Your Body Wants To Be Healthy

Good afternoon San Antonio. Your Body Wants To Be Healthy. Your body feels better and performs better in every aspect of your life (personal...professional...intimate...) when it is healthier. And your body wants to be healthier. Do you honestly think that your body likes being exhausted after performing a simple activity or after not doing anything at all? NO!!! In case you actually thought that was a legitimate question the answer is no. Let's go San Antonio improve your life now. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we dont help anybody then at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!!! Tomorrow is now...San Antonio Chris

Go Get It

Good morning San Antonio. Go Get It. If becoming healthy and improving your overall quality of life then go out and get it. No one can get it done for you but yourself. Set your goals and always keep that in sight. Every decision you make should be with your main goal in mind. Having your goal weigh in on your decisions will be the best way to keep you on track with what your are trying to do. Again if you have questions email me at koenigfitness@gmail.com. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody then at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now...San Antonio Chris

Reduced Carb Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

     Hey y'all! Well I'm here today to give y'all your next recipe and let me tell you...this one was a hit with my family! My 3 year old (who is quite picky at times) even gobbled these up! About two weeks ago, I had some ricotta in my fridge that needed to be used soon or else it would go to waste.  I looked in my freezer to get an idea of what I had lying around and saw some frozen blueberries and thought...hmmmm, let's see what I can do with this. I started researching online and came up with so many recipes that involved using ricotta and blueberries in pancakes.  I know that most people don't think of ricotta when they think about pancakes, but the nice thing about ricotta is that it naturally has a somewhat bland taste and therefore can be used in so many dishes! However, while looking at all the recipes, I didn't see one that just caught my eye to the point that I wanted to use it....so, I decided that I would (with the help of looking at several of the recipes to get me started) devise my own from the ones that I saw online.  Yes, I knew that this was going to be a kind of a risk since I was in a way, putting it together myself, and had no idea of how it was going to turn out, but I figured I didn't have much to lose...except a few ingredients...so I proceeded ; )! Obviously, they came out great or otherwise I wouldn't be sharing this recipe ; )!
     If you haven't learned this so far about me, I am constantly looking for ways to alter recipes so they are healthier, but are not sacrificing taste.  With this recipe, I was able to make it a reduced carb (note: not low carb) version from how they would be made originally...and they still tasted fantastic! I substituted 25% of the flour with almond flour (1/4 cup of regular white flour has 23 grams of carbohydrates and less then 1 gram of fiber vs 1/4 cup of almond flour that has 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber....almond flour does have more fat; however keep in mind that almonds are full of healthy fats) and instead of using milk or buttermilk, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk (1 cup of 2% milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates and 0 grams of fiber vs 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk that has 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber). Plus, I added 2 tbs of milled flax seed which gave it an additional nutritional boost!

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground almond flour (I found mine at Whole Foods)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs baking soda
• 4 tbs packed brown sugar
• 4 tbs yellow cornmeal
• 2 tbs milled flax seed
• 3 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups part skim ricotta (well drained)
• 2 2/3 cups frozen wild blueberries (I used organic...do not thaw!)

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and using a wish attachment on your blender, whisk together to break up the chunks of brown sugar and to thoroughly mix the ingredients.
2. Add almond milk and eggs and with blender attachments, mix until blended. The mix should not be completely smooth...a lump here or there is desirable in pancake mix : )
3. Quickly add the ricotta and stir in briefly. Do not completely mix to the point it is smooth...you want to be able to see my pieces of ricotta in the final product.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries til they are distributed throughout the batter.
5. On a thick oiled (either with cooking oil or nonstick spray) non stick griddle heated to medium high, (I put batter in a measuring cup with a spout to pour the batter out of) pour some batter out on pan (these pancakes are denser due to the ricotta and will spread so be sure not to overcrowd them)
6. Flip the pancakes over when bubbles begin to rise  to the surface. These pancakes will take a bit longer then traditional pancakes to cook due to the ricotta in them (you want the ricotta to be heated too) so be sure to give them enough time to cook through once flipped over. The edges will be lightly browned and toasted.
7. Serve however you deem necessary  ( :  (we use a bit of sugar free syrup or simply by themselves as is!)

Hope y'all enjoy these as much as my family & I did! Let me know how it goes!!!

One Day At A Time

Good afternoon San Antonio. One Day At A Time. I tell all my clients to take the approach in their health and fitness goals by taking one day at a time or each day for what it is. I myself use this approach. There are going to be days where everything seems like its going south and then there are going to be those days when it seems like everything is going perfectly. Whatever the circumstances are, still just take one day at a time and that will definitely help you increase your chances of success and the degree of success that you have. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now....San Antonio Chris

Rest

Good morning San Antonio. Rest. If the body doesn't rest you will not reach the success you are trying to attain. I'm proud of all that my clients do but rest is also needed. Now keep in mind I'm talking about taking a day or two off of rest not taking a month or two off. Keep your workouts at an intense level but do not skip out on your scheduled rest days. Your body needs them. Your muscle needs them to recover. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now.....San Antonio Chris.

Try the Recipes

Good morning San Antonio. Try the recipes. Christina has been posting some great recipes on the blog. But you wouldn't know unless you tried them. The recipes are complete with ingredient list and how to prepare and cook. Please try them. Remember knowledge is power only if you utilize it. The recipes are nutritious without sacrificing quality and taste so there is no excuse not to try them. If we help 1 person then awesome and fine don't help anybody then at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!!! Tomorrow is now...San Antonio Chris

Rigatoni with roasted cherry tomatoes & fennel seeds

     Hey y'all! I hope all is well with each & every one of you! So...I must ask...are you taking the time to workout and truly make your health a priority? I sure hope so! Remember, staying on top of your health is not being selfish! For me personally, I know that when I take care of myself and not slack in that department, I am a better wife and mother....& I am also setting a good example for my children. It's a win, win! So now...what y'all have all been waiting for...the next recipe!
     I'm here with another yummy...& easy, must I add : )...recipe! This one is a vegetarian option, but my carnivore husband ; ) gobbled it up without any hesitation! If you so desire a meat option with it, you can easily throw in some diced grilled chicken into the mix ; ). With this meal, we will be making home roasted tomatoes seasoned with fennel and garlic...my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Seriously, my house was taken over with this magnificent scent of garlic and olive oil that just brought me back to my days of the time that I lived in Italy and could go to an authentic trattoria.  These home roasted tomatoes will have the concentrated flavor of sun dried tomatoes, but because they are only half dried, they will still have enough moisture to create a simple pasta sauce with a quick and stern stir. This is not only a tasty dinner option, but is very healthy and light...with all the fat(aside from the light topping of parmesan) coming from heart healthy extra virgin olive oil. An added bonus with this recipe...tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C and beta-carotene...so eat up ; )!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs fennel seeds
• 1 box rigatoni noodles
• sea salt to taste
• freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the tomatoes (cut side up) in a single layer in a roasting pan lined with wax paper. In a separate container (preferably one with a spout, such as a measuring cup) mix the oil, garlic, and fennel seeds.  Drizzle the tomato halves with the oil mixture.  Season lightly with sea salt and cook in oven for 1 hour.
2. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente.  Reserve a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pan.
3. Add the roasted tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the reserved water and stir until the pasta is well coated in the "sauce." (The reserved pasta water contains some of the starches from the pasta so it helps to bind the "sauce" to the pasta) Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and top with your desired amount of shredded parmesan cheese!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! Let me know how it goes in the comments below!!!

Pass it Forward

Good morning San Antonio. Pass it forward. The best way to learn and stay accountable for yourself is to help motivate someone to create their own good habits. Im proud to say that I had a couple of clients grab friends/coworkers and take them to a fun run/walk. That is freaking awesome. But honestly it's the best way to also keep you on track. So grab somebody who has expressed their desire to help themselves and give the that little push that they may need. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now...San Antonio Chris

Ask Questions

Good afternoon San Antonio. Ask questions. People if you need help or don't know how to do something or don't know how to get started then ASK QUESTIONS!!! I see it everyday people want to ask but they don't for their own personal reasons. All I can say is get over it. Get over the pride or the embarrassment or whatever it is. Most people will be willing to help you get started. Ask me if you have questions. Koenigfitness@gmail.com. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now. San Antonio Chris

Snacks

Good afternoon San Antonio. Snacks. Proper snacking is essential in optimizing our metabolism. Snacks help keep the fire burning so to speak. But poor snacking is often one of the main causes to slowing down your metabolism so decision making is key here. When right snack decisions are made your Meatbolism continues to function at an optimal level. Good choices such as jerky,almonds, string cheese etc. are great choices but always remember that moderation is always key. If we help 1 person then awesome and if we don't help anybody at least it won't be for lack of effort damnit!!! Tomorrow is now....San Antonio Chris