Fit for Fashion

Healthy Recipe | Pepperoni Polenta Pizza

I came across this absolutely deelish pizza recipe while browsing self.com! I cannot wait to try it. My mouth is literally watering just writing about it. Look for the In My Kitchen post soon!

Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup instant plain polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup diced red and/or green bell pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup prepared marinara sauce
10 slices reduced-fat pepperoni (or turkey pepperoni for me!)
1/3 cup seeded and diced tomato
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat (part skim) mozzarella

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°F. For crust, bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil. Whisk in polenta and salt. Reduce heat and whisk 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Pour into a 9" pie plate or cake tin, cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge to chill to room temperature. Meanwhile, sauté onion and pepper with oil in a nonstick skillet until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Pour marinara sauce over crust. Add onion, pepper, pepperoni, tomato, and oregano; salt and pepper to taste. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and cook 2 more minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into 6 slices; serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts:
97 calories per serving, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 13 g carbs, 5 g protein

*picture & recipe from self.com

Celebody | Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad has a fabulous body, but it hasn't always been that way. I was a huge fan of her MTV reality show and I don't remember her looking so toned! The reality star (MTV's Laguna Beach & The Hills), turned authoress (L.A. Candy & Sweet Little Lies) has definitely stepped up her health and fitness game. Although she goes hard at keeping fit, she also loves to indulge. Her favorite treats are No-Pudge Brownies from Trader Joe’s. No-Pudge Brownies are fat free and come in a variety of yummy flavors like Chocolate mint, Cappuccino and Raspberry (celebritybeautybuzz.com).

Lauren and her trainer, Jarett Del Bene, share her workout routine with shape.com. Here's how Lauren stays in shape no matter where she is-- at home or on the road in her hotel room.

In the seven months that celeb trainer Jarett Del Bene has been working with Lauren Conrad, she's dropped body fat, firmed up, and discovered just how energizing it is to finish a challenging home workout routine.

He gets Lauren "glistening" with 30- to 60-minute circuit training sessions that use free weights or bands. "We do something different every time," he says. Achieve your own firming results by adding these six moves from Del Bene to your home workout routines. They'll target every major muscle in just 20 minutes.

The Home Workout Plan

How it works: Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps of each move in order, 2 or 3 times a week. Rest for 30 seconds between sets.

You'll need: a handled resistance tube, a resistance band, and a mat (optional).

Squat and press fitness tips
Works legs, butt, and shoulders

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and loop the center of a resistance tube under your arches. Hold a handle in each hand next to shoulders with palms facing forward.

Bend knees, lowering hips until thighs are parallel to the ground[L], then rise up as you press your hands overhead [R]. Return to start position and repeat.

Rowing fitness tips
Works back and biceps

Sit on the ground with legs extended and loop a resistance band around your arches. Hold an end of the band in each hand and sit with torso tall, chest high, and shoulders back. Extend arms in front of you, palms facing each other, and wrap band around hands until it's taut [L]. Keeping chest high, draw hands toward lower part of rib cage [R]. Extend arms again and repeat.

See more of LC's workout routine and more pics of her Shape mag spread when you "Read more"!

Working out in the mornings is perfect for me. It gets me going and gives me energy throughout the day. My work schedule and commute will not allow me to work out in the evenings. By the time I get home all I want to do is get something to eat, sit on my couch, relax and watch some tv. I'm not saying that it's easy for me to wake up at 6 a.m. to workout but it definitely works for me.

Don't think you can get up and workout in the mornings? Here's some great advice to get you going in the morning from Fitsugar!

Get to bed early the night before. Even if you're one of those rare people who can survive on less than five hours of sleep that is not enough snooze time if expect to wake up and have energy for a morning workout. That means you can't go to bed at midnight and expect to rise and shine at 5 a.m. Get into the habit of going to bed early enough so you get at least eight hours of zzz's.
If you're not sleepy at night, try limiting your caffeine during the day, and be finished with your last caffeinated bev by 4 p.m. Warm baths, a cup of tea, and ditching the TV and computer use before bed can also encourage you to relax and fall asleep more easily.
Creatively motivate yourself. When you're cozy under your sheets telling yourself you feel great after you exercise will probably not help you jump out of bed. Get creative with your means of motivation. Make a new workout playlist, or get excited to wear your new sneaks. Conjure up the image of that cute guy you've seen at the gym lately. Get psyched about a tasty new breakfast idea. If you have something you're looking forward to once you wake up, you'll find it impossible not to get out of bed.
Make a date and set a time. You know you love Zumba and your gym only offers it at 6 a.m. Make an appointment with a trainer or plan to meet a fitness buddy at the park to go for a run. Scheduling morning workouts is a surefire way to get you there.
Reward your morning exercise efforts. Either give yourself a little treat after each morning workout or make a goal to exercise every day, Monday through Friday and on the last day, buy yourself a new fitness top, get a pedicure, or go to the movies with a friend. Rewards are huge motivators, and thinking about the pleasure that comes after your hard work may give you that emotional push out of bed.

When do you get your workouts in? Are you an early riser or would you rather workout at night?

*photo by Hisks (Kriss)

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards | My Best Dressed

Last night all the glitz and glam of the Oscars took up my entire night! Including the red carpet specials before the show, I was glued to the television for at least 4 1/2 hours! There were lots of red carpet beauties last night but only a few caught my fashion-eye. Here are my best dressed picks for the night! What do you think? Who was your best dressed? Did I miss your fav? Leave a comment!

Demi Moore in Atelier Versace

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham

Rachel McAdams in Ellie Saab Couture

Vera Farmiga in Marchesa

Fashion Tattletales | Bikinis

One of the biggest fashion tattletales are bikinis! Bikinis tell all and I mean ALL! Basically every nook and cranny of your body is visible to the world or at least lots of people!

Bikinis have been on my mind lately, so I've been surfing the web for inspiration. Here are some of my Net-a-porter inspirations (unless you can afford the actual ones) for bikinis this summer! I will be shopping at the more affordable Victoria's Secret for my swimwear, but a girl can dream, can't she? :-)

Chloe Scalloped Triangle Bikini

La Perla Teja One-Shouldered Bikini

Diane Von Furstenberg Jungle Print String Bikini

Rosa Cha Drape Halterneck Bikini

Vix Mirror-embroidered Bikini

ISSA Color-block Plunge-front Swimsuit

Want to know how I'm getting ready for the summer? Check out one of my workouts when you read more!

The Skinny | Pro Form Elliptical

I know a lot of you have been anxiously waiting for my review of the Pro Form Quick Calorie Burn Elliptical that I purchased from HSN not too long ago...or at least I'm hoping that you've been anxiously waiting or that anyone cares! :-)

I absolutely love this machine. This is my first elliptical ever so I don't have much to compare it to but overall I would give it an 8 out of 10, not counting the assembly issues or the fact that it was not working when I first received it. Let's forget about that! Let's focus on the performance. So, here's why I love this thing!

The iFit workout card technology! I think this is the number one reason why I love this elliptical so much. I was just telling someone today that I'm the kind of girl that needs direction. I need someone telling me or showing me how to work out. That's why I love workout videos! I don't do well in a gym...so much equipment so little time and NO DIRECTION! The iFit technology provides you with the a personal trainer at your fingertips. The machine came with (for free) the Jillian Michaels Level One elliptical workout. Jillian Michaels is now my personal trainer! All during the workout she talks to you, giving you great facts about losing weight and building muscle. She motivates you and keeps you going! Tells you what speed you should be going and for how long. What's also great about the iFit workout is that it automatically changes resistance levels! You don't really have to do a thing, well, except work your butt off! Whew!

If you're not into the whole fitness trainer at your fingertips thing, you can free style with the machine's 8 preset workouts. I love that! There are 6 calorie workouts for 150, 200, 300, 350, 400 and 500 calorie burn and 2 quick-timed workouts for either 20 or 30 minutes! There are also 10 quick resistance levels ranging from 1-10.

I also love the iPod/iPhone compatibility. You can plug your music right into the machine and get your workout groove on!

In addition to burning mucho calories, you get a great lower and upper body workout. The upper body workout arms help tone my batwings! What a plus!

Lastly, it's super quiet, too! You can workout without disturbing the peace!

Here are the not so hot points about the machine:

The fan absolutely sucks! Even on high i feel nothing!

Although the iPod compatibility is great, the speakers on the machine aren't. I mean, I didn't expect Bose speakers but something a little better than what's built in would've been nice.

The last thing that I'm not feeling about this machine is that it uses 4 DD batteries in the console! I was working out the other day and I kept getting a low battery alert. I was praying that the batteries did not die while I was working out because that would totally ruin my momentum! I believe you can use an AC adaptor but that would mean the machine would need to stay close to an outlet! Total bummer! I better stock up on double D's!

Do you have an elliptical machine at home? How do you like yours? Do you use one at the gym? Tell me about your experience. Leave me a comment!

CelebStyle Poll | 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards

The 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards aired this past Friday. The show wasn't anything to write home about and neither was the fashion. Here are just some of the night's red carpet looks. To me, Keri Hilson looked ravishing and definitely gets best dressed. I just wish she chose sexier shoes to complement the va-va-voom dress!

What say you? Hit or Miss? Vote after each pic. Leave a comment too if you'd like :)

*Update* Keri Hilson is not wearing Christian Siriano. I will not change the poll as to not lose the votes already casted.

Channeling Grace Jones

Grace Jones is a Rock & Roll icon with a rock hard body! This photo is currently part of the Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. When I saw this photo at the exhibit I had feelings of admiration and hateration! Her sculpted shoulders, arms, legs, butt...just all around sculpted body is crazy! What I would do for a body like that! I don't think she still looks like this but that's not the point :-)

Kanye West posted this picture of his girlfriend, Amber Rose, channeling her inner Grace Jones on his blog recently. I've been keeping a fitness-eye on Amber lately. Her body is no joke! Let's leave her questionable fashion-sense out of this...for now! This picture definitely proves that she is Fit for Fashion! Amber's rendition of Grace Jones' classic photo is, in my opinion, up to snuff!

photo: ybf.com

What do you think? Did Amber pull it off? Leave a comment!

Healthy Recipe | Multi-Grain Buttermilk Waffles

Thinking about cooking up brunch for the family this weekend? Well, I found the perfect recipe for you! Check out this yummy for your family's tummy, multi-grain buttermilk waffle recipe from Fitness Magazine!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, or cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Tip:
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Wrap any leftovers individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven.

NUTRITION FACTS
Calories 188, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Sodium 328 mg, Carbohydrate 30 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 8 g, Potassium 227 mg. Daily Values: Calcium 14%. Exchanges: Starch 1.5,Reduced-Fat Milk 0.25,Lean Meat 0.5,Fat 0.5.

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

*content and picture reprinted from fitnessmagazine.com

Snack Attack | Popchips

*Update* Apparently, the makers of Popchips have lessened the contents of the bag of chips from about 20 to 16 chips. Making the calories per serving (1 bag) 100 calories! Even better!

I was looking for a healthy snack to supplement my salad yesterday and came across these all natural, popped, not fried or baked, chips. I looked at the nutrition facts (as you should ALWAYS do) and thought, "salt & pepper on chips? hmmm...let's give it a shot".

I must say, the salt & pepper popchips are magically delicious! Wow! They're made with sea salt (luv sea salt) and fresh ground pepper! The ingredients are all natural and like I said, they're not fried or baked...they're POPPED, like popcorn!

Sometimes products will say "all natural" and they're not really all natural. Here's a snippet from Popchips' FAQ about their products being all natural:

what's all natural? For us, it's simple: no fake colors, no fake flavors, no preservatives, no fluorescent orange fingertips, and no wiping your greasy chip hand on your jeans. No, really. We only use ingredients you can feel good about eating, like wholesome potatoes, and we leave out the bad stuff, like hydrogenated oils and msg that give snacking a bad name. Even though "all natural" doesn't have any established standards with the fda, we've made it our priority to meet the highest "all natural" standards out there.

Here's a snapshot of the nutrition facts. Have you tried Popchips? What do you think? Leave a comment!

You Got Served | Alicia Keys vs. Blake Lively in Balmain

Alicia appeared at the Brit Awards on February 17th wearing this edgy, yet glam Balmain Paillette mini dress but Blake rocked the same dress months before (Sept '09) at the HBO Post Emmy Awards Party. Ms. Keys paired the plunging number with smokin', Louboutin peep-toe booties, while Ms. Lively paired hers with Jimmy Choo Private Sandals. Both ladies kept the accessories fairly simple since the dress by itself provides the sparkle.

This is a tough one for me but my pick is Alicia...those shoes are drop dead gorge! What say you? Vote and leave a comment!

Haute, Who Goes There? | Celine Dion in Aquilano.Rimondi

Celine Dion attended the 2010 Grammy awards this past January in this Aquilano.Rimondi SPR2010 RTW mini dress. She perfectly paired the dress with gold, ankle cuff, mesh stilettos (I'm still trying to find out who the shoe designer is...update when I find out)! To me, the 41 year old songstress, looked stunning and definitely did the dress justice in comparison to the runway model.

What do you think? Would you rock this dress?

Lunch at My Desk | Salad with Salmon, Chick Peas & Salsa!

Ok, so Lunch at My Desk would be so boring if I did it every day! That's why I decided not to :-)

I practically eat the same thing for lunch day after day. I know...boring, right? But, I love what I eat for lunch! Salad with fish! Yummy to my tummy! Sometimes I'll throw in a sandwich or maybe some Japanese Udon soup, but I mostly stick with salads and of course a snack-- usually raisins and almonds.

Today, my lunch was a delectable spinach salad with salmon, chick peas, peppers, a dollop of guacamole, and salsa! I can't even begin to describe how delicious it was. Right now I'm closing my eyes and remembering the exquisite mix of hot pepper from the salsa with the little tanginess of the salmon! Yum!

I'm not too sure on the calorie count. That's the bad thing about not cooking your own food but my guesstimate is about 300 calories.

Fashion Faux Pas | Flats in the Winter

...I'm not talking about L.A. or Miami winters either! I'm talking about below-zero-windshield-snow-on-the-ground-at-all-times, NYC winters! I've seen so many women all bundled, from HEAD to ANKLES...with ballerina flats on their feet, sans socks or tights! Am I missing something? Aren't the little toesies cold? Doesn't snow get in your shoes? Someone please fill me in! Don't get me wrong, I love my flats...I do, but I love warm feet in the winter more! I'm so mad at myself for not taking pictures of these fashion offenders when I had the chance but imagine these celebs wearing those flats in the blistering cold!

photo: runwaydaily.com

Would you or are you wearing flats sans socks or tights when it's cold outside? Leave a comment!

SoleStruck | Nine West Lace-up Over-the-Knee Boots

*Update* These boots probably will not be available until next season. I asked one of the Nine West stores. :(

Jennine, from The Coveted, had the pleasure of visiting the NY Nine West offices recently, while there she got to view their upcoming new collection. I am definitely a fan of Nine West, especially since they seem to have a new design team. Their shoes and accessories are undeniably more fashion forward and less au naturalizer!

The Coveted featured a few items from Nine West's new collection, but what caught my eye were these splendiferous, lace-up OTK boots (they seem to come in leather and suede)! OH EM GEE! I'm not too sure when the new collection is expected to arrive but I will be stalking Nine West until they do! I'm absolutely in lust with these boots and need them now...no, RIGHT NOW!

Are you a fan of Nine West? Leave a comment and let me know!

*Jennine is also the founder of Independent Fashion Bloggers, a resource and community of fashion bloggers.

Your Complexion-- Not So Complex After All

The summer's almost here (a girl can dream, can't she?) and I tend to wear less makeup during the summer but taking a look in the mirror this morning I noticed that my complexion is not sans makeup ready!

"Drinks lots of water". It's like a broken record! Did you notice that I'm still not a water fan? I know that drinking lots of water is beneficial in many ways, including its contribution to a gorgeous complexion but water is not the only thing that can contribute to flawless skin.

Whole grains High-glycemic foods (muffins, white rice) spike insulin, increasing inflammation and clogging pores. Instead, have three servings of whole-wheat bread, whole-grain rice, bulgar or oatmeal every day.

Water-rich fruit One cup of melon daily helps hydrate you, making lines less visible. Vitamin C aids collagen formation, improving skin's elasticity.

Omega-3s The essential fatty acids guard against free radicals. Get one serving of omega-3s (3 ounces of salmon or 1/4 cup walnuts) daily.

Cinnamon Swirl a stick in tea to stabilize blood sugar, helping reduce signs of aging.

*Source: Self Magazine

*Updated*

Other foods that make you pretty:

artichokes (high fiber and rutin reduce inflammation), leafy greens like kale and spinach (vit A & C), berries (antioxidants).

Thanks to my faithful reader, Natalie!

Gwyneth Paltrow Gives Us the "Goop" on the Tracy Anderson Method

Gwyneth @ the Burberry Porsum show, Sept. 2009

I get a lot of healthy tips from Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter, GOOP! She shares great recipes, fitness tips, and much, much more! In her latest newsletter she gives her readers the "GOOP" on her trainer, Tracy Anderson. Gwen gives all the credit for shaping her "sagging ass" to Tracey! Along with sharing her love and adoration for Tracy, Gwen shares a video of Tracy doing a series of arm exercises to Keri Hilson's "Knock You Down", which are great if you have the "batwing problem", and a few mini interviews of her celeb friends who also "Do" the Tracy Anderson Method!

Check out the video and a couple of mini interviews when you "read more"!

With actress Lisa Bonet as her mom and rock-star Lenny Kravitz as her dad, it's no wonder Zoe Kravitz is bursting with talent. On top of working on her music, she's starring in three upcoming films: Yelling to the Sky, Beware the Gonzo, and Twelve.

Zoe was photographed for the February issue of Vanity Fair in a gorgeous Jasper Conran (SPR2010) mini-dress, which has a rocker-glam effect that perfectly suits Zoe's personality.

Style Profile | Hayden Panettiere

I've been keeping a "fashion-eye" on Hayden Panettiere lately. This cute, petite actress has come a long way since Bring It On: All or Nothing! I'm guess the Heros star has either hired a great stylist or has been keeping a "fashion-eye" on some other style-worthy celebs herself...most likely the former :)

Here are some of my fav looks on Hayden! What do you think? Do you like Hayden's style?