Vegan Thanksgiving "Stuffing"

Thanksgiving dinner has been a little disappointing in the past watching everyone enjoy all the dishes I used to love. Twice baked mashed potatoes,  the green bean casserole, yams and most of all my father in laws AWESOME stuffing. Well this year I decided instead of eating salad and a roll I was going to enjoy dinner just as much as everyone else. So I got in the kitchen and made my favorites Vegan style. This "stuffing" was my favorite, even my family liked it and I am making it with dinner tonight. I hope you like it, and you don't have to save it for Thanksgiving!
5c. cubed whole wheat bread (what ever kind you like)
1 T. E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 T. minced garlic
1/2 c. minced onion
3/4 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley (better with fresh but use dried if you have to just cut it by like 1/2)
1/2 t.  sage (dry)
1/2 t. thyme (dry)
6 finely chopped dates (medjool is the kind I use)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 c. vegetable stock/broth (or more)

In a 400 degree oven toast bread cubes till lightly golden brown (3-4 minute) transfer to a large bowl. In the meantime, saute onions, celery and garlic in E.V.O.O till soft and onion is translucent (5-6 minutes). Add these to the bread along with herbs, salt, pepper, dates and pecans. Slowly adding a little at a time drizzle in the stock and carefully toss untill the bread just starts to stick together. Drizzle a little E.V.O.O. over the top, cover and bake at 350 degrees in a sprayed baking dish for 25 minutes then uncovered for another 5-10 just until the top is golden.  Enjoy

As a coach I have tried to do as many of the Beachbody programs from start to finish as possible because I would never like to recommend something to somebody that I wouldn't endorse myself, and because if they have a question I would like to have first-hand knowledge of what they might be experiencing so I can better address their needs. With that said, it had been a while since I was a finalist in Insanity Challenge Beachbody held last year, and since then I went back to P90X, did Insanity: The Asylum, RevAbs, Chalene Extreme, and some others. So now that I am deep into my P90X/Insanity Hybrid program I have finally reached the Max Interval part of the program with the Insanity workouts again. Let me tell you, today was rough. But I remembered that when I did it the first time I also thought I was going to die. But I just kept doing my best and every time I pushed play I did as much as I could and hoped for improvement. So that helped me get through my workout today as well. I like knowing that although I struggled like crazy to make it through the 55 minutes of hell that Shaun T put me through, in the end I will reep the rewards of my hard work. So for anyone out there reading this post, keep that in mind. If you need someone to help you get through this program, don't hesitate to contact me.

Matt's Beachbody Site

Surgery Over Working Out

Today I was listening to the radio on my way home from my Moms' group when an ad came on for a Brazillian Butt Lift Surgery.  The title is what caught my attention being that I just started Brazil Butt Lift the work out program from Beachbody and creator Leandro Carvalho.  I was then shocked when the ad stated that this Surgery is "BETTER THAN ANY WORKOUT" and is the "ONLY" solution that lasts! What the heck are they talking about?  How in the world can surgery that is dangerous on it's own with sedation, liposuction and "recontouring" of your butt, hips and thighs be better? And this type of surgery is not permanent. There have been numerous studies that have found people to actually gain more weight than their lost after having liposuction. Liposuction may remove pounds of fat from a person, but it doesn't change that person's habits. If a person doesn't change the way they view food, how they feel about it, enjoy it, think about it and most of all consume it, then their battle with their weight will continue. Alongside a healthy relationship with food, is the need for the body to be stimulated with consistent exercise/activity. I am promoting Brazil Butt Lift, but simply owning this workout program won't "work" by simply sitting on the shelf. You have to put the time and effort into the program to see results.  Yes, it takes time and commitment to change your behavior, there are no shortcuts to a healthy life, but you will find that it is worth it in the end. This is the end of my rant and my push for you to stay out of the operating room thinking you will get a great "Brazillian Butt" or better abs or arms just from having surgery. Get off the couch and move! *Leslie

My Beachbody Site

7 Tips to Portion Control

7 Tips for Portion Control

By Joe Wilkes

An interesting 2009 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine took a look at cookbook recipes over the last several decades (with an emphasis on recipes in The Joy of Cooking). It found that calorie counts per serving have gone up dramatically as authors have increased portion sizes to conform to new cultural norms. Where the 1936 edition of the kitchen classic averaged 268 calories per serving, the most recent edition in 2006 averaged 384 calories. The study theorized that lower costs of food and larger plate sizes are part of the reason for the increase, but nutritionist Marion Nestle says that mainly it's just a reflection of people becoming accustomed to eating more and more per meal. What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes? Here are some ideas:



1.Downsize your plate. One issue the study pointed out is that the average plate size has grown over the years and the amount of food served on those plates has kept pace with that increase. Instead of breaking out the big dinner plate, try eating your dinner off a salad or dessert plate. The smaller plate will make the amount of food look larger by proportion, a visual cue that will trick your brain into thinking you're eating more. Plus you can trade in your big dinner fork for a more petite salad fork, which will also help to slow down any shoveling behavior you might be tempted to engage in at the dinner table.

2.Divide and conquer. When you're cooking more than one serving of something, immediately store the prospective leftovers in single-serving containers. By putting out the entire dish, you run the risk of not having any leftovers at the end of the meal. Depending on what the meal is, I divide my food onto two plates—one for that meal and one for lunch the next day. And as a side benefit, this can help you tighten your wallet while you tighten your waistline.

3.Count it down. If you eat your reasonably sized portion of food in the dining room/living room/den/bedroom/bathroom, etc. and leave the leftovers in the kitchen, it will make this next step a lot easier. Here's the scenario: You've finished your first portion and yet you still want more. This is far from atypical, especially if the big plate of leftovers is sitting in front of you, tempting you, calling to you—maybe just a half a spoonful or maybe just a pick at the serving platter with your fork (just the good parts, of course). That couldn't possibly have more calories, right? Wrong. The calories from the food you sneak in after you finish eating are as potent as the calories from the food you're served. The good news is that if you can hold off, you won't be hungry for long.



After you have a decent-sized portion of food, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the message from your stomach that you're full. So try this: Before you reach for seconds, glance at your wristwatch or the clock on the wall. Spend the next 20 minutes chatting with your dining companions, or if you're eating alone, check out the newspaper, read a magazine article, or play along with a round of Jeopardy!® on TV. Then, after 20 minutes, see if you're still starving for another bowl full of whatever. Chances are that your cravings will have disappeared. If they haven't, maybe you do still need a little more food to achieve satiety. Review what you ate before, and if the calorie count seems low, treat yourself to a little extra. Or, if the calorie count seems about right or high for a regular meal and you're still hungry, fill up on some low-cal veggies or have a big glass of water. Sometimes it's easy to confuse thirst with hunger.

4.Embrace your inner child. We're not suggesting that you have candy for dinner. What we do mean is that when you're on the road or out at a restaurant, don't be ashamed to look at the kids' menu. As the adult menu has been supersized to gluttonous proportions, the children's menu often has the most sensibly sized and nutritious options. Check out Debbie Siebers' portion-control tips below, and you'll see that oftentimes the amount of food in a kids' meal is just the right amount for an adult watching his or her figure. Not to mention, if you play your cards right, there could be a free toy in it for you. Out of the mouths of babes . . .

5.Sharing is good. And while we're getting lessons from the small set, how about sharing? If you're a foodie like me, the hardest part about eating out is passing up all the goodies you want to try on the menu. Instead of ordering too much for yourself, strategize with your fellow diners about how you can maximize the variety of the food instead of the quantity. Most restaurants will be more than happy to provide you with extra small plates so you can split dishes. And make sure you actually split them! Don't dine out with your friend who survives on a nibble here or there and split two dishes; you'll end up eating 80 percent of the food on the table while he or she makes do with a couple of forkfuls. Ever wonder how Top Chef® host Padma Lakshmi keeps her model-like physique while judging up to 12 meals a week? Easy! She doesn't eat everything. Also, when you're figuring out how to eat family-style, make sure that at least one of the dishes is a healthy salad, a non-cream-based soup, or a vegetable dish. That way you and your family can get full without getting fat.

6.Learn your weights and measurements. As anyone who's a regular reader of this newsletter knows, we're always going on and on about reading labels. And like the calorie, carb, protein, and fat numbers, the serving size is important. This is where the corporate food interests get you a lot of the time, by adjusting the serving size downward to make the nutritional numbers look a little better. As anyone who's recently spent a Saturday night alone with the TV can tell you, the estimate of four servings in a tiny little pint of Ben & Jerry's® or Häagen-Dazs® is wildly optimistic. So when the label indicates 300 calories per serving, that means the whole container has 1,200 calories. And since most of the containers are wider at the top than at the bottom, when you eat what seems to be half the container, it can actually be closer to two-thirds.



It's definitely a big hassle to weigh and measure everything you put in your body every day. Even the most anal-retentive people among us don't have the time and energy to be hauling out the scale and measuring cups for every meal. But it's worth it to at least familiarize yourself with a few standard weights and measures. Try learning what an ounce, a gram, a tablespoon, etc., look like. That way you can at least eyeball how much you're eating. I've yet to meet the person who can make a typical bag of potato chips last for 12 servings.

7.Give yourself a hand. For an easy guide to portion sizes, use the following guide from Slim in 6® creator Debbie Siebers.



Handy Portion-Control Guide

By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6



To achieve weight loss—and maintain that healthy weight once you've achieved it—it's crucial to really understand what a portion is. Here's what may prove to be an indispensible tip: Use your hand as a guideline for portion sizes. (If your hands happen to be extra-large or extra-small for your size, adjust accordingly.)



Palm = Proteins: Make protein portions the size of your palm. Protein is found in animal products, like fish, poultry, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggie protein sources include legumes (beans, etc.), tofu, tempeh, and wheat glutens.



Thumb = Fats: Fats are important, but they're also very dense, so match fat portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.



Fist = Fruits, Grains, etc.: Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about equal to the size of your closed fist. Remember that it's always preferable to consume whole grains.



Hand = Veggies: Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That's a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients and they contain very few calories

NISSAN and WEST COVINA NISSAN are LIARS AND CROOKS!!!

I knew it was too good to be true when I got a text message from my local Nissan Dealership that I have frequented for service on my own Nissan Sentra. But as skeptical as I was, I tried to cover all my bases and called customer service to find out about the deal before taking the time to visit the dealership and test drive a couple of cars with my wife Leslie. I asked specifically about the offer to make sure there was no bait-and-switch deal with the offer I was sent, and I asked many different ways to see if the price varied or if it was a short-term deal that then transferred into a higher rate after a certain period of time. I was assured that the deal was legitimate and I should make an appointment to test drive a rogue for Leslie and an Altima for me...so we did. The entire time we drove down to the dealership I was saying to my wife and kids (who went with us instead of playing with their friends at home) that I just don't trust what they are telling us, so don't get your hopes up when we like the cars. We arrived.

Upon walking into the dealership, we encountered 3 people; the customer service rep I spoke to on the phone, a salesman, and the sales manager. I asked the same questions about the deal before looking at the cars to make sure we didn't end up wasting our time looking at cars we weren't going to be able to afford. When I was assured by all 3, we proceeded. I have to admit that I loved both cars we tested, but when it was time to talk business, we were hit with exactly what we were trying to avoid...the ACTUAL COST!!! I was originally told on the phone and in person when we arrived that the offer was for a monthly payment on a 39 month lease for the vehicles we were interested in. Other than understandable increases in price for more options, I expected the quote I was given to hold true since it was relayed to me several times that it is a great 39 month lease offer. Well, the lease was in fact for 39 months, but the payment offer was only for the first 6 months of the lease, and then went up by 4 times the payment of the first 6 months!

We immediately got up from the table, upset that we had wasted so much of our weekend that could have been spent having fun with our boys when all they had to do was answer my question from the very start. Thankfully, both Ty and Trevor behaved great...until they realized we weren't going home in new cars and both got upset to the point that Trevor refused to get in the car to come home since he liked the Rogue so much.  And no, that didn't make us change our minds and get a car that was out of our price range. In any case, I was so upset at the whole thing that I was ready to rush right home and blast Nissan all over the place and tell everyone I know not no ever do business with them. But I cooled off and decided to let it go because I expect that everyone's reaction would be that I should have seen it coming or read the fine print. I understand that perspective...but then I got the following email (Shown Below) today and it pissed me off all over again. The subject clearly stated "2012 Nissan Altima for $55 down and $55 a month". What I want to challenge you to do is read the fine print listed at the bottom...how in the world can anyone read that? But it doesn't matter, because I called to make sure, and I asked in person. Not one person would give me the truth about the deal, and that is why I am so upset. It's about courtesy and decency. It's about the respect we should have for the time and convenience of others. It's about time that Nissan gets a taste of it's own medicine. Please join me in standing up to company's like Nissan who think they can continue to manipulate its customers with such tactics, and deliberately lie to our face just to push their agendas over our own. Shame on you West Covina Nissan, you need to make up for business practices!

2012 Altima - $55 down/$55 month

For a limited time, drive a 2012 Altima for only $55 down and $55 per month.

Take advantage of this limited offer, available only at West Covina Nissan. Call an adviser today at (866) 732-1198 for more information.

Matt & Leslie's Beachbody Challenge!!!

Are you ready to take control of your life?
Do you want to create healthy habits before the holidays? 
Do you want to lose the weight you've been dying to get rid of?
Are you ready to get back in your skinny jeans?

THIS IS AN EASY WAY TO REACH YOUR GOALS.  As your personal coach, we will be here to help you every day of the challenge period, FOR FREE!!

Here's the deal...We will be hosting THREE 30 day Beachbody Challenges, all starting on Monday, November 14, 2011

Requirements:

1. You will be replacing one meal a day with Shakeology
2. You will be committing to one of the following programs:  P90X, Ten Minute Trainer or Brazil Butt Lift
3. You will post on the event wall EVERY DAY

The groups will be limited to FIVE people only.  By doing this, you will create a bond, so to speak with the other four doing the challenge with you.  It also allows me to be able to work more closely with you all.  It is extremely important that you all be fully committed to this challenge.  You will each be able to push each other and help motivate the group!  It is a proven fact that it takes 21 days to create a habit...what a better habit then exercise and good nutrition?!  Let me help steer you down that path for 30 days...

Here is my Challenge to you:

1. DECIDE you are ready to make a change in your life.
2. COMMIT to the program of your choice:  P90X, Insanity or Brazil Butt Lift
3. COMMIT to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. Choice of Chocolate or Greenberry (Tropical coming in January)
4. COMMIT to a small group of people that will help keep you focused, motivated and energized for 30 days and CHECK in EVERY Day!
5. SUCCEED!!!

Challenge Packs will become available starting November 1st and must be purchased by November 7th in order to have the products you need to complete the challenge.


Contact us ASAP if you are interested in joining one of these challenges.

Click here to register for the Challenge and have Matt as your coach


Click here to register for the Challenge and have Leslie as your coach

or contact us at the following:

Matt Dultz                                                  Leslie Dultz:
message via Facebook                               message via Facebook
email: tntfitfam@yahoo.com                      email: tntfitmom@yahoo.com
cell: 626-201-3928                                       cell: 626-201-1179
website: http://tntfitfam.com                   website: http://beachbodycoach.com/tntfitmom

Beachbody Has Completely Transformed Us

Tonight my wife posted her before and after pictures showing how far she has come since we began our transformation journey over 2 years ago. I am so proud of her and want others to know that everyone can achieve the same success. Leslie didn't have the rapid success that I was able to have, but she didn't give up. I tried to support her as best I could and encourage her through all of her ups and downs, although to be honest, I occasionally made things worse...oops.  In any case, we leaned on each other when we didn't feel compelled to "Bring It" or "Dig Deep", we made snacks and meals for each other when we could, and we grew together. Now, I can honestly say that not only has our marriage never been stronger that it currently is, and we have never been a better looking couple than right now...and that is after having 2 boys (6 and 8 years old). We are actually in better shape now than the day we were married! Does Beachbody work??? Absolutely! It offers the entire package: Workouts, Nutrition, and the support of a personal coach to help keep you motivated and accountable, even when you aren't feeling your best.