We welcome the following folks to our fitness family!

Dustin and Kristina King

Lori and Benjamin Duiker

Jonathan Nolan

We welcome new folks to our morning boot camp family!

Bettina Cochran

Kaitlyn Knotson

Brenda, Jack and Josh Whitaker

We welcome these fine folks to our little family!

Lirio Navarro

David and Whitney Braun

Welcome Juliana Attilio to our Morning Boot Camp Class!

Elizabeth Marshall

Alison Cruz

This is the recipe I was telling you about when my shiny earrings distracted you. I added carrot, celery, and avocado.

Makes enough for 2-4 good lunches, depending on how much you eat.

3 large chicken breasts, already grilled/baked and cut into bite size pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large pinch of coarse salt (Kosher or sea)
1 small pinch of cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 2/3 pounds very ripe but firm tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 small Kirby (pickling) cucumbers, cored, seeded and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half
About 1/2 cup slivered fresh mint or basil (optional)

1. Place the garlic, salt, and cumin in a mortar (or cuisinart) and, using a pestle, mash them into a paste. Dump the paste into a medium bowl, add the vinegar and olive oil and whiskit all together well.

4. Place the chicken, cucumbers, onion, grapes, and mint, if using, in a large bowl and toss to mix. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine well.

So easy, refreshing, and cooking-free for these 100 degree days!

In America, the fastest route to good flavor is rarely the healthiest option. When someone suggests a healthier alternative, the idea is often shunned as being time-consuming or more expensive than other, fatty options. But these days, healthy doesn’t always mean expensive and it doesn’t have to take a lot of extra time.

Ready to make the changes that will turn your fat-filled recipes into healthy, light dishes? Grab your apron and get started!

Cook with Care

One way you can keep your dishes bursting with flavor without added fats is by cooking food properly. If you find yourself adding unhealthy flavoring because a food is dry or bland, you may have cooked it the wrong way. This problem happens easily with meats, so avoid overcooking your poultry, beef, and pork.

Remove Fried Foods from Your Repertoire

Grandma made great fried chicken and there’s nothing better than fried okra, but scientists have yet to find a healthy fried food. With so little hope for nutritional value in fried foods, do your body a favor and cut fried foods out of your recipe books. Instead, learn how to cook using boiling, broiling, or another healthy technique.

Use the Grill

Though you may consider grilling against good health sense, giving the grill a chance may be just what the doctor ordered. When cooking on a grill, excess fat simply drips off the meat, never to be seen again. You’re then left with a nice piece of meat that hasn’t been cooking in its own fat and has a wonderful flavor that can only be achieved on a grill.

Get Steamy

To create delicious vegetables without adding butter and excess salt, get steaming. If you don’t have a fancy steamer, toss your vegetables in a perforated basket, and place the basket above a pot of simmering water. On top of securing the vegetables’ great flavor, steaming also keeps the natural vitamins and nutrients intact, so you get the healthiest vegetables possible.

Head for Herbs

Herbs are a healthy, natural alternative to the saturated and trans fats present in butter and margarine. If you choose to use fresh herbs right out of the garden, add them toward the end of cooking and use them liberally. Dried herbs, on the other hand, should be added at the beginning of cooking and should be used sparingly to avoid an overpowering flavor.

Switch It Up

In addition to changing how you cook, adding flavor healthily requires some substitutions. You may not have to say goodbye to certain flavors altogether, but you will need to go with the healthier alternatives. To keep foods full of flavor without too much bad stuff, use the chart below the next time you go to the grocery store.

By implementing these easy tactics, your food should be as flavorful as it is healthy, so you should have no hesitations when it’s time to dig in!

Welcome Marcellus and Latrice Amaker!