10 Tips For The Holidays

1 - Eat a Sensible Breakfast. Doing this will help you to not overeat during the day.

2 - Drink Water. Drink a glass of Lemon Water in the morning and then drink a glass every time you "think" you're hungry and before each meal.

3 - Control Your Portions. You can "sample" anything, just make sure to keep it under control. If you fill your plate, take a couple bites then throw your plate away so your not eating just because it's on your plate.

4 - Enjoy Your Food - Really taste the food you're choosing to consume. Make sure you really chew. Let your body process it then take another bite and be done.

5 - Eat Healthy When You're Not At Parties. This should help you to not crave those bad for you foods. The more good clean food you eat the less room there is for the bad.

6 - Don't Keep Leftovers. If you have it in your home or office you'll most likely eat it. If it's not there, then there will be NO temptation.

7 - Split Dinner and Dessert. If you go out to eat then split a meal with someone. It's less expensive and you won't over eat. If you have to order your own, just use self control and only eat half of your meal then have the server come take your plate.

8 - Stay Active. Holidays are the perfect time to get moving with your friends and family. Go look at some lights somewhere and get out and walk. Play football, go ice skating, take your family to your gym and show them the workouts you do. Just try to think of something you can do that will burn calories!

9 - Workout. Make sure you are still working out at least 4-6 days per week.

10 - Sleep. Make sure you're getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep at night.

Stay Motivated! Do whatever you need to do to stay motivated! Look at pictures of your goal, write it on your fridge, keep your home stocked with healthy whole foods, keep a chart of your workouts. Enjoy your holiday company and remember to treat yourself with some respect!

Happy Holidays!

Think Health Not Weight Challenge

I think so many of us tend to think more about how much we weigh or how SMALL of size we wear verses how healthy we really are. How healthy is our body? Are we putting things into our bodies that should NOT be there and are we depriving ourselves of vital nutrients and sleep? If we focus more on our health then automatically we will be slim and fit and feel GREAT. If you truly focus on being healthy then you will make sure you're getting enough fruits and vegetables. You will make sure you're getting enough water. You will make sure you're taking a good multivitamin daily. You will make sure you're getting enough sleep. You will make sure you're feeding yourself, spiritually, intellectually, physically and mentally. Doing all this will ensure a very healthy body, spirit and mind and you will FEEL GREAT!!!

This weeks challenge is to focus on your health! Drink enough! Sleep enough! Eat enough (good food)! Exercise! Feed every aspect of yourself and then see how you feel!

Make it a great weekend:)

Treadmill Mix Up

My workout today is going to go like this...

Warm Up

Run on Treadmill at about 6 mph for 5 Minutes

Jump off Treadmill and do 10 Push Ups

Run on Treadmill at about 6 mph for 5 Minutes

Jump off Treadmill and do 20 Lunges (10 on each side)

Run on Treadmill at about 7 mph for 5 Minutes

Jump off Treadmill and do 10 Push ups

Run on Treadmill at about 8 mph for 5 Minutes

Jump off Treadmill and do 20 Lunges (10 on each side)

Sprint on Treadmill (I usually can do about 10 mph) for as long as you can, Up to 1 Minute

Jump off Treadmill and do 10 push ups

Run on Treadmill at about 8 mph for 5 minutes

Jump off Treadmill and do 20 Lunges (10 on each side)

Sprint on Treadmill for as Long As You Can again, up to 1 Minute

Run on Treadmill at about 6 for 5 minutes

COOL DOWN and STRETCH!

If this workout is too advanced for you then still do it, just don't run as fast. If you are a beginner and just need to walk fast, you'll still get the benefits from this workout. If you need more of a challenge, bump up the speed on your runs and add weights to your lunge exercises. Have fun and remember to ALWAYS Warm Up and Cool Down!

Make it a Great Day:)

Lemon Water Challenge

Unfortunately I was sick all of last week, therefore I did not workout. I feel that you should really listen to your body and if your sick for example or injured, take the appropriate time off that you need in order to allow your body to heal and become healthy. During that time off, don't think it's a vacation as far as food goes. If you're able to eat, make sure you're eating as healthy as you would normally. If you're sick or injured your body will heal quicker if you're eating healthy and getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep at night.

As for this week, my challenge is for you to drink a big glass of lemon water in the morning before you eat your breakfast. Lemons are antibacterial, antiviral, and help boost your immune system. Lemons have been shown to help with acne, fight fatigue, elevate exhaustion, reduce dizziness, help with anxiety and nervousness. They can also help with increasing concentration and alertness. So drink up:)

Make it a great day!

Pistachio Nuts

Pistachios are a great choice if you're needing a healthy little snack. Not only do pistachios provide an ample amount of antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals, these nuts also help lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL). Pistachios have a couple antioxidants that other nuts don't, calledcarotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which act as protective antioxidants. These antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.

A serving of pistachios is about 49 nuts which has 170 calories. Make sure you get the shelled pistachios because you are less likely to over-eat.

Water

Water is the single most critical nutrient. The brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% water and lungs are almost 90% water. Water is crucial in balancing all systems in the body. Lack of hydration in your body can cause your brain to actually shrink which causes slowed thinking and concentration. Dehydration can also impair endurance, decrease strength and cause cramping. Daytime fatigue is most commonly due to dehydration.

Did you know it takes about 3 days to get soda out of your body once it's been consumed. All those toxins floating around your body for 3 days, no thanks! that's reason alone to quit drinking soda. If you don't love the taste of water, you can add lemon or lime wedges or drink it as herbal tea. With the amount of sugar people drink from their sodas and juices, you may not realize your dehydrated. Sugary drinks actually cause greater dehydration. They also create toxic and acidic conditions in the body that interfere with proper health and lead to issues that detract from your physical health and beauty.

Below is a list of some health benefits water has on the body:

- Healthy Skin
- Healthier Teeth and Bones
- Healthier Joints
- Healthier Mind and Body
- Healthier Digestive system
- Reduces Fatigue
- Help With Weight Loss
- Increases Energy
- Helps build Muscle
- Increases Muscle Tone
- Reduces Risk of Disease
- Helps with Circulation
- Helps with the Cooling System in the Body

Foods You Should Never Eat

According to Prevention Magazine, there are that you should never eat because they have so many chemicals and toxins. It's so hard to know what to eat and what not eat now a days. My philosophy has always been, everything in moderation. For the most part I stick to that but when articles like this come out and say to NEVER eat these things, it's hard for me to think that if it really is horrible for us then why would they ever even allow it on our shelves in the first place. What are your thoughts?


5. Milk made with artificial hormones-most dairy farmers use a growth hormone to boost the production of milk in their cows, and it could cause cancer.

4. Non organic potatoes-since they are root vegetables, they absorb pesticides from the soil and once they are picked they are sprayed with chemicals again to keep them from sprouting.

3. Microwave popcorn-chemicals in the lining of the bag might cause infertility issues. Manufacturers have agreed to stop using the chemical, but it won’t be phased out until 2015.

2. Corn-fed beef- grass fed beef is higher in beta carotene, vitamin E, omega 3s, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. And it’s lower in saturated fat.

And the number one food that you shouldn’t be eating is…

1. Canned tomatoes- the lining in tin cans contain a synthetic compound called BPA that’s been linked to reproductive problems, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Make a Goal

If you're just beginning, the first thing you should do is to set a REALISTIC goal for yourself. It can be anything, as long as it's YOUR personal goal. Don't not set a goal because you may have a fear of failure. It's more of a failure if you have no goal. You can do anything you set your mind to. Take charge of yourself. Don't let anyone tell you any different, YOU CAN DO THIS!!! If you have no support at home then we are here to support you in whatever healthy goal you might have.

My goal this week is to wake up before my kidos and get my workout in. What's your goal?


Make it a great weekend! :)

60 Minutes "Flavorists"

The other night we were watching 60 minutes and they had a segment about the people who create the flavors for our foods. Basically it's all synthetic and made so that we as consumers want more and more. They create it in such a way that it becomes addicting. This is just another reason to NOT purchase and consume processed foods. Here is the link if you want to check it out.

Make It Happen!

If you REALLY want it, then you WILL do whatever you need to do to MAKE IT HAPPEN! I know it can be hard to stay motivated and hopefully this blog along with other things will help you stay motivated to live a more healthy and balanced lifestyle. What things are the most MOTIVATING to YOU?

Last week I posted a Jump Start Challenge for my friends and you are more than welcome to follow along. This week the diet part will be about the same, minus the dairy. I'm also taking out the protein powder in my oatmeal in the mornings and replacing it with a little handful of chopped nuts. The diet plan will still be about 5-6 SMALL meals a day spacing them out about 3-4 hours. Drink lots of water. If exercising is too much to do EVERYDAY for beginners then just do every other day until you feel more comfortable.


I did HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) this morning for 12 minutes. I'm use to the HIIT by now so I just make up my own depending on what I feel needs worked.

Mine went like this…

50 seconds high knees
10 seconds rest
50 seconds squat thrust with 10 lb weights in each hand (I hold them on top of my shoulders by my ears with my arms bent)
10 second rest
50 seconds push-ups (I got super tired so when I slowed down I was still holding my plank position. Sometimes I go down to girl push-ups when I get tired but I'm trying to only do boy push-ups)
10 seconds rest
50 seconds mountain climber twist (get in regular mountain climber position but when you bring your knees up, bring knee up to opposite shoulder so you're working more of your obliques)
10 seconds rest
I repeated this 2 more times.

Make it a great day! :)

Iceberg Lettuce

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the company of family and friends. Yesterday was a great day to enjoy fun traditions that mostly revolve around high fat, high calorie food and it's fine to enjoy for a day but let's get back on track and start eating better so we can all FEEL BETTER and have more ENERGY!

I love a good salad. I usually buy mixed organic greens from Costco but once in a while I'll buy just the good old Iceberg lettuce. I always feel like I'm not getting ANY nutrients by eating Iceberg lettuce, when in fact I am. Not as much as if I were to eat leafier greener greens but still I'm getting something:) No matter what kind of veggies you prefer, they are all good in some regard, so eat up!

Most people in general prefer Iceberg lettuce over Romain, Red Tip, Green Leaf, etc… And although Iceberg doesn't have the amount of nutrients as other leafy greens, it's still a great source of vitamin A, K, C, thiamin, B6 and folate. Iceberg lettuce is an excellent source of potassium and manganese and a very good source of iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. It also contains traces of sodium, copper and zinc. Iceberg has a very high water content and is very low in calories. Therefore, is good to use if you are trying to loose weight. The main health benefit comes from the folate in Iceberg lettuce which helps fight heart diseases and stoke.

Make it a great weekend! :)

Thanksgiving

I'm sure everyone is getting excited for their Thanksgiving Feast! Thanksgiving food is actually not all bad for you if you don't add a ton of fat, sugar, salt and consume in moderation. Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Health benefits of Thanksgiving food:

White turkey meat is loaded with B vitamins, is low in fat and high in protein.

Cranberries are full of vitamins A and C, low in calories and high in fiber.

Sweet potatoes have lots of vitamins A and C and are also high in fiber.

Pumpkin is fat-free, high in fiber, lower in calories when it comes to pie and loaded with vitamins A and C.

Carrots are a great source of vitamins A and C and have great fiber.

Broccoli is also high is vitamin A and C, low calories and it's a Super Veggie!

Green beans provide vitamins C and K and are high in fiber.

Green peas are high in vitamin K and fiber.

Day 1 of our Jump Start Challenge

This past week, I had a couple friends wanting my help with getting motivated to jump start their diets and exercise routines. I put together a little schedule for them and told them I would be following it too! If you would like to follow along as well, you're more than welcome. If you need additional help with modifying any part of the routine or eating plan leave a comment, as the comments filter through into my email, I can then reply through the comments or if you prefer into your email if you leave the address:)

*The basic eating plan is to consume food every 2-3 hours, 4 hours at most.
*Make sure your meals and snacks consist of protein, good fat, and complex carbs.
*Eat within the first hour of waking.
*drink a glass of water with every meal, preferably before the meal.
*On this plan we are exercising EVERYDAY in order to JUMP START our bodies and minds into creating new and healthy habits.
*Most importantly make sure you are getting at least 6 hours of sleep at night. Sleep can make you or break you! Make it a priority for yourself:)
*You should also make sure you're taking a good multi vitamin and I always take fish oil and vitamin D3 as well.

Exercise for this week - Exercise EVERYDAY!!! Even if it's just for 4 minutes of high intensity interval training(look it up on my blog) and switch off doing those two workouts I have on the blog.  You have to make sure you do at least 3-4 days of at least 12 minutes of interval training.  If you ever have more time you can always do more.  Make sure you PUSH, PUSH, PUSH yourself during the 20 second intervals.  Act as if every time is your last and really GIVE IT ALL YOU"VE GOT!!!

I know this week is Thanksgiving and don't worry about that day at all...  Eat when you feel hungry and stop when you feel satisfied.  Not FULL just satisfied.  Really focus on your WILL POWER!!!  I know you can do this!!! Here's the eating schedule for this week ;)  Love you all!
If you're a guy then maybe double the amount of everything:)

MEAL 1 - WITHIN AN HOUR OF WAKING
Drink 1 full glass of water
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal with protein powder and berries

MEAL 2 - 3 HOURS AFTER YOUR FIRST MEAL
8 oz water
1/2 cup cottage cheese with fruit of your choice or 2 TBSP hummus with veggies and small fruit of your choice

MEAL 3 - 2-3 HOURS AFTER MEAL 2
8 oz water
Big salad with lean protein (chicken, fish, beans) any veggies you want to put in it and some kind of vinaigrette dressing

MEAL 4 - 2-3 HOURS AFTER MEAL 3
8 oz water
Protein shake. Recipe below.

MEAL 5 - 3 HOURS AFTER MEAL 4
8 oz water
1 Cup of veggies (green beans , cucumbers, carrots, spinach, salad with veggies, any kind of veggie) and a lean protein (chicken, fish, beef sirloin(broiled or grilled))

MEAL 6 - 3 HOURS AFTER MEAL 5 (ONLY IF YOU GET HUNGRY AT NIGHT OR EARLY IN THE MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST!)
8 oz water
Make another protein shake but make this protein shake with just water and protein powder or you could cook eggs(2-3) you can put veggies in your eggs too and you can have a small amount of fruit.


Protein Shake
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 banana
1 TBSP of either freshly ground flax seed or chia seed
1-2 cups of either spinach or kale
about 1/2 cup ice
about 1/2 water or almond milk

Walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of energy and contain health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

Walnuts have important omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lower your bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol levels. They are a great source of antioxidants, which help with preventing cancer, reducing the effects of aging, inflammation and neurological diseases. Walnuts are also a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the skin from free radicals. They are also loaded with B vitamins, and minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.

You only need to consume about 7 walnuts a day to receive all the benefits these amazing nuts have to offer. I like to put mine into my oatmeal in the mornings, on salads or in my protein bars. ;) Below is my recipe for a great breakfast that includes walnuts. Enljoy!

Protein, Walnut Oatmeal

1/2 - 1 cup cooked steel cut oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
handful of walnuts
little handful of dried cranberries
about 1/4 cup almond milk

Pumpkin Waffles

Monday on the Good Morning Utah show I met Janea Devika, who owns a health and wellness company. She was on the show sharing her Pumpkin Waffle recipe and we were lucky enough to enjoy one of her deliciously nutritious waffles. Here is the recipe for you:) You would never know they were healthy! Enjoy!

Whole Pumpkin Waffles

Ingredients:
¼ cup sucanat or honey
3 tbsp. cornstarch
or arrowroot powder
1 ¼ cup spelt flour or whole wheat flour
1 ¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. powdered ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 large organic, free range eggs
1 cup coconut milk, almond milk or rice milk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

4 tbsp. extra virgin organic coconut oil, melted
Directions:
1.) Lightly oil the waffle iron with coconut oil and set it to the desired temperature.
2.) Combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
3.) Separate eggs; yolks go in a medium-sized bowl and whites should be set aside in a smaller bowl.
4.) Add pumpkin, honey (if using), and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.
5.) Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form - about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, set aside.
6.) Pour melted coconut oil into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.
7.) Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and mix them together until combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.
8.) Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.
9.) Once the waffle iron is heated, you're ready to pour the batter. Cook until golden brown. Waffles are usually done when the steam stops pouring out of the waffle maker.
10.) Top with raw chocolate sauce and vegan whipped cream.

Raw Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
½ cup maple syrup (or more to taste)
½ cup raw cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
Directions:
Stir well until smooth. Keep warm to pour like syrup or refrigerate to spread like peanut frosting.

Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
¼ cup ultra gel (also called waxy maize or modified food starch, a corn starch thickener found in with the jam supplies or at the health food store)
1 tbs. vanilla, or almond extract
¼ cup agave OR 1/8 tsp. stevia (to taste)
Directions:
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and whip with a hand mixer until smooth. The ultra gel should set up the coconut milk within 5-10 minutes so it is the consistency of whipped cream. It may be necessary to use additional ultra gel to make the whipped cream thick enough.

12 Minute Workout

This morning I was helping my friend on television with her segment about high intensity interval training. Check out the workout in the link below (12 min workout), try it and let me know what you think:)

12 Minute Workout

4 minute workouts are the new craze and they're working! You've got to try this type of workout for at least one month and then decide if you can see a difference. You may not feel like you're really going to see results because it's not your normal hour at the gym or 30-40 minutes of cardio but if you're really pushing at your max and doing these 4-6 times a week, combined with eating good healthy foods, you will definitely see results! We are all busy and have to really make an effort to create time to workout. You can always make time for 4 minutes! Remember to ALWAYS push yourself to your MAX!

Make it a great day!

Exercise Myths

I came across this list of exercise myths and facts and thought it was worth posting. I hope you all are staying motivated and not letting the holiday foods get to you. Stay strong and remember that you are in control of your body and that everything you put into your mouth is a choice made by you, so make it a good choice. Stop and really thing about what you're about to eat before you even pick it up. Really try to figure out if you are truly hungry. When you do eat, try to really taste the food. Most of the time people are just thirsty but mistake it for hunger. Drink a glass of water then wait ten minutes and decide if you are still truly hungry.

Make it a great weekend:)


Top Ten Exercise Myths

Myth # 1 - Your Cardio machine is counting the calories you're burning.
Fact - Caloric Burning depends on one's age, fitness level, BMI and sex. Different sexes at different fitness levels and BMIs burn calories at different rates.

Myth # 2 - Heart rate monitors will let you know how hard you're working.
Fact - Monitors can falter depending on what kind of exercise you're doing. Your own body is better at telling you how hard you're working. You can measure how intensely you're working out depending on whether you can talk in full sentences, short phrases, or are barely able to muster a few words.

Myth # 3 - Your weight is the end all, be all.
Fact - Your weight has little to do with your fitness level. Muscle weighs more than fat, so it's common to see an increase in weight when perfuming lifting regiments after a few weeks. Measure by seeing how your clothes fit and how you feel overall.

Myth # 5 - Low intensity exercise burns more fat.
Fact - The more intensely you exercise, the higher proportion of carbs you burn. You may burn less fat, but you burn more calories. Your body digs into the fat after it has burned all the carbs.

Myth # 6 - You can spot reduce for tight abs or toned arms.
Fact - The more repetitions you do just creates muscle memory, reducing the effectiveness of the workout and causing your body not to burn as much fat. Working out all body parts will reduce muscle memory and increase calorie burn, which will translate into fat burn.

Myth # 7 - You can eat whatever you want as long as you workout.
Fact - Losing pounds and burning fat happens when you have a caloric deficit. However, intense caloric deficit works the opposite. Muscles need to feed, so your food intake should consist of a balance of fats, proteins and carbs.

Myth # 8 - Cardio is the only way to lose weight.
Fact - Cardio is good for the heart and increases endurance, but is not the best way to burn fat. Since muscles have higher energy stores in them, the body will actually begin to feed off those after extended card regimens, rather than fat. 10-25 minutes of card is the best range in which your heart and endurance get what they need, while still not running into the zone of your body feeding off it's muscle.

Myth # 9 - You have to do card in the morning on an empty stomach in order to burn fat.
Fact - Our body's metabolism is at it's lowest in the morning because you haven't eaten for 8 hours. Eat a balanced breakfast and you will be able to exercise longer and your body's metabolism will already be working.

Myth # 10 - Drinking ice cold water burns fat.
Fact - There are no proven facts that the cold water will shock your system and force it to keep it warm, causing your metabolism to increase and burn fat. However, drinking room temperature water will have the exact same effects.