New Tampa Personal Trainer – Ashley speaks on Nutrition and shares her healthy RECIPES!

Hello Friends!
By popular demand I have decided to post some of my favorite recipes. Those which I have come across in magazines and others that were spawned from my creativity in the kitchen!
What I have found to be truly inspiring is the amount of variety that you can create when you are eating healthy! Most people struggle tremendously with this area and I have found that it is key to put more emphasis on this particular part. Therefore, I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes in upcoming blog posts.
I first want to go into NUTRITION a little bit more in depth. So many people come to AAP Fitness for help and guidance and are shocked at all that they learn about nutrition. You see, it simply is not fair to allow people to think that they can reach their goals on exercise alone. You must change the way you EAT to change the way you FEEL. Eating good clean, nutrient packed foods is the component that will help you to achieve optimal health and vitality!

We live in a world today that is faced with the highest incidence of DISEASE EVER! We live in a world where morbid obesity is socially accepted and people are suffering because they don’t know what to do. It is time that we make a change my friends and the change starts with how we FEED our bodies.
When I was overweight (208!) I used to survive on highly processed foods. Foods that had no nutritional value and left my body tired, hungry and craving more. When your body craves this is a sign that you are not getting the nutrients and enzymes you need. It directly affects your mood, the way you handle situations and the way you sleep.
Most people do not sleep well because they do not EAT well! Your body is so finely in tune it is amazing!
Do you know how many vital processes take place when you sleep? So many! You must feed your body well and sleep well to have a balanced healthy lifestyle. It truly extends FAR beyond just physical exercise (though this is a fantastic start!).

Here are some basics for getting on a healthy path with your nutrition :

**Start each day with a nutritious and balanced breakfast. I always encourage people to eat protein and a great complex carb. Do not rush out of the house relying solely on processed foods or bars.

**Eat every 2.3 – 3 hours. The SMALLER meals you eat – the more you will rev up your metabolism (creating a fat burning furnace!) and the more you will stay satisfied.

**Do not eat carbs alone for a meal. Any time you ingest carbs – you should be eating some source of protein! This is key!

**Eat your colors! Make vibrant salads with lots of colors! My favorite is spinach summer salad which I will include the recipe for in this post!

**Do not eat heavy right before bed. This is a stress on the body and requires your body to work. Remember “Eat light at night” .
I always like to opt for egg whites scrambled or a fresh salad and steamed veggies.

Ok… here are the long-awaited recipes! Thank you for being patient with me but I had to expand on the importance of nutrition. I hope you enjoy some of these as they are my favorites! I will post more each week.

SPINACH SUMMER SALAD
2/3 CUPS OF SPINACH
1/4 CUPS OF PECANS
1 TABLESPOON OF DREWS POPPYSEED DRESSING
4-6 SLICED STRAWBERRIES (DEPENDING ON SIZE)
MINCED GARLIC AND ONION (I CANT HELP IT! I PUT THIS ON EVERYTHING! )
SLICED RED PEPPER
1/2 THINLY SLICED CUCUMBER
**FOR MY PROTEIN I WILL ADD DICED CHICKEN OR TURKEY

MIX INGREDIENTS TOGETHER VERY WELL AND ENJOY! THIS IS QUICK AND EASY!

SWEET POTATO MASH (AND ITS SWEET!)
THIS IS MY FAVORITE FOR BREAKFAST OR LUNCH! IT REALLY HELPS IF YOU HAVE SWEET CRAVINGS!

5 OZ. SWEET POTATO (TAKE THE SKIN OFF)
MASH UNTIL IT IS THE CONSISTENCY OF BABY FOOD
MIX IN ONE SCOOP OF VANILLA PROTEIN POWDER
MIX WELL UNTIL COMPLETELY BLENDED
1/4 CUP RAW PECANS
CINNAMON TO TASTE
**THIS IS DELICIOUS!
(YOU CAN ADD DRIED CRANBERRIES IF THIS IS A CHEAT!)

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
(THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO MAKE THIS… CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA)

1/2 CUP BOBS MILL ORGANIC WHOLE OATS
(COOK UNTIL YOU REACH YOUR DESIRED THICKNESS)
ADD IN 1 SCOOP OF CHOCOLATE PROTEIN POWDER AND MIX WELL.
ADD 1/4 CUPS OF RAW ALMONDS AND CINNAMON
ADD 1/2 CUP OF DICED PINEAPPLE CHUNKS.
THIS IS YUMMY!

VANILLA VERSION -
ADD VANILLA PROTEIN POWDER
1/4 CUPS OF RAW PECANS
CINNAMON
ADD 1/2 CUP OF STRAWBERRIES OR MIXED BERRIES INSTEAD

CLEAN EATING CHICKEN WRAP
(YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE THIS WILL TURKEY OR EXTRA LEAN BEEF AS WELL)

I LIKE TO USE “FOOD FOR LIFE” BROWN RICE WRAPS
I SMEAR ONE TABLESPOON OF SPICY HUMMUS
1/2 SLICED AVOCADO
SPROUTS
1 TEASPOON OF DREWS POPPYSEED DRESSING
SPRINKLE GARLIC AND ONION – VOILA!
A QUICK CLEAN EATING WRAP.

(IF I MAKE THIS WITH BEEF I LIKE TO ADD SALSA IN PLACE OF THE DREWS DRESSING!)
YOU CAN ALSO SPRINKLE RED PEPPER FOR AN EXTRA KICK!

BETTER N SPAGHETTI!
1 MEDIUM SPAGHETTI SQUASH
(CUT IN HALF.. BE CAREFUL! ITS THICK)
TURN UPSIDE DOWN IN A PAN AND BAKE AT 345 DEGREES FOR 30 – 35 MINUTES
YOU WILL KNOW IT IS DONE WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR OVEN MITT AND TOUCH THE SQUASH .. THE SHELL WILL BE SOFT.
When it is done, take the pan out and let cool. Take a fork and scrape out the squash. It will come out like spaghetti!
Add in your favorite pasta sauce (mine is Monte Bene!) and ground turkey or chicken.

This is a favorite! Also, this is wonderful if you are eating with others who are eating pasta.

These are just a few of my favorites! More recipes to come! ENJOY!!
~AAP

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