BBQ Cajun chicken

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I LOVE barbequed Cajun chicken breast! Today’s recipe is one of my main go to staples. I could virtually eat this every single day without getting bored of it. Mmmmm…. Succulent, savory and soooo aromatic that it will make your taste buds dance in your mouth. You can also try this recipe on Halibut steaks and turkey breasts barbequed on the grill.

Barbequed Cajun Chicken Breast:

• 6 chicken breasts washed – rinse and drain any excess liquid from the bowl
• 2-3 garlic cloves crushed
• The juice squeezed from ½ of a lemon or lime
• Sea salt to taste (gently sprinkle over each side)celtic-sea-salt-natural-sea-salts
• Pepper to taste
• 1 ½ Tbsp of White balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 ½ Tbsp or more of the Cajun seasoning spice blend sprinkled generously all over the chicken
• 1 Tbsp of a mix of Italian spices

Method:

• Rinse off the chicken breast and remove any excess fat from the chicken and liquid from the bowl.
• Crush the garlic cloves and rub it into the chicken on both sides.
• Add the sea salt sparingly
• One can also use some salt substitute to keep the sodium at a lower level.
• Sprinkle cracked pepper over the chicken.
• Add both liquids (citrus juice and vinegar) to the chicken.
• Generously sprinkle the Cajun Seasoning spice blend over the chicken breast.
• Lastly, sprinkle the Italian seasoning blend sparingly over the chicken.
• Have your barbeque preheated to medium/high heat for approximately 5 minutes.
• You may want to let your chicken breast marinate for a few hours or overnight. It can also be barbequed as soon as it’s mixed together if you are in a rush.
• Depending on thickness, I usually barbeque the chicken 2 minutes then turn for another 2 minutes before flipping and repeating.
• The internal temperature for chicken must be 165 degrees F or higher.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate when finished barbequing.
• Let your barbequed Cajun chicken stand for a few minutes before cutting into it.summer-bbq-enjoy-400x400

I love eating this Cajun chicken in my salads or having it alongside of one.
Be sure to try it soon! Enjoy!!

 

Flatulence Free Foods for a Happy Belly

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Do you suffer from flatulence or bloating? This is likely caused due to too much gas in your stomach. Most foods that cause flatulence are foods that have high carbohydrate content, especially when they are not properly chewed and digested. However, it may be impossible to avoid all these foods because most of the nutritious foods that your body requires can cause flatulence. What you can do instead is to focus on the foods that are less likely to cause flatulence. Here are six food groups that you can eat without worrying about suffering from flatulence.

1. Non-gassy proteins

Foods that are rich in protein do not really cause flatulence, except when they are not 098properly chewed and digested. There are some protein-rich foods that do not give off too much gas like grass-fed lean beef, white meat like chicken and turkey, hard cheese, peanut butter, fish, and eggs. These foods are not only stomach-friendly. They are also good for people who are on a diet. * Remember to look for quality when choosing meats*

2. Vegetables with low carbohydrates

The main culprit as to why people suffer from stomach gas problems is carbohydrates. This is why it is important to eat low carbohydrate foods like low carbohydrate vegetables since you cannot completely avoid carbohydrates in your diet. Some examples of vegetables low in carbohydrates are carrots, celery, cucumber, fennel, eggplant, green beans, herbs, greens, mushrooms, okra, pumpkin, radicchio, scallions, snow peas, tomatoes, zucchini, chives, and peppers.

3. Fruits with low sugar content

Sugars found in fruits are known to cause flatulence. This type of sugar is called fructose. What you can do is to eat fruits with low sugar content like apples, certain berries, apricots, guavas, melons, grapefruit, pears, peaches, papayas, lime, lemon, plums, kiwis,images (2) watermelons, and nectarines. It is better to eat these fruits raw. Stay away from canned fruits as they may have additional sugar content that may cause bloating and flatulence.

4. Wheat alternatives

Wheat is difficult to digest, which is why it is one of the main causes of flatulence. You can still enjoy bread, pasta, and other foods by using wheat alternatives. Look for the ‘Ancient Grains’ like rice, quinoa, kamut, spelt, amaranth, and millet.

5. Dairy substitutes

Lactose is another form of sugar that can cause discomfort to your stomach. You can eat dairy substitutes of milk made from oat, almond, rice, coconut, and yeast flakes. Try and stay away from SOY as it may imbalance our hormones and disrupt the thyroid gland, which controls the hormone for metabolism.

6. Avocado, humus, tahini, and guacamole

These foods are super healthy and do not cause flatulence. They are delicious and high in protein and have a ton of natural healthy fats. These are great alternatives to other sandwich spreads.

Bee Pollen Harvest Decline

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With the bee population in decline, farmers have found that the little bee pollen harvest there was, would be too labour intensive to collect. In mid March Body Energy Club (BEC) employees received an email concerning our stock of bee pollen and the resulting shortage.stock-footage-working-bees-on-honeycomb

Bee pollen is extremely good for you and contains all the nutrients humans need. Bee pollen is high in protein and contains more amino acids then beef, cheese and eggs of the same weight. If you have respiratory issues, skin irritation, or digestive issues, bee pollen is a great supplement.

The problem is the amount of time and energy bees put in to making this incredible product. Foodmatters.tv reported on the benefits of bee pollen and explained how long it takes for bees to create pollen:

“A one teaspoon dose of pollen takes one bee working eight hours a day for one month to gather. Each bee pollen pellet, contains over two million flower pollen grains and one teaspoonful contains over 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen.” Credit.

With bee populations declining, it is becoming harder for farmers to harvest bee pollen. The mystery behind the decline has been unearthed in a US based report by the Natural Resources Conservation Services. The report claims pesticides are the cause of dying bees:

Excessive use and improper application of many pesticides impact pollinators and their habitats. Some insecticides directly kill pollinators, particularly pollinating insects, and herbicides reduce forage plant diversity by killing wildflowers.Credit.

According to the report, bees aren’t the only species dying from this pesticide:

The destruction and fragmentation of pollinator habitats have led to significant declines in many populations. At least 185 species of pollinators are considered threatened or extinct by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and at least 2 bat and 13 bird species listed as endangered in the United States are pollinators. Credit.

Harmful pesticides are killing many animals, birds and insects. These animals help farmers by pollinating crops and their deaths would seriously harm farmers and add a lot more work.

Body Energy Club sells bee pollen in stores and online. Bee pollen is also used in our Immunity booster in the juice bar and can be added singularly to your shakes to boost your immune system.

Intense Booty Booster

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This is another one of those “intense booty booster” workouts by my favorite personal trainer and fitness model, Flavia Del Monte. Make sure you properly fuel your body for this training session as you will need all your strength and energy to successfully complete these circuits. Summer is just around the corner so get out there and try this workout!

Booty Booster Workout:

Circuit #1
• Close reverse lunge – 3 sets of 10 reps (back knee by opposite heel)
• Decline push up – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Inverted rows with legs at 90 degrees or legs straight on the bench (use the bar from the Swiss machine). Intermediates can use a towel for grip strength.
• Single hand inverted rows on bar (1 hand up and the other holding a towel around the bar while pulling your-self up).

Circuit #2
• Stability Ball Curl up – 3 sets of 10 reps (feet turn in and out- different angles)
• Push press with calf raise – 3 sets of 10 reps (Barbell overhead then to chest and up again with a calf raise)
• Lying pull over – 3 sets of 10 reps (Lying face up on a bench, hold a curly barbell and up and head towards hips then raise it overhead. Return to starting position and continue until all the reps are completed. This also can be done on a stability ball.)
• Repeat 2x for a total of 3 sets

Circuit #3
• Reverse hip extension – 3 sets of 10 reps (frog like action lying over a bench)
• Stability ball preacher curl – 3 sets of 10 reps (use a curly barbell and curl over a stability ball)
• Stability ball skull crusher- 3 sets of 10 reps (make sure you contract, lift and squeeze glutes)

Circuit #4
• Single leg curl – 3 sets of 10 reps (use a medicine ball or towel). You may use both feet if you need to.
• Weighted reverse lunge- 3 sets of 10 reps (Use a ball between the legs and squeeze. Raise it towards the abs.)
• Alternating wide stance plank- 3 sets of 10 reps (Raise right arm straight out and the left leg straight behind you. Switch sides.)
• Every week increase weight or reps.

This intense booty booster will have your booty in shape for those short shorts and itsy-bitsy bathing suits that are right around the corner, along with the warm weather.571

Cajun Seasoning Spice Recipe

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Hey everyone, as promised I will give you514 my famous Cajun seasoning spice recipe. I use this spice blend on soooooooo many recipes so you may want to keep it bookmarked. Ha Ha Ha!! I know several of my friends are dying for this recipe so they can make my version of BBQ Cajun Chicken Breast. YUM, YUM!!!! If you love Cajun seasoning I advise you to double the recipe as it seems to go fast in my house. J Similar to the Frank’s red hot sauce commercial with that cute, little grandma saying, “Frank’s red hot… I put that #@%* on everything!” LOL! I will be referring back to this Cajun seasoning recipe when writing out some of my favorite dishes. (Oh yes, they are all friends and family approved!) Enjoy!

Cajun Seasoning Spice (Salt free version):
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T Hungarian paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric (optional, has great anti-infammatory properties)
• I’ve omitted salt in this recipe, but I will use the salt substitute to keep my food low in sodium. Sometimes I will just sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on some of my meats, etc. I also use fresh garlic, shallots and lemon or lime juice to add flavor and zest to my dishes.

Method:

• In a medium bowl or large measuring cup add all the spices and mix together.
• Stir well and store in a spice container so you can easily sprinkle this Cajun blend onhome_store02 various food items. Any leftover spice that doesn’t fit in your spice shaker container can be stored in any good Tupperware of appropriate size or even a Ziplock freezer bag with all the excess air removed. This spice blend will add sooo much flavor to any recipe you add it to. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Cajun spice blend! Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll love it too!

Canada’s Medically Assisted Suicide Debate

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The ongoing medically assisted suicide debate in Canada was recently pushed into the spotlight again.  Susan Griffiths, a 72 year old Canadian woman, died peacefully in Switzerland after a two year battle with multiple system atrophy. Griffiths travelled across the world because Canadian laws forbid assisted suicide.

Multiple systems atrophy causes degeneration of nerve cells in specific areas in the brain. There is no remission from this disease and the average life span is eight years. At the time of her death, Griffiths was losing control of her body functions and movements and was always in pain.

She even spoke out to several media outlets about the dreaded pain and becoming completely dependent on her family in the end. Griffiths fought to end her life in Canada with her family, but helping someone die, whether it is medically assisted suicide or not, is illegal.

This is where Dignitas stepped in, the non-profit group that gives assistance to the277 terminally ill. The clinic is based in Zurich, Switzerland and specializes in helping people – who cannot themselves – end their lives. She would have lived longer but wouldn’t have been able to fly to Switzerland in her worsened condition.

If Canada had the same laws in practice she would have had more time.

In an email to the Canadian Press before her death, Griffiths wrote: “I sincerely hope that Canadian laws will change soon to allow individuals like myself to make end-of-life choices at home.”

British Columbia is leading the charge as last year a court ruled Canada’s assisted suicide laws were unconstitutional. CTV reported that the court agreed:

The ban on doctor-assisted suicide violated the Charter of Rights because it discriminated against people with disabilities, insofar as suicide is legal for people who are physically able to end their lives, but assisted suicide for debilitated patients is not. Credit

There is another side to this story and Canada’s ban on assisted suicide does protect disabled people. Some fear people could be coerced into killing themselves, while others like Amy Hasbrouck believe there is a double standard that needs to be addressed first.

Hasbrouck told Canada AM:

“When a person with a disability wants to commit suicide, everybody thinks, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea, because they’re suffering. But when a non-disabled person wants to commit suicide, society mobilizes itself to prevent that suicide even to the point of curtailing their liberty by putting them in a psychiatric facility…our concern is where that double standard comes from. And that double standard comes from an assumption that life with a disability is a fate worse than death.”

This debate is clearly still in the early stages and there are many opinions to be presented before a clear verdict can be reached. Where do you stand on this issue?

Achieve Sustainable Weight Loss

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It’s easy to go on a diet and lose weight, but the hard part is figuring out how to achieve sustainable weight loss.  Michelle, a new client, spoke for many people when she came to me and said that she’s tried every diet under the sun and has no trouble getting the weight off…but keeping it off is another story.  She wants something more – sustainable weight loss.  Now, Michelle is no slouch.  She was a competitive figure skater and currently is on the ice a few times a week for hours at a time, coaching a lot of girls.

The body truth is that any diet in isolation of the appropriate exercise will not sustainably change the body.  Bodies are “out of shape” largely because of hormone imbalances.  The body genetically has the blueprints and formulas to rebalance these hormones, but because it’s incredibly efficient – recycling anything it doesn’t use – it needs to be stimulated to “need” then produce the desired hormones.  Slow cardio is the best for stimulating insulin sensitivity, reducing our cravings for fat causing simple carbs.  Fast cardio is the best for stimulating endorphins which reduce our cravings for simple carbs as well as increase our pleasure and sense of well being, and reduce our sense of emotional and physical pain.  Vigorous workouts with weights is the best for stimulatingYoung Adults Lifting Weights at the Gym growth hormone which both slows down the aging process for most body tissue (and reverses it for some) as well as triggers fat cells to release their fat stores.  Weight training is also the best for triggering the catecholemines (epinephrine, norepinepherine, and dopamine), as well as glucagon and irisin, which direct the body to burn fat and enhance our moods.  It also triggers lots of endorphins.

So no body transformation program is complete without some form of resistance strength (weight) training, whether that’s through body weight exercises or using physical weights.  This then redirects the cravings to the kinds of foods that are healthy to supply the transforming body with the nutrients it needs, so our cravings change and eating healthy foods becomes desirable and not a chore.  It’s amazing how these all work together!  Of course with our busy schedules, eating well can be a problem at times.  I include regular protein shakes made from the organic natural whey – no preservatives or unnatural bodyenergyclub.com-PROGRESSIVE-837229005567-31chemicals of any kind – in Kaizen Naturals’ Natural Whey – combined with a scoop of Progressive VegeGreens Blueberry Medley (this tastes MUCH better than the original recipe), rice or almond milk (not soy) and a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed oil to deepen the texture and supply Omega 3′s.

Transformation is about having a complete conversation with your body to get it fully engaged.  Like any constructive dialogue, listening to our bodies and what they are chemically telling us is crucial to understanding them, and understanding them is crucial to moving them to where we want them to be.  Michelle is going to have an amazing transformation!

Contact me at kurtluzny@weights101.com if you’d like to discuss your fitness or body transformation further! Bryan and I will get you to your goals!

Maca’s Amazing Health Benefits

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Maca For Energy!

Find yourself depending on coffee for a boost in the morning? Why not try Maca instead? imagesMaca is a root from Peru; it’s a tuber, like a potato, and offers an amazing energy boost for those with low energy. Maca however, unlike coffee, offers energy in a non-caffeinated way that supports the body and nourishes the adrenals. It is sometimes referred to as “Peruvian ginseng” and was highly revered by the Inca for its wonderfully rich nutritional properties. Maca is an adaptogen, known for its ability to increase energy, build physical strength, improve mood, reduce anxiety and heighten libido. It is rich in essential minerals, EFAs, amino acids and polysaccharides. This amazing root contains over 55 naturally occurring, beneficial phyto-chemicals that work in tandem with the body’s natural rhythms. It helps rebuild weak immune systems, re-mineralize poorly nourished bodies and increase energy and endurance.

Maca and Hormones

Maca root helps balance our hormones and due to an over abundance of environmental estrogens, most people’s hormones are a bit out of whack. It stimulates and nourishes the hypothalamus and pituitary glands which are the “master glands” of the body. These glands actually regulate the other glands, so when in balance they can bring balance to the adrenal, thyroid and pancreas as well as ovarian and testicular glands. Hormones regulate many things including mood, growth and sexual development.  Maca root has been shown to be beneficial for all sorts of hormonal problems including PMS, menopause, and hot flashes. It is also a fertility enhancer and is best known for improving libido and sexual function, especially in men. Many refer to Maca as ‘nature’s Viagra’.

Different Types of Maca

Maca is often seen in powder and pill form. Some of the powders will be in bags that are referred to as RED, YELLOW and BLACK MACA. There is also a GELATENIZED MACA. Yellow is known for its beneficial effects on female fertility. Red is known for its higher concentration of antioxidant properties and prostate health. Black is known for its positive effects on memory. Gelatinized Maca is known to be highly digestible and more soluble than regular Maca. Due to gelatinization, the long chains of starches are broken down, enhancing the concentration of the Maca’s powerful main ingredients. Gelatinization is an extrusion process that ruptures the starch chains, to make it easier to assimilate. In other words, starches are broken down and made more readily absorbable in a gel form. It mixes easier into food and beverages, and many find it easier to digest. The thermal process involves a quick application of heat (seconds), and does not degrade any of the nutritional components of the raw Maca powder. On the contrary, it concentrates them. It is important to note that gelatinization is achieved without altering any of the Maca’s active ingredients.

I use EcoIdeas Maca as one of my main adrenal-supporting supplements. When takingbodyenergyclub.com-ECOIDEAS-875405001514cp-31 Maca, make sure you take a day off occasionally. If you are taking it for 2 weeks, take a few days to a week off of it. This gives your body time to get back to its natural balanced state.

 

Herb Lamb Marinade

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Herb Lamb Marinade

One of my favorite dishes to make is lamb. Mmmmmmmmmmm…. I LOVE LAMB!!!! Ahhhhh….. Using a herb lamb marinade with fresh rosemary, tarragon, and garlic!!! YUMMY!!!! I use this same marinade on the racks of lamb as I do on the chops. If you thought previously that lamb had such a “gamey” taste and was turned off from the last time you tried it, think again. I dare you to put this recipe to the test as it will transform your so called “gamey meat” into a mouth-watering, succulent, aromatic, zesty, and last but not least, incredibly flavorful.

Lamb Chops marinade:

• 6 lamb chops (cut off the excess fat, wash and pat dry)
• Salt and pepper to taste (lightly salt it using sea salt and freshly cracked pepper)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ of a lemon or lime, pour the juice over the meat
• 1-1 ½ Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, rub it over the meat
• A small piece of shallot, crushed (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of balsamic (red version) vinegar
• 1 Tbsp of Grey Poupon Dijon mustard (I like this one, but others will do)
• 1 Tbsp of red wine or red wine vinegarbodyenergyclub.com-BRAGG-074305101168cp-31
• 1 tsp of white wine vinegar or Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (you may add both if you like, but you may need more mustard so add another teaspoon if needed)
• 1-2 Tbsp of freshly chopped rosemary (just sprinkle enough for both sides of the meat) Note: use a bit less if it is a dry spice that you use.
• ½ – 1 Tbsp of fresh tarragon, leaves chopped up fine and sprinkle over the meat

Method:

• Wash the meat, cut off the excess fat and pat dry.
• Sprinkle the meat with some sea salt and cracked pepper.celtic-sea-salt-natural-sea-salts
• Crush the garlic cloves and shallots and add this to the meat which is in a glass or metal bowl. (Rub it into the meat on both sides.)
• Use another dish to make the marinade. One can add the juice of a ½ lemon or lime to the meat directly or add it to the marinade. Same goes for the extra virgin olive oil.
• Add all the liquids to the separate dish. This includes the mustard.
• Wash and pat dry the rosemary and tarragon leaves. Remove them from their stems and cut up finely.
• Add them directly to the meat and “rub them in”.
• Stir the marinade together and pour it onto the meat.
• Have the marinade cover the meat in a nice coating to ensure good flavor transferred from all the wonderful herbs. Yummy!!!

• You may want to marinade the meat in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer. Overnight would be fabulous, but not necessary.
• Put the grill on medium/high heat and brush it with olive oil.
• Preheat for 5 minutes.
• Place the meat on the grill and depending on what level of doneness you desire it will take approximately 3-4 minutes per side.
• I like to do 1 ½ minutes, then turn for another 1 ½ minutes.
• After 3 minutes I check out the thickness and the level of doneness before I decide to flip the meat over.
• Flip and repeat the 1 ½ minutes twice until you have reached your desired level of doneness.
• I like mine medium rare, and can be tested out using a digital meat thermometer.
• Let the meat rest for a few minutes before cutting into it.
• Enjoy!!!!!! YUMMMMMMMMMYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

lamb-chops-ck-1087035-l

 

Hospital Information Access Denied

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In early April, CBC (Canadian Broadcast Company) launched an investigation into individual hospitals across Canada. ‘Rate My Hospital’ part of the Fifth Estate includes statistics, letter grades and detailed surveys regarding the hospitals closest to you.

In order to access this information CBC asked the Canadian Institute of Health Information – the CIHI receives information directly from the hospitals, which it in turn shares with the public – but when the CIHI went to health officials from provinces across the country they gave a collective “no.”

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It gets worse. In Nova Scotia, health minister Kevin McNamara approved the release of data only to revoke his approval six days later:

“In those six days, freedom-of-information documents show that a federal Public Health Agency of Canada employee sent out an email to a network of health ministry officials and experts through the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network with a compiled list of all the provinces and territories’ planned responses to the CBC request.” Credit

Fred Vallance-Jones investigated this scandal and found that “after the blanket no, the Fifth Estate sent surveys to individual hospitals. Provincial officials responded by “suggesting” to the hospitals that they not comply.” There is obvious pressure coming from the provinces – even Vancouver General and UBC Hospitals declined to answer the survey.

Both hospitals have one of the worst overall scores – D’s. This is mirrored in the polls on the Rate My Hospital Website which shows people are willing to have information shared judging by the number of people who have responded to the survey. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority disagrees with this score saying “90 per cent of patients described their care as good to excellent.” This may be a privacy issue, but the information is already being recorded and shared, so what makes this so different that the provincial government and hospital officials want to block it?