Day 5 of Giving: Act as if the Holidays Last All Year

Today's Give features Eat-Clean Diet Ambassador Theresa Jenn. She is sharing her recipe for Eat-Clean Red Velvet Pancakes as well as a no-fail Tabata-style workout of the day. 

Since I was a child I have always loved celebrating holidays, birthdays, and frankly any reason to get dressed up and throw a party. What I especially love about special occasions is how people glow, feel, and act during these times. My one wish for the world is for people to give the way they do during the holidays all year round. But the giving I’m referring to is lending an extra hand, exchanging smiles and laughter, and going the extra mile to share love.

Audrey Hepburn says it all here:
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

This holiday season I want to share with you a special holiday recipe and quick sweat dripping workout.

Theresa Jenn’s Clean Red Velvet Pancakes


Prep Time: 50 minutes (45 minutes to steam and puree fresh beets, 5 minutes to blend all ingredients)
Cook Time:  10 minutes
Yield: 5-6 pancakes (2-3 servings)

Ingredients:
½ cup oat flour
½ cup red beet puree
4 egg whites
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)
¼ cup cultured low-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 packet vanilla or other Stevia Extract
½ tsp baking powder
Coconut oil (use for cooking)
1 Tbsp coconut butter for "icing" pancakes
1-2 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened ribbon coconut for garnish (optional)

Methods:
1. To save time, wash, peel and steam beets the night before and refrigerate. I used 3 medium sized beets to make my puree.
2. Heat a pancake griddle or pan on medium low, and lightly brush with coconut oil.
3. Scoop about ½ cup of batter onto the griddle and spread round. Cook for 1-2 minutes, use spatula to see if pancake is ready to flip. Once the pancake is sturdy enough to flip, flip and cook other side for the same amount of time.
4. Serve pancakes with coconut butter (not oil) and pure maple syrup. To give your pancakes a snowy look, add ¼ cup ribbon coconut.

Theresa Jenn’s Tabata WOD:

During the holidays many of us are traveling, gym closures exist, and it’s not always easy to fit in a workout. When I go home for the holidays I have a secret weapon, my tabata workout. I have an app on my iPhone called Tabata-Timer that keeps track of my workout. You only need 16-24 minutes and your living room. Focus on keeping good form and achieving maximum reps during each 20 second interval.

Photo Credit: Paul Buceta

Warm-up: 2-3 minutes walking stairs or 50 jumping jacks

Beginner: 
• squats (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• sit-ups (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• mountain climbers (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• push-ups on knees (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)

Total: 16 minutes

Advanced: 
• jump squats (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• v-ups (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• burpees (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• push-ups on toes (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• switch lunges (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)
• mountain climbers (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes)

Total: 24 minutes

I would love to hear about your journey to health and fitness and share mine with you.  Please join me via my blog, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season!

Theresa Jenn