Clean Twist on Thanksgiving Recipes

Hey there! So I love fall and I love Thanksgiving eats! This is my favorite time of the year. Although the commercial aspect seems to keep starting the holiday season earlier and earlier, mine starts at Thanksgiving. I can start listening to holiday music on XM Radio Holly; Christmas decor comes out of storage this weekend; the Christmas lists get edited and sent to the North Pole. Ahhh delightful! This is also the time of year when we can really pack on the pounds and insulation... Yowzers! Here in the Pacific Northwest we just got greeted with a lovely dose of white, fluffy, cold insulation. Let's just make sure it doesn't adhere to the human specimens.

Hopefully you have gotten your Thanksgiving meal planned and the shopping done. If you are looking for a couple clean eating recipes, I have two favorites to share with you. The first is an awesome sweet potato recipe that is sans marshmallows. No need for the extra calories and sugar! Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet. The second favorite is to satisfy my sweet urge. Don't be scared that it calls for tofu as it made me want to run for the high ground when I first saw it, I dislike tofu that much. Blended up this is the perfect creamy alternative to pumpkin pie. Delish! Enjoy and let me know how they turn out.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH GREMOLATA

Serves 8

4 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
4 garlic cloves, minced

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, toss potato wedges in olive oil and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to baking sheet and roast 30-35 minutes, turning potatoes once halfway through.

2. Return potatoes to mixing bowl and toss with parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Serve immediately.

Nutrition facts (per serving):
188 calories
3 g protein
35 g carbs
5 g fat
0 g fiber
0 mg cholesterol
160.5 mg sodium
2 g sugar

CRUST-LESS PUMPKIN PIE

Serves 4

1 12-oz package silken tofu
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1-oz box sugar-free, fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and blend until smooth. Refrigerate before serving.

Nutrition facts (per serving):
90 calories
4 g protein
12 g carbs
3 g fat
2 g fiber
0 mg cholesterol
263 mg sodium
2 g sugar

Happy, healthy eats!

Holiday Kickoff iMix

I promise I have not forgotten about you.  Dynamic Edge has been working hard in planning and putting together some great things for the new year. The office has been buzzing and we want you to end the year strong and keep that blazing momentum into the new year with healthy habits.  With a brief lag in a new post, I put together a November playlist to keep you grooving.  I had so much fun and nostalgia going through the music library, that I may post another playlist this month just so I can share a few classics from some fun years.  I may date myself by doing so, but they elicited so many fun memories that I cannot resist.  Stay tuned later this month for that one.  Check out our latest playlist here on iTunes.  Enjoy!

1. The Time (Dirty Bit)- Black Eyed Peas
So if you loved Dirty Dancing back in the day, you will love this revisit by the Peas.  They have some fun bringing back a goodie and giving it a dirty bit club feel that picks up the beat.  Great for any interval training.  You can really get in a groove with this.

2. Club Can't Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) - Flo Rida
This song has just been fun.  I find myself lifting to this all the time.  Great for spin class too.  It's a 'don't -mess-with-me-I'm-in-my-zone' song.

3. Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland
So I have to confess, I enjoy almost every genre of music except country (sorry to my country crooners).  There always seem to be an exception to my music likes and Sugarland does it with this song.  Maybe it's because this is just a happy, positive song and I feel like most country songs are sappy, depressing tunes.  A good, easy tempo for an easy run or ride.

4. 1, 2, 3 Turnaround - Christian TV
So I still don't really get this song.  It is really random but I love the beat and sound of it.  Great for circuit training, intervals, and BOOTCAMP!

5. Get Outta My Way - Kylie Minogue
Dating myself once again, but I love Kylie Minogue and loved her back in the day.  It's great she is still making fun music.  The sassy part of me loves to tell someone 'Get outta my way'!  I love spinning to this song.

6. White Knuckles - Ok Go
From the crew that made a video of The TreadMill Dance, here is a great new sound from Ok Go.  Sounds very much like old Prince to me, but that's probably why I like it.  PS If any of you feel the urge to choreagraph an updated treadmill dance to this song, please send my way.  I love the creativity!

7. Take Over Control --Radio Edit (feat. Eva Simmons)- Afrojack
This song is to tackle the treadmill sprints with.  I find the groove and tempo and get after them.  Let me know how you fair with this tunes.

8. C'Mon (Tiesto vs. Diplo) - Tiesto & Diplo
Another up tempo and high intensity tune to bust out some sprints or max the heart rate exercises.  Whether you are hitting the pavement, attacking the bike, or dominating the treadmill, let this song lead you.

9. Raise Your Glass - Pink
Sometimes we need to Raise Our Glass to hard work that pays off.  You've worked hard, shown progress, and need a little time to let loose here... No you are not day dreaming, go celebrate once you've reached some of those goals.

10. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
I love this song!  I used to run to this when they still had Sony cassette sport walkmans... Yes pre-CD players...  Does that make me old??  Nonetheless, I still like to kick butt on a run to this song.  Always motivating and stirs up some feistiness.

I'm always listening!  Send me your training favorites.

Best in health-

The Health Investment

What are you investing in?  I read an article not too long ago that was talking about investments as they related to our health (I apologize for not remembering where I read this to give due credit).  It really got my brain churning again because, as a fitness instructor and health/wellness coach, I continue to hear all the reasons why our health is not a priority.  Not until something tragic or severe happens do we consider making it a priority.  Many of us truly need a wake up call right now and need to change our thinking.  We need to think of health and wellness as an investment.

I recently learned news of someone I grew up with who just passed away after having a heart attack while jogging.  He was in his mid thirties.  It was a reminder that we really need to evaluate what in life is important to us and what are we investing our time in, as it all can be taken away in an instant.  All around us, we personally have experienced, or know someone who is affected by these tough economic times; we see our home values dropping; our 401k's losing value, then gaining value, and we call that investments.  Yet, when we exercise or participate in some athletic activities we call that spending....time.

When you think about it, the time "spent" doing those activities, which also can include some mindless "me" time,  is really investing as well.  What does sickness cost as compared to wellness?  Several studies have suggested the payoff for an employer investing in employee wellness plans can be as high as 10-1 or more return on investment.  As an individual, what will it cost you to be sick as opposed to be well, and where can you get that kind of return?

What this ultimately means, is that our time "spent" at the gym, focused on nutrition, and committed to wellness, is an "investment" in our future.  Not only the future for you, but for your family and those that are close to you.  The return on that investment is potentially far greater than any 401K or IRA account.  It is hard to put a price on health until you are ill, or no longer with us!

If you have been struggling with your fitness or nutrition routine because of "spending time", maybe you need to change the way you are thinking about it?!  Females in particular tend to find guilt in spending "me" time.  They try to give so much to others that they neglect themselves and what is important for a good investment.  The thinking tends to be all wrong here though, as if you make a good investment in yourself, you will be able to give so much more to others around you.

Please take time to reflect on your investments.  How is that return on investment working out for you?

Best in health-

FREE Bootcamp in Full Force

Hey all!  So our FREE fall bootcamps have kicked off and we have been a force to reckon with!  This fall October weather has been fabulous and we have worked those bodies until we were KNACKERED (yes that is my new favorite word).  We have two more weeks of FREE workouts so check out the schedule here and come join us.  Remember it's a season of change and no time is better than NOW! 

Come see how we roll at the park!

Best in health-

Fall Season Playlist

Fall is officially here and it has been gorgeous in the Pacific Northwest!  Our fall bootcamps are in full swing and we are getting those bodies primed for the upcoming holiday season.  No thick insulation layers on these bodies.  Here is our latest playlist.  Keep those workouts coming and dominate the fall season!

1.  Total Life Forever - Foals
A nice easy paced song for strength training or moderate pace work.  I just feel I could do some even keeled endurance work and get in a zone with this song.

2.  We Speak No Americano - Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
Really I feel this song is kind of random, but it is fun and has a great beat.  Old school cafe song with a modern DJ mix to it.

3.  Magic (feat. Rivers Cuomo) - B.o.B
Who couldn't use a little magic for their workouts.  Anyone up for some tabata training?  Great for intervals.

4.  Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine
Great for warm up before the real deal begins.  Calming and peaceful, yet picks up to get you jamming for the core of the workout.

5.  The Catalyst - Linkin Park
Love some new stuff from Linkin Park.  This could be Dynamic Edge's theme song for bootcamps.  The ultimate catalyst song to get us going HARD!  I'm talking a knackered workout.

6.  Little Secrets - Passion Pit
Special request from a bootcamp client.  Fun beat!  I could keep this rolling with some good stength training workouts.  Another "get in the zone" song.

7.  If I Had You (Jason Nevins Radio Mix) - Adam Lambert
Most of you know I love a good dance remix and this is a great one for Adam Lambert.  Great spin or interval mix.

8.  Busy Child - The Crystal Method
I pulled out some old favorites from the music library.  Crystal Method will always get you pumped up for the hard ones.  No easy workouts while this is playing.  If it is easy, you best pick it up a notch.

9.  Express Yourself (Morcean Worker Remix) - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Rhythm Street Band
A classic!!  I loved Remember the Titans and pulled this off the soundtrack.  This is a great mix that I could run forever to.  Enjoy this mix!

10. Renegades of Funk - Rage Against the Machine
Back in the day Rage Against the Machine was with me for a lot of workouts, warm ups for basketball, pre-meet preparation for track meets... you name it.  It just got me pumped up for some tough competition.  Excited to pull this out of the vault.

Enjoy & Happy Training!