Healthy Turkey Chili

Fall is in the air. I have been less in the mood for cold salads & way more excited to make warm meals. People often think in the winter months that eating warm foods automatically suggests more hearty or fatty meals. I am here to busy that myth, and over the next few weeks post some delicious and healthy fall and winter meals. First up, a super simple healthy turkey chili.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 can black beans 

1 can red beans 

1 large can tomatoes

1 white onion 

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Dash of salt 

1. On medium heat place 1 chopped onion and olive oil in to a big bowl. Stir and let the onion "sweat".

2. Add tomatoes until they start to boil.

3. Stir in turkey.

4. After turkey color changes from pink to white, then add in your beans and spices. 

5. Taste, and check to see if beans have heated and cooked.

6. Serve!

Workout of the Day: 20 Min AMRAP

Jealousy: How To Deal With It Head On

Jealousy is something that we all have felt at one time or another. I personally am pretty good about never allowing it  to get the best of me, and there are a few key reasons why I believe it's never been too big of an issue past my childhood.

Firstly, I want you to know being jealous from time to time is normal. However, it is not normal for it to ruin your relationships with others or your relationship with yourself. Jealousy can range from something small like getting jealous when a friend got something you couldn't afford. Something a little bit bigger would be a time when you become upset with a friend for getting attention (ie.professional, in social media, or out on the town) and criticizing them for it. A common one, but in my opinion the worst kind is when someone is jealous that their significant other and is worried they will meet someone new.  

How do we tackle being jealous on all these levels? 

1. Be OK with yourself:

Sounds simple right? Wrong! This is super hard, but it is SO important to know who you are, what you want, who you want in your life, and how to make it happen. If you find yourself changing (for the worse) around certain people, then maybe they shouldn't be a part of your life. Being OK with yourself is not being too critical of yourself, but it's about being truthful. Be honest, and make sure to give yourself praise WAY more often then criticism. Once you are happy with YOU I think you will be able to be happy for others.

2. Stop comparing yourself to others:
It's hard to do, but the minute you let people and their lives affect your opinion of yourself is the minute you lose yourself in a situation. Whether you compare yourself to someone and it makes your feel good or compare yourself to someone and begin shaming yourself, it's a lose-lose situation for you. Remember my last tip "be ok with yourself" and you won't need to compare yourself to everything everyone else has around you.

3. Start complimenting people and being positive:

If you can't be positive then fake it till you make it to help you handle jealousy. If your friend is super happy and has something you want (ie. perfect relationship, new car, or great job) tell them how happy you are & you hope you will someday be able to share the same great news. Stop being a brat, and be happy when your friends are happy!

4. Face situations for what they are, not what you think they could be:

"Since I'm not getting attetion maybe he's cheating on me? I wonder if her parents paid for that? Maybe she lost weight because she doesn't eat enough." Stop. Don't be crazy. When you allow your thoughts to take over real life you have the ability to create fiction stories of what life could be. Take a step back and don't feed in to the crazy thoughts. Base your opinions off of facts and if you don't have proof to support your idea then "fogetta bout it".

5. Be a grown up and communicate:

Talk things out, and you are likely to resolve them (if it's worth resolving). If you shit talk behind someone's back to a crowd of people then you should be able to say it to their face. If you are jealous of your significant other, then ask to chat for a second to diffuse the situation instead of having a dramatic fit. Get the courage to face difficult situations maturely. 

6. Learn from your mistakes:

When you feel jealousy try to deconstruct why you felt that emotion. Once you are able to address why you felt that way you might be able to avoid this from happening in the future. Remember this is a process, and it takes time.

 

Is Stress Ruining Your Life?

"I am super stressed" is a term you are probably familiar with. If you aren't the one stressed, you probably know someone who is. Stress is a word we use quite freely. There are many different levels of stress, and everybody deals with stress much differently. 

Since starting to work at a company I've noticed some of the highest stress levels I could ever imagine. Some clients have fainted, others have broken out in hives, many stress eat, some simply can't sleep at night, most of them see therapists. Since I work in health and wellness I feel like it's about time I write about it. 

First, let me list symptoms:

• Unable to concentrate
•  Negativity 
• Anxiety
• Moodiness and irrability

• Agitation, inability to relax
• Constantly feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness

• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds

• Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Next, I want you to know what you can do:

• Workout
• Prioritize sleep
• Eat consciously
• Take vacation (without your phone)
• Spend time with the people you love 
• Manage your calendar (don't overbook yourself) 
• Don't work more than you need to
• Find something you enjoy that isn't on your computer (cooking,painting, walking, reading)
• Check in with yourself weekly (set goals) 

Act on it, now! It's time to assess your biggest struggles and try to tackle them one at a time. When I write all the things down that I stress about I am able to realize how busy I can get, and how I sometimes allow my hectic schedule to stress me out. Don't wait until you are stressed to jot down and understand what stresses you out. Take the time now and fix it yourself. 

Seriously Sore: What to do about it

Ok, you're super sore. It might hurt to get out of bed, sit down on the toilet, and even wash your hair. I think we've all been so sore that we have contemplated canceling the rest of your workouts for the week to recover. When you're that sore you can take care of yourself by doing these few things:

1. Move:

Get your blood circulating. You can do light exercise, yoga, a long walk, or stretching at home. When you move your body you can reduce the effects of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

2. Stretching & Mobility work:

Take the time to stretch before (dynamic stretches) and after your workouts. If you are super sore take time to stretch, and do mobility work on the areas that are extra tight.

3. Ice bath:

Taking an ice bath immediately after a workout has been shown to reduce muscle soreness. I've done this and it's freezing! 

4. Hydrate:

When your muscles are sore or tight it's extremely important to hydrate! Drink lots of water, because we all know that 60% of our body weight is water! 

5. Foam roll:

One of the best investments you can make would be to purchase a foam roller. Foam rollers are used for self myofascial release to aid in the recovery of sore muscles and assist in returning them to normal function.

Start Living Your Wildest Dreams

I was chatting with some friends last night over dinner about travel. Not just vacationing, but exploration. Travel is all about taking yourself away from everything you know, to swap it with the unknown. It's about putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation, so that you give yourself a chance to learn and grow. I've found that the more I travel, the more I know ... and I then realize there is so much more that I don't know!  It gives me a sense of curiosity when I see what I'm missing out on around the world. It can be so easy to get caught up in our own routine - with  the typical day to day routine, that we forget to live. It's easy to lose sight of what's outside our "bubble".  Take some time to write down what you want to explore. What are some of your biggest dreams, goals, and aspirations? Now, make a plan to remove yourself from your "norm" and set a date to get away and do something new. This doesn't have to be something that is going to cost you an arm and a leg. It could be something like camping out of the back of your car, hiking at a new spot, or touring around a new city you've never been to. But  it could also be something like planning your dream vacation!  Start living your wildest dreams, or they will stay a dream forever.

Spicy Hummus Salad

I never get bored of salads, but so many people do. In order for me to always enjoy my salad I have to get creative. Today I made this one, and loved it! Try it out for yourself.

4oz ground turkey (organic & lean)

2 cups kale (organic & chopped)

1 cup spinach (organic)

1/2 c broccoli and carrots (organic & sliced)

2 tbsp spicy hummus (organic)

1 tbsp Greek yogurt (0% fat)

Hot sauce (optional)

Squats: Good For Your Butt & Health

Squats are my hands down favorite exercise for more reasons than one. I want to share with you all the reasons you should consider squatting more:

1. Rounder butt: A butt that looks better in your Lululemon, your jeans, and naked!
2. Burn more calories doing squats than most exercises: Squats activate nearly all muscle groups and demands a whole lot from them to perform the exercise. (lift heavy to burn more)
3. Builds strength: In the quadriceps, core, back, hamstrings and calves.
4. Improved circulation: Squats increase blood flow, so say bye bye to cellulite!
5. Enhanced core strength: Abs are made in the kitchen, and while squatting. NOT by doing abs.
6. Improved flexibility: Helps range of motion.
7. Increased vertical jump: When you squat you extend your hips with power, which turns over in to your ability to create power in your vertical jump.
8. Bone density: You have "younger" bones and squats are better than calcium!
9. Knee injury prevention: A lot of people think squats are bad for your knees. WRONG, improper squats are bad for your knees. Squats help strengthen the muscles that stabilize your knee.
10. Posture: Doing a full squat while still maintaining the perfect posture will in turn help to correct your day to day posture.

The Power Of Positivity

 

Positivity is crazy powerful. When you surround yourself with positive and happy people, they can't help but change your mood. It rubs off on you. In the same sense, negativity also that same effect on your frame of mind.  If you surround yourself with negative people, negativity will also rub off on you.   

This past weekend, I realized something super silly. I was being approached by a lot more people than usual when I was out. As my friends saw this, they said that both guys and girls both were sort of drawn to me. Girls were coming up and complimenting me about my clothes, hair, nails and athleticism. A few even asked if we could be friends!  Guys were hitting on me left and right ;) Not in a sleazy way, but to open up and tell me about their lives. 

I have always had people feel comfortable in approaching me, and open up to me.  I'm always happy and willing to talk with and meeting new people.  But this weekend, I came to a realization that there's a reason I have this effect on people.

I was so happy this weekend and surrounded myself with only positive people and ideas.  That energy rubbed off on people.  I was stress free, had plenty of sleep, tons of exercise, and no worries in the world. Everything I did this weekend was enjoyable for ME (not to please anyone else). 

My message to you this week! Choose your mindset. Get your attitude in check ... because you never know who will soak it up.

Get Your Metabolism Back On Track!

Earlier this week, I discussed the symptoms you should look out for if you feel like you have done some damage to your Metabolism. Today, I want to share how to get your metabolism back on track.

1. Reverse Dieting: What is it? Reverse dieting is used as a technique to restore your metabolic rate. It's a progressive way for you to start adding calories back in to your diet. When reverse dieting, you should start by adding in about 5% more calories weekly, which equates to about 50-100 calories more per day. If you feel good after a week of adding in calories, you can add 50-100 more the following week. How long you need to reverse diet totally depends on how little you were eating & how long you were dieting for. The point is to get your body out of depletion and restore your body with nutrients. You gain energy, strength, speed up your metabolism, and see great results! Once you reverse diet for a few weeks and are at a place where you are maintaining your weight, then you can start tweaking your diet again - either continue slowly adding or decreasing calories.

2. Build More Muscle:

Strength train - you will speed up your metabolism. Switch up your routine every 4-6 weeks (change the sets, reps, weight and rest time).  Building lean muscle doesn't mean you will get bulky (men have 10 times the testosterone we do, so it's nearly impossible for us to bulk up unless we are eating crazy amounts). You can speed up your metabolism by 5 times if you build lean muscle. Muscle burns 5 and a half times more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have the more your metabolism allows you to eat. Girls often say, "well I eat less than her, why is she smaller than me?" Truthfully, she has a faster metabolism than you because she eats enough!

3. Recover fully from workouts:

Do I have to explain this? Stop wrecking yourself in the gym without stretching, recovering, or treating your injuries. Hydrate before and after, and fuel yourself properly! Think about your caloric intake both in terms of your resting metabolic rate and expended energy from workouts.  For example: if your resting metabolic rate is 1,500 calories and you burn 500 calories in your workout, then you need to eat 2,000 that day to simply maintain your weight. Make sure you SLEEP, because this will allow your body to recover and repair.  If you don't sleep enough, you won't recover properly.

4. Supplement:

I love Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). They can help speed up muscle recovery and growth.  If you drink BCAAs in the morning and at night, studies have shown less hunger, higher calorie expenditure, and direct the energy being used to fat stores rather than eating up muscle.

5. Get blood work done:

If you have more of the severe symptoms listed in last weeks' newsletter, then definitely go to the doctor and have blood work done. Your doctor can check on your thyroid to see if it's too fast (hyper) or too slow (hypo), your testosterone levels (help build muscle & speed metabolism), and Leptin (satiety hormone). You might need a medication for a little while to regulate hormone function.

If you feel like you have done metabolic damage, you need to take yourself out of the routine you are in. Is it truly balanced and getting you to your goals? If not, let's switch things up!

Your Metabolism: Are you messing it up?

Many of us put in our time at the gym and watch what we eat. Some of us take it to the extremes to see results (eating less & working out more). It's always important to make sure you're eating adequate calories, not overtraining, and recovering from intense workouts properly. One hot topic I have been seeing all over social media is Metabolic Damage. Oftentimes, when people see the scale stall when trying to lose weight, they assume they have metabolic damage. I've done a lot of homework after dealing with some of these symptoms myself, and I can tell you most people are very unlikely to have Metabolic Damage. I do, however, highly recommend that you listen to your body when you're feeling "off" or have symptoms that would make you think your metabolism is "off".  You may actually be dealing with Metabolic Compensation or Metabolic Resistance. Read about the symptoms of Metabolic Compensation, Metabolic Resistance, & Metabolic Damage below.  

 

Metabolic compensation:

You are eating less and burning more, and in turn your body compensates by making you more hungry and slowing down your metabolism (calories you burn at rest).

- Metabolism slows down and weight loss stalls (you hit a plateau). 

-Hunger, energy and cravings (HEC) become moderately out of balance. 

-This is very much like the early signs of athletic over-training. Also called overreaching. (Over-training is EXTREMELY difficult to do (think of your workouts compared to Le Tour de France), but you might simply need a rest day)

Metabolic resistance: 

-Weight loss halts completely, and you can no longer lose weight with an eat less, exercise more approach. -At best you maintain your weight with hunger, energy & cravings (HEC). 

-Mood changes occur. Feelings of anxiety or depression. 

- Trouble sleeping. You may have difficulty going to sleep and/or staying asleep.

Metabolic damage: 

-All of the above 

-You can't lose weight and may even be gaining weight despite no change in diet. 

-Your body is taking on a puffy/bloated look. 

-You may be dealing with hypothyroid symptoms of dry skin, itchy scalp, and slow thinking. 

-You are exhausted & or depressed. 

-Your menstrual cycle is completely gone or irregular. 

-You may be feeling light headed & sensitivity to bright lights. 

-You may have developed multiple food intolerance's. 

 

Eating For Results

Although I had fun making a little joke about this  "not eating" phenomenon we see in our society, I do want to take this opportunity to explain the importance of the ofunit we use that measure how od when it comes to your training. Food is crucial to maximize results. Today, I am simply going to cover the topic of calories.

A calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. The amount of calories your body needs to perform its basic functions would be your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Once you know your BMR, you will then be able to manipulate your calories and adjust them according to your goals.

A great site I use to calculate my BMR and my clients BMR is this one. This site will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your weight (without exercise), what you would need to do to maintain your weight with exercise, how to lose weight or gain muscle. It all starts with calories, and later you can break it down to Macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) if that is something you can monitor.

Remember one thing: eating fewer calories doesn't necessarily mean that you're eating better! Calories are essential to fuel your body for the day, to recover from workouts, and also to keep your metabolism healthy. If you aren't fueling your body properly, you can do some major damage that is EXTREMELY hard to reverse. More on metabolic damage in a future post! 

Girls Are SIX Times More Likely To Drop Out Of Sports Than Boys

I read this statistic and was shocked. Then I realized, no, it isn't a shocking statistic. It's an unfortunate statistic.

Why are girls dropping out? Studies show 

1. Lack of access

2. Transportation 

3. Social stigma 

4. Quality experience 

5. Cost 

6. Lack of positive role models 

It's such a bummer for me to read a statistic like this. Sports have help shaped my life. Playing sports has taught be to be confident, work in a team, stick to my commitments, push harder than I thought I could, it taught me communication, sticking to a schedule, how to be social, how to be a leader, along with many other life skills.

I encourage all you women to pick up sports, or some sort exercise. The benefits go far beyond looking good! More women need to experience the empowerment of fitness and sports. 

Athletic Leg Workout

So you want athletic legs? My trick is to add in plyometric and cardio exercises in to my strength circuit. Why?

1. Burns more calories

2. Increases heart rate 

3. Kicks my butt 

4. Keeps the workout feeling athletic rather than standing around in a gym feeling bored waiting to start my next set

5. Makes me faster, stronger, and recover quicker.

Try this one out and tell me how your legs feel the next day. 

The goal is to get 5 rounds done as fast as possible. Right after you go through one time start right back up with your run. 

New Week New Mindset

Prepping for your week doesn't just mean updating your calendar, planning your meals, and having your clothes ready. Being prepared to means to me, getting mentally prepared. Easy to say, but sometimes hard to do.

Here are some tips I use to getting mentally prepared for my week:

1. Sunday alone time: 

I am someone who is extremely social. I often book my calendar morning until night without much time between. What keeps me in check and mentally prepped for my week is taking some time for myself on Sunday. I often wake up a little later (without an alarm if I can help it) then walk to get coffee and head towards the bridge. This allows me to think, relax, calm my mind, and enjoy my beautiful city.

2. Forget what bothered you last week at work:

Did your coworker annoy you? Even worse; your boss? Write it down, and move on. Seriously. We won't always agree with everyone, understand everyone, and you need to realize that your reaction may be debilitating your progress at work. If you can change the way you react then you might be able to diffuse any issues.

3. Didn't catch up on enough sleep?

Is Monday and you didn't get enough R&R over the weekend. Do not allow that to slow down your week! Make it a priority on Monday to get in a power nap. You need to manage your schedule!

4. Goals

What do you want to acheive this week? Besides chores & work you should be making a list of things you want to do and out them in your calendar. Sometimes we forget that is better to work to live than living to work. Make sure you prioritize doing something fun! 

5. Clean space 

I am working on this right now, but I've read a ton about having a happy clean space to come home to. This means decorating, dishes, and laundry. It's important to leave a stressful job space and come home to a relaxing spot. It's sometimes a chore, but will be worth it to kick off your shoes and relax after your place is tidy. 

6. Exercise 

You knew this was coming, didn't you? When I am stressed I usually call my dad. He will listen to me blabber, and if I am a little stressed he usually asks me one thing, "did you workout today?". My answer when I am stressed it usually, "no, not yet". He replies, "go workout, and call me after." Seriously?! That's not the answer I look for, but when I workout I usually figure out my own answers. 

I hope these tips help you find a positive mindset to start your week! Happy Monday. 

Doubting Yourself Is Setting Yourself Up For Failure

We've all heard of a self fulfilling prophecy. You believe something to be true and it sooner or later happens. It recently happened to my friend. She mentioned to me how tired she was, and how badly she didn't want to go to work the next day. She woke up that next morning and told me she was sick.

I believe by putting negative energy out there, she created her own destiny. 

People ask me how I stay motivated, and positive. My answer to them is 1. I am not always motivated and positive & 2. When I feel unmotivated or negative, I do what I need to do to turn my attitude around ASAP.

Some of my tricks are stopping what I'm doing and going for a 10 minute walk with some calming music. Sometimes that doesn't work, so I head home to write down my thoughts. If I'm still bummed out, I take a short nap (20 mins) to turn my attitude around. If that doesn't work, knowing myself, I most likely need to just vent. I'll call a friend and just talk it out. Once I do all those things I stop feeling sorry for myself. I've done all I can do and I move on to things that are more important or topics that are bigger than myself. 

It's ok to be down and feel sorry for yourself, but the trick is to be aware and moving right along. Your mind has the power to create you or wreck you. It's in your power to choose happiness or self deprecation! Start today with a beautiful mindset. 

Turn it Up Tuesday Workout

Need a total body workout? Don't know what to do to be time efficient? Do this one ANYWHERE! 

Try to complete 3-8 rounds! 

Tell me how it goes! 

Who Needs Falsies When You Have 3D Fiberlash Mascara

I just tried out Fiberlash mascara this week, and I am SO excited about it. I love having big long lashes, but whenever I use fake lashes they come unglued. They also just don't look very natural.

Look at how much more full and thick my lashes look with this new mascara(pictured below). If you see the two top pictures I have a lot of volume, but not a lot of length. The bottom pictures are with the Fiberlash mascara and they are SO long. It's super easy to use, and doesn't irritate your eyes. You just swoop it on over your regular mascara. Try it out for yourself:

www.youniqueproducts.com/kyleekozon

MetCon via Thea

What's a MetCon?

The term "MetCon" became popular as CrossFit became popular. MetCon workouts have been around forever, and simply stands for Metabolic Conditiong. MetCons are designed to be fairly short and extremely intense. During these workouts you shouldn't be resting if you can help it, and you should be pushing your limits.

Here's one I designed this week.

Try it out!

Grilled Romaine Tex Mex Salad

I just got back from Yosemite today. In my normal fashion I hit the gym then headed to the grocery store. I wanted to whip up something delicious and healthy. Hope you try it! 

Grilled Romaine Tex Mex Salad

Ingredients:

4 oz Organic boneless skinless chicken breast

1 head Organic Romaine lettuce 

1/3 c Organic corn

1/2 c Organic bell peppers chopped

1/4 Organic red onion chopped

1/2 Organic lime

1/3 c Organic black beans 

Fiesta lime seasoning (Mrs. dash)

1. In a small pan mix corn, black beans, bell pepper, red onion, and lime juice. Let it simmer.

2. In a large pan on medium heat (or on a grill) grill your chicken with Fiesta Lime seasoning.

3. Chop romaine in half (long ways). Place on pan or grill face down on high heat until it's grilled a bit crispy. 

3. Place grilled romaine lettuce face up on a plate.

4. Add grilled chicken and veggie mix on top of the romaine.

Enjoy!! 

314 calories. 32g pro, 37 g carb, 4 g fat