Kristen's" Fitness Is A Lifestyle" Daily Tips

December 1st: 6am FAT BURNIN FINALE #1: PUTTING THE TURKEY BURN INTO ACTION Don't miss the kickoff of the FAT BURNING CLASSES December 8th: FAT BURNIN FINALE #2: Boxing, BOSU'S, Biking, Burpee's and a whole lot of BUTT-KICKIN...the FUSION WAY!!! December 15th: FAT BURNIN FINALE #3: Sexy, Strong, (non) Skinny girl workout - for the girl who isn't scared of a little muscle. Bring the ammo because it's time to show off our guns, ladies!!! December 22nd: FAT BURNIN FINALE #4:  THIRTY NINE of MY favorite cardio drills, agility moves, lifting techniques, combo's and timed intervals set to my kind of music!!! Celebrate this long-duration class with your FUSION TEAM before the short week ahead. December 29th: PRE-NEW YEAR's EVE BASH...a rockin workout to ring in 2013 with the best kind of FUSION - Style workout....hard-core, non-stop, sweaty, exhausting, and kick-ass!!!  FAT BURNING FINALE SATURDAY'S cost a total of $12 for all 4 or it is a $6 drop

This Quinoa salad recipe is really all you need. Those in the Saturday PT group, this is exactly what I mean by going plant-based. You get plenty of protein for tissue repair and tissue recovery, plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber for GI health, and plenty of complex carbohydrates for sustained energy and muscle contractions. In addition to the macronutrients, you get so many vitamins, mineral, phytochemicals, antioxidants...you just can't go wrong with a healthy meal as this one. You can use it in wraps, top it on leaf lettuce, use it in lettuce wraps, or with Thanksgiving next week, why not bring it as the "healthy" alternative to all the other fat laden foods. SALAD 1 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa,rinsed & drained 1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, rinsed & drained 1 large red onion, chopped 1 1/2  cups fresh cilantro, snipped 1 large red pepper, diced 2 large tomatoes, diced 1/2 cup organic apricots, snipped into slivers VINAIGRETTE

1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 - 2-inch florets  (5-6 cups) 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water 1 tsp gray sea salt, plus more when pureeing 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 1 heaping tbs fresh herbs, to garnish In large sauce pot or steamer, place cauliflower, garlic, broth or water and sea salt. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Puree in two batches in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. With motor running, add 1/4 cup cooking liquid, half the olive oil, pepper and pinch of sea salt to each batch. Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer to serving dish, top with herbs and serve hot. Substitute food processor  handheld blender. Makes a nice substitute for mashed potatoes. Can add seasoning of your choice, or dry mustard powder, Curry powder, or a little Parmesan cheese.

1 -2 tsp minced garlic  1 (15 - ounce) can organic black beans 1/2 cup fresh salsa  2 tbs fresh lime juice 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin, chili pepper, fresh or dried, to tast. Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste fresh cilantro for garnish Measure all ingredients into food processor, except sea salt and perpper. Process until smooth. Season to taste and transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with veggies, organic tortilla chips, Pita Chips, or use on top of potatoes, wraps, wild rice, Organic crackers. Makes a low-fat and low calorie, higher fiber & protein snack dip other than the cream based dips that are high in fat and low in nutrition.

The holiday season is in full swing and with that brings more sweets, high- calorie snacking, holiday parties, and heavy meals....basically, portions & servings sizes may be the last thing on everyone's mind but shouldn't be. So, I want to remind you all once again the importance of making the commitment to your daily workout classes and increasing daily overall activity & movement. During the day while at work get up and walk around more, stand more as standing burns more calories than sitting, and take 10....10 minutes of leisurely walking before lunch and after dinner help to raise your calorie burn. All this extra movement has been shown to keep your Resting Metabolic Rate working efficiently utilizing energy for our body's to stay in that homeostatic state. Burning off an additional 100 calories daily adds up to a lot of calories be expended overtime. This is also the time of year you really want to plan out & prepare  your snacks, lunches, and dinners