Chop Chop

It’s time to really buckle down and start getting after those leafy greens. Here’s a simple salad know as chop chop at most restaurants, here’s my version of it hope you like.

• 2 cups Romaine, julienne
• 2 cups Spring mix lettuce, julienne
• 1/2 cup Carrots, matchstick style
• 1/4 cup Red onion, diced
• 2 Hard boiled eggs, chopped whites only
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 Cucumber, seeded and diced
• 6 oz. Chicken breast, grilled and cubed
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive Oil, extra virgin

Combine first 9 ingredients in large mixing bowl until blended, then drizzle both vinegar and oil over the salad to your liking toss gently then divide amongst 4 salad plates . Top with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt.

Enjoy,

Vee

Bomb Burgers

Ingredients

In large bowl, mash rinsed and drained black beans. Add turkey, diced green chiles, onion, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to the black beans. Mix ingredients together by hand. Don’t over work the meat; mix only until you have an even mixture of all ingredients. Divide into 6 well shaped patties.

Adjust the grill to medium heat. If grill cooks hot, use medium low. Wipe the grill rack with oil and put the burgers on to grill. Grill 4-7 minutes on each side, depending on how thick you made your burgers. Turn once. Use a meat thermometer if in doubt about the doneness. Juices will run clear.

Healthy Habit Reformation

The business that we all know and love as Exercise Inc actually started in 1993 as Railey Personal Training. I changed to name to Exercise Inc in 2004 because I wanted the business to have a team approach, focused around everyone and not just my name.

In the 17 years we have been in business we have always gotten great results for our clients, but in the last 5 years those results have been better than I ever imagined. What is more amazing is how our approach has changed.

I used to require clients to strength train 3 times a week and do “cardio” for minimum of 30 minutes at least five times a week.
I have always tried to make our program better, which is what got us to our current exercise program of 20 minutes once a week.

I used to ask our weight loss clients to keep a journal in which they recorded everything they ate and counted every calorie and every gram of fat. No one wanted to count calories, so that approach didn’t work.

It took me long time to understand that we needed to get people to change their habits. Since we introduced our Healthy Habits program 3 years ago our fat loss success has increased dramatically.

We are still constantly trying to improve our program, and because of that you may have noticed your coach is starting to give you some different advice about nutrition. We are gaining a better understanding of some very important aspects of nutrition.

We want to pass this new information on to you. There is really fun video on YouTube that I would like all of our clients to watch to gain a better understanding of where we are going with our Healthy Habits.

Click Here to check out the video!

Asparagus and Pea Frittata

Submitted by:  Vee Ferguson, Manager Exercise Inc

Start your morning with a slice of this and a piece of fruit and your off to the races. Enjoy

Ingredients:

Tomato-Basil Concasse:

• 2 tablespoons
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 8 plum tomatoes, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Frittata:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons grated Romano
• 8 spears asparagus, trimmed blanched and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh peas, or defrosted frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 6 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix all the tomato-basil concasse ingredients together and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Whisk together the eggs, water, cheese, asparagus, peas, parsley and basil until combined and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden brown and set. Place in the oven and cook until the frittata is cooked through. Serve at room temperature with the Tomato Concasse.

Denny Fulton

My neighbor, Anne Lesko, told me and my wife (Connie) about Exercise Inc before we went on spring break last year. While I was on spring break, I saw a 60-yr old man running on the beach. He was ripped and in much better shape than me at 41. I decided it was time to do something about that.

At first, I was skeptical about the whole process at Exercise Inc, but I liked the fact that there was a nutritional plan for life along with the fact that you didn’t need to spend hours in a gym every week. This fits into my schedule perfectly because I own a roofing company, storage units, and rental properties. I also have a wife and 8-yr old daughter.

Ten months later, I am so glad to say that Exercise Inc is the real deal. I am a lot stronger and have so much more energy. I have lost 14 lbs and have changed the shape of my body. I honestly believe I am in better shape today at 42 than when I was playing college football.

Some of the things I enjoy in life are watching and playing sports and spending time with my family and friends.

I would like to give a special thanks to my friend and trainer, Vee, for all of his support, vast knowledge, and inspiration.

Before	After

Robin Sullivan

In January 2008, I had a trip planned to Hawaii for my niece’s wedding in June, and I really wanted to get in shape. I started working out 5 days a week until my vacation, and I only lost 3 pounds in in 6 months!  When I got back from Hawaii, I didn’t go back to the gym.
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Body by Science

One of the great things about Exercise Inc is the longer we do this the more we know we are on the right track.  We see this in the number of clients who lose fat, get stronger and just feel better.  We also see this in the fact that lots of new scientific research keeps confirming that 20 minutes once a week is all the exercise most of us need.

Last April we were fortunate enough to have Body By Science author, Dr. Doug McGuff, visit us to do a lecture and a book signing.  The great thing about Dr. McGuff is the fact that he is an emergency room physician who has a passion for high intensity strength training. 

In his lecture he offered a lot of information that isn’t in his book about fat loss, strength training and health in general.  You may be surprised to hear some of Dr. McGuff’s views on nutrition. 

As a gift to all of you who receive our newsletter I have posted a link below for you to view Dr. McGuff’s presentation online.  This link will only work for the next 30 days, so watch it soon.   Also, feel free to forward this newsletter to any of your friends who might be on the fence about Exercise Inc.

Here’s the link.  Enjoy!

Click here for Video

Portobello Burgers

Submitted by:  Vee Ferguson, Manager Exercise Inc

Ingredients:

4 large Portobello mushroom heads (caps)
Whole grain bread or crusty sandwich rolls
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Baby spinach leaves

Ingredients for Basil-Lemon Pesto Sauce:
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt, to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

To make the tangy basil-lemon pesto, combine basil, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. Add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, then process again until smooth. If you don’t use all of it up with the burgers, you can keep any remaining sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To make the Portobello burgers:

Brush each mushroom on rounded underside and rim with about half a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, then season with sea salt. Place the mushroom heads, gill sides down, on grill over medium-high heat. Grill for 3 minutes. Turn mushroom heads over and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, rotating each mushroom about half a turn after 2 minutes; the goal is to have the bottoms brown nicely.

Place a grilled mushroom, gill side up, on the bottom half of your whole grain sandwich bread or roll. Fill each cap with about 3-4 teaspoons of the basil-lemon pesto, then finish by topping with baby spinach leaves.

Close each roll and enjoy while they’re hot! These burgers go wonderfully with a tossed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Holiday Turkey Vegetable Soup

Submitted by:  Vee Ferguson

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Goals for 2010

I hope 2009 was as great for you as it was for us at Exercise Inc.  We started the year with a written plan to accomplish several goals.  Our biggest goal was to open a location on the north side.  We did it!

 People who win at anything have written goals. Goals are simply what you trying to hit. Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”

Good goals stretch you. They make you reach for something that’s just beyond your reach. 

In order to make a goal happen you should have to become a better person in some aspect of your life. You have to be deliberate and happen to it!

 Too many people just sorta have an idea of what they wanna do, and they kinda get started on it January 1^st.  That’s the wrong approach to have when you want to really accomplish something.

Decide what you want to accomplish in 2010 and deliberately write your plans on paper.  Then roll up your sleeves and get to work.

 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  Hebrews 12:11

This could be the year you finally lose that 10 pounds, get out of debt or take that Caribbean vacation.  Or maybe it’s the year you do all three.

Let’s get to work, reach for the stars and accomplish our goals.