Tag: 3-weeks to shredded

Labor Day Menu 2015

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

APPETIZER

Summer Stacks
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
• 2 cups raw almonds, soaked in water for 2 hours
• 1¼ cup water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• ¾ tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ – ¾ tsp. smoked sea salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3½ cups tomato slices
• 2 medium white onions
• 2 medium avocados
• 2 cups zucchini
• Salt & Pepper
• Annie’s Organic Smoky BBQ Sauce
Directions
• Turn on grill to medium heat (around 350°F).
• In a food processor or blender, puree together the raw almonds, water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, liquid smoke, onion powder, paprika, smoked sea salt and cayenne pepper.
• Add salt as preferred and set the mixture aside.
• Lay out all of the sliced produce and sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides before placing on the grill.
• The cooking times for each fruit/vegetable are different, so grill them until each side is slightly charred (anywhere between 4-8 minutes on each side), adding a light coat of BBQ sauce to each side.
• After the slices are done on the grill, assemble them in assorted stacks with two layers of 1½ tbsp. of almond cream mixture in each stack.
• Place a toothpick through the top of each one and serve immediately.

ENTRÉE

Maple Chicken Veggie Kabobs from The Dolce Diet Living Lean Cookbook
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 1 ½ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 12 skewers
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch slices
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch slices
• 7 oz. Portabella mushrooms, cut into chunks (optional)
• 1 bottle Annie’s Organic Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce (or similar)
Directions
• You can use the grill or oven. If using oven, preheat to 350 degrees.
• In bowl, coat chunks with about ¾ cup of Annie’s Maple BBQ Sauce, cover and let marinate about 15-20 minutes.
• Then, in large pan, sear all sides of the chicken pieces so that when skewered, no raw chicken is touching the veggies.
• Skewer the chicken and all veggies and place on grill, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through and veggies are browned at edges. If cooking in oven, you’ll need one large (or multiple) baking dish(es).
• Place skewers in baking dishes, brush chicken and veggies with sauce and cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked through and veggies are browned at edges.
• Whether you’re cooking these on the grill or in the oven, be sure to baste occasionally while cooking.

SIDE

Green Bean & Tomato Salad
Ingredients
• 2 lb. green beans
• 1.5 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped tarragon
• 1 tbsp. snipped chives
• ½ tsp. chopped thyme leaves
• ½ lb. cherry tomatoes
Directions
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the green beans and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Drain and rinse the green beans under cold water until they are chilled; pat the green beans dry.
• In a large bowl, whisk the mustard with the vinegar.
• Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the green beans, tarragon, chives, and thyme and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, toss gently, and serve.

DESSERT

Honey Grilled Watermelon
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 2 large, round watermelon slices, each cut into 4 triangles
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. honey
• Balsamic glaze for drizzling (if desired)
Directions
• Preheat your grill to medium heat.
• Brush both sides of each watermelon triangle with olive oil and season all sides with salt.
• Add a drizzle of honey over each triangle and place them on the grill, grilling each side for about 2 minutes.
• Remove and add a little more honey if desired.

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DOLCE LIFESTYLE:
5 Moves to Build a Huge Chest

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Want to pump up those pecs? These 5 exercises will help you build up chest muscles.

1. Dumbbell Pullover

• Set up by lying on a flat bench with your feet on the floor and your head flat
• Grab a single dumbbell and raise it over your chest, holding it with both hands
• Keeping your arms and elbows as straight as possible, lower the weight in an arc over your head towards the ground (dumbbell should be directly over the top of your head)
• Return the dumbbell to the starting position above the chest in a controlled manner
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10

2. Chest Dips

• Stand between the parallel bars at a dip station
• Grip the handles of the bars and set up in the starting position with the arms straight and elbows locked
• The elbows should remain close to the body
• Lower your body forward by bending your elbows, leading with the chest as you go down
• Push yourself back up to the starting position
• If you are unskilled in this movement, you can rest your knees in a resistance band that’s attached to the dip bars to assist you in your dip
• Repeat for 3 sets of 5-10

3. Dumbbell Flys

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie down on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor
• Lift the dumbbells over your chest with a slight bend in your arms
• Lower the dumbbells on either side of your chest in an arc motion, hinging from the shoulder, maintaining the slight bend in the arms
• Return the dumbbells to the starting position in a controlled fashion
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10

4. Barbell Bench Press

• Set up on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together and lie back on the bench
• Use a shoulder-width grip to unrack the barbell
• Lift the barbell off the rack and move it to the starting position above the middle of your chest
• Lower the bar in a controlled manner until it just touches your chest
• Raise the bar back up until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked

5. Dumbbell Bench Press

• On a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, grip a dumbbell in each hand
• Start with your arms above the middle of the chest with palms facing forward
• Lower the weights by bending your elbows until they’re at about a 90 degree angle, triceps parallel to the floor
• Push the weight back to the starting position in a controlled manner
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10
• Dumbbell bench press is a touch more challenging than barbell bench press, so start light on the weights. Dumbbells require more stabilization than barbell since they aren’t on a single plane.

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DOLCE LIFESTYLE: 3 Moves to Bigger Calves

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Wondering how to get big calves? Here are three exercises that will build calf muscles.

1. Standing Barbell Calf Raise

• Start with the barbell on your back as you would for a back squat. Load the bar according to YOUR ability level. An empty barbell would be fine to start.
• Stand with your feet slightly more narrow than shoulder-width, with the balls of your feet on top of plates
• Contract your calves and press up as far as possible onto the balls of your feet. Hold for 1 second at the top and slowly return all the way down to the ground. Repeat for 10 reps x 3 sets

2. Bent-Over Calf Raise

• Set up so that there’s some type of weight positioned on your lower back (weight chain belts work well here). Bend over to a 45º angle and keep legs straight.
• Contract your calves and press up as far as possible onto the balls of your feet. Hold for 1 second and slowly return down to the ground. Repeat for 10 reps x 3 sets.

3. Incline Calf Raise

• Load up a leg press machine and keep your legs straight. Place the balls of your feet on the platform with your heels hanging off.
• Contract your calves and press the platform up as far as possible. Hold for 1 second and release back as far as possible. Hold for 1 second at the bottom and repeat for 10 reps x 3 sets.

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DOLCE LIFESTYLE:
Build A Better Butt in 4 Moves

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

How do you get a tighter, more toned butt? These 4 moves will certainly help! Best of all, you can do this mini workout pretty much anywhere!

1. 10 (each side) Kickbacks
• Kneel on all fours
• Keeping hips level, kick your right leg back and up, and return to starting position
• Repeat with other leg
2. 20 Air Squats
• Start with feet hip width apart, toes slightly turned outward (for balance)
• Keeping your torso upright and your back flat, squat down below parallel (below 90 degrees – yes, you read that correctly, BELOW)
• Return to standing
*To help keep your torso upright, raise your arms as you squat down, then lower as you stand up
3. 30 Second Squat Hold
• In same positioning as above, hold squat for 30 seconds, with arms raised. You should really feel it in your lower back and then quads
4. 20 Toe Taps
• Lay on your back
• Hinging at the hip, raise your legs up and bend at the knee to create a 90 degree angle (table top position)
• Tap the right heel to the floor, then the left, alternating until you’ve done 20 on each side. Be sure to engage the core as you do this movement

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Join our online training program today!
Guaranteed results or your money back!
Lose up to 21 pounds in 21 days!

DOLCE LIFESTYLE:
6 Herbal Teas & Their Benefits

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Not all herbal teas are created equal. The different properties in tea help stimulate different reactions in the body. For example, the high caffeine dosage in green tea won’t be very beneficial when trying to get to sleep. Here is a list of 6 herbal teas & their benefits.
1. Want to boost your metabolism?
• Try green tea
• High doses of caffeine keep your engine burning
2. Have nausea?
• Try ginger or peppermint tea
• Also great for motion sickness
3. Suffering insomnia?
• Try chamomile tea
• Helps produce gammaaiminobutyric acid, a brain chemical that helps to bring on sleep
4. Drowning in the common cold?
• Try elderflower tea
• Anti-inflammatory
5. Puffy from bloating?
• Try peppermint tea
• Helps relax the stomach muscles from contracting
6. Got stress?
• Try lemon tea
• Dilates blood vessels to increase circulation
• Also acts as a diuretic

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DOLCE LIFESTYLE:

Recipes in 8 Ingredients or Less

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Creamy (Greek Yogurt) Mac & Cheese
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 8 oz. (about 2 cups) whole wheat or brown rice elbow pasta
• 8 oz. (about 2 cups) shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Directions
1. Cook pasta per package instructions.
2. Place spinach leaves in bottom of strainer, and pour pasta over top to drain and wilt the spinach.
3. Save about ½ cup of pasta water and return cooked pasta and wilted spinach to pot.
4. Add about ¼ cup reserved pasta water to pot, and stir in cheese until melted.
5. Stir in Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy.
6. Stir in remaining pasta water to thin, if necessary.

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Sweet Potato Steak Hash
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
• 2 whole sweet potatoes, cubed
• 3 tsp. grapeseed oil, divided
• 3 bell peppers, sliced, seeds and top removed
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• cilantro * optional for garnish
• 1 grass-fed flank steak
• 2 tsp. sea salt
Directions
1. Heat grill pan over high heat and sprinkle each side of the steak with the sea salt.
2. Place the steak in the pan and turn down to medium heat.
3. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes and turn over, allowing it to finish cooking on the other side.
4. Remove from pan and tent with foil on a plate for 10 minutes.
5. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the first teaspoon of grapeseed oil and add the peppers and onion.
6. Cook until tender about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and remaining grapeseed oil and cook until hot all the way through and golden on the outside.
7. Meanwhile, chop the steak, and once the potatoes are cooked, add the steak. Toss and allow to cook an additional 2 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro for a little freshness.

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Black Bean Soup
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
• 3 (15 oz) cans organic black beans, with liquid
• 1 lb. (about 2.5 cups) organic salsa
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed (plus extra for garnish)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve soup warm topped with additional fresh cilantro as garnish.

UFC 190: How to Watch Ronda Rousey Weigh In

RIO DE JANEIRO – UFC 190 weigh-ins take place Friday at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena.
Watch a live video stream of the weigh-ins at MMAjunkie homepage.
Be sure to tune in to check out UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s weight loss. Rousey will take on Bethe Correira in Saturday’s fight.
The full UFC 190 fight card is as follows:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view begins at 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia – for women’s bantamweight title
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua
Fernando Bruno vs. Glaico Franca – “TUF: Brazil 4″ lightweight tournament final
Dileno Lopes vs. Reginaldo Vieira – “TUF: Brazil 4″ bantamweight tournament final
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Stefan Struve
Soa Pale lei vs. Antonio Silva
Jessica Aguilar vs. Claudia Gadelha
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Neil Magny vs. Demian Maia
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Patrick Cummins
Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)

Clint Hester vs. Vitor Miranda
Guido Cannetti vs. Hugo Viana

The Mike Dolce Show – A Fitness Podcast

Mike talks to legendary champion bodybuilder, Chris Cormier.
Mike Dolce is a 2X World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year, 2014 NJ Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee and 2014 Men’s Fitness Top 30 Game Changer for fitness. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the weight cuts of UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks, Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Alves and more!
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com and TheMikeDolceShow.com
Listen to the latest Mike Dolce Show fitness and lifestyle podcast and get motivated and inspired!

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE PODCAST APP & SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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DOLCE LIFESTYLE:
3 Active Rest Day Workout Ideas

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

We all know that rest is part of the program. If you’re very active, it can be tough to force yourself to take it easy. Luckily, a rest day doesn’t have to consist of doing absolutely nothing. In fact, active rest days are a great way to stave off further muscle soreness because you’re still getting your blood pumping, but at a much lower intensity that will allow for better recover. Let’s stretch out that connective tissue and work through the sore muscles with these 3 active rest day workout ideas we love.
1. Foam Rolling
This is one of my favorite active recovery activities. Not only does it help work out all the crackles and crinkles from some heavy lifting, but it’s a great way to work on those sore muscles and break up knots in our connective tissue. Think of it as a much-needed massage. We tend to think, if we are sore, let’s try to avoid the area to prevent it from getting worse. Not a good idea. It may hurt, but working on a sore area will actually help alleviate pain and recover that muscle more quickly. Plus, the foam roller can be used all over the body: Upper/lower back, IT band, hamstrings, calves, lats and glutes. You may even want to throw a lacrosse ball into the mix for an even deeper massage.
2. Walking/Hiking
This is a great, low-intensity exercise to just get your blood moving. Take a walk at the mall, beach, park, or anywhere you’d like. Grab the dog or have a friend come with you. You could do some hill intervals as well, but remember, no more than a jog. We are actively recovering, not trying to set a new PR.
3. Yoga
Yoga is great for really stretching out the muscles and tendons. With an experienced instructor, you’ll be put into positions that will work out all kinds of connective tissue knots, and you’ll hold these positions for appropriate amounts of time. Stretching for too little time won’t do much good. And no, guys, your man card won’t get taken if you drop in for a yoga session (just think of it as a stepping stone to your next deadlift PR).