Workout Week #16

Ginger's Cafe, Turkey Avocado Sandwich 

Sooo last week wasn't SUPER productive. But all in all I feel pretty proud of myself for doing the WHOLE p90x Yoga workout!! It's an hour and a half long.  And it will KICK YOUR BUTT!  And even more when you're giving it your all the whole time!  Which is what I try to do with yoga.  I'm no where perfect at yoga but I always try to work on my technique.  And if you're doing that, then you're always improving!  

The reason I slacked towards the end of the week was because my sister came in town to visit.  We had a blast.  Friday night we got a bite to eat at one of my favorite little (vegan and non-vegan options) Cafe in our little town which is SOOO freaken rad because our town is so small.  I ordered half turkey/avocado sandwich and half spicy chicken salad.  The salad was absolutely delicious: spicy chicken, spiced cashews, mango and pineapple chunks on a bed of greens with curry cilantro dressing. The best part was the dressing.  Absolutely divine!  Afterwards, we headed to Nickel City Arcade.  They just opened a new one close to us, maybe 10 minutes away.  It's a lot bigger than the other one we're use to going to.  And there was hardly anyone there.  It was rad!  We got enough tickets to buy about 10 lollipops :)  Saturday We went to see World War Z.  Great action-packed movie!  I wouldn't mind seeing it again!  We had a great weekend with my sister visiting!  It was just what I needed.

Last Week's Workouts:

Monday: Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30, Workout 4 then Workout 3
Tuesday: P90X Yoga
Wednesday: Nada
Thursday: Bob Harper's Power Yoga
Friday: Nada
Saturday Nada

RED= Mostly Strength workout
BLUE= Purely Cardio

My Word of Focus: BALANCE

Kimberly Snyder  CN and Yogi.  My inspiration.

Can you believe in less than a week we will be halfway through the year!!!!  I cannot believe time has flown by so fast!  I like to make goals but I don't get caught up on keeping the same goals all year round.  I'm constantly tweaking my goals to better fit me.  Or I realize that that particular goal just isn't important to me as other goals and therefore remove it. Because If I could make a long list of goals, I would.  BUT it's impossible to achieve a long list of goals.  So I try to keep it practical which is still hard to do sometimes because I still get ahead of myself.

Not only have I been focusing on goals of late but also MY WORD OF FOCUS.  I listened to this podcast from a lady that had a WORD that she wanted to focus on throughout the year.  Her word is "QUALITY."  Fantastic word right?!? Her goal was to have quality in everything she consumed and did for her self.  She was going to eat quality food, not processed junk.  She was going to work hard at the gym and do quality workout sessions to get the best out of it.

So I started to think....What could be my WORD OF FOCUS this year.  Six months later and it finally hit me.  My word is "BALANCE."  I have a really hard time balancing life.  I'm always leaning one way or the other.  I have this "All or Nothing" mentality sometimes.  I need to balance my thoughts better.  I need to balance my time.  I need to balance my secular life and spiritual life.  It's all about balance.  I know that if I focus on balancing out my life more, I won't be obsessing over the things that don't matter in the end.  It's almost like hitting that RESTART BUTTON of coming to realize again what I want in this life and what's really important.

Guest Post: David Martin's Journey

I've been wanting to have my brother, David, guest post on my blog for a while now.  He's incredible with his fitness.  Every time I see him I ask him, "What the heck do you do?" He always looks in shape.  I swear he grows NEW muscles each time I see him.  David motivates me to continue working on my fitness level because I know he's working on his.  But I gotta say this as well.  He eats WHATEVER HE WANTS!!! I know ladies...I know.  Drives ya crazy huh?  David is a part of that cult.  He eats what he wants but he's still able to keep his shape.  But I know he still keeps himself in check.  I know David hopes to run a marathon some day---He tried to convince me to do it with me and I said H-to the-ELL to the NO!  So if there's a marathon runner wanna-be out there that would be David's running buddy.  Let me know!  David, Take it AWAY:
                                                                                                                                                                   

Background (Diet & Exercise):

A few of the diets I've gone through in my life time have been all around, up and down.  I've done everything from making those protein shakes, eating foods with tons of protein to NOW making my own food/meals at home so I know exactly what I'm throwing in my body and drinking nothing but water.  I am also trying to grasp a bit of each part of the food pyramid on a day to day basis.  I don't know if it's with age that has made this change in my eating habits, but I just feel better all around.  Besides, I enjoy in the fact that all of the energy that my body uses to burn fat or gets me through the day is completely natural and NOT from caffeine or those energy drinks that people say are "good" for you.  Something else that I try to do every time I go out to the grocery store to stock up on food is do my research.  E.g. - Buying whole foods where there is no in between "touch up" which makes it processed foods - yuck!  So that is something that I am striving more and more on implementing each day with my diet.  Growing up, luckily I was taught pretty early on how to eat correctly and being adventurous when exploring new tastes.  

What Motivates you?

A few motives came from what I would see happen to other people when not eating right or taking care of their body.  So I figured I'd learn from their mistakes while I'm young now so I can avoid those health issues in the future.  I've also been motivated by the other half - those that have been successful in their lifetime when it came to treating yourself right and taking care of yourself.  Tony Horton from P90X was a good instructor/example on how to not only exercise well, but also eat well.  I learned from him that there is a WRONG way to exercise and then the RIGHT way to exercise.  So all in all, being prepared for the future is what helps motivate me most.

What a Typical Week Looks Like for You?

Usually a typical week for me would involve running, gym and home cardio.  I try to switch it up so I'm not just strengthening one muscle in my body.  The human body is capable of doing a lot of things when put to the test.  I love being able to do all the things when it comes to exercising or performing any physical activity.  If I just focused on running everyday, then I may be able to run well, but how would I be prepared for any activities that require lifting, pushing or throwing heavy objects?  So I usually try to switch it up so I am able to be more useful.  So I usually run 3 times a week, gym 2-3 times a week, and home cardio 5 times a week.  And usually with any form of exercising, I'm not one to set personal time records or see who can do the most reps.  Rather, I focus more on the actual routine itself and if I'm exercising at a right pace.  I'd rather do 40 FULL push-ups than 80 half push-ups.  I do that so I don't hurt myself.

Healthy Meals You'd Like to Share:

I don't have any links to what I usually eat, probably because I'm a guy haha.  But I like to throw together meals that are a mix of more than just one food item.  Something I really enjoy cooking is some chicken with a can of spicy tomatoes and letting them simmer in a crock pot to moisten the chicken with that yummy tomato flavor.  Then once I've done that, I usually shred up the chicken along with the tomatoes and use it as burrito filling.  And like I said before, I try to eat a little bit of everything from the food pyramid on a day to day basis.

Health Tips You Swear By:

A few health tips I swear by would have to be drinking lots of water everyday.  Not only is it good for you, but it helps with your digestive needs.   

Workout Week #15

We had quite the eventful weekend!  We hiked close to the house.  Blake hasn't hiked it with me on this trail yet so it was a blast to show him my favorite parts of the hike.  We went in about 1.5 hour deep.  We ended in this huge meadow!  I should've brought my phone with me to take a picture because it truly was beautiful.  There was this one area where I wanted to climb some rocks just to get a higher look of the valley and I slid and scraped my leg----------------------->exhibit A.  It looks so teeny.  But it hurt and I feel Bad A.  We Also headed up north towards Salt Lake to see SUPERMAN in IMAX theater!  Okay seriously, that movie was made for IMAX.  The sound was so loud I thought it was going to make my chest explode.  Ah!  It was awesome!  Is it better than Batman?  No but it's still pretty amazing!  Right from the beginning it's filled with action, to the very end.  After the movie Blake and I went to one of our favorite Mexican Restaurants called Su CASA.  It's delicious.  Just plain authentic mexican food.  And they are so fast too.  We get our food within 5 minutes, sometimes less.


Last Week's Workouts:

Monday: Jillian Michael's Hard Body Level 2
Tuesday: Bob Harper's Total Body Transformation
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Jillian Michaels Hard Body Level 1 +
1 hour walk, outside
Friday: REST
Saturday: 3 hour hike 

RED= Mostly Strength workout
BLUE= Purely Cardio

Making Your Salads More Colorful!

Mostly I eat salads to help just get some roughage into my diet..You know for Fiber and all that stuff!

I prefer cooked/baked/steamed vegetables! YUMM!

BUT when I do put together a salad I go for TEXTURE and COLOR!

In Salads I love to Add:
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Broccoli Sprouts, Cilantro, Shredded Carrots, Apples, Purple Cabbage, Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, spinach, Avocado, Hemp Seeds (Great for Protein),  Sweet Potato, and for Meat: I love Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken or Chopped up Homemade Turkey Burgers.

Here's another Salad I made:

In this salad I have:

Cabbage, Shredded carrots, Cilantro, Cauliflower, Leftover Pecan Crusted /Mustard Chicken, 1/2 Diced Apple, Salad Dressing:  Paul Newman's Olive Oil & Vinegar

My Favorite Store-Brand Facial Cleanser: CeraVe

So I like to experiment with different Facial cleansers and Beauty products and I came across this product in Wal-mart.  CeraVe is a wonderful product.  It's more affordable than most high-end cleansers and it gets the job done, if not better.  It's really great for sensitive skin.  It leaves my skin really soft afterwards.  It doesn't feel like it's taking away my natural oils.  I always feel refreshed after I wash my face.  It also removes make-up.  So you don't have to scrub your face twice.  I'm really in love with this product!  Give it a try!

Here's a link if you would like to read more about this product, CeraVe

Most Recent Tried and LOVED Dessert Recipes

I love experimenting with homemade treats.  I like knowing what's going into my body.  Plus I trust simple, understandable ingredients.  Hence, why I prefer to make my food.  It takes more time but in the end it's FUN and REWARDING!  Here's some of the most recent desserts that I've tried from sources online.  

Cake Batter Ice Cream, Chocolate Covered Katie
I just simply made mine into a milkshake!
It reminds me of Cake Batter Ice Cream from Coldstone.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream, Detoxinista
If you're trying to avoid dairy, this is a WONDERFUL alternative!
It makes quite a bit so you can share with a friend, family member or spouse :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake, Detoxinista 

This is my most recent discovery.  I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

There's simply nothing better!  

Can you tell I LOVE Ice Cream?!?

Workout Week # 14

So a couple weeks ago my husband and I went on a little adventure into the woods up in Provo.  We went on a 1 1/2 hour hike, had some lunch, then headed back.  We had a blast.  The weather was perfect.  I've always loved hiking.  Normally I just hike the Y (atop of a mountain, Insignia of BYU) which is made up of switchbacks.  I personally love the challenge but I do like to do other types of hikes as well.  I recently discovered this trail close to the house that I can walk to.  It's AMAZING.  I love being outside.  There's something very sacred about being out in the sun with nature.  I feel rejuvenated and at peace when I spend more time hiking whether with friends or by myself.  Lately I've been hiking this trail by myself (while my husband is at work) to listen to health podcasts.  It's super relaxing for me and I don't feel like I'm working out.  I could walk for hours!  The trail keeps going on and on.  Each time I've gone a little further.  I wonder where the trail ends?!?


Last Week's Workouts:

Monday: Jillian Michael's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism
Tuesday: Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones 
Wednesday: Jillian Michael's Hard Body, Level 2 (only 25 minutes) + 90 minute hike
Thursday: REST
Friday: REST
Saturday: 80 minute hike
Sunday: REST

RED= Mostly Strength workout
BLUE= Purely Cardio

How to Ease Constipation

Constipation is NEVER a good thing.  You want to be REGULAR EVERYDAY!

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.  If you're not going every day.  Then you need to make some changes to your diet routine.  I feel like crap (no pun intended) when I'm not going every day.  Who wants to carry around that extra weight...NOT ME!  

These are some ideas that have been very beneficial to me in keeping me regular and honestly more energized.  Because if you're body is working on digesting your foods 24-7, it will be taking away from your own-personal energy and it will show on your face, skin etc.  It's important to help your digestion so your body can spend more time detoxifying rather than spending more time breaking down unfamiliar foods!

• Eat more Greens
• Eat more Veggies
• Start every day with a smoothie, try this recipe: Glowing Green Smoothie
• Take a magnesium supplement
• Exercise
• Eat less sugar, dairy, grains, processed foods, meat (these foods are harder for your body to digest)
• Drink more Water
• Avoid soda
• Avoid eating too late, this allows your body to digest your food early so that it's ready to deposit the next day :)

Trying Something New: Broccoli Sprouts

One of my favorite things to do at the Grocery store is to look around the veggie/fruit section and try some new things!  Its great to get variety into your diet.  Plus I tend to get bored with the same thing every week.  So I spice it up with a new kind of fruit or veggie.

Today I decided to pick up some Broccoli sprouts at the grocery store.  I've never tried them before. I read about them from Kimberly Snyder, CN.  Broccoli sprouts pack wonderful enzymes to help break down your food and they also have protective benefits against carcinogens (toxins, free radicals).  They're great on salads or add to a green smoothie.  I think next time I'll pick up some Alfalfa Sprouts.  They have so many wonderful benefits as well (high in antioxidants and may prevent menopausal symptoms).

She's been my inspiration of late.  She inspires me to eat more veggies throughout my day.  You can read more about what she says on Sprouts/Microgreens HERE.