Serious business.


 
life got busy.  & then busier.  & i lost my momentum.
 
after months of total inactivity (despite the fact that i joined- & pay a monthly fee- a gym last june) & eating under the "all is okay in moderation" philosophy , we're finally gettin' all serious around here in the "health" category.  started spinning again in january... weight training in february- a couple of yearly physicals for ryan & i... one thing led to another, and well, we're back at it.  

that's the beauty of momentum, isn't it?  even though it seems incredibly daunting and overwhelming at first... and even though i seemed to have lost all muscle & stamina (not to mention- confidence)... little steps taken in the right direction lead to bigger steps... and before we know it, we're taking vitamins, learning how to "Master [our] Metabolism" (dr-approved/recommended btw), and counting calories.

"diet" is a bad word to some, but those 20 lbs have lingered a bit too long and until my jeans fit comfortably they make their way out, we're on a mission to rid them away.  for good.

... and then, we'll bring a *healthy dose of "moderation" [& wine] back into the equation.  but this time, it will not mean "eat whatever and whenever we want, without doing any form of exercise whatsoever."

but for now, we're actually having fun with it- cracking the code on serving up nutrient-rich dishes without sacrificing flavor... getting back into cooking with a slew of different grains, flours, natural sweeteners...

from muffins to curries to pancakes- we've cooked about a dozen recipes out of the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook in a mere week (yes i have a ton of cookbooks- healthy & otherwise, but i didn't buy this... i checked it- along with this- out at the library!) ... so many great ideas & tips- and simple recipes.

i will definitely share more, but for now- my latest tried & true {so, so good & good for you too. win-win.}


golden apple crisp
*from the master your metabolism cookbook, by jillian michaels 

serves 8

virgin coconut oil*
1/4 cup honey
4 golden delicious apples (about 2 lbs), peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4 in. chunks (about 6 cups)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp plus 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 tbsp finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp low-fat (or non-fat) plain greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)... mixed a little honey in- for the kid's sake

Preheat oven to 375. (I cook on convect & typically lower mine by 25 degrees when baking... cooked this at 350)

Into a glass measuring cup, put the oil and honey.  Microwave on high power until melted, about 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.

In a large mixing bowl, place the apples and add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp flour.  Toss to coat.  Transfer the fruit to a 1 1/2 qt. baking dish and spread evenly.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, the rolled oats, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Stir with a fork until the ingredients are well combined.  Pour in the oil and honey, and stir until the mixture is well blended and crumbly.  Use your fingers to distribute the crumbs evenly over the fruit.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling, about 50 (...or less!  I set mine for 40 & it was not burnt, but a bit too brown) minutes.  Let the crisp cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Spoon the warm crisp into eight serving dishes.  Top each serving with a spoonful of yogurt and serve.

*Extra-virgin coconut oil is used in many recipes within the book- both savory & sweet.  READ here for more info (make sure you click on the article link)  After a little research, I purchased this one... & in all recipes so far- I've been very happy with the flavor- and it does not make this recipe- or any of the others- taste like coconut.


Serve it to your kids when they arrive home from school... and then again for dessert later that evening.  They'll think they're scoring by getting not one, but *two desserts.  But you'll know otherwise :).

14 comments:

  1. O.k. I need to look into this. I've bee struggling with all of these issues for about two years now and I'm feeling particularly discouraged these days. Thinking I might need to request this from my library.

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  2. it's been about 2 yrs for me as well estelle, and i felt the same. when i went to my appointment (a week & a 1/2 ago), i was still thinking i could just exercise it off, while just trying to eat healthier. i mentioned to my dr. that this was an area that i was really focusing on right now- thinking that she'd nod her head and pretty much move right along. but she sat and talked with me for about a 1/2 an hour about how weight has been an issue for her for her entire life... and how after she had twins (at 40!), she was left with extra weight that she could not get off. she went to a gym, they connected her with a trainer (and she was skeptical from the beginning, thinking, I'm an MD... what can i learn from this 20 yr old guy??). he told her from the start that weight loss was 80% nutrition. he explained the huge importance of lean muscle building... and sleep (huge, huge factor). long story short- she remained skeptical, always questioned instead of just taking his words at face value, never fully believed each "concept" until she saw literal results... which she did. lost the weight and has kept it off for 5 yrs. recently, she read jillian's book and said that it was exactly what her trainer had taught her/utilized in her program (and her book wasn't out yet at that time!). so, that's what she recommended, and i really (for the first time in a long time) feel like i will see results. you should definitely check it out! we can encourage one another from afar... AND GET INTO THOSE DAMN JEANS...... =)

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    1. ... one thing i forgot to mention along with the "key learnings"... the importance/*necessity of "healthy fats" in our diets/weight loss goals. (she stopped losing weight because she was not incorporating enough in her diet!)

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  3. Again Torrie - another really inspiring post! I have let my hip hop classes slide and now am back at it. For me its all about feeling better - Im not sure it even tones me. A stay-at-home mUm me, sometimes its the one solid achievement in my day! I just read about metabolism too and you have all the tips down!

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    1. thank you! i just love the fact that you go to hip-hop classes. (very "hip" :))

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  4. Yay Torrie! I'm a workout nut but I definitely have let the nutrition side slide since I had Andi. I don't have a lot of time to make recipes, is there more to the cookbook than that? Like, suggestions on foods to incorporate or leave out?

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    1. yes- there are many, many basic, specific tips regarding foods to incorporate/leave out throughout the cookbook. the actual book- master your metabolism goes into much greater detail in regards to the "why"... i checked this out as well, and haven't finished reading it yet- actually i just started it. lots of information, but it does get pretty scientific though :).

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  5. You pretty much wrote this post for me I think ;) I so need to get it under control. And so far diet and exercise aren't cutting it. I need to dig deeper....

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    1. "dig deeper" ... yes, exactly. not surprised, at all, that we're on the same page regarding this issue. :)

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  6. That looks delicious! Smitten Kitchen posted a similar recipe today, although not quite as healthy :)

    Since I've always been thin, I honestly probably don't pay as much attention as I should to all of this- I eat healthy and exercise but could definitely be more conscious (esp with the wine! ha ha). My mom's metabolism started to catch up to her around 50 or so, and at age 60, she just started working with a trainer and nutritionist to amazing results. It's so inspiring to me!

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  7. Omg… how cool!!! (kinda love your mom btw!)

    I totally know what you mean. It caught up with me sooner than I would have liked (after I had hailey… gained too much weight with her, since I too have always been thin, and really have never had to watch what I ate… and about a year after- the weight was not coming off. We dieted for the first time ever, since my husband had also gained weight, and with no exercise- too busy at the time with our crazy work schedules- we eventually lost all of the weight and kept it off for a long time… until I started cooking much more- not nec. healthy dishes- and drinking more- and moving LESS- a couple of years ago).

    … but I definitely know what it feels like to not have to worry about it, and then unfortunately, have it catch up to you! My mind is sort of still in the “I’m THIN… I don’t have to worry about it(!)" mode… which is the exact reason I DO have to worry about it :). But, as in your mom’s case- it’s so inspiring and motivating to know that with focus, effort, research (etc.), we can achieve results- and feel good about living a more active/healthier lifestyle… with treats here and there!!

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  8. the only momentum i have going right now is for losing my mind. and that post on balance that i mentioned, well, i fell off the beam a few days ago with hardly a push.

    this is inspiring though. for now, i'm giving up food for lent instead ;-) working out will have to wait.

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  9. Way to go girl! Keep it up! If I could stay healthy for longer than 2 weeks, my momentum would be fine. Acupuncture has helped A LOT with cravings though.
    Hope you are well?
    Best,
    Tina

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  10. I have OCD and I am although I try to eat healthy anyway, I am ready to accept the responsibility of helping to heal myself through diet. I am reading and researching and slowly trying to get the "bad stuff" out of my house. I am just about to embark on several stages of an elimination diet to try and ferret out if I have any food sensitivities. The first to go is going to be gluten and refined sugar. Apparently gluten sensitivity has been linked to increased anxiety. We shall see how it goes. Awesome that you seem to be finding a rhythm with your new lifestyle.

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