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Transformation Fitness & Wellness

Seared Pork Chops with Peaches and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Prep: 15m Cook: 20m Total: 35m

Ingredients

  • 2 bone-in center cut pork chops (about 2 inches thick)
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • ½ onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 peaches, pitted and sliced
  • ¼ cup organic chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ (10-oz) pkg baby spinach

Instructions

Sprinkle pork lightly with salt and pepper. Brown pork in hot oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes per side; remove from skillet, and keep warm. Add onion to skillet; reduce heat to medium. Sauté 5 minutes or until onion is browned and tender; stir in peaches. Return pork to skillet; add broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat 4 minutes or until pork is done; sprinkle with basil.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add spinach, and toss.

Coffee-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce and Cucumber, Basil, and Arugula Salad

Prep  Cook Total

15m  20m 35m

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp finely ground coffee
  • ½ Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice, divided
  • ½ tsp salt, divided
  • ½ tsp pepper, divided
  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 (5-oz) pkg baby arugula
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • ½ lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced    

Preparation and Cooking:  

Whisk together water, oil, coffee, paprika, ½ Tbsp orange juice, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper in a bowl; rub all over pork. Chill 2 hours or overnight. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill pork, covered, 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion reads 145°F, turning often. Let stand 3 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, combine blackberries, vinegar, ½ Tbsp orange juice, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve sauce over pork. Note: Bake pork at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes instead of grilling, if desired.

Combine arugula, cucumber, and basil in a bowl. Grate lemon to measure ¼ tsp zest, and squeeze lemon to yield ½ Tbsp juice. Whisk together lemon zest, juice, oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and garlic. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad; toss

Quinoa with Asian Flavors

1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup quinoa, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 green onions, 1 minced garlic.

Preparation: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in quinoa and allow to toast for 2 to 3 minutes, then add chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork and top with green onions before serving. Per Serving: 196 calories; 6 g fat; 28.9 g carbohydrates;6.7 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 455 mg sodium.

Turkey Dinner in a Skillet

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 cups small broccoli florets

½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)

½ cup chopped celery (1 stalk)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried sage, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ to ¾ cup no-salt-added turkey or chicken stock or broth

3 ounces ciabatta or baguette-style French bread, cubed and dried (2 cups)

8 ounces boneless turkey breast tenderloin, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion and celery. Cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add another 1 tablespoon of the butter; allow to melt. Stir in parsley, sage, pepper and salt. Add ½ cup of the stock; bring to boiling.
  2. Place bread cubes in a large bowl; drizzle with the hot vegetable-stock mixture. Toss lightly to combine. Cover and keep warm.
  3. Place the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet; return to the heat. Add turkey; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains, turning once. Remove turkey from skillet; set aside. Spread bread-vegetable mixture evenly in skillet, adding the remaining ¼ cup stock if needed to moisten. Top with cooked turkey. Sprinkle with cranberries. Cover and heat through.

 

Nutrition information

  • Serving size: 2 cups
  • Per serving: 390 calories; 10 g fat(3 g sat); 5 g fiber; 37 g carbohydrates; 36 g protein; 79 mcg folate; 78 mg cholesterol; 9 g sugars; 1,249 IU vitamin A; 89 mg vitamin C; 88 mg calcium; 3 mg iron; 604 mg sodium; 436 mg potassium
  • Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (148% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (20% dv)
  • Carbohydrate Servings: 2½

Exchanges: 4 lean protein, 1½ starch, 1 fat, 1 vegetable, ½ fruit

***Energy***

We all need more of it, right?

This is the #1 thing people tell us they need more of.

Sure, most of us would like to see the number on the scale move, but more than anything we would like to feel better and have more energy.

It may seem counter-intuitive but exercise, even brisk walking, can increase energy.

The more you move around, the more mitochondria your body makes to meet your energy needs. The more mitochondria you have, the greater the boost to your metabolism, and the greater your ability to produce more energy.

In addition to movement jump starting our metabolic rate, it also increases the production of endorphins (brain chemicals that give us a sense of well-being) and pushes the cardiac system to pump harder, bringing more blood to the brain.

So, this seems simple right, move more = have more energy.

What happens is we get into our routines of life.

We get up, get ready, get the kids off to school/daycare, then sit in the car, get to work and sit at our desk, back in the car (sitting), get the kids, go home sit on the couch. (You may have some differences but you see where I am going.)

We lead extremely sedentary lifestyles and we have to be intentional about movement.

We also have to take time for ourselves.

This may be easier said than done.

Inserting two kids into my own personal life has made juggling my time even harder. I know on several occasions I have put myself on the back burner and I have even had to put myself in check. (Its fun kicking your own butt.) 😉

If I don’t feel good about myself, I know I don’t feel good about being a Mom, Wife, Business Owner, Friend, etc.

We do understand, but draw a line in the sand.

If you want to have more energy, get moving now. Don’t wait till the time is perfect, because it never will be.

Having more energy takes more than drinking a cup of coffee or ten…

It takes making time for you, to focus on being the best you can be. Even if that is a brisk walk on your lunch break, or hitting a workout at TFW before/after work.

You are important and it will feel so good when you are done!

Let’s get moving and have more energy!

Arin

 

4 Steps for Better Health

Hope you are doing really well!

I talk with lots of different people each day. Each person has a different background or motivation for why they have reached out.

But a common theme is they want to feel better, have more energy and move easier.

Here’s a simplified 4 Step approach:

These steps can help you get started or they may help you if you feel stuck.

Step 1

Think about your motivation.

What is burning deep inside of you that you want to change, create or do differently.

I hear people say they want to have more energy. Take that one step further, what would the sense of having more energy do for you?

Would it make work easier? Or maybe playing with the kids or grandkids easier? How about playing with the dog? Would the desire to workout be easier?

We always come back to the Why when we are talking about motivation.

It could be your health that’s driving you to want to make change. What would better health do for you?

Or if you would like to lose weight, what would it do for you to be down in weight?

Lower risk for disease? Be able to shop in all clothing stores?

We all have different reasons for being motivated and I encourage you to ask yourself why a couple of times.

Step 2

Time

We all get 24 hours and yet this is one of the biggest limiting factors.

How does one person seem to fit in time for meal prep and workouts, while another person does not?

It is taking a hard look at your priorities.

Sometimes it is going to bed earlier so you can actually get up and function in an early morning workout.

Or its going to work a few minutes earlier, taking a longer lunch so you can squeeze in that workout, shower and get back to the office.

Or leaving the office, so you can make your workout.

Travel is another reason why someone does not have time. I encourage you to look at the hotel you are staying in, do they have a workout room or could you do a body weight workout in your room? Bring a couple of bands in your suitcase and we can supply the workout.

Finding time goes back to your motivation.

Step 3

Nutrition

This comes back to how many calories do you burn per day and how many do you consume.

It is that simple.

Understanding your basil metabolic rate (how many calories you burn each day) and then understanding how many calories are in each cube of cheese, glass of wine, each piece of chicken and yummy holiday treat.

We can consume calories like there is no tomorrow. (Myself included!)

Then we blame it on a bad metabolism.

I am poking fun, but in all sincerity one of the most eye-opening experiences is logging your food in a tool like My Fitness Pal.

It is so easy to consume 300 calories, but to burn 300 calories takes some work and TIME!

Step 4

Having a personal coach who can help motivate and hold you accountable.

We have always believed in having a coach ourselves.

Do we all reasonably know what to do…YES.

BUT it can get overwhelming or things that worked before stop working.

How do you navigate?

Or pesky pains can sneak in and try to throw us off course. A coach can help you bust through any obstacle.

I hear over and over I need help with motivation and accountability.

My best advice is to hire someone who you know has a proven track record to helping people achieve the results you desire.

—

I hope this list has got you thinking! I could write so much more on each step.

If you need some helping finding a personal coach for you, just shoot me a message back.

I have time this week to jump on the phone and we can talk more about you.

I hope you are having a great week and never hesitate to reach out!

We are personal coaches who help motivate and will hold you accountable!

Take care,

Arin