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Vegan Rage is Real, People!

Jun 18th, 2014 in Diet, Fitness by AmyBlitz

It’s been a sad morning. Not because of the vegan diet (which IS growing tiresome), but because of this…

Don’t you hate when the entire stem rips off?

I had to make a little hat so that I wouldn’t get banana in my backpack.

Caution: Genius at work.

I am more than mid-way done with my 30 day vegan diet, and am most looking forward to eating cheese again. In fact, I have begun to think of the past few months as B.C. and A.C. (Before Cheese and After Cheese, respectively).

I tried some vegan, soy-based, “cheese” which was just about the most vile thing ever invented.

Slimy, smelly and EVIL. Why does this exist???

There are a few ways to create your own vegan “cheese” with cashews and nutritional yeast but I have yet to try it. Has anyone ever made this stuff?

It’s a good thing that I live in NYC, where there is bound to be at least one vegan restaurant in any neighborhood you wander. I love Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side, where I treated myself to a piece of vegan carrot cake.

It tasted just like carrot cake with cream cheese frosting-amazing!

There is even a new vegan soul food restaurant in Harlem which I will be hitting up very soon: http://www.seasonedvegan.com/ Yes! SOUL FOOD! Get in my belly!

I often refer to veganism as the diet of side dishes. For example, last night I ate sauteed zucchini, a Kabocha squash mash, and a salad. I also tossed some black beans in there to help fill me up. This is a pretty typical dinner for me. I know, it sounds depressing to all you meat-eaters out there. But because I am eating a high volume of food I feel satisfied at the end of each meal.

Of course, satisfied does not mean happy, and as I write this I am being informed that I still have a poor attitude, and am short-tempered. I like to think that I’m being sassy, but yeah, I agree my fuse is short. VEGAN RAGE IS REAL, PEOPLE!

Finally, if you missed the grand announcement before, I have a new workout video on my YouTube channel! And it focuses on everyone’s favorite body part-the glutes!

Talk to me on Facebook.com/blitzyourbody or Tweet me @AmyBlitz1

Rockin’ the Paleo!

Apr 3rd, 2014 in Diet, Recipes, Uncategorized by AmyBlitz

My first couple of days on the Paleo Diet have been pretty easy, and delicious! Paleo definitely requires a lot of cooking, though. This week, I made sure I was fully stocked with wild-caught cod, shrimp, grass fed beef, and pork tenderloin. As usual, I’m thankful for the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood. These items are a pricier than the regular stuff, but you can find most things at TJ’s for a lot less than Fresh Direct and Whole Foods. Meat pictures aren’t so pretty, but just look at these beautiful paleo-friendly fruits and veggies I picked up:

The big green guy back there is a Kabucha squash aka Japanese pumpkin. I haven’t cooked it yet, but I hear it tastes like a cross between a butternut squash and a yam. I’m saving that starchy squash and sweet potatoes for those days when I am very active, and exercise longer than an hour. They’ll be perfect for my long run days. Oh, wait. About all that running I was supposed to do this month–

Oops!

Apparently I have a benign cyst on my foot that has been the culprit of all my ankle woes. The MRI is tomorrow. Not that I don’t just LOVE wearing this Aircast boot, but I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be out of it in a few days. I can still lift weights and ride a spin bike so I’ll be sticking with my exercise routine and keeping busy. And if you see me hobbling around town in my boot, why not slow down and walk with me, ok?

Back to the good stuff–the food. The exclusion of grains from my diet has forced me to be a little experimental in the kitchen. Yes, it is just a diet of vegetables, meat and fruit, but I know I’m going to get bored if I don’t add some variety to my day. So, instead of my usual pre-paleo turkey wrap for lunch, today I made a simple crab salad with avocado, yellow peppers, and lemon juice, served up in some lettuce cups.

It was the bomb.

Got any questions about Paleo? Or some kick-ass recipes for me to try? Don’t be shy and let me know!

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Green is the New Black: New Smoothie Recipe!

Mar 17th, 2014 in Fitness, Recipes, Uncategorized by AmyBlitz

Yesterday, I joined more than 20,000 people in running the NYC Half Marathon. It was thrilling to run down the city streets–particularly Broadway,right through Times Square.

This was the first race in a long time where I had no problems with swelling in my ankle. I’m still utilizing Jeff Galloway’s run/walk/run program, but had to rely on it for only a quarter of the race. If you don’t already know, Mr. Galloway is an amazing running coach whose program got me running again pain free. Read more about him here: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/ or my original JG love letter: https://blitzyourbody.com/2013/11/marathon-envy/

Afterwards. we celebrated with pasta, green mimosas and a little dancing, which, by the way, is absolutely the wrong way to recover after a race. I should have skipped the mimosas and and instead had plenty of water and stretched my overworked muscles.

Celebrating my 7th and Ana’s 1st half!

But today is a new day! And while I didn’t aid my body with proper recovery yesterday, I can still give my muscles what they need with my favorite protein shake for breakfast. Since it’s St. Patrick’s day, I made sure to add plenty of spinach to give it a gorgeous green color. Don’t worry, adding spinach only boosts the nutritional content of this shake, as spinach is rich in muscle building iron, and bone strengthening calcium. It does not taste like spinach, trust me.

St. Paddy’s Day Recovery Shake

260 cal/5.5 grams fat/27 grams protein

Serves 1

1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I still like Designer Whey the best!)

1/2 frozen or fresh banana

1/4 cup lowfat Greek yogurt

1 splash vanilla extract

1 tsp honey or whatever sweetener you prefer

1 cup baby spinach

2-3 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!

Sober September, It’s Happening

Aug 30th, 2013 in Fitness, Uncategorized by AmyBlitz

September is here. People go back to work, kids go back to school and everyone gets the almost New Years-type feeling that now is the time to get serious about health and weight loss.

Sober September is a month long “detox” I am encouraging my clients to do to get them back on track after a summer of vacations, traveling and BBQ’s. It’s simple: abstain from alcohol and eat only healthy foods for the entire month of September. That’s it. Well, actually there are a few rules of Sober September. Follow them, and you will be looking and feeling your best by October 1st.

Rule #1 Talk about Sober September. You must tell the people close to you that you are doing this. Otherwise, who will hold you accountable when you are faced with a drink or a cheeseburger?

Rule #2 Measure yourself on day one of SS, which is actually Tuesday, Sept 3rd, or at the very least, within the first week of September. Take a waist and hip measurement, and weigh yourself if you have a scale. Repeat on Sept 30th. You can also go by how your clothes feel, but I like to be exact about these things.

Rule #3 No cheating. Under normal circumstances, I do recommend a moderate cheat day once a week. But this is Sober September! So for the next four weeks you must eat clean and abstain for the whole month. If you do cheat, you MUST own up to it. My clients know that they have to admit to any indiscretions. Accountability is key!

I will however, permit wine on the Jewish Holidays. My people have got to have their wine for the New Year!

Rule #4 Exercise. Make it a point to do at least two, 30 minute sessions a week of any weight bearing exercise and 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking. If you like vigorous activities like running or spinning, then you only need 75 minutes. These are CDC recommendations. You can read more about them here: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

Going to give Sober September a try? I want to know about! Please leave a comment below or email me at [email protected] to opt in. I will check on you throughout the month.