EVALUATION DAY

I have been encouraging many to re-evaluate their lives today.  We are almost 60 days in 2012.  Have you set any goals for this year?  If so, are you sticking to reaching that goal successfully?  If not, ask yourself what are you weak at? What is holding you back from just getting on the patch to reaching your goal?

Many have told me they just don't know.  They want to lose weight to feel better, to have more energy and well because they just want to look great too but they just can't get there.  The first step is usually the most difficult.  That getting off the couch.  The going to straight to the gym when you get off of work rather than going home because you are 'tired.'   They don't get it.   They want it, but just can't stay motivated and consistent.

We set our own MENTAL LIMITATIONS and don't even realize it.  Maybe you do not love yourself enough to challenge yourself.  Have you tried to challenge yourself in this weight loss journey?  If not, evaluate.  Ask yourself, "do I love myself enough to challenge me?' The answer should be yes right?  But it's not always that simple.  You have to get your mind right first.  Once you can begin to love yourself enough to challenge yourself, then you take away the limitations and there is NO STOPPING YOU!

Sure there are times you are going to fall into a slump.  You will have every excuse in the book that you will convince yourself of as to why you aren't starting today.  Here's the thing.  There is NOT ONE EXCUSE that is excuse enough to NOT TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.  I don't care what it is, it should NOT come before YOUR HEALTH.

Getting healthy, losing the weight and getting that body back is a journey.  It takes planning.  When you plan a vacation that requires an airplane trip, etc. don't you plan out your trip?  You know your itinerary right?  It's something you do automatically is plan.  Well then why is this weight loss journey different? IT'S NOT.  It too requires a plan, a layout of how you are going to get to your weight loss destination.   Once you begin to map out how you  plan on doing this.  And have a daily plan on how to get one day closer to it, it makes thing run a bit more smoothly.   I mean after all, you have probably tried so many different ways to lose weight and you didn't get there.  You lost some weight then gained the weight and more back.  Well think about it, did you map out your journey then?  No.  So this time, do it right.  Be realistic about it when setting your goals.  And I definitely suggest you STAY OFF OF THE SCALE for a while. The scale can really play with your mind!  If you measure your progress based on what a scale says you will never be happy. After all, what does a scale measure? Does it take into consideration how much bone, organs and the food you ate that day weigh? Does it measure new fitness goals being achieved or your newly obtained energy levels? NO...!

 Just focus on your journey and your daily travel plan.  Staying focused is key.  If you were driving long distance to your destination you wouldn't fall asleep behind the wheel would you?  No, of course not, you could crash and then it's just all bad from there.  Well, again, what's the difference here? None.  If you don't stay focused you will stray from your plan.  So if you learn to change your mind set as to how you view this destination you might find that you will be much more successful this time.

Now let's talk about your workouts.  So you 've been on track, you haven't veered off and you've been going to the gym, but you aren't seeing many results.  This is where I want you to evaluate your workouts that you have been doing.  Can you do them effortlessly?   When you are finished, is your shirt sweaty?  Are you wandering around the gym wondering what the heck to do next -- really not having a workout plan?  A workout must be pre planned and mapped out.. Again, it is part of this journey.  If you don't have this planned out this can hinder your goals and cause you frustration. You want to be able to walk out of that gym feeling like you REALLY worked hard and your body is telling you that is exactly what you did to it.  Are you sore the next day or two? Are you really pushing yourself?

Successful people always first have a vision, then they plan out/map out that vision and how they are going to make it happen.  That is the very same with your weight loss journey.  It's no different.

Set a weekly goal, or even a daily goal.  This will get you one step closer to the success in weight loss.  Weight doesn't come off in one day.  So again you MUST be realistic about this.  Getting insight from others that have succeeded in weight loss will help.  I tell my friends that I am always there for them because I have been there. 

Making a plan is the start.  Loving yourself is key.  Once you begin to successfully reach your daily, weekly goals you will begin to gain more confidence in yourself.  I promise you that.


So, what are you waiting for? You deserve that body you want back.  It's all up to you.  There is not ONE excuse that should be keeping you from starting today!

To Your Health!

Monday Is Over!

I couldn't think of a clever title.  Monday's are my long days and boy am I glad it's over.  All I can say is blogging is serious business.  You have to really stay on top of this and I have not.  I have been so busy that I've been too exhausted to write.

Yesterday I attended an 8 hour workshop to continue my education.  I took the pilates workshop.

Now if you know me and have taken my classes or let me train you, you know I'm not a quiet person.  I'm quite the drill sergeant as some would be quick to tell you.  They love me, they know they do, that's why they keep coming back.  So to me pilates is quiet and I 'm not sure if my students and clients would take me serious being so calm and talking in a soft voice :).

Now don't get me wrong.  I don't know if you have ever taken a pilates class but it can be pretty tough.  I was certainly challenged. When I am challenged I'll keep doing it 'til I do not feel challenged any longer.  Funny, I learned I'm a shallow breather. So it takes me real concentration to do the deep breathing from my diaphragm.  My abs are SOOOO SORE and so are my legs.  You definitely will feel it the next day! I can definitaly see why the female movie actresses are so into this and why their bodies look so amazing!

I feel before I begin to really get into teaching the pilates format, I need a lot of practice on my technique and my breathing.  Funny thing happened tonight. I was going to just sit back and watch the 5:30 p.m. pilates class before my kickboxing class started.  I wanted to watch her technique and cues.  And just my darn luck, the instructor was 25 minutes late and one of my kickboxing students was in the pilates class and pointed out to the manager I was an instructor and that I can do it.  GREAT! So I ended up keeping the class going until she got there.   I went completely blank and then pulled myself together and got them warmed up and got them going until she was able to get there.  It just cracked me up, I just wanted to sit in the corner and watch.  Geesh good thing I spent my day off inside a yoga studio yesterday, otherwise I would've broke out in bootcamp style. I don't think the ladies would've like me so much for that.

Have you ever taken a pilates class? I challenge you to do it at least once /twice a week for 30 days.  You will definitely see and feel the difference. There are different forms of pilates.  I  challenge you to try mat and standing pilates. If you can find a studio that has the reformers TRY IT! I am going to sign up for 2 months on the reformers. 

Some of the benefits of pilates are:

- Pilates makes you very strong
- Increases the strength of your stabilizer muscles
- Pilates is a mind and body workout. So not only does pilates truly tone your body, but your mind and spirit too
- Pilates is known to help reducing stress, anxiety and lift depression
- Pilates will strengthen your core like no other ab workout you have done
- Pilates conditions the entire body and helps reduce injuries
- Pilates helps restore postural alignment
 - Amazingly it's great to do as physical therapy to increase your range of motion
-  Creates a stronger spine.  Many of us have weak back muscles.  But pilates will surely strengthen it
- Increases your circulation
- Enhances your mobility and stamina

There's a very interesting history behind the founder Joseph Pilates and why and how he brought this format about.  The story is very interesting. 

I could go on.  Pilates has SOOO many mind and body benefits.  I truly hope you will try it.  I am super excited to practice more so I can create a great format for my classes and also for my personal training clients. 

To Your Health!

FOOD POSTS-I LAG!

So, I know.  I do not post pictures of every meal that I eat.  But apparently that is very common on this site with other bloggers.

Today, I have decided I will try to be better about posting with pics what I do eat. I will admit one thing, I NEED TO EAT MORE VEGGIES.  Okay, I know, I know do NOT say it.  As much I train other's, tell them what to eat, I should be doing the same, so I am going to start to blog about what I eat so I can be accountable to myself.

I don't have any pictures of my food in bowls today, sorry.  But, I can list what I did eat TA DAH!

So for breakfast at my DESK of all place and while there's a hidden curling iron heating up under my desk. don't even say it!    I was having a hair dilema, the left side in the front of my head would NOT curl. I looked lopsided it was terrible.  So while trying to curle my hair before anybody walked in,  I had, a whole wheat bagel, with light peanut butter on top, slices of banana and a tad drizzle of honey, along with a huge cup of hot green tea.  Oh that tea sure did hit the spot this morning it was freezing!

My mid morning snack was some green grapes, chia seeds in a small serving of low-fat greek yogurt.

Lunch.  I can't believe I was working all the way into my lunch and had ten minutes left before I even realized what time it was.  So good thing I am always prepared.  I had tore up a rotisserie chicken the night before and took out 1 cup of chicken breast, and mixed that in with kale, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and very light salad dressing, and can't forget my fruit, so I had a  big green apple and big glass of water.

I drink a lot of water throughout the day!  I also had 1 tblsp of my flaxseed oil.  I don't know if it's just me, but I really like the way it tastes!

Today was so busy at the office. Yes on top of being a single mom and being a fitness professional,  I have a full time job.  I'm a busy girl!  So I had to make myself stop working to eat my afternoon snack which was YUMMY! I had half of a MET-Rx Colossal Bar - OMG so good!

And after getting 125 people sweaty and motivated tonight by teaching kickboxing and then R.I.P.P.E.D. I needed protein protein protein so I rushed home, had chicken breast with my quinoa, some onion and the rest of my greek yogurt, mixed all together with lemon pepper for seasoning. with a huge glass of hot green tea followed by water, water and yes water.

So there you have it.  I know after reading this over, I now see why people post pictures of their food along with the blog.  This doesn't look appealing does it? No ha ha ha. So I vow to be better.

With that world, I'm so tired and gave all my energy to those awesome people that came to see me tonight!

To Your Health!
That Gym Girl

A Great End To My Week

This has been a great week! A former training client re-connected with me today. and I'm so happy She has finally found herself in her life's journey and is really ready to finish the journey to weight loss and just do it.  I was blessed to somehow be introduced to her life about three or maybe four years ago, actually may be even longer, but we were supposed to meet.  I was working at a very small gym and she happened to look in the yellow pages and see that our gym was not far from her home. So she took a chance and called the gym and asked if they had a service that provided a trainer come train her at her home.   The manager just happened to have answered the phone, which, the timing couldn't have been better.  The manager told that they did not have that type of service, however one of her group fitness instructors comes to people's houses and trains them and  has her own personal training business.   So when I had come out teaching class, the manager stopped me and gave me this small handwritten message and I was so thankful she recommended me.

At first, I was going to throw away the paper, but I felt the right thing to do was call this woman back since she did call the gym I work at and the manager was so sweet enough to even think of me.  Most gyms wouldn't do that. And well, that's how we met each other. 

She had a love hate relationship with the idea of someone telling her what to do and what to eat.  I went through her kitchen first pointing out things that were sabotaging her from losing weight, she didn't like the sound of that, let alone me having her throw out some of the items in her kitchen.  She complained non-stop and I knew I had a challenge on my hands.  She was very closed off and I could tell that she might not be ready for this journey.

She fired me, I think three different times.  Inside, I would get frustrated because I knew I was doing a good job and I was helping her, but she just wasn't ready to surrender and accept the fact she needed to lose weight and that there was hard work ahead that she had to commit to.  She just wasn't ready yet.   So each time she would come up with some EXCUSE, or complain that the exercise we were doing was too hard for her.  I would just continue my faith that one day she'd come around.

And when I logged onto my Facebook page this morning, there was an email, and there she was.  I read through her email and I truly started to cry. I'm proud to say that she gets it now.   She wrote that she appreciated me in so many ways and that I've helped change her life and she needed me.  But on top of that, the best part was that she fell in love with Zumba and just got her certification to teach it.  She is also majoring in nutrition so she can help others.  I am so proud of her.  She has lost a lot of weight since I last saw her and her she is just beautiful with a beautiful family. She is at her lowest weight since nine years now.    Maybe one day she will let me put her before/after picture on here. She has a gleam in her eye that was never there before.  She looks so happy.   I am honored to train her starting next month and help her become a fitness professional.

It is one of things I love most about being a fitness professional is that the people that have come into my classroom or the folks that I train in their homes, some want to do what I do because they realize this IS A LIFESTYLE and when you begin living this lifestyle and you feel great and you get to look great, some become very passionate about it and want to help others.  And it's a joy to mentor each one of them as they blossom into a personal trainer or group fitness instructor.

I am so blessed that God has given me a gift to help others in this way.   And the fact those that I have helped, I can't even count how many are now fitness professionals like myself.  It is a blessing that I inspired them and moved them to pay it forward.  It humbles me when I run into them, they still thank me for helping them and always say, "it is because of her that I'm doing this!"  That is humbling.

To you! I can't wait to help you along to the end of your journey with weight loss and onto a new road of lasting health and your new path as a nationally certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutritionist!

Drinking Shakes...Can That Keep The Weight off?

I'm writing this piece because I care about people.  I have read more people joining groups and drinking shakes to lose weight than I can believe.  I'm just shaking my head and I'm concerned.

Everybody is looking for an easier way to lose weight without having to workout and eat healthy foods.  When you are on a weight loss journey, AND YOU WANT THE WEIGHT TO STAY OFF, you have got to make this a lifestyle change.  I can tell you right now, you can't live on shakes for the rest of your life.  So that means the shake drinking is temporary and once you stop, and you don't understand how to actually eat right, caloric intake, carbohydrate content, fat content and protein content per day, YOU WILL GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK.  I'm gonna repeat that through this piece.

 I can't participate in this nor can I promote it. I promote a healthy lifestyle with healthy eating of a balance eating plan and balance of exercise.  So, sure those shakes are gonna make you lose some weight, and it's going to seem like unicorns and rainbows for a while, but reality is, that is considered part of the "fad diets."

Have you even read the contents in what you are actually drinking?  Are you just doing it because someone said they lost a lot of weight by drinking them? You can't rely on this.  Are those leading you to drink these certified nutritionists? More than likely not.  YOU CAN DO MORE DAMAGE INTERNALLY than you even realize.  I wish people would just do the work and stop looking for an easy fix. So depending on someone else who doesn't have experience and knowledge about nutrition and just taking their word for it that it's safe is just not a good idea.

So what are you going to do once you stop using these products? Have you learned portion control? Have you learned what foods are best to eat at certain parts of the day, etc? Are you prepared for a lot of weight gain? Although these shakes can be convenient and if used as your 2 snacks per day in between your 3 MEALS then you are okay.

SHAKES = RAPID WEIGHT LOSS CAN RESULT IN:

1. Loss of lean muscle. People that are promoting shakes don't tell you this part...losing lean muscle means it WILL reduce your metabolism resulting in greater weight gain when you return to a eating again, or a normal diet
2. Because they are low in calories, you may feel hungry and tired, so you now have a poor adherence rate
3. These shakes contain large amounts of artificial sweeteners and preservatives. These chemicals can cause headaches, hyper activity, allergic reactions, nausea
4. They do not contain sufficient essential fats that you NEED daily
5. They do not contain the fiber you need and other healthful nutrients that you need to maintain health and wellness
6. These shakes are a PROCESSED food which means to consume these moderately not using them to replace your meals daily
7. Long term use can cause SERIOUS bowel issues
What I'm trying to convey is this, FAD DIETS ARE TEMPORARY.  If you are gong to drink these things don't just TRUST you really need to know ALL of the ingredients in which you are drinking.

I drink an all natural WHEY protein shake for my post workout that's it.  I do not drink PROTEIN shakes to replace my meals. But these shakes that are out there they look good, they taste good but you have to realize this is not something you can do for a long period of time and when you stop you WILL gain back weight. 


So do it the right way.  Exercise daily and eat a well balanced proportioned meal, otherwise apologize to your metabolism now because it's gonna go haywire.

Is Your PayCheck Keeping You From Eating Healthy?

United States has a crises on its hands. It's no secret, look all around the next time you are shopping in a mall, or somewhere where there are a lot of people.  Observe and notice at how many overweight unhealthy people, including kids you see.   We are the fattest nation.  And now our kids are following suit.  It breaks my heart.  Kids have no choice as to what they get fed at home.  They don't have the luxury to grocery shopping for healthier choices.  Worse if the parent(s) are overweight, the child or children usually are as well.  If a parent doesn't set the proper example of eating right then how in the world would the children know how to eat. 

Before I go on, that last sentence is so true.  When I have sat down with some potential clients, I try to get and idea of their history in eating.  Many tell me they have no idea how to eat healthy.  They have no clue what to eat.  It is so surprising to me.  So it shows you that if we as parents, do not teach our kids healthy habits there is a cycle that continues with them and then down to their children.

And now we have the fast foods that children love puttng this label on the boxes.

The southern states are on top with the highest numbers of obese children.  It is now predicted that our kids, my kids' generation will not outlive their parents due to obesity. NO, not all kids, I am speaking of some.  There will be a lot of children that won't have that opportunity to grow old and watch their grand children play in the yard while sippin on some ice tea on a warm summer's day.

Part of the solution is to start with mom and dad, help them to understand we have to get the kids moving.  Our kids are probably sick of hearing, "when I was your age I use to play outside until the street lights came on."  But it's true.  We didn't have video games. We had our friends and the outdoors. Mom and dad said go play outside and we were so excited to do so. You tell a kid now a days to go play outside and they don't even know what to do! They don't have the imagination that we had. Do you remember that? We would make up thinks to do and it was fun.

The following topic of discussion on Dr. Drew's page is something that I would like to share.  This topic is something that I have been talking about for the past 5 five years.  PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO, tell me what you think on how this advertisement was delivered:
I will post the link for you to take a look.
http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/child-obesity-ads-focusing-on-wrong-thing/?hpt=dr_t4

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you are poor or you are seriously struggling, it keeps you from being to able to make the right food choices when it comes to making out your grocery list. 

It is crazy to me that healthy food is so expensive and the things that are bad for us are cheaper, way cheaper.  Yet our nation complains about how we have medical issues on getting folks insured and that there are hospitals going out of business, healthcare is so expensive.  Ya think that if our nation promoted a HEALTHY NATION and turned it around, made the healthy food affordable in this economy and bad foods much more expensive than healthcare perhaps could be in less of a crises.

School lunches are a serious problem, but again if parents can't afford to buy healthy things for their kids to eat then the kids are stuck eating bad lunches at school.  Most schools have programs for those that do struggle so the kids can eat free. 

We as parents have got to step up and stop this cycle.  Instead of buying the video games get those kids outside, play with them, throw a ball, DO SOMETHING.  There are things that can be cut back on so a parent can purchase a bag of apples for the child to have each day as a snack.  There ARE ways, but how will we ever stop this.  Is it stoppable?  I doubt it. 

What I do fear is that it's going to take a rise in child deaths due to obesity issues and so on for our ASLEEP nation to wake up!  SO PARENTS WAKE UP, go outside and throw a ball with your kid.  MOVING is a start.

Why Eat Quinoa

Most people have never heard of quinoa let alone know how to pronounce it.
But this is an amazing little grain from South Africa with a power pack of protein.

The history is amazing as to how this power grain was discovered.  A group of NASA scientists set out to find a consummate grain that they could use to send with astronauts up in space. And this was used for long trips that could even last up to two years.

Quinoa, as I stated is packed with protein.  It's up there with poultry and dairy, which is pretty unusual for that much protein to come from a plant.  It contains more protein and fewer carbs, then wheat rye, rice and oats, and it's double to triple the fiber than most of your grains.

So for example a single cup of quinoa is  packed with as much protein as contained in  four eggs. Nutritionists call it a complete protein which means it has all of the essential amino acids which is something you don't normally see in plants.

If you are a vegetarian then this plant is FOR YOU!  If you are a migraine sufferer, this is also something you may want to consider in your weekly diet.  It's beneficial for cardiovascular health, great for your digestive track and detoxifying as well as it can also act as an anti-oxidant.  So there are many benefits to eating quinao!

Quinoa can be eaten cold as well.  I love to make a quinoa salad.

I cook an entire bag of quinoa
after it's done cooking I put it in the refigerator to get cold
I add red onions
Cut up red and yellow bell pepper
a tadd bit of olive oil
a tadd of lime juice
and chopped up mango

DELICIOUS!

Try My Balls

Do you have the balls to try mine?  Who doesn't like a good quick ball on the way out the door. 

I stumbled upon the recipe some time ago, and thought I would share these balls with you.  They are healthy, easy to make and they are great when friends come over.  Try these out, and trust me you'll want to share these balls with your friends and family.

So if you've got the balls to try this recipe, you will need  for my power balls:

POWER BALLS
Turn on that over and set it to 350 degrees

1 cup of oats. Now you are going to have ground these so they become like an oat flour
Mix that in with 2 cups of almond meal

Add 3 teaspoons of baking powder
Add 4 tablespoons of honey to your mix

Add 4 tablespoons of cocunut oil - to make it easier to mix in I would heat the oil up a bit in a pan first

Cook 1 cup of carrots then mash them up.  Food processor will do this quickly

Once carrots are mashed, add that into your ball mix and mix it all up so you are ready to put your power balls in the over.

In a separate bowl use crushed almonds or crushed pecans.  Now depending on how big you like your balls, this batch can make 28 balls.

Start to shape your ball in the palm of your hand, then roll your nicely shaped ball in the bowl of nuts so they coat the outside.  Do this with all your balls. And of course the nuts are the option, but it makes for a great coating on your balls.

Place all your balls on a cooking sheet and put in the over for 25 minutes.

Let your balls cool a bit before putting them in your mouth.  Let me know how your balls turned out and if you enjoyed this recipe!

To Your Health

Unilateral Weight Training

We all want our workouts to be effective and we definitely want results.  It is so important to change up your workouts from time to time.  A great way to mix up your weight training is to unilateral train those muscles.

Unilateral training is when you train one side of the body at a time.  It's actually very effective as there are substantial benefits of muscle gain. When unilateral training the upper body it requires some balance and therefore your core is engaged.  So it is actually quite beneficial to your core.

Next time you are doing push ups, try one armed.  I am so happy I can get four reps on one arm now.  I'm working on it.  Give it a try.  The great thing about a one arm push up is that it takes great core strength to assist and this where you can engage that core and work it really good.

On legs, one of the things I do is a one leg squat on the smith machine.  Talk about some serious let and glute work.  Your leg muslces in the one leg have to work harder in the squat momentum and you really feel this in your glutes as opposed to a regular bilateral squat (both legs).

The split squat also will engage your core and you will definitely feel the work.  If you are normally not able to do deep seated squats, then the split squat will definitely help you with that.  No doubt will you get stronger.

There are many different exercises for upper and lower body that you can do, but for a great mix up I suggest you give it a shot for a few weeks or just incorporate it in your routine.

To Your Health

Let's EAT

I wanted to post a few recipes that I found through some research that were so yummy and yet healthy. Bon Appetite!

GRILLED TUNA STEAK WITH PESTO SAUCE
Quick and easy to make, especially if you make the Pesto sauce in advance, or buy it ready-made from the store. This meal is a great choice for a busy week night, when you just don’t have time to cook.

4 tuna steaks, 5 to 6 oz each
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat grill or broiler.
2. Cook tuna until the middle is opaque.
3. Transfer fish to plate and top with pesto.

Pesto (makes 1/2 cup)–will need food processor
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, stemmed
1/4 cup walnuts
2 Tbsp black olives, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes with oil
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Blend together in food processor or purchase ready-made pesto at your local grocery store.

Health Benefits
High in protein and low in sodium and fat, tuna is a terrific choice for a low calorie meal. Choose extra virgin olive oil for the best health benefits–it’s loaded with antioxidants. The pesto sauce is low calorie, low fat and adds just the right zing–fit for a king!

　

WHITE BEAN DIP

Who says you have to ditch the dips when you’re watching your diet? With this low-fat, high fiber spread, you can double dip for a devilish delight. A great snack but keep it healthy with veggies and whole grain crackers. Remember: portion control is a major factor in weight loss, so don’t over-indulge.

One 19 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed.
3 jarred or canned anchovies, rinsed and patted dry.
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients except pepper in food processor.
When mixed, add pinch of pepper.
Serve with a dish of raw veggies such as carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, or your choice of whole grain crackers.

Health Benefits: High in soluble fiber, protein, iron and potassium. A low-fat dip that should require no extra salt, since the anchovies are a naturally salty fish. Anchovies are high in heart-friendly polyunsaturated fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. The lemon juice helps to break down the white beans while adding a pleasant taste to the dip. The extra-virgin olive oil brings out the creaminess of the white beans for a smooth texture.

Smothered Honey Red Onion With Chicken and Peas
　

It’s easy to make and the honey adds a nice sweet taste that traps the succulent juices in the chicken. This recipe makes plenty for 4 people.

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. honey
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme crushed
1 large red onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste ( optional)
4 chicken breast
1 package frozen peas

Directions:

Ina bowl stir together the vinegar, honey, and thyme.
Separate the onion slices, add to the vinegar mixture let stand.
In a large skillet cook chicken with small amount of olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste remove from skillet.
Add onion mixture to remaining drippings in skillet, cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes until onions are crisp tender.
In separate pot, cook peas, until tender, season accordingly.
Stir onion mixture in skillet and add parsley.
Add chicken breast and allow chicken to marinate over heat 2-5 minutes.
To serve, transfer chicken breast to plate and top with onion mixture.
Serve with peas.

Health Benefits:
A great source of protein, chicken is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and makes a great choice for a healthy meal. The onions, parsley and peas provide vitamins and nutrients along with antioxidants that protect against free radicals. This is a satisfying meal that is low in calories.