Breakfast of Champions

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Olivia

Your mother was right; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whatever you eat, or do not eat for that matter will impact your mood, energy level, digestion and appetite for the rest of the day.

Just imagine, you get up in the morning and you go to drive your car to school or to work. But your gas tank is empty, so you can’t go anywhere. Now imagine your body, getting up and skipping breakfast. How well do you think you will make it through your day? I love comparing it this way as cars cannot obviously run on empty and our bodies are truly no different.

Food is our body’s fuel source (and no sorry, it’s not your coffee). Without breakfast, we slow down our body’s metabolism, increase food cravings, promote overeating, and make it harder to focus and concentrate for the rest of the day.

Therefore, you want to be sure to start your day off right with a large glass of water and a nutrient dense breakfast. Choose a metabolism boosting meal that consists of three things: fiber-rich carbohydrates for quick energy, lean protein to promote fullness, and some healthy fats to keep you feeling satisfied.

Avoid eating processed carbohydrates without any protein or good fat for breakfast. For example, avoid sugary cereals or heavily processed baked goods. A nutrient depleted type of breakfast such as these will only spike your blood sugar levels, making it easier for your body to store fat and your energy levels to decline shortly after. As a trainer, I get a lot of people telling me that they don’t have time to eat breakfast. The truth of the matter is that there is ALWAYS time to eat something. You just have to want to make time.

Try this simple, energizing, fat burning smoothie if you are short on time. Simply blend the ingredients together and you are good to go!

Blueberry Delight:
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1 scoop vanilla whey protein isolate or brown rice protein
1 tablespoon coconut oil or coconut manna (my new favourite delicious healthy fat)
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2-3 ice cubes

Much love,
Olivia:)

Christmas Spice Protein Shake

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Olivia

With Christmas fast approaching, schedules are getting busier and those tempting treats are all around us. Try this healthy, festive shake for breakfast or as the perfect snack to curb sugar cravings and sustain your energy!

Recipe:

2/3 cup yam frozen (baked first)
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 banana (optional)
1/3 cup ice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp clove
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix in a blender and enjoy!

Also, for a healthy alternative to a Christmas flavored Starbucks latte or frappuccino, try adding coffee to this recipe and increasing the amount of almond milk for a delicious treat!

Watch here to see more on how to make this recipe:

Much love,

~Keane 2 Be Fit

Protein Pancakes

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Olivia

Give your week a kick start with this healthy, deliciously satisfying Keane 2 Be Fit recipe. We guarantee that you’ll never look at pancakes the same way again:)

Ingredients:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (vanilla works also)
½ cup gluten free oats
2/3 cup egg whites
1 banana
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup of mixed berries
1 tablespoons of almond butter
agave syrup or maple syrup to top

Directions:
Blend all the ingredients together and preheat a medium sized non-stick pan to medium heat. Place cooking oil in the pan, preferably coconut oil, and pour in half of the mixture and cook one side. Proceed by flipping the pancake once to cook the other side. Remove from heat and begin cooking the 2nd pancake. Top pancakes with almond butter in place of regular butter, melted berries, agave syrup and a dash of cinnamon. For gluten free option to this recipe just switch out the oats and banana for baked, mashed sweet potatoes. Also, these pancakes can be made in advance for weeks ahead and kept frozen for convenience.

Enjoy,

Olivia

The Best Healthy Snack Ideas

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Olivia

One thing I get asked more often than anything else is “what are some healthy snacks I can eat?”

With hectic, busy schedules, eating enough throughout the day can sometimes become last on the priority list. However, when we skip meals, we are much more prone to binge eating and energy crashes. This, in turn leads to slowing down the metabolism and storing excess body fat.

Below I have listed Keane 2 Be Fit’s favourite snack ideas. All of these snacks are whole, REAL food snacks. Meaning that these foods have not been heavily processed and do not contain added sugars or preservatives to prolong their packaged shelf lives (yuk)!

Also, you will notice that most of these snacks are some combination of protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates. This works to provide your body with good sources of energy (complex carbohydrates) while ensuring your muscles are fed and blood sugar levels stay stable (protein & healthy fat). For instance, adding almond butter to a sliced apple works to balance out the blood sugar spike effect that the apple would give to the body on its own. Not to mention that the protein and fat will help keep you feeling full and satisfied much longer. Hence, why eating a piece a fruit on its own can sometimes make you feel even more hungry after than before you had the piece of fruit.

Here are some of our favourite snack ideas:

1) Cut up veggies of choice (carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli, green beans, etc.) served with hummus

2) 1 apple or banana and almond butter (peanut butter works great too)

3) Natural, unsweetened Greek yogurt, berries and granola

4) Power protein shake: blueberries, strawberries, almond milk, flax seed oil and protein powder

5) Organic dried fruit (no sugar added mango, apple, pear, dates, figs) and a handful of almonds

6) Chocolate protein pudding (see recipe)

7) Quinoa Greek salad (see recipe)

8) “Clean” protein bars (around 10 ingredients to which you can pronounce/read/understand)

Love,

Olivia

Salad in a Jar

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Olivia

If you are like most people, you don’t pack a healthy lunch because it takes too long or you’re bored with eating the same things everyday. Great news: a week’s worth of layered, beautiful bright salad jar lunches can be made in just minutes!

It’s time to dig up those old Mason jars as they are the key element to this awesome meal idea. Besides the fact that using Mason jars to transport food helps you to avoid dangerous plastics and toxins leaching into your food, these jars are extremely handy and effective with meal prepping. So what’s the point of using a jar, as opposed to a normal bowl or lunch Tupperware you may be thinking? Well, using the jar allows you to easily layer the salad with the dressing on the bottom, firmer ingredients in the middle, until finally the lightest greens on the top.

You can get creative and use any mixture of salad ingredients as long as you follow this single, most important rule: keep the greens far away from the dressing. As long as the greens stay dry, you can make a week’s worth of salads that will last in the fridge without going soggy. When you’re ready to have your salad, just shake the jar several times to mix the dressing, pour ingredients into a big bowl and enjoy. You can eat the salad out of the jar too, but throwing it into a bowl takes way less coordination.

This is one of my favorite quick and easy salad jar recipes:

Balsamic Grilled Chicken

Dressing: 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup orange juice, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Layer it with: mushrooms, quinoa, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cut apples, roasted chicken, and mixed lettuce greens.

Enjoy,

Olivia

Quinoa Greek Salad

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Olivia

Gluten free and simple to cook, quinoa is a must have superfood ingredient to have on hand. This nutrient dense, high protein recipe will help to curb cravings and sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

Ingredients:

1 cup                      Quinoa, rinsed
½ cup                     Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
2 sprigs                 Green Onion, chopped
¼ cup                     Red Onion, chopped
½ cup                     Green and/or Yellow Peppers, chopped
¼ cup                     Kalamta Olives (water cured), chopped
¼ cup                     Feta Cheese (Lactose Free: substitute with goat cheese), crumbled
2tbs                        Lemon Juice
2 tbs                       Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbs                       Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbs                       Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 tsp                       Basil, Oregano, and Black Pepper

Preparation:

Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water in a saucepan
Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
Cook on low heat for 15 minutes
Fluff quinoa gently with a fork
Place in fridge to cool completely
Combine lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, and oregano. Whisk and set aside
Combine cooled quinoa, chopped vegetables, feta cheese
Drizzle with dressing
Season with parsley and black pepper

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Fit Tip:This salad stores great in the refrigerator for about 4-6 days. Be sure to prepare large portions of this recipe at one time and enjoy as a snack or meal when you are stuck for time.

Love,

Olivia

Green Smoothie with YOUNG and RAW

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Olivia

What comes to mind when you think of the name “Young and Raw”?

The truth is, Young and Raw is a health conscious, loving community co-founded by Sheleana Breakell & Caleb Jennings as a place to learn, share and inspire on the benefits of natural living through a high raw, plant based lifestyle. This powerful duo, amongst changing lives and kicking ass, have just recently created a 3 month raw food program called “How To Go Raw, Not Crazy,” in order to help newcomers integrate more raw foods into their lifestyles without getting overwhelmed.

Watch below to see how having just one green smoothie a day can add a huge amount of RAWSOMESNESS to your life!

For more on Young and Raw please check out their amazing site at www.youngandraw.com.

Enjoy,

-Olivia

Sugar in Fake Health Foods

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Olivia

It is shocking and disturbing to know how much sugar is really in the foods that are labeled to look and seem “healthy” in our grocery stores. Watch below to become aware of the top 5 fake health foods and their healthier alternatives.

If you are every in doubt, read your labels and watch out for misleading advertising, especially when it comes to sugar. Besides, it only takes about 3 teaspoons of sugar to suppress the immune system for up to 6 hours.

Sugar= BOOOOO!!! No thanks!:)

Love,

Olivia

Guilt Free Delish Chocolate Pudding

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Olivia

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, chocolate and sugary snacks seem unavoidable; especially for us chocolate lovers. Curbing your sweet tooth and preventing energy crashes with proper nutrition is essential in keeping you on track with your health and fitness goals – especially during another holiday season.

To keep overindulgence at bay, try this super healthy and delicious pudding that’s jam packed with protein, good fat and complex carbohydrates. Enjoy all the goodness, 100% guilt free!

Ingredients:
1 tin pure pumpkin
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup cocoa powder
2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
stevia or agave nectar to sweeten
sprinkle of cinnamon

Preparation:
Melt coconut oil on the stove. Mix all ingredients together. Feel free to top with fruit, nuts, or unsweetened coconut.

Fit Tip:
Enjoy this delicious, healthy treat as a snack or for dessert to curb those cravings and keep that body toned!

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 7 minutes

This is one of my all time favourite recipes:) Let me know how you make out.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers,

Olivia:)

The Quick and Easy

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Olivia

Below are four super simple tips that you can incorporate RIGHT NOW into your lifestyle that will make a huge impact on your overall health and well being:

1) Drink Water First Thing in the Morning:

If there was only ONE thing I could recommend for people to do, it would be to drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning before they do anything else. Sounds underwhelming right? Yet, the reality is not a lot of people are doing this. Drinking water first thing in the morning is critical in order to hydrate the cells and cleanse the body to ensure proper regularity. If increased energy or weight loss is your goal, drinking more water is a must!

2) Eat, Eat, Eat:

The whole waiting to eat until we are virtually starving has got to STOP! Eating healthy mini meals throughout your day will not only ensure your blood sugar and energy levels stay stable, but will also work to prevent you from turning into an angry, moody version of yourself.

3) Get Up and Move:

Exercise does not have to be 60 minutes at the gym, nor does it have to be boring. Fitting in exercise whenever, wherever you can will ensure you build small habits that eventually turn into larger ones. Either way, you will be reaping the benefits! Get moving!

4) Sleep Away the Fat:

This ones tricky. I know. Your too busy and too stressed. However, the only way to truly stay balanced, mentally and physically, is to get your beauty sleep of 7-9 hours. Make this a priority and you will notice how much easier it is to lose weight and kick those sugar and salty food cravings to the curb!

Watch this video to see how quick and easy this really is: