If your salads are becoming boring, you need to re-think the basics and spruce up those greens. Check out these fanciful salads that boost your enthusiasm for eating these healthy sides and enjoy the crunch of some good greens for the picnic months ahead.

Robust Salads Are Built On Protein

We all know how much I stress protein at all meals. Add a powerful punch to your salad is to include some protein, namely in the form of seafood, meats, beans, or hard boiled eggs.

Here are some ideas cooked shrimp, canned salmon or white albacore tuna on top of your bed of greens. Perhaps your salad would benefit from black or kidney beans for a Mexican twist. Juicy grilled chicken, thinly sliced into strips, could add a smoky barbecue flavor to a simple salad. If you choose different marinades, you’ll get different flavor influences. Think of marinading beef in Teriyaki before grilling.  Then those delicate, thin strips will blend well with ingredients borrowed from Asian cuisine.

Sweet Salads Are Meant To Surprise

A classic salad that always surprises is the Waldorf salad, made with a variety of fruits, including apples, cherries, dates, grapes, or even fresh pineapple. You’ll substitute the mayo with greek yogurt and some lemon juice.  I like to add in shredded coconut, YUM!!! Ambrosia salad is an explosion of fanciful delights, including bright colors and the sweet flavors of  mandarin oranges, blackberries, strawberries, grapes and coconut, but the name says it all, so don’t limit your choices.

Then there are big fruit salad bowls filled with everything from watermelon to berries, bananas, and grapes, apples, kiwi, mango, pineapple, cantaloupe and a host of other fruits in between.  Add crunch with nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or almonds.

Using a light vinaigrette dressing may sound odd with all that fruit, but the touch of savory brings out the sweet juices and makes the salad taste all the better. You can also toss the fruit salad with a mixture non-fat yogurt or cottage cheese to give your salad a little protein boost. The options are as varied as your taste buds.

Gourmet Salads Call For Clever Ingredients

For a truly unique salad creation, you have to go deeper into the range of greens you use in your salads. Look at food in a whole new way and choose combinations of flavors and textures that will light up the eyes of guests as they taste your best efforts.

Try mixing eclectic greens like endive, arugula, and watercress with avocado, crab meat, Greek olives, and grapefruit, along with hard-boiled eggs for a fresh take on a classic salad. Sprinkle a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon with golden raisins and chopped tart apples, and toss with shredded cooked chicken or turkey, and a touch of balsamic vinaigrette for a delightful new salad. Go tropical with mango, papaya, figs, or summer melons, adding the right compliment of spice like ginger, curry, or fresh mint. Top with toasted coconut for a truly fanciful salad.

Seeds and Sprouts Add the Finishing Touch

No matter what you put in your salads, you’ll always want to have an eye-catching topping that completes a gourmet creation you can be proud of. The best choices are often seeds and sprouts, since they add texture and depth to all types of salads for all types of meals. Seeds add color and dimension, almost a solid, formidable look, while sprouts are often heaped on in a big fluffy pile, providing a playful and unruly look to the salad.

For seeds, you could choose sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, milk thistle, or alfalfa seeds, just to name a few. With sprouts, you have mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, and alfalfa sprouts. Then there are the lesser known choices like radish sprouts and clover sprouts. These types of ingredients go very well with most salads but especially with dishes that are made with quinoa, tofu, tempeh, and jicama.

With a little imagination, and time to seek out unique ingredients, you can walk away from conventional thinking and create wonderful, fanciful salads to enjoy.

Do you have a favorite salad you want to share, please leave me some comments below.

Admit we all look down at our tummy’s and wish they are a little flatter, more

define or hell just wasn’t a muffin top! Here a four ways to lose that muffin top.

1. Add protein to every meal. I always ask my clients to write their food journals and the one element that is missing from most meals is protein. This is help you repair your muscles after working out and helps you to feel full longer.
2. Log your meals. This helps you really visualize what your are putting in your mouth. I mean you log EVERYTHING the Peppermint Patty  you grabbed from the receptionist desk. Want me to review? Just send 3 days and I’ll give you feedback.
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners.Because they are “artificial” it’s sometimes hard for our bodies to process them. When your body can’t process it causes inflammation. Unfortunately you typically can’t control where the inflammation occurs, most times it will occur in your tummy. So its best to avoid foods high in sodium, carbonated beverages, and gum.
4. Fill up on veggies.  Veggies are low in calories and high in fiber. This combination helps you feel full longer. Be careful with broccoli it does cause a little bloating.

Here is a bonus — interval training — instead of just hoping on a piece of equipment and doing the same pace, try mixing it up with intervals.  Try this one.  Go hard for 30 sec and then rest for 30 sec try this for 30 minutes. After you try it leave me a comment about how you did.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The first week of the new year is almost over. How are you doing with your resolutions? Are you still making them? If your resolution this year is to lose those last 10 pounds or to get into or back into shape I have a few tips that may help you get there this year.

1. You need a strategy — just hoping and praying isn’t a strategy. Think of your fitness plan as planning a trip. Would you just hop in the car and hope you end up a destination. No.. you would punch it into your GPS and follow the route. Getting back into shape and losing weight is the same thing! Your action for right now is to say — I am going to ________. I’m looking for an exact number, if its not exact you can’t measure how you are doing.  For example, by February 17 I will lose 10 pounds or I will run/walk 1 mile each day for the next 30 days.  So.. what’s your action item to get you toward your end goal?
2. Yes, write it down — you have you strategy, it’s not good enough to have it in your head, you need to write it down and put it someplace where you can see it each and every day! I recommend you tape it in multiple locations — your bathroom mirror, your nightstand, your refrigerator, your car’s sun visor, your cube at work. The more you see it the more you will be reminded of your goal and your actions will start to reflect where you want to go. Your action item — write your goal for the next 30 days and put it in multiple locations.
3. Don’t go hungry — when people start to diet the first thing I hear is I’m going to skip meals. Nothing makes me more crazy than when I hear that. Okay the other thing that makes me crazier is when I see people walking/running on a treadmill and holding on for dear life. Unless you came in using a walker or a cane there is no need to hold on. Pump your arms and use your core! Off my soap box, now back to meals. You must fuel your body every 2-3 hours.  You must keep blood sugar levels even, this is what signals the brain for food. The more even your blood sugars levels the less likely you are to go on a bender. Think about this.  How many times have you skipped lunch and then headed home after work and just ate everything sight or you planned on eating the right things and your hungry mind took over.  I know that never happens to you guys. =) If you are reading this and its been a few hours –EAT SOMETHING! Your action item — what snacks can you put in your desk drawer or in the car that you can eat?
4. Get support — You can’t do this alone! There will be times when you need a shoulder to lean on, a kick in the pants or just an ear when you need to vent. Ask someone to be your accountability partner. When you have this person you are less likely to fall off the wagon. I highly recommend you find that friend, co-worker or whomever that isn’t afraid to be hard on you.  Your action item — find and ask someone to be your support person?
5. Share your goals with the world — The more people who know what you are doing you are more likely to do it. No one wants to look like a fool. In this new world of social media — post your goal(s) on your Facebook wall, tweet about them on Twitter.  You’d be surprised how much support and encouragement you’ll get from others who maybe trying to reach the same goal or this is where you may find your accountability partner. Your action item –post your 30 day goal on your Facebook wall, tweet about or tell someone in person.  You can even leave your comments on my blog! I have no problem being that kick in the rump!
6. Pick one thing to change — Many of you feel you need to change EVERYTHING right away. I’m all for that BUT… if you aren’t that kind of person. Don’t do it!  I recommend you pick 1 habit this week and work on changing that. If you are addicted to diet soda — work on reducing the number that you have in a day or go cold turkey.  Action item — What is the one thing you will change this week?

With these 6 tips in hand do you feel like you have a nice blueprint to help you forward towards reaching your fitness goals this year? If you would some formalized help. I still have a few spots open for my F.R.E.E 30 day wellness coaching program. Just shoot me an email to learn more.  I really want to know how you are doing. Leave me your fitness goal in the comments below.

Make 2012 the year you realize your weight loss goals and/or fitness goals.  To kick off the new year I am offering F.R.E.E individualized wellness coaching.  Your read correctly, here’s the catch, I’m only accepting 10 people! So hurry and contact me!  Whether you are looking to lose fat, build muscle, gain energy, feel younger or improve your athletic performance or all of the above, I’m here to help!

What you get:

• Nutrition coaching
• Customized fitness plan based on your goals and schedule
• Weekly check ins
• Online support group
• Accountability

Requirements:

• Commit to the process
• Set realistic goals
• Work with me to make a plan of action
• Be ready to take ACTION not just talk about
• Use the recommended nutrition program that suits your unique goals.

If you are ready to walk the walk, and finally lose those last remaining pounds, run that 5k, have more energy to play with your kids or just feel better about how you look, I can help get you there.  For more information about this program, send me an email.  I’m only accepting 10 people into this program!  Make sure you are one of the 10!

PS> KF took advantage of this and lost 7 pounds in one week!

These past few weeks, we may have been eating more than we typically do during the rest of the year. Come January 1st, many of will list losing weight as your primary New Year’s Resolution. So what do you do? You head to the gym and hit the cardio machines, take a few group exercise classes and maybe lift a few weights. The question that remains is what are you eating? Jack Lalanne is the godfather of fitness and his famous quote is~ Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom. Most people forget to think about the food.  Once you get your nutrition in alignment you will find that workouts come a little easier and you fit into those skinny jeans just a little faster.

Over the next 5 weeks I going to give a number of challenges to help you kick off the new year with a bang!

This week I challenge you to keep a food journal! This food journal doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I use Fitday to track my food. They have a free online version as well as a paid version. You can also just write it down on a piece of paper. Why do you need to write down what you eat? When you write down what you eat, you get an up close and personal view what you are putting into your body. This exercise will be very eye opening. Care to share your journal with me? I’ll do FREE 15 min nutrition review.

PS — Feel like you need a little more help and want to do a cleanse to detox the holidays? Let me know my client Kjerstan did and lost 7  pounds in one week! Shoot me an email for me details.

This is the time of year when many of you make “resolutions” you decide that this is the year that you will….. Now I ask you a question – WHY??? Why do you want to keep the resolution?  What is your motivation?  Why do you want to achieve that goal(s)?

Your why should be so powerful that it should keep you up at night with excitement, your why should be so motivating that it will drag your tushy out of bed on a minus 3 degree snowy morning to hit the gym to get your lift on.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?  Having and KNOWING YOUR WHY is so important.  Your why is what helps you stay motivated during times when fear and doubt and distraction rear their ugly heads. Yes, all of these will creep around and try to derail you from your goals.

You probably saying – I have a why, but how do if I know if it’s as strong as it should be.  Here are a few questions you may want consider.  Will it:

• ease any doubts that may creep into your mind?
• make you get up and clean off your snowy car to hit the gym?
• cause you to put your workouts in your calendar like an appointment you can’t break?
• help you stay on track when you feel like slacking off?
• allow you to stand up to those who don’t support your new life goals?

I ask you again, what is your why?  Why do you want to this?  Write it down and put it some place that you have see it each and every day.  Your why should be so clear that you can describe to yourself that it feels like an Oprah AHA moment.  Your why is the core of who you are and resonates with every fiber of your being.  Please know that today’s why maybe very different from what your why was last year or what it may be 6 months from now.  Remember here at Fab Fit Squad we are about progress not perfection!

If you’d like speak to me about your goals, I’m taking appointments click on the link below to book.

This year instead of making a resolution I’m make a themes for 2012. My first theme for 2012 is EXPRESSION!!! This year I will be stepping in front of the camera and doing more video blogs so that I can demonstrate exercises that you should incorporate into your fitness routines, show you some of my favorite recipes and I want go my readers a more of an one on one experience.  I’ve been writing this blog for almost 3 years and it’s time for me to get a little more personal.  The best thing about my theme is it has a THEME SONG!!! I know it’s old school, but it works!!! What are your theme’s for 2012?  Do you need some help setting those themes? The week after Christmas I’m having 15 min goal setting appointments. If you are interested, please shoot me an email.

Over the past 3 years I have shared a nutrition, workout and motivational tips, but this past week I was speaking with some of the readers of my blog and they asked for me to share more about me.

So.. here it is. I’m not perfect I too struggle with this time of the year! Last week I attended a conference that was serving lunch. I started out the day with my oatmeal, egg whites and berries for breakfast I packed 2 snacks (AM and PM). They were serving lunch so I didn’t bring my lunch. Well.. let’s say that was a mistake while it was an EXCELLENT chopped salad, it lacked PROTEIN! 20 minutes after I ate I was STARVING!!!! We were in a part of the convention center where they didn’t have store to purchase water and my 1/2 gallon water bottle only made it to lunch.  Let’s say by the time I got home that night I was ready to eat my leg off!!! Because I didn’t eat enough all day I came home and started GRAZING until I finished preparing dinner. Lesson learned — bring more protein and carry more water. The next day I went back to the event and was much more prepared and didn’t come home to eat 1/2 of my kitchen cupboards.

As for workouts — the past few weeks I have been flat out finishing up some projects before the end of the year. Typically I like to workout 4-5 days/week. Let’s just say it’s been difficult! Just this past Monday I had a plan to hit the gym at 5:30am — I like to workout in the AM because I less likely to get interrupted or have the day get away from me. Unfortunately my body had a different plan. I woke up at 1:30 AM and didn’t fall back to sleep until 4am, let’s say when the alarm went off at 5:15am I wasn’t feeling it. I gave myself the out. That doesn’t make the whole week is ruined it means I missed ONE workout and I need to brainstorm to see if there were other ways to make it up. Before I got out of bed I went through my mental calendar and decided that I could make up this workout on Thursday because that is typically my rest day.

How do I stay motivated? I started competing in 2004 because I needed a goal! I lost 30 pounds and I was like now what! Competing gives me a goal to strive for. When I first started competing I did about 5 shows/year now I do 1. That’s really hard for me to stay on track and last year I went 14 months without competing! I packed on the weight for me. I had put on 12 pounds during that time. Why do you ask, because I didn’t have a motivating goal and for the most part sleepwalked through my workouts. NOT THIS YEAR!!! I vowed that would not happen taking off those 12 pounds SUCKED OUT LOUD. My next show is May 2012 and will stay within 5-7 pounds of my show weight.

What’s a good goal? I’m always asked what is a good goal. My response is typically what will motivate you  to get out of bed on a 3 degree snowy morning. That’s a motivating goal. Goals are very personal. Your goal could be something really simple such as fitting into your pants or training for a marathon. Finding your motivation is truly personal and if you want to do some brainstorming, shoot me an email.

I hope this gives you a little insight to me. I will be offering 15 min goal setting appointments the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Please send me an email with some days and times that will work for me.

Why is that during the holidays we make all sorts of excuses not to follow our diets and keep up with our workouts. I say — Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today!!!  Did you know that it takes 3500 extra calories to add one 1 pound? So.. during the holidays the average person gains 3-5 pounds because they are eating an extra calories and not moving enough.  How do you stop it? Here are 10 ways to stop the holiday bulge.

1. Watch your portion size. During this time of year it seems as though there is always food and drink around. We all seem to use this time of year as an excuse to eat and drink what we want! But all those little treats add up especially you aren’t exercising. Fill your plate with 50% veggies and lean cuts of protein. Before you attend a party have something to eat, don’t go on an empty stomach.
2. Exercise. You may not have time for your regular exercise, but just 20 minutes/day everyone can do that. This is something you can do in your home. I have a fun little program that can be done anywhere without any equipment shoot me an email and I’ll send  it over to you.
3. Watch your alcohol intake. Your body doesn’t process alcohol, so it send it to your liver and then you liver converts it to fat until it can figure out how to use it. So when you work out, the alcohol is what gets burned first before you burn anything else, so your workout is all about getting rid of the alcohol vs any other fat. So.. when you drink you don’t make any forward progress in your weight loss. If  you choose to drink do so in moderation, have one alcoholic beverage followed by a glass of water.
4. Pick your battles. Take a look at your holiday calendar and know where you would like to treat yourself. Now with that said — every occasion doesn’t mean wear your elastic pants. I’m saying you choose to have a few cocktails, a desert or a really good entree. Notice how I didn’t say ALL of the above? For example, good friends of mine have a Christmas party and that’s the party that I will use my holiday treat on. I will also use it on Christmas day for a little macaroni and cheese YUMMY!. How will you pick your battles?
5. Send them home with a doggie bag. Are you entertaining this season? Stock up on ziplock bags and send your holiday guests home with a few holiday treats. We all know that some foods taste better the next day, why should you enjoy all the good food the second time around? Share the wealth and the calories =)
6. Don’t fret! Now this isn’t an excuse for jackass behavior on a regular basis, but if you do have a day where you overindulge. Don’t beat yourself up and say your diet is ruin, dust yourself off and hop back on the horse. Make sure you take stock of how you got off track so you can see the warning signs the next time.
7. Offer to bring something. I do this all the time. I go to a party at someone’s house that I’m not sure if they’ll have many healthy options, so I offer to bring something.  This way I know that whatever I bring I can eat without falling off my diet. Most people won’t refuse the offer.
8. Traveling to Grandma’s? Traveling can throw a kink into healthy eating, here are some ideas that can survive plane, train, an automobile travel.
• Fruit — apples, pears and citrus travel quite well
• Tuna — the Starkist tuna steaks are AWESOME and they will get through security. These are always my go to when I travel.
• Protein powder — put your favorite powder in your shaker bottle and purchase some water post security or while on the plane.
• Pre-make protein and freeze it. It will stay fresh as it thaws  — chicken is best this way. You can decide what type of protein you can eat cold.  Have other ideas? Leave me a comment below.
• Nuts — great source of protein and will stay fresh. CAREFUL they are very calorically dense so don’t go too crazy.
9. Don’t skip meals. When you skip meals on the day of a party, you aren’t saving calories. You are setting yourself up to eat MORE!!!! So eat all your normal meals that day.
10. Just have a bite. Each of us will attend an event where someone has a signature dish! This dish may not exactly be on your nutrition plan, BUT you can’t be rude. So.. I suggest you just take a bite. This way you can decide is that truly as good as everyone says and its worth the calories or if its just okay. At least you were polite.

Here are a few strategies that have helped me over the years, if you have any others, I’d love to hear them, just leave me some comments below.

It’s that time of year, when we are asked to make our holiday list or perhaps you’re scratching your head trying to decide what to get for all of your fitness-minded friends.  Here are a few suggestions.

• Ty-she Gym towel  –This towel wraps around your waist covering your butt and has convenient pockets for your IPod, keys and ID.
• Words to Sweat by — Need some motivation while you are working out? These handy little personal sweat towels having truly inspiring words to really funny mantra that keep you plugging through your workout.
• The Body Shield towel — Want to create a true barrier between YOU and the machines at your gym?  Check out The Body Shield, its antimicrobial, odor free, and come with an elastic band that lets you attach the towel to equipment without it slipping off.
• The Blender Ball shake mixer – Most shaker bottles contain a plastic mesh cap that is “supposed” to help blend the powdered protein shake with the liquid.  This doesn’t always give you a clump free shake, enter the Blender Ball shaker. It has a wire whisk ball that makes your shake taste like it was but through a blender – okay almost =)
• Sandbells/Waterbell – Dumbbells, Medicine balls and kettlebells aren’t portable, hurt when you drop them on your feet or hands and can be expensive to have all of them in your home gym arsenal.  Sandbells combine all 3 and then some! You fill these stretchy neoprene bags with sand or water.  You can use these bags at home or bring them with you to add strength to any outdoor workout.
• Valsides or Gliding Discs — Works your lower body as well as your upper body with these little devices.  They may be small but they will leave you feeling the burn!  Both of these little pieces are portable so you can bring them with you to the gym or throw them in your suitcase and create an ultimate travel workout.
• Monster bands — Are you someone who travels or know someone who travels a bit.  Do they go to the hotel gym, see pink dumbbells, and think how am I going to get a good workout?  Maybe you’re a new mom who has a challenge getting to the gym.  The typical bands you find at your local Target or sporting goods store may not provide enough resistance.  You can purchase these monster bands – you can use them in a variety of ways.  They are lightweight, portable and can add versatility to most exercises. http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-monster-bands.php 
• Vitamix — This is a blender on steroids.  You can blend partially anything with this blender.  It takes a lickn’ and keeps on blending.  I’ve had mine for over 15 years and it’s still going!
• Magic Bullet — Not quite ready to step up to the Vitamix?  Check out the Magic Bullet.  It’s perfect for travel and it’s a little friendlier on your wallet.
• Sweaty Bands – This is a cute way to keep the sweat out of your eyes and it won’t slip.
• Mini Exercise Ball — Use this ball to upgrade your ab workouts.  This little ball will have you feeling every muscle in your abs.  Just put it under the small of your back extends your arms and try lifting your feet.

If you don’t like any of these ideas, you can always send them to Lululemon to get you a cute outfit or a bag.  Have any other suggestions, leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear them.