Healthy Recovery Bowl Recipe

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Healthy Recovery Bowl Recipe

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! I had a little bit of a busier weekend with it being more of a birthday weekend, woot woot. I finished an ab workout on Sunday and wanted something with a little carbs but not too many, I opened up Instagram and saw a recipe on my guy Dustin Myers page (go follow him @coachmyers_gutcheck). Great guy and amazing strength and conditioning coach. Anyway, it was a little different than this but not by much so I threw my own thing together and it turned out amazing! Full of nutrients and nothing that was going to leave me “too full” whatever that means.

Here’s a quick throw together recipe you can do within 5 minutes! All you need is:

These are the ingredients I used here above in the picture
  • Oats (half cup)
  • Almond milk (about a half cup or full cup depending on preference)
  • Almond butter (1 tablespoon)
  • Chia seeds (1 teaspoon)
  • Blueberries (I did a mini handful)

First you can take care of the oats and milk by mixing them and throwing them in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. After you take them out, let it cool for just a moment then place a tablespoon of almond butter on top. Afterwards, I threw the blueberries in on one side, then came the chia seeds to top it off.

This snack is full of vitamins, minerals and many other nutrients to kickstart your day and give you some energy! This was delicious and only took a few minutes to put together. Try it out and let me know how you like it!! Also feel free to throw in different fruits and toppings to match what you are craving!

Have a great Monday!

-Alex Costa-

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Super Bowl Sunday Smoothie

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One of the biggest sports events of the year… The Super Bowl.

A day where millions of chicken wings and potato chips will lose their lives… Let’s save some chicken and some temptation by giving our body something that will fill it up a little bit.

Let me introduce to you The Super Bowl Sunday Smoothie. Totally not my recipe, I used some ideas off of Mel’s awesome blog. Check it out here.

The ingredient list is quiet simple:

- 1-2 handfuls of blueberries
- 1 medium size banana 
- 1 big handful of spinach
- About a half cup of Greek yogurt ( I used Vanilla)
- About a half cup of milk ( I used protein nut milk)
- About 1 TBSP of honey
- Some ice to give it a little cold crunch 

From here, it is pretty self explanatory. I put all of these into my blender and blended for about 1 -2 minutes. I love the taste of it, not too sweet and not too bland.

My banana was pretty ripe which can sometimes play a role in how it can taste. So if you are picky about that, pay attention to how the banana looks.

I usually count macros and give my audience a look at about the total of everything but I didn’t get a chance to weigh anything. My smoothies probably around 300 calories or so just cause of the greek yogurt, and milk. You can use a low sugar alternative for the yogurt or almond milk to reduce calories and sugar.

Try this smoothie out, I think you’ll really enjoy it! Plus it is better than greasy wings and potato chips that a lot of us will regret eating tomorrow.

Have an awesome day and enjoy the Super Bowl!!

Easy Guacamole Recipe

Posted on by costafitness

This isn’t any chipotle guac but it still taste great👌🏼 Plus it is super easy to make. All you need is an avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper and some onion.
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1. First you need to mash up the avocado with a fork. Mash it until it becomes a smooth texture.

2. Now we will chop up onions and throw them in. If you do not like onion, then you can add in something else! Make it unique and use ingredients you would prefer.

3. From here, I add in the lime juice, pepper and a little salt to help with flavoring. Then continue mixing it up and mashing with the fork.

After you are done, take a chip and try it out! You could even put this with a quesadilla or whatever you’d like. It took me about 5 minutes total to do all this. I always put a little less of the ingredients into the mashed up avocado because you can always add more if it is too plain. If you throw too much in it could be too strong. One of the best things about making guac is that you can make it your own by adding whatever you like. Mine was a little more of a healthy option so if you are trying to keep the eating clean but also taste good then try mine out! Hope everyone is having a great week!

-Alex Costa-

St. Patrick’s Day Smoothie

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I have a St. Patricks Day smoothie for you to try! It’s not like the shamrock shake at McDonald’s but it is definitely healthier haha

All you need is the following:

  • 1 banana
  • ½ cup of blueberries
  • 1-2 handfuls of spinach
  • 2 TBSP of greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup of granola
  • 8oz of milk (I use almond milk)
  • Ice
  • .

Throw these all in your blender and enjoy! Have a great rest of your weekend!

 

Chocolate Almond Butter Avocado Smoothie

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Hello everyone and happy Thursday! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their week. I have an article and recipe for all of my avocado lovers out there.

I discovered a few different chocolate avocado smoothie recipes the last couple days and switched some things around to get this delicious smoothie recipe. One thing I will say is don’t knock it till you try it!! This may sound like it could be gross but it is the exact opposite. This is definitely one of my favorite smoothies I have thrown together so far.

This is super simple and easy to make so lets get into what you need.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of chocolate almond milk
  • 1 TBS of organic almond butter
  • 1/2 of an avocado, should be about 60-90 grams
  • 1 banana, 100 grams is what I used
  • 4-5 ice cubes

Throw all ingredients into a blender and mix for about 30-60 seconds.

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Importance of fiber and healthy fats:

Fiber can be a key for weight loss. It doesn’t stop there, it helps your digestive track move smoother and faster to help digest the food you are consuming. When you consume fiber, it can clean your intestines and colon which in turn keeps bacteria away helping to reduce chances of colon cancer.

I found a study by Joanne Slavin that discussed how an increased fiber intake can reduce chances of cardiovascular disease. They state that “adequate fiber intake consistently lowers the risk of CVD and coronary heart disease (CHD), primarily through a reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.” So in other words, it lowers your LDL cholesterol which is the bad cholesterol. HDL is the good cholesterol in the blood stream.

Avocados are a stocked house full of health benefits and can be used in so many recipes. They are mainly comprised of healthy fats which are crucial for cells in the body and play a role in brain function. They can reduce inflammation and reduce cravings as well.

I am also a big chocolate fan so if you are like me then you may find yourself making this smoothie quiet a bit. I have the macronutrients listed in the photo above for anyone interested in tracking macros. If you try this out then reach out to me and let me know what you think!

Have a great day!
-Alex Costa-

 

Sources:

https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/why_fiber_is_so_good_for_you/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/#B31-nutrients-05-01417

How To Make Sweet Potato Fries

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Happy Monday everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I did a video this weekend on sweet potato fries and wanted to share this with you.

I post a lot of pictures of what I eat on social media and people ask about the recipes so in this video, I walk you through everything you need to know!

A couple important things to note are that when you bake these in the oven, you may need to adjust cooking time. I did 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I may try these again at 450 for 15ish minutes to get more of a crisp.

The good thing about this is you can mess around with this recipe and do a couple different spices or even do some brown sugar if you have more of a sweet tooth.

I really enjoy these with a little ketchup on the side so try these out and let me know how you like them!!

 

 

Have a great day!
-Alex Costa-

Delicious Smoothie Recipe (Taste Like PB&J)

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2 post in 1 day, what?!? haha I put this together and was pretty proud of the design so I wanted to share this recipe with all of you!

This smoothie is pretty simple, the picture below will show you what I used as ingredients and I made a nutrition label for those of you that track macros. If you want a healthier base for the smoothie, you can trade out the normal milk for almond milk or a soy milk. Whatever you would like to try!

This one was delicious and it kinda taste like a PB & J so if you are a fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then you’ll love this!

Also I just wanted to take a second to say hello to all of my new followers! I’ve had a big jump of followers these last couple weeks so I just wanted to say I appreciate each and everyone of you. I hope that you enjoy the content that I bring to the table. I would love to hear any ideas about what you would like me to cover! So if you have any fitness questions then please feel free to ask in the comments below!

 

Have a great day!!

   -Alex Costa-

 

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How to Make PROTEIN OATMEAL

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Day #4

Hope everyone is having a good day so far! I am giving you the recipe I use for my protein oatmeal. This is a great breakfast option for students or anyone that doesn’t have a whole lot of time for breakfast. With this option, you can have breakfast ready in minutes!

Check out the video here below and learn how to make this delicious protein packed oatmeal. Don’t forget to subscribe to the youtube channel and the website so you don’t miss any of the videos this month!!

Have a great day!
        -Alex Costa-

3 Protein Shake Recipes For ATHLETES!

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I like to share recipes on the website and think it benefits a lot of the viewers. Today I want to focus on giving my athletes out there a few choices of protein shakes that will give them the right nutrients for muscle repair, increased energy and they are cost friendly!

Lets say you don’t have any protein available at home or just don’t have a whole lot of money for that at the moment. I get that, some protein can be very pricey for the container so these recipes will NOT require a protein powder.

A common thing that a lot of young student athletes miss out on is the vitamins and minerals their body need for growth. They need to eat veggies, need to get fruits, a source of proteins, good carbohydrates and healthy fats to ensure they get the full potential of all of the nutrients. Don’t get me wrong, a little bit of pizza, ice cream and candy won’t hurt from time to time, they’re kids! Well a good amount of them. However I am here to help with health and wellness as well as everything else because when it comes down to it, everything starts with what we fuel our bodies with.

 

Now let us get to the recipes! It is very simple and we do not need a whole lot for them. I will place the ingredient and recipe list below .

Recipe #1

This one in my mind is a classic favorite! It is full of protein to help your muscles repair themselves after workouts. The peanut butter and ice will help give it a “milk shake” texture which is delicious.

  • 1 cup of chocolate milk or normal milk, your choice. Chocolate will give it a little more flavor. Almond, soy & cashew milk is also another good choice of milk
  • 1-2 TBSP of peanut butter. Organic peanut butter is a solid choice!
  • 2-4 ice cubes
  • 1/2 cup of whole oats
  • 1 Banana

 

Recipe #2

This recipe will leave your taste buds clueless on what just hit them! If you like fruits and juices then you will love this. The greek yogurt will provide some protein and thicken up the shake a little. There are tons of antioxidants in this one to help the immune system as well which is critical for athletes.

  • 4 oz. cup of orange juice
  • 1/2 cup of blueberries
  • 1/2 cup of strawberries
  • 2-4 ice cubes
  • 2-4 TBSP – Plain yogurt – greek yogurt will have more protein

 

RECIPE #3

This recipe is a vitamin packed shake! It also uses water instead of milk for those who are lactose intolerant! The cashews will provide a little extra protein and healthy fats.

  • 8 oz of water
  • 1-2 handfuls of spinach
  • 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
  • 1/2 cup of mango
  • 2-4 ice cubes
  • 1/2 cup of cashews or another nut (MAKE SURE YOU DON’T HAVE ALLERGIES)

 

The directions are simple just throw everything in a blender and hit blend. One thing I do want to mention is make sure you pay attention to ingredients and if there is something you are allergic to then substitute  it with something else. If you need help trying to find a substitute then just hit me up and I can help you! Obviously if you have protein powder then feel free to mix it in with these! The reason I made these without protein powders is because it is more cost friendly and some athletes may not like the powders.

I hope everyone is having a great week, thank you for coming and checking out this article. If you have any questions, concerns or comments just hit me up in the comment section below.

–Alex Costa-

VLOG #16 Matcha Green Tea Recipe

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Thank you for tuning in for another vlog! I thought it would be cool to bring my girlfriend Taylor on this week to help me introduce to you the new smoothie she discovered. It is a Matcha Green Tea smoothie. It was actually not that bad at all. If you like green tea then you will love this. The ingredients list has the following:

  • 8-10 oz of almond milk
  • 2 handfulls of baby spinach
  • 2 tsp of matcha green tea powder
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 1 mango

I had a lot of fun bringing Taylor onto the vlog. I hope you guys get to try this recipe and enjoy it! if you have any questions about the recipe, ask in the comments below.

Thank you for watching! Share with your friends and family! Don’t forget to grab yourself a Costafitness Summer Program and get the summer body you want! Go to “COSTAFITNESS SUMMER PROGRAMS” in the menu bar at the top! Have a great week!
-Alex Costa-