A Healthier Love Affair

One of my favorite things in the world is the experience of making Homemade Spaghetti. I love hearing the sound of fresh vegetables being chopped, the smell of fresh Basil as it’s being stirred into a beautiful pot of brilliantly colored tomatoes and the bubbling sound of sauce simmering on the stove. Not to mention how amazing Spaghetti tastes when it’s on your plate.

One thing I’ve always struggled with is the heavy feeling I get after eating a bowl of Spaghetti. This heaviness is a result of eating pasta filled with sugar and calories.

My vegetable Mentor Brenda shared with me an amazing and simple solution that is low in calories but very filling…Zucchini!

That’s right the little, green Summer Squash is a perfect substitute to create a pasta like dish without the calories and starch. Zucchini also provides Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Calclium, Phosphorus and Magnesium. It also contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids.

Go ahead...Give it a try!

Zucchini Spaghetti

For the "Pasta" you'll probably need 4 or 5 zucchinis. Cut the ends off of each one and then slice each one until they're pretty close in size to spaghetti. (Mine were slightly thicker than spaghetti and more closely resembled shoestring potatoes).

After you cut the zucchini put it in a pot with just enough water to cover and then boil for 3-4 minutes. You'll want to keep an eye on it because it cooks pretty quickly.

For the Sauce:

1 chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans peeled ground tomatoes in paste
1 (6 ounce) can Italian-style tomato paste
7 cups water
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1 pinch crushed red pepper

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, wine, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Delicious Spring Chicken Salad Recipe

This recipe is a delicious twist on traditional chicken salad. It's also a quick option for busy weeknights!

Ingredients
*1/2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved
*Kosher salt
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
*2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
*1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
*Freshly ground pepper
*1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
*4 romaine hearts, torn
*1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded (about 2 cups)
*1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
*4 radishes, cut into wedges
*1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced


Directions
Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Season with salt, cover and boil until fork-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, pulse the chives, tarragon, vinegar, yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and pulse to make a thick dressing.

Toss the romaine, potatoes, chicken, cucumber, radishes and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.


Recipe Courtesy Food Network.com Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

The Energy of the Mind is the Essence of Life

It's super easy to get bogged down by the stresses of everyday life; work, family, friends. All of this stress can rob you of tons of energy.

There are lots of ways to reduce our stress and maximize our energy level including; exercising regulary (BLS has great group fitness classes), laughing and sleeping more, learning a new hobby, meditating, journaling, vacationing, eating healthy and drinking plenty of water.

Eating healthy may be one of the best things you can do to relieve stress, increase energy and reduce the risk of certain cancers and other diseases.

Here are foods to keep your energy level high throughout the day:
Almonds

Apples

Bananas

Hard Boiled Eggs

Hummus

Oats
Salmon

Vegetables - especially leafy greens

Whole Grain Crackers

Plain Yogurt with fresh fruit

Foods to avoid:

Candy

Energy Drinks
Fried Foods

Potato Chips

Red Meat

Eating smaller portions and making healthier choices will boost your energy and help relieve some of your daily stresses.

The Benefits of Bulgur!!

My new favorite whole grain is Bulgur Wheat; it is so yummy!

This form of wheat results when wheat kernels are boiled, dried, cracked, and then sorted by size. It's super versatile and can be used in all sorts of dishes and is very filling. I eat it for breakfast every morning.

Not only is Bulgur Wheat super delicious, it's also a Superfood! Bulgur has 7 grams of fiber which is 28% of the daily value. It also has 5 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates. Each serving has around 140 calories only 5 of which are calories from fat. Whole grains have also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of some cancers and they help fight obesity.

This recipe is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. It's light, refreshing and full of veggies.

Tabbouleh (Bulgur, Parsley and Mint Salad)

Ingredients:
2 cups presoaked** Bulgur Wheat (I prefer Bob's Red Mill Brand; you can find it in the rice section at most supermarkets)
3 cups Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
3 Scallions, finely minced
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cumin, ground
2 Tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tbs Lemon Juice
3 Tbs Oil (Safflower and/or Olive)
1 head Romaine Lettuce
2 medium Cucumbers, sliced

Directions:
In a large bowl, gently mix together all the ingredients, except lemon juice and oil, with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice, toss and chill for 1 hour to blend the flavors. Before serving, toss again with the oil. Serve in a mound with romaine lettuce leaves arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Scatter cucumber slices over the lettuce. Makes 6 Servings.

* To presoak Bulgur: Place 1 cup Bulgur in bowl. Pour 1 cup tap water over Bulgur and let stand for 1 hour. Yields 2 cups presoaked Bulgur.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1 Serving (266g)

Calories 190, Calories from Fat 70, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 35mg, Total Carbohydrates 28g, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 4g, Protein 5g.

Recipe Courtesy: Bob's Red Mill

Denver 7's A-List!

We're thrilled to be nominated for Denver 7's 2010 A-List! We're nominated in the Best Personal Trainers Category!! Vote for us here! http://ctvr.us/balancedlife

Grilled Fruit with Balsamic Vinegar Syrup

This recipe is a low calorie but super tasty treat for hot summer days! It's perfect for a bbq at the park or an evening grilling at home. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2 large mangoes, cored and cut in half
2 large peaches, cored and cut in half
Nonstick, butter-flavored cooking spray
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Mint or basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, mangoes and peaches. Spray generously with cooking spray. Toss and spray again to ensure the fruit is well-coated. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar over low heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced in half, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Place the fruit on the grill racks or broiler pan. Grill or broil over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the fruit from the grill and arrange onto individual serving plates. Drizzle with balsamic syrup and garnish with mint or basil. Serve immediately.

Recipe Courtesy - Mayo Clinic

August Additions!!

August is shaping up to be a busy month for BLS Group Fitness!!! We're adding two sexy new classes! Turbo-kick... the shake your booty and work your abs kickboxing class, and Hip Hop Hustle, the calorie destroying dance class you've all been asking for! Three new teachers and tons of new time slots for our current classes are going to make our walls shake!!!

Our two new classe are so much fun and will give you a serious booty whooping. Turbo Kick mixes kickboxing and simple dance moves that begs you to shake your ass.. Hip Hop HUSTLE blends hip hop and dance moves, making them simple and easy to follow! Hip Hop HUSTLE feels more like a night at the club than exercise!

You guys are going to love these classes and we are lucky to have THE BEST teacher in Denver for both classes!!

Our new instructors are awesome! They're going to bring tons of energy to their classes and the studio! Jessica and Sylvia will both be teaching BodyPump and JD will be teaching Turbo Kick and Hustle!!! Their classes are going to be so much fun!!!

We've added early morning classes for those early birds and new evening classes for the people who like their sleep.

Check out our new schedule below!!

Work - Laugh - Sweat