Back and Biceps Day!

July 14, 2016

Today we focused on back and biceps at the gym. For quite some time Kendra and I have been lifting lighter weight and more reps in order to induce more cardio. Now we are back in HEAVY lifting mode to increase those muscle gains! Here was our workout.

First we started with bent over rows.

You want to start with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Then bend over in order to pull the bar up and pinch those shoulder blades together.

Keep those elbows in and bring the bar to your belly button. If you are looking to burn more fat, use lighter weight and shoot for 15-20 reps. If you are looking to build muscle, lean up, and add shape, lift heavy for 8-10 reps (4 sets).

One thing about lifting heavy is that every woman is scared of it. Will you get big and bulky? NO!! It is SO hard to become big and bulky. You have to fight with a strict diet and protein supplements to be big and bulky. So what does lifting heavy do for women? It helps build more lean muscle mass which in turn, boosts your metabolism! This means that you burn calories at a higher rate. Especially 2 days following a really good lift day. This is because the muscle is repairing itself over the course of 2 days and your body needs more calories to do this.

Next we moved on to the lat pull down machine.

Here you want your back straight and a wide grip. Make sure you leg cushions are adjusted to keep your legs stable in the seated position. You don’t want to push up on your tip-toes to meet it.

Pull directly down towards your chest and again try to pinch those shoulder blades together as shown below.

Always shoot for 4 sets and depending on your weight do minimum 8-10 reps or max 15-20 reps.

Our next exercise was the seated row machine.

Make sure your legs are slightly bent and your chest is pressed up against the padding as shown above.

You do not want your chest to leave that pad as you row. If you are leaning back away from that pad in order to row, that amount of weight is too heavy for you and your form is diminishing. Form is VERY important for a good workout and to avoid gym injuries.

Really try to pinch those shoulder blades as you row to get the full benefit of the exercise.

On to the bicep exercises!

Here we start with hammer curls. Your goal is to keep your elbows in and bring the dumbbell directly up to the front of your shoulder.

If you are swinging the weight to get into this position, it’s too heavy for you. Also, if your elbows are moving outwards away from your side, the weight is too heavy for you.

Tip for feeling the burn: stop your dumbbell at the bottom for a second or two before lifting it. This helps you to make sure you are not swinging the weight in order to get it back up.

Regular curls were next. You can do this exercise with dumbbells or a barbell. Again, you want to slow down the movement and keep your elbows tucked in to prevent swinging.

Keeping those arms tucked in all the way.

And ending it at the chest.

Now for our last bicep exercise, we did 21s. This is 7 reps of a full curl shown above…

Then we do 7 half reps from bottom to middle.

Then we do 7 reps from middle to top.

This totals up your set to equal 21 reps. Always do 4 sets.

This completes our back and bicep day! Hopefully this guide was helpful to you. If you have any questions or requests, please comment below! If you found this post helpful, please share using the social media icons below!

Fast and Healthy Taco Salad!

April 11, 2016

Just because a meal is low calorie does not mean you can’t have flavor! In this post, I’ll show you how to get a whole lot of bang for your buck! Did I mention how fast you can whip up this meal?

Here is what you’ll need:

Lean Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Fiesta Cheese Blend, shredded
Fat Free Organic Plain Greek Yogurt
Salsa

Here is how you make it!

First, we want to cook our turkey meat. Once it is brown, you can add pre-packaged taco seasoning or make your own! All you would need to mix together would be cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of cayenne pepper. Make sure you include about 3/4 cup of water with your seasonings and let your turkey simmer with your spices.

Next, we put our lettuce, tomato, cheese, and meat in a bowl. Feel free to add more vegetables to your salad like peppers, onions, and olives! Sometimes I will even add a bit of GUACAMOLE (feel free to check out my homemade recipe). I always use plain Greek yogurt as sour cream in all of my recipes. Even my CHILI recipe!

This meal can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less! So try out my taco salad on Taco Tuesday!

Enjoy!

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Review of the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker

February 17, 2016

One thing I have come to love while working as a dietitian is all of the technology giving me more information about people in regards to what they eat, how they move, and how well they sleep.

A lot of times we believe we move more than we do, so these activity trackers have been great showing us the truth about our activity.

As the health care professional, I have noticed some things as this technology has grown more popular.

Accountability. It promotes more accountability for everyone. When you think you’ve been moving throughout your day and should be close to your goal of 10,000 steps, you may check your activity and only have hit 3,000 steps so far. Seeing a record of your actual movement through the day will provide valuable feedback to help achieve your activity goal.

Competition. We are very competitive by nature not only with other people, but ourselves. When we set a goal and see how close we are to it, we may work a little harder to hit it. It could trigger us to take the longer route to the restroom, park further away, or take the dog on a slightly longer walk than usual.

Earlier Bed Time. Sleep is extremely important for us to function well during the day and also improve our chances for weight loss. By monitoring sleep cycles, you may become more aware of your routines and try to improve on them. Knowing you aren’t sleeping well, you may try going to bed sooner, practice evening relaxation techniques, or take time winding down to prevent tossing and turning.

So I decided to try out the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black for myself and see what the pros and cons were with these tracking products.

THE SET UP

While setting up a Fitbit account, I got confused between the tablet and the computer. They continued to direct me back to one another. So I ended up going to my phone and downloading the app which walked me through creating an account step by step.

Just to avoid confusion, I recommend setting up your account with the Fitbit app on your phone.

Once I got started with the app account setup, it was very easy and explained everything very simply.

THE APP

The app software is really simple. It shows a home page with your progress on the front by tracking steps, mileage, calories burned, active minutes, and also lists options to track your exercise and weight, monitor your sleep, log your food/begin a food plan, and log fluids.

THE WRIST BAND AND TRACKER

The Fitbit Flex came with two different sized bands for wrist comfort. The bands are easily adjustable. Even though the snap is a little stiff at first it will loosen up once you’ve worn it a few times. This will make it easier to put on without assistance.

It is very light weight which I love since I am constantly on the go. I wear it on the same wrist as my watch and don’t even notice it.

ACTIVITY TRACKING

The activity tracking is really neat because it tracks steps taken, mileage, as well as how many of those minutes were considered active. Another great thing about it is that I don’t have to swing my arm in order for it to catch all the steps. That is one thing I’ve always struggled with while wearing pedometers. My movements were never exaggerated enough to catch the step. With the Fitbit Flex, it does. Even grocery shopping with my hand on the cart.

However, I did have a junky cart at one point that vibrated terribly while I pushed it. This vibration continued to throw my Fitbit into sleep mode and out of sleep mode. In order to quickly put your Flex in sleep mode, three to four quick taps does the trick. So the vibrations must have been strong enough to replicate the taps.

SLEEP TRACKING

Sleep tracking is beneficial because it shows you how often you get up and how restless you are through the night. I did not realize how much I toss and turn until I tracked my sleep.

Now I make a point to read or find ways to relax before bed. This has helped improve my sleep cycle. When you sleep more at night, you tend to lose more weight. The longer we are awake, the more your adrenaline kicks in, which leads to more hunger, and ultimately more snacking.

One more cool feature regarding sleep with this device is the silent alarm. I love this because if you are hearing impaired or sleep with a cranky partner, you can wake up to start your day without a disturbance to others. All you do is set your alarm through your app, and it will vibrate your wrist when it is time to wake up.

BATTERY LIFE

Because the flex does not have a screen and only flashes when you tap it, the batter lasts quite a long time. It lasted about 5 days without having to charge it. The great thing about long battery life is that you don’t have to worry about charging it all the time. It can also be a bad thing when you don’t think about it all that often because once I went a whole 12 hours before noticing my Flex was actually dead.

CHARGING

It comes with a little USB charger that you can plug into your computer. One problem I ran into was that if my laptop was in sleep mode, it would not charge.

So what I did was use my Iphone charger. The base of the Iphone charger uses USB which allows me to plug my Fitbit charger right into the wall. If completely dead, it’ll usually charge in about two to three hours. Then I’ll be good for another 5 days.

PROS

It tracks basic movement (walking/running/hiking) in steps and mileage. If your goal is set high enough, you will have to do additional walking through your day to achieve your goal which creates exercise (or active minutes).
It helps you understand if you’re sleeping well. This could encourage some to try relaxation techniques, get to bed earlier, or maybe have a sleep study done!
The battery lasts such a long time. It is nothing like having to charge your phone nightly. We all want to avoid charging tons of devices on a daily basis.
It is very small and lightweight. I really like being able to wear it next to my watch so it is out of the way.

CONS

It is a device used for only running, walking, and hiking. Basically tracking the steps. So a lot of my exercises are not counted (weight lifting, stair climber, soccer games).
The flex is the beginner wrist band for the line of wrist trackers for Fitbit. So it only tracks activity, sleep/silent alarm, and active minutes. They have more products that offer more functions, but for their basic wrist tracking model, that’s about all it tracks.

SUMMARY

Overall, this little device has been a great addition to my daily life. I catch myself checking my progress throughout the day, which depending on how far I am from my goal, makes me push harder and stay moving.

If you are looking for a simple, easy-to-use, lower cost option for an activity tracker, the Fitbit Flex may be for you.

I hope this review has been helpful! Please feel free to share this post by using the social media icons below.

Things To Do If Visiting Cuenca, Ecuador

February 3, 2016

We spent the 2015 holiday season (December 19-January 2) in Cuenca, Ecuador! My fiancé’s mother lives there so we knew exactly what we wanted to experience in the 2 weeks we had available.

So if you plan to visit in the near future, here are some things to consider adding to your list of experiences. I’ll also throw in some helpful tips when traveling the area!

*I apologize for the mixture of photo quality! We had phones and a Nikon DSLR to capture many different moments.

MIRADOR DE TURI

This trek is a lengthy 439 stairs straight up to a beautiful view of the city! It is quite breath taking and you can also roam the peak to check out shops or grab a snack.

Your view overlooks the entire city of Cuenca!

If you live in an area where you are at sea level or close to it, your climbing stamina may be hindered. Be sure to stop and rest. There are plenty of benches along the climb to sit and admire the view.

Biblián

Biblián is a small quaint little country town we passed through on the way to Ingapirca. As we were driving to visit the Inca ruins, we stopped at a beautiful cathedral. You will always find cathedrals like this sitting on mountain peaks. The cathedral itself was built out of stone that came from the mountain it sits on.

The inside of this cathedral was absolutely stunning with an alter made of white marble. And as you can see in the photo above, there are many stairs to climb and remember you are at a high altitude. So climb slowly if you live in an area at (or close to) sea level.

INGAPIRCA

These Inca ruins are located in the Cañar Province, Ecuador. This is about a 1-1.5 hour drive outside the city of Cuenca.

This center area is where the Incas would worship and the small rock walls are where the Cañaris and Incas lived. They had quite the community.

This is a very popular area for wild llamas to gather and graze. We got to see a small herd of llamas, but they would not let us get too close. Unlike a future encounter you’ll see shortly!

PARQUE NACIONAL CAJAS

This excursion to the Cajas National Park was by far the most eventful for me on our Ecuador vacation. This photo was taken at the start of a 4 hour hiking trial, and as you can see, the tundras were beautiful and the view (in every direction) belonged on a postcard.

After about 10 minutes of hiking, we found a side trail to a giant boulder overlooking the tundras and small lake. As we stood admiring this amazing view, Eric suddenly dropped to one knee! And OH MY GOODNESS the thoughts that ran through my mind!!!

Thought #1: ” Oh no, his knee (due to soccer injury) must be bothering him! Dang, how am I going to carry him back uphill?”

Thought #2: “Wait a minute, he’s smiling and not saying anything…”

Thought #3: “Okay, I think I know what is happening!!”

And sure enough, Eric asked me to marry him and I couldn’t say “YES!!!” fast enough.

After hugs, kisses, and lots of excitement he says, “Oh yea, I do have a ring too”. I had completely forgotten a ring goes with this moment. When he pulled out the ring it was absolutely perfect. A beautiful blue sapphire engagement ring. I could not believe it and I thought “He knows me so well!”

So of course as a woman, you have a million questions and luckily I had a 3 hours and 50 minutes to get them all in! Questions like:

“Were you planning this the whole time?”

“How long had you known you wanted to do this?”

“Did you always have the Cajas in mind when you were wanting to ask?”

“How long did you have the ring?”

“How in the world did you keep this a secret?”

“Did you tell anyone you were going to do this?”

…And so on and so forth…

And eventually, we got back to our touristy selves and enjoyed our hike!

It seemed like everything went perfectly the rest of the day!

We had a little visitor grazing in our hiking path. It turned out that he just so happened to like people! Or maybe he liked his photo taken… but he posed for quite some time. Not pictured are his dos amigos peludos marrón (two brown furry friends).

Every now and then you would run into very small flowers. It is a different type of weather and scenery compared to Alabama. It looked very desert like, but the weather was fairly cold and is always unpredictable. If you plan to go hike, definitely go in the morning. By the afternoon, the weather becomes unpredictable. My fiancé hiked the Cajas the previous year and by the afternoon, it began hailing. So definitely be sure to hike with the appropriate gear and snacks.

AMAZON RAINFOREST

Arutam Ecotours is the company we used to take us on an Amazon excursion. We stayed in a hotel in Limón and had a very personal tour of the local town and the rainforest. We hiked trails only locals hike and got to experience so many different things.

The colors of all the different insects within the rainforest are so fascinating. The wildlife from insects to birds are so bright!

Shown below is a hummingbird nest (nido de colibrí). I have never known much about hummingbirds, but Ecuador contains hundreds of different species.

This photo is a really neat shot I took of Eric to show how dense the rainforest actually is. He is snapping a shot of the red walking stick shown 2 photos above.

The ancient petroglyphs were so extraordinary to see! You can easily feel with your finger that these petroglyphs were made with a tool of some type. It was a lot of fun to try and decipher the messages carved into rocks all across Limón. These rocks are not protected from weather and they are not in one central location. We came across them often as we hiked around the area.

The plants within the Amazon have the wildest shapes and colors as you can see below.

And of course, being a dietitian, I had to snap a photo of a wild Latin American pineapple growing in a field!

The last afternoon we had in Limón, we had planned to hike to a sacred waterfall and make sugar cane juice with a local. The hike down the side of the mountain was SO steep! It was a true test of physical fitness. I must say, I am so glad we made the trek. The force of the wind and spray coming from the waterfall was exactly what I needed after the intense hike down.

We made a quick stop by the Zamora River which is one the more dangerous rivers around the Amazon in regards to the strong current. Not so much wildlife here due to the Chinese mining this area for gold. We could spot whirlpools as we watched the water race by us.

Shortly after all of our hiking, we were ready to eat! This was a traditional meal made by the Shuar tribe. They prepared a mixture of chicken, white cabbage, and yucca, wrapped it in leaves that look very similar to banana leaves (but they definitely aren’t), and served it. The flavor from cooking this meal in these particular leaves was so savory! I could not believe they didn’t use any herbs or spices. All the flavor came from the leaves.

Pictured below is the community center where we ate our meal. This is where the tribe will gather for many reasons. One of these reasons may be to have an ayahuasca experience. Ayahuasca is a plant the Shuars (along with many different religions and tribes) believe will bring you closer to the “God of nature” and provide you with a spiritual experience. This psychedelic will usually last about 4-8 hours after ingested.

One of the more exciting parts of our Amazon trip was the tubing down the Indanza River! No worries, I made sure there was nothing that would eat/bite/kill us before jumping in.

So this moment was when things were just fine. However, the water was not quite high enough to keep me from flipping over after going through the rocky area. If you’re looking for a good way to panic your fiancé , send your empty tube down a fast paced river in the Amazon!

Sugar cane juice is quite delicious! But so much work to produce. Here you can see Eric and our guide Xavier pushing this giant log as a local man feeds the crank a sugar cane plant. The green bucket is catching all of the juice excreted.

The sugar cane juice was mixed with a little limón, and voila! We have a delicious beverage!

In the background on the fire, you can see the boiling pot of sugar cane juice. The juice being boiled for a 4 hour period provides you with syrup. Luckily we got a jar to go home with us!

HOLIDAY TRAVEL FESTIVITIES

The International Chorale is a national chorus group that happened to come sing at the Catedral Viejo (old catherdral) for a Christmas concert. Everyone sang Christmas carols (in many languages) by candle light. Such a peaceful evening.

Again, look at that magnificent architecture.

A Christmas parade is held in downtown Cuenca every year and can last all morning through the afternoon.

They decorate their cars with garland, candy, alcohol, and of course a roasted pig! This parade is a symbol for the gift of plenty. The roasted pig is a sign of having plenty of food which Ecuadorians celebrate.

Many cultures around the area are celebrated as they dance in the street wearing their cultural attire, or just simply dressed as angels and shepherds.

New Years is definitely quite the event in Ecuador. It is tradition to purchase an effigy of yourself from local vendors (which are on every sidewalk) and at midnight, set it on fire in the street! This is a symbol for burning away the old you to enter a new year with a new you. It was so much fun to see all of the piles in the road going up in flames!

Below is a photo of Eric’s mother (left), me, and then Eric. You’re supposed to choose an effigy that looks like you… Eric however, just enjoyed scaring us with his super creepy effigy.

This is Eric adding his effigy to the fire.

Once we set our effigies on fire, we went back inside to catch the firework show all across Ecuador. Once the clock struck midnight, the BOOMS and CRACKS from fireworks were coming from every direction. These fireworks went off until 6AM the following morning.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is something to consider when visiting Cuenca. If you are in fairly good shape you can walk mostly anywhere. If you do want to have options other than walking, here are some things to keep in mind.

Bus: When taking the bus you MUST have a quarter to ride. The public transportation is cheap and convenient, but you must have change.

Taxi: It is VERY helpful to be able to speak some Spanish when taking a taxi because your driver may know nothing in your native language. You also want to make sure they reset the taxi meter before you start driving. A taxi ride cost wise can be between $1.25-$3.50 depending on how far you go. It was only around $3.50 when we were going to or from the airport. Most rides were $2 or less. Again, you will needs some loose change.

CUENCA (IN THE CITY)

The Architecture is amazing. All of the colors and detail in all of the buildings is breathtaking. This photo below just happens to be a plastic surgery clinic downtown and I thought it was beautiful.

This door is the entrance to the Catedral Nueve (new cathedral). I put the photo of us first so you can judge the size of this door. The colors and detail within these buildings is quite phenomenal.

This door is actually the entrance to these blue domes shown below. The view of the white and blue domes can be seen all over the city. This was a great help when trying to determine exactly where you are while walking downtown.

The Tome Bambo River runs along side of the city. You’ll see locals relaxing under trees nearby or washing some clothing. It is an extremely peaceful spot when trying to move away from the sound of the city’s hustle and bustle.

MERCADO: The mercados are definitely worth stopping and browsing. The mercados that contain all of the fresh fruit, produce, and meat were so interesting to see! Maybe it’s because I am so intrigued by food… But looking around at all of the different types of fruits and vegetables was right up my ally. I can’t believe how many types of foods are out there that we don’t get access to here in the US.

CUISINE

RESTAURANTS: The traditional Ecuadorian meal is quite starchier than I am used to. I will admit I really missed my vegetables. Most of the traditional meals contain a meat, potatoes, rice/beans, and maybe fried plantains.

However, one of my favorite places to eat was Pedir De Boca. If you are visiting Cuenca I highly recommend you stop in for a meal. The cook there is so friendly and makes the most beautiful food.

This soup was actually made my the cook’s mother who is 100 years old! This soup was not on the menu and made for us personally. It was the most amazing avocado soup I have ever had. Presentation is definitely important to this establishment and you see it in every single dish.

I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich (sandwich de jamon y queso). Here is how it came out. Absolutely beautiful and definitely delicious.

SUMMARY

Visiting Ecuador was the trip of a lifetime! I got to experience a whole new culture, become more familiar with a different language, see some of the most beautiful sites in the world, and come home with a fiance.

I hope this post was helpful for you if you plan to be visiting the area in the future. Please feel free to comment or share using the social media icons below!

¡Gracias por leer!

¡Chau!

Another Leg Day Workout!

December 3, 2015

Yesterday was leg day for Kendra and I, and this was our last time using this routine in order to keep the gains coming!

So if you are looking for something to target that booty, those quads, and hamstrings, try this workout!

SQUATS

Here we did multiple types of squats with different amounts of weight. For starters, make sure you have proper form as shown below.

Your resting stance, as you see above, will have feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, and a straight back.

When you squat, create a right angle with your legs and make sure your safety bars are a few inches below your barbell’s lowest point. Be sure to keep your chin up and continue breathing.

Our squat rack routine consisted of:

Squats with an empty bar for 1 set- 15 reps (our goal here was to squat low and move slowly)

Pulsing squats with an empty bar: 1 set- 15 reps (lower slowly to the right angle position, pulse to the half squat position, lower back down to the right angle position, then explode upwards using your heels to get you back to the standing upright position. That is 1 pulsing squat.)

Pulsing squats with 10 pounds added: 3 sets- 15 reps

Next we added more weight and shot for as many well controlled deep squats as possible. We used about 105 pounds and shot for 15 reps. The most important part is not achieving 15 reps, but doing as many up to 15 that are low and well controlled. Four sets were done.

On to the next exercise!

The walking lunge is the booty buster! We love rotating these into our leg days every few months.

You want to take your step forward and as wide of a stride as possible while keeping your balance. Lower your knee right above the floor. Anytime you step onto your front foot, drive with your heel and you will feel that booty doing work!

We shoot for about 12-14 lunges down the walkway at our gym and then back to our start point. That is considered one set.

We did that for 4 sets with a 60 pound barbell. If we haven’t started sweating yet, this REALLY gets the heart rate going. Especially with the barbell on your shoulders.

If you’ve never used a barbell during walking lunges, start with a low weight barbell around 20 pounds. Gradually build yourself up over time.

Next we’ve got sumo squats!

A sumo squat is the same as a regular squat, the only difference is that your toes point outwards making a V shape. This helps you target those inner thighs in addition to quads and hamstrings.

When you lower, still work to achieve that right angle, keep your chin up and keep your back arched.

We used a 45 pound dumbbell, but you can also use a kettle bell. We did 4 sets of 15 reps.

If you want to work those muscles a little harder, you can also grab two platforms (one for each foot) and do your squats on those. That will allow you to drop your dumbbell lower and perform a deeper squat which will work those areas a little more.

And lastly… The trusty ole straight leg deadlift.

This is a great hamstring exercise. Make sure you start by grabbing your bar about shoulder width apart. The goal is not to go as low as you can because your form will start to go.

Your goal is to bend over as far as your body will allow without knees bending and your back rounding out. You want to keep your back flat or even arch it. You will feel that hamstring stretch.

Squeeze those hamstrings as you start to come up.

We did 4 sets of 15 reps. We did not add any weight and used this as sort of a cool down/stretch.

This routine has kept us sore three different times so we’ve really enjoyed doing it. Happy lifting and enjoy this booty busting routine!

Please feel free to share using the social media icons below!

Guilt Free Snacks For a Crunch!

December 2, 2015

When people are dieting, one thing I always hear is how much they miss the crunch during meals or snacks. Sometimes there are desires for a snack with a crunchy texture, but the only way people really fulfill that is through potato chips, rice cakes, and crackers…

Firstly, make sure you are going for that snack because you are truly and physically hungry.

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is this going to nourish my body?”

So here are some of my favorite snacks that I keep around for a crunchy texture when I just can’t make it to the next meal.

APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

Now, I know what most of you are thinking… “Peanut butter is loaded in calories!!”

Yes. It is considered high in fat and containing some protein. Fat is not always a bad thing as you’ll read later on. This is actually what is going to keep this apple digesting more slowly in your gastrointestinal tract which means you’ll feel satisfied until that next meal.

And of course you ALWAYS want to monitor your portions size of any food healthy or not. Even peanut butter. There are great individually packaged serving sized cups of peanut butter on the shelf ready to purchase. If you feel you can’t control your portions directly from the jar, go for the cups.

SWEET PEPPERS AND HUMMUS

For some reason most people associate hummus with pita bread/chips. Yes, this combination is common in the restaurant industry because carbs are cheap! But at home, why not use the veggies?

The small sweet peppers are my favorite with hummus, but you can also use cucumbers, regular bell peppers, and carrot sticks!

ALMONDS AND WALNUTS

These nuts are the most beneficial nuts you could choose when aiming for the most heart healthy option.

As you can see above, the main reasons nuts keep us satisfied is because of their fat content. When eating something high in fat, you want to make sure that fat is going to benefit you (mono-, poly-) and not work against you (sat-).

Saturated Fat:

Increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
Increases your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from animal sources (beef, dairy)

Monounsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduces your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

Polyunsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Improves overall cholesterol levels
Mostly comes from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

One way I way I use almonds and walnuts in my regular snacks is by making a trail mix.

Check out my TRAIL MIX RECIPE HERE to also learn more about the health benefits of nuts!

CELERY

Celery is an amazing food that is so low calorie. A lot of people believe celery is an empty food without a lot of nutrition, but that is not entirely true!

Celery is only about 10 calories for 1 large stalk. It provides roughage for your colon as well as Vitamin C, A, and Folate!

Paired with peanut butter, cheese, or hummus, celery can make a great snack to keep blood sugars stable as well as ward off hunger until meal time.

I hope this has helped you find a way to add crunch back to those snacks! These are some of my favorites that I keep on hand and hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Please feel free to share by using the social media icons below!

Using Adult Coloring Books as the Ultimate Snack Distraction!

November 24, 2015

In case you haven’t heard, adult coloring books are all the rage now-a-days! It is very exciting and we’ll go into why!

I was walking through a bookstore this weekend and immediately entering, I noticed the center display. Of course I had to check it out to see if I could find anything up my alley… and of course I did!

I chose a coloring book on Mandalas called Mandala Meditation Coloring Book (Serene Coloring) used for Buddhist meditation and spiritual healing.

Coloring books are being used for all types of reasons and I wanted to discuss some of the great benefits of using these books.

DIETING DISTRACTION

They are an excellent distraction if you are trying to stay on track with a diet! Especially as we approach the holidays.

Lots of times we are triggered to snack when we aren’t even hungry. Snacking has really become a type of hobby or something to do while watching TV… But next time stop. Before grabbing that quick chip and dip, think for a second… “Am I really hungry? Am I bored?” And if you’re not truly physically hungry, put that food down! Grab that nearby coloring book and get to work. Before you know it, 15 minutes has gone by and you are fully engaged in something other than food.

Current Score: You- 1, Junk Food-0

STRESS RELIEF

As adults, all we do is stress… “Did I pay that bill? Do we have anything for dinner this week? When is my son’s soccer game? Did I remember to fill up my car with gas?”

Sometimes we need to do something simple and mindless, just for fun, to remember life doesn’t always have to be stressful. And what better way to do that than coloring.

It can bring you back to when you were 10 years old, had no worries of GPA, bills, purchasing homes, or going to work on Monday. Only innocent times thinking about what you wanted for Christmas and playing with friends on the playground. A perfect memory to relive when feeling overwhelmed by life’s curve balls.

FAMILY TIME

This is something you can do with your entire family no matter what age. With technology now, kids hardly talk to one another let alone put the Ipad down long enough to tell you how their day went. We use technology all too much to distract kids today. What ever happened to promoting creativity? Hanging up the little one’s artwork?

So why not grab a coloring book and color together as a family. Help each other. Talk about your day. Turn off the gadgets and enjoy each other.

I must say, I’ve truly enjoy going back in time and coloring again. I would highly recommend it for anyone of any age. It’s very exciting to see something so simple become such a hot trend right now. Especially since it has nothing to do with electronics and has everything to do with creativity, stress relief, and family!

Fast and Easy Mexican Scrambled Eggs!

November 16, 2015

Eggs are a great source of lean protein to start your morning, but how do you change up the flavor?

Here are some clean and flavorful ingredients you can add to your eggs if you love that spicy Mexican flare.

INGREDIENTS:

2 organic eggs
1-2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp jalapeno, chopped
dash of cumin
dash of turmeric
dash of pepper
1 tsp organic coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:

First add your coconut oil to your skillet to prevent eggs from sticking to the pan.

Then whip together your eggs, onion, tomato, jalapeno, cumin, turmeric, and pepper.

Pour your egg mixture into your skillet on medium heat and begin scrambling.

Continue scrambling for 5 minutes or until done.

And voila! Now you can start your morning with a great high protein breakfast!

Please feel free to share this recipe by using the social media icons below!

Benefits of Coconut Water

November 6, 2015

Coconut water is one of nature’s most hydrating fluids. This water comes from the inside of a pre-mature coconut before it matures and turns this water into milk.

I always prefer this hydrating water over any sports drink. It is lower in calories, higher in potassium, and of course lower in sugar. Not to mention it is all-natural and does not contain chemicals.

Here is a great side by side of the sport drink VS water:

From an all-natural standpoint, Coconut water provides everything above without the addition of supplements or synthetic ingredients.

There is actually a STUDY that shows that coconut water can be used intravenously for short-term hydration! How much more natural can you get?

Do you think that anyone would be brave enough to attempt that with a sports drink?

Now looking at Gatorade, there is an ingredient list full of man made products. Here is what I pulled from Gatorade’s website. This is the list from their Orange Thirst Quencher.

Ingredients:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6

Then we look at coconut water…

Ingredients:

COCONUT WATER

A lot of people say one of the sole purposes of Gatorade is the addition of the sugar and carbs… which is a great point. You really need the extra carbs during continuous and strenuous activity (i.e. soccer tournament in the heat). Even then, I would recommend high carb snacks with plenty of water and coconut water.

As a person who is nutrition conscious and plays soccer, I see coconut water as a great way to hydrate and prevent cramps.

Why We Enjoy A Hike

October 29, 2015

It was my boyfriend’s 30th birthday and I had planned surprises for him all weekend long. One of our favorite things to do together is enjoy the outdoors.

We are avid hikers and started the Appalachian Trail a few years ago as section hikers, but we haven’t been able to take the time off to go back for our usual fall hike.

So for one of my birthday surprises, I planned a day hike to an area we had not yet visited… and of course packed a picnic!

He had no idea where we were going until he saw me filling up the camel backs full of water. Then the wheels started spinning. “We must be going hiking,” he said. Of course I replied, “Maybe… Or we could be biking… or kayaking…”

The mystery must be kept!

So we pull into the parking lot of the trail head to begin a day hike to a picnic he has no idea is coming.

The hike was down a mountain for 3.3 miles and ended near a pool of trickling water with enormous limestone walls surrounding you. The leaves were changing and the air was crisp. Perfect for a surprise picnic.

While admiring the scenery and realizing how small we were next to the limestone walls, I spotted the perfect rock for the secret picnic.

I laid out the blanket then pulled out some snacks and a bottle of wine. While I filled up the plastic wine glasses we began a game of questions that I put together. Now these questions were not about our relationship or encouraging any serious conversation. They were very fun and light-hearted.

If you want to shut off the phones and TV just to enjoy your significant other, I would recommend going through these questions together. It was a lot of fun to hear the responses and see if his answers would be what I expected.

Questions:

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?
Where would you most like to go on vacation next?
What would you do if you won $10,000 and could not save/invest it?
What is your most embarrassing moment?
What is your favorite movie?
What is something you did as a child that your parents never knew about?
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite season?
What is your favorite restaurant?
What is the craziest dream you’ve ever had?
What do you think is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?
Is there a silly accomplishment you’ve made that you’re secretly really proud of?
If you could trade lives (or jobs) with someone, who (or what) would it be?
What is your favorite time of day and why?
Who is your favorite superhero?
Is there a show that you used to watch as a kid that you would love to see come back?
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
What is your favorite book?
What is one thing almost no one knows about you?
Would you rather go for a hot air balloon ride or bungee jump?
Would you rather give up music or TV for a month?
What are the top three things on your bucket list?
What is your favorite type of food?
What song can always make you dance?
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
If you could choose any career (besides the one you have) right now, what would it be?
A meteor is headed for your house. You have saved your family, pets, and the family photos. You have time for one more item. What will you save?
Which of these do you have the most of: sense of humor, sense of time, sense of adventure, common sense?
If you had $100 you could spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy? What do you think I would buy?
In a regular day, what do you find yourself thinking about the most?
If you could change only one thing in your life, what would that be and why?
What things in your life bring you the greatest pleasure?
What country would you like to visit next that you have not yet visited?

After finishing our questions game and the last of wine in our wine glasses, we headed back up the mountain. The scenery was beautiful, the air was crisp, and the company was wonderful.

I think hiking is one of the best things you can do to relieve stress and remember what it was like when technology didn’t rule us.

Clean air, picturesque scenery, and no interruptions is something that everyone can benefit from, but very few people experience.

So get out there. Especially while the leaves are changing. You won’t regret it.