Building up muscles, mental health and love for life with nutritious & delicious food for the whole family
Dumbbells Workout!
Chest press-15 reps lying down
Chest flyes-15 reps lying down
Bicep curls-hammer, front AND reverse curls-10 of each
Triceps kickbacks-15 each arm
Deadlifts-15 reps
Rows-15 reps
Kneeling one arm shoulder fly-15 each arm
Shoulder press-15 reps
Alternating Shoulder Front Raise-15 reps
Repeat All 2 to 3 times!
Get to work!
A
Mat and body weight workout
Alternating lunges in place for 1 min
Plank-one min
Plank jacks or plank scissors-30 seconds
Plank Shoulder slaps-20 total
Bridge for 30/Bridge pulse for 30 immediately after
Bridge-one leg up-15 on each side
Side one arm push-ups-exhaustion on each side
Push-ups-exhaustion
High knees with chop-1 min
Donkey kicks-1 min
Repeat all 3 times!
Should be done in 20 to 30 min depending on fitness level, rest for 10 to 20 sec when needed between exercises.
The more fit you are the less rest you will need.
Move it!
A
Well….I thought I knew but I had no idea what living really was until I ate this…..so fresh, so good for you AND so tasty! I perked up like a plant does when you water it! Nutrient overload! Yes! This is what I strive for in my meals and hope that you will too! I want you to feel ALIVE!
Back to the sprouts….Take about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of raw Brussels Sprouts and chop off the ends (discard them)
Peel apart what you can of the sprouts and chop up the rest. Place all on your plate and get ready to create something beautiful!
Add:
4 oz chicken breast (I made a whole chicken on Sunday and had this chilled and stored in the fridge for the week so I just grabbed some and chopped it up) highly recommend this! Makes meal prep so easy!
1/4 c chopped mango
1/4 chopped red grapes
about 2 tsp. feta cheese
about 2 tsp. chopped up celery
1 TBSP pepitas or sunflower seeds
I am sure it would be lovely with other ingredients too but this is what I had on hand. I could see it with sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds, strawberries, nuts, mixed with spinach leaves…you get my drift…create a magical combo on your own if you want, you don’t have to follow any of my recipes to a tee!
Dressing:
Mix 1 part vinegar, 2 parts oil (like olive) and 3 parts water. Add a dash of cinnamon, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin and honey. Whisk together and serve.
Boom. Alive.
Enjoy!!
xo-A
Have to share this delicious and healthy meal with you!
Fruit & Nut Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 c dry Kamut & Quinoa Twisted Pair Pasta (Eden Organic pasta brand) or Whole grain pasta or Brown rice pasta
1/4 c cubed Granny Smith Apple or pear
2 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese
1 Tbsp dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 c Almonds or other nut
1 Tbsp olive oil or oil dressing with lemon juice
Directions:
Cook pasta according to the directions, drain and rinse with cold water
Add to bowl and then add all other above ingredients
If you wish season with a touch of pepper and salt ( I didn’t and it was delicious!)
Eat immediately or chill for later
DELICIOUS!
Enjoy! xo-A
Hello friends!!! So this morning I was thinking back to a memory I had at my parents house around age 16 or so. I have an Aunt and Uncle who had always been to us a little “hippie” and little “la la”. They were always eating foods that were “weird”, always very active and doing “weird” stuff, like all the time!! We were having a “cookout” one summer and I can remember, like it was yesterday, it being time to eat and on the menu: hamburgers on white buns, potato salad, pop, chips…you know very typical “cookout” food! My Aunt and Uncle said they were not hungry and instead were doing handstands, headstands and deep breathing yoga-like “weird” things in the yard. So, let me repeat that…no burgers, no potato salad and no pop…just handstands and deep breathing in their bare feet in the grass. (and totally loving life by the way while doing so)
Ummmm, “weird”? Right? Or is it? Is it weird and strange, wrong and silly to not want to eat those foods or drink those drinks that make you feel foggy and unclear, bloated and puffy, confused and lazy? Is it bad to do cartwheels and headstands outside as an adult?? Shouldn’t we consider this the right thing to do? Eating real food and moving our bodies? Taking deep breaths? Which makes you feel better do you think? Yet we chose to do the opposite because that is just “what we do”, that is what our parents did, that is what everyone else does. Unfortunately, the truth is the yoga like deep breathers, the non “cookout food” eaters are the minority, the “weird ones”.
We must reverse this! We must make the cool thing to do, the right thing to do, the HEALTHY thing to do to be feeding our bodies MACRO and MICRO nutrients, (COMPLEX CARBS, LEAN PROTEINS, GOOD FATS, WATER, FRUITS AND VEGGIES) Whole, real foods that come from the ground, from animals and from trees! Foods that have seen the light of day from the actual sun! Foods that make you feel amazing, full of energy and life! If this is “weird” then I want to be the Queen of WEIRD!! Who is with me??
A week ago I got The Body Book pictured below and I am loving it! I think it is a GREAT overview of what your body is, why you need to give it what it needs, exactly what it needs, how to strengthen it, etc. Great book. Simple and easy to understand. Check it out! In the book she talks about loving quinoa pasta so I bought some today and can’t wait to try it! So weird!! xo-A
Carrot Cake Smoothie:
1/4 c frozen peaches or fresh apple slices
1/2 c fresh sliced raw sweet potatoes
1/2 c raw carrots
pinch cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg if you have it
1 c milk or water or almond, coconut milk-whatever you are in to.
1 scoop vanilla protein powder or about 10 to 15 g
3 ice cubes
1 TBSP flaxseed
3 TSP oats
Top with extra cinnamon and some coconut flakes if you are feeling fancy!
Blend and enjoy!
xo-A
This is it! This is the essential list (as simple as I could make it). Every time I go to the store this is what I am buying. Every time. If I am out of one of these I replace it. 90% of what goes in my mouth and what should go in my mouth comes from this list. I am not perfect and I eat what I want here and there but guess what for the most part this is what I want. This is what I CRAVE!! If you look at most of my recipes or Facebook posts you will see these foods. This is what we should be eating.
Let’s talk about timing and options:
Breakfast-pick a good fat, protein, carb and veggie or fruit. THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY!
Eggs with cheese and veggies with oatmeal
Lean meat (pork tenderloin, turkey or chicken) with sweet potato and berries
Oatmeal with protein powder, cinnamon and flax or chia seeds
Veggies with hard boiled eggs and toast
Sweet potatoes, avocados and eggs
Smoothies-made from veggies/ fruit/seeds/protein powder/milk/oats
Snack-pick a carb and protein to eat together
Apple with Greek yogurt or almonds
Nuts with fruit
Hard boiled eggs with veggies
Greek yogurt with berries
Veggies with hummus
Granola bars or bites-homemade
Lunch- pick a carb, protein, good fat and veggie
Rice
Sweet potatoes
Quinoa
Oil
Lean meats/fish
Salad/Veggies
Snack-pick a fruit or veggie and protein
Fruit
Veggies
Cheese
Hummus
Beans
Greek yogurt/cottage cheese
Nuts/nut butter
Dinner-pick a carb, protein, good fat and veggie
Whole grain pasta
Rice
Salad/Veggies-homemade dressing out of the oil and citrus!
Lean meats/fish
Cheese
Oil
Snack-pick a protein and fruit
Nuts
Berries
Immediately After workout-Protein powder shake
All day- hot or cold lemon water, tea, coffee (no sugar or additives)
Serving and portion control are key-you are eating 6 times a day so your portions are going to be smaller but they will still be filling. You will be eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. Never ignore your hunger you will just end up binging. Feed your body throughout the day with whole foods not 100 calorie packs of anything, not 100 calorie soups or bowls of Special K. That is not the answer! Boxed, frozen easy meals are not the answer. Keep it simple with these foods. The answer is, “what can you enjoy and sustain and maintain for the rest of your life?”
That list, up there that I gave you, is maintainable and delicious!
Meal planning and a little prep on Sundays goes a LONG way!!! This list gives you tons of variations and options! Make each meal and each snack balanced. (An apple and some almonds or some chicken and a sweet potato) What I mean by that is ensure that you get a substantial amount of protein and a good carb along with a veggie and good fat like nuts/seeds or oil at each meal.
This is your life and your health that we are talking about! This is your daily, man I feel great, wow I have so much energy how to! This will help you if you commit to it! I really hope you do! This is not a quick, drastic new year new you, trick. This is a list that should be fulfilled weekly so that you can stay on track forever. You will learn to LOVE these foods. You just have to stop the processed junk and get your taste buds used to the real stuff!!! Wishing you the best!!
xo-A
Hi friends!
Let’s make January all about moving our bodies just to fight off the blues, just to bring some happy & positive energy, just because exercising is a great anti-depressant!
If I could I would probably join a support group for all of my so-called “problems”, things that seem to bring a level of stress into my life, wouldn’t you? We all have stress no matter how zen la la we try to be. I try to and most of the time I am but let’s be real…life is stressful, life doesn’t always go according to plan. So why not do something totally free like moving your body to fight off the evil, the struggles, the disappointments, the wrong doers and the plain old negativity in life?
Instead of a mommy support group I walk.
Instead of a 50/50 shared custody support group I run.
Instead of a divorce support group I lift weights.
These are the things that stress me out! Am I a good mom? Am I doing the right things? Is my son going to be ok? Am I ok? Am I crazy? You know…..the usual questions that I know you are wondering too! Ha! (Either about me or about yourself) Ha! Ha!
I just took 5 days off of exercise over Christmas and well let’s just say it wasn’t so jolly for my mind! I am happier when I move my body! I got to the gym Monday finally and already my mind is less stressed. Mentally, I am all better!
Do you want to know the best part?
You can exercise at home, you can work out while you are away on vacation, anywhere or anytime. In the middle of the day at work, with your kids, with your hubby, with your friends…..you get it. Exercising of all kinds releases endorphins-the same “happy” that taking “happy pills” does for you. So get moving and you will feel great! You don’t need any equipment. You just need you.
I urge you to just start exercising to be happy, to not worry, to calm down and to feel good.
This is why you should exercise, I believe, above all else! Happy New Year! x0-A
