TIP: stash a few bananas in your freezer for added texture!

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• ½ frozen banana or ½ fresh banana plus a couple ice cubes
• 1 scoop whey or pea protein powder – chocolate or vanilla depending on your preference
• 1 Tablespoon organic peanut or almond butter OR 2 Tablespoons of PB2 to cut back on calories
• 1 Cup plain almond milk
• Ice (optional)
• Handful of spinach or kale (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, adding ice cubes one at a time until you have your desired consistency.

Enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 1/3 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Put flour and shortening into a small bowl. With 2 knives, a fork, or a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour until thoroughly mixed. Work on the crust at this time, not after adding water.
2. Add water and use a fork to toss quickly. Handle as little as possible. It can be a bit crumbly when you put it onto plastic wrap. Form a ball as you wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. When ready to make the crust, sprinkle a little flour on a large piece of plastic wrap. Put dough on the floured wrap. Turn once to get flour on both sides. Cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin with egg substitute, sugar, and spices. Add evaporated milk; stir thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell.
5. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and keep baking for 30 minutes longer or until tester inserted in center of pie comes out clean. The center will get firmer as it cools.

Source: St. Joseph Health

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Rest and recovery days are just as crucial as the workout itself. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild, and strengthen. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise and may lead to overtraining syndrome or injury, which can be difficult to recover from. Here are three easy ways to prevent overtraining and stay on the path toward your goals.

• Be aware of warning signs. Overtraining occurs when the individual performs more training than his or her body can recover from. The most common causes of overtraining are rapid increases in frequency, intensity, or duration of training sessions, or a combination of these without taking the necessary recovery time. Some warning signs and symptoms are: fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, sudden drop in performance, insomnia, headaches, decreased immunity, decrease in intensity, moodiness, depression, decreased appetite, increased incidence of injuries, and compulsive need to exercise.
• Rehydrate. Drinking lots of water after exercise is an easy way to boost your recovery, because water supports every metabolic function and nutrient transfer in the body. Another important way to help recover is eating properly. After exercise you need to refuel if you expect your body to recover, repair tissues, and get stronger.
• Build time for stretching & rest into your training schedule. After your workout, stretching and myofascial release are also helpful so don’t forget to take time to stretch or foam roll after a workout. Ice baths may also be recommended. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. While sleeping your body produces growth hormone which assists in tissue growth and repairs. Therefore, resting, sleeping properly, fueling and taking care of your muscles is essential for recovery. Most importantly, if you’re not feeling fully recovered, take additional time off to avoid injury.

For personalized support and guidance, ask a Personal Trainer at your home club. We’re here to support you in living the best life possible and reaching your goals!

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Satisfy your pumpkin-spice cravings while boosting antioxidants with this refreshing treat! Simply blend all ingredients until smooth.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz Almond Milk
• 2 TBSP yogurt
• 2 TBSP canned pumpkin
• 1tsp carmel
• 1 scoop of Whey
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• Handful of ice

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Source: FullCircle.com

Ingredients
For the Salad
1 head organic Romanesco
2-3 strips pasture-raised bacon (optional)
1/4 cup hazelnuts
For the Dressing
1 Tsp mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp honey
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and thoroughly mix with a fork; set aside.
2. Separate the Romanesco into bite-sized florets.
3. Boil the florets in salted water for 7-8 minutes, or until tender. Drain into a colander and immediately place into an ice bath (to retain the dark color).
4. Over medium heat, fry the bacon and remove onto paper towel, leaving the grease in the pan.
5. Gently toast the hazelnuts over low heat in the remaining bacon grease.
6. Mix the Romanesco, bacon and nuts in a serving bowl and pour the dressing over top; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

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Ingredients:
2 lb kabocha or butternut squash
1 bunch beets, with greens
2 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp walnut oil
3tbsp chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 tbsp mixed chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, mint, tarragon, chives

Directions: 
1. Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 425º. Cut the greens off of the beets, leaving about 1/2″ of the stems attached. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl.

2. Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Peel the squash and cut in 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets, but watch carefully if you need to put the baking sheet on a lower shelf. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Add salt to the water, and blanch the greens for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely.

4. Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice into half-moon shapes. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the roasted squash with the remaining dressing.

5. Place the greens on a platter, leaving a space in the middle. Arrange the beets and squash in alternating rows in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and the walnuts. If desired, sprinkle on crumbled feta.

Source: New York Times

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Preparation time: 50 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings
Source: CookusInteruptus.com

Ingredients
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 beet, chopped (2 if small)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cup dried red lentils
2 bay leaves
4–5 cups water or stock
2–3 tablespoons light miso

Directions

1. Scrub and chop carrots and beet. Remove tops of beet if present. No need to peel unless vegetables are not organic.
2. Heat oil in a 4-quart pot; add onion and sauté until soft. Add carrots and beet; sauté a few minutes more.
3. Finely chop rosemary and oregano leaves, if using fresh herbs.
4. Wash and drain lentils. Add herbs, lentils, bay leaves, and water or stock to sautéed vegetables; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 40 minutes.
5. Remove bay leaves. Let soup cool and puree in small batches in blender or use an immersion blender.
6. Dissolve miso in ½ cup water and stir into pureed soup.
7. Gently reheat before serving if needed and garnish with sour cream if desired..

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Source: The Cookie Rookie

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 cups chicken broth (depending on if you want it a bit soupy)
• 6 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
• 2 (15.3 ounce) cans Northern White beans, drained
• 2 cups salsa verde (I chose jalapeno salsa verde for an even spicier chili!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped/diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced (remove the seeds for a milder version, leave the seeds in for a VERY HOT version)
• 1 poblano pepper, diced (if you want REALLY spicy, substitute serrano chilis for the poplano, or leave the seeds in from the jalapeno peppers. If you want less spicy, leave the seeds out)
• Sour Cream, more jalapeños, shredded cheese, and green onion for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat onion, peppers, and garlic in a large skillet over medium/high heat until the onions are transparent.
2. Add all of the ingredients (except garnish) to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 5-10 minutes at least on simmer.
3. Serve hot garnished with sour cream, shredded cheese, and more peppers if desired. Enjoy!

223 cal, 9g fat, 22g carbs, 14g protein

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