Author: Jonny Chai

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In the Kitchen: Spicy Chicken Stirfry

I was in the mood for something spicy, and you know I’m a stir fry guy. So here a stirfry I whipped together. Once again, only ingredients I found in the fridge when I got home at night.

Total cook time: >20 minutes

You’ll need:

-2 boneless skinless chicken breast

-2 stalks celery (sliced)

-1/2 carrot (sliced)

-1/8 red onion (sliced)

-10 baby bell pepper (cut in half)

-10 leaves of fresh Basil

-1 tbls Coconut oil

-Crushed red chili flakes

-1 Tbls sea salt

How to cook it:

-First cut up all your veggies. I went with the “sliced” theme this night. So I sliced everything up, and put it on a plate. The more you do this, the better you get at it and the faster. I can now cut up all my veggies for just about any dish in under 5 minutes.

-Next cut up your chicken. I went with 1/4″ x 1″ pieces tonight.

-Heat the pan/wok and throw in the coconut oil

-throw in the onions, carrots, and chicken

-When the chicken starts to brown, throw in the peppers

-Stir for 5 minutes, then add the Basil leaves

-When the basil starts to wilt, add the salt, and as much red chili flakes as you can handle.

Eat it like you mean it 🙂 My lips were on fire, but it was delicious

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The Power of Attitude

We all have things we want in life, and sometimes we get frustrated in trying to obtain them. I know some of you out there are thinking life isn’t all about obtaining things, and I agree. However we all have dreams, aspirations, and goals.

These things could be anything from getting in better shape, taking a vacation, creating a business, or starting a family. Whatever your goals might be, there will be a process in achieving them.

The success of reaching these goals and aspirations come down to several factors. However there is one factor that will play a huge role in the outcome. Your attitude.

When I say attitude, I am describing it as “a way you think about something”. How you think about something will begin to influence your beliefs about something, and will then influence how you act, based on those feelings.

If your goal is to get in better shape, make sure your attitude towards exercising and eating better will support your success. If you look at those things as an inconvenience or a chore, good luck getting into shape and sustaining it.

So how do you develop the right attitude? The first thing you need to do is stay away from people who have negative ones. The thing about attitudes is that they are infectious. If you’re around people who have negative attitudes toward something, you will develop that negative attitude.

The good news is if you get around people with positive attitudes, they will influence you. Meet positive and supporting people, read about them, listen to them speak, study their material. It’s your job to find the people you want to be influenced by. If you cannot find any, you aren’t looking hard enough, they are out there.

Once you cut out all negativity, and surrounded yourself and your conscious mind with positive people and messages, start governing your own thoughts, and your own words.

Your words and your thoughts are two things you have complete control over. Start becoming aware of how you think and talk about things. The words you speak can influence the thoughts you think.

Let me give you an example.  I’m coaching two individuals, Jim and Billy. Their goals are both to lose weight and get in better shape. I put them on a plan to start improving their eating habits. I tell them both to eat a salad with grilled chicken for lunch. The next day I ask them both how it went.

Jim responds with, “It was really plain. I hated it.”

Billy’s response is different. He asks, “Is there something I can do to give it more flavor?”

Jim has just verbally reaffirmed to himself that grilled chicken on a salad is plain and that he doesn’t like it. Billy, does not acknowledge that he didn’t like it, but instead chooses to focus on how he can improve it.

Who do you think has a better chance of improving their eating habits?

Your words can empower you, or they can hold you back. I never say the words ‘can’t’, ‘try’, and ‘realistic’. I find that they put limits on things, limits set by our own mind. Instead, I use the words, “how can I?” and “I will”. Your circle of influence, your thoughts, and your words are huge contributors to your attitude. Your attitude is either supporting your success, or it’s not.

The great thing about all this is that you are in complete control. You decide what you think. You have the power to be positive, to be optimistic, to look for improvement, for opportunity. Be the leader of your own attitude, and make sure it’s supporting you and your success.

 

 

 

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In the Kitchen #3: Thai Green Chicken Curry

Here is a recipe that I made the other night in under 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

-6 frozen chicken Tenders

-Mae Ploy Green Curry paste (find this at asian grocery store)

-1/2 can of Coconut Milk

-1 Green Pepper (chopped)

-1 Red Pepper (chopped)

-1/2 large carrot (chopped)

-1/4 yellow onion (chopped)

-1 cup mushrooms (chopped)

Cooking Directions

 

Place frozen chicken tenders in a pot, and fill with water just enough to cover the chicken. Then put on med/high heat

As you bring the water and the chicken to a boil, add in 2 Tbls of the curry paste. You cannot find this stuff at the traditional grocery stores, but if you have a thai restaurant in town there is sure to be an “Asian” grocery store nearby.

 

Chop all the veggies and have them ready to add to the mixture. When the water and the curry paste condense, add the onions and the carrots, and continue simmering for 5-7 minutes.

 

 

After simmering the chicken, carrots, and onions for 5-7 minutes, throw in the mushrooms and peppers. Add 1/2 can of coconut milk to the mixture and stir well. Add 1 Tbls of sea salt and simmer for another 7-10 minutes.

 

Serve over rice, or just eat it out of a soup bowl like I did.

This recipe provided the following for me:

-2 Servings

-Protein: 50 grams

-Fat: 22 grams (17 grams of healthy fat from coconut milk)

-Carbs: Net <15 grams

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In the Kitchen #2: Thai Style Turkey

This is the dinner I prepare often for me and my wife. As usual, I timed myself from start to finish and clocked in at a cool 18 minutes.

For those of you who have had Thai food, this is a spin off of a dish called “Larb”. It’s fresh, easy, high in protein, tastes great, and can help you get lean. So yeah, it’s a winner. No wonder I eat it a few times a week.

Here’s what you need

-20oz Lean ground Turkey (you can use Ground turkey ‘Breast’, but it tastes very dry. I don’t suggest it.)

-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

-1/2 medium cucumber, chopped

-1/4 cup chopped red onion

-1 stalk green onion

-1 1/2 limes

-1-2 tbls Sea Salt (more/less to taste)

-1-2 tbls crushed red pepper

Preparation and Cooking

Heat a pan and throw in the Turkey. Stir it periodically so it cooks evenly
While the Turkey is cooking, chop all the other ingredients

As you chop the ingredients, place them on a plate so you can add them to the dish as needed
When the turkey is cooked, place it in a dish and add the chopped onions. Then squeeze the limes on top and mix it in.
Let the meat cool for 2-5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients. Add the red pepper and salt last, and add until you get the spiciness you want.
Mix it all together and it's ready to serve. You can put this over rice, or you can eat it out of lettuce cups.

This is one of my favorite dishes. It is easy to measure portions, and easy to bring for lunch in tupperware.

You can mix up the types of meat you choose to make this with. I rotate between lean pork, lean turkey, chicken breast, and extra lean ground Beef.

To measure Nutrition Facts: Only count the nutrients in the meat. This recipe made the following:

-5/ 4 ounce servings (Turkey weight)

-Protein: 20 Grams

-Fat: 8 Grams (I do not add healthy fats to this meal, since there is plenty in the meat. If I used ground Turkey breast (super lean) I would add avocado… Of course.

-Carbs: <5 grams

Please let me know what you think in the comment section below! I’d love to get your feedback.

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Eating to Stay fit while you Travel

One of the most important aspects of keeping good nutrition is getting in a good routine. How you grocery shop, cook your food, the places you eat, should all be routine. Of course you have different options, but you have the logistics down to eat properly.

So what do you do when you travel? I’ve found that having a “travel routine” can be critical. I see people all the time who eat ideally while at home, only to succumb to poor eating while traveling. They become victims to they’re perceived “only available options”.

The effects of eating poorly for a few days can set you back more than you may think. There are times where a cheat meal, or even a cheat day can benefit you, but that needs to be used strategically. I will save that for another post.

I’m going to show you how I manage to eat well while I travel, and still maintain, if not progress my fat loss. Ive traveled many times in the past, and manage to come home leaner. This is what I did this weekend, when I was at a conference for 3 days.

-I start my day by drinking 2 cups of water. Then I proceed to have a coffee. I may add just a bit of cream to my coffee.

-I always skip breakfast. That’s right, I don’t eat breakfast. I usually don’t whether I’m at home or traveling. If you think breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you may want to reconsider. I do a form of ‘intermittent fasting’ with my eating, which leads me to my first meal around 12pm.

-Lots of water throughout the morning

-I always cut the carbs out. Considering I’m not cooking my own food, I have little control of what goes into it. There will likely always be more butter, more oil, and more sugar to restuarant recipes, so I eliminate the carbs. This means only protein foods (eggs, chicken, fish, lean steak), and veggies. No grains, potatoes, fruits, or even dressings and sauces. Just ask for extra veggies for your sides, and if you get a salad get dressing on the side.

 

 

 

-Drink plenty of water between meals. Whether you are on a business trip or a vacation, drink lots of water. It will keep you from wanting to snack, as well as keep you hydrated.

-I bring protein powder and nuts. These are two things which are easy to bring, and I can travel anywhere with. If I need something mid afternoon, I’ll mix a shake and have some almonds.

 

 

 

-Dinner is the largest meal. This is usually because while traveling, the most social time is dinner. However you’ve eaten fairly light all day, and have the calorie allotment to eat more at dinner. Still eliminate the carbs and stick to protein and veggies. I like to go with a steak (sirloin), double veggie for the sides, and a been salad as an appetizer. Rest assured, the shear volume of butter and oil being added to your entre will replace your lack of carbs.

-If you drink alcohol, keep it light. Red wine is better than white, and a vodka soda is better than a beer or most mixed drinks. In an ideal case, eliminate booze altogether.

-Don’t go to bed full. By this I mean don’t eat again after dinner, and make it a point not to eat dinner too close to you going to sleep. This is something I practice always, but make a priority while traveling.

Following these keys has allowed me to stay fit while I travel, and many times return home even leaner. If you think you can implement these keys into your travels, I’d love to hear your comments in the comment section below!

 

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In the Kitchen #1: Dinner in 25

If there is one skill you could learn that would support your health and fitness goals more than any other, it would be cooking. If you haven’t heard the phrase, “Abs are created in the kitchen”, it is true. If you can make good nutritious food that supports your goals and tastes good, you’ve got a huge advantage.

So if you find yourself exhausted around dinner time, before you order take out here is a better option. This recipe took me a total of 25 minutes to prep, cook, clean the cookware, and serve.

What you’ll need:

-2 skinless chicken breasts

-2 japanese eggplants

-1 large zuchinni

-1 small carrot

-1/4 white onion

-2 stalks green onion

-1 cup dry rice

-1 tabls Coconut oil

-Soy sauce (preferably gluten free)

-1 skillet

-1 small pot

-1 cooking utensil

First pour the rice in the small pot and cover it with about 1/2″ of water. Bring it to a boil and reduce heat to low (with the lid on)

 

 

 

Then chop all the veggies and put them on a plate.

 

 

 

Then cut up all the chicken into 1/2″x 1″ pieces

 

 

 

Heat the pan, and throw in the the coconut oil, the chicken, the onions, and the carrots.

 

 

 

As the chicken cooks half way through, add the zuchinni and the eggplant.

 

 

 

As the the veggies are almost all cooked through, add the green onions and about 4 tbls soy sauce. Cook for about 5 more minutes, then plate and serve.

 

 

 

Make sure you portion it out based on the nutrition plan you are following. The nutrition total on the stirfry:

Approx 100grams protein, 26 grams fat, lots of fiber and a few carbs from the veggies. The rice totals 50grams per cooked cup.

This whole pan made 2 meals for me. Each of about 50grams protein, 13 grams fat, and carbs depending on how much rice I ate.

You can also make this stirfry with other lean meats, such as lean steak or pork. Get creative, and have fun while you cook!