more details!

I look forward to meeting some new members!

In good health,
Marie

p.s.
Have a Happy Independence Day and please say a prayer for our soldiers fighting for our freedom!

Eat More to Lose Weight | Active.com

Read this article if you think skipping breakfast is a good idea. It says what I always talk about to my clients...you must eat your meals and you must eat breakfast!
I know so many people who complain "I feel sick when I eat breakfast". Get over it! This is because you've been in the f habit of not eating breakfast. Start small and build up to a nutritious and balanced breakfast. Read on if you don't believe me!

Eat More to Lose Weight Active.com

A Paleo Smoothie

Everyone is always asking about, talking about and wanting to know more about smoothies. They're fast, easy and a great way to get some easily digestable energy on the go or just prior/post work out.

Here is a smoothie recipe from a post of Nell Stephenson's blog . Check out her blog for more information.

Can you share some good ideas for Paleo Smoothies?
Absolutely!
These are something I make quite often, actually!I always start with 8 oz of brewed, chilled, decaf green tea, 1 T Raw Almond or Walnut Butter, 1 T freshly ground flax seed and 1 Scoop of plain egg white protein powder.
If it's right before a workout, I'll add a piece of high glycemic fruit- my favorite time to have a banana- then whiz in the blender and enjoy, even if it's on the road while driving!
If it's not right before a workout, I'll choose a lower-glycemic, and higher in fibre option, like a cup of frozen berries or some organic pumpkin.
Those are my favorites, but be open to playing around with different types of fruits & fats to make your own creation. Sometimes I'll use coconut oil instead of the nut butter, or strawberries instead of blueberries... you get the idea!

Add to Your Diet Instead of Taking Away for Effective Fat Loss

Does the word “diet” scare you because you think of deprivation and desperation? What if you could think about your eating plan with a new twist that will put you on the road to successful fat loss without the negative feelings? That’s right, positive feelings and excitement associated with changing your eating habits!

Here’s the secret: ADD to your current “diet” instead of taking away!

You might be asking yourself “how can adding to my plate actually help me lose fat?” Well, the trick is what foods you add. Here’s the BIG surprise: Vegetables and fruits!! While this probably isn’t a really big surprise after all, most people don’t get enough of these foods that are vital for successful fat loss and vital to good health.

If you continue eating the way you do and add healthy fruits and vegetables, not only will you be giving your body vitamins and minerals it needs to function well, you will be ingesting more fiber, feel more satisfied and ultimately consume fewer calories from other sources.

Try for 10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Here are examples of serving sizes:
Vegetables
1 cup raw broccoli
½ cup cooked spinach
2 cups Spring mix salad
Fruits
1 medium apple (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!)
1 cup of blueberries
¼ cup dried fruit
1 cup honeydew melon


Challenge yourself to eat Produce and Protein at every meal and snack (and write it down for accountability). This little trick and the proper exercise will help you on your way to successful fat loss so you can Love Your Body and Live Your Life.

In good health,
Marie

Event: Taming The Sugar Monster - Jun 8 @ 7:00pm

I'm excited to bring Csilla Biscoff, Certified Holistic
Nutrionist to you! Come on Tuesday, June 8 at 7:00 P.M. to The
Little Gym, 105 Rt 31 S, Flemington, NJ 08822 for Csilla's
presentation: Taming the Sugar Monster *Do you "need" a candy
bar or soda just to get through the day? *Are you yearning to
lose weight for good? *Would you like to improve your moods,
banish brain fog, triple your energy and boost your libido?

You CAN peel off pounds, gain energy and improve your
relationships just by kicking sugar and refined
carbohydrates.Join Csilla Bischoff, Holistic Health &
Nutrition Counselor (www.csillabischoff.com) for this
interactive workshop and find out why consuming sugar and
refined flour products can wreck havoc on your health,
emotions, and relationships. We'll discuss ways to overcome
sweet cravings that DO NOT involve willpower or deprivation.
You'll leave with new ideas you can use right away. Topics
covered: * dangers of consuming sugar and refined carbs* what
your cravings really mean* why sugar is not the problem but the
solution* sugar's many disguises and how you can eat/shop
smarter* how to balance the up's and down's and eliminate those
mood swings* if sugar substitues are safe* a proven 10-step
solution to deal with your cravings and bingesYummy food
samples will be available Bring a friend! This is a FREE event
and you will learn so much to help you overcome sweet cravings
that might be holding you back from REAL weight loss! It starts
at 7:00, so come a few minutes before to get settled and to
meet Csilla! Please let me know if you can make it. You are
welcome to show up at the last minute, but it would be helpful
if we know in advance that you will be joining us. Thank you
and I'm looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday, June 8 at
7:00 p.m. at The Little Gym in Flemington, 105 Rt 31 S. Marie
V. Ande, BS,
CSCS908-963-5257www.FlemingtonBootCamps.comwww.MarieAnde.blogspot.com

5 Exercise Tips to Help You Save Time & Lose Fat So You Can Love Your Body & Love Your Life!

You want to exercise so you can lose fat and feel better, but you’re just not sure where to begin. You go to the gym and walk around wondering what to do with all of that equipment or it’s overwhelming so you just do what you’ve always done; the same treadmill routine and the same three sets of 20 abdominal crunches and you think “well at least I broke a sweat and that counts for something”? Perhaps you don’t have a gym membership and think you can’t do anything worthwhile at home, so you do…. nothing! Well, I’m here to tell you that exercise doesn’t have to be boring, it doesn’t have to be long, drawn out cardio sessions on the treadmill or stationary bike and you don’t have to go to the gym! However, you do have to follow a few rules to get the most out of your exercise session.

Here are 5 tips to get you on the right path so you can save time while you lose the fat and love your body and your life!

1. Always be safe. If you have underlying health concerns, always ask your doctor before becoming more physically active. Also, listen to your body and if something hurts more than you think it should then don’t be afraid to stop or modify an exercise.

2. You must do strength training. This means that you have to get your muscles stronger by doing more work than they are accustomed to and use some type of resistance. Gravity, inertia, friction, fluid resistance or elasticity can provide this resistance.

3.Think big muscle groups. Forget bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, unless you are bodybuilding these exercises are mostly time wasters. Do multi-joint exercises that build strength and muscles in your legs, back and chest. Lunges, squats and shoulder presses are examples of multi-joint exercises.

4. Go for overall time and use reps and sets as secondary measures. Do a short circuit of exercises for eight minutes. How many rounds can you complete? That is your measure of fitness. As you become more fit, you will be able to do more rounds in the same eight minutes. Here’s an example circuit: 1. 15 Squats 2. 10 Push-ups 3. 20 Bird Dogs.

5. Do your “cardio” afterwards. Hour long cardio for fat burning is just not as effective as short bursts of high intensity activity. It can be as simple as high knee jogging or jumping rope. As long as you are working very hard for at least 20 seconds then recover and go another 20 seconds at a very hard rate, you only have to do 15 minutes! Stop wasting hours being bored!

Follow these basic rules for fun, effective workouts that save you time while you burn fat so you can love your body and love your life!

In good health,

Marie

Kettlebell Turkish Get-up

Excellent demonstration of the KB Turkish Get Up! Full body exercise that should part of your routine.