Vegan Stir Fry Recipe

Today I would like to share with you my Vegan Stir Fry Recipe! Enjoy :-)

Vegan Stir Fry! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 Handfuls of Kale 
• 2 servings of mushrooms
• 2 servings of green beans
• 1 Tomato
• 1/2 of a red pepper 
• 1/4 of an small onion 
• 1/4 of an avocado
• Cilantro
• 1 clove of Garlic
• 1 Lemon 
• Parsley 
• 1 tbs Cumin

Preparation:

1. First cut up the tomato, red pepper, onion, cilantro and parsley into small pieces. 
2. Then, slice your mushrooms, cut the kale and green beans. 
3. Next you add all the items to a pan and season with the garlic, lemon and cumin to taste (you can add a tbs of coconut oil). 
4. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes. 
5. Then cut you avocado into slices and enjoy!

Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

Good Morning iAmHealthyFit Family! 

I am currently doing a 10 Day Detox inspired by @KoyaWeb, all I am focusing on eating fruits and vegetables only. Since the detox I just can't seem to get tired of almond milk! So I decided to make my own at home!! Here is the recipe! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Cups of Raw Almonds
• 1 piece of sheer fabric 
• Water 
• Blender 

Preparation

1. Soak your almonds in a container with water (the water should cover all your almonds) for 24 - 48 hours. 
2. Rinse your almonds with fresh water and place them in the blender. 
   
3. Add 4 cups of water per 1 cup of almonds (for example I used 2 cups of almonds so I added 8 cups of water). 
   
4. Blend your almonds and your water for about 2 minutes. 
5. Place your sheer fabric on top of a container to collect the pulp. Make sure you squeeze the fabric to make sure you get all the milk. 
6. Place your almond milk in a container and Enjoy!  

Note: I did not use a sweetener for my milk. However you can add a sweetener and or vanilla extract for flavoring. I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know how you like it! 

TOP 5 HEALTHY RECIPES TO THE PERFECT 4TH OF JULY COOKOUT

Next week Thursday the United States of America will celebrate another birthday! Cookout connoisseurs spend this day  hopping from one BBQ to the next enjoying the exquisite taste of the American cuisine. While this is a time of celebration it is not an excuse to take in extra calories and ignore all the work you've done to maintain your beach body! Today iAmHeathyFit presents their top 5 recipes for healthy 4th of July alternatives! Enjoy!!!

Number 5

Honey Yogurt Berry Pops

Author: Joy Zhang

Serves: 8

Summer is finally here ladies and gentlemen! The Honey Yogurt Berry Pops it's a healthy way to stay cool and it literally takes a few minutes to make. You can use the Norpro popsicle molds and they worked great, let the pops defrost for 3-5 minutes before trying to pop them out.

Ingredients

• 2 cups 0% Greek Yogurt, I used Fage (Chobani will work as well)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 cup mixed berries, washed (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)

Instructions

1. Blend yogurt and honey together in a large bowl. Fold mixed berries in. Transfer into a container with a spout so the mixture can be poured into popsicle molds. Fill popsicle molds close the top and put in popsicle sticks. Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.
2. You can use any of the remaining mixture and blend it with some ice for a yogurt berry smoothie!

 Number 4

Honey Ginger Lemonade

If you have never tried a ginger lemonade you are in for a treat! Ginger is extremely beneficial because it strengthens immunity, it relieves stress, and it combats stomach discomfort just to name a few. What a better way to keep your guests hydrated while enjoying a healthy and tasty summer treat!

Ingredients

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 - 6

For the honey ginger syrup:

• 1 cup (250ml) honey (I use wildflower honey)
• 1 cup (250ml) water (filtered or spring)
• 4oz (115g) fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated (I use a microplane zester)

For the lemonade:

• 1 cup (250ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained (about 5 large lemons)
• 3 cups (750ml) cold filtered or spring water (flat or sparkling)
• 1/2 cup (125ml) vodka (optional)
• Ice for serving
• Sliced lemons and mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

To make the honey ginger syrup:

• Place the honey and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer until honey is completely dissolved.
• Turn off heat and add the freshly grated ginger and any juices. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Strain syrup thorough a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the ginger pulp and then discarding the solids.
• Pour into a bottle or jar, let cool completely and then chill until cold, about 1 hour. The syrup will keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

To make the lemonade:

1. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the honey ginger syrup to a large pitcher.
2. Add 3 cups of cold water (more or less depending on how strong you like your lemonade). If you are using sparkling water don’t add it until you are ready to serve so that it doesn’t lose its fizz. Add the vodka now as well if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Pour lemonade over ice filled glasses, top with a slice of lemon, and garnish with a sprig of mint.
4. variations
5. You can also steep the syrup with mint or basil in the hot syrup for a different variation.
6. The honey ginger syrup is also great for sweetening iced tea and other beverages.

Number 3

4th of July Shish Kabob

Ready to get patriotic? I am sure all the kids and big kids will love this fruity treat! Blueberries, bananas and strawberries! Shish Kabobs never looked so good!

Number 2

Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa is by far one of my favorite BBQ compliments. You literary add this anything in your menu and it will give it that extra kick! I am sure your guests will enjoy this refreshing combination of fresh fruits and vegetables!

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Add to shopping list

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup) (See: How to Cut a Mango)
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Also good with diced red bell pepper and jicama.

Instructions 

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.

Number 1

Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue SauceThis is a spicy but not fiery-hot dish. It is made with chipotle peppers, which add not only heat but also a subtle smoky taste. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapenos packed in a flavorful sauce.

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 2-3/4 hours (including 2 hours marinating time)

Ingredients1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or more to taste
1-1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

Preparation1. Stir cherries, broth, preserves, ketchup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, thyme and allspice in a small deep bowl. Transfer to a shallow non-reactive dish large enough to hold chicken. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat grill to high. Oil the grill rack. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a medium skillet.

3. Reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 7-9 minutes per side. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 12-15 minutes. Let the chicken cool slightly; serve with the sauce.

Honorable Mentions

Grilled Chicken Skewers 

Mini Empanadas 

Plantain, Bell-Peppers, Steak or Chicken Shish Kabobs

Please let us know if you would like the recipe for our honorable mention items! 

These are my top 5, but there are many more healthy 4th of July recipes out there! Please share your favorite 4th of July meals and recipes. We will highlight the top 3 most creative healthy fit recipes in next week's post!  Please post your recipes in the comment section including a social media contact name (twitter, IG, FB).

Please Follow us on IG for more tips: @iAmhealthyfit

Fitness is a life style!

Its been a while since I've dropped some lines around here! I am going to really try to stick it out guys, I promise!

The last blog post spoke about my weight loss journey since I moved back to the USA. It hasn't been easy but it has definitely been rewarding. Here are some updates!

Since I started grad school (fall 2012) the fitness journey became a little more complicated. Being both a fulltime student and employee I've had to make some sacrifices, but working-out is NOT one of them!  So what if I dont have a social life? that's not important!

How Have I Done It?

There are five priorities in my life, my job, school, church, my health and my loved ones (not in that order). Although I am really busy, identifying my priorities has made it easier to live my day to day. Once I had my top five life simple adjusted itself around those things. Making time for what's important has become a lot easier and simpler. In effort to stay healthy I decided to join the YMCA. In my last post I spoke about why I didn't believe in joining a gym, but I had to give in! It was the only way I could stay fit in the winter. I really enjoy the YMCA. Besides the fact that it is only a 10 minutes walk from my job, it is definitely worth the price. These last few weeks I've been taking the classes and I really enjoy them. The spinning class was definitely challenging in the beginning but by the third class I was good to go. I take classes in the morning from 7 - 8am. I live about 30 minutes from the gym so I usually get up by 6am the latest. If you do not have time to workout you have to CREATE time! Find a gym that opens early or closes late and make it work for your schedule!

There are many benefits to working out, besides the obvious. For me, the gym is the place where I go release the day to day stress from work, school and everything in between. While it would be nice to have a gym buddy, you have to feel comfortable going to the gym alone. If you becoming dependent  on your workout buddy then they will control your workout schedule. The most important part of staying fit is taking control! Do not give someone else the power to change your life!





I've been running for a few years now but I've never done it to compete. This year a friend of mine has inspired me to start competing and I really enjoy it. There is something very exciting about getting to the finish line. I completed my first race March 16th, it was a 10K in riverside in New York City. I finish under an hour which was extremely rewarding because in mt practice round I finished in 1 hour and 10 minutes. I have signed up for two more races for the month of April, one is April 21th and the other is April 28th! Both were great! And now I am registered for 2 runs in July, one is July 13th and the other is July 27th I am very excited and have been training (look out for my training plan next week).


How can you get started in your fitness journey? 

I am glad you asked! A month ago I started my own fitness group to help individuals like you and I achieve their weight loss goals. Being healthy is not only about being lossing weight, it is about keeping the weight off in a healthy and sustainable way. iAmHealthyFit hosts bootcamp sessions for all levels and ages in both Harlem and the Bronx. Please be on the lookout for progress pics from our awesome team and ideas for workouts, healthy meals and everything in between! If you would like to join the iAmHealthyFit Family please follow us on ig:@iamhealthyfit and send us an email at iamhealthyfit.iahf@gmail.com to help you get started!

America is bad for my diet!

It has been a while since I have updated my blog, my apologies! God has been doing his thing and has kept me very busy!

In any case, since I moved back to America I have had a very hard time staying healthy. While I lived in Honduras I ran, I eat fresh non-processed foods and I worked out on a regular. Less than 4 months after I moved back I managed to gain 20pounds and stopped running all together. I am not exactly sure,  when this happened, or how for that matter. All I know is that one minute I was enjoying my skinny jeans and the next I was trying to figure out why I couldn't fit them.

I want to believe the weather might have had something to do with my weight gain. After all who wants to run outdoors in the winter? Yea, I didn't think so! You might be wondering, why I didn't join a gym like the rest of the world...well I am glad you asked. First of all, I don't like working out in closed quarters. Secondly, I could not bring myself to pay a membership fee for something I can do myself! When I was unemployed I could not afford a gym membership, and once I got a job I did not want to pay for one! Needless to say, who has time for the gym? I live such a  busy life that I need the convenience of the outdoors to stay fit!

I will never forget the moment when I realized I had put on one too many pounds! It was the middle of February and I was facebook living, reviewing some of the pictures from my best friends 25th birthday celebration. I was wearing a sleeveless black dress, and my arms looked huge. I have my friends to thank, they had no problem letting me know I was fat. After reviewing the evidence, I had to admit they were correct!

The Solution!

The first item on the agenda was my diet! Loosing weight is 75% diet and 25% exercise. So I started watching what I ate. Living in a Spanish household, with a mother that constantly cooks for a village, can make eating healthy a mission impossible. However, dieting along with juicing has made a world of a difference. Next, I revisited an old friend. Good ole Mr. Shaun T, if you do not know who that is, you may know him as Mr. Insanity! Yes my friends, the most ridiculous workout known to mankind. Insanity was cool, I died every night and started seeing some results here and there. However, indoor workouts get a little boring to me after a while. So, when it got warm, I started running again! Man did I miss running! At first I really struggled with consistency, but I have been getting much better! After dropping my undesired and unwelcome 20pounds, I have been focusing on keeping them off and working on my beach body!

I have a few tools that I incorporate in my routine! First, my dumbbells! I have had these since college and, although they are only 5pounds when I am done with them I can barely feel my arms. Next is the Ab Wheel. When I first got this puppy in my hands, I was not trying to mess with it. However after almost 2 months of staring at it, and with a little motivation from my lover I decided to put my fears aside and give it a try. Now we are inseparable! Last but not least, is the pull up bar! I am still getting acquainted with this bad boy. However everyday I celebrate a small victory as I build my upper body strength!

Shoutouts to the MapMyRun App! Awesome app to track my morning runs, keep tabs on what I am eating and set fitness challenges to help me stay on track!

That is all for now folks! Look out for the biweekly updates on my fit-to-fit recovery! Remember, only you stand in the way of your beach body! Summer time is almost here, don't get caught with FUPAS ladies! #iamjustsaying