My 1st Blog Post…

….and it’s about fish. Is that weird? This isn’t just any ol’ fish though; this is my very favorite, super delicious, even-if-you-don’t-love-fish-you’ll-love-this-fish, fish. This recipe comes from my training buddy Yo:

Yo’s Basil & Citrus Salmon
2 T lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1 T Basil
1 t lemon pepper
1/2 t salt
1 lb Salmon

Preheat oven to 350*.  Spray a baking sheet with spray oil.  Place Salmon on the baking sheet.  Stir the remaining ingredients together and spread on top of salmon.  Bake for 30 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork.

Serves 4
Each 4 oz serving has approximately 171 calories, 29g Protein.  1g Carbs. 5g fat

Serve it over salad, brown rice, or broccoli slaw (that’s my fav way to eat it! YUM! It gives it a great texture.  I’ll have to share my super simple broccoli slaw recipe soon!) Besides the yum factor this recipe has healthy fats which, among other things, help in absorption of important vitamins and aid in proper brain functioning. The salmon is also packed with protein which will help build muscle and keep us feeling full.
Nutrition is such a huge part of being fit, but for me it’s important that my food be not just healthy, but delicious.  It took me some time to learn to like nutritious food.  For many years I lived on a steady diet of gooey comfort food and sugary cereal (my love for the latter still runs deep and I indulge a few times a year!) Over time I found ways to prepare food that would supply me with the nutrients I needed to be fit and the flavor I needed to just enjoy life.  I have even learned to like vegetables! (much to my mother’s shock!)
What I’m saying is that eating to support a fit body and enjoying our lives doesn’t have to be an either or situation.  If you don’t think you could look forward to healthy food each day, or that you could possibly change the way you eat and still enjoy life I’m here to plant the seed in your mind that you can. If I can do it anyone can! Seriously.  Here’s how I did it:

1.  I made up my mind to do it.
2.  I tried things multiple times. (Our palates really can change)
3.  I paired things I was leery of with things I knew I liked.
4.  I thought about what ways I generally like food prepared and then prepared new-to-me foods in that       way. For me it’s grilled. To me, everything tastes better grilled, so I started grilling lots of different             veggies. That’s how I learned to enjoy zucchini,peppers, and yellow squash.
5.  When trying to do a direct swap ( like subbing almond milk for regular milk) I tried to think of the new     item as a totally different food.  I expected it to taste different.  This way I wasn’t disappointed and      could appreciate the food for what it was rather than be disappointed in what it wasn’t.
6.  I did it a little at a time. Changing our habits is not a quick thing.

So what’s your biggest barrier to eating healthy?  What has helped you to clean up your eating? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!