Italian Turkey Burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 small tomatoes, ripe, yellow and/or red, thinly sliced
1 cup arugula, fresh, leaves, torn or thinly shredded
4 whole grain/reduced-calorie hamburger rolls

Coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray; preheat to medium-high.

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, fennel seed, salt and pepper; form into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Coat burgers and inside of rolls with cooking spray.

Grill burgers for 5 minutes; flip burgers and add rolls to grill. Grill open-face rolls until lightly charred, about 1 to 2 minutes; remove to serving plates. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

To serve, top grilled rolls with tomato slices and burgers; garnish with arugula. Yields 1 burger per serving. Enjoy!

Coconut Water

Derived from young green coconuts, contains five essential electrolytes and more potassium than a banana. It has no added sugar, fat or cholesterol. It's high potassium also helps regulate blood pressure and heart function.



Mix Coconut Water with your favorite protein powder for a perfect post-training concoction that replenishes the electrolytes lost during exercise.

Meal Preparation

"if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail."

Planning your meals requires that you also plan your grocery shopping. Stock up only on quality sources of Protein, Carbohydrates, Fruits, Vegetables and other essentials.

Eat six small meals a day, one every two to three hours; eat a portion of Protein and Carbohydrates with each meal; add a portion of Vegetables to at least two meals daily; consume one tablespoon of unsaturated oil daily or three portions of salmon per week; drink at least 10 cups of water a day; use protein shakes/meal replacements if necessary, to make sure you're consuming optimal levels of nutrients; and once a week, on your free day, eat whatever you want.