By far, the biggest request I have been getting lately is for more health and fitness posts.
I have definitely made 2017 my year of trying to get serious about my workouts and branching out more in the kitchen with healthy recipes. Anything to keep my weekend indulgences!
I saw this recipe when my friend posted it on snapchat, and I e-mailed her immediately for the recipe! Who doesn’t love those asian noodle meals loaded with sauce and veggies? But they are always filled with preservatives and GMO and OMG who knows what else. Swap out the noodles for spaghetti squash and make all of the ingredients fresh and clean and you get all of the flavor without any of the guilt! I also love a meal that I can eat large portions of, and this is definitely it!
It’s packed full of veggies and keeps you full with the added protein from the chicken.
I have seen similar recipes but they all require much more work – the bag of frozen veggies makes this SUCH an easy thing to whip together, and the leftovers are great for work the next day.
- One large spaghetti squash
- Chicken breast, I used about 1 pound
- 1 tablespoon of siracha
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
- 1 large glove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger
- 1 frozen veggie mix (corn, peas, carrots and green beans)
- coconut oil (can use canola instead)
- salt/pepper to taste
- cook spaghetti squash (I cut it length wise, put it face down in a dish with some water and microwave until its soft and then scrape out the inside)
- saute sliced chicken in oil, salt and a little soy sauce until cooked through
- separately combine garlic, ginger and oil on low, and cook until fragrant
- add frozen veggies to garlic and ginger mixture and cook until thawed
- add spaghetti squash, soy sauce and siracha to veggie mixture. Cook on medium, covered for 3-5 minutes.
- Add chicken breast and serve.
this recipe was emailed by a friend
so if you know an original source let me know so I can give credit!
:: FITNESS UPDATE ::
One of my 2017 Intentions was to try a new workout class each month.
We are in month 5 and I think technically I have been to 5 new-to-me studio since then! (I have worked very hard at climbing out of my workout-shell…. I used to never go to any class alone, but I have lost my Chicago workout buddies, so now I am venturing out and embarrassing myself in front of large groups of strangers regularly!)
This month I went to a class that I have been wanting to try for months and luckily is on ClassPass (although the class times are limited because spots in prime time AM and PM fill up quickly!)
It’s an Atlanta studio (sorry non-locals!) called Sculpthouse, which is a class that is half Megaformer/Pilates machine and half cardio on a Curve Treadmill.
Needless to say, it is quite the stylish space. The aesthetics of it are incredible and it doesn’t look like any other workout studio or gym I have been in. The changing area alone looks like something out of a boutique! And they also have quite the large storefront with tons of cute workout clothes. Prices are just slightly above my favorites from Old Faithful Navy, and by slightly, I mean largely. But the browsing while waiting for class is really fun and they did have a good sale section!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t there to shop, but rather to get my ass kicked.
And get my ass kicked I did! I always have a hard time (i.e. ramble, and ramble big time) describing a workout class so I found a review to help.
This article (from one of my favorite health + wellness sites, Well + Good)
summarizes the studio and what it is all about:
“Sculpthouse is the only studio that combines the uber-trendy Megaformer with a treadmill (an NFL-approved Woodway Curve one, at that) for a seriously intense workout—think Barry’s Bootcamp for the Pilates-on-crack obsessed. Founded by SLT veteran Katherine Mason, the high-end studio in Buckhead offers both interval classes and classic Megaformer sessions—either way, you’ll be leaving with trembling abs and limbs. The studio’s also a boutique that sells the hottest activewear (Koral, Michi, and Terez, among others) and natural post-gym beauty essentials from Tata Harper and Soapwalla (and more), so you can get your fitness and fashion taken care of in one chic locale.”
For my first class, the instructor put me in the middle of the Megaformers so that I would have people to my left and right to watch and follow along. She also did a a great job helping correct me during the 25 minute portion of the moves. It’s all about super slow and controlled movements and you can definitely feel them the next day!
Thank goodness the instructor had me start on the Megaformer. She said if I did the treadmill first I could be too exhausted for the Pilates based portion {and she was definitely correct.} These Curve treadmills have no motor and they are powered entirely by you and your body weight. And WOW is it a much harder running workout. For the treadmill portion of class, you follow a TV screen that leads you from Level 1 to Level 4 and it’s very easy to follow. Let’s just say Orange Theory made me feel like I was actually a runner, BLAST made me feel like I was a jogger/runner, and Sculpthouse slapped some sense back into me and made me feel like an amateaur jogger. But in the best way. It is such a harder workout without the motor. I would start to move forward when slowing down and my feet hitting that spot would actually make it go faster and I’d be thinking NO IM TIRED! SLOWER! AH! But they are perfectly easy to use. When I was walking to my car after class I felt like I was still walking as if I was on the curve (aka looked like a straight up lunatic).
By the end of the class, I was drenched in sweat. And I loved it. Even though I hate not knowing what I’m doing and it can be a little embarrassing, this is worth it. I think it is such a unique combination of toning and cardio and a great way to switch things up and keep your body guessing.
They do have different types of classes that can be more whole body or more focused on certain parts, but I have just been taking whatever is available on ClassPass which has been total body and I like it!
I have read some mixed reviews about the classes, with people saying its hard to follow and not for everyone. I can understand these critiques, because the instructor names all of these crazy positions and I have no idea what shes talking about. But I think you just need to be comfortable not knowing in the beginning, and tell the people next to you that you are going to stare at them to copy them like I did (you know…. so as not to be a total creep, warn them of your staring in advance!) and then it’s much easier. I only have 2 classes under my belt but honestly staring at people was easy enough for me to follow along even when the teacher wasn’t doing a demo.
Sorry for those of you not in Atlanta that don’t have this studio! Hopefully you just skipped over!
I know I still haven’t posted a Food Journal that you all keep asking for,
so I’m hoping to have that as my next Tone It Up Tuesday post!
I figure maybe after Memorial Day weekend? That way I can post my 3 days of healthy meals from the previous week and be a complete and utter hypocrite because I will have just eaten everything in sight and drank my face off for 3 days?
Sound like a plan? Mmmmk great!
Any new workout classes you recommend?
Or amazing healthy recipes to try!? Let me know!
Ahh, I keep thinking I’m going to run into you IRL at Blast or something. I’m always looking for a workout buddy. It’s funny that you recently tried sculpthouse. I just started at [solidcore]. yes, the parenthesis are are thing. Did I spell that right? anyway, megaformer, whoa! definitely humbling, but who knows, it makes me feel like I might actually find abs in my stomach instead of my bad food choices, so I think i’m going to keep at it. While it’s hard, there’s only room for 11 people, so I feel like you get a lot of coaching attention, and there are high fives at the end. The high fives make me feel better. Also shout out to Bejay at Burn, great recommendation, he’s hilarious. I’m doing his Pitbull ride on Saturday, looking forward to that. Anyway, have a great day.
I hope I run into you soon! Blast I do sporadically when I can get my 3 in from ClassPass and I normally am at Bejay Mon and Tues and try to make it Thursday but can’t always from work! I am out of town this weekend otherwise I had wanted to do his Pitbull ride; he is definitely my favorite instructor he’s so great!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks for the studio rec. This place sounds great! There is something to be said for a chic studio. Another one you should try is The Daily in West Midtown, they’re on ClassPass — http://www.doitonthedaily.com The space is beautiful and the owner and teachers are so sweet and helpful! They have reformer and pilates classes, including hip hop pilates! 🙂 But my favorite is the Remix class — it’s a HIIT class.
Thanks Shai! I will definitely check it out – looks amazing! Have a great weekend!
I do megaformer but my studio only does classes with a max of 6 people so instructors are very hands on! Don’t think I would be able to follow on a TV, props to you. It really is a killer class
I wish it could be just 6 of us! More hands on would help a lot (and keep me from staring at everyone like a creep!)
I wish I had as much go-getterness to try so many new classes!! Totally not a recipe but I’ve been hooked on these microwaveable quinoa and rice pouch things that I found at sprouts, I just throw in chicken and some veggies, usually zucchini and yellow squash (and sometimes cheese) and call it a meal! – http://www.seedsofchangefoods.com/our_foods/product.aspx?c=rth&p=285
It’s super quick and healthy to throw together on a weeknight!
This sounds delicious, great quick dinner idea! I’ve tried a similar quinoa pouch and love it.
I just moved to Atlanta and wanted to try Class Pass. Do you have to pay another fee to take classes or once you pay for your class pass you are set to take the number of classes you signed up for? Love trying new classes!
Hey Victoria! Welcome to Atlanta! No, once you sign up you do not have to pay extra money for any class – anything on their site is included. You just can pick from different plans for 3 classes, 5 classes, or 10 classes per month. Here is a discount referral code too!
http://class.ps/emOox
Awesome! Thanks so much! Love your blog!
I just wanted to say that I love your blog, and especially love your link to the protein pancakes a week or so ago. I love tone it up, but really hate their pancake recipe — always mushy! but the ones with applesauce, eggs and Perfect are amazing! I have had them everyday for the past week, so thank you for posting!!!
So glad that you love them Caitlin; I am obsessed! Ever since I found the recipe I have never made the TIU ones again because I completely agree. I make them for dinner almost every night during the week when my husbands away for work and I never have gotten sick of them! Thanks for reading 🙂