Christine Chowning

Clean eating has become very popular in recent years, and for good reason. The concept is deceptively easy to understand: instead of counting calories or eliminating certain food groups from your diet, simply eat foods that are whole or unprocessed. This means that you should consume foods that have undergone as little processing as possible and that are closest to their natural form. What does clean eating entail There are certain concepts that are encouraged when clean eating for weight loss. They include: - Dividing your meal intake into six small portions throughout the day. This is so as to ensure that your blood sugar level does not drop during the course of the day. A blood sugar drop is what leads to cravings which will have you reaching for unhealthy quick fixes. - Always consume breakfast daily, at least one hour after you wake up. Breakfast is the most important meal in your day, as it will help you to have the energy to go about your daily activities. - E...

Meet Randi, age 53 from Seward, NE She entered  The Beachbody Challenge  in February 2015 and won $2,500! Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body? I have been obese almost all my life. I was in an abusive marriage for 15 years, where daily I was told how fat and ugly I was. I felt hopeless. So I would make myself feel better by eating. My food was my friend…it would never judge me. My weight kept going up and I kept going down. Down so far, I hated myself. My marriage ended. But my addiction to food did not. Years later, I married again, and found out I was pregnant. 5 months pregnant! I was shocked, and in disbelief. But great news, I could eat for 2 now! After all, I was pregnant. As the years went by, I kept getting heavier and the feelings of self hate kept building. My daughter was now being affected. When there was a school function or activity to attend, I would have to sit in the back of the room wh...

This chicken and quinoa dish is packed with healthy proteins and good fats. Walnuts give it crunch, and oranges and herbs give it lots of fresh flavor. Total Time:  10 min. Prep Time:  10 min. Cooking Time:  None Yield:  2 servings Ingredients: 1 cup cooked quinoa 3 oz shredded rotisserie chicken breast (about ½ cup) 1 oz walnuts, coarsely chopped (about 14 halves) 1 medium orange, peeled and chopped 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp. red wine vinegar ¼ tsp. sea salt 1 dash ground black pepper Preparation: 1. Place quinoa, chicken, orange, walnuts, and cilantro in serving bowl. 2. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. 3. Mix well and enjoy. Tip:  Store-bought rotisserie chicken is very versatile. You can bone and skin the chicken and use the leftover meat in other recipes throughout the week. It’s great in sandwiches, soups, and salads. Authors Beachbody

How Much Weight Should You Be Lifting? Great info on lifting and why using them can only benefit you.  Don't fear the weights! Authors Steve Edwards For those of you not interested in details, here’s the short answer: You should always lift as much weight as you can for the number of repetitions targeted by an exercise. If you aren’t doing this, you’re only getting a fraction of your workout’s potential. Because the independent variable isn’t weight, it’s reps. Trainers often say, “Failure is not an option,” meaning that if you never fail during a set, you never know how much weight you should be lifting. You shouldn’t fail on every set, but occasionally failure lets you know you’re pushing to your limit, which is the key to results, whether your goal is to lose or gain weight. A good rule of thumb is to begin each set with enough weight to barely reach the low range of the targeted repetitions determined by your trainer (eight to 12 or so). When you can reach...

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto two peas & their pod Yield: Serves 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Turn your zucchini into noodles and toss with fresh basil pesto. A fresh and healthy meal in minutes! Ingredients: 4 small zucchini, ends trimmed 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves 2 cloves garlic 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Cherry or grape tomatoes, optional Directions: 1. Use a julienne peeler or mandoline to slice the zucchini into noodles. Set aside. 2. Combine the basil and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until blended. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Combine the zucchini noodles and pest...

Do I have to give up my glass of wine?! I am asked this almost on a daily bases and the article below  by Steve Edwards for Beachbody, may answer your questions about alcohol and weight loss.   I tell my clients if  you are really serious about making a change giving up alcohol is not the end of the world.  If giving up your glass of wine is not an options then moderation is the next best thing.   Authors Steve Edwards When it comes to getting fit and healthy, alcohol is one of the first things you’re told to eliminate from your diet. Yet studies regularly show that those who drink live longer and healthier lives than those who don’t. So, what’s the deal? Is alcohol a magic potion for a long and healthy life, or is your fitness the only thing it’s going to take the edge off? The consumption of alcohol in some form or another has been around since the first caveman left some fruit in the sun too long, causing it to ferment (what a crazy night around th...

This is one of my favorite Quinoa recipes... Fast and easy! Ingredients: 2 cups cooked quinoa 1 cucumber, seeded and diced into small cubes 1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or to taste 1 lemon juice, or to taste 2 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt Recipe:  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and salt in the bottom of a large bowl. Chop garlic and add to the dressing and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients; Fold in parsley, mint, tomatoes,and green onions.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Challenge Packs are sizzling this month, and this one is one of the hottest deals having moved TWO levels down in price for this month only! Shakeology® has been clinically proven to help you lose weight, lower cholesterol and blood sugars, and will absolutely help you stay regular. Chalene Johnson's TurboFire is one of the most popular weight loss solutions we have ever created. And now the package comes with access to the program plus over $1,500 of other exclusive Beachbod y workouts through Beachbody On Demand! March only -- Best. Deal. In Fitness!  Join one of my upcoming challenge groups fill out the form below! Contact me directly by emailing me at fitcoachchristine@gmail.com  or You can go to www.beachbodycoach.com/so1orunner Fill out my Wufoo form! There are tons of Wufoo features to help make your forms awesome.

Oh yummy! Are you craving something sweet? You have to check out these Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars.  Not only are they super tasty and healthy there is no baking. The classic flavors of chocolate and peanut butter meld together in this brownie-like treat. Total Time:  3 hrs., 10 min. Prep Time:  10 min. Cooking Time:  None Yield:  8 servings, 1 bar each Ingredients: 1 scoop  Chocolate Shakeology ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1 scoop  Beachbody Whey Protein Powder, Chocolate or Vanilla Flavor  (or equivalent) ½ cup all-natural peanut butter ½ ripe medium banana, mashed Nonstick cooking spray Preparation: 1. Combine Shakeology, oats, and Whey Protein Powder in a large bowl; mix well. 2. Add peanut butter and banana; mix well with a spatula or clean hands. 3. Place in an 8 x 8-inch pan that is lightly coated with spray. Cover with plastic wrap and press down to flatten into pan. Freeze for 3 hours. 4. Cut ...

Imagine the money you will save and not to mention the calories?! Seriously eating healthy will costs you less in the long run because you won't be paying the cost of medical bills as you get older.... Just because you can eat what you want now doesn't mean you will later. Ask any 40 year old. I hope you find the information below helpful if not eye opening.  Here is what Joe Wilkes writer for Beachbody. Continue reading below.  Authors Joe Wilkes  #eatclean #fastfood #fitmom  No, we haven’t lost our minds here at Beachbody. We don’t want you to eat fast food. It’s terrible for you. It makes you fat. It destabilizes economies and nations. It kills the environment. Read  Fast Food Nation . See  Super Size Me . If you’re really serious about getting or staying in shape, fast food restaurants are not on your path to success. However, sometimes fast food feels like the only option. Long road trips, coworker lunches, the only place your chil...

Authors Sarah Stevenson Haven’t tried yoga yet? Wondering what all the hype’s about? Trust me, it’s not just about slipping on some yoga pants and checking out all the hot guys and girls as they down-dog. If you are looking for an all-around holistic form of exercise that will fix you up inside and out, then yoga is the thing for you. Here are just some of the benefits. 1. Lower Your Blood Pressure.  Yoga is a marriage of movement and breath. Research has proven that exercise, meditation, and breath exercises can all help lower blood pressure without medication. With yoga, you’re getting all three for the price of one. 2. Clear Your Body of Toxins.  Taking a one-hour yoga class is like getting a full body massage from head to toe. It’s a belief in yogic practices that twisting asanas wring out the organs similar to twisting a sponge to rid it of water. This flushes your system of the toxins your body takes in from your environment, stress, and the food you eat. I...

Author: Inspired Edibles : Mango Chickpea Lettuce Cups with a Spicy Peanut Sauce For the Mango Chickpea Lettuce Cups: 1 head Butter (aka: Boston or Bibb) lettuce, leaves gently removed 2 cups cooked chickpea, well rinsed if using canned 1 large ripe mango, roughly diced 1/2 English cucumber, roughly diced 2 Tbsp scallions (green onion), sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1/4 cup natural peanuts, chopped Directions: Serves 4 To create lettuce ‘cups’ simply place two or three leaves together in an overlapping fashion, trying to fit them together such that they form the best cup shape possible (not an exact science). Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, combine chickpea, mango, cucumber, onion and cilantro. Mix ingredients together gently to combine. Place about one quarter cup of chickpea filling into each lettuce cup (more/less depending on size of cups).  Top each cup with some chopped peanu...