Q: Have read Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy and am wondering if JJ has an opinion on Almond Milk (sweetened and unsweetened) – either as a protein – or as a fat, like coconut milk in my shake.

JJ:  Almond milk counts as a carb serving – a cup has 70 calories, 10 grams of carbs, 2 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.

I don’t like using it, it adds calories without contributing much nutritionally. If you don’t want to use ¼ cup coconut milk then stick with water.

THE MEAL

It’s Olive Garden Night!

2 helpings of salad with croutons and house dressing

1 breadstick
1 order of lasagna
1 diet cola



THE REPLACEMENT

It’s Italian night at home!


JJ’s Ricotta Roll-ups

8 oz. container of ricotta cheese

½ pound of ground turkey
1 cup spinach
1 egg

2 tsp of italian seasoning blend
1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

3 large eggplant or 4-6 large zucchini or a combination of the two, sliced into long strips

1 jar of marinara sauce


Brown turkey. Blend ricotta cheese with 1 egg, Italian seasoning blend, salt and pepper. Add turkey and spinach
Lightly saute eggplant or zucchini strips in olive oil until softened


Roll up with ricotta mixture and place in baking pan, seam side down.
Cover with marinara sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.


You can top with freshly grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella. Add sliced olives to the ricotta mixture and the top. You can also add walnuts to the ricotta mixture.


Serve with field greens and tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar

Sparkling water with lemon or lime

Q: Have you found any products to replace rubber-maid, for storing your food?  I assume they’ve got as many phthalates as my old water bottles.

JJ: Glass containers are your best bet!
Check out  http://www.amazon.com/Snapware-Glasslock-Tempered-Storage-Containers/dp/B0029U57RA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1274745745&sr=8-1

Q: You said to eat breakfast soon after getting up.  But what if you’re working out in the early morning?  I was always told not to eat much before my workouts.

JJ: Here’s the deal – if you are rolling out of bed and heading out to workout then either go on empty if you can pull it off –OR have a mini meal – I do a Designs for Health Dairy Free Chocolate Almond PaleoBar and then when you come back have your Meal Replacement Shake-I use DFH PaleoMeal DF.  You can eat a small protein-carb snack prior to working out, it will give you more energy, but too much food will sit in your stomach. You only have so much blood to work with and you want it going to your working muscles not working on digestion.

By JJ Virgin

In my new book, “Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy,” I’m not taking away your favorite foods, but instead helping you make lateral shifts for great health and to lose weight.

Now a confession: Many of the foods that I want you to shift towards will also help you look younger, reduce wrinkles and keep your skin in great condition.

You’re welcome!

But seriously….beauty experts have known forever that creams can only do so much. What you eat directly relates to how your skin looks – and how it ages. For examples, if you’re someone who ingests a lot of sugar through juice or cola then your body will be working overtime to process all that high fructose corn syrup in these products. That sugar overload will create inflammation that will make your skin look older and saggy while making it more prone to wrinkles.

That’s the bad news. The great news is that there are so many foods you can eat that do “double duty beauty.” You’re slimming down with the “side effect” being a natural glow that makes you lose five to ten years off your face. Ever see someone who has lost weight and they suddenly look like they turned back the hands of time? The reason is they’re probably eating foods that support great skin. To that end, why not try these meal suggestions from my new book:

*Fresh salmon with a side of spinach for dinner

The anti-inflammatory properties in the omega-happy salmon will make your skin glow and get rid of any bags under your eyes while the Vitamin A in the leafy greens like spinach helps support skin healing.

*Oatmeal topped with chopped walnuts 

The oatmeal is a high in fiber, keeping you fuller, longer and the walnuts give you a dose of heart and skin healthy optimal fats.

*Coconut milk for a quick stir fry or avocado slices on your turkey burgers.

These are healthy fats and your skin craves a little fat for hydration. Ever see someone with that crusty dry skin? Perhaps the problem is they have little good fat in their diets. By hydrating from the inside out with good fats, you may even help prevent wrinkles. And if you’re following my Sexy Arms program, that hydration will help make your new gorgeous arms look beautiful, soft and hydrated when you show ‘em off.

*Mixed berries for dessert

High in fiber and low on the glycemic index, these delicious antoxidant gems also help protect you from sun damage and help your skin stay youthful.

*Green tea as a drink or water with lemon.

The green tea is a wonderful anti-oxidant that does the same thing as the blueberries. It gives you stronger skin, plus helps fight harmful lights. The water will detoxify and hydrate.

As you can see, you’re gorgeous from the inside out. Now, please pass the strawberries.

The Meal

2 Take Out Tacos stuffed with ground beef, cheese and who knows what stuffed into a corn taco shell

Taco chips on the side

Refried beans

Soda

The Replacement

JJ’s Ole Turkey Tacos

1 small red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

Cracked black pepper

2 tsp Mexican seasoning spices

Tabasco sauce

1 lb ground lean organic turkey meat

1 container of fresh salsa

Shredded lettuce

1 large sliced avocado

Soft corn, whole wheat or low carb tortillas, warmed

Sauté chopped red onion, garlic, red and green pepper. Add pepper, Mexican seasoning spices, and dash of Tabasco sauce. Set aside. Sauté one pound ground turkey until cooked through, drain well, add veggies and heat together.

Serves 4. Serve in whole rain tortilla, top with shredded lettuce, avocado and salsa. To save the carb then eat in lettuce cups.

Skip the corn chips and bean. Eat with a fresh green chopped veggie salad topped with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar of your choice.

Lemon-lime sparkling water

By JJ VIRGIN

It’s finally here….yes, the warmer weather, but also another new arrival. I’m proud to announce that my new baby, my book, “Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy” is at your local bookstore this week and also available for orders on Amazon.com. The book is the direct result of so many clients, readers, friends, family and others asking me about my own toned arms and then lamenting the state of their “problem children.”

Many times over, I heard, “JJ, I wish they had Spanx for arms. You can’t hide them. You can’t run from them. When it’s summer, your arms are always on display. And I’ve always hated my arms.”

That’s the truth because ‘tis the season of tank tops, camisoles, sundresses and bathing suits. I write in my book that a shrug is not an option for a day at the pool! You can’t swim with the kids while wearing your winter cashmere sweater to hide any problem spots up above. You can’t wear your cute trench coat to a barbecue when it’s 90 degrees outside. I also know women who make excuses NOT to go to the beach with their families or avoid family photos because they hate that their arms look so large – and larger then the men in the picture. What a shame to miss out on the fun because you’re in the Arms Witness Protection Program.

Well, those days are over!

My book offers a six week plan that focuses on eating, exercise in two parts – weights and cardio bursting – plus other lifestyle tips including your need to de-stress and to get unbroken seven hours of sleep each night. It’s a sensible plan that costs next to nothing extra in your life – and you don’t even need a gym membership.

A few tips from my book:

*You don’t have to give up your favorite foods, but we’ll make lateral shifts to healthier choices. That diet soda can become a refreshing lemon sparkling water.

*You don’t need to walk upwards of an hour a night in the heat as your cardio. Half that time will work if you do the cardio bursting techniques in my book. You’ll marvel and say, “Wait, my cardio is over…already?!”

*Your meals will be complete including a healthy protein, high fiber carb, healthy fat and veggies galore. You won’t even want to snack between meals because you truly won’t be hungry.

*You will have to relax! Yes, blame me for the fact that this season you will say no a few times to tasks and take care of yourself…for your own health.

*Say goodbye to pasty, rashy-looking arms. Once we tone them up, we’ll make them look Hollywood glam. My beauty squad offers tips on exfoliating your arms and making them look extra credit bronze and gorgeous without baking in the hot sun. I have experts who will advise you on how to pose for pictures so your arms look amazing and also what clothes to wear for your arms at all stages — and what clothes to skip because they make your arms look larger. (Bye, bye cap sleeves unless you’re at the end of my program!)

Here’s to being armed with the facts, gorgeous limbs, and a great summer of adventure and maximum energy and health.

By JJ Virgin

A few years ago, it was a novel concept. Maybe a few friends were dabbling in “going green” and tossed their empty plastic bottles into the big blue recycling bin. A few maybe even thought about those hybrid cars and listened when Meryl Streep talked about all that gross waxy coating placed on store bought apples. Now, it seems like a no-brainer to do as many green things as possible because the truth is our planet needs a lot of saving.

A funny thing will happen to you on the way to saving Mother Earth. You can also save yourself.

Many of the “green” tips are amazingly effective and workable ways to become a healthier human. It only makes sense because the more we get rid of anything processed – from plastics to chemically-laden foods – then we return to the way nature intended us to live, grow and survive in the healthiest way possible.

Here are a few ways you can go green and reap the health benefits at the same time:

*Stop using plastic bottles. These not only leave a big carbon footprint, but there is also the matter of toxicity from pthlates in the plastic. We’ve all heard reports that you should ditch those re-usable plastic bottles that many people would refill again and again. In addition, you should NEVER freeze liquids in plastic bottles only to drink them as they de-frost. This is a great way for the materials in the plastic to leach into your drink. Instead opt for glass bottles that are reusable. You have no chemicals to worry about…and no trash to toss into landfills.

*Buy from the local’s farmer’s market. Enough with the pesticide covered fruits and veggies that sit at your grocery store all week long and taste “played out” before you can even eat them. The fruits and veggies at your local farmer’s market are fresh, juicy, gorgeous, yummy and organic. You’re eating produce that’s clean while buying at the farmer’s market avoids transportation and fuel usage to get the other crops to the stores. It’s a win-win, so support your local farmer and bike over to his stand on weekends to stock up. (Extra exercise, too!)

*Buy whole foods in bulk. Those refined foods are wrapped in packaging that has to go somewhere and often is just chemical cuisine. If you buy whole foods in bulk then they’re fresh and you can freeze what you don’t eat or use it throughout the week in a variety of recipes. Also when you have these fresh foods on hand, you’re much more likely to eat healthy and not order that pizza, which means fuel costs and the cost to your waistline.

*Exercise outside to conserve overall energy and burn more of yours by varying up your burst training on the stadium stairs, hills or beaches. You will even get some Vitamin D from being out in the sunshine. It’s great to breathe in the fresh air and you will avoid the fuel use of driving up and back to the gym.

*Institute the “power down” hour. An hour before you need to go to sleep, power down everything in your house. Turn off the computer and switch your cell phone to off. Turn off the TV, DVD player and all those lights. You’re going to just read in bed (one lamp on) or take a nice bath to wind down from the day. You’re saving energy and also helping to get your body primed for a great night’s sleep.

Those are just a few tips that will turn you into a lean, green, planet saving individual. Now, I’m going to go to the farmer’s market and walk home.

*Thanks to the Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus for this great concept

I JUST NEED MY BURGER FIX

The Meal
Fast food grilled hamburger on a white bun
Small French fries
1 Diet Drink

The Replacement: JJ’s Ole Tangy Southwestern Turkey Burgers

Recipe:
1 cup total of yellow corn (frozen or canned), chopped red bell pepper, chopped onion (any color)
2 oz diced green chilies
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 lb lean ground turkey

Saute onions, peppers, corn and green chilies in olive oil. Add oregano, se salt and black pepper. Add this mixture to the ground turkey and form into 4 patties. Saute in olive oil, turning gently to avoid breaking apart.

Serve on topless (bottom bun only) whole wheat roll or go “naked” (no bun) with lettuce and tomato condiments plus avocado slices. Or top with fresh salsa.
Small dinner salad of mixed greens with EVOO and vinegar dressing
1 sparkling water with Emergen-C