Tip 7/30 Goal Setting

Howdy San Antonio. Tip 7/30 is goal setting. One of the biggest problems people have is not knowing how to set goals correctly. Most people typically know what their long term goal is but along the way of achieving that long term goal are several small goals that are reached. And here is where problems typically start. We are such a results now society that we forget to celebrate and acknowledge these small successes. We clearly didn't get to where we are whether good or bad overnight. And wherever we are heading towards it again clearly will not happen overnight. We have to notice those small benchmarks because they indicate we are heading in the right direction and they keep us motivated. 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

Greek made easy!

Hey there everyone! Today I am posting my first recipe for GetFitAlamoCity and I'm super pumped because I am confident that this is a recipe that both you vegetarians and meat eaters will enjoy.  Not to mention the fact that this recipe could be a great healthy option to serve with all of those super bowl parties coming up...just a thought ; )!

Anyways, I don't know about you, but I really enjoy Greek food! My favorite choice of food when it comes to Greek has always been spanakopita...a spinach pie in a Greek savory crust...& no, you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy a good spanakopita.  No, I'm not here to change all of you into vegetarians, but I will point out that both nutritionists and environmentalists agree that occasionally going meat-free...say one day a week (sounds reasonable, right?)...has significant benefits for both our physical health and the health of the planet. Now that's definitely something to think about ; ). Spanakopita has a notorious reputation of being a complicated food to make...with it's layers of flaky crust and gorgeous golden brown color, one would think that you would need to be an experienced chef to make it just right; however, that's just not true! It's actually quite simple...the main thing I suggest is pre-chopping all of the veggies earlier in the day or even the night before so that the cooking process goes by more quickly and smoothly...if not then the whole process (while not difficult) can be a bit time consuming. I found this recipe not too long ago and have always wanted to make it, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I tweaked a few things in the recipe in order to make it a bit healthier...I used olive oil versus butter and chose reduced fat feta cheese versus the full fat stuff. The main fat in olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids and may actually help lower your risk of heart disease.  (note: heat, light, and air can affect not only the taste of olive oil, but possibly it's health promoting qualities so store it in a dark, room temperature cupboard)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs fresh baby spinach (washed, chopped, and well drained) (try not to be tempted to buy frozen spinach...buying fresh spinach from the produce department and chopping yourself really makes a difference)
• 4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 1 large leek, trimmed, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil (separated)
• 1 egg, slightly  beaten
• 7 ounces reduced fat feta, crumbled
• 3 tbs grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package phyllo, defrosted and at room temperature (I prefer the Athens brand)
• olive oil for brushing 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spread a piece of parchment paper over the surface of a shallow baking tray
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tbs of olive oil and saute the spinach until wilted and most of it's liquid has cooked off. Remove and set aside to cool. (If the sauteed spinach is still very wet then drain in a colander.
3. Wipe the skillet clean and heat another 2 tbs of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the scallions, leek, and onion until soft.
4. Combine this mixture with the spinach in a large bowl.  Add all of the herbs, egg, feta, parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Let cool slightly.
5. Remove one roll of the phyllo (usually there are two in a box) from the box, unwrap it, and unroll it vertically in front of you on a clean surface.  Cut the stack of phyllo twice vertically so that you are left with 3 vertical rows. I then place all of the stacks on top of each other to form one vertical column (note: be gentle with these since they are delicate and will break easily.) I then place a clean, damp cloth on the phyllo, while I work with the rest...this helps to keep them from drying out too much.
6. Take one strip of phyllo and brush the surface with olive oil. Next place a second strip on top of the first strip and also brush the surface with olive oil. Place a heaping spoonful (using the standard spoon you eat your meals with) of the spinach filling on the bottom of the phyllo strip and fold it up to form a right angle. Continue folding from corner to alternating side...the same way you would form a flag-forming right angles with each new fold.  Place seam down on the sheet pan.  Continue this process until the filling and phyllo are used up.  Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with a little cold water.  Bake the triangles for about 10-12 minutes, until golden.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature...whatever your preference!

Depending on how large you fill them, you will end up with approximately 25 triangles

spinach mixture

brushing oil on a strip of phyllo

folding into triangles

before placing in the oven

final product!

Like I said earlier, this may be a bit time consuming, but if you follow my tip of pre-chopping the veggies, the rest is a breeze! I hope y'all enjoy this recipe and please feel free to let me know how it went...just leave me a comment below.  Be on the look out for another recipe very soon that would provide another option for those super bowl parties.  Hint: it will involve phyllo dough...hey we can't let the remaining phyllo go to waste ; )

Tip 6/30 Good Habits

San Antonio good morning. We are, by nature, creatures of habit. They way we dress ....the way we talk...the way eat....the way we do everything is reflection of our habits. And that fact is a good thing because That means all we have to do is develop habits that are good in nature. I say good in nature because obviously there are bad habits as well. Smoking is bad....excessive alcohol intake is bad ....over indulging in unhealthy foods is a bad habit. But habits both good or bad are developed the same way. We choose to do something and it becomes habit very easily. Simple math tells us, or at least it should anyways, that we SIMPLY need to develop more good habits than bad habits. If you start eating healthy and start a moderate exercise regimen your body will want that and crave that just as it craves anything that you allow your body to get used to. So again very simple..it's not rocket science...Just make the decision to start doing things in a healthier fashion and your body will make it habit. It's one thing if you just don't know what is healthy for you because there are a lot of people that don't. But if you do know and choose not to then that is a total disrespect to yourself. 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.

Welcome Christina

Thx girl appreciate all the input keep it coming.

GetFitAlamoCity welcomes new contributor!

Hey there San Antonio ( & yes...hopefully other cities too...hey we want to get the "healthy" message out to so many :) )! My name is Christina Hogue and I am stoked to say that I am the new contributor to this health awareness/fitness blog! Chris, who is actually one of my older brothers, (you're doing an awesome job by the way!) will still be the head honcho, but I will be here to offer words off encouragement, motivational quotes, and occasional recipes offering wholesome healthy food (I have been known to turn sinful recipes into food that's actually not that...well "sinful," but still tastes great!); however, before I get into all this healthy stuff ; ), I will give y'all a bit of a background on me.

I'm a 27 year old mother of two children...I have a 3 year old daughter and a 17 month old son.  We currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada since my husband (a pilot in the USAF) is stationed here, but I am a native Texan and my heart will always be in Texas.  Just like Chris, I too have a background in health and fitness.   I studied sports management in college and (while now I am a stay at home mom) before having children, I was a fitness instructor and personal trainer...I greatly miss working in this field, but right now my priority is being a mother.  Eventually, I plan on getting back to being a fitness instructor and ,God willing, to become a certified doula (a dream of mine).  Although I'm not currently "working" in the health and fitness industry, health and fitness are still a very BIG part of my life.  I strive to eat healthy and fresh foods as much as possible.  I am a vegetarian and honestly believe that eating foods that are as close to it's natural form (i.e. eating an orange versus drinking orange juice) is one of the best things you can do for your body; however, like Chris said in an early post, I also believe that treats in moderation are ok : ).  I enjoy dark chocolate and alcohol in moderation...must run in the family, I guess ; ).  I greatly enjoy working out, staying in shape, and challenging my body.  My workout of choice definitely has to be running.  I like to run...OK OK..that is a bit of an understatement...I LOVE to run! I truly enjoy distance running...it's just part of who I am...so don't be surprised to see lots of tips and inspirational quotes on running; however, while I'm a bit partial to running, I want to emphasize that finding some kind of physical activity that you truly enjoy is important because then you're most likely to stick with it...consistency is key!

So...enough of that novel! Like I said earlier, I will be here to offer encouragement, motivational quotes, and recipes.  As a woman, I hope to be a good role model for other women...I want to encourage women to take action of their health and strive to be better...physically and mentally! Chris is already doing a great job with this, but hopefully I can just add to his positive attitude and help to make a difference in the health of others.  I am going to do my best to post 1-2 recipes a week...one vegetarian and one for you carnivores ; ) out there. Sometimes, I will offer only 1 recipe, but will include options to make it  both veg and non veg.

Anyways, until I see you again...take a stand today to change yourself for the better...there's no benefit to waiting til later when it comes to your health...start now and make it a lifetime habit!

Tip 6/30 Good Habits.

Tomorrow will bring a discussion on Good habits versus bad habits. Obviously the amount of Good Habits needs to outweigh the amount of Bad Habits.

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