Weekend at the Parents......

Hi All!!!

So this past weekend- I went to visit my parents. It is always a great trip, I get to relax, sleep, Mom cooks, talks life, brings me back to earth and grounds me when I need it most (I am not referring to punishment - LOL). My Dad listens to me, gives advice on career and business moves and most of all makes me feel like a kid again. I feel like all is right in the world when I am there. Nothing matters- not even who wins the upcoming election......

So- Mom always makes these awesome healthy recipes - as my parents are both health conscious vegetarians. Two of the recipes she made all weekend were so awesome- I asked if I could write a blog dedicated to her and these recipes- so I could memorialize the great weekend we had together as well as some of the awesome meals.......this food was served at breakfast. It satisfied me through a great day of bike riding over 6 miles, hiking 2 miles followed by kayaking!!! They are healthy and filling! Enjoy!

Mom's Magical Fruit and Cheese (Good anytime- but I like for breakfast)

1 Quart Lowfat Ricotta Cheese
3 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put all ingredients in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix the ingredients for about 10 minutes until fluffy creamy texture.

Serve about 1/2 cup with chopped fruit of your choice. Berries, and cantaloupe are what we had this weekend! Enjoy!!!

The Best Ever Bran Flax Muffins - by Mom
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 c Flaxseed meal
3/4 c oat bran
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 c shredded carrots
2 apples peeled and shredded
1/2 cup raisins (optional - dates or crasins are good too)
1 c nuts chopped (optional)
3/4 c milk
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in carrots, apples raisins and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are moistened - so not over mix. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes!! Enjoy!!!

Anyone else have a favorite recipe from Mom that is healthy and must be shared with the world- especially Boot Campers???? Put it up on the blog!!!! www.QueensLongIslandBootCamp.com

Motivating Quote:
“It takes a long time to grow young.” Pablo Picasso

Have you ever thought about getting older as essentially growing young? For most of us this may sound like a foreign concept, but it is one worth thinking about. Consider this: children are not scared to dream, they believe that failure is normal, and they truly think that they can do anything. Don’t adults need some of these behaviors in their everyday life? Think about how much you might be able to accomplish if you were encouraged to dream. What would you be able to do if you thought and believed that you could do anything? How much would your daily life change if you weren’t scared of failure? Obviously, at work we might not be able to act like we are a boundless child, but set some goals that will allow you to remember what it was like to live life without limits.

Make it a great day!!!

Becky

Summer Time Pancakes and Eggs!

Hi All!!! Wow- it has been a while since I posted on the blog! I am sorry!! I have been busy with the Queens / Long Island Boot Camps, launching The Virtual Boot Camp, and trying to enjoy summer...hee hee. So I have slacked on the weekly postings! In return- I will give you two recipes this week as well as a whole load of new info!

First and foremost- I had a Community Blog created where you all can join and post!! Please feel free to comment on your favorite recipes that I have shared with you, your favorite free workouts and more! The blog is www.QueensLongIslandBootCamp.com

Please make use of it and help create a health and wellness community for us all to enjoy! I cannot do this without you! All of my future Adventure Boot Camp blog postings will be there- so be sure to check it out!!!

Yummy Scrambled Eggs:

1 Egg
3 Additional Whites
Dried or Fresh Dill
Dash of skim milk
Salt Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and beat lightly with a fork. Heat pan and coat with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture in pan with the hot, cooking spray. Cook over low heat, stirring gently and more or less constantly with a wooden spoon.

It will take 3 to 4 minutes for the eggs to become just set, but very creamy. If you prefer firmer, dryer scrambled eggs, cook for another 2 minutes.

When the eggs are scrambled to your liking, season with salt and pepper. Scrambled eggs are best served immediately.


Egg White Banana Pancakes:
1-2 bananas
5 Egg Whites
1 Cup of Skim Milk
1 Cup Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
1 Tbs Cinn
1Tbs Vanilla


Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over low to medium. Whisk together pancake mix, milk, egg whites, cinn and vanilla. Slice banana cross wise and add to pancake mix. Pour 4 medium-sized pancakes (about 1/4 cup batter each) onto the hot skillet. Cook about 3 minutes; flip and cook about 3 minutes more. Transfer to serving plate and keep warm until all pancakes are prepared. Serve with syrup (and berries, if desired). This recipe can be made with blueberries, strawberries whatever you want!! Enjoy!

Commitment, Consistency and Control

Greetings!!! Happy Summer! While the OFFICIAL start of summer is not here yet- it sure feels like summer out there! 97 degrees in June! Yikes!

I want to take this opportunity- to chat- about three very important factors in ANY fitness plan- that MUST be present in order for you to be successful. Especially- if you are following the guidelines of fitness and wellness as set forth by myself, and my fitness company, BACK TO BASICS. Without these three elements, success will be short lived.

COMMITMENT: In order to be successful at anything in this world- you must be COMMITTED. You must make a decision on a given day that you are going to change your life, decide how you are going to change your life, understand why you want to embark on this change and go ahead and be committed to the change.

In order to remain committed- on occasion, without reason or rationale- you will have to make decisions- to stay on your life path. This means you will occasionally endure sacrifice that others who are not embarking on your life plan or change will not understand. You must be steadfast in your commitment- and reaffirm the reasons for your commitment. Let others know about your commitment and command respect for yourself by respecting your self and remaining committed. Others will follow and respect your decisions as well once you respect yourself. With out respecting your self and your commitment- others will not have respect for you or your attempts to change your life.

Know and understand that your COMMITMENT to a healthy lifestyle- is 80% MENTAL. While you are changing your body, becoming more fit, exercising, changing the food you eat- KNOW these are all MENTAL changes- as your MIND CONTROLS your BODY. Without MENTAL strength and COMMITMENT- your life change will not last.

In making your commitment- I want you to think of others that are committed to something in their life......use them as an example, as a role model- and know that one day you will be a role model for others. If they can do it- YOU CAN DO IT.

CONSISTENCY: After you have made your commitment to your new life change- the next element that naturally follows is CONSISTENCY. You must be consistent with the changes you make in your life. You MUST BE CONSISTENT with your healthy lifestyle to see and feel improvement. Without CONSISTENCY - you are failing in your COMMITMENT. This means you must follow a healthy lifestyle for a long period of time- even if you are frustrated, tired, cranky whatever. Forge ahead, push on, you will feel better for it soon thereafter.

CONTROL: Finally- know this- without CONTROL you will not be successful in your life change. When I refer to CONTROL - I am talking about CONTROL to ensure you eat good fresh foods, lean proteins, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and whole grains. When I talk about CONTROL I am talking about the ability to say NO. I am talking about the need to CONTROL the forces in your life to ensure you have time to sleep, rest, exercise and enjoy the basic human rights of eating, resting and exercising. Take CONTROL of yourself, your life and you will be well on your way to a new you!!!

If you have any questions or just want to talk - you can reach me at www.BeckysFitnessCompany.com

RECIPE of the WEEK - High PROTEIN FRENCH TOAST

2 Slices of Whole Grain Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Cinn with Raisins Swirl Bread
4 Egg Whites
1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cooking Spray

Beat egg whites with Cinn and Vanilla in small low rectangle container; Lay Bread flat in egg mixture; let soak for 1 hour in the fridge; flip bread and let soak over night covered. In the AM all eggs should be absorbed by bread; warm small pan, coat with cooking spray and cook french toast on low flame in covered frying pan to ensure slow thorough cooking (about 3-4 min each side).

Enjoy French Toast with fresh Cranberry Sauce, Apple Sauce (see recipe below)!!!

Total Body Workout in 20 minutes, 40 minutes or 60!

Becky’s Fitness Company

Total Body Workout

Many people believe that in order to properly execute a cardiovascular and weight training program, they need to utilize a gym or health club. That is simply not true. Another misconception is that cardio and weight training are two distinct forms of exercise that cannot be performed simultaneously- that is not true either. Becky’s Fitness Company strives to assist the busy modern day person attain a healthy lifestyle though time efficient workouts and proper nutrition. In creating workouts for my clients, I emphasize exercises that can be performed in a variety of ways and in the shortest amount of time possible to ensure they get the work done; rather than have them put it off due to the feeling of being overwhelmed with yet another task to accomplish in a day. An hour is often a large commitment that many people cannot make to fitness. It is my personal belief that any exercise is better than no exercise…and I always advocate if you do not have one solid hour to dedicate to a workout- then do one in 20 minutes or 30 minutes! Whatever time you have!

The following is a unique versatile workout that can be completed in several ways. First it can be done in a continuous circuit to allow for a complete cardio and strength training workout; if done this way, the circuit should take 50-60 minutes to complete. It is a total body workout that is meant to be challenging. Or, it can be broken up into 20 or 40 minute segments. You can perform this workout 2-3 times per week taking 1-2 days off in between workouts to give your body time to rest and recover. Set up your stations prior to commencing the workout so you can move directly from one exercise to the next. Use a weight that challenges you- keep in mind that weight may be different depending on the body part you are working in a particular exercise. Drink water as needed. Repeat the circuit 4 times, performing 12 reps for each exercise. Exert continuous effort; you should lift a weight that is challenging-but that you can complete the 12 reps with and work hard. This full body circuit can be completed at home or in a gym.

Becky’s Body Fat Blaster Workout

Perform each of the following exercises for 12 rep sets

Do each exercise in the circuit immediately after the other

Repeat the circuit 4 times

Dumbbell Bent over Row

Dumbbell Squat Jumps

Push ups

V-Ups

Dumbbell Arnold press

50 Mountain Climbers

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

Dumbbell Stationary lunge (each leg)

Standing french press

stiff leg dead lifts

simulated jump rope 2 minutes

Please consult with your doctor prior to starting this or any exercise program

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Great News!!! This month- May- I was featured in New Living Magazine/Newspaper!!! Pick up a copy to see my new Boot Camp Move of the Month Article!!! I plan on starting a video posting of a boot camp move of the month on the Adventure Boot Camp Blog starting June 1!! I will keep you all posted!

So as you all know - on April 12, 2008, I participated in the New England Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships in Seekonk, MA. I placed 5th against a group of serious competitors! Wow! While I was not overly enthusiastic with my placing- it did give me inspiration to push on- and motivation to do better at my next show! NEVER GIVE UP! That is my motto!!! Here are some pics from the contest!! I hope you enjoy them!

Coming up in June- I will be participating in the High Trek Adventure Race in NYC to raise awareness and money for the New York Special Olympics!!! Please visit my fund raising page at www.firstgiving.com/adventurebootcamp I am also considering racing in the Dirty Events Sprint Adventure Race in Long Island! I will keep you posted with results and pics!!!

So now for the recipe of the week!!! For all my sweet tooth women out there.......my saving grace is homemade applesauce and homemade cranberry sauce!!! I put them on EVERYTHING!!! I use the cranberry sauce for my roasted chicken, snacks, yogurt, dessert, sandwiches, wraps etc. It makes a great dressing too!!!

Cranberry Sauce:

16oz Raw cranberries - washed
1 cup water
1/2 cup splenda / sugar mix

Bring water to slow boil, add sugar splenda mix and cranberries and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries soften and begin to pop in covered saucepan. Crush with a fork, cool and serve. Store in covered container in the fridge o r freeze. Be careful not let them sauce boil over pan when simmering- as the sauce tends to rise while simmering.

Dirty Apple Sauce: Again I use this for dinner side, yogurt or oatmeal garnish snack dessert etc.

6-8 Apples of varying types - Cored and diced
1 tablespoon cinnamin
2 packets splenda

Core and dice apples and place in baking dish. Put cinnamin and splenda on top of apple mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples soften. Stir with a fork and crush soft apples pieces. Cool and serve. Store in covered container in fridge or freeze.


"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Arabian Proverb


Until next week - be well. Remember I am here to talk! Send me an email!!!