Easy Bean Bowl Recipe

By Julia Howard, MPH, RHN

During times of stress, don’t be too hard on yourself if you fall off the nutritional wagon. The key is to get back on as soon as you can. You don’t need to beat yourself up over it or continue eating poorly as if all is lost.

Who had chips and wine for supper last week? Yep, me too. And that’s ok. You need to give yourself a chance to let the initial shock of this dramatic shift in how we’re all living register.

But this week, let’s take some time to get back to a routine. Try to keep meal times similar to how they’ve always been. Prioritize a varied whole-food, plant-based diet of colourful fruits and veggies. This type of diet will provide your body with the phytonutrients and fibre it needs to support your immune system, improve your gut health, and help you deal with stress.

If you’re taking this time at home to focus more on your nutrition, incorporating more plant-based proteins into your diet is one thing you could try. If you’re looking to add some more canned beans and lentils to your diet, be sure to check the sodium content on the label and try to choose a “no salt added” variety.

Need some inspiration? Here’s one of my favourite plant-based recipes, the Easy Bean Bowl.

Easy Bean Bowl (Serves 3)

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can of black beans (or adzuki or mung beans, rinsed and drained)
1.5 cups of short grain brown rice (or quinoa), cooked in water
1 lime, juiced
7-8 mushrooms, sliced
3 handfuls of salad leaves (e.g., spinach, kale)
1 large sweet potato, chopped and roasted
½ tsp chili powder
Pinch of sea salt
Avocado, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare rice (brown rice takes about 40 minutes to cook).
Chop sweet potato into cubes, place onto a pan, and drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder.
Cook sweet potato for about 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pot and add black beans, stirring occasionally while coating beans in 2 tbsp water, juice of lime, a sprinkle of chili powder, and a pinch of salt.
Sauté your greens and mushrooms in a few tablespoons of water and salt.
Build your bowl! Grains on bottom, beans in the middle, + root veggies, greens, and mushrooms on top.
Season with lime juice, salt, and freshly cracked pepper.
Optional: add slices of avocado on top (1/4 avocado each/bowl).

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading,

~Julia

If you want to learn more about nutrition or have some nutrition goals you need help with, we offer online nutrition coaching!

Lloyd Hussey

Personal Strength Training by Jon-Erik Kawamoto

I started at JKC in January of 2014 and I’m 67 years old. When I had my Initial Assessment, I knew – almost immediately – that Jon knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. I was overweight, out of shape, and in serious need of someone, like Jon, who could get me back on a fitness/conditioning routine that suited me, my age, my less than acceptable physical condition, my sometimes intermittent RA, and my need for a structured, consistent and yet flexible training and conditioning program that would work for me.

Fundamentally, if I made a choice at all with respect to JKC – it was to continue to come back each week. I have not been in a lot of gyms. To be honest, they used to intimidate me. What makes JKC different is their approach to each and every one of their clients. Jon and Thomas – and now Craig – tailor each training regime to the particular needs of each client. That ensures that the training regime will suit each client upon the start of training and changes as the client improves. It adjusts for any physical setbacks such as injuries and it adjusts for success. It is just that simple.

It is also the consistent encouragement that comes from Jon, Thomas and Craig. That voice that comes to you while you are in the middle of a particularly difficult set – rear-foot elevated split squats comes to mind immediately – that says “good job” or “keep it up” or “just a couple more reps.” To know, in that moment, that you are not alone and the trainer is paying attention to what you are doing. That is priceless for me.

Kyle Howlett

Personal Strength Training by Thomas King

I had always wanted to start lifting weights and get stronger, but didn’t know where to start. I was looking not just for a gym, but for training on proper technique to prevent injury and a program designed for my specific goals. I also wanted a fun and supportive atmosphere to keep me coming back. JKC delivered on all of this and more.

Jon and Thomas have a wealth of knowledge that help their clients get the most out of their time in the gym. Programs are continuously modified to keep the workouts challenging. Even through everyone’s program is unique, you always have the coaches and other clients cheering you on and pushing you to achieve new bests.

Teri Stuckless

After my children were born, I was completely out of shape. I had been active before my first pregnancy in 2008. I saw a post on social media about a charity event that was hosted at the gym. It prompted me to check out the JKC website. I was immediately impressed by the professional content and decided to give it a try. The professionally crafted and uniquely tailored work outs, as well as the sense of accountability and commitment that they foster. I have not missed a workout since joining – contrary to other experiences I have had when purchasing gym memberships. The flexibility of booking and rescheduling workouts, made easy by an online app, also contributed to my success in meeting my fitness goals.

I enjoy every session, working out with Jon, Thomas and Craig, as well as the “JKC Community”. Anytime someone achieves a personal best, I enjoy the celebration and support everyone gives each other. For me, I fondly remember achieving personal bests on bench press, chin ups and the sled push, in particular.

Patrick Ryan

I’m 43 and started at JKC just over a year ago. I started at JKC because of multiple recommendations from existing clients. There are 2 main elements that distinguish JKC for me. Firstly the sense of community. I’ve been to multiple gyms in multiple cities/countries, you just can not manufacture the sense of community and support you get from other gym goers and the team. It’s very motivating and happy to say I’ve made some friends at JKC.

The other major distinguishing factor for JKC is the expertise and passion of the team. Jon, Thomas and Craig craft highly personalized programs based on my fitness goals and know how to push me best without being pushy. They pay close attention to ensuring my form is solid before encouraging me to take on more weight for the exercise. Plain and simple they love what they do and it shows.

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I started strength training at JKC in the Spring of 2021. I am in my 60’s but happy to say I feel much younger since joining this gym. I joined JKC upon the advice of a doctor. I went through some difficult medical issues last year, that’s when one of my doctors recommended strength training at JKC. I have been physically active most of my adult life but mainly running and completed many road races as I am a distance runner. Strength training has definitely benefited me by increasing my stamina and energy. It sure has enhanced my recovery over the past year. I have the added benefit of becoming a stronger runner as well.

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