N2SHAPE Vegetable of the Week - Pumpkin

Pumpkin Nutrition

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease.

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)
Calories 49 Protein 2 grams Carbohydrate 12 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Potassium 564 mg

How do I eat pumpkin? Use cooked pumpkin instead of oil or butter when making baked goods.

Pumpkin Recipes

I tried out the first one on Monday's Spinning class. They loved it!

Ellen's Quick and Fat free Pumpkin Muffins (with a box)

One box of Pillsbury Quick Break Pumpkin Mix
1 15 ounce can of 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup water
2 Eggs
And NO OIL!
Follow the directions on the box to cook.
Makes: 12 muffins
Optional: Cranberries, raisins, nuts, vanilla whey protein!!!!
Hint: Make sure you fill each muffin cup to the top. They are dense and will not rise too much.

Pumpkin Bites (made from scratch)

These bite-sized pumpkin treats are a cross between a cookie and a muffin.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 14 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:Preheat oven 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, using a whisk, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and egg white, pumpkin and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined.
Optional: Fold in 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup raisins
Drop spoonfuls of dough an inch or so apart on a parchment- or silicone lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.
Makes 30 cookies.
Per cookie (without chocolate chips or raisins): Calories 78, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat 1.1g), Cholesterol 11mg, Sodium 64mg, Carbohydrate 14.3g, Fiber 0.4g, Protein 1.3g
Per cookie (with chocolate chips and raisins): Calories 107, Calories from Fat 25, Total Fat 2.8g (sat 2.2g) Cholesterol 12mg, Sodium 64mg, Carbohydrate 18.9g, Fiber 0.8g, Protein 1.5g

Boot Camp bur

Impact of Boot Camp-Style Workouts

Finally, research has caught up with what I have always been preaching and teaching - if your body and you can take it, Boot Camp is one of the best workouts and most efficient workouts!

According to a study released today by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in San Diego (not to blow my horn but I used to work for them when I lived in San Diego) a typical boot camp-style workout enhances aerobic capacity and promotes significant calorie burning while also improving muscle fitness. The exclusive study on the benefits of boot camp workouts was conducted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse through its exercise and health program.

The study concluded that the average exerciser burns approximately 9.8 calories per minute during a typical boot camp-style workout. This equates to about 400 calories during a 40-minute video or 600 calories per hour.

“From a cardiovascular and calorie-burning standpoint, the boot camp-style workout evaluated in this study compared favorably to traditional aerobic activities like group cycling, aerobic dancing and cardio-kickboxing,” says ACE’s Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant. “During a boot camp workout, you can burn up to 600 calories per hour, which is obviously going to help with weight loss. But in addition to a great cardiovascular workout, you are also getting the muscular fitness benefit from exercises such as push-ups, squats and lunges that you wouldn’t get from a typical aerobic exercise.”

I am currently teaching a private Boot Camp on Tues mornings at Fitness First in Tysons Corner at 6:30 am. I also teach one offered to members of Fitness First on Saturdays at 8:00 am. To inquire, please e-mail me at ellen@n2shape.com.

Choosing a Trainer

Did you know that comparing trainers is like comparing Apples and Oranges? Here are a few questions to ask yourself when hiring a trainer:

1. Do they have a college degree in the field and not just a certification?
2. How many years experience do they have in the field?
3. Do they have references? Did someone refer you to them or did you just like the way they looked?
4. Are they up-to-date? Have they attended certifications and conferences in the last few years?
5. Are they reliable, dependable?
6. Do they care?
7. Do they pressure you to sign a contract?
8. What does your gutt say?

If they are more expensive than your last trainer or the other trainer in the gym, there is probably a reason. Perhaps they are an apple and not an orange.

Remember, the best is not always the cheapest. You want to go with the professional that will give you results. Not the one that is $5 or $10 cheaper.

Frustrated Trainer Commitment

I am going to blog right now because I have to tell you what I feel as a trainer. I am frustrated and tired of people not listening, not trusting and being afraid. At some point, you have to trust the advice that you have sought or you will not move forward with your life. The same thing that relationships are all about - nothing ventured is nothing gained. But I do have the writing on the wall, I do have credentials, and I have been doing training for over 25 years. So, why do people still don't trust?

I tell you what you need. I can tell you who is a walking time bomb. I can tell you what it is that you need to get healthy and get fit. But you don't listen.

Why? Why? Why?

A frustrated trainer!

Vegetable of the Week - Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is delicious, nutritious, and low in calories.


Now don't get your nose in a pickle. Just add some red wine vinaigrette and eat it raw like a salad or saute it for an easy flavorful side dish.

Red Cabbage

Plays a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer.
Plays a role in the prevention of lung cancer, stomach cancer, and colon cancer.
Is a rich source of vitamin C, an antioxidant which plays a vital role in reducing the presence of free radicals in the body.
Is a rich source of calcium.
Is being studied for its possible role in the treatment of peptic ulcers.

Food Quantity: 1 cup Calories: 20 calCarbs: 3.9g Dietary Fiber: 1.6g

I just picked some up in the Vegetable section of Trader Joe's. It is shredded, washed, and ready to eat!

Get Your Flu Shot

Every child older than six months should get vaccinated against influenza, health officials recommended for the first time this week

"Get protected, protect others and for sure protect your children," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.Gerberding also called it "unconscionable" that only 42 percent of health care workers saw fit to get vaccinated last year.