We’ve all been there: You get to work, get dialed in, and the next thing you know it’s lunchtime. If you were together during the weekend, or thought about lunch before you left your house, you may have brought it with you. If, however, you had a busy morning or aren’t in the habit of prepping food, well, you’re probably left to scrounge the office for snacks, make a stop at a fast-food joint, or beg your coworkers to share. 

As fun as it might be to have a lunchtime adventure every day, it’s healthier if you can build some time in your day or week to prepare lunch for yourself. Moreover, if you can prepare lunch that includes at least 20 grams of protein, you’ll set yourself up for a much more productive afternoon.

Benefits of a High Protein Lunch

Although it might take a little bit of preparation, eating a healthy, high-protein lunch is the right call for most people. Eating protein in the middle of the day will help you:

• Build and maintain muscle 
• Maintain a healthy body weight 
• Feel sated so you’re less likely to overeat at dinner

Most of us could do with eating more vegetables and more protein. Your goal for just about every meal should be to get somewhere between 20-35 grams of protein and one cup of vegetables. 

 How to Add Low-Fat, High Protein Foods to My Meal

If you have the ability to store food at your workplace, stock up with some of these low-fat, high-protein food options: 

• Cans/ containers of tuna fish
• Lunch meat such as uncured ham, sliced turkey, roast beef
• Low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Jerky
• Protein shake, bites, or bars 

Keeping easy, high-protein foods on hand is a great way to add protein to your lunch, especially if you haven’t had a lot of time to meal prep. Throw these in the fridge or in your desk drawer and you’ll always have something healthy you can count on.

High protein lunch idea #1: Adult Lunchable 

Lunchables were great when we were kids. Make an adult version that will bring you the same joy without the, uh, gross factor. Choose a protein and a couple of sides. We suggest a dipping sauce made from high-protein Greek yogurt. 

• 2-3 hard boiled eggs or your favorite jerky (18g P)
• Fresh veggies with Greek yogurt dip (10 g P)
• Crackers 

High protein lunch idea #2: Turkey Wrap

Ditch the slices of bread for a tortilla instead. Pile the turkey high and add your favorite condiments to personalize your wrap just how you like it. 

• 4 slices of turkey (24g P)
• High-protein tortilla (7g P)
• 1 slice of cheese (7g P)
• 1 cup spinach 
• Mayo/mustard 

High protein lunch idea #3 (Vegan): Quinoa Bowl

Vegetarians and vegans need protein, too! A quinoa bowl is one of the best ways to do it. Quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Add your favorite lentils and veggies to the top for extra protein, vitamins, and minerals.

• 1 cup Quinoa (9g P)
• ½ cup lima beans (8g P)
• ½ cup black beans (5g P)
• ⅓ cup cucumber, chopped
• ⅓ cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

How to Meal Prep for the Week?

For most of us, the most difficult part of making good nutrition decisions is because we feel like we just don’t have time to prepare for the week. It may seem easier to just go out to lunch every day, but if you can build the habit of spending a few hours a couple times during the week to prepare for at least the next 2-3 days, you’ll find those weekday lunches are less stressful. Building a healthy habit like preparing your lunches can also help you meet your athletic goals, whether they’re based on performance or aesthetics. 

Implement some of the following tips to make your meal prep easier :

Turn Sundays into cooking days

Sundays are great for meal preparation because they’re generally the least busy for most of us. If you can, use a couple hours on Sunday to prepare meals for the next 2-3 days. Pop those tupperware containers in the fridge, and then you can grab and go on those busy mornings. 

Make Extra Dinner

One of the easiest ways to “prep” a lunch for the following day is to make more dinner than you need. Cook an extra steak, an extra cup of rice, or bake an extra potato. If you can get 1-2 more servings out of the dinner you cook, you can put the extra away for an easy (and delicious) lunch the next day. 

Make Single-Pan Meals 

Low on time? Not a problem. Grab chicken thighs, potatoes, onions, and peppers. If you have all these ingredients, some olive oil, and a baking pan, you’re set. Turn the oven to 400 degrees F, put your fave meat and vegetables on the pan, and cook. The trick is to season your meat and potatoes/squash and put them in the oven first. Once they’re well on their way to being fully cooked, add your onions and peppers.

Stir-fry, Baby

Stir-frying your favorite meat and vegetables together is another great way to get a high-protein meal without much effort. Same rules apply as above, cook your meat first so you don’t overcook the veggies. If you want, cook rice or noodles separately and then add to the stir-fry when you’re putting the food into containers. 

Rotisserie Chicken is Your Friend

Rotisserie chicken is already cooked. All you have to do is shred it, and you have A LOT of chicken ready to eat. Add chicken to some cooked veggies, rice, or potatoes. You can also throw the chicken into tortillas with some beans and cheese for simple tacos. 

Chili is a Win

Chili is easy to make, healthy, and really high in protein. A pot of chili can make up to eight servings, depending on how much meat and beans you add. One pot for dinner can feed a family of four for dinner as well as leave you a couple extra meals you can take to work through the week.  

Mix Up Your Meals 

One way to maintain the habit of meal prep is to mix up what you make and what you eat. If you find yourself eating the same thing over and over, it’s likely you’ll get bored and tired. Bored and tired are not the emotions you want when you’re developing new habits. Make food you’re excited about eating because you know it’s tasty and good for you. 

The post 3 Killer High-Protein Lunch Ideas appeared first on Onnit Academy.

If you started a healthy nutrition plan for 2020, and aren’t sure how ground beef fits, then you’re in the right place. Read on to learn the healthiest types, how to make good burgers, and even get inspired with a few easy ground beef recipes!

What’s The Healthiest Type of Ground Beef?

There are generally four types of ground beef, each of which has a different fat content.

1. Regular Ground Beef

This type of beef is ground shank and brisket and is generally the least expensive. Regular ground beef also has the most amount of fat—somewhere around 30%. Don’t knock the fat, however. The fat in the meat makes it the most flavorful. If you’re on the Ketogenic diet and need some fat in your meals, getting it from ground beef isn’t a bad idea.

2. Ground Chuck

Ground chuck is often labeled as “lean” ground beef because it has less fat content than regular ground beef. Ground chuck contains about 20% fat, but is still flavorful.

3. Ground Round

Ground round is less-fatty option. It contains around 12% fat and is great to mix with veggies our sauces. Sometimes, the ground round is labeled as “extra lean.” Ground round is a good choice if you’re looking to lower cholesterol levels or just want a little less fat in your diet.

4. Ground Sirloin

Ground sirloin may be the leanest cut, but it’s usually the most expensive. Because there’s only about 10% fat content, it will cook a bit drier than other beef options. But if you’re really watching your calories, ground sirloin is generally the best choice.

When you’re out shopping for ground beef, it’s best to spend a little extra money on grass-fed, free-range options. Cows that were allowed to move around and eat grass usually produce better-tasting meat. Healthy ground beef is also generally free of antibiotics and other chemicals.

What Can I Eat with Lean Ground Beef?

Lean ground beef is great to eat with almost anything. You can stir it into vegetables, add it to sauces, or throw it in a baked potato. See the recipes below for more options!

Really, what you eat with your ground beef depends on how much you like the flavor of the meat. In general, meats with more fat tend to be juicier and taste better. Less-fatty meat tends to cook drier and have a mild, less “beefy” flavor.

How to Make a Healthy Hamburger with Ground Beef

Ultra-lean beef can be difficult to make hamburgers with. The fat is what binds the beef together, so there are a few things you can do to make your burgers juicy and flavorful, even with lean beef.

The best way to add some moisture and improve the binding is to add a little something to the beef. A tablespoon or two of water, or an egg will often do the trick, but if you want to be a little more adventurous, you can try moistened breadcrumbs, ketchup, barbeque sauce, salsa, hot sauce, or even soy sauce.

Combine the meat with your hands, but don’t handle too much. If you crumble the meat too much, it won’t stick together.

Quick and Easy Ground Beef Recipes

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard. The following recipes are quick, easy, healthy, and are great if you like to meal prep.

For each of the recipes below, we used lean beef, but let your taste buds be your guide!

Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry

This recipe is really easy to transfer into Tupperware containers and take for lunch. It cooks plenty, so you can feed a lot of people with this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 12 oz broccoli florets, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook rice according to package instructions. Set rice aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and Sriracha
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
4. Stir in broccoli, green onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, rice, and soy sauce mixture until combined. Allow simmering until broccoli is tender.

Meatballs

These meatballs are easy and super delicious. The most difficult part is deciding what to eat with them!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 oz. Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• Canola oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine panko, Parmesan, parsley, milk, egg, and garlic cloves in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes.
3. Add beef, sausage, and onion to bowl. Gently combine using your hands. Shape into 36 (1- to 1 1/2-inch) balls.
4. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with canola oil. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake until browned, 15 minutes. Drain well.
5. Mix with your favorite spaghetti sauce and serve over noodles, or eat with veggies.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers seem fancy and advanced, but this recipe makes it really easy to impress anyone—even your kids.

Ingredients

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (if desired)
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 4 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
• 3/4 lb. lean ground beef, browned
• 3/4 c. instant brown rice, cooked
• 2 tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. In a bowl, stir together tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, 1/4 cup of the scallions, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
4. Slice tops off the peppers, just below the stems. Roughly chop the tops and add them to the bowl along with the beef, rice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
5. Remove ribs and seeds from peppers.
6. Season inside of peppers with salt and pepper, and then stuff with beef mixture.
7. Pour a small amount of water in the bottom of baking dish and set peppers in it. (If they don’t stand, slice a thin piece from the base of each pepper.) Drizzle them with olive oil, and cover with tin foil.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover peppers and bake until they’re soft.
9. Transfer the peppers to plates. Sprinkle with feta and remaining scallions.

Taco Salad

Low-carb, healthy, and freaking delicious, this taco salad recipe checks all the boxes!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Romaine lettuce, or another salad mix
• 1-2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Brown beef and drain any excess fat.
2. Add taco seasoning and follow directions on packet.
3. If lettuce is not already chopped, chop lettuce or other greens mix. Drain kidney beans.
4. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Top with tortilla strips, chips, or any other crunch you like!

Easy Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 4 cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2-4 tbsp chili powder (you choose the spice level)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 can red kidney beans with liquid
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can white kidney beans, drained
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Combine ground beef, onions, and garlic in a large pot. Cook until beef is browned and drain any excess.
2. Add celery and carrot, cook until tender.
3. Stir in stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.
4. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, and stir occasionally for about an hour.
5. Stir in beans and simmer for another 20 minutes.
6. Top with chopped avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

The post Easy & Delicious Healthy Ground Beef Recipes for 2020 appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Rice is a seed coming from the grass species Oryza. However, it’s technically classified as a grain. There are over 40,000 types of rice in the world. As varied as rice is, you’ll probably only come across a few types.

Short grain: Short grain rice is soft when it cooks. The starch in it makes it sticky, so it’s used in dishes such as sushi.

Long grain: Long grain rice cooks drier than short grain. It’s generally used as a side dish or in meals with sauce.

White rice: White rice can be found as long or short grain. Long grain white rice is lower on the glycemic index than short grain. The most popular long-grain white rice options are Basmati and Jasmine. Both Basmati and Jasmine rice are fragrant and come from Asia.

Brown rice: Brown rice can be found in short and long grain varieties. It’s generally thought to be healthier than white rice.

Wild rice: Wild rice is four different types of seed from four different plants. Those plants make up the genus Zizania. Wild rice is native to North America.

Is Rice Healthy?

Rice is incredibly healthy! Unfortunately for rice, it’s gotten mixed up in the low-carb, Ketogenic diet craze. People in Asian countries, such as Japan, eat a lot of rice. The longevity of their lives and obesity rates are much better than those in the United States.

Just like anything, rice can be made unhealthy if you prepare it with calorie-heavy ingredients and overeat.

What’s the Best Rice for Weight Loss?

The truth is losing weight has much more to do with the amount of calories you eat than the type of rice you’re consuming. Eating too many calories for your activity level means you’ll probably gain weight. Eating fewer calories than you burn means you’ll lose weight. 

There are various types of rice, each of which has its merits. Although there isn’t any particular type of rice that would help you lose weight, you can be smart about how much rice you’re making and eating, and what nutrients it contains.

It may also be helpful to look at the calories.

White Rice: 204 calories in 1 cooked cup
Brown Rice: 216 calories in 1 cooked cup
Jasmine Rice: 180 calories in 1 cooked cup
Wild Rice: 166 calories in 1 cooked cup

In general, rice is high in carbohydrates. If you’re following a low-carb or Keto diet, chances are rice will rarely be on your menu. If you’re not, however, rice is a great way to get carbohydrates without any fat or additives. The grain is inexpensive, is easy to cook, and tastes great.

As you’re out shopping for rice, pay attention to how much protein and fiber are in each serving. You can also look at some of the other micronutrients rice contains. Some are high in B vitamins and antioxidant flavonoids.

In general, science tells us that whole grains are better for your health. So, while eating brown or wild rice may not cause you to lose weight, it can certainly help keep you feeling healthy and well.

White Rice vs. Brown Rice

Brown Rice still has a protective coating called the hull. The hull actually contains a surprising amount of nutrients. Although brown rice and white rice are similar in the number of carbohydrates they contain, brown rice is richer in fiber and protein.

The fiber and protein in brown rice help keep you feeling full, and brown rice also has less of an impact on your blood sugar. So, if you have diabetes or a blood sugar issue, brown rice may be a better choice.

Amazing Foods that Pair Well with Rice and Grains

Grains are an excellent, heart-healthy addition to your meal plan. If you’re trying to eat less meat, a great choice to pair with your rice is beans! Together, rice and beans make a complete protein, which means you’re getting all the essential amino acids your body needs to function at its best.

Rice also pairs well with just about any meat—you can mix in chicken, ground beef, or even fish.

Healthy Rice Recipe #1: Chicken and Rice Recipe

Our favorite chicken and rice recipe is simple as it comes but tastes GREAT. We suggest using brown rice.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 2 cups broccoli, cooked as desired
• Olive oil
• Fresh rosemary
• Salt
• Pepper
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Butter or ghee (if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place chicken thighs in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and ½ lemon juice.

3. Cover and bake for about 15 minutes, uncover and cook for an additional 5, or until chicken is cooked through.

4. Season rice with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

5. Plate with chicken thighs and broccoli.

Healthy Rice Recipe #2: Beans and Rice (Vegan)

Beans and rice go together well on their own, but this recipe really helps spice things up! If you’re not vegan and want to use this recipe as a side dish, add some meat to the top!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 4 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté until onion is soft. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add cumin and rice, mix together for one more minute.

2. Pour in broth and black beans and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.

3. Remove from heat and drizzle with a little olive oil and lime juice. Mix in cilantro.

Healthy Rice Recipe #3: Wild Rice and Vegetable Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup grated carrots
• ½ bell pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 apple, diced
• 6 radishes, diced
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• Ground pepper, to taste
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Add rice, stir, and cover. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 55 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the broth is gone. Leave covered and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine rice and veggies. Dress with your favorite dressing and toss to coat.

The post 3 Healthy & Easy Rice Recipes For Weight Loss appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The Ketogenic diet works by removing most of the carbohydrates from your diet and eating the vast majority of your calories from fat. When you make this change, your body and brain run on ketones (molecules created from stored fat) instead of carbohydrates. When your body uses ketones for energy, it reaches a state called “ketosis.” Depending on your size, you probably won’t reach ketosis unless you’re eating under 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

It’s definitely not easy to reach ketosis. If you’re usual diet consists of a lot of carbs, it can be a big lifestyle change to train yourself how to eat mostly fat and very few grams of carbs. However, some people have found great success with a Ketogenic diet.

One easy and delicious way to get more ketogenic-friendly meals into your diet is by using a slow-cooker (or crockpot). High-fat meats cook really well in slow cookers and, because you can “set it and forget it,” crockpot recipes are generally great for people who don’t have much time to cook.

Benefits of Using a Slow Cooker for Keto and Low-Carb Meals

The most obvious benefit of having a slow cooker in kitchen repertoire is that it, well, cooks your food without you having to do anything more than dump in the ingredients and turn the knob. If you’re busy, there’s not much better than coming home at the end of a long day and enjoying dinner that’s hot and already made.

Crockpots are also great because they can provide some diversity to your keto menu. If you’ve been on the keto diet for a while, you probably have your go-to meals and snacks that are starting to get tired. Good slow-cooker recipes, (like the ones provided below), can be a great way to break up the monotony and help you keep your diet regimen on track.

Another great benefit of cooking in a crockpot is that it’s like an oven, only better. All those delicious juices stay in the pot, just making your beef, chicken, or pork more tender.

Tips For Low-Carb Crockpot Meals

When your cooking keto in your crockpot, it’s important to remember these tips:

1. Thaw your meat before you put it in the slow cooker. The USDA doesn’t recommend using frozen meat in your crockpot. It’s also important you cook your meat on “low” or “high.” A “warm” slow cooker won’t get hot enough to cook your meal to a safe temperature.

2. Be aware that high-protein meals are not necessarily “ketogenic.” This happens a lot–, especially in the fitness industry. High protein does not equal high fat. A ketogenic diet is, more than anything, a high-fat diet. That means, if your crockpot recipes are mostly meat, it’s important you make some high-fat additions (avocado, cheese, etc.) to the meal.

3. Fatty, tougher meats cook really well in crockpots. (Fat is good!) When you shop for meat, look for short ribs, pot roasts, and lamb shanks.

4. Cook your meat on top of any vegetables.

For keto recipes, make sure you check the carbohydrate count of any of the ingredients. Some things, such as ketchup, barbeque sauce, or teriyaki sauce contain more carbohydrates than you might think.

Keto Crockpot Chicken Wings Recipe

Having the neighbors over to watch the game? No need to worry about sticking to your diet. These chicken wings are ridiculously easy to make and are sure to be a crowd fave.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs chicken wings or drumettes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 6 cloves minced garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place chicken wings in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl or saucepan, stir together melted butter and garlic.
3. Pour the butter and garlic over chicken wings. Stir to coat.
4. Cook wings in the slow cooker on High for 3 hours.
5. In the last 15 minutes turn the oven to Broil.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and grease well. 6
6. Place chicken wings on the pan. Broil for about 5 minutes on each side.
7. Remove the garlic chicken wings from the oven and sprinkle (liberally) with parmesan cheese.
8. Return wings to the oven until cheese is melted.
9. Remove from oven, serve, and eat up!

Keto Crockpot Spicy Slow-Cooker Short Ribs Recipe

Decadent and rich, these short ribs are
definitely something you can serve to guests and impress them. The spiciness of
this dish can be up to you. Add as much or little red pepper flakes as you
like. To make this a full meal, we suggest serving the short ribs over roasted
vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef short ribs
• 3 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 cups white mushrooms
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like spicier food)

Directions

1. In a skillet, brown beef short ribs.

2. Mix together cream cheese, mushrooms, beef
broth, and spices. Pour into crock pot. 

3. Place beef short ribs on top of the mixture in
the slow cooker.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, gently mixing every
1-2 hours.

Keto Crockpot Teriyaki Steak Recipe

Just because you’re on the keto diet, doesn’t mean you don’t get
to enjoy some of your favorite Asian-restaurant foods. This recipe is fantastic
served over veggies, Asian slaw, or cauliflower rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs flank or
  sirloin steak
• 1/3 cup brown sugar or sugar substitute
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or
  coconut aminos, but look at the carbs)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic,
  minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
  flakes
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 green onions, thinly
  sliced
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Slice the beef thinly and place in the slow
cooker.
2. In bowl whisk brown sugar substitute, water, soy
sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over beef.
3. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, OR high for 2 to
3 hours.
4. When the beef has finished cooking, spoon some
of the broth out of the pot into a small bowl. Whisk in xanthan gum until
combined and pour back into the pot and stir to coat.
5. Sprinkle beef with chopped green onions and
sesame seeds.

Keto Crockpot Chicken Fiesta Soup Recipe

This soup is so tasty you’ll forget you’re on any kind of diet. It’s creamy, full of juicy chicken, and will impress even your picky eaters. It even has the extra benefit of collagen from the bone broth! If you need some extra fat in your daily macro count, throw in some chopped avocado to the soup.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 boneless, skinless chicken (thighs or breastwork best)
• 15.5 ounces chunky salsa
• 15 ounces of chicken bone broth
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey or Pepper Jack

Directions

1. Place chicken pieces in crockpot.
2. Pour salsa, bone broth, and cheese on top of the chicken.
3. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.
4. Remove chicken pieces and shred. Return to crock.
5. Serve hot. Add avocado or extra cheese, as desired.

The post The Best Keto and Low-Carb Crockpot Recipes for 2019 appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Whether it refers to militant political extremists, or the unstable molecules that cause cellular damage in your body, you know the term “free radicals” means trouble whenever you hear it. Speaking of them in a health and nutrition context, there’s a whole corner of the supplement industry dedicated to scavenging free radicals with cellular support nutrients, including lutein, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E.

What To Know About Astaxanthin: Benefits and Uses

Another soldier in the fight against these radicals (ahem, the ones in your body), may be less appreciated, but it’s no less important. Astaxanthin, in fact, may be among the most helpful ingredients for cellular health that you’re not currently supplementing.

What Are Free Radicals?

Free radicals are atoms that lack electrons. As a result, they’re chemically unstable (kind of like your ex), and seek out other atoms to bond with that they can take electrons from to balance themselves out (again, like your ex). Doing so can damage the atoms these radicals attach to.

Free radicals are created naturally in response to virtually any kind of stress, bad or good, from inhaling air pollution and eating fried foods to exposure to sunlight and exercise. They form when oxygen molecules break into atoms. A build-up of these free radical oxygen atoms is known as oxidative stress, and can contribute to an array of health problems, ranging from wrinkles to serious illness.

What Is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid. Carotenoids are pigments that occur naturally in plants, including algae, some fungi, and bacteria. These pigments contain phytochemicals that help plants absorb and use sunlight. Most carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables are yellow, orange, or red in color, so carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cantaloupe are a few popular foods that are rich in carotenoids.

Animals that eat carotenoid-containing plants and algae, such as salmon, trout, shrimp, and lobster, become sources of astaxanthin as well, and tend to be reddish in color. Some birds, such as flamingos, are pink because their diet consists of brine shrimp, a carotenoid-containing food source.

In the human body, carotenoids help aid in the maintenance of cellular integrity by providing the electrons that free radical atoms need in order to stabilize. Astaxanthin, therefore, helps to neutralize free radicals. According to a British study, “the activities of astaxanthin are approximately 10 times stronger than those of other carotenoids that were tested.” These findings are further supported by a study suggesting that astaxanthin has been shown to be up to 1,000 times more powerful than other scavengers of free radicals.  

What Are The Benefits of Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin’s protective properties have been linked to skin and heart health, according to Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., a lecturer at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia.

Astaxanthin for Skin Health

The oxidative stress caused by too much exposure to sun can, as you probably already know, cause a lot of cellular damage. Your skin is most at risk for sun damage, resulting in dark spots.

One of the surprising potential benefits of astaxanthin is supporting skin resistance to Ultraviolet light. “While these studies [one in the Journal of Dermatological Science] have only been conducted in animals,” says Kendall, “early results are promising.”

Another potentially interesting benefit of astaxanthin could have beauty queens all over the world eating more shrimp. “A 2012 study showed that applying astaxanthin to the skin while also consuming it orally helped to smooth wrinkles, lighten the appearance of age spots, and maintain skin moisture in both men and women,” explains Kendall. Although there aren’t enough studies to fully support the cosmetic benefits of astaxanthin, the results are encouraging.

Astaxanthin for Heart Health

One study showed that supplemental astaxanthin over a three-month period helped maintain healthy cholesterol concentrations by boosting healthy HDL cholesterol levels and supporting normal triglyceride concentrations.

What is Astaxanthin Found In?

Astaxanthin is commonly found in seafood such as lobster, shrimp, salmon and salmon roe, red trout, and crabs. Wild-caught seafood contains more astaxanthin than farm-raised options. Astaxanthin can also be taken in supplement form; it’s usually extracted from a type of algae or is obtained from the seafoods listed above.  

Because carotenoids are fat-soluble, ingesting astaxanthin with a fat source could help its absorption. In other words, eat your lobster with butter (as if we had to tell you), or take it in a supplement that also contains oil (such as krill oil). Again, because it’s fat soluble, astaxanthin is slow to absorb and can remain in fat for days. Most supplements that include it, though, can be used daily.

Are There Side Effects To Taking Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin may influence hormone balances and can interact negatively with some medications. Make sure you talk to your doctor about supplementing before you add it to your regimen.

How Much Astaxanthin is in Krill Oil?

It depends on the krill oil! Some brands will include the serving information on their formula labels. Onnit Krill Oil, for instance, contains 200mcgs of astaxanthin. So, before you buy, read the label. Dubious labeling that doesn’t clearly show the astaxanthin content of the product may be an effort to hide the fact that there isn’t much astaxanthin in it.

The post What To Know About Astaxanthin: Benefits and Uses appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The Best Arm Workouts For Getting Toned and Losing Fat

Whether you’re entirely new to lifting or are just looking to add more definition to your arms, we’ve got the master list of exercises and workouts you need to do for beautiful lines from your shoulders to wrists.

The Best Arm Exercises for Women

First, let’s clear up a popular misconception. Your muscles and your skeleton are structurally very similar to a man’s, so the same kinds of exercises your boyfriend uses to work his arms will work for you as well. By the same token, they won’t give you arms like his. Women don’t have the same levels of testosterone that men do, so building mountains of muscle just isn’t a big risk.

However, this isn’t to say that copy and pasting your man’s arm routine will optimize your development. There are some specific movements we bet will help you reach your arm goals a little more efficiently than doing just any old curl or triceps extension.

The following are my favorite arm exercises to program for women.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise

When a woman sees another lady with great arms, what she notices first are her shoulders. Having round, smooth caps on top of your toned arms gives the entire arm a more complete look. Plus, shoulder work contributes greatly to overall upper-body strength.

Because it’s a compound movement, a dumbbell shoulder press works a lot more muscle than just curls or extensions alone. An overhead press activates muscle at the shoulder joints and the elbows, so it works the triceps as well as the deltoids, and lets you handle heavier weights—another factor in recruiting more overall muscle. When you do them standing, your core also gets activated.

If you don’t already have a day dedicated to shoulder training, or do a few shoulder exercises during the week, add shoulder presses into the mix. You can throw them into any upper-body workout, or use them to start off an arm day.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Bring the dumbbells to collarbone height, with your elbows in front of your body, palms facing forward.

Step 2: Engage your core and use your shoulders to press the weight over your head. At the top, ensure you’re completely locked out by bringing your head through so your ears are next to your elbows.

Step 3: Slowly bring the weights back down to collarbone level. As you bring the weights down, don’t relax. Keep everything engaged through the entire set.

Technique Tips: You may feel yourself arching your back to get the weights up. Refrain from doing this. Squeeze your butt as you press and think about keeping your ribs pulled down and core tight. Don’t allow the dumbbells to float away from your body at the top of the movement. Keep them on top of your shoulders.

Face Pull Exercise

Many people fail to train all the parts of the shoulders evenly, and that can lead to imbalances that cause injury. The deltoid muscle has three heads—front, middle, and rear—and most shoulder exercises hit the front and middle while the rear delt (on the back of the shoulder) gets neglected.

The face pull focuses on the rear delts and upper back, improving posture so that your shoulders, arms, and chest all look more prominent.

Step 1: Set the pulley on a cable machine to eye level or above. You can use a rope attachment or two single-grip handles. If you don’t have a cable station, attach a band to a sturdy object instead.

Step 2: Hold the handles in each hand with your thumbs facing each other. Step away from the machine so your arms are extended and take a staggered stance. This is where you’ll start.

Step 3: Pull the handles toward your face. They should finish at your forehead or jaw. Hold the end position (your upper back fully contracted) for a second and then return to the starting position.

Technique tips: Try not to move any part of your body other than your shoulders and elbows. Choose a weight that’s challenging but allows you to perform smooth reps.

Pushup Exercise

As mentioned above, pressing/pushing of any kind will engage your triceps, but I like to use the pushup whenever possible, because it gives you so much bang for your workout buck.

You don’t need any equipment and it strengthens your entire upper body and core, and the closer together you place your hands, the more emphasis you place on the triceps.

I also like programming pushups for women because they are so easily scalable. If they’re difficult for you, you can put your hands on a bench or a chair so your upper body is on an incline. That will reduce the amount of bodyweight you have to lift. If you want to make pushups more difficult, elevate your feet on a chair or bench.

Step 1: Lie on the floor on your stomach. Place your hands under your body, about shoulder-width apart. Flex your feet so your toes are on the ground and your heels are in the air.

Step 2: Tuck your tailbone under so your pelvis is perpendicular to the ground. Brace your core, squeeze your legs, and press your upper body off the floor until your elbows are completely extended. Keep your arms in close to your sides. Slowly lower until your chest is just above the floor to begin the next rep.

Technique tips: Don’t allow your lower back to sag toward the floor. Keep your abs braced like you’re about to take a punch to the gut, and squeeze your glutes.

 Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Your triceps have three heads (hence the “tri” in the name). This movement is great for training the long head, which runs down the innermost side of your arm and provides most of the muscle’s strength. Using a cable helps keep tension on the muscle throughout the range of motion, so even when your arms are locked out, the triceps are still working.

Step 1: Attach a rope handle (or two single-grip handles) to the top pulley of a cable station. Grasp it with both hands and face away from the station, reaching your arms overhead with elbows bent. You should feel a slight stretch in the muscles. Stagger your stance for balance.

Step 2: Extend your elbows to lockout, and control their return to the starting position.

Technique tips: Don’t let your lower back arch as you do this movement, and try not to move anything other than your elbow joint!

Hammer Curl Exercise

Hammer curls hit the brachioradialis, the main forearm muscle. This area tends to be underworked because people like to favor the biceps, and stronger forearm muscles help to stabilize the elbow joint, reducing the risk of injury—especially if you do activities outside the gym like golf or tennis.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and make a slight bend in your knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, your palms facing each other.

Step 2: Keeping that same neutral grip (palms facing in), bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up as you would a hammer. You should feel your biceps flex as you do this. When the top of the dumbbell gets to about shoulder-level, lower it back down to the starting position. You can lift with both arms at the same time, or alternate arms.

Technique tips: It can be really easy to throw your hips, lower back, and even your shoulders into this exercise in order to move the dumbbell. Engage your core and squeeze your butt to keep everything but your arms still.

Barbell Curl Exercise

Barbell curls are a solid, basic movement that works the biceps completely. Just remember to keep your elbows from coming up and away from your body. To ensure that the biceps do the work and not the front deltoids, keep your elbows at your sides.

The advantage to using a barbell over dumbbells is exposing your muscles to heavier loads. But if a straight bar bothers your wrists or elbows, you can get the same training effect from an EZ-curl bar (the bar with waves in it so that when you grip it your wrists are at an angle).

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and make a slight bend in your knees. Hold the barbell with your palms facing up, hands shoulder width.

Step 2: Engage your core, squeeze your butt, and bend your elbows to bring the barbell up to shoulder level. Squeeze your biceps at the top, and lower back down.

Technique tips: As you get tired, you may feel like swinging the weight up. Keep good form. End the set before your technique breaks down.

How To Stretch Your Arms

Just like you’d do before any other workout, it’s important to warm up your arms before you train them. A good warmup will prime your muscles for the work they’re about to do and help to prevent injury. Use these two mobility drills from Onnit’s Durability Coach, Cristian Plascencia, before any arm training.

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Wrist/Elbow/Shoulder Mobility! ••• Wrist or forearm giving you some pain or discomfort? Spend a lot of time typing of texting during the day? Are you about to pick up a barbell for your workout today? ••• This mobility series is here to help decompress some tension within your joints and help your muscles move more efficiently when you are working out! Regardless if your doing upper or lower body workouts, your wrist and shoulders are integral parts of your success. Don’t neglect them for too long! ••• Try out these simple drills before OR after your next workout and let me know how you feel! ••• #totalhumanoptimization #onnit #getonnit #durable #durableathlete #flexibility #mobility #onnitsports #health #wellness #strength

A post shared by Cristian G. Plascencia B.S. (@cristian_thedurableathlete) on Sep 27, 2018 at 8:15am PDT

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Online Training Preview: Shoulder/Forearm/Wrist Decompression. ••• I’ve received a lot of messages lately asking for decompression techniques for the upper and middle back lately. It’s normal to have residual tension in our neck and traps due to our anterior dominated lifestyle these days. That tension you are feeling around the neck/shoulder many times is a protective mechanism by your nervous system to keep your spine safe. I have found this “Kneeling Seal to Kneeling Bulldog” to be very beneficial in activating the posterior tissues and being able to train internal rotation at the shoulder capsule safely; ultimately relieving a lot of tension hiding in our upper back. ••• Want to learn more about movements such as these to assist you in your longevity practices? Make sure you check the link in my bio or come visit me at the next Durability Certification, here in Austin, TX. ••• #durability #mobility #onnit #getonnit #durable #durableathlete #bodyweight #bodyflow #longevity #performance #athlete

A post shared by Cristian G. Plascencia B.S. (@cristian_thedurableathlete) on Feb 6, 2018 at 7:00am PST

Get Toned With These Arm Workouts

The best arm workout for you depends on your goals and experience level. Choose from the options below to find the right routine.

Beginner Arm Workout

If you’re fairly new (or brand new) to the gym, your priority should be to strengthen your biggest muscle groups. It’s a matter of efficiency: by concentrating on improving overall upper-body strength with compound exercises that let you lift heavy and work several muscles at once, you’ll see growth everywhere. At this stage in your training, you don’t need any direct arm work to get results.

Skeptical? The purpose of the biceps and triceps is to flex and extend the elbow. When you flex your arm (bend your elbow), you can feel your biceps contract. When you extend your arm (make it straight), you can feel your triceps contract. This means that doing any pulling or pressing motion will activate those muscles. So doing lat pulldowns and rows—primarily back exercises—will work your biceps just like curls do. Likewise, pushups and bench and shoulder presses will train your triceps.

This workout is organized with supersets (marked A and B). You’ll do two exercises back to back, and after you’ve completed one set of each, rest. Supersets get your heart rate up, so you can also burn fat while you’re lifting. It’s a win-win!

Superset 1

1A Lat Pulldown

Sets: 3–4  Reps: 12–15  Rest: 0 sec.

Sit at a lat pulldown station, and secure your knees under the pads. Grasp the bar with hands at shoulder width and your palms facing forward. Pull the bar to your collarbone, and control its path back up.

1B Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Sets: 3–4  Reps: 12–15  Rest: 1–2 minutes

See the directions above.

Superset 2

2A Bentover Row

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10–12  Rest: 0 sec.

Place a barbell on a rack set to about hip level. Grasp the bar with your hands at shoulder width, and pull the bar out of the rack. Step back, and set your feet at hip width, holding the bar at arm’s length against your thighs. Take a deep breath, and bend your hips back—keeping your head, spine, and pelvis aligned. Bend until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Draw your shoulder blades together as you pull the bar up to your belly button.

2B Pushup

Sets: 2–3  Reps: 10–12  Rest: 1–2 minutes

See the directions above.

Superset 3

3A EZ-Bar Curl

Sets: 2  Reps: 12  Rest: 0 sec.

See the directions above.

3B Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Sets: 2  Reps: 12  Rest: 1–2 minutes

See the directions above.

Arm Day Workout

This workout is for you gals who have been lifting consistently for several months or more and want to target the arms more directly. As I said before, in my experience, women who want nice-looking arms really have to start with the shoulders, so while you’ll do curls and extensions here, I’m also adding some shoulder work too.

If you already have a shoulder day, you can cut back on the reps and sets on the shoulder movements, or just make sure you give yourself two or three days between your shoulder day and this workout.

For this workout, we’re just going to do all the sets and exercises straight through. Meaning, you’ll start with the face pull and do all the sets for it before moving on to the dumbbell front raise, and so on. Focusing on one exercise at a time helps you avoid excess fatigue and lets you use heavier weights.

Rest as necessary, but I suggest limiting your rest to 60 seconds between sets.

Face Pull

Sets: 4  Reps: 12

See the directions above.

Dumbbell Front Raise

Sets: 4  Reps: 12

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length in front of you. Draw your shoulder blades down and together (think: “proud chest”) and raise them up in front of your body to shoulder level. Keep a slight bend in your elbows.

Hammer Curl

Sets: 3  Reps: 10 (each arm)

See the directions above.

Barbell Curl

Sets: 3  Reps: 12, as many as possible

See the directions above. Perform two sets of 12 reps, and then reduce the weight by 10% and do as many reps as possible.

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Sets: 3  Reps: 15

See the directions above.

Bench Dip

Sets: 3  Reps: As many as possible

Stand in front of a bench and place your hands on it behind you. Extend your legs in front of you and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Press into the bench to extend your elbows.

Arm Finisher Workout

If you’re an experienced trainee already on a full-body or upper body/lower body split, this arms finisher is the perfect way to end it.

The point of this workout is to add a little bit of extra work to your arms without having to radically overhaul your workouts. Throw this mini-routine on at the end of any workout you do twice per week.

Choose any biceps and triceps exercise. For example, barbell curls and overhead cable extensions. Now do countdown sets for each, starting at 10 reps.

So you’ll do 10 curls and then 10 extensions with no rest in between. Then you’ll go back to the curls and do 9 reps, and then extensions for 9 reps. Continue all the way down to 1 rep for each exercise.

It will look like this:

Curl x 10 reps

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension x 10 reps

Curl x 9

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension x 9

Curl x 8

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension x 8…

Curl x 1

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension x 1

At-Home Workout

If you train in a home gym (or your living room, with the coffee table pushed out of the way), all you need for a great arm workout is a single dumbbell or kettlebell.

To do this workout, you’ll go through a set of each exercise, one after the other, without rest. You’ll rest after you’ve completed one full round of the exercises. Do 3­–4 rounds, resting up to 2 minutes between rounds.

Decline Pushup

Reps: 8–10

Set up as you would to do a normal pushup, but rest your feet on a bench or other surface so they’re elevated.

Plank Walkout

Reps: 10

From your pushup position, keep a long spine and your core braced. Walk your hands forward as far as you can without letting your lower back sag toward the floor. Walk back. That’s one rep.

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Reps: 10 (each arm)

Rest your left knee and hand on a bench or chair and grasp a dumbbell with your right hand. Let the weight hang straight down. Retract your shoulder and row the dumbbell up to your side. Lower the weight back to the starting position.

One-Arm Z Press

Reps: 8 (each arm)

Sit on the floor with a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder level and your legs extended in front of you. Keep your torso as upright as you can and press the weight straight overhead.

Bench Dip

Reps: 15

See the directions above.

Superman Row

Reps: 10

Lie on your belly on the floor holding a light weight in each hand (or your bodyweight alone may be enough). Extend your arms overhead. Squeeze your glutes and raise your torso off the floor as high as you can and pull your arms down, bending your elbows and drawing them to your sides as if doing a lat pulldown.

How To Lose Arm Fat

Unfortunately, you don’t get to decide where your body will lose fat from first. Where you gain and lose weight has a lot to do with your genetics, and can be influenced by health issues. So if you suffer from a little extra arm flab that waves at people whenever you do, there’s no workout you can do to specifically target and destroy it.

However, by gaining muscle and revamping your diet, you can firm up your arms and lose the fat that currently covers them. For guidance on eating better, see these other articles on the keto diet and the caveman diet (also great for cave-females).

Remember also that shapely, toned arms can only come from resistance training, and lifting weights is the best form of resistance. Further, results come from lifting weights that are heavy. You need to be expending effort as you lift, not just throwing around reps with a soup can in each hand.

As I mentioned in the beginning, most women don’t have the hormone profile to build muscle like men do, so heavy lifting won’t result in so-called “manly” arms. Also, building muscle is flat out really hard to do, whether you’re a woman or a man. Don’t make it harder than it has to be by challenging yourself any less.

Here’s the thing about how building muscle and burning fat works. Muscle takes up a lot of energy to create and to retain. That energy comes directly from the food you eat and the calories you’ve already stored. If you work on building muscle, and you’re not overeating, your body will have no choice but to oxidize fat to help grow and maintain your muscles. Your metabolism will be elevated all day long, even when you’re relaxing on the couch.

That’s one of the best parts about having more muscle mass: you can burn fat even when you’re doing a whole lotta nothing.

The post The Best Arm Workouts For Getting Toned For Women appeared first on Onnit Academy.