Kate Rita- Personal Trainer and Diastasis Expert

Today I was able to enjoy an AM workout. I love to get it over with early- it really pumps me up and leaves my body humming. My focus this morning was a "mental health" workout- about 300 reps encompassing strength and plyometrics, full body with some hand/eye and cardio in the mix. It looked like this. I added a short jump rope set to the cooldown and was done in about an hour with shaky muscles and a clear mind. My post workout meal looked like this. Rice, egg salad with homemade mayo on fresh homemade bread, 1/4 avocado, beets & greens. It was delicious and 100% nutritious. I also had a bowl of vegan cabbage ginger soup which reminds me of a miso, with a clear broth and vegetable pieces. Now that's a way to jump start a day. Making a push towards the Mississauga Half Marathon- PB in performance no matter what the race time!

My clients often ask me how I manage my food planning. As a PTS, PFS the scope of my practice encompasses a simple approach of whole foods. I like to say I don't really cook, I "prepare" food. I favor raw or lightly steamed vegetables with no seasoning- I have come to appreciate how flavourful food is and it leads me to wonder how great it would taste if it didn't take weeks to reach my grocery store :/ I have a small garden that I want to expand. I eat grains and beans/legumes, preparing meals as simply as possible. My strategy is simple and effective, kid friendly (bonus!) and congruent with my exercise program so I am not constantly "overcoming" my food choices but rather maximizing my output potential. I have been trying to post recipes on this blog but it is time consuming. I have a facebook album where I post pictures of my meals. Check it out and take a page for inspiration if you are struggling with healthy food ideas..... meals like these....simp...

I want to make a push. A serious push to a PB of sub 1:47:43 Half Marathon on May 6th. Last week I did very well with my strength workouts- this week not so much. Life gets in the way! I am lucky that I have opportunity for "mini-workouts" with the clients I train daily, but NOTHING beats a dedicated custom 1 hour of individual level working out. I seriously need to kick my own ass. More. Maybe I need a trainer ;) How do YOU manage to fit it all in? Read some of MYstrategies.

I discovered this recipe last January during my raw food cleanse. It is the BEST chocolate "pudding" concotion. I love to put it in crepes with fresh fruit. Chocolate substitute: Avocado Pudding 1/2 ripe avocado 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (or to taste) 1 Tbsp agave syrup (or to taste) 1 TBsp coconut milk (optional) Blend all ingredients with a fork. You can also make a mean no-sugar hot chocolate with cocoa powder, agave and a dash of coconut milk. Try it and you'll see!

Last night to celebrate St. Patty's Day we drank beer with friends/family. It was a bit overly indulgent but not grossly excessive- after all it is the holiday of Guinness! To make sure we weren't drinking hungry Ben whipped up these tasty finger foods to bring. Since today was grocery day my fridge was almost empty and this is an excellent example of creativity with food. With only a couple of leftover Nori & Rice Paper sheets in the cupboard, some leftover cold rice, a few carrots & cucumber, Ben prepared a healthy and delicious meal that even the kids loved. Although I wasn't in bed until 3AM (!) I dragged my slightly dishevelled self out of bed at 7:15 for run club and a 14Km LSD. Knowing that mild dehydration would likely be my biggest challenge I packed enough water and enjoyed our run entirely. We ran a very happy 7:00/Km pace with 10:1's. Perfect. Our post workout meal was leftover stir fry and rice with pan fried salmon, prepared something like...

Go-To Bean Salad This side dish is full of flavour and fibre.  The slow digestion rate and low glycemic index means that it won't spike your blood sugar, and the fibre helps prevent  hunger between meals. Add to that the bonus that it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and will keep refrigerated for about a week. Add 1/2 cup of this yummy nutritious salad to any meal or snack- look at my post workout meal entry from yesterday to see it on my plate! Garnish with variety and enjoy all week long! It makes a great lunch item for weekdays at work! Ingredients: 1 can of mixed beans containing chick peas 500ml 1 can of sweet/peaches corn 341ml 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded 1 medium zucchini halved and sliced thinly 1 thumb sized piece of finely grated ginger 1 tbsp of fresh cilantro (aka coriander) 2 tbsp of sesame oil 2 tbsp of  toasted sesame seeds Garnishes/Options Add sunflower seeds, raisins, 1tbsp brown sugar and a bit of your favorite v...

Here is my post workout meal today- about 300 calories of balanced (vegetarian) nutrition: 1 1/2 devilled eggs Steamed Kale 1 scoop chick pea/bean/zucchini salad Raw veggies- snap peas, red & yellow peppers, celery 1 boiled potato with 1 tsp homemade Lyonnaise dressing 1 tbsp homemade Mayo This is not complicated stuff, folks! Take some inspiration.

It is Spring and I am making a push. I know from experience that slow steady training is my model for success- both in results and sustainability. I am back to the 12-20:00 model. Without discounting the importance of rest, my program is now a daily prescription of 12-20 minutes of exercise. Strategically, HIITworkouts (high intensity interval training) are shorter, straight sets and cardio cross training are longer. My workouts target muscle groups and intensity relatively, allowing for needed rest even on "active" rest days. This approach ensures that my activity levels have consistency and equally importantly that stretching is an every day discipline. Here is yesterdays workout, a 20:00 mid-high intensity session. I love the whiteboard or notebook workout logs- they quantify my efforts. Workout 20:00 + warm up & cool down, active rest speed bag Triple Kicks 3 x 20/side L/R = 60/set= 360 Dive Bomber Push Up Mods 10 x 2 + 5 full = 25 Hip Circle Knee Raise Chall...

I am finally resurfacing from a blogger hiatus. Those of you who know me personally are aware of what a transient dynamic year I have had. For those of you who don't, let's just say it's been completely paradigm shifting. Happy Spring! Since I last blogged over a year ago I have completed another 2 half marathons-I will write about the experiences...stay tuned. My last race was completed on March 4th, just a week ago. My next race is scheduled for early May and I have been ramping myself up to attempt a time PB. If that is going to happen, I need to make a push. Reopening this blog is a part of that push. Remember that I am all about strategies and having a very comprehensive approach to goals. For me this will encompass more strength and cross training, an overall tempo/intensity push with my training runs, reigning my nutrition in tightly (I am considering a longer term vegan food plan) and updating my online presence. I would like to add a heavier nutritional compone...