Kiana's Mini Meals: Healthy Chinese Stir Fry

Kiana's Motto: Cook 1x: Eat 3x!




Here is one of my favorite, healthy recipes.

My mother is Chinese and cooks 10 course Chinese Meals as if she's ordering a pizza. This is my Fit Mom Modified Asian Stir Fry version: more veggies, leaner meat, less salt and brown rice instead of white rice. It's so tasty and is ideal for Mini Meals during the week.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. oil

1.5 lb. Meat of your choice: chicken breast, ground sirloin, ground turkey, lean beef or pork

2 cups chopped of 3 of your favorite veggies: try new veggies, buy what is on sale or buy 1 green, red and yellow vegetable

1/4 cup chopped onion: scallion,green, brown or red

3 - 4 cups bean sprouts

salt

low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbs. water

Directions:

Heat oil in non stick pan over med/high heat. Add onions to hot oil. Saute briefly. Add meat, stir fry until almost cooked. Add diced veggies, stir the entire time. Drizzle low sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbs. water & top with bean sprouts and cover, turn heat to low.

Serve hot over noodles, brown or white rice.

TIP:
Portion individual EZ Mini Meals to reheat during the week.

Save on your Holiday Cards! I did!

I just ordered my business and family Christmas Cards! Order your holiday cards or invites and save up to $50 with this link! Enjoy!

Sugar Junkie. Part 4. by Guest Blogger, Rebecca Hill

November 26, 2010

How did everyone's Thanksgiving go?
Mine was good! As mentioned, one of my jobs is working at a Bed & Breakfast. Because hotels are open 365 days a year, my co-workers and I have to take turns working the holidays, so I worked this Thanksgiving. It was actually nice - the B&B looked beautiful, the guests were great, and there was a peaceful, warm hustle and bustle of friends and family members coming by to pick their loved ones up for dinner. I normally go out to my friend Dana's house in Woodland Hills for the holidays - she has a huge extended family and there are often 30-40 people over at her house so I was definitely missing them (and her Aunt Ruth's potato salad and especially her Cousin Bill's brownies!) but I was encouraged by what a reader named Chris posted on my blog last week. Chris talked about not having family in town, so for Thanksgiving she was going to do something that made her happy - something she loved to do, which in her case, was hula-hooping down by the Santa Monica Pier. Chris got me thinking - if I couldn't make it out to Dana's this Thanksgiving and I couldn't be with my own family, how could I still make Thanksgiving special and fun for my husband, Tom, and me? How could I do Thanksgiving "my way" this year?

Here's what I decided: there are these pumpkin pancakes that I've been wanting at IHOP for over a month now, so we decided we would go to IHOP for Thanksgiving brunch. A little back story: About 2 years ago I contracted an auto-immune disease which affected my knees and eyes to the point that I could barely walk or see. I had to be at the doctor's office 2-3 times a week for quite awhile. I went to a fantastic eye doctor whose office was right behind the IHOP, so Tom and I spent A LOT of time at this particular IHOP and it got to feel like "home" to us. When I had an appointment but Tom wasn't able to drive me, I'd take a taxi and then go to this particular IHOP after my appointment, where the staff , knowing I could hardly see, would read the menu to me.

Now that I can walk and see (and semi-begrudgingly work out!), Tom and I continue to love this IHOP. So - I finally got to have the pumpkin pancakes - and YES, they were as amazing as I had hoped! Because Tom is a "naturally thin/ in control person" like Kiana, he suggested we split an order of the pumpkin pancakes and split a vegetable egg white omelet so "we'd have some protein to balance out the carbs and the sugar." I reluctantly agreed, but in the end was happy with this plan because a) I felt full from the protein and b) felt satisfied from the 1.5 pumpkin pancakes! I was also very thankful that I could read the menu myself this Thanksgiving!

Okay, now it's your turn : I would love for you to tell Kiana and me how your Thanksgiving went, both in terms of the food choices you made and in terms of your emotions when it came to being (or not being) with family members for Thanksgiving. Any connection between how you were feeling on an emotional level and the food choices you made? Just wondering....)

Rebecca Hill is the author of “Confessions of an Innkeeper” and “Don’t You Worry, Don’t You Cry.” Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, “Thanks, Mom!” She has worked as coordinator on high profile projects including: Kiana’s Flex Appeal, American Idol and Scooby Doo the movie.

How to Get out of our Fit Mom Rut

Okay it's time for a change. I am in a Fit Mom rut.

I was recently filmed in Jane Fonda's new movie profiling Legends in Fitness. What an honor! Of the dozens of questions they asked me, one in particular was "how do I stay motivated?" The answer is CHANGE.

After training for 20+ years, working out for an hour per day, 5 days per week...... I need a change. Having 2 young kids, running 3 businesses, keeping the house in order (okay, trying to keep the house in order,) etc. I am running out of day time and me time.

Here is my NEW FIT MOM HOME WORKOUT:

I am going to train at home every morning for 10-15 minutes, non stop. You are thinking....15 minutes? How will that do anything?

Good question my Fab Fit Mom. I will be doing INTERVAL WORKOUTS. No more of the "do one set, wait 3 minutes, get a drink of water, do another set, talk to friends, do another set....repeat."Interval

This time around I will be moving NON STOP for 15 minutes with VERY CHALLENGING COMPOUND EXERCISES. Compound exercises work MULTIPLE muscle groups in each and every motion. Read: more body parts get in shape faster. The workout is very intense, compact, short in duration but HIGH in effort and intensity.

Here is today's workout.

I will be doing as many reps as I can in 1 minute intervals with a 10 second rest inbetween exercises. This challenging workout will burn fat, increase strength and endurance. Guaranteed to clear your head and make you sweat!

Each exercise interval is 1 minute.

Each rest interval is 10 seconds.

• Squat Jumps: Feet shoulder width apart, tighten core. Jump upward reaching to the ceiling. Land on the balls of your feet and explode upward again.


• Rest: 10 seconds


• Push ups with knee tuck: Traditional or knees down push up position, do a push up and while you are in the plank position, curl your torso and bring your knee to your chest. Repeat.


• Rest: 10 seconds


• Low Jacks: Like jumping jacks but you squat lower, extending arms out to your sides instead of over head, and cross them in front of your chest as you bring the feet together.


• Rest: 10 seconds


• Burpees: Stand up, bend forward and put hands on floor, keeping hands in front of your toes, jump backward and extend feet out behind you, do a push up, return to previous position jumping forward bringing feet back to behind your hands, jump up toward ceiling. Repeat.


• Rest: 10 seconds


• Repeat from beginning.

Repeat entire circuit 3 times.

Hmmm. Maybe I should video my daily workouts. Would you join me?

Crazy 8 Exercise for Kids by My Crazy 8 Year Old!

The other day I was filming for FitMomTV and my 8 year old asked if she could do a workout "for the Fit Kids of the Fit Moms."  I was so proud of her and very surprised what she did on camera the first take. The show isn't edited yet but I am excited to share the exercise routine with you and your fit kids! Enjoy!

Goal: Do 8 of each movement and HAVE FUN!

1. Start with feet together, move the feet outward: heel toe heel toe to count of 8


2. Clap 8 times as you put both hands on the floor


3. Walk your hands forward to a count of 8


4. Do 8 push ups (I am so impressed she could do 8 real push ups!)


5. Walk your hands back in to count of 8


6. Clap 8 times as you stand back up


7. Walk your feet back together to a count of 8


8. Do 8 jumping jacks

Start with feet together, move the feet outward: heel toe heel toe to count of 8



Clap 8 times as you put both hands on the floor



Walk your hands forward to a count of 8

Do 8 push ups (I am so impressed she could do 8 real push ups!)

Walk your hands back in to count of 8



Clap 8 times as you stand back up



Walk your feet back together to a count of 8

Do 8 jumping jacks

My Thanksgiving Weekend

My family and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I cooked for the whole family and made everything super Fit Mom Healthy: Roasted Turkey, fresh yams with pecans, broccoli salad, cornbread with organic honey, homemade apple pie with homemade crust without sugar. My tips for a healthy Thanksgiving OR Holiday Feast is to try and make every dish on the healthier side.

That way when you did indulge, you have less calories, fat and sugar. You don't want to deprive yourself or take the special-ness out of the Holidays but keep the flavor, not the calories, fat or sugar.

It was really nice to be making dinner at home and not be driving to other people's home in traffic.

My husband and I were able to enjoy a glass of champagne before everyone got to our home.   I'll admit we all ate way too much and were so tired from the tryptophan in the turkey-we got sleepy early!

The next day, I got up early at 6am. I intended to go to Black Friday and Christmas shop but got side tracked. My 10 year old, 140 lb. black lab/shepard/chow mix, "Crunch," was acting like a puppy. He never gets up on his hind legs, but this morning he put both paws (huge paws I might add) on my lap and was wagging his tail trying to tell me something. Standing on his hind legs he was about 5 feet tall, I never see him do that. I figured he was saying, "don't go shopping, you'll never come back! Let's go for a walk up the hill instead while everyone else is asleep! It will be like old times, just the two of us!"  So that is what we did.

When we got back, the kids and my husband were up. We had turkey breast on sour dough toast, protein shakes and coffee. Then we headed to our home gym and did 2 interval circuits. We were only interrupted a few times by the kids, not too bad.

We are going to put up our Christmas lights tomorrow. My goal is to wrap all 21, 20 foot palm trees with lights. I want to be surrounded by a winter wonderland this year! The kids love colored lights, so we will put up colored lights in the front of the house and all white lights in the back. I think the white lights will look stunning against the back drop of the blue ocean and orange sunset.



Well, going to work on the new workout routines for next week.

Bye Fit Moms!

Control food cravings

I understand many Moms have issues with cravings & control in regards to food. Mine is shopping. I buy something and feel great. Some people eat carbs, you feel better. The important thing to notice is that “feeling great or better” is only for that moment. The “guilt” lasts for hours, days, weeks? Maybe it’s just me. The way I handle it and the way perhaps you could try is are the following:

1. Do NOT buy any of the unhealthy types of foods that you don’t want to eat.

My philosophy is if the kids want it, tough. I will not buy packaged cookies, candy, etc. even though they beg me for it. It’s too tempting for Moms, dads and kids. IF you buy it, it WILL be eaten.

Plus, if chips, fries, etc are a challenge for you – don’t order them at restaurants or buy them AT ALL. Having tempting foods in front of you makes it harder on YOU. It places you in a challenging position and raising kids is a challenge already, right?
My philosophy is “if it’s not there, you can’t eat it.”

Shortest road to quick fix: don’t buy it.

If mom isn’t feeling good about herself…. you know the rest.

2. Pick you situations. Do NOT put yourself in a situation of temptation. Avoid types of parties or social gatherings that center around foods that tempt you: Stay away from tail gate parties. (i.e., I do not go to social parties where they sell jewelry, clothing, etc.)

3. “Cook once, eat 3 times.” I ALWAYS eat a super healthy mini meal before I attend any social event or go out for the day for that matter. I fill up on foods I control and select. Use my “Mini Meal” plan (coming out soon) that outlines simple meals you can prepare ahead of time for yourself and your family. The concept is to cook your regular healthy meals and set aside 2 mini meals for the next day(s).

If you are on the full side, you won’t be as tempted to head right to the food.

Tips to stop cravings:

• Try and figure out what triggers the desire to over eat, over drink, over shop.  When you feel the emotions come over you, call someone and discuss your feelings.


• Don't buy what you don't want to eat.


• If you slip up, don't beat yourself up.


• Get enough sleep. Your mind and body are weak when you're tired. You're likely over eat if you are tired i.e., mid afternoon slump.


• Workout in the a.m.: if you workout, you will make better choices all day. This really works.


• "1 or none" is what I tell my kids (and big kids.) If you can't stop at 1 don't even do that to yourself.


• Substitute: Crunchy foods: mini carrots, bell peppers, baked chips, baked sweet potatoes, cucumbers. Soft food like pudding: FAGE yogurt, cottage cheese, apple sauce.


• Distract yourself: We do that with the kids, why not ourselves? As soon as you start grabbing for the chips, divert yourself "Danger Danger Ms. (Wil) Robinson."

Hope this is helpful.

We can do this!

Kiana Tom
Host & Founder FitMomTV.com

Quick Tip: Sleep

Exercise in the morning or during the day, not at night. Working out stimulates your body and mind. You will sleep better if you exercise during the day. Stretching at night is relaxing and is great to do before bedtime.

According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, sleep experts say that reading on closely-held backlit screens before bed inhibits melatonin production, which is critical for a good night's sleep. IOW, don't bring your computer to bed.

5K & 10K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Race

Wanna Race? On Thanksgiving morning, come to the annual 5K & 10K Turkey Trot race in Southern California. Kiana will be taking photos with the Mayor and with US Marines from Camp Pendleton. She will be helping start the races and be interviewed before the races begin. Come and have your picture taken, jog off some pre-Thanksgiving calories. This is a fun, healthy event for the whole family to benefit the 2nd Harvest Food Bank. Last year drew 15,000+ racers from as far away as Ireland, novice and elite racers. See you there!

Fit Tip: Activity

You are in control. Don't obsess over things that are out of your control. Focus on INCREASING ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY instead of the # on the scale. By staying focused on being active, the weight will take care of itself.

Tone Up and Get Fab Arms

Hi Fit Moms! It's Tone Up Tuesday! Here is a simple exercise to tighten and tone up flabby arms. This exercise is a proven motion to strengthen the triceps muscle which is located at the back of the arm. If you don't regularly exercise this muscle, it will become flabby and loose.

Items needed:
A hand weight, dumbbell or liter water bottle. You.



Starting position:
Stand with feet shoulder width apart, abs/core tight, shoulder blades (scapula) pulled back and pressed down. Left hand on your left hip. Hold the weight/bottle in your right hand, extend the right hand upward, the weight over your head, elbow next to your ear, arm extended.



The motion:
From this position, inhale as you slowly lower the weight behind your head, keeping your elbow in a fixed position. The elbow acts as a pivot and does not move. Exhale as you press the weight upward, returning to starting position.

Goal:
Repeat 15 times both arms. Goal: 3 sets of 15 reps. each arm, twice weekly.

Fruit Kabobs! Kiana’s Fit Cooking

Kiana, host and founder of Kiana's Fit Mom TV, brings a new episode to the Fit Mom TV lineup: Kiana's Fit Cooking! 10 minute healthy recipes that are fun to make and easy to clean up. Joining Kiana is Guest Fit Mom Executive Chef, Eldon Pico and their kids to make Fruit Kabobs with Exotic Dragon Fruit and healthy/sweet dipping sauce! Watch at www.fitmomtv.com

Sugar Junkie. Part 3. by Guest Blogger Rebecca Hill

November 9, 2010

Last week was a good week all around! No big eating disasters/ out of control sugar binges to report. I actually felt like a normal person! Just to prove that my life does not ALWAYS revolve around sugar, I wanted to share with you some of the fun things I got to do last week!

Highlights included watching my husband, Tom, take a tennis lesson down in Pacific Palisades. (His teacher, Lola is great and I think Tom looks very handsome in his tennis outfit!) As a side note, Tom always tries to bribe me to play tennis by buying me cute tennis dresses. So far, his plan has not worked - instead of playing tennis with him, I just wear the tennis dresses while I sit on the bench watching HIM play tennis! Oh well, at least I'm one step closer to the courts and at least I'm sitting outside watching others get some exercise. It does inspire me - when I see others running around having fun (while getting exercise) it does open my mind up to the possibility that exercise can be fun.

I also went to the Venice Beach Skate Park to shoot a segment for a kid's show idea I have called "When I Grow Up." The basic idea is that my co-host, Karlos Walkes, and I interview kids about what they want to be when they grow up; then we go out and interview adults who have those jobs. In this segment I took two kids named Jackson and Kanan (who want to grow up to do stunts for TV and film) to meet professional stunt people, Tammie Baird (far left in photo/ dark hair) and Shawn Crowder. Tammie and Shawn have both performed stunts in shows such as Dexter, Desperate Housewives and NCIS; Los Angeles. I actually know Tammie fairly well and (like Kiana) she has a natural balance in her life that amazes and inspires me. She combines regular exercise (and some heavy duty rehearsals for stunts) with a balanced diet and no big crazy sugar rampages. (In my mind) she's one of those super humans, like Kiana, who makes living life look effortless when it comes to exercise and diet. Tammie told me in the interview that as a child, one of her first influences was Selina Kyle (better known as Cat Woman.) I laughed because that's not really your typical role model; but then again, Tammie is not your typical woman!

Looking ahead this month; I'm feeling a bit of anxiety about Thanksgiving. I tend to use the holidays as an excuse to overeat (especially when it comes to pecan pie, which is one of my favorites!) My out of control behavior usually starts with Halloween, progresses through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve, then finally winds down around January 15 when I become conscious again and asses the damage I've done. I read in an article that I'm not alone. This article said that the average person gains 8 lbs. over the holidays! I'm wondering how (you and) I can avoid doing that. How can we engage in the holidays and enjoy some of the food but not get out of control? I'm hoping Kiana has some suggestions? Kiana, are you there? Any suggestions?

Rebecca Hill is the author of "Confessions of an Innkeeper" and "Don't You Worry, Don't You Cry." Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Thanks, Mom!" She has worked as coordinator on high profile projects including: Kiana's Flex Appeal, American Idol and Scooby Doo the movie.

Reel Moms

These moms are amazing! They are super fit and balance family life. Very inspiring!

Fit Mom Role Model: Mom Tom

I am submitting my own Fit Mom!

My mom is the ultimate role model to me. She is full of energy, everyone adores her! She appeared on many "Kiana's Flex Appeal" workout segments with me for the Fit Seniors segments. As always, she stole the shows! A memorable show was when we were filming Kiana's Flex Appeal in Jamaica. There she was.... was para-sailing behind me while we were filming, wildly waiving, kicking her feet, on her 60th birthday. Too funny.  There I am on camera, pointing to my Mom in the sky. She's so funny.

Mom Tom, as the cast and crew call her, taught physical education for 25 years. She still plays tennis, snow skis and loves to sculpt marble.  For as long as I can remember, her days start at 6 am and end at 11 pm: breakfasting and lunching with all of her friends, doing art and playing sports.

Mom Tom had me playing tennis and skiing when I was 5.  She taught me the value of persistence and "believing the good in people-until proven wrong."  Mom always has a positive attitude and makes everyone feel good about themselves.

Love you, Mom!  Kiana

Hawaiian Style Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk and Pineapple

Watch new episodes of Kiana's Fit Cooking on Air now!

Sweet Potato - Hawaiian Style

Ever since the body building days, I have loved sweet potatoes. I still eat them as a regular part of a Protein Power Plate Meal: Grilled chicken or steak, broccoli and sweet potatoes.

Here is one of my very favorite recipes for Island Hawaiian Style Sweet Potatoes. Hope you enjoy them like I do!

Ingredients:
6-8 Sweet Potatoes (or if you are in a hurry-use canned sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup brown sugar or splenda brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice (no sugar)
1/2 cup lite coconut milk

Directions:
Steam sweet potatoes for 20 minutes or boil. Peel and cut into 3/8 inch thick slices. Spray non stick buttered spray in casserole dish, layer 1/2 of sweet potato slices, brown sugar, butter (little thin dots of butter randomly placed), and pineapple. Repeat layers. Pour lite coconut milk all over. Bake 20 min. 350 degrees. If you want the sweet potatoes carmelized, use less coconut milk and top with added brown sugar and butter, baking 5-10 minutes longer until the sugar browns.  Aloha!

Food for thought:
According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the single most important dietary change for most people, including children, would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes.

CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food.  Ref: http://www.foodreference.com/html/sweet-pot-nutrition.html

COCONUT MILK:
In Hawaii, my friends and I would get coconuts and drink the milk.  Then we would paint the coconuts like an island canvas.  Now I enjoy doing it with my little girls.  To increase the nutritional value of the foods and protein shakes I make, I love using Reduced Fat Coconut Milk. It makes it so creamy and boosts the nutritional value. I also use it in place of water when I make rice. Yum!

Coco: means " Monkey Face!"

Coconut water vs. coconut milk:
The difference between the two is that coconut water is taken from the coconut before it's ripened.  Coconut milk is taken from the coconut after the coconut is ripe and it is pressed from the meat of the coconut giving it a milky white consistency.

I love adding coconut milk to my protein drinks as it provides a quick source of energy.  For avid trainers, this magic milk reduces inflammation and supports tissue healing and repair. Coconut milk is very pure. Only water is more pure. Coconut milk is full of calcium, essential vitamins/minerals and hydrates the body. It has been known to fight digestive issues and helps fight vomiting. It settles the stomach and is a good thing to drink to help cure a hang over. Monkey face milk is high in electrolytes, helps strengthen the immune system by combating digestive issues and has anti bacterial properties.  Coconut milk is beneficial to the heart, it helps to keep your arteries clean.

Coconut Oil: has been called the "healthiest oil on earth."

Tip: It's best to cut your coconut right before you drink it.

Slow Roasted Turkey Breast

I love turkey! We eat it year round, not just for Turkey Day. It's a healthy, lean protein choice. Here is a favorite recipe I will make in the morning and it's ready when we get home for dinner. It's like the "chef" is cooking for us all day! Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!



Watch: "Kiana's Fit Cooking" on "Fit Mom TV" on Air NOW! New episodes!

Slow Roasted Turkey Breast

1 (5 1/2 pound) bone-in turkey breast, skin removed
2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or natural low sodium seasoning
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried sage
3 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
1 carton or 2 cups low sodium chicken broth

In hot pan, heat oil to very hot. Sprinkle garlic salt on both sides of turkey. Put in pan and brown both sides of turkey breasts. When brown, remove from heat and put into slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the chicken broth, soy sauce,  Worcestershire sauce, flour and sage. Pour over turkey in the slow cooker.Cover slow cooker, and cook turkey 8 hours on Low or 4-5 hours on high.

Serve alongside brown or white rice, sweet potatoes, salad and green beans.

FitMomTV / No Guilt Pumpkin Pie by Eldon Pico, Chef: Kiana's Fit Cooking

Watch Kiana's Fit Cooking Shows - On Air NOW!

NO GUILT PUMPKIN PIE by Eldon Pico, Chef: Kiana's Fit Cooking
1 1/2 cups plain fat-free cookies, ground into fine crumbs
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 16-oz can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
dash nutmeg
1 T arrowroot
1 1/2 cups (12-fl oz can) evaporated skim milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Moisten fingers with water and press cookie crumbs over bottom and sides of a 10-in class pie pan.  Chill while preparing remaining ingredients.  Combine egg whites, pumpkin, maple syrup, spices, arrowroot and evaporated milk in a large bowl, and mix until well blended.

Pour mixture into prepared pie pan and smooth top with spatula.  Bake for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 325 degrees F and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Yields 8 servings.

Calories: 216, Fat: 0.4 gr, %CFF: 2%, Chol: 1.6 mg, Sod: 107 mg,
Dietary Fiber: 2 gr. (per Serving)

*Kiana's Tip: Try using low sugar graham crackers or NO sugar cookies found at any major health food stores.

Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce

Low Sugar, Low Calorie Cranberry Sauce
by Eldon Pico, Guest Celeb Chef "Kiana's Fit Cooking Episodes, FitMomTV.com"

Ingredients:

4 Cups +/- fresh, raw cranberries

juice of 1 orange

1 wedge of fresh orange

1 red pear, cored and sliced

1 Tbs. chopped mint

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1 Cup mandarin orange segments

water

Start with about ¾ cup stevia, to taste
agave nectar optional

Preparation:

Rinse cranberries. Toss out any that are shriveled or going bad. Pick off any stems that may be hanging on. Put all ingredients into a sauce pan on medium heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water as the sauce thickens. Add more stevia to sweeten to your liking. Or add agave nectar, which does not impact blood sugar and is a popular low glycemic sweetener that is natural, too.

Let Cranberry Mixture cool and add herbs and orange segments. Mix with ease to keep the segments whole.

Stevia can taste bitter, especially if too much is used to sweeten. The agave is a nice and natural alternative.

Enjoy!!!

*Watch Kiana's Fit Cooking shows for healthy recipes in 10 minutes!

Thirsty Thursday

Most people don't drink enough water. Benefits of Water include: keeping the body hydrated and improving your skin, hair and flushing toxins from the body.  Many people have told me they "don't like the taste." Here are 5 other options to hydrate you and "trick" you into drinking more water.



1. Keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator. If it's cold, it's more enjoyable and you'll drink more water. Proven by my kids.

2. Mix fruit juice 50/50 water/juice. As you get used to the taste, increase the water 60/40, 70/30 etc. Less juice equals less sugar.

3. Party time: drink a glass of water in-between holiday drinks

4. Drink a glass of water before every meal. This fills you up and makes portion control much easier.

5. Drink a glass of water in-between meals. Studies show that often when we "think" we are hungry, we really are "thirsty."

Workout Wednesday-FitMomTV.com

Hi Fit Moms! It's Workout Wednesday's 5 Tips:

1. Workout 1st thing in the morning before the day gets too busy. You will have more energy and make healthier choices throughout the day.

2. Workout with a partner. If you know someone is waiting for you, you will be more likely to workout.

3. Working out "some" is better than "none." Even if you can only squeeze in 30 minutes, do it.

4. Workout using "compound" exercises of "multi tasking exercises." Select exercises such as: squat/curls, lunge/curls, rows/kickbacks to work multiple muscle groups in one fluid motion. This will enable you to get more done in less time than if doing isolation exercises.

5. Change something about your workouts each and every time you workout: change the amount of weight you use, the # of repetitions, your body position (seated vs. standing.) By changing up something about your workouts, you will keep you muscles guessing and get faster results.

Squat / Curls: Video of the Day:

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Better Back

A strong back is a MUST for moms. After all, we pick up our kids, groceries, toys off the floor. Strength training exercises for the back will help prevent injury, give you toned shoulders and sexy back "cleavage." Here is a favorite back exercise I have taught on Kiana's Flex Appeal. It's easy to do at home and great for Moms and Dads alike:

Bent over rows

Starting position: Hold a light weight in each hand, arms hanging at your sides, retract your shoulder blades and press them down, keeping them in this position throughout the exercise. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, hinge forward at the waist. Abs and core tight. Focus on keeping your back "flat" as if you are trying to balance a plate of fruit on your back.

The motion: With your palms facing your body, exhale as you "row" the weight upward, leading with the elbows, keeping the arms in the same plane as your body. Feel the back muscles contract as you row the weight upward. Hold a beat at the top and return to starting position. Repeat 15 times. Aim for 3 sets.

Back Flys

Back flys emphasize the rear delts and upper inner back moreso than traditional rows. To do back flys, utilize the same starting position as above, but simply raise the arms in an "arc" leading with the pinky as if you are pouring water out of a pitcher.

Better Back: Rows and Flys

A strong back is a MUST for moms. After all, we pick up our kids, groceries, toys off the floor. Strength training exercises for the back will help prevent injury, give you toned shoulders and sexy back "cleavage." Here is a favorite back exercise I have taught on Kiana's Flex Appeal. It's easy to do at home and great for Moms and Dads alike:

Bent over rows

Starting position:  Hold a light weight in each hand, arms hanging at your sides, retract your shoulder blades and press them down, keeping them in this position throughout the exercise.  Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, hinge forward at the waist.  Abs and core tight. Focus on keeping your back "flat" as if you are trying to balance a plate of fruit on your back.

The motion: With your palms facing your body, exhale as you "row" the weight upward, leading with the elbows, keeping the arms in the same plane as your body. Feel the back muscles contract as you row the weight upward. Hold a beat at the top and return to starting position. Repeat 15 times. Aim for 3 sets.

Back Flys

Back flys emphasize the rear delts and upper inner back moreso than traditional rows. To do back flys, utilize the same starting position as above, but simply raise the arms in an "arc" leading with the pinky as if you are pouring water out of a pitcher.

Healthier Piggy Cupcakes for Kids

What a crazy couple of weeks we've had. The days flew by so fast. My youngest daughter turned 4 last week. Her preschool class is learning about barnyard animals. She wanted cupcakes to share with her class on her birthday. I have to confess, this was the 1st time I'd ever made cupcakes. We don't eat many sweets so I modified a great recipe on Parenting.com for Piggy Cupcakes. I substituted stevia for sugar. They loved them!

Here are the cupcakes. They had pink marshmallows as the nose and I clipped them for the ears.

Halloween was terrific with the kids. Our youngest was Super Baby, our 8 year old a Rock Star Witch.  Took them trick or treating on a well known street that has haunted houses, lots of fun family parties. SUVs full of kids from around the county come to walk and get huge candy bars. The kids wore their costumes to school and had a big parade for all the parents. Of course....more candy! What's a Fit Mom to do?





Few days later, we Celebrated Hubby's birthday, my Mom's birthday and attended a wedding in LA at a beautiful Catholic Church.....balancing these fun nights out with the regular workouts, errands, kid's dance classes, homework, kids swimming lessons, brownie meetings, pre production for Kiana's Flex Appeal Fox Sports Network....quite a juggling act for me.



I am off to the beach now for a long walk with my youngest. She runs 1/2 of the way and then I push her in the stroller the rest of the way. Talk to you soon Fit Moms!

Sugar Junkie. Part 2. by Guest Blogger Rebecca Hill

(Image above: Rebecca, Kiana, Julie)

Last week was wonderful but I did face 2 big challenges on my quest to break my sugar addiction:

On October 27 I celebrated my 41st birthday! I am thrilled to still be here and feeling good at 41 so that was reason to celebrate; however, my birthday did bring up a big question. No, not the meaning of life (I know many people start to contemplate that as they get into their 40s and 50s) but that's not the big question I faced. The big question I faced was, "Can I handle eating a single cupcake on my birthday without it starting a food rampage?" I really (REALLY!) like cake. In particular, I like white cake with white frosting. Learning from past disasters I knew I could not handle having an entire cake in our home so my husband, Tom, and I decided we would just go out and buy me a single cupcake on my birthday.

Because eating one cupcake often leads to me eating a dozen cupcakes I was nervous about this plan. I reached out to Kiana on the morning of my birthday and she suggested that I get a "cupcake made with stevia which is a natural plant extract. Tastes exactly like sugar and no after effects....Now only if they had a similar fix for wine....." I loved that suggestion and headed to Whole Foods. At the bakery the employee explained that their healthy cupcakes are made with fruit juices not stevia. I was so worked up for a cupcake that I knew a cupcake made with sugar juice wasn't going to do it for me. I thought about going to a "normal bakery" but fortunately was deterred because I had a massage booked. After my birthday massage, I got pressed for time. Tom and I went out to dinner and I opened all of my presents (all the while thinking about the cupcake. I had decided that finding a cupcake made with stevia was going to be too difficult (I give up easy when it comes to sugar and cupcakes) so I decided that Tom and I would go to Suzy's Cakes in our Brentwood neighborhood and buy me one REALLY GOOD cupcake! I told Tom this plan and he agreed it was reasonable. (I knew I would not be in danger if Tom was with me because I never eat 6 cupcakes in front of other people; that kind of behavior is reserved for when I'm alone in my car.) So, we got dressed - went out and (cue the horror music) found out that Suzy's Cakes had already closed for the evening! There is a good yogurt store next to Suzy's cake in Brentwood so we got yogurt instead. I act like a normal person when it comes to yogurt and ice cream so I could be trusted there. Crisis averted! (and I had a great birthday!)

My next challenge is universal to all sugar addicts - Halloween! As always, I went to Woodland Hills to take my little friends Allie & Billy trick-or-treating. (Allie dressed up as Elvis. Billy was Bruce Springsteen. And I was their "backstage security officer.") I had a plan. (HAD being the key word in that sentence.) Through discussions at my Weight Watchers meeting, I knew that a Blow-Pop lollipop and a few small tootsie-rolls would be good choices for me in terms of their calorie counts. I also knew from past research that as far as candy goes, Peppermint Pattys are the least evil of the candy bars. I knew this but when I saw all of the Butterfingers, Snickers and Twix bars, I lost my mind! I started eating without thinking. I unconsciously unwrapped and ate at least 30 candy bars while carving a pumpkin. My first thought was "these are just minature bars - they can't cause too much trouble." Then I stopped thinking all together and just kept eating. Within an hour, little Billy and I both acknowledged having stomach aches while Allie (and their parents!) looked at Billy and me in bewilderment. See, that's how things go wrong. I stop thinking and just keep eating! This is why a food journal is crucial to my success. There are people (like Kiana and my husband, Tom) who just naturally monitor themselves and how much food they are eating. But I need to write down what I'm eating in order to stay conscious of what I'm doing.

So, my birthday went well. Halloween was very fun but not a victory in terms of incorporating a healthy lifestyle and reasonable, moderate consumptions of treats into my celebration. Guess I should have policed myself better (see attached photo) - ha ha!

Well, it's a new day - and I'm off to my Weight Watcher's class. Hope all of y'all had a Happy Halloween! Did anyone have an experience similar to mine on Halloween? Did anyone do better/ have more success at having fun while still staying on track in terms of their sugar consumption? Kiana and I would both love for you to share your stories here on the Fit Mom TV website. We want to hear from you because we're all in this together!

Rebecca Hill is the author of "Confessions of an Innkeeper" and "Don't You Worry, Don't You Cry." Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Thanks, Mom!"

Sugar Junkie. Part 2. by Guest Blogger Rebecca Hill

Last week was wonderful but I did face 2 big challenges on my quest to break my sugar addiction:

On October 27 I celebrated my 41st birthday! I am thrilled to still be here and feeling good at 41 so that was reason to celebrate; however, my birthday did bring up a big question. No, not the meaning of life (I know many people start to contemplate that as they get into their 40s and 50s) but that's not the big question I faced. The big question I faced was, "Can I handle eating a single cupcake on my birthday without it starting a food rampage?" I really (REALLY!) like cake. In particular, I like white cake with white frosting. Learning from past disasters I knew I could not handle having an entire cake in our home so my husband, Tom, and I decided we would just go out and buy me a single cupcake on my birthday.

Because eating one cupcake often leads to me eating a dozen cupcakes I was nervous about this plan. I reached out to Kiana on the morning of my birthday and she suggested that I get a "cupcake made with stevia which is a natural plant extract. Tastes exactly like sugar and no after effects....Now only if they had a similar fix for wine....."  I loved that suggestion and headed to Whole Foods. At the bakery the employee explained that their healthy cupcakes are made with fruit juices not stevia. I was so worked up for a cupcake that I knew a cupcake made with sugar juice wasn't going to do it for me. I thought about going to a "normal bakery" but fortunately was deterred because I had a massage booked. After my birthday massage, I got pressed for time. Tom and I went out to dinner and I opened all of my presents (all the while thinking about the cupcake. I had decided that finding a cupcake made with stevia was going to be too difficult (I give up easy when it comes to sugar and cupcakes) so I decided that Tom and I would go to Suzy's Cakes in our Brentwood neighborhood and buy me one REALLY GOOD cupcake! I told Tom this plan and he agreed it was reasonable. (I knew I would not be in danger if Tom was with me because I never eat 6 cupcakes in front of other people; that kind of behavior is reserved for when I'm alone in my car.) So, we got dressed - went out and (cue the horror music) found out that Suzy's Cakes had already closed for the evening! There is a good yogurt store next to Suzy's cake in Brentwood so we got yogurt instead. I act like a normal person when it comes to yogurt and ice cream so I could be trusted there. Crisis averted! (and I had a great birthday!)

My next challenge is universal to all sugar addicts - Halloween! As always, I went to Woodland Hills to take my little friends Allie & Billy trick-or-treating. (Allie dressed up as Elvis. Billy was Bruce Springsteen. And I was their "backstage security officer.") I had a plan. (HAD being the key word in that sentence.) Through discussions at my Weight Watchers meeting, I knew that a Blow-Pop lollipop and a few small tootsie-rolls would be good choices for me in terms of their calorie counts. I also knew from past research that as far as candy goes, Peppermint Pattys are the least evil of the candy bars. I knew this but when I saw all of the Butterfingers, Snickers and Twix bars, I lost my mind! I started eating without thinking. I unconsciously unwrapped and ate at least 30 candy bars while carving a pumpkin. My first thought was "these are just minature bars - they can't cause too much trouble." Then I stopped thinking all together and just kept eating. Within an hour, little Billy and I both acknowledged having stomach aches while Allie (and their parents!) looked at Billy and me in bewilderment. See, that's how things go wrong. I stop thinking and just keep eating! This is why a food journal is crucial to my success. There are people (like Kiana and my husband, Tom) who just naturally monitor themselves and how much food they are eating. But I need to write down what I'm eating in order to stay conscious of what I'm doing.

So, my birthday went well. Halloween was very fun but not a victory in terms of incorporating a healthy lifestyle and reasonable, moderate consumptions of treats into my celebration. Guess I should have policed myself better (see attached photo) - ha ha!

Well, it's a new day - and I'm off to my Weight Watcher's class. Hope all of y'all had a Happy Halloween! Did anyone have an experience similar to mine on Halloween? Did anyone do better/ have more success at having fun while still staying on track in terms of their sugar consumption? Kiana and I would both love for you to share your stories here on the Fit Mom TV website. We want to hear from you because we're all in this together!

Rebecca Hill is the author of "Confessions of an Innkeeper" and "Don't You Worry, Don't You Cry." Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Thanks, Mom!"

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Flatten your stomach, shape your arms

Kiana's Fit Mom TV: 10 minute exercise routine to flatten your stomach, firm your legs and shape your arms.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Firmer thighs and butt

Kiana's Fit Mom TV: Firmer thighs and butt with this 10 minute exercise routine. Follow along at home using hand weights around your busy mom schedule.

12 Weeks to Fit Mom – DVD System

12 Weeks to Fit Mom DVD System. Kiana's personal workout routines on DVDs. 12 week program. Follow along using hand weights, fitness ball and fitness band. Take $5 off with code: FIT5.

Get your Fitness Band and Workout with Kiana at home

Workout with Kiana and train in the convenience and privacy of your own home, using your own Fitness Band-order your Fitness Band and DVD. Also check out Kiana's 12 Week to Fit Mom DVD Series.

Free Kids Stuff! Great links

Hi Fit Moms! Wanted to share some great links to get Free Stuff for Kids. Enjoy! Share your links by posting below in the comments box. Thanks!

http://www.kiddierecords.com - Records online. Free kids classic books. Like books on tape. Free!

http://www.swap.com - swap used DVD's your kids have outgrown. 1 for 1. Recycle and Reuse!

http://www.kik.com - free texting for your smart phone. Did i say free?

Multi Tasking Fit Mom Exercise: Squat Curls

Multi tasking Exercise of the day: How to do squat curls to work your legs, butt, core and biceps at the same time.

Fit Tip: Exercises to fix flabby arms

Tired of flabby arms that keep "waiving" when you've stopped "waiving?" Try this 30 second Fit Tip to fix arm flab.

Fit Tip: Exercises to Strengthen your Back

Quick Fit Tip: Here are some exercises to strengthen your back. A strong back will make everyday activities easier and prevent injury.

Back in Stock! Fit Mom License Plate Frames! $9.95

 

Order yours today! 

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Better butt and sexier arms

Kiana's Fit Mom TV

10 minute exercise routine for a better butt, sexier arms. Use hand weights or weighted household objects. Learn from the best.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Fix Common Trouble Areas

Kiana's Fit Mom TV

Fix common trouble areas: fix flabby arms, flatten your abs, tighten your thighs.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Firmer thighs and butt

Kiana's Fit Mom TV

Get a better butt and firmer thighs. 10 minute complete exercise routine for the busy mom using portable equipment and own body weight.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Abs and Core Workout

Kiana's Fit Mom TV

Workout with Kiana and flatten you stomach and strengthen your core. Follow along at home around your busy mom schedule.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Cooking: Blueberry Brown Rice Pudding

Kiana's Fit Cooking

Blueberry Brown Rice Pudding

Easy and OMG delish. Use left over brown rice and make this mouth watering breakfast/dessert.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Cooking: Soy Chorizo Egg White Tostadas

Kiana's Fit Cooking

Soy Chorizo Egg White Tostadas

10 minutes to a healthy tasty breakfast. Join Kiana and celeb Chef, Eldon Pico in the kitchen.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Cooking: Sesame Ahi Tuna & Watermelon Basil

Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna on Watermelon Basil

Exotic and nutritious. Impress your family and friends with this amazing high protein dish. Join Kiana and Celeb Chef, Eldon Pico.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Total Body Workout

Tighten your entire body in 10 minutes. This is a terrific basic workout. Workout in the privacy of your own home. Grab your hand weights or gallon water bottles and follow along. Workout around your busy mom schedule.

New Show: Kiana's Fit Mom TV: Lower Body – Compound Exercises

Compound X: Get more done in the same amount of time. Strengthen multiple muscle groups at once with Kiana's Multi Tasking exercises. Maximize your time spent working out!

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Fix Flabby Arms

Buh Bye Arm Flab. 10 minutes to firmer, more shapely arms. Follow along and tighten the back of your arms, sculpt the front of your arms. Doable exercise routine to do at home using portable equipment.

New Show: Kiana’s Fit Mom TV: Circuit Workout for Shapley Legs

Shape your legs and tighten your butt with this circuit workout to do at home. Firmer thighs, better butt and sexy calves. Leg workouts are a great calorie burner. Get your fit on, busy moms.

Fit Mom License Plate Frames: Back in stock only $9.95

 

Order yours today!