Michael McClain

Travel Essentials

Trip it App

If you’ve known me for any amount of time you know that I used to travel a lot and I enjoy technology quite well. These days I don’t travel quite as much as I’m chasing my toddler more however, my clients do. Which is why when I came across this little App I thought I would further investigate and review.

Business travel in general usually means lots of flights,

lots of hotels,

lots of rental cars,

and LOTS of confirmation numbers to keep track of…

This app is all about keeping you organized.

It will help you keep all my trips in one place, then breaks them down so you can see your plans and confirmation numbers for flights, hotels, rental cars. It even gives you maps from each place, weather wherever you are, and suggestions for things to do while you’re there. As soon as you get a confirmation email when you’ve booked a flight or hotel room, just forward it to plans@tripit.com and it goes right to your phone. If you add a car or stop along the way, it automatically updates.

You can pay a little more for the PRO version (’cause your such a travel pro) and it will send you reminders to check in for your flight, let you know if your flight is delayed or cancelled, and offers details on other flights to take if that occurs. (This is the bomb because if you have a cancelled flight it just pops up a screen with all your other options and the phone number to call and switch your flight. It taks about a minute and half to have a new flight. ) And, if that weren’t enough, it also keeps track of all your frequent flier miles and hotel points. Boom.

Trip It is like my new travel personal assistant.

…makes me feel somewhat fancy and important.

This is what my Trip It home page looks liked as of a few days ago:

(no I’m not traveling at the moment, I just loaded up some info for testing)

I have no doubt you’ll be loving this app as soon as you grab it. Please let me know if you find this is making your life simpler.

Is the gym intimidating this January?

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The gym can in general be an intimidating place especially in January as more folks are filing in. This week if you go to the gym make it your goal to say hello to 3 people and help to make the gym a less intimidating place. Your one smile and one workout away from a good day!

Wild Rice and Edamame Salad

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I made this dish last night and it was a hit with my family and I have no doubt it will become a familiar side or main at many other houses soon too!

I think it imperative to start with the simple cooking instructions for wild rice as the salad above calls for the rice to be already cooked so you can get to mixing the ingredients, chilling and most importantly eating. All the prep for this recipe can easily be accomplished while the rice is cooking. Wild rice is actually not rice at all, its a long grain from wild marsh grass however, its nutritious and these days its cultivated in California (Yay for local!) Minnesota and Wisconsin. Wild rice can be found in the bulk sections of these local Berkeley and San Francisco stores; Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl and Rainbow Grocery.

BASIC STEAMED WILD RICE

INGREDIENTS

1¼ Cups Wild Rice

3¾ Cups Water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water to clean

2. Place the rice and measured water into a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer undisturbed until the rice has absorbed most of the water and the grains have swollen (some may split apart to show their white pith, this is fine and actually having the bulk of the grains split will give you a less chewy texture and more even cook throughout the rice). About 35-55 minutes (generally the longer and darker the grains are the longer the cooking time will be). If some liquid remains after the rice is don, drain it off. Fluff the rice and cook, uncovered, over low heat for about a minute to let any excess liquid evaporate, about 1 minute.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
4 cups cooked wild rice (see above)
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 cups shelled cooked edamame, thawed if frozen (I find frozen is easy for this)
2 medium carrots, peeled and small dice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the almonds in a medium frying pan over medium heat and toast, stirring often, until golden brown (do not let the nuts burn), about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the almonds.
Add the rice, scallions, edamame, carrots, and cranberries to the bowl with the almonds and sesame seeds and toss to combine.
Whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Drizzle over the rice mixture and toss to combine. Taste and season as needed with more salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. Once you pull this out for serving give it a good stir and re-adjust the salt and pepper as necessary.

Please let me know what you think of this dish as I know its going to be added to my go-to list!

My recent go-to brunch meal

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As we have just wrapped up the holidays I thought I would share my favorite make-ahead brunch dish. Over the past many weeks my family enjoyed this dish at a few holiday breakfast/brunches. Every time I serve it, it gets raving reviews. So with no further adew:

Spinach Strata

Aside from being comforting and filling, stratas are really easy to make. Whisked eggs and milk are poured over bread and your favorite fillings, then everything’s left to soak overnight. In the morning, just pop it in the oven while the coffee’s brewing. Breakfast is served. Once you have made on strata you will see the possibilities are endless on the adaptions.

Game plan: The assembled strata needs to soak overnight before baking, so plan accordingly.

If you don’t have day-old bread on hand, toast the bread cubes in a 300°F oven until they are crisp and dry but not browned, about 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces day-old crusty bread, such as pain au levain, large dice (about 6 cups)
4 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach leaves (about 7 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the pan
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves ( I find these really add a layer of flavor that would be missed)

INSTRUCTIONS

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with olive oil. Add the bread, spinach, and half of the feta. Gently toss the mixture with your hands until combined, then spread it into an even layer; set aside.
Whisk the measured olive oil, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs and milk and whisk until combined. Very slowly drizzle the mixture over the bread and evenly sprinkle the remaining half of the feta over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the top third of the oven.
Uncover the strata and bake until the custard is set and the edges are browned, about 45 to 55 minutes. Place on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and serve warm.

This makes 6 servings

Hopefully your family will enjoy it as much as mine. Happy cooking!

2012 Is The Time For a Change…

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I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Through out the last year I was not very active on my blog and mostly because of my internal struggle wether or not to share more about my life through the web. I’m not your average personal trainer and I don’t run your average fitness business. I’m known by some as “the DIY guy”, “the coffee roaster”, “that guy who sews”, and so-on and so forth. So for 2012 I’m going to be reviewing more products, sharing more recipes, highlighting wines I’ve enjoyed and more general life wisdom as I see it. All of this will be sprinkled with fitness spice and everything nice.

If there is anything in particular you would like to see more of here please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will see if it makes sense.

All the best to you and yours in 2012!

There will never be a perfect time

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Happy New Year! As we have said goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012 the outlook for the year is bright.This is the time to reflect on the past and prepare for the future. Along with preparing most of us are busy settling into new resolutions and many of those include giving up something or adding something new in to our routines. For alot this new resolution will be about getting back into a fitness routine. This particular topic has come up quite a bit lately in conversations with friends and clients and I feel some people have the wrong idea about when to get started on a fitness program.

If you are someone who is waiting for the perfect time to start a fitness plan, I’ve got news for you…

There will never be a perfect time for you to start a workout routine.

I am not saying this to rob you of your motivation, so let me explain.

Even when you think your starting your exercise routine at the most perfect time and Nothing can get in your way, something always happens, its Murphy’s Law

It is inevitable.

Here is the common scenario:

You signed up for a 3 month personal training program thinking that this time you will have no scheduling conflicts. You have bought new workout clothes, marked the calendar with the days of your appointments for 4 days a week and even have your meals planned out through the month. You are ready to lose the 20 lbs you put on this past year and know that because you have no trips planned, etc for the next 3 months, nothing is going to stop you.

So you start your plan on a Monday and for the first 2 weeks, everything is going great, just as planned. You are attending all of your appointments just as you scheduled, are starting to have more energy, are getting over the muscle soreness, you even dropped a couple of lbs and are starting to feel like yourself again.

And then it happens: Your boss ask you to stay late at work due to a project deadline and you have to miss your Monday’s workout session. You are bummed because you don’t want to lose the momentum but the work has to get done, so you cut your losses.

Tuesday rolls around and you are not feeling so hot (probably because you stayed late at work the night before). You are feeling sick and low on energy so you decided that maybe you should come home early and sleep which means you are missing two workouts this week.

Now its Wednesday and you are feeling better but your boss throws an unexpected business trip on your calendar for the following week for client meetings and you have to be there. You are disappointed in yourself for missing Monday and Tuesday, especially now that you know you will be gone the following week. So now you are thinking “well, I already missed Monday and Tuesday and will have to miss next week. So this week and next week are shot. I guess I will get back into it the week after my work trip.” … And on and on..

I’m going to stop the story her so I can ask you a question:

Don’t you think it is better to work out once a week than no times at all?

Of course it is! Any of you would tell your friends and family the same. So why don’t we say this to ourselves?

In a perfect world, life would not get in the way of our plans to better ourselves but since it does, the best thing you can do is mentally prepare for the situations and weeks where you can’t get to the gym 4 to 5 days a week by letting yourself know that its okay. If 1 time is better than nothing, then be okay with working out 1 time!

Here are a few tips on how to give yourself a break when starting a new fitness program:

1 – Plan on being okay with getting to the gym at least 1 time a week. This way if something does come up you will not feel that all your efforts are lost. If you know you are doing everything in your power to get your workout in but you cannot make it, don’t stress yourself out about it. This will further inhibit your weight loss efforts

2 – Pre-Cook healthy food items so you can keep your diet on track if you get busy. This is a huge par of the weight loss battle.

3 – Have a short at home workout prepared ready to do in case you have to miss your class. Body weight exercises like squats, pushups, back extensions, planks and lunges can all be designed into a 10 minute circuit to help you get some type of workout in.

4 – Sleep. You will never have the energy to get through your workouts safely if you are overtired, let alone get to the gym in the first place. Sleep is one of the least expensive gifts you can give yourself.

If you are someone who wants to get started on your 1 Time this Week, please sign-up for your no-obligation, no-charge consultation to discuss your goals and how Dialed-in Fitness can work for you.

Why What You Think About Your Food Matters…

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What you think about your food matters

The holidays are here!

That means lots of goodies and
LOADS of temptation…

But here’s the good news…

Today I’ve lined up a cool little Jedi
“mind trick” you can use to hopefully
eat a little less this holiday season.

Your waisitline will thank you!

Why What You Think About Your Food Matters…

There’s no doubt about it…

Your body and your mind are
directly linked.

What you think about has a clear
effect on your health and vice
versa.

In fact, I’ve just come across a fascinating
study that shows how strong this mind-body
connection is.

Researchers at Yale University decided to
see how your thoughts affect your body’s
response to food.

The study, published in the online
journal Health Psychology, focused on
ghrelin levels in the body.

So we’re on the same page,
ghrelin is also known as the “hunger”
hormone. It sends a signal to your brain that
makes you want to eat.

If your body’s ghrelin levels are high,
you’ll tend to overeat… even if you are
already feeling full.

Likewise, low ghrelin levels are
associated with feelings of satiety
and not needing to eat more. .

One more thing – ghrelin levels

Pondering

typically increase before meals and
decrease after eating.

Back to the study…

The researchers recruited volunteers
and divided them into two groups:

Group 1 – received a milkshake that
they were told was a 620-calorie
“indulgent” shake.

Group 2 – received a milkshake that
they were told was a 140-calorie
“sensible” shake.

In reality, both groups got the same
exact shake, which came in at 380 calories.

So what happened?

After drinking the shake, both groups had
their ghrelin levels measured.

The group that thought they were having
the nice, fatty-shake had a dramatic and
steep decline in their ghrelin levels.

The group that thought they were being
healthy had a neutral ghrelin response.

“This study shows that mindset can affect
feelings of physical satiety. The brain was
tricked into either feeling full or feeling
unsatisfied. That feeling depended on what
people believed they were consuming, rather
than what they actually were consuming,” said
Alia J.Crum, the study’s lead author.

“What was most interesting,” Crum added, “is that the
results were somewhat counterintuitive. Consuming the
shake thinking it was ‘indulgent’ was healthier than thinking
it was ‘sensible.’ It led to a sharper reduction in ghrelin.”

Pretty crazy, right!?

The mere perception of what you’re eating
has a direct effect on your body.

How’s that for “food for thought?”

So next time you embark on a diet,
try to see if you can get yourself to
change the perception of what you’re eating…
and then see how it makes you feel.

Imagine the possibilities… indulgent chicken
salads… hearty protein shakes… and exquisite
veggies.

The sky’s the limit on this one!

Well, that’s all for today. Keep up those
good eating and exercise habits… and make
sure to use this neat little Jedi “mind trick” this
holiday season.

Oh, and a BIG happy early New Year!
Thank YOU for being a loyal reader.

And by the way … if you’re serious about
taking your overall health and fitness to the
next level before the New Year, why not take
advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation?

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed
information on how to get fit and trim that’s
tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely
free. To sign up, use the link below.

Say “Goodbye” to The Flu Season Forever

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Woman Sneezing

Say “Goodbye” To The Flu Season Forever

Every year when Winter rolls around,
you’ve probably noticed the glut of
commercials for cold and flu medicines
that promise to put an end to the coughing,
sneezing, headaches, stuffiness and
more that comes with being sick.

Most of us just chalk it up to being
“that” time of year.

But the truth is, there’s a very good
reason why Winter coincides with
greater chances of being sick with the
flu or a similar illness.

As it turns out, a vitamin D
deficiency is the culprit.

And when you stop and think about it,
it makes total sense.

As Winter progresses, the daylight hours
become shorter and shorter. Combine that
with the fact that most people try and stay
indoors to keep warm, and you’ve got the
perfect recipe for a vitamin D deficiency.

That’s because your body makes the vitamin D
it needs with the sunlight that hits your skin
when you’re outside.

A study published in the journal Epidiemology
and Infection found that there is a direct correlation
between the lack of vitamin D most people
experience during winter and coming down with
a cold. [1]

The researchers stated, “We conclude that vitamin D,
or lack of it… [is the] seasonal stimulus [for illness].”

Another study, published in the 2009 edition of the journal
Archives of Internal Medicine discovered that a vitamin D
deficiency is responsible for many upper-respiratory tract i
nfections. [2]

And that’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg when it
comes to research linking vitamin D deficiency to getting sick.

For example, one Dutch study found that children with
the least sun exposure were twice as likely to develop a
cough and three times as likely to develop a runny nose,
compared to children who got plenty of sun. [3]

Another Russian study stimulated vitamin D production in
athletes. They did this with sun lamps that gave off UV rays.

The result?

The athletes experienced 50% LESS respiratory
infections and had less days missed due to illness. [4]

And while I don’t have to space here to tell you about
ALL the neat vitamin D studies I’ve found, I’ll leave you
with one more.

In 1994, a study published in the Journal of Tropical Pediatrics,
investigated the effects of high-dosage vitamin D supplementation
on children.

The researchers gave 27 children (ages 3-12) 60.000 iu of
vitamin D per week. They did this over the course of six weeks.

Also, you should know that these children all had a
history of frequent respiratory infections.

By the time the study ended, NONE of the children
developed respiratory infections. [5]

Dr. Rehman, the study’s lead author, stated,
“infections were fully controlled and no
recurrences were reported for six months.”

That’s simply amazing when you think about it!

So save your money this Winter. Instead of
going out there and getting cold medicines, get
some sun… well, that is if you’re lucky enough
to live in a warmer climate.

Otherwise, stock up on vitamin D!

The kind of vitamin D you want to take is important.
Choose a supplement that contains vitamin
D3 (cholecalciferol).

As far as how much, research indicates you
may need as much as 5,000 – 8,000 iu to
get the protective, immune-boosting effects.

Oh and by the way, if you’re serious about
taking your health and fitness to the next level
for the New Year, why not take advantage of
your FREE Fitness Consultation?

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed
information on how to get fit and trim that’s
tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and
completely free. To sign up, use the link below

I want my free fitness consult!

References:

1. Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF,
Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, Giovannucci
E.”Epidemic influenza and vitamin D.”Epidemiol
Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40. Epub 2006 Sep 7.

2. Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr.
“Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin
D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the
Third National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey.” Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90.

3. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed.
2004 Oct;20(5):270-1.

4. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult.
1990 May-Jun;(3):30-3.

5. J Trop Pediatr. 1994 Feb;40(1):58.

Are You Watching Your Sugar Intake?

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Raw Sugar

Most of us have come to know that plain white table sugar is not good for us in large quantities. It is well known that in short, it is very refined and breaks down in the body quickly which causes spikes in insulin and then drops in energy or better known as the “crash”. More importantly, it is imperative to remember that no matter what form of sugar is being consumed; honey, turbinado, brown sugar, sucrose or the infamous high fructose corn syrup it is all sugar and intake needs to be monitored.

Men in particular should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugar in a day, but the average American takes in twice that amount. High-sugar diets may increase heart-disease risk according to studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Where are you consuming your sugar and are you keeping an eye on it?

Black Bean and Corn Salad

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This salad is the perfect compliment to grilled meats or seafood and the flavors of summer. Packed with freshness it is sure to be a hit with whomever you choose to share it with! The prep time of this dish is only about 25 minutes.

Flavors of Summer

Ingredients

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cooked)
1 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (Early girls are perfect right now)
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Start by making the dressing by placing the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
Shuck and clean corn and boil for 10 minutes, rinse with cool water and shave the kernels off the cob.
In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing.
Lastly add in the avocado and tomatoes tomatoes and stir to coat and then serve.

Nutritional Information

Black Bean And Corn Salad

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 391

Total Fat: 24.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 830mg

Total Carbs: 35.1g

Dietary Fiber: 12.2g

Protein: 10.5g

Travel Essentials

Trip it App

Is the gym intimidating this January?