Clean Bites: Local Tomatoes Gone Simply Blue

Weekends are where I can take my Foodie moments at a leisurely pace. Last Friday, I ventured to Central Market with a focus on CLEAN and/or LOCAL produce.

In my shopping cart, I placed red and yellow tomatoes, along with brussel sprouts and okra-all grown in Texas. Among other items on my list, I chose a raw blue cheese.

Knowing my boyfriend would come home hungry, I made a treat to snack on while we prepared our dinner.

Photo by Jennifer Browning.

I sliced the red and yellow tomatoes, picked fresh basil from our potted herb garden, drizzled Texas olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Next, I crumbled the raw blue cheese on top sprinkling a touch of sea salt and cracked pepper to finish the dish.

What I liked about the dish was how simple, clean, fresh it was, and my conscience felt good about using mostly local ingrediants. Preparing good food doesn't have to be tasking.

Sometimes it is important to keep it simple. Eating clean & participating inNDBC has really made a difference! Looking forward to the next boot camp session that will begin next week! Until next time! - Jen B.

Motivation Through Inspiration

Inspiration comes in many forms. As I am about to complete my first month of boot camp, I noticed something today as I was getting dressed. When I buckled my belt, I needed to buckle it in one hole. My inspiration today was noticing my waistline is a little smaller.

As I mentioned before, I am refusing to hop on the scale and I haven't been measuring myself (although I probably should at least do that). I have simply been focusing on making it to bootcamp three times a week and making better food choices.

This month has been challenging. I moved into our new home and picked up a new clientthe weekend before my first day of boot camp. So I have been making an effort to keep up my normal schedule, fit in my new client, unpack, reorganize, show up to boot camp, and make better choices in my diet. In the beginning, it was difficult figuring how I could fit everything in while all of my belongings were in disarray. The first week of class I was tired and sore from the workout, but I stuck it out.

During the third week, a classmate showed up with a plastic air cast on her leg. She had injured her ankle the night before, but decided to show up to boot camp anyway. Instead of focusing on her injury and what she couldn't do, she came anyway and focused on her strengths. While we did squats, she did curls. I am not sure if she knows it, but she was a huge inspiration to me in my momentary moving/reorganizing my life chaos.

Yesterday morning, as my 5:45 alarm went off. I struggled to get out of bed, I had worked late the night before and didn't crawl into bed until way after midnight. Then, I thought of the girl who inspired me last week, got dressed, and went to boot camp. Within 15 minutes of walking through the door, I was awake, laughing and motivated to kick off the day.

Changing, to Keep it REAL

I am doing something a little different as I embark on my fitness journey beginning with The North Dallas Boot Camp. This time, instead of obsessing about the calories I consume, fat free this & that, fad diets or the weight I want to lose, I am trying a new method. I am focusing on Mario's concept to keep it REAL.

That is focusing on REAL Eating, REAL Movement, REAL Thinking.... REAL Living. With that lesson in mind, while I do want to lose weight, weight loss isn't going to be my main focus as I begin making positive lifestyle changes. Instead of counting calories going in and out of my body, I'm focusing on being active and simply making better choiceswhen it comes to the food I consume. I also want to have fun, be stronger, achieve better balance, and handle stress better. I figure if I focus on these, then the weight loss will come.

I am now in my third week of boot camp and I feel fantastic. I already notice that I have more energy, I am sleeping better, and I am feeling as though I stand a little taller. Keeping it REAL is already proving to have its benefits....and just think, my journey has just begun. The REALity is.... changing to be better is still LIVING your life while ADDING more quality to your body, mind & spirit.

NDBC In REAL Life

I am excited to introduce an awesome new member to NDBC! Jennifer Browning has been working as a freelancephotographer in Dallas for four years. Her work has taken her to Cuba, Haiti, Europe and across the United States photographing people like Jennifer Tilley, Shannon Elizabeth & even former President Bill Clinton & his wife Hillary.

While Jennifer hasn't put down her camera, most of her work these days is doing grassroots online social networking & marketing for non-profit organizations. Her clients include Project Medishare for Haiti, Inc, The Global Institute at the University of Miami, & locally, Alley's House.

Jennifer will be sharing her personal NDBC experience with all of you! Posting anything from food to fun, Jennifer will be giving real life updates on how she is changing her life to feel better & become healthier. This is a real person who will share all of her REAL eating, REAL movements & REAL thinking to give a real life view of change.