Improve your cardio and boost energy (Day 17)

Woman runner stretching

You get a choice today: hills or stairs

Notes for stairs:  Find a nice set of stairs (without too many people using them) and go up them at a good pace. Recover on the way down by taking each step slowly. If you start to feel light headed at any point stop.

Notes for hills/hiking: This doesn’t mean you need to upend your day and drive off into the countryside. All you need is a hill to use that has a good enough path for going up and down. And up and down.

Be careful on the “down” part because this can lead to strains. You’ll be getting plenty of work on the way up, and going down is your way to recover. If you’re in the middle of the Prairies where hills don’t exist, there are always stairs or treadmills at steep inclines (walk up for five minutes, down for 1-2).

You should be getting better at this stuff now, so you should quest for a higher performance than your last outing. If you’ve brought a friend along to encourage him/her be sure to feed off their energy and accomplishments as well. Motivate one another and don’t let each other off too easily. A solid high five at the end (no matter how cheesy) always makes everyone feel better!

When you get home, do some more practice with sitting on your exercise ball, and practice balancing while maintaining good form. Remember that the ball is not intended to be used for extended periods of time for sitting.

What to eat: Day 17

Breakfast: Berrylicious Iron-Booster Smoothie - Serves 1
Ingredients:
½ cup spinach
½ small banana, fresh or frozen, chopped
1 tablespoon chia seed
½ cup almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen
1 serving whey protein isolate (vanilla)
4 ounces water
3–4 ice cubes

Directions:  
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Add extra water if desired.

Calories 265 | Protein 28 g | Fat 8 g | Carbohydrates 29 g | Fibre 9 g

Snack: ½ cup (250 g) berries mixed with ½ cup (250 g) ricotta cheese

Lunch: Ahi Tuna Steak and Salad - Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 fresh Ahi tuna steaks (approximately 4 to 5 ounces each)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari sauce)
1 tablespoon unpasteurized wasabi paste
2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 small cucumbers, finely sliced
4-6 cups baby greens, prewashed
½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Brush the tuna steaks with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the green onion, lime juice, soy sauce and wasabi in a non-stick skillet over high heat and stir until well combined.
3. Add the tuna steaks and sear for approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat when done. Remember to not overdo the tuna (it’s best served medium rare).
5. Meanwhile, prepare the salad by tossing the cucumbers, baby greens, tomatoes, remaining olive oil and rice vinegar.
6. Top salad with the tuna and serve.

Calories 364 | Protein 40 g | Fat 16 g | Carbohydrates 13 g | Fibre 6 g

Snack: 12 tamari-roasted almonds with ½ cup (250 g) blackberries

Dinner: Miso Salad with Shrimp - Serves 1
Ingredients:
4-5 cups baby spinach
½ avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon unpasteurized miso paste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
One serving of protein: chicken, turkey, bison, lean ground beef, organic steak, whitefish, salmon, trout, tuna, tofu or dry cottage cheese (3/4 cup), egg whites (3/4 cup)

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well until the dressing coats the spinach, cucumber and tomatoes.
2. Top with chosen protein source and enjoy.

Calories 342 | Protein 34 g | Fat 15 g | Carbohydrates 25 g | Fibre 7 g

Copyright Dr. Natasha Turner ND. The Carb Sensitivity Program. carbsensitivity.com

Get Day 18 here.