Stay cooool

Hey hey,

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I can't believe how HOT it was in Washington this weekend. We're talkin' about 101-104F! And HUMID enough to make your hair puff out of control in about 0.25 seconds.

How did I stay cool this weekend?

1) DID NOT RUN OUTSIDE. I attempted Saturday night but it was just too humid. It literally felt like jogging in a steam room. Fortunately enough, this lovely lady has come into my life:

Dear Chalene,

You rock.

The 8 DVDs that make up TurboFire are:

1. Fire 30 min class

2. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 15 min

3. Fire 55 min

4. Core 20 min

5. Stretch 40 min (yoga)

6. Stretch 10 min

7. Fire 45 min

8. HIIT 20 min

KISS BOREDOM GOODBYE. These dvds are so FUN! To view short clips of TurboFire click here and here.

2) I STAYED HYDRATED! It's super important to drink extra H20 during the summer. My latest obsession and new twist on ice water:

Ice water + teeny splash lime juice + dash stevia

And extra ice counts as H20 right????

Pina colada! 2 parts Baha Bob's Low Calorie mix, 1 part clear rum, ice

In other HEALTHIER NEWS, Kels (sister) and I have been enjoying dinners together the last few nights:

MEAL #1: Grilled Turkey burger topped with low-fat cheddar and sauteed garlic veggies, side spiralized salad

*TIP: Olive oil has many heart-healthy benefits, but we often use way too much when making sauteed veggies. To reduce amount of oil used, first boil veggies in H20 to soften:

Next: drain H20 and add desired amount of EVOO (I add 1 tbsp per serving) and spices. Here I added Garlic Gold



Cook until browned:

For a new twist (literally, bahaha) on a traditional salad, I decided to spiralize up some zucchini instead of lettuce:

MEAL #2: Baked Chicken "Parmesan" over steamed veggies with garden salad:

DIRECTIONS:

1. Layer glass baking pan with marinara sauce and spices (I use fresh garlic, basil, and oregano)

2. Place chicken (cut into strips) on top of sauce

3. Layer more sauce/spices on top of chicken

4. Cook covered for 40 mins at 425F (cut into thickest part of chicken to ensure thoroughly cooked)
5. Top with low-fat cheese (I prefer cheddar) and cook uncovered 2-3 mins

6. Serve over steamed veggies

Served with a garden salad:

MEAL #3: Whole grain "Nachos":

Grilled whole grain tortilla topped with salsa, black beans, dollop Greek yogurt, red chili powder, cumin

Alright kids, I'm off to bed. Have a fantastic Monday!!!

XOX,

Lauren

Random pic:

St. Patty's day in Boston during college (4 years ago) with my best friends