Almonds, Gnocchi, Perfect Your Workout

Tip of the Day: Almonds

I've gone on about how good spinach is for you and your health/weight loss, but I have another super food you need to add to your daily diet: Almonds. They help build muscle, and reduce cravings. They help fight cancer and blood pressure, and will also help keep you feeling full. Add a handful of almonds to your diet every day, and you will not only feel good, but you'll look amazing! If you look up almonds and weight loss you'll see that there are so many studies that have been done to prove that the healthy fats in almonds help reduce fat, and help with weight loss. Why wouldn't you want to add these to your daily diet??

Healthy Recipe: Gnocchi with Zucchini and Parsley

Another recipe to prove that pasta doesn't need to be unhealthy! 424 calories a serving (makes 4).

• 1 pound fresh or frozen gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1 pound zucchini, (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise (see Tip)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Exercise: Perfect your Workout

Here are some tips to use to perfect some of those well known exercises.

-Squat. A lot people don't have the correct form when doing squats, therefore aren't getting their best workout with them. Make sure your feet are parallel, and knees stay pointing straight. Use a workout bench. Make sure your butt taps the bench so you know you're going low enough.

-Crunch. The standard crunch needs to be done with your feet on the floor, knees bent about 90 degrees. Hands behind your head (so you don't put all the energy into your neck) elbows out to the side. Roll all the way up until your chest touches your knees, and slowly roll back down, keeping all of your energy in your core.

-Stand Up. Stop doing your lifting while sitting. Exercises that involve standing up will help you burn more calories!