Big Kahuna Turkey Burger

The perfect burger for the upcoming spring season!  One of the many great things about this burger is that you use ground turkey instead of ground beef.  It's much leaner and easier on your heart as oppose to the fattier, heart-unfriendly red meat.  This recipe is quick, easy and extremely delicious!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Fridge to Plate: 22 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (93/7 ratio)
1/2 c low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 can no sugar added pineapple rounds
4 whole wheat thin buns (regular whole wheat buns are ok too)

Directions

1.) Preheat your grill to medium-high
2.) Divide the pound of ground turkey into 4 or 5 patties
3.) Push your thumb into the center of each patty to prevent the burger from bulging out in the middle and turning into a football shaped burger.
4.) Grill the burgers for 5-6 minutes, flip and brush the already grilled side with teriyaki sauce.
5.) Continue grilling for another 5-6 minutes.
6.) With two minutes left of grilling time, put the buns face down and the pineapple rounds on the grill as well.
7.) When the time is up, brush the other side of the burger with teriyaki sauce.
8.) Pull everything off the grill, put the burger on the bun with a pineapple round on top.
9.) Add lettuce, tomato and onion if you'd like.
10.) Enjoy!

Easy, healthy, and delicious!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.health.com

Kettlebelll Ab Wind Mill For a Twist on Abs

Tired of crunches, sit ups, planks and leg raises?  Try the Kettlebell Ab Windmill!  This is one of those exercises that you think can't possibly work because it doesn't look like an ab exercise, but as we know, sometimes those are the best for you.  Beware, it'll work so well you may begin to have fellow gym goers following your moves!  Here's how it goes:

Directions: Complete each set doing windmills on both your left and right sides.  Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 sets.  Incorporate this into your ab workout 2-3 times a week.

Complete 3 sets of 15 reps per side

1.) Hold a light kettlebell or dumbbell in your right hand and extend your arm so it is straight above your right shoulder and your elbow is straight.
 2.) While keeping your eyes on the dumbbell the whole time and your abs contracted (squeezed) slowly reach your left hand down towards the ground and bend like you're doing a side crunch.
3.) Only bend your left knee (not your right) slightly until your left hand touches the ground.
4.) Keeping your eyes up on the kettlebell, use your obliques (side abs) and abs to slowly push back up to a starting position. 

Sounds easy enough, but I can guarantee your abs will be sore the next day!  Good luck, and until tomorrow spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.thefitbridesmade.wordpress.com

Drink More Water For A Healthier You

Pop may taste good, energy drinks may make you feel energized, and alcohol may make you feel good, but none of these options are good for you.  Therefore, you should drink more water!

Two thirds of your body is made up of water. The majority of your muscles, brain and blood is made up of water.  It can energize you, make you stronger, and can make you lose weight!  Here's how:

1.) Get Stronger: Your muscles are 75% water.  If you don't drink enough water, all that hard work in the gym will never show.  Drink water to increase your strength and the size of your muscles.

2.) The Ultimate Energy Drink: If you drink enough water you will never need fake energy like coffee or energy drinks.  The only reason you need caffeine is for when your body is dehydrated.  If you drink ten 8 oz. glasses of water a day, you'll have all the energy you need!

3.) Lose Weight: Hunger is often misinterpreted cravings for water.  AKA, when you are dehydrated, it feels like you're hungry.  Easy solution: Drink a full glass of water before every meal.  You'll be amazed at how less hungry you'll be which will lead to you eating less.

4.) Improve How You Look and Feel: Think about what happens to plants if you don't water them enough.  They shrivel and die.  That same thing happens to your body inside and out.  Drinking water will hydrate your skin which leads to less wrinkles and feed your organs allowing them to function properly. 

Drinking water really can do wonders for your body.  From strength, to losing weight, to being more energized, water should become your go to drink!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.healthytrimcoach.com

The Best Time of Day To Workout

For many people, choosing what time of the day to workout isn't an option.  Busy schedules limit us to when we can make some time to get out there and exercise.  Luckily, though, the best times to do some cardio or lift weights seems to be the times that we would chose if given the choice.  Here's a guide as to what times are best for certain workouts.


Cardio

Doing cardio in the morning is the best option.  Yes, it's hard to get up 45 minutes earlier than you normally would to get in a cardio session before work.  Your bed is warm, the air outside isn't, but think of the benefits to it.  If you wait until the end of the day to do cardio, you're just burning off all of the food you ate already in the day.  It's almost like you're doing cardio to break even if it's later in the day. 


When you sleep at night you burn off a lot of the calories from the day before.  Therefore when you wake up in the morning you have an empty stomach.  Doing cardio first thing in the morning burns straight fat, as oppose to trying to burn through the food to get to the fat. 


Plan: Wake up and grab a protein shake made with water then hit the road.  Run, intervals, bike, whatever.  In order to burn the greatest amount of fat, plan your cardio sessions for first thing in the morning. 


Lifting Weights

Lifting weights works the exact opposite of cardio.  When you wake up in the morning, your muscles are tight and weak from not being used all night.  It actually takes hours to get your muscles to full strength and to higher your body temperature.  Walking around and moving your muscles all day loosens them up.  Your body is best suited to work out during the 3 pm - 5 pm window.  This afternoon period will give your body its best chance for a great workout!

Plan: When you come home from work, don't even sit down to get yourself tired.  Walk in the door, change, grab a protein shake and then be on your way to the gym.  Sometimes it's easy to sit down and get tired so you say, "I'll just go tomorrow".  Don't give yourself that option.  Get in and get out!

Use these tips to get the most out of any workout!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Image Source: http://www.fitsugar.com

15 Minute Kettlebell Crossfit Workout

Crossfit has become to have something of a cult following.  Typically, you are given 3-4 tough exercises in a row to do.  It counts as one set when you complete the exercises back to back to back to back with no rest in between.  You have to complete as many sets as you can in a given time period, usually 15-20 minutes.  Crossfit athletes are known as some of the toughest, most intense, in shape athletes around by putting their bodies through grueling exercises with no rest.  Fifteen minutes may not sound like a tough workout, but by combining cardio and a hardcore non-stop workout your body will be screaming (or that may be you screaming) to stop by the end.  For this workout, all you need is 1 kettlebell.  Use a weight you think is appropriate for you.   

Directions: Do this workout 3 times a week resting a day in between each session.  Do all of the exercises in a row without any rest in between.  That counts as one set.  Do as many sets as you can in 15 minutes.  Rest no more than 30 seconds between sets.  Eventually work up to not resting at all.  Descriptions of exercises are at the end.

10 Kettlebell Sumo Squats
10 1 Arm Kettlebell Bent Over Rows
10 Kettlebell Deadlifts
10 Kettlebell Close Grip Pushups
10 Kettlebell Swings

Five exercises seems easy enough.... think again!  This will be one workout you'll hate to do but feel like a million buck after it's all said and done.  It's a muscle bulding cardio workout that will shock your body into looking great!

Until tomorrow, spend Everyday Living Fit!

Kettlebell Sumo Squats - Grab a kettlebell with both hands and hold it in between your legs. Squat down, touch the kettlebell to the ground and extend back up.
1 Arm Kettlebell Row - Hold a kettlebell with one hand and bend over at your waist.  Row the weight up to your stomach, pulling your elbow as far back as you can while pinching your back.  Do 5 then switch hands.
Kettlebell Deadlift - Grab the kettlebell with two hands. Bend your knees just a tiny bit and keep them this way for the entire lift.  Bend over at the waist and touch the kettlebell to the ground.  Extend back up.  Do not bend your knees a lot to reach down, it's almost like you're stretching the backs of your legs.
Kettlebell Close Grip Pushups - Put the kettlebell on it's side on the ground.  Get in a pushup position and put both hands on the kettlebell.  Do 10 pushups.  You may need to put your knees on the ground to help make it easier.
Kettlebell Swings - Grab the kettlebell with 2 hands, squat down and on the way back up swing the kettlebell out in front of you until it's just above your head.  That's one.  Keep your elbows bent just a little bit for the whole lift. 

http://www.coreexercisestudio.com