Fit This Fall Recipe: Butternut Squash Chilli with Quinoa

Ready for the season to change?  We will miss the warmth of summer and those fresh summer fruits, but we are excited for the entrance of Butternut Squash and more warm foods into our dinners!

Here’s a great recipe for Butternut Squash Chilli with Quinoa – Ready in 30 minutes and serves four!!

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion , finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp mild chilli powder (Schwartz does a good one with added cumin, oregano and garlic)
• 1 butternut squash , about 1kg, peeled and cubed
• 100g quinoa , soaked in cold water for 10 minutes (available from health food shops and some supermarkets)
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin red kidney beans
• a small bunch coriander , chopped

1. Cook the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft (about 7 minutes). Add the chilli powder, cook for a minute then add the squash, quinoa and tomatoes.
2. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the squash and quinoa are tender and the sauce has thickened. Add the beans and heat through. Stir in the coriander and serve in bowls.

Per serving: 306 kcalories, protein 13.9g, carbohydrate 53.4g, fat 5.6 g, saturated fat 0.7g, fibre 10.1g,

We love this homemade healthy chilli and hope you can too!  Its easy, fast and SO YUMMY!

Enjoy, look for more recipes coming your way soon, and stay Fit This Fall!

Vegetarian Help: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cannellini Beans

 The first question I get when I tell someone I’m a vegetarian is, “How do you get your protein?” It’s actually quite easy to get enough protein if you know the sources to build your meals from. Protein requirements vary for each individual. In the book Eat to Live by author Joel Fuhrman M.D., he provides an easy way to calculate your protein requirement according to the USRDA. Multiply your body weight in pounds by .36 grams. A woman who weighs 120 pounds needs about 44 grams of protein per day.

Vegetarian Sources for Protein:

Barley- 1 cup has 3 grams of protein

Quinoa- 1 cup has 5 grams of protein

Lentils- 1 cup has 17 grams of protein

Tofu- ½ cup has 20 grams of protein

Almonds- 12 almonds have 3 grams of protein

Cannellini Beans- 1 cup have 16 grams of protein

Include at least one vegetarian source of protein at every meal along with other fruits, vegetables and whole grains to meet your daily requirement.  The recipe below for Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cannellini Beans has about 10 grams of protein per cup.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cannellini Beans

Yield- 4 cups

Ingredients and Preparation:

• 3 Zucchini, sliced into ribbons
• 1 Bunch of Asparagus- cut and keep only the spears
• 1 can of Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Shallots, finely diced
• ¼ cup of fresh Tarragon, pull leaves from stems
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 3 cloves of Garlic, pushed through a garlic pressed or finely chopped
• 4 Green Onions, sliced
• ¼ cup of Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ cup of White Wine

Directions:

1. Put the zucchini ribbons in a bowl and top with the juice of 1 lemon, a dash of salt and pepper and use your hand to mix. Set aside.
2. In a small sauté pan: heat about a tablespoon on Olive Oil and then sauté the asparagus spears on medium heat add the Cannellini Beans about half way through to warm.
3. Remove Asparagus and Beans from heat and add to the bowl of Zucchini Ribbons. Mix together. Set aside.
4. In a large sauté pan: heat remaining Olive Oil and add garlic and shallots on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine ingredients. Once the shallots and garlic have softened add the tarragon and stir. Add the juice of 2^nd lemon and let mixture reduce. Once reduced, add the white wine and reduce heat to simmer.
5. Once the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened add the bowl of vegetables and toss together. Top with a pinch of salt, pepper, and green onions. Serve.

 

Enjoy,

Tricia

Tricia is our guest blogger from the blog  www.sunshinefitfoods.wordpress.com. We are so honored to have her share her vegetarian insights with her!  Check her blog out for more fit foods!

CYS Top 10 Food Websites for Healthy Eating Inspiration

Oh She Glows Recipe Blog

Do you ever find yourself standing in front of your refrigerator scratching your head in deep contemplation of what to make for dinner? .. well, we find ourselves from time to time sick of the same ol’ same old go to meals and need some healthy & easy eating inspiration. Therefore we’ve compiled our top 10 food website & recipe blog list to help you out next time you find yourself in the same predicament.

California Yoga Sport Top 10 Food Websites

for Healthy Eating Inspiration

1. Oh She Glows Recipe Blog

2. 72 Healthy Salad Recipes by Whole Living

3. 52 Meals Under 12 Minutes

4. Envy My Cooking Blog

5. Happy Cow – guide to healthy eating restaurants in your area!

6. Legally Delish – my friend Chelsea’s amazing food blog!!!

7. Be a conscious eater & read up on healthier safer ways to buy, consume, & grow food at Eat Drink Better.

8. Inventive Vegan recipes on The Clothes Make The Girl Blog.

9. Savoring Life with Anna Costa Blog

10. My amazing yoga teacher & inspirational mentor Mark Knowles’ vegan recipes on his website Bahama Yogi.

Happy Eating!

Have any suggestions of your own to add to the list?! Comment below or message us!

#TGIF Weekly Top 10: March Madness

1. Your New Weekly Motto

2. Best Food Blog to follow The Clothes Make the Girl – Both inspiring & inventive healthy recipes!

3. Video to Check Out: Oakley Progression Sessions weekend recap in Mammoth Mountain, California.

4. Need to eat healthy on the go!? Check out Women’s Health Magazine Best 125 Packaged Food list. Suuuuper helpful for those looking to make the RIGHT decision on the go!

Our Favorites from the list: Pure Organic Cranberry Orange Bar, Food Should Taste Good Chips, & Kashi Cereal!

5. Most clever play on March Madness: ESPN Women’s Champion of Awesome Bracket. Be sure to Like them on Facebook too for more amazingly awesome stuff like this!

Road Trips or Cocktails? That is the question.

6. Top 125 Triathlon Blogs of 2012 – Check outour fellow Oakley Ambassadors who made the list, Marni Sumbal with TriMarni & Katie Morse with ‘Tri’ing for Pro.

7. Product LOVE of the week! Oakley Crowbar Snow Goggles – Check out CA Yoga Sport Trainer Lacey Calvert’s product review here & sign up for the Perform Beautifully Collective group while you check out the site!

Oakley Crowbar Snow Goggles

8. Best song to add to your running playlist this week: Young Blood by The Naked & Famous.

9. Random DIY blog you should check out just because its plain awesome – A Beautiful Mess.

10. Motivational Quote #2 just for that extra push through the weekend.

Have a great weekend!!! #TGIF

Friday’s Top 10 List #TGIF

Friday’s Top 10 List of things to check out, read up on, or cook!

1. 5 Ways to Eat Healthier via Elephant Journal – 1. Learn to Cook, 2. Shop More, Buy Less…find out the rest here!!

2. Photo of the Day, Week, Month, … hell, Year!!!

3. Recipe to Try! Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Garlic Aoili via Anna Costa Food blog

4. Must watch video of the week. It’s not Fitness, It’s Life. #Stunning

5. Zucchini Chip recipe! YUM!!!

6. Newest eco conscious home decor item to add to your humble abode, Green Terrariums! Check out on the Wit & Whistle on how to make your own!

7. Best way to kill time. Follow us on Pinterest!!!

8. Must purchase work out top! Try out Oakley Women’s Line the Extend Top & enjoy its antibacterial, moisture wicking, & quick dry fabric! Product tested in SUP, Running, & Yoga conditions!

9. Recommended Reads: The Alchemist, Steve Jobs, Light On Yoga. Best way to spend a rainy day or in San Francisco’s case a whole week!.. reading a book with a cup of Black Tea-remember it helps fight off colds!

10. Enter the Perform Beautifully Contest to become the next Oakley Women Ambassador!!!!

Have a happy healthy weekend!!!

“I Love Lists Friday”: CYS #TGIF Weekly Favorites

Just because its Friday… and who doesn’t love a short, to the point, list of things to think about, try, check out, or discover!

California Yoga Sport’s

Friday List

1. Check out Oakley Women’s Brands newest Spring 2012 Swimsuit line! Get excited about the warm weather just a few (fingers crossed) months away & start picking out your activewear suits to hit the surf with!

2. Make an Oh She Glows Kale Salad, Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad, or one of our other delicious recipes we’ve posted about before!

3. Go on a hike! This weekend we’re heading to Point Reyes to hike Alamere Falls! Get back in touch with nature.. and since its chilly outside remember to wear layers!!!

4. Shop at the Farmers Market. Get out of your routine of shopping down an aisle & hit up the fresh farmers & vendors at your local farmers market.

5. Listen to ‘Gotye‘ Pandora Radio Station. Will definitely be a nice change of pace from your usual musical tastes.

6. Read the Newspaper. Step away from the computer & grab that traditional pile of journalism at your local coffee shop & indulge in some black & white reading.

7. Write down your goals. Yes, we all have laundry lists in our heads, but the act of writing it down puts a new pressure on considering your goals & how you will achieve them. Come up with an action plan to help get started & maintain the struggle towards your goals when the going gets tough. You can skip figuring out the exit strategy because you won’t need it 😉

8. Do the one exercise you least enjoy. Whether you dislike running & prefer to sit on a bike for hours, get off the saddle & go for a run. Resisting the urge to go to your comfort zone in training is the best way to jazz up and spike your training performance. Don’t ask questions, don’t talk yourself out of it, just do the one thing you want to do the least.

9. Don’t watch the clock. Allow your weekend to be schedule free as possible. Your work week can be busy & planned out, but give your mind & body a break from following a schedule for two full days.

10. Indulge in some Spring Cleaning. Yes, its only February, but who doesn’t like getting a jump start on things. Clean out that closet of old sneakers, mix matched socks, and collect all of those old magazines that have been piling up on your coffee table. Keep your personal space and home clutter free allowing more space for your mind to focus on other important things such as your training schedule, personal life, or taxes-ahhh!! Grab the broom & get to it!

Enjoy your healthy & active weekend! #TGIF

Grocery Shopping: A Peak Inside CA YogaSport’s Kitchen Cabinets

Grocery Shopping with California Yoga Sport

Getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. Pushing your fitness limits & hitting thresholds. Dynamic training schedules. Stretching. Resting. Listening to your body. These are all important factors when training as an performance athlete, however one major part of this balanced equation is nutrition. Unless you have the unique luxury of working solely as a sponsored performance athlete, you most likely run into the dilemma of maintaining a consistent & balanced diet amidst a chaotic work schedule. Whether instructing 4 back-to-back heated core power yoga classes in one day or sitting at a desk from 9-5, it can be a challenge to maintain that athletic mindset when it comes to diet & nutrition even in the workplace. Which leads us to the question.. What are the must-have grocery tips & items for athletes?

That question is not so easy after all. We each have very different tastes in foods & snacks that keep us powered through the day, but we definitely know what works for us! Therefore we decided to take a peak into our own kitchen cupboards to discover what items in our pantry are absolutely necessary for our performance & training. Check out below what we cook up & use daily to keep our bodies fueled!

 

 

CYS Tips to Grocery Shopping for Performance

CYS Shopping Cart

1. Stock & buy only what you need for up to 3 days at home. Loading up on fresh healthy fruits and vegetables isn’t just altruistic, it truly does make a difference to your cooking palate & encourages you to eat seasonally! Grab just a few of everything so you don’t waste food if it spoils. Be sure to avoid overly processed foods or any items with preservatives.

2. Keep it colorful. As pictured above in our shopping cart we have a range of colors. Keeping your dishes colorful will ensure that you are getting a mix of many vitamins & minerals which helps your meals stay nutritionally dense. Kale, avocado, bell peppers, and eggplant usually help knock out some of the Roy G. Biv rainbow we were going for.

3. Bring one reusable grocery bag. Keep it eco friendly & bring your own grocery bags. Another plus to this tactic is if you only bring one bag it will help limit your purchases to fewer items. This will encourage you to frequent your grocer more often & will empower you to avoid those bulk & unnecessary purchases of processed or overly packaged foods.

CYS Kitchen Cupboard

4. Purchase raw & unprocessed foods. Raw nuts, raw unblanched organic almond or peanut butter, Lara bars, and dried fruit are some of our must haves at the store. The whole ‘Rawvolution‘ has some pretty big takeaways as far as diet & nutrition are concerned for athletes & non-athletes alike. In a society full of quick & easy goods prepackaged to our liking the more processed a product has become the less nutrients it contains. Going back to our ancient ways of eating raw food allows our digestive system to naturally process & gain the most from those items such as nuts & vegetables.

5. Add Wheat Grass Drink Powder to the shopping list. This powder is vegan, gluten free, & raw. No excuses not to add this powder into your morning smoothies. Wheat Grass powder provides a natural balanced source of phytonutrients and carotenoids, 2x more dietary fiber than an 8 gram serving of oat bran, 2x more iron than a 30 gram serving of fresh spinach, and an excellent source of folic acid, beta carotene and vitamin C. So much good stuff wrapped up in a powder that can be virtually added to any juice, smoothie, or recipe you choose.

6. Pick up some Apple Cider Vinegar. If our fellow yoga extraordinaire, Kathryn Budig, swears by it and we do too than we had to add it to our list. If your sweet tooth craving is coming on post dinner grab a spoonful of this to help curb the urge for reaching for something sweet. After pounding this stuff it will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels & has also proven benefits to  help with allergies, flu, diabetes, heartburn & high cholesterol.

7. Maca Root. Don’t ask questions, just know that this Incan root will soon be replacing your morning cup of coffee & is the ultimate CYS secret superfood!

Happy Grocery Shopping!

We hope that you find these tips helpful! Feel free to send us your personal favorite grocery items that fuel your body! Always room to add more to this list above!

Homemade Snack Foods: CYS Granola Bar Recipe

Ever have that craving for a quick snack …but not just any snack.. You desire something so fresh, pure, & organic that you were able to make it in your very own kitchen from scratch?! Yes..just like Mom used to do.

After the Yoga Journal Conference this past weekend, while amidst a 4 class series with only 30-minute breaks in between sessions it was tough to keep up with our bodies hunger and we only had access to quick fixes like Luna Bars. Therefore as Monday rolled around, to get back on track we were determine to seek out an alternative recipe that worked for our taste buds, schedules & lifestyle when it came to a quick snack bar. We figured if we can find a way to put a little extra effort & TLC into the things we eat on-the-go that snack foods didn’t need to be such a processed & packaged product. Say goodbye to overly processed snack foods after you try this recipe below. A definite new California Yoga Sport favorite!

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

What You’ll Need:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup roasted soy nuts

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 hemp seeds (CYS fav!!!)

1/4 chia seeds

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp orange zest

1 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped or raisins

*Option to add raw dark chocolate chips for that sweet tooth craving.. or for the ultimate healthy alternative make sure its organic dark chocolate with at least 60% raw cacao if we want to get specific 😉

*Feel free to add or substitute any of your favorite nuts to suit your personal tastes!

Steps To Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13″x9″ baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a food processor, pulse soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, & hemp seeds until roughly chopped, about 30 seconds.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped nut mixture, oats, dry milk, brown sugar, salt,  & cinnamon.

4.In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yogurt, & orange zest.

5. Pour wet mixture into large bowl containing dry ingredients. Add cherries or raisins. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Pour into prepared baking dish & smooth with knife until batter is evenly distributed.

6. Bake for 25 minutes. Do a crossfit challenge 😉 or meditate. Remove from oven & allow to cool completely before cutting into 15 equal-size (3″x2″) bars. Per bar its approx. 170 cals packed with loads of protein & fiber! Be sure to wrap the bars individually in saran wrap for on-the-go convenience. Enjoy!

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

Have any recipes of your own for quick & easy ways to eat healthy in rush?! Please share & contact us by commenting below or email us here!

New Years Resolution Eating Habits: 5 Tips & 3 Great Recipes to Create A Fresh Start

Feeling like that New Years Resolution to eat better, fresher, & healthier in 2012 is a bit overwhelming? Have no fear.. a few simple recipes is all you need to get started. First, not without some California Yoga Sport tips on how to get those healthy eating habits to stick!

Tips to Creating a Healthy Eating Habit:

1. Keep it simple. For instance.. Eat when you’re hungry… Don’t try to make anything too fancy – the more raw, organic, & basic ingredients you use the better! …The less complicated you make the foods you eat the easier it will be to keep up with incorporating those foods in your daily diet.

2. Rotate the same 5 meals for a whole week. It sounds boring for your tastebuds, but the less focus you put on the rich & different foods you crave the more likely you will eat to fuel your body. Plus your digestive system appreciates the regularity & predictability of the food intake – less stress on the tummy!

3. Prep your food for the week. If you are a busy athlete & working adult its tough to make the time for healthier on-the-go food selections & may force you to either sacrifice quality nutritionally balanced foods for quick bites at odd hours. By cutting up vegetables or fruit & having them stored in large tupperware or individually packaged reusable cups is an easy alternative to always have the healthy option at your finger tips. Make it a habit on Sunday & Wednesday nights to grab fresh fruits at your local market & prep for the days ahead.

4. Avoid looking at the clock for meal times. Eat when you get hungry as mentioned in point #1. This is important because your body knows best & with the social protocol to eat breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, dinner at 6, late night snack at 9… You feel the pressure to follow everyone else’s habits. Break it off! Be sure to listen to your body & stomach to become in tune with what it needs. Majority of the time you aren’t really even hungry, you are just dehydrated! … which brings us to point #5.

5. Drink lots of water. No joke. You’ve heard this a million times. So choose to listen this time around. Hydration is key & will probably help curb all of your poor eating habits by eliminating your misinterpreted hunger pains.

Now.. Three new recipes to try that will make you fall in love with salads again!

Weekend Glow Kale Salad by Oh She Glows

Black Bean Salad by Once Upon A Chef

Citrus Salad by WholeLiving.com

Have any favorite recipes or tricks of your own that help you get back on track with healthy eating habits?! Feel free to share your ideas below in the comments section or email them to us! We’d love to hear about new & fun ways to keep our bodies fit & healthy!

Set Your Vision Straight for the New Year: CYS 2012 Goal Setting Strategies

It’s that time of year again when the New Years Resolution lists start. You may find yourself contemplating the same goals & resolutions as last year that you gave up on come February as the promise of a fresh start had worn off (SSDY- same sh*t, different year). Some may detest these lists since you very well could be an individual that aims to live out your goals every day. Whether you realize it or not these sometimes seemingly trivial tasks of setting large and small goals for yourself in each facet of your life may end up serving you well upon the beginning of a new set of 365 days to improve, strive to new heights, & enhance your life.

California Yoga Sport has some tricks of their own when it comes to setting new goals & creating a growing vision for both our personal as well as professional lives. CYS trainer & Oakley Women’s Ambassador, Lacey Calvert, has shared some of her personal pages of her “2012 Vision Book”  to show you just how inspirational & ambitious one can be with creating a clear idea of how to set goals, strive for new adventure, & achieve the success you desire through focused intentions.

First, find or buy a book that you can fill the blank pages with notes, pictures, quotes, inspirational scraps, etc.. to add to your visual representation of the things you either want to continue in your life, things you’d like to begin, learn about, or add to your present reality.

This book will be something we suggest you revisit & add to often, whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. This process will help you remember those goals you set out for yourself as well as stimulate new ideas on how to achieve those things on your New Years Resolution list. Your vision book will represent both your current & future reality.

 

 

 

As you start to think about the New Year you may want to include things you want to learn .. like for instance learning how to cook or more specifically how to cook vegetarian or vegan. Lacey has added recipe ideas & anecdotes to keep her inspired about what she intends to gain from this experience of cooking, whether it be improving your nutrition or learning a new skill. Be sure to keep goals more specific, such as I want to learn 1 new recipe a week, which is more effective & achievable when goal setting versus a more general goal of aiming to “Eat healthier” in 2012.

It is also important to have professional milestones in mind along with your fitness, health, & personal goals. Having a clear vision in your workplace of how to enhance your skills, your job role, or your progression in your career will help you from becoming stagnant or unhappy in your 9-5. Revisiting your career path and always looking at the next steps is something that will serve you well for both your health & work/life balance, allowing you to put more energy towards the things that you love which hopefully include your job.

Another one of CYS’s favorite ideas for the New Year is a Bucketlist, in addition to or rather than a New Years Resolution List. When you set concrete goals or action items you are more likely to follow through because you are clear on what it takes to get you there. Here is Lacey’s 2010 Bucketlist. Just look at what you can accomplish in just one year! Hopefully this inspires some ideas about what you feel you have been missing out on. Some suggestions are to put at least one bucketlist item for each of the following: 1. Something that you have always wanted to try, 2. Something that scares you or that you fear, 3. Something that incorporates building a new skill, 4. Something that benefits others, 5. Something that you have to work hard for. Keep it realistic, but also look at new ways to challenge yourself in this new year & push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Make 2012 Your Year!

We hope that this will inspire you to create a Vision Book of your own & tackle those goals, skills, & things you have been putting off. Pictures and visual representation of the lifestyle & things you wish to incorporate more of in your life is a truly effective method to bringing those new experiences into being. Curious about more of our goals & action items for 2012, feel free to contact us or Lacey for more ideas or inspiration!

Enjoy your last week in 2011 & embrace the promise of a great 2012 ahead of you!