OMG (Oh, My, Glutes) & Tex Mex Chicken

Well Hello There!
OMG, as in, Oh, My (achin') Glutes from my lower body & cardio workout this morning. Reading the new issue of Oxygen has reinvigorated me, especially as far as getting back into HIIT- High Intensity Interval Training. Ever heard of it? It's a great way to take the intensity of your cardio workout up, while saving time. So rather than slogging it out on the elliptical for 30-40 minutes (lame), you can accomplish more calorie & fat burning in a shorter period of time. It's not exactly for the beginner excerciser, but once you've established a decent cardio baseline, HIIT might be something to try. This morning I chose the stairclimber for my intervals- I warmed up for 5 minutes at level 5-6 for 5 minutes, then did 45 seconds of maximum effort (level 14 on the stairclimber, which is max) followed by 1.5 minutes of recovery at a slower pace of between 6-8. I repeated it 6 times then cooled down for a few minutes before ending the session. Judging from the fact that even my earlobes were sweating, I would say it was effective....As you know I'm a trainer, but I'm not your trainer. So I'm not giving you personal advice here, just saying what I did today. Always check with a health care practitioner before you get into any kind of excercise program, mmmkay?

Did anyone else get some excercise today or was it a rest day?

That kind of workout left me absolutely ravenous, so I planned ahead and brought my lunch with me to the gym so I can scarf it down asap. Ezekiel wrap filled with hummus, brocoli sprouts, spinach, cukes, red peppers & goat cheese. Three bites, gone. So good. Ezekiels are hearty and delicious, made from sprouted grains, super healthy. Also they do well when you make quesadillas...which is what I plan to have as an accompaniment to our Tex Mex slow cooker chicken on Sunday! Here's the recipe:

Tex Mex Chicken
Ingredients:
-2-3 bnls skinless chicken breasts, halved
-1 cup dried, rinsed kidney beans
-1 large yellow onion, slice thinly
-2 large peppers (red or yellow or one of each), sliced
-1 jar of salsa (or about 1.5 cups of salsa)
-1 TBS flour
-salt & pepper
-1.5 cups of broth (veg or chicken)
-Sliced jarred jalapenos (optional)

Directions:
Lightly spray your slow cooker with olive oil, so thing won't stick. In the bottom of the slow cooker, spread the dried beans and sprinkle with the flour. Layer the onions on top, followed by the chicken breast halves. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Top chicken with sliced peppers, then dump the salsa over it all. Add the broth,(and jalapenos, if you desire)then put the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hrs, checking occasionaly to stir it up and make sure the beans aren't sticking to the crock. The thing with skinless boneless chicken breasts is that they have a bit of a propensity to dry out in a slow cooker, so check it after 6 hrs and if it's ready, remove the chicken, shred with a fork, then place back in with the rest of the ingredients and stir it up. Alternatively, you could use bone in, but I don't usually choose to go that route. Serve shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro on the side. Brown rice or quesadillas go well with it!

Let me know how you make out with it. I'm a little new to writing recipes down as I am a notorious eye-baller when it comes to ingredient amounts, etc...so if you think something could have been done differently, I welcome your feedback!

Tonight I think we'll have some vegetarian peanut curry, quinoa & chutney...and my Magic 8ball says that the outlook is good that there will be Chardonnay involved too...yum!

Hope your weekend is going well!
TTFN
xoM