Bikini-Body Popsicles

They’re calling for a sweltering 30°C day! (That’s 86°F, for all of our American readers.) So I think it’s pretty official to declare that summer is finally here! Woot woot - cue the summer jams.

I need a sweet, icy popsicle – stat! But I could do without the sugar rush that store-bought popsicles hit me with. For a treat that won’t spike and dunk your blood sugar levels and can even boost your post workout recovery, make this quick and clean recipe, courtesy of Oxygen reader Lindsay Kent, a personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist from Burlington Ontario. (Pictured below)

Protein Pops
1 cup tropical frozen fruit blend (e.g. strawberries, pineapple, honeydew melon and peach)
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a blender and then pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for at least four hours or overnight.

Nutrients per one batch*:
Calories: 433, Total Fat: 2.5 g, Saturated Fat: 0, Trans. Fat: 0, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 0.52mg, Carbohydrates: 29g, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 20 g, Protein: 23 g

*Serving sizes will vary depending on the pop size molds you use. And obviously, you don’t want to be eating the whole batch at once, so divide the nutritional info above by the amount of molds. According to Lindsay:


“These pops are a great post workout snack, and provide a great ratio of carbs to protein. We all know that our bodies are like sponges after we workout, ready to soak up all the nutrients lost through training in order to repair and recover properly. Also, fats should be avoided post workout, as they can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, and while there is a dab of fat in each pop, it is healthy fat, and not enough to interfere with the carbohydrate and protein synthesis. Finally, it is an easy, quick grab that you keep in your freezer, waiting for you after your sweat session - no mixing or making involved!”

Thanks, Lindsay! Send me your favorite recipe to myrecipebook@oxygenmag.com

Monica Brant's F.E.M. Camp!

Guest blogger: Marta Ustyanich, Oxygen's Copy Editor

Competing in fitness has hardly ever crossed my mind, let alone been an option, given my less-than-shredded physique. But when Oxygen’s editor-in-chief, Stacy Kennedy, offered up the opportunity to attend fitness icon Monica Brant’s three-day competition prep camp this May, I eagerly jumped at the chance to get my butt kicked by one of the best in the industry – and she delivered.

After just two sets of a lower-body circuit designed by Monica herself, I was sitting down for a much-needed break, while the girls all powered through every grueling rep.

But they didn’t come to just work their muscles – they came to flex them, too. Strapping on their clear heels, the girls slipped into bikinis or shorts – I wisely decided to sit this one out – and proceeded to parade around the room, with Monica calling for three-quarter turns and front poses (umm, say what?). Even as Oxygen’s copy editor (read “walking dictionary”), I was getting lost in all the industry jargon.

But it wasn’t long before I was dropping terms like “shredded” and “adrenal fatigue,” thanks to a lesson on supplementation from nutrition coach Nathan Harewood. And thanks to a makeup tutorial from Oxygen’s own makeup artist, Valeria Nova, I can even pick out the best foundation to match competition tans. In fact, with a little practice – and a lot of crunches! – I may just one day pass for a regular on the competition stage. Hey, a girl can dream!

Admittedly, outside of photos, I have never seen a live or televised competition. It was at F.E.M. Camp that I really began to understand the discipline, dedication and guts that it takes to make it up onto that stage. The strain on the girls’ faces as they repped it out on the gym floor, the meticulous hand placement as they delivered pose after pose, their dazzling smiles as they bared all – stretch marks included – in tiny shorts and bikinis – all this explained how they had come to earn this coveted spot training with an elite Figure competitor.

And that’s what makes me want to go for it (given, the chiseled core is a nice bonus!) – I love proving to myself how much I can accomplish simply by exercising my willpower. Competitive fitness entails a powerful fusion between the body and mind; not just anyone can do it. But I like to think of myself as one of those who can – and maybe (hopefully!) will – one day sculpt a stage-worthy physique. What about you? Do you have what it takes to compete? You can find out from the fitness icon herself by signing up for a weekend-long F.E.M. Camp in your area. Visit femcamp.net for camp dates near you.

As for me, it’s back to those crunches!

Meet Marta, Monica, and Dr. Oz (kinda!)

Our copy editor Marta Ustyanich – pictured here with me smooching my cherished photo of Dr. Oz (dotted with fluttering hearts, no less) – recently attended a boot camp event for aspiring fitness models and competitors hosted by fitness icon Monica Brant! Marta’s going to be guest blogging about it tomorrow so check back for all of the juicy details.

Preworkout Fuel

In my college days, I would nonchalantly scarf down bag of M&Ms and go full throttle on the elliptical. More often than not, I’d crash before I could burn off anything – barely making the 12-minute mark required to negate the 73 calories of pure sugar! Oh my nutritional naivety. One of the most important lessons that I’ve learned since working at Oxygen is the importance of pre workout nutrition, particularly what to eat before engaging in certain types of exercise. Here’s a brief breakdown of what to feed yourself before a session of...

Weights + cardio = mostly carbs plus a hit of protein
Rev up your energy with a carb-rich snack within an hour before your sweat session. Protein doesn’t need to be a huge concern at this point because you will be refueling after your workout with a more protein-rick snack (ah, that famed “postworkout window of opportunity”; more on that in a future post). Preworkout snacks should be roughly 60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat.

Try:
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable soup + 3 small whole grain crackers + ½ cup applesauce (pictured above)
• 3 rye crisp crackers + ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese + 1 small piece of fruit
• ½ whole grain English muffin + 1 tbsp hummus + ½ cup fresh berries
• 1. 5 cup chicken noodle soup (this food is more effective at improving fluid balance than electrolyte-spike sports drinks, shows a study from the American College of Sports Medicine).

Yoga = light is right
According to Jason Lu, co-owner of Yoga Tree (my neighborhood studio where he teaches Yoga for Athletes), “It’s best to do yoga on an empty stomach or eat something really light that’s easy to digest such as a small salad or a smoothie. Having a heavy meal, like a steak or burger, prior to your yoga session requires more energy to break down and you need this energy for your practice. This is especially important in hot yoga to avoid getting really dizzy and nauseous.”

A 5K run = everyday clean eating
Gels, gummies, electrolyte replacement drinks are not necessary, says Jennifer Sygo, MSc, RD, a regular Oxygen contributor. “Rather than fixating on carbs, try to focus instead on good day-to-day eating habits, which is important for maintaining your energy as you train,” writes Sygo in her regular National Post column (read the full story here).For early evening runs, she suggests eating an afternoon snack 1-3 hours before.
Try: a moderate fiber cereal (no more than 5 grams per 30 gram serving) with a cup of milk or soy beverage (5 grams of protein per serving is enough).

I'm curious, what do you eat before your workouts?

3 ways to cook a helluva lot less

I’m the world’s laziest cook. My motto is, if there’s a shortcut in the kitchen, take it. After all, consider this: a woman will spend an average of two and half years of her adult life cooking, according to a UK consumer study. In that time, you could pen a book, complete a Masters degree, travel the world over…you get the idea! But I guess it’s a welcome relief from 1960, when the average woman spent an average of six years cooking (yikes!). The market researchers credit the drop in figures to two factors: ready-made meals at the supermaket and labor-saving kitchen equipment. Mind you, the study was a touch bias, being commissioned by kitchen gadget manufacturer Breville. That said, I don’t think you need a counter full of fancy cooking gear to whip up clean, tasty meals in a flash. Take it from me, I’m faring through my big girl years not chained to the stove because I’ve mastered the art of lazy-girl-cooking with simple tools. Here, my top time-saving cooking secrets:

1. Single skillet meals. Hate washing dishes? Make full meals using just one skillet.
TRY: Heat a teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Saute cumin-spiced lean ground beef, then use the same pan to flash-fry yellow onions, chopped spinach, and oregano-dusted tomatoes. Sprinkle with feta cheese, optional. Serve in a whole grain wrap.
Here's another recipe.

2. Slow cooking. My Crockpot is my lifeline when it comes to meal making. Just toss in ingredients before bed and you’ve got a protein-packed lunch for work the next few days.
TRY: Line slow cooker with chopped sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and a can of corn. Add frozen chicken breasts and two cups of low-sodium chicken broth, and cook on low for eight hours. Serve with cooked quinoa.
Here's another recipe.

3. Bake “en papillote”. Don’t let the French words fool you, there’s nothing shi shi about this fool-proof cooking method. All you need is a roll of parchment paper, a cookie sheet, and an oven. Click here for a quick lesson.
TRY: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay thinly sliced carrots, red onions, and zucchini onto parchment paper. Place a tilapia fillet on top of vegetables. Season with dill and drizzle honey mustard on top. Fold in edges of parchment to seal food in. Place package into oven for 15-20 minutes, until fish flakes. Open package carefully and serve.

How do you cheat?

Cupcakes are my kryptonite. So as my roommate spent the better half of the evening last night making them for a company bake sale, I had to leave the house. Even though I had already worked out during my lunch hour, I took refuge in my condo’s gym. I’ve never been one to do double workouts in a day but there was absolutely nowhere else to go at that hour, and in my opinion, there is nowhere better to go than a gym to kick temptation in the butt. Plus, Curb Your Enthusiasm was playing on the television sets in the cardio room (Larry David is my hero!). A 20-minute jaunt on the elliptical was all I needed to get those feel-good endorphins pumping through my body, which consequently killed my cupcake craving altogether.

This got me thinking about the concept of cheat meals.

I’ve researched this topic on-and-off and have yet to find hard evidence to support that cheat meals are good for your physique (your psyche, yes, no doubt). Yet there is ample anecdotal evidence from fitness models and those in the industry, who generally recommend one cheat day per week. Some fitness models say that they don’t cheat at all, while others swear by various diet strategies like carb cycling or carb tapering.

Tell me, how do you cheat? And how often? Do you set aside one full day to just pig out or do you treat yourself to one cheat food per day? And what is your go-to cheat meal?

Chime in. I’m dying to know!

Almonds: my weekend weapon

Happy Saturday!
If your willpower is wonky on the weekends, try my simple eat clean weekend tip: stash an Altoids tin full of almonds in your purse. The protein, fiber, and healthy fats content in a one ounce serving (about 23 almonds) will help ward off the urge to overeat those tempting weekend treats. (I’m looking at you macaroons!)
BONUS HEALTH BENEFIT: Research from the American Heart Association suggest that eating this amount of almonds every day for 30 days may help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by about 4%.

How to eat to get fit

Recall those government food pyramid handouts you got in grade school? My mom had one posted on our fridge growing up. Having this quick reference looking back at me each time I went to the fridge made it easier for me to make healthier foods choices. Awhile back, we ran a story about food pyramids for women looking to build strength and muscle mass, and because of my love for visual reminders (thanks ma!), I have one of the images from that story tacked on my wall for reference. Thought I'd share it with you!

Calories for muscle

I’m freaking out! I have just one more month left to lean up for the company fitness challenge and my muscle development is less than impressive. My body fat is in check now but it’s crunch time for building a bit more mass. The clock’s ticking! So I sent off a frantic email to one of our fabulous nutrition writers, Tiffani Bachus (Pictured on right). Not only does she have a bomb body, Tiffani carries some serious fitness cred: she's a registered dietitian, a fitness competitor, and a mother of three to boot. Thought I’d share our conversation with you.

ME: Tiff, is there a simple formula I can use to calculate how many calories I need to build muscle?

TB: Hi Helen, I'm out and about today - no computer, so I'll type some info on my iPhone. Here are my general guidelines for women:

• For weight loss: 11 calories per pound of body weight
• For weight maintenance: 15 calories per pound
• For weight gain: a range of 17-20 calories per pound

I don't believe there is scientific evidence except SCAN recommends for building muscle – adding 200-500 calories extra. I always recommend the lower end (17 calories or an extra 200) for the first few weeks. This can be a challenge for some people because it really matters where those extra 200 calories are coming from.

ME: An extra meal? Yay! But I’m guessing it has to be clean, right? What do you suggest?

TB: Clean, of course! An extra 200 "clean" calories could be a turkey wrap (2 oz turkey, 1/8 avocado slice, one tomato slice, wrapped in a small whole wheat tortilla). That translates to approximately 14 grams of lean protein, 5 grams of healthy fat and 20 grams of carbohydrates. Oh and don't forget to about those pre and post workout meals. Eat approximately 10-20 grams of protein with a carbohydrate (10-15 grams is sufficient) 15-20 minutes before your strength training workout. Followed with a post-exercise snack 30 min to 1 hour after your workout.

ME: Thanks Tiff, super useful.

TB: I'm glad I can help you out! You got this win!! :) p.s. I’ve been boxing lately and it’s been doing wonder for my abs. I’m attaching a pic for you. [see above] I can’t wait to see your ripped abs!

Note to self: eat more (and take up boxing).

Pop a multi, eat the burger – right?

If you’re among the one-half of the adult population in North American that take dietary supplements every day, listen up.

An interesting study was just published in the journal Psychological Science that exposes an all-too-common relationship between multivitamin use and eating behavior. A Taiwanese scientist wanted to test if frequent use of dietary supplements had any influence on food decision-making after observing a colleague justify eating an unhealthy meal simply because he had taken a multivitamin earlier in the day.

Here’s what happened in his study:

Participants were divided into two groups. Group A was told to take a multivitamin and Group B was assigned a placebo. But what Group A didn’t know was that they were actually also consuming placebo pills. This duped group expressed less desire to exercise and more desire to overeat, citing that they felt okay with their decision because they had taken a multivitamin earlier.

We are constantly being told that dietary supplements are meant to complement a balanced diet, not make up for it. But what this study reveals is that people who pop supplements regularly may carry around a false sense of health protection that tends to lead them to make poor food choices.

It’s that “I can wolf down this Big Mac because I took my multi” mentality. I know a handful of people who operate this way, and admittedly, I too have been guilty of using multivitamins as a pig-out pass in the past.

Is this way of rationalizing unhealthy decisions more common than not?

Chime in!