Morning Detox

This is usually my morning detox. Why?
~It's important to drink WATER as soon as you wake up. It wake up your insides and boost your metabolism. You should drink at least half you body weight in ounces a day.
~Today I infused BLUEBERRIES. They are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.
~It's always nice to have something warm to drink in the morning. HERBAL TEA is my go-to. Yogi Detox with dandelion root is my fave!
~A shot of organic APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. Not going to lie, it's disgusting. Just take it to the head. It's a great detoxifier and ph balancer. There are so many more benefits, though.
XO

Till You Collapse

Seriously love this song. If you need some motivation to get going or to KEEP going, listen to "Till I Collapse" by Eminem. I swear it's good. It's an also a great pacer for running.

XO

An Important Message From Yours Truly - Body Shaming

I’m just going to put this out there. Stop the body shaming! Just because a girl is skinny and has small boobs, doesn’t mean she’s not a “real woman.” Just because a girl has lots of curves and big boobs, doesn’t mean she is “fat”. Also, just because someone is skinny or big, doesn’t mean they are or are not healthy. You have one body to live in – take care of it and be PROUD of yourself! Never compare yourself to anyone else. Be comfortable in your own skin and know that everyone has different genetics.  It’s all about being STRONG and HEALTHY for me!  

Muscle Soreness Prevention

Super sore after a crazy workout? Here are 8 ways to prevent Delayed-Onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Go hard and get results.

1. Stretch. Stretching is your first line of defense before and after a good workout. “When you train, you contract the muscles, and the muscle fibers get shorter,” says Steve Edwards, Vice President of Fitness and Nutrition at Beachbody®. “Lengthening them after a workout promotes mobility, and can lead to a more thorough recovery.”

2. Eat for rapid recovery. Make sure to get enough healthy proteins (fish, skinless chicken, lean red meat > or = to 95%), carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans), and fats (avocado, raw nuts, hummus), which play important roles in repairing and maintaining muscles. Beyond that, consider strategically-timed protein supplementation. After working out and bedtime is when muscle repair increases. Post workout -scoop of Beachbody Performance Recover (delicious!) and a scoop of Beachbody PerformanceRecharge before sleep assures your body access to amino acids. “Amino acids are your body’s building blocks,” explains Beachbody’s Director of Nutrition Content, Denis Faye, “consuming them at the right times assures they’ll be there when you need them.”

3. Ice it. Immediately after a tough workout, ice your muscles to reduce inflammation. “Inflammation is one of nature’s defense mechanisms, but it works like a cast—it immobilizes you,” Edwards says. “When you keep inflammation down, that area is free to keep moving, and movement promotes healing.” Icy Hot works for me!

4. Change your diet. Add foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties and that are rich in omega-3s (salmon, free-range meat, flax seed, avocado, walnuts). Drink plenty of water! You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces per day. 

5. Massage your sore spots. Myofascial release is a popular massage. You can also use a foam roller for a “do-it-yourself” massage. There are many types of foam rollers, but the grid foam roller is my favorite. BUT before you foam roll, rehydrate and wait for your heart rate to be back to normal. “When your muscles are hot and loaded with lactic acid, you might make it worse,” Edwards says. If you’re unsure on how to use a foam roller, Pinterest and YouTube can show you.

6. Get heated. Icing works great immediately after a workout; heat, however, works when your muscles have returned to their resting temperature. If you heat your muscles immediately after your beast mode of a workout, your already-damaged muscles can be aggravated and more inflamed. Edward says “Heat increases circulation, especially focused heat in a Jacuzzi, where you can hit areas like joints that don’t normally get a lot of circulation…when your body heat is already high and you have a lot of muscle breakdown, sitting in a hot tub with the jets would be counter intuitive.”

7. Move it. Don’t skip your workout! (Unless of course your pain is from injury-not muscle soreness.) Skipping your workouts until your soreness has gone away, will just create the cycle all over again. Keep your body circulated-just don’t overdo it. “Active recovery” is low-intensity exercise that gets your blood flowing without taxing your muscles. What qualifies as low-intensity? It depends on your typical workout. But, Edwards says, the easiest way to engage in active recovery is to exert around 50% of your max effort, and keep your heart rate below 140 bpm or so. Most Beachbody workout programs include a recovery workout, but if yours doesn’t, a gentle yoga class or going on an easy hike are good options. PiYo is one of my favorite fitness programs-you stretch and strengthen at the same time.

8. Pop a painkiller.—if you MUST. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can relieve pain, but many experts aren’t sure if they’re worth the risk. “A lot of athletes call it ‘Vitamin I,’” Edwards says. But he cautions that NSAIDs can cause nasty side effects and accelerate muscle breakdown. “The only time they might help is if you’re in so much pain that you can’t do low-level exercise—you can’t get off the couch,” Edwards says. In that case, meds might help, but be careful not to overdo it—because if you’re not feeling pain, you may push too hard and cause an injury. I like drinking honey lavender or chamomile tea! It relieves my tension.

Reference: http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/fitness/recovery-done-right-8-ways-prevent-muscle-soreness

What the Heck is Shakeology? Why Do I Drink It?

What the heck is Shakeology?

It’s NOT a protein shake! It’s also not just for people who want to lose weight (weight loss come inherently). It’s a HEALTH SHAKE- nutrition made super SIMPLE.I drink ShakeO daily for the following reasons:

1.         The makers of Shakeology are committed! They work hard to keep the ingredients from whole foods, in their purest forms with minimal processing.
2.       . This is a BIG reason- the world isn’t what it used to be…our bodies are constantly battling outside forces that can make us sick, acidic, and diseased. Foods are actually less nutritious today than they were years ago.
3.      .   I don’t need to take vitamins that are the size of horse pills.
4.       . I feel lighter and healthier, and my complexion is better than it has ever been.
5.       . I’m not contradicting my healthy lifestyle by putting bad things into my body.
6.       . It’s super quick to make…perfect on-the-go breakfast! Did you know skipping breakfast will slow down your metabolism and cause you to gain weight?
7.       . It keeps me full.
8.       . I actually SAVES MONEY (who doesn’t love saving money?) I used to drink Starbucks almost every day and usually ended up eating out…that adds up to a lot more than a serving of Shakeology.

*What's in Shakeology?  

1. 
   
   ~ PROPRIETY SUPER PROTEIN BLEND: Whey (as Isolate), Sacha Inchi, Chai, Flax, Pea, Quinoa
   ~ PROPRIETARY SUPER-FRUIT/ANTIOXIDANT BLEND: Camu-camu, Acerola Cherry, 
   Bilberry, Goji Berry, Green Tea, Luo Han Guo, Pomegranate, Rose Hips, Vitamins A, C, E.
   ~ PROPRIETARY SUPER-GREEN PHYTONUTRIENT BLEND: Moringa, Chlorella, Spirulina, Spinach, Kale
   ~ PROPRIETARY APTOGEN BLEND: Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Cordycepts, Ginko, Maca, Maitake, Relishi, Schisandra
   ~ PROPRIETARY PRE/PROBIOTIC DIGESTIVE ENZYME BLEND: Yacon Root, Chicory Rot, Lactobacillus Sporogenes, Amyalase, Cellulase, Lactase, Glucoamylase, Alpha-Glactosidase, Invertase.
   
   
   (for Vanilla)

* Some of my favorite recipes are:

~ Vegan Chocolate and Peanut Butter

~ Vanilla and Oranges or Vanilla Chai

~ Very Berry Strawberry

~ Green Berry with Cranberries

Toasted Kale, Brussel, Potato, and Lemon Dijon Salad

This recipe was inspired by Autumn Calabrese's Fixate Cookbook. I've taken out the chicken, and added red potatoes and brussel spouts to accommodate my vegetarian diet.

Salad ingredients: (serves 2)

• 1 slice of Ezekiel Bread cut into cubes
• 1 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1 pinch sea or Himalayan salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 small red potatoes cut into desired size
• ground chili powder to taste
• 1 bunch of kale, torn into large pieces
• A hand full of brussel sprouts - sliced in half with stems cut
• Lemon juice

Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing: (serves 2 - 2 Tbsp. each)

• 1 cage free egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Sea or Himalayan salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice 

Mix together. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Toss cubed bread, oil, salt, and pepper, and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until croutons are toasted and crunchy.
4. Sprinkle red potatoes with chili powder.
5. Heat large nonstick skillet (you may want to use some olive oil) over medium heat, add seasoned potatoes and brussel sprouts face down, and cover. Once potatoes and brussel sprouts are soft, remove from heat and set aside
6. Add kale to skillet; cook over high heat for 4 minutes (or until crispy and lightly charred) turning once. Squirt lemon juice on top.  
7. Evenly divide kale into serving bowl; top with potatoes, brussel sprouts, and croutons.
8. Drizzle Lemon Dijon Salad Dressing on top

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Maple Muffins

I LOVE love love pumpkin anything! This is one of my fave recipes from the Fixate Cookbook. The cookbook also has 100 more recipes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts, and Shakeology. You can use it with you 21 Day Fix portion control containers, too!
RECIPE
What you'll need:
~2 OZ cream cheese (I used neufchatel cheese)
~1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (organic)
~1 large egg, slightly beaten
~1 cup pumpkin puree
~1.5 cups almond flour (you can make your own)
~3/4 tsp baking soda (gf)
~1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
I ADDED about 2 tsps of Pumpkin Pie Extract to this recipe!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare nine muffin cups and coat with coconut oil.
Combine cream cheese and maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine egg, pumpkin, and extract in a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add almond meal mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.
Spoon batter into each muffin cup a little less than 1/2 full.
Add a heaping tsp of cream cheese mix into center.
Evenly fill muffin cups with remaining batter.
You can sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top, but I SPRINKLED CINNAMON & PUMPKIN PIE SPICE.
Bake 16-18 min or until golden brown. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

ENJOY!