Nutrient-Packed Sandwiches... Great for On The Go Xtenders

WHEN IT COMES TO FUEL, the humble sandwich may just be a busy lady's salvation. 

Not only does it tuck neatly into a gym bag and is easy to manipulate one-handed,

 it can be customized to meet any nutritional need. 

Here are five nutrient-packed sandwiches.

Whether it's a powerful blend of energy-revving carbohydrates 

or a protein-packed post-workout muscle mender, 

any way you slice it, a sandwich can meet all your fueling needs. 

Veggie Pita High-fiber, meatless option that replaces lost electrolytes One half of a whole-wheat pita filled with 2 tablespoons garlic hummus, 1 black-bean burger (can substitute baked tofu or portobello mushrooms), 1 slice reduced-fat Colby-Jack cheese, 1/4 avocado (sliced), 1/4 cup arugula, 3 tablespoons shredded carrots 395 calories, 16g fat, 44g carbs, 12g fiber, 24g protein, 942mg sodium		Crunchy Tuna Salad Low-fat, post-workout recovery meal with a balanced boost of carbs and protein Combine 1/2 cup tuna, 1/4 cup chopped apple, 2 tablespoons Dijonnaise and 2 tablespoons sliced toasted almonds and spread between 2 whole-grain slices 339 calories, 9g fat, 31g carbs, 5g fiber, 27g protein, 934mg sodium		Banana-Nutella Roll-Up Great grab 'n' go breakfast  Whole-wheat wrap spread with 2 tablespoons Nutella, 1 tablespoon whipped cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds, and one small banana (sliced) 493 calories, 21g fat, 70g carbs, 6g fiber, 10g protein, 329mg sodium		Tangy Turkey Ciabatta High-protein, no-mess traveler Ciabatta roll with 1 tablespoon pesto, 1/4 cup baby-spinach leaves, 2 ounces sliced lean turkey, 1 slice part-skim mozzarella, and 3 pickle slices 378 calories, 15g fat, 43g carbs, 2g fiber, 24g protein, 1,338mg sodium		Peanut Butter, Bacon, And Honey Salty-sweet energy blast Two slices toasted raisin bread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 teaspoons honey, and 2 strips crispy bacon (cut in half) 410 calories, 22g fat, 45g carbs, 4g fiber, 15g protein, 353mg sodium

Lose Weight Like a Pro!

With the BBQ's, backyard parties, and trips away, it's not always easy to stick to your fitness and diet goals during the summer months. 

In this month's issue of FAMILY CIRCLE magazine, Laney Solomon (who lost 87 pounds!) shares her secrets:

"I order smart at restaurants-

I get the sauces and dressings on the side. 
If something comes with french fries, I swap them for a baked sweet potato or a salad.

I eased into exercise- 

I started walking 20 minutes a day and slowly increased my pace until I could run 2 miles at a time.

 Now I'm training for my fourth 10K race!

I set small goals- 

1. Get below 200lbs (she started at 218)

2. Buy clothes with no X (goodbye XXL and XL!) 

3. Weigh less than my husband

4. Finally, focus on toning! "

Here are some more tips from Bicycling magazine that might help you keep that Xtend body you've been working so hard on...

Substitute good foods for bad foods.

 If you usually eat a whole pizza by yourself, and you want to cut that down, don’t just try to eat half of what you usually do. Instead, get a side salad to help fill you up.

Take your time. 

If you currently eat a box of Oreos every day, set an Oreo goal. Maybe it’s okay with your activity level to eat five Oreos each day. Don’t go from a whole box to five and think you’ll be able to sustain it. Instead, cut it one Oreo a week. You won’t see the fast results, but you’ll guarantee the long-term achievement.

Don’t completely cut out the foods you love. 

You only live once. If you’re happier with cookies in your diet, you should find a way to make it work, not remove it. 

Read labels. 

You might be surprised to find out that a “healthy snack” of nuts has more calories and twice of the fat of the sandwich you’re craving.

Seek out high volume foods with low calories,

 like popcorn, certain soups, or salads. You’ll feel full on fewer calories.

PMS???

If PMS is driving you nuts every four weeks like clockwork, try changing your diet. Lots of leafy greens, whole grains, and legumes (like soy beans) may reduce symptoms by 35% thanks to high concentrations of the B vitamins thiamin and riboflavin, according to a new University of Massachusetts, Amherst, study.

Edamame Dip:
In the bowl of  food processor, combine 1lb frozen, thawed, shelled edamame, 1 tsp onion salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder,  and 1/4 tsp hot sauce; process until smooth. With processor running, drizzle in 1/4 each olive oil and water. serve with whole grain crackers.

Stress Less, Come to the Barre!

Life is full of surprises...not all of them good. Life's little events can often cause stress, anxiety and a bad case of the blues. 

Unfortunately, we can't predict the future, but we can find ways to relieve stress in healthy ways. One of the best ways to work out the stress and pull yourself out of the dumps is to move your body.

Soothe Yourself with Exercise

When we feel down or depressed, we look for things that make us feel good. Often, we reach for the wrong things (food/ alcohol) most of which make us feel worse instead of better. It's important to take care of yourself when your feeling blue and there's nothing wrong with a little indulgence...as long as it's healthy and something that will genuinely make you feel better.

Outlet For Frustrations:

When life’s annoyances or frustrating situations build up, you can feel stressed or experience low-grade anger. More high-energy forms of exercise, like Xtend Barre Encinitas, can also provide an effective release of these negative emotions, turning these otherwise potentially unhealthy emotions into motivation for increased health and well-being.

Exercise and Stress Hormones:

Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones' like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals, giving your mood a natural boost. (This is the chemistry behind a ‘runner’s high’.)

Distraction:

Physical activity itself can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity at hand or get you into a "zen-like" state. Exercise usually involves a change of scenery as well,  taking you to an Xtend Barre Studio or outside,  which can be pleasant, low-stress places.

Lookin’ Good:

I have to include this possibly superficial, but significant, benefit of exercise: it helps you lose weight, tone your body, and maintain a healthy glow and a smile. You may feel a subtle but significant boost as your clothes look more flattering on, and you project an aura of increased confidence and strength. Call me shallow, but this does impact many people, and can relieve stress for those who are concerned with their appearance and worry that they don’t look as healthy as they could.

Social Support:

The benefits of social support are well-documented and manifold. Because exercise and physical activity can often involve others, you can enjoy a double dose of stress-relief with the combined benefits of exercise and fun with friends. Having others work out with you can make you feel good as well as help motivate you to push harder to get a better workout without it feeling so much like ‘work’.

Increased Health:

While stress can cause illness, illness can also cause stress, with the physical pain, missed activities, feelings of isolation and other costs that come with it. So improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can also save you a great deal of stress in the short run (by strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu and other minor illnesses) and the long run (by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it).

Resilience To Stress:

That's right, research suggests that physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Simply put, those who get more exercise may become less affected by the stress they face. So, in addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well as a way to cope with current stress. If that's not a great reason to get more active, I don't know what is!