Chicken Spinach Parm

This is a very simple and healthy chicken recipe for any occasion.  Courtesy of Men’s Health.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup marinara
1 small clove garlic, crushed
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. As the oil is heating, pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness, then sprinkle with bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper, pressing so the crumbs stick.

3. Place in the pan with the garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with hot marinara. Add the spinach, turning frequently with tongs until it wilts (about 6 minutes).

Nutritional Information:
Per serving 395 calories 32 g protein, 19 g carbs, 22 g fat (3 g saturated), 608 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

This is part 2 in my series on my personal favorite super foods.  You can check out part 1 HERE.  As I explained in part 1, to make it on my list the food must provide an overall positive health benefit…whether that benefit is disease fighting, muscle building, or metabolism boosting.

So, without further ado, here is part 2!  That rhyme was completely unintentional. 

6.  Eggs

I actually can’t believe I left eggs off of my first list!  Experts have gone from telling you to not eat egg yolks due to the cholesterol to encouraging the consumption of egg yolks because it is jam packed full of nutrients.  It is so rich in nutrients that some feel its benefits outweigh the drawbacks of the high cholesterol.  In conjunction with the egg white which contains the only protein (albumen) that is absorbed into your system immediately with a 100% absorption rate, it makes for almost the perfect food!

Simply Roasted Pork

A quick and easy pork tendorloin recipe good for a hot dinner and lunch the next day!  From CookingLight.com.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Place the preserves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook 10 minutes or until melted. Keep warm over low heat.

Combine salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper; rub evenly over pork. Place pork on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup preserves evenly over pork. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Brush remaining preserves evenly over pork. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutritional Information:
Yield:  14 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces)

CALORIES 159 (27% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.5g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.6g; SODIUM 232mg; PROTEIN 20.6g; FIBER 0.2g

When you make the decision to lose weight and get in shape, you’re going to have to take valuable time out of your day to make it happen.  It takes time to plan out your meals, go jogging, and get into the gym…and it takes quite a bit of it.  If you’ve truly made the commitment, you will find the time to do all of these things.

So, here you are.  You’ve made the schedule adjustments and are motivated!  Your meals are planned, you workouts are scheduled and you’re ready to take on the world.  In other words, you’re making the sacrifices necessary for success.  Now, just make those sacrifices count and don’t cheat yourself.  Here are some tips on how to do just that.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Did depression cause your weight issues or did your weight issues cause your depression?  Does it really matter? 

Yes, it does.

One is the root cause and one is a symptom of something deeper just like the weight issue.  The difficulty lies in determining which came first for you.  Before you get to that part, you must first realize what depression is and its symptoms.