Tag Archives: healthy

Better for You Chicken Salad Sandwiches

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DSC_0245 DSC_0251 DSC_0255 DSC_0260 DSC_0261 DSC_0262 DSC_0263 DSC_0264 DSC_0265 DSC_0271 DSC_0274I don’t know about you, but my 2016 has been off to a great start. After spending the last bit of last year on the road, in the sky and running around like crazy it was nice to hit a reset button and get back to the basics. I’ve never been one for setting New Years resolutions. Not that I don’t like the idea of setting goals and aspiring to achieve a new standard in a certain area of my life. I suppose I just want to see tiny improvements across my life, whether health, outlook or overall happiness.

One of the most integral parts of turning over a new leaf for the new year is deciding on what I put into my body. Knowing that diets (or ‘the d word’ as we call it in our house) will never be something I can do, I strive to make tiny changes in my over all dining choices. So, in that spirit I am going to be introducing a new series every week where I will show off a ‘better for you’ recipe that we can all make in a snap at home.

I decided to kick things off with a near and dear recipe for open faced tarragon chicken salad sandwiches with roasted red pepper soup. Being that I am from the south, chicken salad is something that is coveted amongst comfort food but can be quite heavy and calorie laden. With a few tweaks here and there, I’ve lightened things up a bit. As you’ll discover in the recipe, I’ve swapped high calorie mayo for my favorite Fage greek yogurt and loaded the salad with all white meat chicken. So, grab a pen and pencil and dive into a plate of comfort that won’t cost you!

What you’ll need:

4 boneless, all white meat, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups 2% Fage Greek yogurt
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 small Granny Smith apples, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, Tarragon and Dill for seasoning
Toasted bread for serving

Directions
In a large stockpot over high heat, cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool completely, about 20 minutes, then dice.

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, yogurt, grapes, almonds, pecans, cranberries, apples and onions. Season with salt and pepper, dill and tarragon to taste. Serve on toasted bread, open faced.

Fit Tips and Fun

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The alarm clock rings and suddenly your day begins. A rush of thoughts from ‘Shouldn’t have had those margaritas last night!” to “Time to feed the dog!” rush through your head. For me, nowadays the one thought that comes to mind early on in the day is “How can I commit to my health without worrying about obsessing over it?” It’s not been an easy one to answer all the time, I’ll be honest, but with the help of a few tips I’ve learned along the way it seems a lot more manageable.

In my everyday regime, I look for ways to squeeze in a run on one of Dallas’ several outdoor trails or stopping in to my favorite healthy food joint to grab a quick meal. Recently, some of my favorite places to make healthy choices both on my plate and in my fitness schedule have made leaps and bounds to make my healthy commitment easier.

For instance, my favorite indoor cycling session at Flywheel Sports is offering three express #FLYTuneUp challenges before you hit your next BBQ or pool party. From July 13th- 26th, they’ll be offering a Flywheel Tune-Up, FlyBarre Tune-Up and FlyPlus Tune-Up (wheel and barre). They partner with SELF magazine contributing editors Stephanie Clarke and Willow Jarosh of C&J Nutrition, to provide you with an exclusive 14-day meal plan and nutritional support! Essentially, you commit to being there for two weeks (for starters) and they make it easier to stay on track.

Another way I am committing to fit is through my meal choices. I recently discovered Blue Apron, a meal delivery service that provides you with all the ingredients that you need to make a delicious meal in exactly the right proportions. The service just started delivering to the DFW area! That’s right, they ship you fresh ingredients in exactly the right amounts and you get to learn new, healthy recipes that are sure to fit the bill for your health. I’ve been obsessed with everything they have sent so far from salmon burgers to chicken meatballs and even steak! Great for busy weeknight meals and to shake up your normal routine.

Two easy ways to win back your health and commit to fit.

Hard Pressed Health

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Eat your veggies. Take your vitamins. Drink your juice, Shelby. These are all things we’ve been told (well, maybe not the last) about increasing our healthy potential. With the incoming Holiday meals, my friends over at Daily Greens allowed me to try out their 4-Day Cleanse program to kick start my health-minded resolutions. I know what your thinking, and before you fret about feeling peckish or angry about skipping meals for 4 days straight, I am asking you to consider a few things. Daily Greens is the foundation to detoxing and cleansing your body, and maintaining long-term health through a consistent intermittent fasting* routine.

During my 4-day program, I was told to use the juices to make it through breakfast, lunch and snack with the juices alone. When dinner rolls around, founder Shauna Martin recommends being mindful of what you are consuming. The beauty of this brand is that with the 4-day allotment, you are allowed to be a human being when the social events of the weekend begin. Most of us feel fatigued and zapped of energy when all we can have is juice for 4 days straight. Daily Greens encourages mindful nourishment. Because it is packed with vitamins and minerals, it serves well as a meal replacement, especially breakfast. Best consumed on an empty stomach, our juices give an immediate boost of energy and hydration.

I know if I can make it through the first part of my day with the juices, I can take on the rest with ease. I especially loved trying out their new line of hemp milk products, packed with protein, for my post workout thirst. The New Year cleanse program is creeping up on us and Daily Greens can provide you with recipes for soups and salads to combine with the juicing regimen. I highly recommend this company, based out of Austin, if you want an easy way to cleanse and purify for New Years health.

Beyond500 Creates New Fitness Curve in Dallas

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It’s 7:15 am on a Monday morning and I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or both. I’ve just finished my first class at the hot new Beyond500 Pilates Hybrid Interval Training PHIT-ness studio on Henderson Ave. Little did I know when owner and boss lady Brandi Marino invited me in to try out the brand new fitness regimen that I would be running on a hamster wheel. That’s right, Beyond500 brings a state-of-the-art new fitness ‘machine’ called ‘The Curve’ with its new studio. The apparatus is powered by you, essentially a self-propelled treadmill that’s 30 percent more effective than conventional models.

The workout changes daily, and there are three different formats; Double-Dare, Stack, and 3X3. My class was the 3X3 model which consists of switching between a circuit on the treadmill and a weights mix on the chair. Beyond500 explains the interval training as:

  • BURN in The Hot Seat – stabilize and isolate your Pilates torso in the chair
  • BLAST on The Human Hamster Wheel – you provide the power on the self-propelled treadmill that’s 30 percent more effective than the conventional model
  • BUILD with The(kettle) Bell – strengthen and tone those muscles all over

I found myself getting in the groove pretty easily but Mitchell, who happens to own CitySurf in Uptown as well, definitely kept me on my toes and a sweaty mess. That’s all hard work though, right? The group class format allows even the most fitness shy to break out of the shell and really feel the burn. An intro class is $15, and they currently have a special rate of $50 for two weeks unlimited.  Other membership options are available, too. So guys, girls and whoever might be eating their holiday calories (not me, clearly), get ready to love the curves and head over to Beyond500 for a new kind of workout.

Snap Kitchen Makes Busy Fall Season a Breeze

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You’ve felt the cooler weather, the Pinterest recipes for soups and stews are circulating your group of friends and the cravings hit for the seasons most indulgent food items. Fear not says Snap Kitchen, purveyor of grab and go handcrafted food that supports a commitment to local, organic ingredients and healthy cooking. With the newest location now open in Preston Royal Village in North Dallas, I stopped in to get the low down on keeping committed to healthful eating in the midst of busy season. “Arriving just in time for the busy holiday season, Dallasites can find comfort in knowing they can pick up a healthy, freshly made meal on the go, without compromising on taste or experiencing the post-meal guilt that often comes with dining out.”

Snap Kitchen’s Lead Dietitian and Local Marketing guru Daniel Magoon guided me through the new store and opened my eyes on new ways to stay healthy during the holiday season. With allergen-free friendly options, swap outs for heavier familiar dishes and a plethora of fresh juices to choose from, I felt more comfortable. Daniel led me through the typical Snap Kitchen process for choosing which dishes meet their seasonal savvy approval and how their latest dishes can be a better pick for your next meal. Snap Kitchen provides a quick way to get your meals with a nutritionist at the ready if needed. Fall menu items in Dallas include Moroccan Chicken With Cauliflower “Rice”, Gluten Free Vegetable Lasagna and a Harvest Kale Snack. The flavors of the season are in full effect without the guilt of the heavy calorie count. Now that meals are a ‘snap’, why would you ever choose to go back? You wouldn’t.

Stop in to The Snap Kitchen Preston Royal Village store located at 6025 Royal Lane Suite 314, Dallas, TX 75230 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and yes even dessert. Hurry up!

Pulse and Pedal at Flywheel Summer Community Appreciation Weekend

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It’s an odd juxtaposition when Summer hits Dallas. Locals start strongly reconsidering having that last cookie or all you can drink happy hour and gym prices go through the roof. Well, Flywheel Sports in Plano has just the solution for both of those things. That’s right, Summer pricing is here.

Flywheel Sports Plano’s special summer pricing features new class package rates and membership specials valid for a limited time following the Fly into Summer event. Individual classes will now begin at $20, with prices dropping as low as $15 per class when purchased in a package. New members to Plano can try their first month as an unlimited Flywheel and FlyBarre member for just $99, valid for purchase from June 7-13. The first class at Flywheel is always free.

Special Flywheel classes include a black light GLOW ride on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and a Musical Bikes ride (sounds dangerously fun) featuring 10 Flywheel instructors rotating off the instructor platform for a 60 minute class where no rider will know what happens next. FlyBarre pulsers can bring their guy for free to the Jay Z vs Beyonce FlyBarre class on Saturday at 3:00 pm by emailing their RSVP to plano@flywheelsports.com. For a full schedule of events, please visit the Flywheel Texas Facebook page.

All classes throughout the weekend will feature giveaways and promotions from community partners such as Eatzi’s, Vita Coco, Legends Popcorn, DryBar and Blue Mesa Grill and Catering.

To reserve a spot in one of the Fly into Summer specialty classes, guests can reserve online at texas.flywheelsports.com or email plano@flywheelsports.com for reservations and pricing information.

Flywheel Plano

5964 W. Parker Road.

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Buda Juice Cleanse and Expansion News

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It’s hard to keep track of all the juice centric storefronts popping up around town. With so many to choose from, I’d found myself confused as to how each of them is different. Then I found a new juice religion, Buda. I recently had the opportunity to try a 2-day cleanse from Buda Juice and I can honestly say it was one of the most enjoyable solid food-less experiences I’ve had.

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I have featured Buda Juice on the blog before, but with a recent expansion to Uptown Dallas (more on that in a bit) I needed to get my hands on the cleanse. Two days of clean, healthy juice filled energy was the mission at hand. Let me remind you of my love for sweets, meats and everything in between. This was no easy task, but the surprisingly full feeling I was left with after every 16oz serving kept me going.

The Buda Juice cleanse consists of 4 juices, a soup and almond milk:

+ No 01: Green Juice (Spicy ginger. Tangy lemon. Hint of sweet apple.)

+ No 04: Blue Lemonade (Chill cucumber. Ambrosial apple. Lemon.)

+ No 02: Red Juice (Apple, Beet, Celery, Ginger, Parsley)

+ No 04: Blue Lemonade

+ No S1: Buda Basilato Soup (Basil, Cucumber, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Tomato)

+ No M1: Buda Almond Milk

Each day I started with the veggie packed green juice that with the tang of the lemon was a nice morning “snack”. The Blue Lemonade, though green in color, became a real favorite of mine because of its simplicity and sweetness. A spicy and sweet kick from the red juice jumpstarted my afternoon just when I needed it most. A lot of the cleanses I’ve tried in the past (both homemade and not) had me hungry between each bottle, but Buda Juice was different.

As I approached the late afternoon, the second Blue Lemonade was a tart, tangy splash of flavor and would go perfect with a splash of vodka in my opinion. Right, that’s totally not allowed. Now for the real difference, soup! Yes, people. You actually get to consume something other than juice. The Buda Basilato soup is chilled but as someone who isn’t normally into that I slurped this sh-tuff down. Refreshing and delicious, soup for the win. My nightcap came in the form of unsweetened almond milk each evening, made in house by the folks over at Buda.

My vote is a confident yes if you are looking to spend a couple of days out of your week truly hitting the reset button on your weekend or weekly liver damage. I felt full, happy and the opposite of hangry with this cleanse and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to try something different!

Now, for the fun part. Buda Juice has stores open in Plano, Frisco and they just announced a third location coming late May in West Village located in Uptown Dallas! They are moving into what was formerly known as TuLu’s Bakery and I’m sure it will be a success!

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To find out more about Buda Juice you can visit their website.