Win, Win, Win Situation

Part of living a healthy life is helping others to do the same. This can be done in many ways and I personally do it every day at my job as a fitness coach at Invictus Fitness. I love my job! It is an amazing way to touch people from all walks of life and help them reach their health and fitness goals. Most of you don’t have the pleasure of going to work at a giant playground like I do but I’m sure you could figure out ways to help friends, family, and even strangers live longer, happier, and healthier lives!

I have volunteered for a number of organizations over the years and find it very rewarding to work directly with the people who are served by them. A few months ago, I organized a group of fellow Invicti to join me in serving lunch to low-income seniors at Senior Community Centers (SCC) once a month. Volunteers like us mean that the center doesn’t have to pay staff to serve meals so more money can go toward the nutrition program and other services that they offer. It is also a wonderful community and team building activity for our gym. I put a sign-up on the whiteboard each month and it is full within a day. The staff at SCC is always pleasantly surprised at the size of our group and the seniors clap upon our arrival. It is a win, win, win situation.

Last week, a friend of mine who attends my 9:30 group class at Invictus had some pretty major surgery. I was stoked when the other ladies in the class decided to take turns checking in on her and bringing her food and of course, I jumped on the opportunity to help out. My day is Wednesday and I will go each week until she has recovered enough to get along on her own.
Last Wednesday I took her BBQ Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, a Garden Salad with my Roasted Grape Tomato-Balsamic Dressing (see August 27th entry), and a Frittata so she would have a week’s worth of breakfasts on hand within one minute in the microwave.

BBQ Rubbed Pork Tenderloin:
Open one package of pork tenderloin and remove both pieces (there are always two tenderloins in the package). LIGHTLY cover with liquid smoke but be careful because a little of this stuff goes a long way! Sprinkle on your favorite sugar-free BBQ rub. Cook at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until meat is medium-well. Remove from oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. It will finish cooking through during the rest period but don’t worry, it is okay to eat pork when it is a little pink and is actually better if not overcooked.

Sausage, Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Frittata:
2T coconut oil
1 pkg. white button mushrooms, sliced
2 roasted red peppers, diced (I always have a jar of these on hand)
1T minced garlic (another thing I always have a jar of on hand)
1 pkg. turkey breakfast sausage links, quartered
18 eggs, beaten

In an oven proof pan, sautee mushrooms and garlic in the coconut oil on medium-high heat until mushrooms cook down (about 5 minutes). Add roasted red peppers and sausage and cook until sausage is no longer pink. Pour in eggs and scrape bottom of pan until mixture is almost set. Smooth out top and let sit over heat until steam rises through tiny holes in mixture (about 2 minutes). Place under broiler until top browns (about 2-3 minutes). Slip spatula under frittata and slide out of pan onto plate then cut into 8-12 pieces. This will keep for a week and slices can be reheated in the microwave in about a minute for easy breakfast!