Nutrition AND Exercise in 20 minutes or less

From Kate W. :
"Nutrition question: Best vegetarian protein sources (that aren't powders). Husby's been veggie his whole life and can't keep muscle worth a crap so I'm thinking it's a protein deficiency. Oh- and he won't eat plain eggs. Eggs in bread/cookies/etc., sure.

Fitness question: how 'bout a 20 minute, no equipment required, calorie blasting workout that can be done indoors while my kid sleeps. I hate workout videos and would much rather just count out x number of jumping jacks, etc. but I don't have much of a variety and get really bored just alternating jacks and running in place."

Seth Estrada:

"Black beans have the highest protein content. Black Beans, Lentils and brown rice are delicious together. However, it seems to me that he's a lacto-ovo veggie type? If so, cottage cheese has more BCAA's (the key essential amino acids in muscle building, as indicated by numerous controlled studies) than any veggie source. See if he can choke some of that down.



P.S. Cottage Cheese mixes seamlessly into dips of all sorts, and tends to smooth out the yokey flavor of scrambled eggs, if that helps. It also blends fairly well with rice/legume combos, as mentioned before.

Do you have any stairs at your place? Do you have so much as a jump rope? If not, create a step from a cinder block or short kitchen stool. And you can always use a belt or bathrobe tie for a jump rope replacement until you have [a real] one.

Here's a quick circuit:

• step ups - 30 each leg [raise your arms towards the ceiling as you step]
• helicopters [walking your hands around in a giant circle with your knees posted on the ground-use a towel to keep from getting rug burn] 2 in each direction - graduate to your feet once you have the strength
• faux jump rope - swing the belt from one side of your body to the other using both hands, like Rocky - 3 min
• pushups - 12 - graduate to your feet once you have the strength 
• Napoleon Dynamites - jumping jacks with your hands moving straight up and down from your ears [keep your elbows forward] - 50

Repeat. Tell me how many you can do in 20 minutes :) "

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