Introducing: Forte GO!

 

Let's face it. In this fast-paced world, we are all searching for ways to efficiently stack our schedules. With things like work, kids, activities, laundry, grocery shopping, and dog-walking already taking precedence, it's difficult to fit self-care into our routines. Health plays a major role in how well we interact and function in those areas that dominate the majority of our hours. Why not carve out just 2-3 hours per week taking care of yourself? No time, you say?

Let the care, education, and expertise of Forte Fitness come to you. 

Forte Go! will work with you to provide personal training in an area convenient to you. Whether that setting be your own home, the fitness center in your workplace or apartment complex, or a nearby park, Forte Go! is equipped to challenge you. 

Drastically altering your schedule to battle traffic, find childcare, and change clothes on the run can deflate your enthusiasm. Let Forte Go! accommodate you. And if 1-on-1 training is not your style, grab a few friends for our small group training. There are a variety of packages that will make your personal training experience cost effective and fun.

Contact us today for a complimentary session and tell us about the ideal setting for your workout -- we can make it happen.

Forte Go! 

Convenience - Privacy - Accountability 

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A little TN River, A little Italian & A little Greek ...

My son and I went fishing Sunday afternoon on the banks of the Tennessee river.  I cannot reveal our secret location!  As you can see he caught a beautiful 6 pound bass.  I filleted the bass and simply pan seared it in a cast iron skillet in a little bit of butter and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.  

 

My Italian Nonna (grandmother) would make potatoes like this.  My kids love them.  Boil Yukon Gold potatoes whole until knife tender.  At about 10 minutes check them.  Be careful not to under cook and have a crunchy potato or over cook and have mashed potatoes.  Peel the skins off under cold water.  Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces.  Drizzle olive oil and crushed fresh garlic in a pan.  Heat the oil but don't burn the garlic.  Put a small layer of canned, crushed San Marzano tomatoes in the pan.  Add the potatoes and salt to taste.  

 

Greek salad is easy!  Cherry tomatoes sliced in half.  We used golden ones this time.  Slice a cucumber.  Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes and cucumbers.  Add Kalamata olives and feta cheese with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.  Mix and enjoy!  

 

Buon Appetito! 

Who Do You Trust: The FDA or Plants?

According to the FDA cereals like Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes are healthy. Nothing could be farther from the truth.  These cereals are a box kit on how to begin sending little Johnny and little Suzy down the road of diabetes. Even Kelloggs who produces these cereals does not promote these cereals as healthy. BUT, they are considered healthy by FDA standards because of their low fat content in spite of the high levels of sugar and low fiber levels.  

Under the guidelines of the FDA an avocado, almond, and a walnut are not healthy.  The avocado, almond, and walnut are super-foods full of heart healthy fats.  The FDA said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal, "In light of evolving nutrition research and other forthcoming food-labeling rules,  we believe now is an opportune time to re-evaluate regulations concerning nutrient content claims, generally, including the term - healthy." 

Duh!!!

I am not an evolutionary botanist, but I would suspect that in the lifetime of the FDA the avocado, almond and walnut have remained fairly constant in its appearance and nutrient content.  It seems the constant is plants work for better health, and the FDA continually creates policies and regulations that have not been in the best interest of the health of the populace.  

It is not hard.  Fruit Loops is not food.  An avocado, almond and walnut are foods.  People are designed to eat food.  Therefore eat avocados, almonds and walnuts.

Start Your Day off RIGHT!

 

Egg omelet with fresh tomatoes and spinach.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan.  Cook on low heat. First add chopped fresh tomatoes.  Second add organic cage free eggs.  Third and a big handful of spinach.  Scramble the eggs and veggies together.  Season with sea salt, black pepper and kick it up a notch with red chili flakes.  

Serve with a side of fresh avocado.  

The beverage is a smoothie of frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, frozen pineapple.  Mix in a blender with enough water to mix.  Sweeten with honey as to your taste.  

Enjoy!  

Healthy FATTY Breakfast!

Hard Boiled Eggs - go cage-free for healthy fatty yolks.  Bring water to a boil.  Place eggs in water for 6 minutes for soft boiled, 7 minutes for between soft and hard boiled and 8 minutes for hard boiled. Place eggs in bowl of ice water to cool.  

In a bowl mix the hard boiled eggs, avocado, and arugula with a drizzle of healthy fat olive oil. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and I like red chili flakes.  

Serve with a side of grapes and green tea! 

 

Have a healthy day!  

Protein - Starch - Vegetable

A lunch or dinner composed of a protein, starch and vegetable is a simple formula for eating healthy. 

The protein for this meal was organic chicken breast pan seared in a dab of butter.  The chicken was seasoned simply in sea salt, cracked pepper and rosemary.

The starch is roasted potatoes in a cast iron skillet.  The skillet makes for a perfectly crisp outside and soft inside.  The potatoes were roasted in olive oil, sea salt, garlic and fresh rosemary.  I roasted them at 500 degrees, and they take about 20 minutes.  Check on them at about 15 minutes, and flip them around so they do not burn and build a crust on another side of the potato.  

The vegetable is a red cabbage sauteed in olive oil with sea salt, black pepper, crushed chili flakes and garlic.  Cook until soft and they begin to caramelize. 

 

Buon Appetito! 

Acciaroli

Several years ago Dan Buettner published a book called Blue Zones.  Blue Zones contain the most dense populations of centenarians on the planet.  At the time the book was published there were four areas: Loma Linda, Southern California in a Seventh Day Adventist community, Nicoya, Costa Rica, Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy.  I have shared much of the information in previous blogs. You can also learn more at www.bluezones.com.

Last week I was on a long ride from Chattanooga to Savannah. I was listening to NPR, and another blue zone has been found in Italy.  It is Italy's second blue zone, which I must point out as a proud Italo-American!  The new location is Acciaroli, Italy which is on the western coast of Italy in the region of Campania near Naples.  http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-investigating-why-people-in-this-tiny-italian-town-keep-living-to-100

It may be the most amazing blue zone yet.  With a population of just 2000 there are 300 centenarians - 15% of the population!  The rest of the world is at about .2%.  Not only is this statistically amazing, but it gets even more so - 20% of the centenarians are super-centenarians living to age 110+! They are living very long lives with incredibly low rates of heart disease and Alzheimer's.  

Why is this happening??? Scientists are beginning the investigation. The initial guess is a combination of genes and diet.  The people in this area are not doing any intentional exercise other than walking, climbing hills and steps, and tending gardens.  

The Acciarolians are eating the famed Mediterranean diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, grass fed dairy, wine and olive oil, but the scientists are uniquely interested in two ingredients that they consume almost daily at every lunch and dinner - anchovies and rosemary.  

Anchovies because of their small size are mercury free, high in protein, and rich in omega 3 fatty acids which is an anti-inflammatory.  Rosemary which is rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin B is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Inflammation is the precursor to disease.  

Anchovies can be used in a lot of ways.  Many Italians use them as the salt for salad dressing. Put 5-6 anchovy fillets in a blender with a 3:1 ratio of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and cracked pepper. Taste the dressing and if you want it a bit more salty add some more anchovies. Anchovies can be used in creating pasta sauces.  Place several anchovies in a pan with just a bit of liquid.  Warm them up and break them apart with a fork then add diced eggplant, a clove of garlic and olive oil - lightly saute.  Then add San Marzano tomatoes and serve with spaghetti.  A panino with anchovies, fresh mozzarella, and roasted zucchini, peppers and eggplant. You can find many more recipes on the internet.   

Italians most often use rosemary when they are roasting vegetables and meat.  I most commonly remember my Nonna Liliana using rosemary with roasted potatoes and whole roasted chicken. 

As much as one's eating choices are a factor, don't forget the afternoon siesta and a gelato in the square with friends is part of the formula as well!  

Hanger Steak

First

Slice 1/2 an onion and a carrot.  Drizzle olive oil over the onions and carrots and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.  Kick it up a notch with red chili flakes.  Put in a pyrex at 400 degrees. Should take 15 to 20 minutes.  Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and season with sea salt.   Add the asparagus with about 10 minutes to go.  

Second

Season the hanger steak with sea salt and black pepper.  Put a little butter in an iron skillet on medium to high heat.  When the butter melts put the steak in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip it and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Let the steak sit for 10 minutes and then slice thin.

Serve and enjoy! 

The AAA Breakfast

Arugula Omelet

Asparagus

Avocado

Saute in olive oil circular sliced onions and sweet colorful baby bell peppers on low heat.  Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper.  When the onions are translucent crack two eggs over the veggies.  When the eggs are almost done add a handful of arugula which will wilt quickly. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper. 

While the eggs are cooking in a separate pan put a half inch of water and bring to a boil.  Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes.  They should be fork tender but even if they are a bit firm you can pull them out because they are so water dense and have absorbed so much heat they will continue to cook - mushy asparagus is horrible.  Pat the asparagus dry with a paper towel.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt.

Cut an avocado in half.  Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and sea salt.

Plate it - Enjoy it!