Spaghetti with Chunky Tomato & Chickpea Sauce

With some simple ingredients and 30 minutes of your time, you've got yourself a whole new pasta sauce! Thank you to the April 2010 issue of the Vegetarian Times for this new recipe! You may ask yourself why this pasta sauce is new. Well, one of the key ingredients is chickpeas. Interesting, right? I typically use these suckers in salads and hummus and putting in a sauce would never have occurred to me. I guess I’m not as creative in the kitchen as I thought. Hmm. I don't know that a lot of people typically incorporate these beans in their recipes, but I love them! You'll be surprised by their nutty flavor and smooth texture—these little guys are a great addition to a tomato sauce. Also, with 15 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber (per one cup serving), they are really good for you! (This recipe serves 8.)

New Sauce 8 oz. (2 cups) sliced white or cremini mushrooms 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into chunks 1 large leek, white part cut into chunks 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic or more, minced (1 Tablespoon) 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes (try to buy a can with no added salt) 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed and drained) 1/4 cup red wine 8 cups baby spinach leaves (you can get away with about 6 or less if you don't love spinach) 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (1/2 of a 1 pound package)

Place mushrooms, bell pepper, and leek in bowl of food processor. Pulse until ingredients are coarsely chopped. You can also just chop up the ingredients on a cutting board.

Heat oil in large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushroom mixture and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes, and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and wine, and season with sea salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, and cook 3-5 minutes more, or until spinach has wilted.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Portion pasta into bowls and serve with sauce on top. You can also add about a half tablespoon of fresh parmesan to the top for flavor and presentation.

My First 5K

The wind in my hair, the soft patter of my little feet, the adrenaline moving through my bloodstream, the slow in and out of my breath—I’m running. But, friends, I’m not a runner. Not only do I have a foot injury that never healed from college, in general it’s a bit too rough on my joints. Even though I don’t think running will ever be MY thing, I signed up for a 5K to support my roomie, Jodi, who recently ran two races this year (5K and half marathon).

About a month after we signed up, Jodi injured her knee, which left her depressed and incapable of partaking in this particular event. I mean, I signed up to run with her (not next to her or anything), but as a fun moment to share together. Having an injury is devastating and especially when running is your lifeblood, which it is for her, this was bad news bears.

Now that I was running the race solo, I really didn’t have the drive to train intensely or even talk about it with her (to not aid in her depression). I did a couple runs a week and decided on the goal of finishing in 31 minutes—I thought that would be a good target since I normally run about a 10-minute mile. I figured I could speed it up here and there if I used a watch to monitor my pace.

Race day approached quickly and I was feeling a little out of running shape—I had been running about 6-12 miles a week (and only about 4 during my last week). My college buddy, Christin, came down from Newport Beach and used Jodi’s ticket, so I had a partner in crime, which left Jodi in charge of the photos (I got a really great photo of part of her leg during her half marathon, so it was her turn to be the photographer and try and do better than me, which wouldn’t be hard to accomplish). ;-)

I made two huge mistakes the day before: drinking alcohol and not getting a good night’s rest. I think I had about three or four hours of snoozing when the alarm went off on Sunday morning at 5am. I pulled myself together with some coffee and wheat toast with peanut butter, and Jodi took us to the start line of the race: Balboa Park. At least I started off the morning right with a light snack and some caffeine. YAY! I was ready to rock and roll.

I had one minor glitch: I was without an iPod. A couple months back, I left it in NYC, so I’ve gotten pretty used to the sound of my own breath and really taking the quite time to think and reflect (or focusing on not dying mid-run). I guess I could have gone out to purchase a new one, but that would be the easy route, right? I was also planning on borrowing a watch from Jodi to monitor my stride, but I forgot to do that, so it was just me, myself and I (and the annoying sound of people breathing and dragging their feet along the pavement).

During the race, I figured I was running about a 10-minute mile, but I had NO CLUE because I had no way of knowing. It was a pretty nice run with no hills and no major obstacles, but I was definitely feeling tired around mile two. I knew it was just one more mile and some change—I could do this. As I rounded the corner to the finish line, I heard Jodi cheering for me and took off sprinting. Success! I made it!

My final time was just under 28 minutes, which is my quickest pace yet (that’s under 9-minute miles). However ill prepared I was, I pulled through for Jodi, my motivation for this 5K. The feeling of coming through the finish line was amazing! I accomplished something and it felt great. I just might do another 5K after all.

Inspirational Musings: Becoming a Personal Trainer

Inspiration comes in many forms: what is inspiring to one person (their kids or significant other) can be completely different from someone else (their career or even their pet), and so on. A while ago, I was complaining to my girlfriend about what I want to do long term and she said, “Let’s start with what inspires you.” She made it sound like such an easy question.

About seven months ago (for those of you who don’t know), I moved to San Diego to pursue an EMBA (Executive MBA) from San Diego State in global entrepreneurship, where I would be traveling to Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and India for one year. One day prior to orientation, I received a call that the program was cancelled. WHAT? I quit my job, rented out my apartment in NYC and moved across the country for this program. How could this happen? This EMBA was my Plan A; there was no Plan B.

I was already in California, so I took this time to visit family and friends, travel overseas and enjoy the time off from the real working life (hey, I may never get this opportunity again). I took things day by day. I suppose I could have gone back to the city and resumed my "normal" life, but I looked at this tragedy as an opportunity because I wanted to remain positive (or try). I knew that a negative attitude would not bring my program back and would not be advantageous to my future. But, yes, it sucked and there was no one to blame, so I moved on.

As I got settled in San Diego, I never took the time to think about the big picture and ask myself some key questions. What will I do for work? What do I WANT as a career? Which city do I want to live in? Do I want to find another graduate program? Do I want to move back to NYC? People would ask me what my plans were and I didn't have a definitive answer—I was still figuring it out. I think I needed my friends and family to help me learn what, in fact, inspires me.

For most of my life, I have been an active person who is interested in health in fitness; I even started a blog to share my knowledge and tips with others. On a day-to-day basis, I'm genuinely interested in fitness and health and I can spend hours creating tasty and nutritious meals, more hours talking about food, and even more hours eating the food. All this eating means that fitness plays a major role in my everyday routine, and I’m always finding new ways to stay in shape (I think I do a pretty good job of this most of the time).

After some thought and hints from my friends and family, I made the decision to become a personal trainer. FINALLY, I figured out the answer to the question (for now). I am inspired by the idea of helping people obtain a healthy lifestyle. The next question clearly was: How do I do I get started?

I talked to a bunch of friends (and friends of friends) who are personal trainers, and they all LOVE their jobs and feel their careers are rewarding. This was incredibly motivating to hear. I inquired about which program to take and they suggested I get a certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). One of the most recognized CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) certification, the NASM course is an at-home curriculum, which posed a whole new set of problems for me.

I have been out of regular school for a long time and without a professor to tell you what to do, it’s just me! I remember when I had full-time job in NYC and somehow found time to study before and after work for the GMATs (test for EMBA), take Spanish classes at lunch and copyediting classes at night. I stayed up late, found time for friends and family and didn't feel stressed out, but now I do. WHY? Without a full-time job, I have all the time in the world, yet, without a set schedule, studying is much harder to tackle and time management has a whole new meaning to me, but I’m getting there…slowly.

I have to tell myself when it’s time to study and I actually really enjoy what I’m learning. This is not work; it’s fun! I’m a quarter of the way through my NASM textbook and I plan to take the test mid-October. This means I will be a real CPT—this is exciting...and really scary at the same time! Yes, I love fitness and have the right mindset, but when doing something new, it's always a challenge, but I know that I’m on the right track, which feels wonderful.

The most important point is that I’m taking the steps in the right direction and working toward something that inspires me: becoming a personal trainer. What comes next? You’ll just have to wait and see.

Rocket Salad with Balsamic & Agave Tofu (or Chicken)

If you're looking to find a great dinner salad or just a new recipe to try, this is the one! I start out with a bed of rocket (arugula) and top it with a combination of vegetables, avocado and nuts. You don't have to follow my toppings exactly, just use your favorite ingredients and every time the salad will get that much more exciting. Yes, a salad can be exciting (in my weird world) and I change it up each time by adding a new topping or trying a new dressing! I do, however, highly suggest using arugula, because the salad will not be the same without that key ingredient—if you must substitute, go with spinach or mixed greens. In less than 30 minutes, this flavor-filled dinner will not disappoint even the most discerning palates...even the saladphobes. I use tofu for this recipe, but I made chicken for my poultry-eating roommate and she loved it! Rocket is one of my favorite salad greens; not just because it's low in calories (just two calories per half cup serving) and high in vitamins A and C, but because of its strong, delicious flavor, compared to romaine, for example. This recipe serves two.

Marinade 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes or 2, 4- to 6-ounce servings of chicken breasts 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 2 T soy sauce 1/2 T agave nectar 2 T extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves of garlic smashed A Pinch of fresh or dried Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, and Marjoram. (Feel free to use any of your favorite herbs or leave them out completely if you wish)

Salad 1 bag wild arugula salad 1/4 cup julienned carrots 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup sliced (in halves) grape or cherry tomatoes Sliced red onions or scallions to taste 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/8 cup pine nuts 1/2 avocado cut into slices 2 servings of goat cheese (see package for serving size)

Salad Dressing 3 T olive oil 1 T balsamic vinegar 1 T agave (or honey) t sea salt

Directions Mix marinade in a shallow bowl or small tupperware and add tofu. Let sit for about an hour. In a medium-sized skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add tofu (with marinade) and sauté for about 10 minutes or to your liking. While the tofu is cooking, mix the olive oil, agave and sea salt in a small bowl. Put salad ingredients into a large bowl (leaving out the avocado and goat cheese), and toss. Put salad on two plates and add avocado, goat cheese and tofu to the top. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste and you've got yourself a gourmet salad!

Thailand / Spring Cleaning Detox

Three words: food, beer and food. Or maybe that’s two. Anyway, after a vacation in Thailand with two of my favorite people (Jodi and Mike), I decided that my body needed a rest.

I have done cleanses in the past, but this time I actually really enjoyed it. And Jodi joined me, so we cooked the meals together and shared the joys and pain of it all. It’s always nice to have a partner, whether it’s someone to work out with, go on a run with, or, to eat with. ☺ Having her on my side made it much easier to reach my goal: finishing the cleanse.

Why, you may ask, do I do these silly cleanses? The simple answer is: to give my body a rest from all the toxins (caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and hard to digest foods). Your digestive system, especially your liver (the body’s main detoxifier), works hard to rid your body of toxins, so every once in a while, it needs a little vacation, too! In preparation for your cleanse, try to eat fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats/cold water fish, grains, and fiber to prepare your body.

Some people experience headaches, nausea and fatigue with a detox-type diet, but I felt so energized this time…and I still feel good! My goal was accomplished!! I usually end my cleanse with somewhat unhealthy options, but after the three days, I continued eating detox-friendly foods (see after cleanse meal below)! Also, remember to give your body some exercise, but not TOO much - keep it simple with some yoga or low impact cardio just to get the body moving.

The last cleanse I did was a juice cleanse, but I wanted to eat some food so I went to back to my favorite, which was shown to me by my acupuncturist in NYC, Laura Kauffmann. If you go to her website, click on newsletter and then inner body cleanse – this will show you how to structure your cleanse, but I added and changed a couple things. She also has some great products (She Beauty) to use while cleansing; my favorite is the She Washing Grains - try them out!

During the cleanse, remember to: Eat plenty of veggies Drink lots of filtered water and herbal tea Steer clear of caffeine, alcohol, soda, red meat, sugar, flour, processed and refined foods, and anything artificial Move your body! Exfoliate daily Sweat it out in a sauna or steam room

Some people take part in the Master Cleanse, but drinking just lemon water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup doesn’t seem healthy to me, so I will probably never take part in that one. Because people swear by this cleanse, I decided to incorporate it into mine: for a pre-breakfast drink to wake up my system. You know what, that drink is really good, but after 10 (or even one day) days of just that? No, thank you.

Day 1 Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink: 10oz of water with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, pinch of cayenne and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (grade B) Breakfast: steel cut oats with soy milk, cinnamon and agave Snack: strawberries and pineapple chucks Lunch: rice with zucchini and broccoli, topped with soy sauce, garlic and fresh scallions and tofu Snack: herbal tea and more strawberries and pineapple Dinner: rice with zucchini and broccoli, topped with soy sauce, garlic and fresh scallions and tofu

Day 2 Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink Breakfast: steel cut oats with soy milk, cinnamon and agave Snack: one orange Lunch: brown rice with asparagus, garlic and onion, topped with fresh scallions Snack: strawberries and pineapple chunks Dinner: quinoa with kale and onion and steamed turnip with garlic

Day 3 Pre-breakfast: Master Cleanse drink with psyllium husk (natural fiber powder) Breakfast: quinoa with soy milk, cinnamon and agave Snack: strawberries and pineapple chunks Lunch: brown rice with zucchini, garlic and onion with a small piece of salmon Snack: apple Dinner: quinoa with kale and onion and steamed turnip with garlic with a 3oz piece of salmon

Day 4 (no longer on the cleanse!) Breakfast: regular oatmeal with soy milk, cinnamon and agave and a cup of green tea Snack: green juice from Trader Joes (celery, spinach, parsley, cucumber, kale, and romaine) Lunch: brown rice with soy, salmon and avocado, with a fresh carrot juice Snack: prunes and pear sauce (like apple sauce) Dinner: sashimi, edamame and vegetable roll

The 20-Minute, Glute-Sculpting Treadmill Routine

I found this fantastic, butt-burner on fitnessmagazine.com and have since shared with two friends, who agree it's a calorie-burning success. In just 20 minutes, you can burn 150 calories while WALKING (crazy, right?). I usually don't opt for workouts that have walking, but for someone who isn't a runner, I thought I would try it out...and I like it! For the first 5 minutes you start out at a speed of 4 at a 3-3.5 incline; follow the chart below and adjust the incline to best fit your level. Beginners should start with a speed of 3 or 3.5 mph; advanced treadmill users can go up to 5.

Minutes	Speed (mph)	Incline (%)
0:00-5:00	4	3-3.5
5:00-7:00	4	8-10
7:00-8:00	4	4-6
8:00-10:00	4	10
10:00-11:00	4	5-7
11:00-13:00	4	12
13:00-14:00	4	10
14:00-15:00	4	12
15:00-20:00	4	2-4

Warm Chicken Salad with Dijon Dressing

If you don't have a go-to dinner salad, I highly suggest you bring this one into your rotation. My friend introduced me to this about three months ago, and it's just so dang delish! If you are cooking dinner for your significant other or friends, this salad is quick, easy and satisfying and always a hit. As per the name, the main ingredient here is chicken, but if you don't eat meat you can always substitute another protein, e.g., tofu, salmon or beans. Whichever protein you use or other ingredients you add, I promise, you will love it and really, the it's all about the dressing! Yummy.

Ingredients (4 servings) 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (make sure to purchase free range!) 2 T balsamic vinegar, enough to just coat the breast slices 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, or just eyeball it Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste 2 T 4 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped

Salad 2 bags fresh spinach or arugula leaves 8 white mushrooms, sliced to your liking 8 cherry tomatoes 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle 1 small avocado, sliced thinly 2 T goat cheese or other type of light cheese

Dressing 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball the amount, plus 1 tablespoon 1 large shallot, minced 3 rounded spoonfuls Dijon mustard 3 T balsamic vinegar

Coat chicken with balsamic, oil, seasoning and rosemary and set aside.

Put greens in a large salad bowl. Top with mushrooms, tomatoes, and scallions. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Then lightly coat saucepan with one tablespoon olive oil and sauté your minced shallots on medium low for three minutes. Remove oil and shallots from heat.

In a small bowl, combine mustard and balsamic vinegar. Stream in 2/3 cup oil slowly while whisking the dressing to emulsify it. Add warm shallots to the dressing and mix together.

Go to your salad bowl and add avocado and goat cheese. Toss together with the dressing to coat the ingredients evenly.

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken, four minutes on each side, in a single layer. Once cooked, slice breasts at an angle on your cutting board. Pile salad on to dinner plates. Top each salad with two sliced chicken tender pieces.

Bosu Squats

Bosu. What the heck is that? It’s that blue half-ball thingy that you see at the gym and don’t really know what its purpose is. Guess what? It’s got a lot going on! Today I’m going to discuss all the fun you can have using it to do squats. Bosu means Both Sides Up or Both Sides Utilized. Today, we’re talking about the round, bubble side, not the black, flat side with the handles (if you remember a while back, I talked about how to do a push-up on this side: click to see). Fun stuff!

For beginners, first try doing regular squats on the Bosu. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can get the positioning down, and if you’re up to it, grab yourself some light weights (5-10 for beginners). Squats by themselves are a great workout, so don’t be discouraged if you start out weightless or with 3-pounders – your legs will be sore either way. ☺

I was working out with my friend Jodi and was forced to use 17.5-pound weights, but if you’re balance-challenged or just starting out with the Bosu, go weightless and move up as you begin to feel more comfortable. (I would have been happy with some 10-pound weights, and my legs not shaking like an earthquake the whole time, but anyway.)

The Squat Step on the bubble side of the Bosu with feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed outward. You can use wall/mirror to stable yourself or if you’re with a friend grab onto their arm. Contract your core to stabilize the body. While keeping your body weight centered on the Bosu, slowly lower your bottom to the Bosu by bending the knees just like a regular squat. Don’t let your knees go beyond your toes while squatting and push through your heels to isolate the glute. Without pausing, slowly exhale as you raise your body by straightening the legs – don’t spend more than 2 seconds at the top or bottom of your squat. Do this exercise with a fluid movement and try to keep the top of the Bosu stable, which will also work your core. Do three sets of 10-20 reps and move the weight and reps up as you master this move.

Muscles Worked

I usually do this routine with some lunges or step-ups (just step up and down on a bench, switching legs) and you’ve got yourself a nice little leg workout! Don’t mind the creepy photos below – I needed to find two that matched and this was the best Google could do for me. ☺

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

Not only is this pudding healthy and delicious, it takes less than 10 minutes to make! I know the main ingredient sounds a bit odd, but after reading reviews on different blogs of children who love this recipe, I knew I had to give it a go.

Ingredients 1 medium-sized, ripe avocado (pitted and peeled) 3 heaping T of raw cocoa powder (use normal cocoa powder if can't find raw) 1/3 cup agave nectar 1/2 t sea salt 2 t alcohol-free vanilla extract (I found this at Trader Joe's) 1/2 t cinnamon 1/2 cup water (I probably used about a cup, but blend it first before adding more) Berries (blueberries and strawberries are my favorites!)

Put all of the ingredients into a blender until the pudding is really creamy. Use a spatula to get the little avocado pieces mixed in and add water as needed. Once the pudding has reached the desired creaminess, put some berries on top, and it's ready to eat! I put my pudding in four serving dishes and froze it (about 4 hours) for a gelato-like consistency. Then I added blueberries, cocoa powder and coconut! It was a huge hit!

Travel Fitness: Hong Kong & Malaysia

The two most difficult times to stay in shape (for me) are traveling and holidays. Do you agree? I just got back from a two-week trip to Hong Kong and Malaysia and man, it’s really hard to maintain a routine while exploring new horizons!

Many hotels have an in-house gym, but when you’re in another country, do you really want to spend an hour indoors, confined to a treadmill? Usually the answer is no. Now, for me, I was lucky enough to stay with my friend’s family, which meant early mornings of eating, followed by long days of sightseeing and more EATING (and no gym included). I couldn’t turn down the delicious food and I also couldn’t skip off to the gym.

Lucky for me, Asia is filled with a lot of stairs and hills, which make for a nice fitness playground. Have you ever seen an amusement park in America with huge hills, escalators and stairs…on top of mountain? Well, Hong Kong is filled with settings of this nature, so I couldn’t get away from a little bit of exercise each day (translation: eat more wonderful food!). I've found that the easiest and most effective travel exercises are lunges, walking and push-ups. Also, abs, but with hardwood floors, this wasn’t attainable for me on this trip.

Stair Lunges For a great workout to strengthen your quads, glutes and hamstrings, try using stairs outdoors (or indoors, if your hotel has more than four floors)! I found a great hill near the apartment complex I stayed at and started with three stairs at a time for around 75 stairs. Remember, walking lunges, in addition to the incline, are more difficult and require more stability than a typical lunge. Perfect!

Execution Start at the bottom. Take a step up with your right foot to your destination stair (start with two stairs). Then complete the lunge. While keeping your balance (tighten your core!), take your left foot and go up another two stairs to complete the left side. Keep switching off until you reach the top! You can do this on the subway stairs, hotel stairs, bleachers, or really anywhere that has a long flight of stairs. And always remember to refuel with water, especially in hot and humid climates. Once you master two stairs, try for three (three is the max for me, given my height!) Remember! Maintain good posture throughout movement Contract back glute during stretch Do not let front knee slide past foot Do not let back foot touch the ground as you step into next lunge Keep chest up as you step

When you incorporate a quick and effective workout into your sightseeing, you can be unexpectedly sore. Even though I was walking around 3-7 miles per day,  I was definitely sore from my lunges - I consulted my fellow traveler and her buns weren’t sore, so yay for stair lunges!  I also did around 20 push-ups every two or three days and upon my return to the States, I didn’t feel as though I skimped out on my workouts! Try incorporating a workout into your next travels and let me know your stories!