‘Life’ Ingredients with Robert Irvine

Hello!

Welcome to the first edition of ‘LIFE’ INGREDIENTS WITH ROBERT IRVINE, a monthly series that will give recipes, workouts, and a dose of motivation that will help you live better.

The thought behind this is simple: the Robert Irvine Foundation’s mission is to serve our military members, veterans, first responders, and their families through our food, wellness, community, and financial support programs.

‘Life’ Ingredients with Robert Irvine fits perfectly within our mission. Specifically, in wellness from the information and advice I have for you to strengthen the body, mind, and spirit.

I’ve wanted to add this piece to the foundation for a while. Let’s face it: the past few years have been hard on everyone.

Stress and anxiety rates have skyrocketed and it’s a small wonder why. From the initial intensity of the pandemic — social isolation, sickness, and loss of loved ones to the new normal of record inflation. We’re all in sticker shock every time we check out at the grocery store or fill up at the gas pump, life just isn’t getting any easier for anyone.

Naturally, I felt I could help by providing you a low-budget, delicious recipe, a workout you can do anywhere, and provide motivation to help improve how you feel.

First off, with my massive archive of recipes, I combed through it for the perfect recipe to kick off this series: I think I’ve got just the thing in my take on a classic Pasta Fagioli, which increases the protein content to 37 grams per serving. The cannellini beans add fiber and the Parmesan cheese adds a small amount of fat. The chicken, meanwhile, adds a huge amount of protein. All of this combines to increase your sense of satiety, which makes a little of this go a long way. You’re going to love it and I hope you’ll hit me up on social media to let me know how your’s came out.

FOOD

AFFORDABLE & DELICIOUS: PASTA FAGIOLI

SERVES 12 – WHAT YOU’LL NEED

4 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ cups onion, chopped

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup celery, diced

12 cups low-sodium chicken stock

4 cups canned cannellini beans, drained

and rinsed

1 cup roasted red pepper, diced

½ cup minced garlic

Salt and pepper

5 cups cooked chicken, shredded

4 cups rough chopped tomatoes

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

3 cups cooked fusilli or penne

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced

6 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced

MAKE IT

1) In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot.

2) Add the onions, carrots, and celery, searing the veggies until the carrots have browned, 2-3 minutes.

3) Reduce the heat to medium low, then add the stock, beans, red pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper. Simmer until the veggies and beans soften.

4) Add the chicken, tomatoes, and parsley, and allow the soup to cook until the tomatoes have softened. Reduce the heat to low and add the pasta, cheese, oregano, and basil. Cook 20-30 more minutes.

THE MACROS

CALORIES: 475

PROTEIN: 37 g

FAT: 8 g

CARBS: 64

FITNESS

Secondly, I think the best cure for stress and anxiety is a good workout. Now that the weather has turned for the better in most parts of the country, it’s the perfect time to share this Hill Sprint Workout, for which you’ll only need a single resistance band, which could easily be replaced with a light set of dumbbells. Again, hit me up on social to let me know how it goes, or if you have any questions about it.

THE HILL SPRINT WORKOUT

Find some stairs. Grab a set of resistance bands. You’re about to experience the ultimate in simple, effective outdoor training. And you’re going to have way more fun that you would at the gym.

DIRECTIONS:

Leave a set of resistance bands at the top of a hill or flight of stadium stairs. Go back to the bottom of the hill. Start a stopwatch or timer as you begin. Rest as little as possible during the workout. Record the total time it takes you to complete the workout for future reference. Repeat the following circuit 9 times total, alternating between hill sprints, hill hops, and lunge-kickbacks each time. At the end of all nine times through the circuit, hold a plank to failure.

EXERCISE x REPS

Sprint/Hop/Lunge-Kickback (as many as you can)

Band Curl x 10

Band Triceps Kickback x 10

Band Shoulder Press x 10

Band Row x 10 Downhill Run (as many as you can)

FINISHER Plank x Failure

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS

HILL SPRINT/HOP/LUNGE-KICKBACK: On your first trip up the hill or stairs, sprint as fast as you can. On your second trip up, bound up the hill, leaping with both feet in a series of broad jumps. On your third trip up, perform lunges, lifting your trail leg up as high as you can and kicking back. Squeeze your glutes in the top position. Do this with each rep. On each trip down, run as fast as you can while maintaining control.

BAND CURL: Step on the center of a resistance band with one or both feet. Perform curls, squeezing your biceps in the top position, then slowly return to the start.

BAND TRICEPS KICKBACK: Step on the center of a resistance band with both feet (you will probably need to spread your feet apart to get the appropriate tension). Bend at the waist. With an underhand grip, keep your elbows tight to your side and your forearms perpendicular to the ground. Squeeze your triceps and extend your arms so that your hands reach back behind you. Hold that position for 1-2 seconds, then return to the start.

BAND SHOULDER PRESS: Step on the center of a resistance band with one or both feet. With your hands at your shoulders, press your arms straight up overhead. Return to the start under control.

BAND ROW: Step on the center of a resistance band with both feet (you will probably need to spread your feet apart to get the appropriate tension). Bend slightly at the waist and then row the handles up to your shoulders, initiating the move by retracting your shoulder blades. Squeeze your back at the peak of the move, then slowly return to the start.

PLANK: Lie face down on the ground, propping yourself up on your elbows, forearms, and toes. The rest of your body should be suspended in the air; maintain a straight line between your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. Once you are so fatigued that you can no longer maintain good form, end the workout.

MOTIVATION

Lastly, I’d like to give you a shot of motivation. Whether you’re feeling stuck and want to get out of that rut, or looking for the push that will get you to take that next, crucial step in your life, career, or relationship. We all need encouragement from time to time, and I’m no exception. When I’m feeling stuck, I often turn to a famous quote from Napoleon Hill, author of the seminal self-help book, Think and Grow Rich:

“Do not wait: the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.”

To me, this is the ultimate rallying cry against procrastination or perfectionism or “analysis paralysis”. So many of us want to have all our ducks in a row before we: make a career change, get into (or out of) a relationship, start a family, or begin work on that passion project that’s always in the back of our minds. What Hill implores us to do in this quote is to just take a step, any step, and stop worrying about making sure all the conditions are just right. That magical moment where you’ve got it all figured out and have plenty of free time to get started. It’s never going to come.

Take action—any action—TODAY.

And that’s a wrap on the first installment of ‘Life’ Ingredients with Robert Irvine I hope you enjoyed it and found something you can use. I firmly believe that if you eat a little better, move a little more, save some money, and make positive thinking a regular habit, it’s going to get a whole lot easier to look at the bright side and focus on what’s important.

As you go out there and try to make the most of life, I want you to remember the words I live by:

Nothing is impossible.

See you next month.