Tasty Tuesday: My Favorite Chili

I love chili!  I’m not sure what it is about chili that I love so much, but it’s a quick and easy meal and can be prepared in so many different ways.  This chili recipes came from an old Southern Living magazine my mom gave me years ago. What I like most about this chili is the butternut squash.  It seems so different, yet pairs nicely with the traditional chili flavor.  However, I have adapted the ingredients to avoid some of the foods I am sensitive to, such as beans and corn.  So, if you must have beans in your chili, feel free to add in a can or two of low sodium, organic kidney beans.

Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

Adapted from MyRecipes.com

Serves 4-6

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes, no salt added

1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

Directions:

     1.    Cook beef, bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a large pot over medium-high heat until        meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to pot.

     2.    Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Uncovered, and cook 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.

I hope you will give this great recipe a try, even if summer is around the corner!

I'm a Beachbody Coach... Now What?

After running for about a year I decided I wanted a little bit more.  I wanted muscles.  My husband borrowed this Beachbody program called P90X from his brother in the fall of 2011.   Since I really didn't have much time to go to the gym with two young kids at home I figured I would give it a try.  P90X is a great program for building muscle.  After about a month I felt stronger – I could actually do a few pull ups, with the help of a chair, but I could do it!  When I started the program I could barely do 1 assisted pull up, now I could do 10.  The program was a little long, and took about an hour, but provided me with the results I was looking for – muscles!  However, running 4-5 days a week plus the full P90X schedule was just too much for my body.  My knees, calves, and ankles were always sore, and I was just so tired! So I stopped P90X after 12 weeks.  I kept on running.  It wasn't long after stopping P90X that I was diagnosed with chronic compression in my calf – a result of over training.  I will never forget going out for a long run only to make it half a mile before breaking down in pain.  I walked back, crying the whole way.  After a short break I went back to running.  My training (for running) was the same as it had been in the past – running 4-5 day a week, pushing as hard as I could.  It wasn't long before I faced another injury.  This time it was tarsal tunnel in my ankle.  I loved running, and didn't want to give up.  I went back to see my good friend Tabatha for Active Release Therapy once again.  Tabatha helps to break down the scar tissues that build up form so much running, and wear and tear on the body.  I was able to get back to running, but something had to change.  Maybe it was time to take a break.

Midway through 2012 I started running again.  This time I had a new training plan from miCoach by Adidas, and it’s one I still follow to this day.  We also changed our diet in the fall of 2012 to eat no wheat products, and follow a more Paleo-ish lifestyle.  My first half marathon after these changes was in November 2012.  I was so nervous!  But it was a great race, and a new personal best for me!  Something clicked and I was feeling good, and wanted to keep that good feeling. I had a fear of injury, though, and started to read about how to avoid running injuries.  One of the top recommendations, from different sources, was to cross train.  This was a little scary for me because of my previous experience over training. But this time would be different – I would cross train again, but smarter this time!  Going to the gym still wasn't an option, so a friend let me borrow another Beachbody program, Insanity, in March of 2013.  This was it!  I had found my new love!  I love the cardio and strength training, Shaun T yelling at me, and the adrenaline rush I felt afterwards while dripping in sweat.  The Insanity schedule is similar to P90X in that there are scheduled workouts six day a week.  However, being smarter this time I only did the Insanity workouts on days I did not run, and no more than two or three times per week.  Along with the changes in diet and one round of Insanity I had lost 18 pounds!  In addition, my running got easier.  I went on to run a sub 2 hour half marathon and continued to crush my personal bests with each race throughout 2012.  The best part was that I was still injury free!

I have been a Beachbody customer since 2013 when I bought my own Insanity program.  Given the success I had with Insanity I continued on with more Beachbody programs for cross training – T25, Turbo Fire,PiYo, and 21 Day Fix Extreme.  Each of these programs added more and more to my running.  Besides Insanity the program that had the greatest impact was PiYo.  This is a great program I feel all runners could benefit from.  It combines strength training with stretching.  Before PiYo my personal best for a half marathon was 1:52.  After one round of PiYo my personal best is 1:47.  I even ran a half marathon one month after this, and ran it in 1:48.  The 21 Day Fix Extreme is the program that I am going through right now.  It is tough, but produces results – and muscles!  Like Insanity it is not a program I do every day while running – this would be too much.  So I alternate with running, completing the program 3 times a week. I have learned cross-training is necessary as a runner, and for me Beachbody programs pair nicely with running.

With all of the success and love of Beachbody programs it has taken me 2 years to join as a Beachbody coach.  I flirted with the idea several times, but never felt it was the right time. During my Health Coach training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition I met several Beachbody coaches, and learned that Beachbody is much more than selling workout DVD’s and Shakeology.  There is a synergy between what Beachbody does and what Health Coaches do.  Both coaches work to support, motivate, and build confidence; they help with nutrition, and build self-esteem.  Why not combine my love of fitness and helping others with my love of nutrition and helping others?