If you’re a fan of crispy orange chicken from Chinese take-out restaurants then you are going to simply love this healthier at-home version. While traditional orange chicken dishes taste great they are filled with gluten, sugar, soy and unhealthy fats that cause weight gain. Not a good thing when you are trying to get fit and healthy!
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This version is much healthier so you can enjoy the flavors you love without any of the guilt.
This dish is really quick to throw together for a weeknight dinner and tastes so good you won’t believe it’s healthy. As a bonus you won’t get that big belly ache like with the take-out version. Enjoy!


What You Need
Serves 6
½cup orange juice concentrate (no sugar added)
3 Tablespoons coconut aminos
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Zest from one orange
3 cloves garlic, minced
Dash red pepper flakes
2 packets Stevia
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite sized pieces
Dash salt and pepper
Dash granulated onion
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 green onions, chopped
Instructions
1. Combine the orange juice concentrate, coconut aminos, olive oil, orange zest, red pepper flakes and Stevia in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil on medium-high.
3. Generously season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and granulated onion. Add chicken to hot skillet and brown on all sides.
4. When chicken is almost fully cooked, add the orange sauce, stirring to coat all of the chicken. Cook, uncovered, simmering the sauce until thickened and fully sticking to the chicken.
5. Garnish with sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onion.
Nutrition
One serving equals 282 calories, 12g fat, 505mg sodium, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 35g protein
I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!

​Our kids are eating too much junk. And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great.

The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Here are simple ways to help your kids eat healthier:


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1) Choose Whole Foods
Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children.
Offer your kids whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea.
2) Add Color
Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child’s plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.
Make it fun! Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you’ll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat.
3) Make Smart Substitutions
Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

• Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings. You could even make “Pizza Eggs” by adding marinara sauce, cheese and pepperoni to an omelet and avoid the crust altogether.
• Pasta: Make spaghetti with veggie noodles – see the recipe below!
• PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Instead make a PB&J with sprouted grain bread, pure peanut butter (with only peanuts and sea salt), and fruit-only jelly. This will provide real wholesome fuel for your child’s day.

4) Ban Sugary Drinks
One of the best things that you can do for your child’s good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop, juices, smoothies, and blended coffee drinks are filled with empty calories that cause weight gain.
The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don’t have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so that they grow accustom to drinking only water.
While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child’s diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Practice these tips for 30 days and I guarantee you’ll look and feel better.
Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well? You are your child’s biggest role model on how to live, for better or worse.
Treat yourself right by calling or emailing today to get started on an exercise program that will change your life for the best.

           Originally printed in the Springs Magazine May 2019

​No internet. Forced quiet hours. Howling monkeys. Is inner peace even worth pursuing to a Costa Rican paradise?

by Warren Epstein


 
The first morning, we wake with a start to the roar of howler monkeys. My phone reads 4:22 a.m.
 
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! Woooooooaaaaaa!”
 
The howls, deep and resonant, sound like angry—or horny—velociraptors.
 
My wife and I huddle in our bed behind thin mosquito netting in an open-air cabin in the middle of a Costa Rican rainforest. We came here for inner peace. A yoga retreat. Ommmmmm. Seriously?
 
Neither Jane nor I were that into yoga, but when friends invited us on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, we thought, That’s just far enough from our comfort zones to sound exciting.
 
The trip would be led by our mutual friend David Corder, who runs Perfect Fit Wellness Center in Falcon. He regularly takes groups to the prettiest places on the planet to practice their Angry Cat or Pissed Off Possum, or whatever you call those yoga poses. (Next trip Peru, http://www.perfectfitwc.com/yoga-retreats.html )
 
David is an alum of the traveling singing troupe Up With People, and he has retained that too-much-enthusiasm-to-be-contained-in-one-body thing. His high-pitched laugh sounds like something out of a Warner Brothers cartoon.
 
We caught up with David and the rest of our yoga team after a long flight to San Jose, Costa Rica; a white-knuckle puddle-jumper flight to the Osa Peninsula; then a tooth-rattling drive to the resort, Blue Osa. (Costa Rica really should get a GoFundMe page for some road paving.)
 
If you’re into the tropical paradise thing, it doesn’t get much more paradisiacal than this: You can sit on the Adirondack chairs framed by coconut palms overlooking the beach, as squirrel monkeys chatter and toucans right out of a Fruit Loops commercial fly by.
 
The Blue Osa want guests to disconnect. I discovered they take this literally, turning off the internet in the morning. That would be a real problem for me, as I like to plug into all the national news first thing, so I have stuff to fume about all day.
 
There’s even a “silent time” rule here; you’re not supposed to talk before 7:30 a.m. This was tough. In fact, Beth, a soft-spoken staffer from NBC News, rebuked more than a couple of my hearty “good mornings!” with a finger to her lips.
 
“Oh, yeah, forgot,” I said, which earned me another stern look.
 
This was going to be a long week. Here’s the thing I learned about yoga retreats, and it may come as a bit of a shock. There’s actually the expectation that you’ll be doing yoga. David would ring a bell, and we were all expected to grab our mats and head for the yoga studio, yet another slice of paradise in the center of the resort compound: shiny natural wood floors, floor to ceiling open-air windows overlooking swaying palms and surf. Again, if you like that kind of thing...
 
There were about two dozen of us, mostly women, mostly from the Springs, sitting in a circle. David welcomed us and asked what we hoped to get out of the retreat. Most said something about peace of mind or greater self-awareness. I said, essentially, I was here for a vacation. More stern looks.
 
Then David walked us through the theme for the week, based on Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Interesting. I’ve always identified with the rabbit. Sure, he lost the race, but he ended up rested and well fed.
 
Still, I got what David was saying. The yoga, the idyllic setting and even the excursions he had planned were designed to put us in a different frame of mind, to slow down our racing thoughts. Not a problem for me. I had very few worries—except, maybe, some upcoming work deadlines, a strange sound the car had started making, that strange ache in my neck and shoulder, and did I leave on the Nespresso machine when we left? The neighbors would have called if the house burned down, right? And did anybody respond to my latest Facebook post? OK, my mind tends to race a bit. I’m from New York.
 
After yoga on those first few days, I tried to practice my meditation in one of the many idyllic shrines around the property. Focus on your breath. Breathe in. I think I heard a fly come in, and my breath is kind of shallow. Breathe out. Should it be that shallow?
 
It was hard to sit still that long. Fortunately, David had some activities planned to keep my must-do-stuff mind and body busy. We went on zip lines over the jungle canopy (getting in touch with our inner rabbit). We participated in a turtle rescue (getting in touch with our tortoise sides), which turned out to be much more emotional than I’d anticipated, watching those baby turtles waddle to the surf.
 
Every day, yoga became easier, less of a chore and more like what my body actually wanted to do. Meditation also got easier. Breathe in. Breathe out. Even the howler monkeys became less annoying.
 
I also felt a bond with the fabulous people who were on this journey with us. As we took turns jumping off a ledge into a jungle swimming hole, the cheers for one another was about more than the courage of the leap. It was about how far we’d all come.
 
On the last morning, I saw a group of my fellow yogis and heartily shouted “Good morning!” Of course, I received an admonishing finger to the lips. But I swear I saw less animosity there.
 
When we returned to the Springs after an exhilarating but exhausting week in paradise, I slept so well in my own bed. Strangely though, I jolted awake to the roar of howler monkeys. My wife had recorded them. She laughed her head off.
 
I closed my eyes, thought ommmmm, and then a very un-yogi thought came to mind: I will get her back. It’s what a hare would do, after all.

Thank you Warren, for the fun review and great memories!

​John Dryden famously said, “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
Confucius said, “Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.”
And Aristotle noticed that, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
It’s pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are.
What are your habits?
Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night?
Or maybe you’ve made a habit out of eating something sweet before bed, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible.
When it comes to your fitness, the two habits that define you are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits.
If you aren’t happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits.
Here’s how to adopt a habit:
1) Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It’s tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable.
Here are some healthy habit ideas:

• Do not eat after 7pm each night.
• Bring your lunch to work instead of eating fast food.
• Exercise 4 times a week after work for 45 minutes each time.
• Only eat fruits and veggies as your afternoon snack.
• Get up early and exercise for an hour each morning.
• Workout with me 3 times a week.

2) Write your new habit down on paper. Also include your 3 main motivators for developing this new habit, the obstacles you’ll face, and your strategies for overcoming these obstacles.
Here’s an example:

• My new habit is to work with a personal trainer 3 times each week.
• My 3 main motivators are 1) to feel confident in my bathing suit this summer, 2) to have more energy, and 3) to fit into my skinny jeans.
• The obstacles I will face are 1) not having the energy to go to my session after work, 2) not having enough money to pay for sessions, and 3) not having my spouse’s support.
• I will overcome these obstacles by 1) doing my workouts before work instead of after work, so I have more energy, 2) cutting down on frivolous spending to ensure that I can afford it, and 3) asking my spouse to join me so we can get in shape together.

3) Commit fully to your new habit, in a public way. This could mean posting it on social media, or simply announcing it at the dinner table. Put yourself in a position where you’ll be embarrassed to give up on your new habit.
4) Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit.
Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same steps.
I’d love for my fitness program to become your new healthy habit! Call or email now to reserve your spot.

​I have an exciting recipe for you to try today that’s almost too tasty to be healthy. By cooking these phenomenal sweet potato steak fries in the oven, you’re able to enjoy your favorite side dish without the guilt!
You won’t even notice that these fries are baked and not fried – the flavors are THAT good! By baking at a very high oven temp – 500 degrees F – and by heating up the pan beforehand, these fries get crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just like a steak fry should be! Make lots and enjoy!


What You Need
Serves 4
3 sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1½ teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place a nonstick baking sheet in the oven.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ - ¼ inch wedges. Place in a large bowl.
3. Toss the sweet potatoes with the coconut oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix until evenly coated.
4. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the sweet potato wedges in an even layer. Return to the oven for 8 minutes, remove and flip all of the fries. Bake for an additional 6-10 minutes, until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Serve with a side of ketchup. Enjoy!
Nutrition
One serving equals 182 calories, 7g fat, 478mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 1g sugar and 2g protein
I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!

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You probably know that crunches and sit-ups alone won’t give you sculpted abs. Only a drop in overall body fat will uncover your stomach muscles.
It is fully possible for you to do this with an effective combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training and clean eating. My clients routinely drop fat and transform their bodies. You can do it too.
Here’s how to get beach-worthy abs…

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1) Exercise a minimum of 4 times per week. It is important to dedicate yourself to working out a minimum of 4 times a week if you want to transform your abs. Anything less than this won’t make a large enough impact on your progress.
2) Make sure your workouts are effective. What makes a workout effective? It includes intense cardiovascular training coupled with effective resistance training. Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when your workouts are effective.
Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be out of breath or gasping for air, but it does mean that you need to push yourself.
Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again, the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.
3) Eat a clean diet. Diet is a big stumbling block for most people. If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how intensely you exercise.
Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.
Just say “No” to junk food. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster. As a rule of thumb you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food.
Eat more frequently. The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast—as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself.
Do you want to flatten and sculpt your abs once and for all? Simply decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself—you deserve it.
See me for fat-blasting workouts that deliver results. Together we will get you on a programme that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition.
Call or email me today to get started. Let’s do this!

Time for bed…If you’re not getting adequate rest (close to 8 hours each night) then you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and put on fat.
How does this work? Something like this…
If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shape up.

Who says that chicken tenders have to be battered and fried? Today I have a lightened up recipe for chicken tenders that are just as tasty! And the secret might just be an air fryer…
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food. A mechanical fan circulates the hot air around the food at high speed, cooking the food and producing a crispy layer. It’s a great way to cook dinner without needing to turn on the oven and heating up the house.
If you don’t have an air fryer then simply bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway through.


What You Need
Serves 4
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
1. Combine the tenders with all of the remaining ingredients in large ziplock bag. Place in the fridge to marinate for 4 hours, or up to overnight.
2. Lightly spray the basket of an air fryer with olive oil. Arrange the tenders in a single layer in the basket. Set the air fryer to cook for 12 minutes at 370 degrees F. Flip all of the tenders once, halfway through the cook time.
3. Serve immediately with a variety of your favorite dipping sauces. Enjoy!
Nutrition
245 calories, 8g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 2681mg sodium, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, and 33g protein.