About the Five: Each month I offer five exercises to improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility. My hope is that you will go through these either on your own or with me two to three times a week. Some moves (like this month’s standing twist) you could do every day.
Here’s a spring salad recipe to brighten your day. You’ll need a food processor and a sharp knife. Try it and let me know what you think.
p.s. I get super annoyed when I’m scrolling a page looking for a recipe and they post it waaay down at the bottom, so I’m starting with the recipe here. If you’re wondering why buttermilk is “healthy” keep reading down below the recipe for my notes. xoxo Anne
Cilantro Kale Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
Ingredients:
1 bunch cilantro
5 oz baby kale
5 radishes
5 Tbsps buttermilk
3 Tbsps sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Directions:
Wash and de stem cilantro. I usually soak mine in cold water, swish them around real good, and drain. Do this three times to get all the dirt off. You’ll be using the stems in the dressing, and the leaves as garnish. If you really like cilantro, and you are short on time or patience, you could put most of the leaves and stems right in the processor and not even mess around with picking the leaves off which is the most time consuming part of this recipe.
Rinse (if needed) and roughly chop your baby kale into bite sized pieces. Spin the leaves in a spinner or pat them dry in a kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as possible before you dress your salad. (if you bought prewashed kale you can skip this step).
Thinly slice radishes.
Make dressing – combine buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and either the cilantro stems, or about half the bunch of cilantro (if you’re doing the lazy way I mentioned above) in a food processor. Process until combined.
In a large bowl toss kale and radishes with dressing. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
This is a great, sturdy make ahead salad you could bring to a potluck, or meal prep on the weekend for your lunches during the week.
A note about my “healthy” recipes.
Buttermilk gets a real bad rap. Buttermilk is the sour probiotic laden liquid left over after churning milk to make butter.
Years ago I can remember my grannie enjoying a cold glass of buttermilk. She was raised out in the country during the depression and they did not waste anything. When she was a child, her family churned their own butter and as a result they had buttermilk they kept in the ice box.
Recently I had some leftover buttermilk from a cake recipe, so I stated researching it. I compared the labels with the yogurt I eat regularly and turns out buttermilk has more protein and less sugar than yogurt. It can also be easier on your tummy if you are sensitive to dairy. My schedule and meeting with clients means I’m moving my body throughout the day and sometimes I struggle with timing my meals. A small glass of buttermilk comes in handy when I need a light snack but don’t want a bloated belly.
If you enjoy kefir or other drinkable yogurts but want a lower sugar option, the next time you are at the grocery store compare labels and see how buttermilk stacks up. Look for grams of protein, and grams of sugar and you might be surprised.
As with all these recipe and dietary suggestions, you are in charge of taking good care of you! I’m a personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. I am not your doctor nor am I providing and dietary prescription for you.
Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.
Are you the perfect person for our June Personal Training experiment?
Find out what you can accomplish when you commit to taking good care of YOU!
You are ready to make positive changes.
You have a specific goal.
You are able to commit to Wednesdays 5:30 – 6:00 pm PT on Zoom, June 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.
I’m offering four weeks of personal training with me, at no cost to you.
We start with a zoom call to see if we are a good fit. You and I will meet for thirty minutes once a week for strength training. We will finish with an assessment to see what specific what improvements have you made.
To take advantage of this fabulous opportunity to work with me one on one, call or email me today!
About the May Five: Each month we work specifically on five exercises to improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility. I include these in my classes and training sessions, and my hope is that you will go through these on your own at home. Some moves, like this month’s baby bear, you could do every day. In fact, you could baby bear in bed!
Baby Bear
Criss Cross
Roll Up
Deadlift
Tricep Extension
Our first exercise is everyone’s favorite, Baby Bear! This is a capital “L” LAZY move. Not always easy to do (to be lazy that is). My goal is to reclaim this word, so that we view being lazy as a positive thing. Really do try to release any tension in your back, neck, and hips, and let yourself roll side to side as if you were a baby being rocked to sleep.
My second favorite move this month, is Deadlift. If you have ever watched an older relative struggle to get out of a chair and thought “well I’d like to avoid that if possible”, this is hip hinge exercise is a good move to master. This is the basis for our squats (aka going from seated to standing).
I do have a couple clients I meet with in person, but as of May 2021 most of my classes and training sessions are on zoom. This pandemic experience has been so interesting, as I notice the differences in how I train my clients virtually.
Deadlift has been the most challenging exercise to cue on Zoom. While this is a very simple move, it ain’t always easy. Watch this video above of yours truly talking you through this move, and as always, if you’d like specific one on one guidance, give me a call (503) 705-4762.
If you’d like to do these moves with a lovely group of friendly faces, come to class! We would love to have you!
Please use your best judgment as to how suitable these are for you right now.
Baby Bear
Criss Cross
Rollup
Deadlift
Tricep Extension
These photos are meant to remind you of work we have done together. Please see your medical professional prior to beginning a new exercise program.
If you’d like more detailed information on these exercises, click one of the links below:
Each month I offer five exercises to improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility.
Could you do these exercises for one minute each every day this week, and see how your strength and mobility improves?
Cat/Cow
Leg Pull (Back)
Warrior II
Side Raise
Rolling to Standing
This month we feature a fun mobility exercise – Rolling to Standing!
How easy is it for you to get up and down off the floor? While we can use a variety of markers to gauge our health (waist measurements, cardiovascular tests, and strength tests, for example) an often overlooked aspect of fitness and longevity is mobility. If you have trouble getting up off the floor, this move is for you!
Please use your best judgment as to how suitable these are for you right now.
Cat/ Cow
Leg Pull (Back)
Warrior II
Side Raise
Rolling to Standing
These photos are meant to remind you of work we have done together. Please see your medical professional prior to beginning a new exercise program.
If you’d like more detailed information on these exercises, click one of the links below:
