Who can pass up a soft pretzel that is warm from the oven? While the pretzels sold at the mall are drenched in butter and filled with processed ingredients, this recipe only uses a tablespoon of canola oil (the good fat) and super flour crams whole grain nutrition into every bite! 

*Here’s a quick tip: if you decide to purchase a pretzel at the mall, ask for it to be made ‘nonfat’—it may take a few extra minutes for them to bake one without butter, but you’ll be saving yourself quite a few unnecessary calories and it will be nice and hot! 

Servings: 6 pretzels

Here’s what you need…

2 cups Super Flour, divided 

1 Tablespoon Canola oil 

1 cup organic apple juice 

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast 

Salt — optional

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the super flour, canola oil, apple juice and yeast. Beat with electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of super flour. 

Knead for 10-15 minutes, add water or flour as needed for a good consistency. Roll 6 pieces of dough into long snakes and form into pretzel shapes. 

Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray, place the pretzels on the sheet and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. If desired, coat the top of each pretzel with a small amount of water and sprinkle with salt. 

Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes or until they become golden brown. 

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 162 calories, 3g fat, 31g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 7g protein. 

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What a delicious way to satisfy your sweet tooth. These homemade protein bars are quick to make, about 20 minutes from start to end, and they make a healthy on-the-go snack. You may want to make a double batch and store extras in the freezer. 

Servings: 8 bars 

Here’s what you need…

2 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup chocolate whey protein powder 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons organic peanut butter

3 egg whites

2 mashed bananas

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons nonfat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray. 

Mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon. Add peanut butter and stir until well combined. Add egg whites, bananas, honey and milk. 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting into 8 bars. 

Nutritional Analysis: One bar equals: 185 calories, 4g fat, 27g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 11g protein. 

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Greetings, Friends!

We have a lot going on at SWAT and want you to be a part of it! If you’re feeling the pinch of the economy, you’ll want to take advantage of these great opportunities to get involved and get quality fitness training at an affordable price. Here’s what’s coming up:

OPEN HOUSE AND GRAND OPENING November 7-8

PLEASE join us for the Grand Opening Open House for SWAT Fitness South and the launch of Crossfit in Tucson. With Kombat Kettlebells and Crossfit, we provide the most UNIQUE and progressive training methods available. And group training is both affordable and fun! With us, you know it’s always something a little different….

Friday and Saturday, November 7th and 8th 
*F*R*E*E* workouts between 12-5 both days. Come try it out (we’ll be gentle) and see what the buzz is about. Saturday November 8th from 5-7 pm we will host a small cocktail party (post workout, haha!) Please come and meet our trainers and bring friends and family. All are welcome!

NOVEMBER 15th - KETTLEBELLS IN THE PARK - ORO VALLEY

Our November SWAT event will be held in Oro Valley at the Riverfront Park on Lambert, just East of La Canada at 6 am on Saturday the 15th of November. Bring a friend or two, swing away, and even though it’s early, it will be worth it! We will be offering training discounts to those in attendance.

BECOME A VIBC (Very Important Boot Camper)

We appreciate our loyal campers, and want to show it! Be sure and check out all the new specials and offers on the SWAT Boot Camps for the New Year!

Become part of our VIBC Program
(Very Important Boot Camper) and save over 40% on boot camp in 2009!
Open to Only 30 participants (26 spots left)

Pay up front for a year of boot camp, and you’ll save over $1,000.00. It’s equal to getting 9 camps for the price of 6 (You Get 3 camps ABOLUTELY FREE!) or getting 5 days a week for the price of 3 (Saving over $100 per camp!) 

LEARN MORE about the VIBC offer here

REFER A FRIEND PROGRAM

We’re grateful to those of you who have been so excited about your results and your fitness program that you’ve told your friends! Starting this month - if you refer a friend, you will be handsomely rewarded. If they tell us you sent them in and they sign up for training, you’ll receive a special thank you gift. Please remind them to drop your name!

We appreciate all of you, and thank you for your support and friendship. Wishing you the best this Winter and always. 

Jana and Ron Holland
SWAT Fitness Tucson

Holiday Pounds Loom on the Horizon

It’s here-just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers refer to this time as the holiday season, but I like to be more accurate. 

Weight Gain season starts now and runs straight through New Year’s. 

The next two months will bring ample opportunity for you to indulge, to enjoy and to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours. 

Why do I bring this up now and not mid-way through December? Quite frankly, now is the time for you to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the whirlwind of holiday activities and obligations begins, you’ll be too caught up to put a plan into action. 

So in this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, let’s outline a plan that will save you from unwanted holiday pounds. 

1) Put Your Feet to the Fire: Exercise is the first thing to go when people get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for deserted gyms. This year do something drastic-obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself isn’t enough, you need to promise to others so that you won’t drop the ball.

Commit to working with a fitness expert – the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. You’ll get the attention and assistance that you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever – talk about motivating! 

Join a class – we’ve determined that you simply won’t be as effective on your own during the busy holiday season, so joining a class would lend accountability. Stick with something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and incorporates strength training. Boot camp or kettlebells or Crossfit classes are great choices.

Find a serious exercise buddy – some friends can be the biggest help while others end up pulling you down. When looking for an exercise buddy choose carefully and consider the following questions: 

- Do they share your fitness goals? 

- Are they typically encouraging? 

- Do they stick with things? 

- Are you at the same fitness level? 

Get your spouse involved – what a great way to spend more time together during this busy season, and you’ll be able to support each other in your shared quest for fitness. Decide on an exercise activity that you can both enjoy and set a schedule for your workout dates. 

2) Cut the Fat: I mean this literally. I’m not going to imply that you shouldn’t indulge in any seasonal treats, but think moderation. So often the holidays are used as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable – would you really miss that bloated feeling? Decide on a few fattening treats to cut out this year.

Do you really need to bring sweets for everyone in the office, especially since you know that you will end up with the leftovers? How about a fruit basket or flower arrangement? 

At holiday parties load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal and keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum. 

Watch what you drink, most beverages are filled to the brim with calories. Hot drinks from Starbucks, cocktails at parties and eggnog around a crackling fire-all very enjoyable and all filled with empty calories. 

At no other time in the year are we faced with so many sweets. To avoid being a Scrooge, but without adding pounds to your frame, try the one treat rule. Each time you’re in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly. 

If you truly want to enjoy the coming festivities without dealing with added pounds it is all in your hands. The key is your mindset. 

Most people approach the holidays with the mindset that says ‘I deserve to indulge and I shouldn’t have to exercise since it’s the holidays.’ This is fine if you don’t mind entering 2009 a few pounds heavier, a little less healthy, and with lower energy than ever before. 

I believe that you deserve better. I believe that you should enter 2009 in better shape than you are today, healthier than you’ve been in a long time, and with more energy that you thought possible. 

I’m always available to help – call or reply to this email to set up a fitness and consultation with me and I’ll show you how you can see a lot of change over the next few weeks to come.

Forget the Clock

How often do you check the clock while doing cardio? Doesn’t time crawl when you’re busy staring down those last ten minutes? Instead of focusing on every remaining second think of how great it feels to get into shape. Here’s a great way to enjoy cardio: load an enjoyable audio book onto your IPod – you may even end up doing a longer workout!

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