Holiday Hustle 2022 Wellness Challenge

The holidays are approaching and although it's easy to throw our health and fitness goals out of the window, we don't have to do that this year. I have a plan: a plan that will let you enjoy holiday food and drinks AND at the same time get stronger, have more energy and ready for the new year ahead.  

Monday, November 28th (yep, the Monday following Thanksgiving) is the start of the next E. H. Fitness 21-Day Wellness Challenge, Holiday Hustle to Health, and it is dedicated to all the following good stuff: 

• Get sugar cravings under control

• Sleep better

• Build strength without having to step into a gym (or into a gym, if you prefer)

• Eat real food to fuel your body

• Decrease body fat

• Reduce inflammation

How will do all that during the holidays, you might ask. Well, let me introduce you to intermittent fasting. Over the 3 weeks of the challenge, we will ease our bodies and minds into fasting and learn about what it can actually do for us and how it can work for you! 

My favorite part of Intermittent Fasting (IF) is the amount of physical and mental time and energy I save...I mean think of how much time (and brain power) you'll free up while not eating (or thinking about what to eat) in the mornings! And who couldn't use a little more time and brain power in the hustle and bustle of the Holidays? 

We will learn all the ways that IF can benefit our bodies and minds...it's going to be a great time! PLUS, lots of extras including  workouts and 21-days of dinner suggestions (so you don't have to decide what to put on plates every evening...more time and energy saved!)

Join me for E.H. Fitness' next 21-day challenge...and go into the Holidays feeling your best!

There are NO supplements, pre-packaged foods to buy or long hours in the gym. Just real food and quick workouts to help increase energy, promote better sleep, decrease anxiety and maybe even shed some body fat.

Here's what you can expect when you sign up:

• Membership to a private Facebook group with all the things

• Suggested food guide and recipes, complete with 21 days of dinners planned out for you 

• Sample Grocery lists

• Workouts for strength and endurance 

• Weekly exercise schedule 

• Daily check-ins for accountability and to encourage others in the group

• A private online forum (via FB page) where you can post questions, celebrate your successes (and challenges) as well as get encouragement from a group of people doing the same work.

• Access to an ACE certified personal trainer and wellness coach with over 10 years of experience

• NO supplements or gimmicks...just food...the kind you eat out, cook at home or pick up on the go.

• All for $29 payable via Venmo*

Are you in? Ready to choose to feel better and ditch some unhealthy habits? Ya know...when you feel better you look better...so what's there to lose?

E-mail me @ erin@ehfitness.com me that you are IN!

*as soon as the Venmo invoice/request is paid (@erin-heide), you will be added to the private Facebook group! :)

Give Thanks, Get Happy

It's just before Thanksgiving, and the hustle and bustle of getting shopping done, planning meals, traveling, stressing about schedules and getting everything done can really overshadow the essence of the day, right? If you've forgotten what Thanksgiving is all about, like I have been prone to do, let me give you a hint; it's right there in the day's name. It's GIVING THANKS!

Being thankful isn't a new thing and it definitely shouldn't be relegated to one Thursday a year late in November.  But in times like these, when things feel hard and uncertain and scary and sad and a host of other feelings, being thankful can be on the way back burner. Like the back burner of an industrial stove with a lot of burners...like way in the back seat of a 15 passenger van...okay...you get it. As we get busy and into the holiday season, giving thanks can become a low priority.

Practicing gratefulness isn't just something else we "should" add to our plate every day, it's something we CAN make a habit to benefit us and those around us. 

Check this out: 

According to a Harvard study,  "gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."

Worth it, right? 

So how can we bring the attitude of gratitude into our daily lives? Let me offer a few simple (and quick) ways.

1. Start a Gratitude Journal. I kid you not, I have a piece of paper in my nightstand that I write one thing I'm thankful for a day before I go to bed. I didn't even take the time to get an actual notebook...and you know what? It doesn't matter...it's still practicing gratefulness.

2. Set an Alarm. On the hour, every (waking) hour, when the alarm goes off, say something for which you're thankful. I'm starting this with my kiddos during Thanksgiving break...and we are going to use "Alexa" because it's more fun than way. 

3. Phone (or text) a Friend. Find someone who you can text something your thankful for each day and vice versa...a built-in accountability partner.

4. Get Social. Post daily something you give thanks for...invite others to join.

5. Stop Light/Sign. Drive, walk, bike, run a lot (or at all)? Each time you stop at a stop light or stop sign, give thanks!

There are a million ways to do this, the point is just get started!

Today, I'm thankful for cozy blankets and yummy candles. 

6 Tips for Keeping Thanksgiving Delicious AND Healthy

It's almost here: Thanksgiving Day!  The day when it's perfectly acceptable to day drink while eating a crazy big meal at like 2 o'clock in the afternoon, take a nap (we call it "watching football" in my house) and then have 4 different kinds of pie for desert at 5....and then around 7....do it all again...probably while watching the first of many Christmas movies of the season.

So, in review, Thanksgiving is amazing...but I dread the bloat and sluggishness afterwards...anyone else? The average Thanksgiving dinner clocks in at 3.000 calories…gasp...not shocking that we feel a bit sickly afterwards!! 

So...in order to make my Thanksgiving eating a bit more balanced and the day more meaningful, I am following these simple tips and swap outs and be thankful for a fun filled, guilt-free day of celebration!

1. Start the day off right with a little time for gratitude. I mean, the day is actually called THANKSgiving! This could even be done on days that are NOT called Thanksgiving. In fact, according to a Harvard study,  "gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships." Welp...that seals the deal for me!

2. Get that body MOVING with a metabolism boosting workout. Get outside for a walk, sign up for a turkey trot, do this calorie torcher or just move your body with a dance party (this is a no-judgement zone).

3. Fill up on the good stuff.

• Start with soup…yep…hot liquids make you feel fuller, so scoop up a healthy bowl full of goodness like this festive butternut squash soup.
• White meat turkey (15% less calories than it’s dark counterpart)
• Raw, steamed, grilled or roasted veggies like these tasty Brussels sprouts
• “Lighter” mashed potatoes (make yours with unsweetened, unflavored almond milk and 1 TBSP ghee...it's richer tasting than butter so you need less!)
• Gravy…that’s right, I said gravy. It’s only about 80 calories per 2 tbsp and is more than half the calories of the sugary cranberries.
• Bring a protein and fiber packed dish like quinoa. I make a yummy one with sweet potatoes and black beans; you have to try it!
• Pumpkin Pie (180 calories vs. 250 in apple and up to 700 in pecan!!)

3. Skip the not-as-great stuff.

• Bread…you can eat bread any day…don’t waste your Thanksgiving calories on bread
• Butter…there is butter in nearly everything on Thanksgiving so give your mashed potatoes the benefit of the doubt (that they taste great) and leave the butter on the table
• Pass on the green bean casserole…yes, this tasty dish contains veggies, BUT it’s not enough to count this dish as a side vegetable what with all the fried onions and cream. Grab the steamed for fresh veggies instead

4. Ditch the drinks…just kidding. But remember that alcohol lowers your inhibition with what you put in your mouth (as well as what comes out of it) so just be careful.

5. Stay awake. While napping during the game might seem like a good idea, a better idea for increased energy is to go on a brisk, post-feast walk. Not only will you get your blood circulating, heart rate up and thus an avalanche of energy, but you’ll also be burning off some of the pie you just ate!

6. Relax…it’s a holiday. Although you don’t need to overindulge so much you make yourself sick, it’s still a holiday with some special food that is a one-day-deal...or a few days if you're into leftovers. So, take everything that’s special to you and skip the stuff that’s not.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Your Next 25-Minute Weight Training Workout

This 25-minute workout hit the spot this past Sunnday morning...so I thought I'd share. (Just ignore the leaves that snuck into my garage-haha.) It gets every muscle group in the body, is quick and effective. Grab the heaviest dumbbells you can for each exercise. Want to know why you should be lifting heavier weights? I'll give you 6 good reasons. 

It's a timed workout with 35 seconds set aside for each exercise-you can easily get in 10-12 reps per set-choose your weight accordingly.

Here's the Deal

Warm up for a few minutes and then each exercise for 35 seconds before moving on to the next in the list. Minimize break time to get a bit of a cardio pop too! Go through the list 4 times total and cool down/stretch however you would like. I've also included links to photos of the exercise if you need it.

Here's the Work
3 minute warm up (abs, walk, run, bike, etc.)

1. Goblet Squat
2. Deadlift
3. Band Row
4. Chest Fly
5. Triceps Dips
6. Single Arm Front Raises
7. Bent Over Reverse Flies
8. Jumping Jacks (just for fun)

(run through the list 4 times total)

Stretch

6 Excellent Reasons to Lift Weights

No disrespect to cardio ...it's just sometimes good to lift some weight. In fact, everyone can benefit from lifting heavier weight (unless there is a medical condition preventing safe lifting!) Not only does lifting weights make you stronger it does all of these things for us as well (and yes...you too, ladies!).

Benefits of lifting weights:

1. You get stronger (duh)....and achieve defined muscles
2. You raise your metabolic rate for up to 16 hours-that means you continue to burn calories well after you've finished your workout (cardio can't say that)
3. You burn almost exclusively fat-yep, you read that right-just fat
4. You prevent injury by strengthening all the muscles around joints and such
5. You increase flexibility and mobility (when you lift with a full range of motion-that means all the way up and down in the movement)
6. You increase bone density (stay away osteoporosis)

So grab some weights and get to work! Click here for a 25-minute full body (dumbbell and band). 

Need help getting started with weights? I'm currently taking new clients...whether you want someone to create a workout for you to do on your own or a personal trainer to be with you every lift of the way (see what I did there?). Email me at erin@ehfitness.com.

Hearty Shepherd's Pie

This dish has your entire meal needs covered: protein, veggies, carbs-all in one scoop! Recipes like this are so great because you can sub things based on what you have in your kitchen or to your taste preferences-it's the best!

Here's how I make my clean and easy Shepherd's pie, but feel free to change out the ground meat for a vegetarian option, ground beef or lamb or a combo! I have also made this dairy and gluten free-it's delicious!

E. H. Fitness' Shepherd's Pie

(6 servings)

What you need:

...for the mashed potato topping:

• 2-3 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 TBSP avocado oil (you can use butter if not dairy free)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened original coconut milk (you are welcome to use cow's milk/cream if not dairy free)
• 1 egg yoke
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

...for the meat filling

• 2 TBSP oil (I used avocado)
• 1 lb ground turkey (or your choice or ground meat or protein)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 TBSP coconut aminos (or Worcestershire sauce)
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 TBSP arrowroot powder (or flour if not gluten free)
• 1 cup chicken broth (or beef or vegetable)
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (the carrot, pea, corn, green bean mix)

What you do: 

1. Put the peeled and diced potatoes in a pan with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil and let them cook until they are easily pierced with a fork
2. While the potatoes are boiling, heat 2 TBSP of oil in a pan and sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes, making sure not to brown or burn them by stirring constantly.
3. Add ground turkey to the onion and garlic mixture and brown it until fully cooked
4. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper
5. Wisk together coconut aminos, tomato paste, arrowroot powder and broth and add to the meat mixture
6. Add frozen veggies to meat mixture and bring the mixture to a boil, bring to simmer and stir occasionally for 5 minutes
7. Take the meat mixture off heat and let sit
8. Set oven to 400 degrees
9. Drain potatoes and add oil, "milk," salt, pepper, garlic powder and mash or whip together to make smooth mashed potatoes, add egg yolk while stirring or whipping fast! 
10. Assemble the pie by pouring the meat mixture into a 9x9 baking dish, top with potatoes-you can cover the entire thing or just go with scoops on top (that’s my fav way).
11. Bake for 30 minutes
12. Cool for a little bit  and serve!

Enjoy!