Kiya and James: Fitness Superstars

In 2009, Emily and I took the best vacation ever, to Amansala resort in Tulum, Mexico for a little something called "bikini bootcamp" (which is now located in Ibiza, Spain... a reason to go again?)
We were lucky enough to go during a really unpopular time.  It was the end of the season, and the weather had potential to be extremely hot.  That combined with a series of scary things happening to tourists near the Mexican border, and a plague of swine flu caused all of the other campers to bail on their reservations, leaving Emily and I alone with 3 personal trainers who also served as our personal tour guides for our 6 day stay.  6+ hours of physical activity a day, with fresh, fabulous food and gorgeous scenery.  It was absolutely amazing.

the staff at Bikini Bootcamp 2009: Carla, James, and Kiya (the 2 regular peeps in the front are Emily and myself)

The reason I am posting about it now is because I think our stay there was partially responsible for my attitudes about fitness today.  It was a physical, emotional, and personal challenge to focus on ourselves for that time, and to be separated from all of our technology and responsibilities.  I don't think I could thank the staff enough for their impact on me.

We spent the most time with Kiya and James (who are now married, Mazel Tov!), and I have followed them both on facebook since we got back.  I was very excited to see that Kiya was featured on the cover of Scottsdale Health in June (you can see here feature on the website here)!

I just wanted to spend this post giving a shout-out to Kiya and James for continuing to do such amazing things for the health and wellness of people and the planet.  You guys are fabulous!

Fish Tacos in Bell Pepper Boats

Fish Tacos in Bell Pepper Boats!

(feeds 2 adults) 

My first recipe post!

I came up with this when I wanted fish tacos bad, but I was feeling too lazy to go to the store, and we were out of tortillas... and also most of the other stuff you need to make tacos.

But what I DID have was this:

1. 2 tilapia fillets

2. 2 bell peppers (personally, I think the yellow ones are the tastiest)

3. 1 avocado

4. some sriracha (but salsa or taco sauce will also work)

5. plain, nonfat greek yogurt

I know, the yogurt sounds weird, but since I first tried the stuff I thought, I HAVE to use this as a sour cream substitute... because by itself, the stuff is foul.  Also, it gives you all the creaminess, none of the fat, and tons of protein!

So, in an ideal world where you purchase your groceries ahead of time, instead of staring blankly into your half-empty fridge, here's what you do:

1. Spray a baking dish with canola oil and put your tilapia filets in with a little salt, squeeze of lime, and a sprinking of chili powder.  Bake until its flaky and white ( I don't know, 10 mins at 410 degrees?)

2. Cut your bell peppers into the natural little boats they are made of.  Some peppers have 3 boats and others have 4.  I haven't seen ones with 5 boats, but I'm assuming it's lucky, so go play the lottery if you find one.

3. Smoosh a whole avocado in a separate little bowl to make sort-of-guacamole.

4. Stuff your peppers in this order: fish, then avocado smoosh, then sriracha (or salsa), then a dollop of greek yogurt.

Then you can eat them with a knife and fork like my civilized husband, or try desperately to cling to the notion that these are, in fact, tacos, insist it is possible to hold them and eat them, and in the process, get a ton of greek yogurt up your nose.  Your choice.

(It's nice to have a piece of fruit on the plate too, in case you made them on the spicy-side, or in the case that your +1 is a big wuss.)

Enjoy!

(Stats: Calories: 330, Protein: 33g, Fat: 16g, Dietary Fiber: 9g.  If you want to cut down the fat, use 1/4 avocado for each meal instead of 1/2.  That will bring the fat count down to 8.5g)

Welcome!

That's me playing "Segway Hero" at Emily's house.

Hi Everyone!
My name is Gretchen, and I am a self-proclaimed on-again off-again health nut. Like most weight-conscious Americans, I tend to oscillate between gorging myself and going hungry, or running 10 miles and getting winded on the stairs at work. I participate in the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia every year (for the last 4 years), and I tend not to run much in between. Last year, a rep from the gym where I have a membership called to ask where I had been in the last 3 months. You know, life happens.
The reason I wanted to start this blog is because... well, currently, I'm "on-again," but also, I'd love to share the things that I have learned, and that my body has enjoyed, over the last few years. I'm hoping writing about it will motivate me to keep it up, and maybe inspire some other peeps to join in. I'm going to post recipes, activities, and stories that inspire me.

So, thanks for stopping by! I'll be posting soon :)