Congratulations to Base Fitness client, Vince Piscar, 2012 Success Story of the Year!  A year's worth of hard work, dedication and consistency has paid off for paving the road to a healthier and happier life!

“It has been 14 months since I started working with Jamie. When I first met her on October 24, 2011, I weighed 390 pounds. As of this writing, I weigh 232 pounds. She set me up with a great workout plan, helped me know what I was doing at the gym. Losing this weight has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but Jamie saved my life.”

Vince Piscar

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After

Happy Holidays to all my BFSP clients and followers!  I have decided to make December a non-recipe month... Reason why - The holidays main focus should not be on food!

The holiday season is a time to focus on our loved ones!  Many of our loved ones will be traveling long distances to be with us so take advantage of this time to make each moment count! 

Remember to laugh with each other - it is a great way to alleviate stress!

Remember to exercise - take a brisk walk with your loved ones; it is also a great way to bond and alleviate stress!

Lastly, remember to embrace your loved ones - A caring hug always brightens the day!

Don’t let the veggies go to waste!  If you are part of the norm you probably buy too many vegetables and let them sit in your fridge until they go bad.  Here is a great tip to utilize all those fresh vitamin and mineral packed veggies. 

Dice up everything in the veggie drawer except the lettuce (carrots, celery, onions, garlic, green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, zucchini, etc…).  If you have any type of squash, such as spaghetti squash cut it in half, cover in plastic wrap and place in the microwave for about 7 - 10 minutes.  The squash should be tender and easy to dice.

Place enough olive oil in your soup pot and drop all of the diced veggies into the pot.  Sauté the veggies until they are soft and drain the excess olive oil from the soup pot. 

Add a 16 ounce can of all natural organic diced tomatoes (saltless or low sodium preferred).  If you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes, dice them up in a food processor yielding approximately 16 ounces. 

Add 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth. 

Feel free to add any fresh herb or dried herb to the soup. 

I also like to add one can of drained low sodium organic garbanzo beans for extra fiber and protein. 

Let the soup come to a boil and reduce to a simmer until all of the flavors have blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember to hold the salt just a little! 

Halloween is a fun time to dress up but how about dressing up your salad and food!

Whenever I write up diet plans for my training clients a common question I usually receive is “What type of dressing should I use on my salad or what can I put on my food to add flavor?” This month’s recipes will focus on healthy alternatives to your usual store bought salad dressing and condiments.

I enjoy getting creative in the kitchen and using whatever fruit or fresh herbs I have on hand.  Two of my family’s favorites are Orange Basil dressing and Lemon Dill dressing.

Orange Basil Dressing

2-3 Oranges, Squeeze the juice of the oranges into your food processor

Add one handful of fresh basil

Add approximately ½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add 1-2 teaspoons of agave syrup (dependent on your taste buds)

Puree all ingredients in your food processor and you are ready to dress your salad!

Lemon Dill Dressing

Squeeze approximately 1/3 cup of lemon juice into your food processor

Add a small handful of fresh dill

Add ½ Cup of EVO

Add 1 tablespoon of agave syrup

Optional - Season with garlic powder, fresh black pepper

Puree all ingredients in your food processor and dress up your salad!

Tofu Mayonnaise

½ Block of silken or soft tofu

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 ½ Cups of flour (your preference i.e. whole wheat, almond meal, oat flour, gluten free…)

½ Cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 Cup Dark Agave Nectar

3 Eggs (Or the equivalent of liquid egg white)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Cup unsweetened applesauce

2 Cups packed grated zucchini (remove the skin)

1 ½ Cups dark chocolate chips (70% or more)

Combine  flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the eggs and agave nectar.  Add in the applesauce and vanilla extract, combine for a few minutes.

Blend your dry and wet mixtures together to form the consistency of brownie batter.

Add your zucchini and continue blending for a few minutes.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Coat 2 loaf pans with non-stick spray.

Pour the batter into the sprayed pans. 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.  Test for doneness using a butter knife.

Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. 

Hello Base Fitness fans it has been a long time since I updated this blog!  Many requests from my clients revolve around healthy recipes, so I am going to make it my personal goal to share one of my favorite recipes every month. 

The end of summer may seem disheartening, but to me this means fresh vegetables from my garden or local farms!  With an overabundance of tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers and more.. why not try a noodle less lasagna!

Eggplant / Zucchini Parmesan

First prepare the sauce by pureeing about 30 ounces of fresh tomatoes in your food processor.  Place the puree in a deep pot, add a couple cloves of minced garlic, fresh basil, fresh thyme, and any other salt less spice.  I also add one small can of tomatoe paste to thicken the sauce.  Bring to a boil then turn down to a slow simmer.  Make sure you stir the sauce to prevent from sticking to the pot.

(In olive oil you can also saute onions, peppers and garlic in the pot before adding the puree)

Slice up one large eggplant

Slice up one large zucchini

Heat a frying pan with olive oil.  Soften the eggplant and zucchini.  You can add any salt less spice while softening.