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Parsley, Kale, & Berry Smoothie
There are many benefits to living in NYC, and one of those is the juice bar! Many places here sell pressed fruit and vegetable juices, like the place down the street from my work called Mangia. Today I was able to have a kale, pear, lemon, ginger, and apple juice. It was so refreshing and gave me instant energy…so much so, that I wanted to share another recipe with you all to try!
Parsley, Kale & Berry Smoothie
In the blender:
-Puree 1/2 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
-4 Kale leaves (center ribs removed)
-1 cup frozen organic berries (such as strawberries or raspberries)
-1 banana (cut into pieces)
-1 tsp. ground flaxseed
-1 cup water
*Parsely is an “unsung hero” when it comes to health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe soreness and are shown to boost the immune system.
* Kale is known as the “queen of greens”and for being super-nutritious providing significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.
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Spriiiiing into Summer!
Am I really posting about Spring fashion mid-March? You bet I am! With temperatures as high as 70 degrees here in NYC, the Spring outfits are being displayed in full force!
1. Colored Denim - LOVE this trend. You can find deals as low as $14.95 for jeans in all colors; cobalt blue, green, purple, apricot, pale yellow, bright yellow…you name it, you can can find it. I just bought my first pair of RED pants at Express last week! It’s the perfect time of year to bring out the pastels – and pair the denim with a….
2. White Blazer - Replace your black blazers of Winter with brighter hues such as a WHITE blazer. You can wear it for a night out over a dress or even for “dress-down” day at work with a great pair of jeans!
3. Floral Prints - Of course, “flowers” come to mind when you think Spring, so this shouldn’t be a shock. In addition to how florals are looking on tops and dresses, pants are now adopting this look as well. If you’re rocking floral pants, stick with a solid top or it may be too much. Same goes for a dress, opt for a solid blazer or cardigan over the top.
Read MoreTechnical Difficulties, BUT I’m back!!!
Hey all – thank you for hanging in there! We experienced some technical difficulties with the site, but we’re back in action this week! I hope you all had an amazing weekend! My life has been consumed with madness…MARCH MADNESS that is 
I filled out a few brackets, one at the Leverage office and another on ESPN.com and right now, it’s a little busted! Duke losing to Lehigh not only hurt my bracket, but it hurt my heart!! The Dukies are my team – I was shocked when they lost. I’m sure Norfolk St. over Mizzou and Ohio advancing to the Sweet 16 surprised a lot of people as well! I actually drove 10 hours from NYC to Greensboro, NC with my sister to watch the first round games. We left Thursday late afternoon and arrived at the hotel in Greensboro at 3am! We are nuts, right? … Had to support my boyfriend’s team, UVM as they took on UNC in the opening round! It was great, we got to see Creighton/Alabama in the game before which was down to the wire. The entire experience of being there as a spectator was amazing. I had been there as a player, but it is much more nerve-wracking to watch in the stands I think! Needless to say, it was an entertaining weekend of basketball!
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Maple Mustard Salmon
*The glaze can be made up to a day in advance on the stove. Cook it uncovered over medium-high heat, let it cool slightly, transfer it to a container with a tightfitting lid, and refrigerate. Let the glaze come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
Ingredients
For the glaze:
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1/3 cup maple syrup
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3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
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1 teaspoon cider vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
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1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the fish:
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4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
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Vegetable oil, for oiling the grill and the fish
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
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Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high (about 375°F to 425°F). Meanwhile, place all of the glaze ingredients in a medium oven-safe frying pan and whisk until combined.
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When the grill is ready, place the frying pan on the grill, cover the grill, and cook until the glaze just comes to a boil, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a hot pad or dry towel, remove the pan from the grill; set aside.
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Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of the fillets with vegetable oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Rub the grill grates with a towel dipped in oil. Place the salmon on the grill skin-side down, cover the grill, and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear and the skin is starting to crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula, carefully flip the fillets over and brush the skin with some of the glaze. Cover the grill and continue to cook until the salmon is just opaque in the center, about 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately, passing the remaining glaze on the side.
(Recipe obtained from www.Chow.com)
Read MoreMeet Health/Fitness Guru: Brittany Costa!
Health and Wellness Guide, Brittany D. Costa is not only a scholar in Journalism and Creative Writing but is also a Personal Trainer and has worked at various elite clubs and private boutique studios such as Exhale Spa, Freestyle Fitness, Equinox and New York Sports Club. Brittany is the Official Health and Wellness Guide for various Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant contestants and has worked with brands such as Oakley Women and Lululemon. Studying through the National Academy of Sports Medicine for Personal Training and Fitness Nutrition, as well as working towards 200 Registered Yoga Instructor hours, combined with an active lifestyle has inspired her to connect with others about living a healthy and happy life. Relatable, humorous and knowledgeable, Brittany connects with her readers and clients at every age, stage and size as she tries to make the world a healthier place by helping people to understand how to take advantage of opportunities around them that impact both the health of the individual and of the Earth. Join the conversation with Brittany on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/BrittanyDCostaFreelance Follow on Twitter: @BrittanyDCosta “#GetFitWithBritt”
1. Tell me about your experience as a health/fitness expert?
Haha, I’m not sure I would call myself an expert–the great thing about the Health and Wellness industry is that it’s a constantly changing and growing. There is so much to learn, which is why I am also a writer focusing on trends within the industry on my blog brittanydcosta.blogspot.com. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest instructors and teachers in the field, and in turn I love sharing my education with my clients and readers.
2. What made you interested in this field?
From a young age I have constantly been involved in fitness–starting of course with school and club sports like soccer and lacrosse–from there my love for fitness has grown substantially. In college I worked at my University’s Fitness Center and then when I moved to Connecticut I worked at local gyms as a part time Personal Trainer alongside my full time marketing jobs, and then finally I switched over to working full time in the Health and Wellness Industry. Since then I have worked at some of the best facilities, received amazing education, have been inspired by some of the best leaders in the industry, and associate myself with some of the best fitness brands such as Oakley Women and Lululemon.
3. You often hear, “I don’t follow an eating plan, I just try to eat a well-balanced-diet” …What do you consider a “balanced diet?”
To me a “well balanced diet” contains a lot of what I call “whole foods”. A whole food is something that has one ingrediant in it (i.e. apple, banana, carrot, celery) and is not packaged. Also, make sure you eat “lean and green” this means lots of lean protein and green veggies (i.e. kale, collard greens, spinach, swiss chard) because this fills your diet with nutrients right from the source–calcium, iron, vitamins.
4. How important is it to your health and fitness goals to get enough sleep?
Sleep is the BEST thing you can do to make you feel healthy and look beautiful! After a good night’s sleep your skin will be rested and look glowing, under eye circles or puffiness will go away; your body will feel more energized and it’s the best thing you can do for your diet too–sleep is the number one thing to help you shed extra pounds!
5. In your opinion as a health and fitness expert, what is the BEST way to lose weight? (for example: do you encourage circuit training? cardio mixed with weight training? etc…)
The best way to become the healthiest you yet is to have proper physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and lead a positive and balanced lifestyle. That’s why I like to call myself a Health and Wellness Guide, because it’s not just being a personal trainer focusing on fitness, but rather it’s about making sure my clients are healthy and well-rounded individuals. I encourage everyone does strength training a minimum of 3-4x a week, cardio 5x a week for a minimum of 30 min, and yoga a minimum of 3x a week. Personally, I work with my clients utilizing a fusion of Yoga, Pilates, Barre and Total Body Conditioning. I also give guidance when it comes to having healthy nutrition, and work with them on a variety of healthier lifestyle techniques such as meditating, study tips and how to be eco-friendly.
Thank you SO much Brittany!!! We appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with us! Don’t forget to follow Brittany on twitter at: @BrittanyDCosta!
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Rani’s Vegetarian Delight!
My gorgeous roommate here in NYC is a vegetarian, and last night she wanted to make us dinner! I absolutely LOVED this quick, easy, and tasty dinner … I ate a salad along with it, and it was actually very filling!
Ingredients:
- 3-4 zucchini
- low-fat mozzarella cheese to sprinkle
- tomatoes to slice
- basil
Basically, all you do is preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut each zucchini in half, place sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkle cheese and basil to your liking. If you want, you can add sliced black olives as well! Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. How easy is that? Try it out and let me know what you think!!!
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