Category Archives: Clean Eating

Healthy Eating with Jen

Hi Union Fitness! 

 

With so much nutrition information available at our fingertips, it’s easy to get stuck dealing with analysis paralysis and decision fatigue or to fall down the crash dieting rabbit hole. Here are a few basic principles that I aim to follow in order to simplify the decision process, fuel performance, and maintain a healthy relationship with food: 

 

  1. Plan ahead. Whether I’m prepping meals for the week or heading to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for a special occasion, having a plan helps reduce decision fatigue and saves me time for the fun part: making and eating tasty food! Pro tip: freezing your meal preps helps them taste fresh for longer. No one likes refrigerator flavored chicken! Just remember to thaw them in the fridge or on a low power in the microwave before heating them up.
  2. Strive for small changes. Like laughably small. Breaking down large goals into small, easily achievable steps helps make big goals more attainable and makes us more likely to stick with new habits. Trying to increase protein intake, reduce ultra-processed food consumption, and eat more vegetables all at once is a huge undertaking for most people, myself included. Instead, add a greek yogurt to your breakfast or focus on opting for fruit over candy even 50% of the time. Use the small improvements to generate momentum, and remember, perfect is the enemy of better. 
  3. Eat for fuel and enjoyment. As a competitive athlete of 20 years and a budding therapist, I am a firm believer in the concept that there are no “good” or “bad” foods. Be it fuel and performance or pleasure and community, all food serves a purpose. Learning how to name that purpose and balance appropriately attending to our physical, emotional, and social needs is key to ensuring a healthy relationship with food. 

 

Finally, take some time to enjoy your food today. After all, we have to eat to live – might as well make it fun! 

 

-Jen 

Easy High Protein Recipes

Hey everyone!

 

With summer rolling around, I thought I would share with you all a few fairly easy high protein foods that I like to cook when I meal prep.

 

  1. Spicy Salsa Chicken- Dense in protein, low in fat, and is a good mix up if you are tired of eating plain grilled chicken.

Ingredients- 1-2 cans/glasses of salsa. 1 Franks hot sauce, salt and pepper. 1 package of chicken breast

  1. Get a crock pot and throw in the pack of raw chicken breast.
  2. Season it as you would like while it is in crock pot.
  3. Dump all the salsa into the crock pot and ensure all the chicken is covered.
  4. Add as much Franks hot sauce as you would like
  5. Cook on low heat for 8 hours

 

 

 

  1. Grass Fed Steak- Everyone loves a good steak. High in protein but moderately high in fat.

Ingredients- Grass Fed Steak, Goya Adobo Seasoning, Olive Oil

  1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Season steak on both sides with adobo seasoning and tenderize by beating the steak
  3. Heat up Olive oil on pan on high
  4. Once pan has heated with the olive oil, place steaks on pan for 30-45s on each side. This is done to get a nice pan sear on each side of the steak
  5. After each side of all steaks are seared, throw them onto a baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes in the oven. Check to see if your steak is done by using a thermometer or by cutting into it. May need to throw steaks back in if they are too rare for your liking!

 

  1. Ground Turkey and Grass Fed Beef Burgers- High in protein but moderately high in fat. Can substitute for all ground turkey instead of ground beef to lower fat content.

Ingredients- 2 lbs of 93-7 Ground Turkey (or leaner), 1 lb of 80-20 ground beef, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, Olive oil

  1. Combine ground beef and ground turkey together in a bowl. Mix together for a few minutes to get a solid mixture of the two meats.
  2. Add 3 T of Worcestershire sauce along with desired amount of salt and pepper to the ground turkey and ground beef. Mix well again.
  3. Preheat olive oil in pan on medium-high
  4. Make 12 patties with the 3 lbs of raw meat by rolling meat into balls and forming them to make a burger size. I use a pampered chef burger press.
  5. Once pan is hot, throw the patties onto the pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side on medium high heat. The trick is to only flip the burger ONCE.
  6. Now you have fairly high protein burger patties. Feel free to add bread or lettuce as a bun and whatever condiments you would like!

 

If you end up using any of these small recipes then please let me know! I think they are all pretty tasty but the Salsa Hot Chicken is probably the easiest to make!

 

-Zain

Meal Prepping When You Are Busy or Feeling Lazy

Everyone has those days or weekends where we do not feel like meal prepping, whether it be constraint in time, money, or motivation. However, having adequate nutrition after training hard is crucial to make new gains or to lose pounds. So today, I will write about how to plan out super simple prepped meals so you can reach your goals in the gym.

 

First meal is a crock pot chuck roast. The ingredients you need are: chuck roast, obviously, I like to get it from Aldi as they have the cheapest option. 1 table spoon of olive oil for searing, salt and pepper – season roast with a fair amount of salt, otherwise it can taste a little flat. 1 yellow onion, cut into strands, 1 whole peeled garlic – be sure to use fresh garlic for the best flavor here. 1 can of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce for seasoning, 2-3 Yellow/gold potatoes 2 big carrots, and corn starch if you want a thick gravy like broth.

 

Sear both sides of the chuck roast on a big pan by heating up the 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a pan. After searing the chuck, pat it dry with paper towel and set it aside, use that same pan to sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Now put all the goodies in the crock pot, the layer goes: beef-onion & garlic-potatoes-carrots. Set that bad boy aside for 8-9 hours on slow cook option, and now you have yourself a protein rich meal ready to go the next day.

 

Second meal is called “I don’t want to cook at all chicken and rice combo,” which is my go to meals when I don’t want to cook, at all. You need a rice cooker and Kirkland brand canned chicken from Costco, or their famous $5 rotisserie chicken. Literally just cook the rice (please wash them, it’s the honorable way), put your chicken on it, and top it off with some bagged spinach or sauce. Is that the most college kid like meal ever? Yes, but it is healthier than a cup of instant noodles.

 

Thanks for reading my blog, perhaps one day I’ll bring some crock pot roast for everyone to try!

 

Hanson

Food Rules

Throughout my career I have been lucky to spend tome with some of the best in the nutrition and diet world. I have broken bread with Dr John Berardi and Michael Pollan. Both of these men had a profound influence on how I eat and the idea I will share with you today. Michael Pollan has a simple method for eating.

 

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Michael Pollan

 

If you followed those three simple rules you’d probably be healthier than you are right now. On the other hand Dr John Berardi has written books about his different rules and methods. I have devised my own simple plan that is based in many ways on the lessons I have learned from these two.

 

  1. Figure out how many eating opportunities you have in a week. If you eat 4 times a day 7 days a week that is 28 opportunities.
  2. Create a scoring system. You could use an excel graph with 28 squares or even use notes in your phone. It doesn’t matter, just track it someway.
  3. Mark an X in meals that don’t pass the simple test (I am about to show you), Mark a checkmark when you do pass the test.
  4. Follow this simple test. Does your meal have protein, fruit and or veggies, and water. If so then it passes, if not it fails.
  5. At the end of the week score yourself. Maybe you hit 14 out of 28 meals. Then you have a starting point, aim for 15 next week.

 

A few notes about this is, be honest with yourself as you must know where you are starting. Also, don’t fret over where you are now. The only way us up, no human would score perfect (maybe a bodybuilder preparing for a show), so give yourself a break and just try to do better.

 

Try this out and as with any goal make slow steady progress.

 

Hamer

Hungry Food Fun

Hello my hungry homies,

 

If you follow along on my adventure shenanigans you can see that I love cooking and trying new exciting foods with a twist. What you may not have known is that I’m pretty much a veg head these days. Long ago a grumpy gray bearded man told me I couldn’t get bumpy by being a veg head, so we had to stubbornly prove him wrong. Also, I’m team animal and team save the planet which helps fuel the fire, and forces me to think outside of the box and be more creative. With all that being said, I have two fun and easy food recipes to show you that will definitely spice up your life and give you a twist on some classics, veg head style of course.

 

First we have the Black Bean & Beet Fiesta Burger which was inspired by our trip to The Independent, a Squirrel Hill tavern and restaurant (a fan favorite).

 

Take your Beets (fresh is better for most things) black beans, chickpeas, quinoa, jalapeños, onion, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, a bit of A1(for that umami hit) and send it all through the food processor. Mix all that up well and refrigerate for a bit, then create your patties and cook them like you would your favorite burger. Then Boom, toss your go to toppings, some guac on that burger and send it between some fresh buns. There you have it, a quick and easy twist on a tasty burger.

 

As a nice side for the Triple B Fiesta Burger we created a Cashew Queso, for our lactose belly ache friends out there. I believe we first had this on our adventure pit stop at a brewery in Boulder Colorado but it could have also been on a ride up Pacific Highway 1. I’ll consult the elders for the determination.

 

Any-who, get some cashews and soak those puppies overnight to start the process. Boil some potatoes, take some unsweetened vegan cream or almond/ cashew milk, diced tomatoes, chopped jalapeños, garlic, salt, onion, cayenne powder and nutritional yeast. That is correct, I don’t measure anything, just all eyes and elbows over here. Blend all that fun stuff together and TADA Cashew Queso. Dip your chips and enjoy.

 

There you have it my hungry homies. Let me know if you tried these out and how it all went. Hold onto your butts for more twisted food ideas.

 

Cheers,

CeJ

Holiday Season Tips

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is upon us and we here at UF are excited for the new year, while also celebrating an exciting end to 2021. Here are some tips (and some ways we can help), for a strong end to 2021, and stronger start to 2022.

 

  1. Bring someone to the gym for our free week. If you have anyone coming from out of town, bring them to the gym Dec 23-Dec 31st for a free week. Have a friend who doesn’t train, bring them over. This offer is for anyone who is not a member and they do not need a member with them. This is an open invite for all to come try UF for one week. This membership will be an unlimited membership so please help others discover the beauty of strength.
  2. Give yourself a break. Yes, holiday parties will involve cookies and libations. Just get back on it the next day. It’s OK to be human.
  3. Keep your sleep schedule. Sleep is one of the most important acts humans do. Through all the adaptation we have seen as humans, the body has never changed how much rest we need. So try to stay on point.
  4. Get ready for SPIN! We are adding spin back to UF. Starting in January we will be having spin classes as well as our normal cardiolab classes. So try something new here at UF.
  5. Drink more water. Before the cookie tray hit the water fountain. Water will help reduce our urges, as well as just generally making us better.
  6. Serve others. Servant leadership is very important, especially at this time of the year. Do some good out there, it will come back to you ten fold.

 

Thank you for reading my rants about how we can improve ourselves and others. Now let’s all go out there this holiday season and share the love.

 

Ham

Tis’ the Season of Bulking

UF has a very diverse membership, we have competitive lifters, athletes, business workers, yoga fans, and everyone in between. For some of these people bulking is a good word, for others it is an unwanted side affect of the holidays. The cold weather tends to bring less hikes, less sunlight, and more cookies/libations into the Pittsburgh region. For those of you who would like to avoid bulking this time of the year, I have some tips to help you out.

 

  1. Focus on what matters. Will one cookie or one drink be the difference maker? NO! Yet, one drink and one cookie nightly will be. So enjoy the cookie at the party and realize it won’t be the one that matters, the ones you have at home may be the difference maker. So have fun, be social, enjoy the cookie tray, then go home and get back to your healthy eating habits.
  2. Stick to your plan. Just like in step one, we must continue to do what is right when no one is watching. Look in your kitchen, do you have healthy or unhealthy options? Surround yourself with good options.
  3. Find mini workouts. Make a commitment to walk, jog, move, or do anything throughout the day that will burn a few extra calories. If you have a dog walk the little guy he needs it.
  4. Set a new routine. Over the next few months set some new goals. Make your goals input not outcome based. If you have an Apple Watch then a simple one is fill your rings. If not then how about just walking daily. Set a very simple achievable goal and stick to it daily.
  5. Come see us at UF more! Yeah I had to plug the gym here. We are hosting out annual Turkey Burn workout. Come and burn a few hundred calories prior to stuff your face. Then go stuff your face and enjoy every bite.
  6. Last but not least. Give yourself a break. We will all mess up, and we will all fall off the wagon, that’s OK, just get back up and keep moving. Life, fitness, and health are all marathons, do what you can to keep moving.

 

Happy holiday season and happy bulk season too for our lifters.

Break Your Rules

Dr John Berardi is someone who has really helped me throughout my career when it comes to diet and nutrition. Years ago he wrote a book (I forget which one), to help people with their diet and training. In the book he recommended using an excel sheet to record your diet. The method he used was simple. Set a few simple rules such as,

 

  1. Have protein in each meal.
  2. Have fruits or veggies in each meal.
  3. Drink water at each meal.

I am not sure these were his rules, yet this is what I took away from the rules. Once this is set make an excel sheet with 7 columns and as many rows as meals you would eat each day.  If you were eating 5 meals per day you would have 35 empty boxes. Now each time you follow your rules put a check, and when you fail put an x in the corresponding box. At the end of the week score your sheet. Now try to do better next week.

 

Improvement is not linear yet your steps for improvement can be. Let’s say you had 20 meals that you followed the rules in week one, and 15 that you didn’t. This is your baseline. Just be one meal better next week. Keep taking steps in that directions. Here is the kicker, for most people scoring 100% on this is not only impossible, it isn’t a happy life. No matter how good you get at this don’t try to get to 100%, break your rules 10% of the time. This 10% is life that happens. Sometimes Marcus opens a new doughnut shop, and next thing you know we are eating doughnuts here at UF. If 2020 taught us anything it is, don’t turn down the opportunity to have a beer with a good friend.

 

Now I ask you, can you go set some rules, believe in those rules, and break them sometimes? Just by the act of being conscience of your decisions I can promise you that you will feel healthier and stronger. Until then I’ll be here eating the peaches that Sarah brought to the gym.

 

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar, and HFCS

The good old American diet, quick and assessable greasy fat or sugary foods. YUM, am I right? In America, there is heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and an obesity epidemic. There is room to point fingers at a lot of reasons but in this, we’ll focus on added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  

 

HFCS was invented in 1965 and in the 70s it was being marketed. Over the years, this has been used more often for food and drink products. Which is found in most of the foods and drinks we consume (e.g. bread, soda, juice, canned fruit, cereal, & coffee creamers, etc). This has become a common ingredient because it is cheap and easy to manufacture. 

 

High-fructose corn syrup is an artificial sugar made from corn syrup. HFCS needs to be broken down into glucose, glycogen, or fat by the liver before being used as fuel. In America, the increased sugar consumption per person per year has greatly increased. This increase consumption can cause serious health issues mentioned in the beginning. Glucose will stimulate the area of your brain that controls appetite, whereas, fructose does not, which means you could eat more than planned. Are you wondering what overeating can lead to? Well, have you heard of visceral fat? It is the most harmful type of body fat. HFCS will promote visceral fat build-up on your major organs such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and heart. This can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, artery disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

 

I’m not saying avoid HFCS or sugars at all costs. These sugars are everywhere and can be hard to avoid, especially in our more sedentary, grab-and-go society. Just try to be mindful of what you are putting into your body. 

I Love Eggs and You Should Too

Hang around lifters, (the humans not the bad nickname for your shoes) long enough and the topic of protein will come up. The rule of thumb that most of you have probably already heard is eat one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. For me I float around 200 lbs so around 200 grams of protein a day is a good goal. There is some debate about this number yet we can use it as a starting point. From there the quality of protein matters. If you do not understand amino acids that’s OK here is how you can think of it. For this blog we are going to just use numbers to represent different amino acids(AA). Let’s say AA your body can produce AA’s 1-5 but not 6-10. AA’s 6-10 must one supplied through diet. That is what makes a protein a “complete protein.”

 

Your goal for protein intake can include some non complete protein, yet getting complete proteins is very important for recovery. Another rule of thumb (no this is not a fact yet a decent rule of thumb) is animal proteins are generally complete. This is why being a vegetarian is so hard. Often times you will have to supplement with AA’s that you miss in your diet.

 

Onto the egg. Here are some fun facts about eggs.

 

  1. Eggs are a complete protein
  2. The yolk has as much protein as the white.
  3. They are one of the few foods high in Vitamin D.
  4. The are delicious and easy to prepare.
  5. This is the big one. The egg has a cheat sheet inside of it to tell you how awesome it really is. That cheat sheet is the yoke. A yellow yoke=BAD egg. A dark gold or almost brown yoke=Gainz. Without delving into hens diets too much a darker yolk means that the animal had a healthier diet and more than likely a better life. Run an experiment for yourself. Go to a local grocery store by the cheapest eggs you can look at the the yolk, cook it and taste it. Now go to a farmers market or east end food co-op, do the same thing. See and taste the difference for yourself.

 

Clearly point #5 was the one I really wanted to write about. The yolk tells you most of what you need to know. Now I am aware that people will say “Hamer, those eggs are expensive.” I do understand yet let’s look at the bigger picture. If you are willing to spend 4-6 dollars on your fancy coffee yet not 4-6 dollars on your eggs then you made your decision as to what’s important. I love the fancy coffee too and I also know the fancy eggs are more important. So skip the mocha, soy, chai, skinny, latte, with the sugar free, sugar infused vanilla and a pump of hazelnut and buy some real eggs.

 

Eat real food.

 

Hamer