Pork Souvlaki Kabobs Recipe

By Stacey Nolan Young

The summer isn`t over yet so there is no reason to be putting those barbeques away. In the spirit of summer I thought I`d give away a quick and easy recipe sure to impress your family and guests…or even just yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb boneless pork loin or tenderloin
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper

Preparation:

1. Prepare this the night before as this dish tastes best when the meat has marinated for 2-24 hours.
2. Trim and cut pork into 1 inch cubes. In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, extra virgin oil, garlic, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add pork and stir to coat. Place covered into refrigerator until ready to grill.
3. Evenly thread pork onto six 8-inch skewers.
4. Grill the meat on the barbeque, turning until well browned, about 15 minutes. 

Tips:

• Wooden skewers should be soaked in water for several minutes before using.
• Serve with whole grain pita slices and a greek salad.
• You can subsititute chicken for the pork as well.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release of our recipe book featuring tons of great and healthy meal ideas and tips!

Enjoy!

Add comment August 26th, 2009

A Way To Kill The Sweet Craving

By Stacey Nolan Young

Have you ever just eaten your dinner and suddenly you get this intense desire for something sweet? Or perhaps it is later on when the hunger settles in again? You begin thinking about all of these yummy treats and desserts and before you know it you are running out to your variety store to satisfy that particular craving.

What if I had a solution for you that won’t cost you in terms of inches on your body?

I had a client who suffered from pretty strong sweet cravings at night, especially around a time of the month where her “friend” would visit. Not wanting to destroy any of the progress she had made in terms of her weight loss, she came up with a solution that satisfied the craving and she could sleep a dreamless sleep no longer filled with ice cream cones and chocolate. Here is what she did.

She would cut up fruit, strawberries, banana and pineapple. Really you could use whatever fruit you like. And she would put a serving size portion in a bowl and add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the mix. The rest of the cut up fruit would go into the fridge for another day. Note: the syrup she used was ED Smith No Sugar Added Syrup. You can find this at most local grocery stores.

If you are averse to using artificial sweeteners then just the fruit alone may do the trick as fruit contains plenty of natural sugars and can be very sweet.

Try this trick next time you experience a craving and you may get a sweet surprise!

Add comment May 6th, 2009

Man Boobs, No More Crunches, & the Anti Cardio Fat Loss Program

By Mark Young

This week on our 10 week Spec Fit makeover, cadet Mark Clem talks about “man boobs” and I discuss my disdain for crunches and why you don’t need to do “cardio” to get into the best shape of your life.  Check it out HERE.

Also, in case you missed it, here are two more brief articles that you may not have seen this week.

In this article I detail a breakdown of what a workout should look like if you hope to get strong and remain injury free while losing unsightly body fat.  Click HERE to read more.

And finally, if you think losing weight means eating endless salads and other boring, tasteless foods that are more fit for rabbits than humans, you’re in for a surprise.  Check out the article HERE for a great meal idea that won’t leave you dreading the day you ever decided to get in shape for summer.

Add comment May 2nd, 2009

Great Oil. Great Salad.

Most of us are aware that olive oil has some fantastic health benefits.  However, you’d be hard pressed to find olive oil as the main ingredient in any store bought salad dressing. 

Seriously.  Give this a try. 

Instead, most salad dressings are made with canola oil.  Despite the relatively high amount of healthy Omega 3 fats found in the unrefined version of canola oil, processing typically removes them to preserve shelf life.

Since Omega 3s tend to degrade when exposed to heat and light, leaving them unrefrigerated on a shelf in a clear plastic bottle would allow them to go rancid.  They need to be refined to allow the product to last longer.  The result is a lower grade processed oil without the beneficial properties initially touted as part of the reason for choosing canola oil in the first place.

Instead, you’d be better off to use extra virgin olive oil to create your own salad dressings.  Unlike canola oil, extra virgin olive oil is a heart healthy monounsaturated fat.  There are no Omega 3s so there is no risk of spoilage and it does not have to be refined.  In fact, the words “extra virgin” mean that the product has not been processed.

In place of commercial salad dressings you can just whip up a couple batches of simple olive oil dressings to keep handy at home.  Store them in containers to be used conveniently whenever needed.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part extra virgin olive oil
Add a little basil, oregano, and sea salt if desired

Raspberry Vinaigrette

2 parts raspberry vinegar
1 part extra virgin olive oil
Splenda or Stevia to taste

 
Bon appetite!

Add comment January 9th, 2008