My newfound gem for healthy cooking? Coconut oil. If you are a fan of coconut, you will find that this oil adds a light coconut flavour to your food, not to mention the health benefits are abundant! Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat, which some might say are "bad" but the way that it reacts in the body is GOOD! Here's how it works: coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. Due to the fact that MCTs have a shorter chain it is easy to digest and quickly burned off by the liver for energy but without the spike in insulin. This causes a metabolism boost and uses the coconut oil fat for energy, thus causing you to lean out. I use organic extra virgin coconut oil on practically everything! I sauté my veggies in it and even use it when cooking my eggs in the morning! Here is my favourite dinner recipe using this gem. This dish will pump up your metabolism and give you a healthy dose of your omega-3s!
1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Smear 2 tablespoons coconut oil on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish
3. Place fish on top of the oil, skin side up
4. Place fish in oven for 15 minutes
5. Remove fish from oven and use a spatula to gently peel skin off of salmon
6. Place fish back in oven for an additional 15 minutes
7. Remove fish from oven and squeeze on your lemon
8. Sprinkle on your salt and cayenne pepper evenly
9. Cut into 2 servings and plate
That's it! Such a simple recipe and you can mix it up with different spices and flavours but don't forget the coconut oil! Serve your fish with some nice green veggies and a salad to complete your meal. Enjoy!
Harley Pasternak, personal trainer to the stars, recently released his tips for getting a body like an A-list action man.
Well now he's focusing on the ladies!
He asks what makes a female star have one of the "best" bodies, then answers his own question, saying:
"She has to be fit. Just plain skinny doesn't cut it. She has to look like she's got some muscle tone – not necessarily Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 – and she shouldn't have a physique that looks lean but feels like marshmallow. On the other hand, she needs to be feminine. The natural curves of a woman are a prerequisite. Female bodybuilders are a little too extreme to make this list."
Sounds like he's talking about moderation. No real extremes, just really really fit!
He then made a list of who he found to have the "best" female bods in film:
He said they all work crazy hard and eat super healthy.
He then came up with a mini routine that U can use to try and get a famous film physique! It went a little something like this:
1. Start with a 5-minute cardio warm-up. Try speed walking, jogging, jump rope, jumping jacks, or climbing stairs.
2. Then it's time for walk lunges. From the standing position, step forward into a lunge, then swing your trailing leg ahead of you as you move upwards and alternate legs as you move across the room. Do three sets of 20 reps.
3. Next is shoulder lateral raise. Standing with a light weight (or bottle of smartwater) in each hand, slowly raise your arms away from each other out towards the wall, then return down. Do three sets of 30 reps.
4. Then the seated trunk twist. Sitting on the ground and leaning back 30 degrees, hold your arms in front of you like a boxer. As you twist your torso to the left, reach towards the left wall with your right hand, then immediately do the same in the opposite direction. Try three sets of 50 reps.
5. End with a 5-minute cardio cool down. Try speed walking, jogging, jump rope, jumping jacks, or climbing stairs.
Try phases 2, 3 and 4 as a continuous non-stop circuit.
That's all there is to it!
Couple that with some healthy foods, portion control, plenty of water and a good nights sleep and soon you'll have a body to rival the A-listers!
