Pan seared salmon with pineapple salsa

Salmon with pineapple salsa salad

Here is a tasty light dinner that is perfect for those warmer nights. The salmon is packed with protein and good fats such as Omega 3 and the salad has carbs derived from fruit and vegetables sources. I prefer not to eat grains at night and to keep things light before i go to bed. 

Ingredients:
For the salmon:

coconut oil for cooking
0.6 - 0.8 pounds of salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
1 tsp maple syrup
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
For the salad:
1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper
1  avocado, chopped
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 1/2 cups of arugula leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
For the dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
Juice of half a lime
Salt and pepper to taste  

Method:
Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to pan lightly coated with coconut oil and cook on low to medium for 5-8 minutes on both sides depending on how well done you like your salmon.  Once the salmon is almost cooked drizzle the maple syrup and squeeze of lemon juice and let cook for one more minute.
For the salad, add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Add the dressing to another small bowl and stir thoroughly. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve with the salmon.

Nutrition e book Spring sale - 40% off, May 1st.

For those who haven't added their detail, don't forget since I will be sending you all out a discount coupon code for my Nutrition e book in honour of Spring. I will be selling my book at 40% off but for 5 days only, starting May 1 until May 5.

 In order to look and feel your best for Summer, Spring is the time you need to start being more focused. It takes time to get the body you want and to lose weight safely and make sure that it stays off. No more crash diets. Only slow steady weight loss with a nutritious balanced diet and exercise. 

Lemon water - the real alkalizer

In the last few years there has been a lot of hype about alkaline water. There is no doubt that our diets are way too acidic as well as our water, however research is still inconclusive as to how beneficial water alkaline water is since it is the ash from breaking down what we ingest that has the profound acidic or alkalizing effect on our blood stream. Lemons for example are very acidic but the ash produced from breaking them down is actually highly alkalizing. So, if you are in doubt or tight for cash and can't afford all that expensive water, then squeezing some lemon in filtered water is will do the trick anyhow. 

squeeze some lemon into purified water. It is very alkalizing. 

Resistance training for women alone doesn't make you bulky.

Resistance training has a myriad of health benefits other than just keeping a sculpted body. 

My latest piece for On Target Publications Magazine discusses all the health benefits for women from performing resistance training. Unfortunately there is still this widespread stigma that women who lift weights will get bulky and too masculine looking. Society still dictates that to be 'attractive' one must be a delicate flower and that muscles are less feminine. 

I want to debunk this ridiculous myth once and for all. I have been training as an athlete my whole life and have spent a vast majority of my time exerting huge amount of forces through body weight exercises such as rope climbs, pull ups or explosive box jumps, as well as lifting weight with more than my body weight such as deadlifts. Although there is no denying that I am muscular, I still only weigh 60kg (130 pounds.) I am not an incredible hulk-ess and I don't weigh 100kg (220 pounds) as common thought would have you  believe  from the life time of training that I have undertaken.

If you are feeling too bulky, there are other factors that can contribute to feeling like you have thicker thighs such as higher levels of body fat which may be attributed to a poor diet. 

So ladies, relinquish the fear that weight lifting makes you too bulky, get into the gym and enjoy the myriad of health benefits that resistance training has to offer, such as:  

- increased metabolism, and ability to burn fat

- increased strength

- better posture to prevent injuries

-increases sense of wellbeing and better mood including, a decreased feeling so depression, reduced stress, increased sleep, increased self esteem

- reduced risk of heart disease, increased cardio vascular health and increased circulation

- increased libido. 

There are all great reasons to add some weights, or bodyweight strength circuit to  your program.

Skin care for Athletes

A proper skin care routine is important, especially for athletes who get sweaty every day.

I know as BJJ ladies we don't mind roughing it up so much. Being sweaty with messy hair and eternally in sports gear or a gi seems to be our default look. But underneath that disheveled exterior I think most of us like to have nice smooth skin. There are two ways that we can maintain good skin, one is from eating the right foods and staying hydrated, and the other is from using good skin care products and having a good skin care routine that ensures our skin is breathing and clean. 

Wash your face ASAP! 

The number one  thing you must do if you train BJJ or workout and get sweaty is to wash/shower as soon as you can right after a training session.  There are so many nasties from rolling around on the mat and the more time they have to settle on your skin, the greater the chance of ending up with something like ringworm or staph. The warm moist environment of sweaty skin is a paradise for  fungal infections. Infrequent washing also means that your skin is subjected to day to day dirt and germs which get into your pores and can lead to small lumpy inflammations and pimples. 

An antimicrobial skin cleaner/soap is a good idea from brands such as Defense Soap for your body, but I don't recommend using this on your face. If you want to wash up the nasties on your face, then something a little kinder to the skin such as tea tree oil soap that Defense Soap also makes would be a better option.

Defense soap, and with tea tree oil which is good for battling the nasties but not so harsh on your skin.

Here is the routine that you should be doing for smooth, vital skin:

Use a cleanser, not a soap bar on your face. I don't recommend that you wash your face with regular soap. The pH balance of most soaps are too harsh and they strip your skin of all the natural oils,  leaving your skin dry. Good cleansers will clean off the oil, debris, and makeup, sweat from training.

Follow with a Toner. Toners are meant to be used after cleansing. They help restore skin's pH balance after using a cleanser and they restore and repair the skin's surface after the cleansing.  

Moisturize every morning  and night. I think it is important to use a day cream and a night cream since they do have their differences. Most day creams tend to be a little lighter and contain an SPF sunscreen. In addition to moisturizing our faces we need to moisturizing our whole bodies. If you experience a lot of chafing from the gi or mat burn etc, this is particularly important since the chafing causes the skin to dry up and harden and can lead to ingrown hairs and clogged pores. Moisturizing after every training session will keep skin supple and soft. 

What do I use?

For the past 6 weeks I have been using the product line recommended called Arbonne RE9 and I have seen a noticeable difference in my skin. It's is fuller and more vibrant which is perfect to prevent those fine lines from  appearing. I am quite diligent about my routine and this in and of itself has made a difference. 

Arbonne RE9, Anti aging line. This is what I use now and I am not looking back.

The package that I have fallen in love with used all natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals and includes a: cleanser, toner, renewal serum, eye cream, a SPF day moisturizer and a hydrating night cream. All this sounds like a lot, but the reality is that if you want nice skin when you are 50, this is what we have to be doing now - washing, cleansing, toning and moisturizing. There is also a men's skin care line which is awesome. 
Check out the link and let me know if you are interested in purchasing the package from me and I can get you some details.  sophiadrysdalefitness@gmail.com
https://www.arbonne.com/discover/products/re9advanced.shtml

Breaking Muscle Magazine, 7 exercises for progressive upper body and core strength

This weekend another article was published all about upper body strength training with a focus on the core and the pushing movement. It is really important that if you are an athlete that you have the strength to create a strong frame to support your spine and maintain good posture.  This article demonstrates progressive exercises to get you from push  ups on your knees all the way to more challenging exercises such as push ups on a physio ball on one leg. All it takes is patience, perserverence and practice.

http://breakingmuscle.com/bodyweight/7-core-strengthening-push-up-progressions-for-female-athletes

Performing push ups on an unstable surface such as a physio ball forces your to work your stabilizers and engage your core.

The ideal In-between training snack

You may be one of those dedicated athlete who does back to back BJJ sessions, or who goes to the gym do weights followed by a run and  then stretching. If you are training or working out for anything longer than about 2 and half hours I highly recommend taking an easy and convenient snack with you to literally shove into your mouth as you move onto the next session - regardless if you are hungry or not. Your snack does not have to be fancy, just something that will maintain your blood sugar level and keep your energy  up for the next session.  Also, by eating something in between, this will keep your metabolism elevated and ensure that your body  is more efficient at burning fat rather than storing. Eating too little and going for too long without food is a sure fire way to depress your metabolism so that it processes the calories you consume more slowly and becomes more efficient at storing the calories you do provide.  In addition if you train a lot and don't eat regularly, this can compromise your immune system so that you are more likely to get sick.

 
Here are some very easy, basic snacks to take with you on your training marathons that contain protein, fats and carbs.

1/ Sliced apple and fruit and nut mix. 

Half an apple and a handful dried fruit and nut mix is all your need. Make sure to get the mix where the fruit has not be dried with sulphates.

2/ Hard boiled egg with half a banana.

One egg and half a banana should be enough to get your energy levels up without making your feel overly full.)

Any snack will do that contains some sugars which can be broken down by the body easily to provide immediate fuel to the working muscles as well as some protein. The fat keeps things smooth and consistent. These example so some good sources of fat, derived from nuts and the yolk in the egg. 

Lifestyle camp starting April 30 is just around the corner

The lagoon, where we can relax after a tough training session

The next Lifestyle Camp is just around the corner, starting April 30th the lucky ladies who have signed up will be enjoying a plethora of yummy home cooked healthy food, BJJ training, and some body balancing which is all necessary when you are an athlete. 
We will be visiting my favourite mediation center where we will do a guided meditation that will take us to a place of such deep peace and relaxation and also to some zen places near the lakes (who would have thought there were lakes in Las Vegas?)

This is going to be fun! I am looking forward to meeting some more incredible women through  the sport we all love!!!

The next camp May 23 has filled up for the Lifestyle spots  but there is still  the opportunity for those who would like to attend the training camp in preparation for the Worlds. Contact me on Sophiadrysdalefitness@gmail.com for reservations and enquiries.