Thursday, August 30, 2012

What is paleo?

I have had several people ask me for more information on what paleolithic (paleo) eating is all about. I have decided to break the info down into a few different posts that will hopefully help those who are curious to understand a little bit more about this way of life, and why I do what I do. Today, I simply want to explain to you what the paleo method of eating is...opinion free. (Don't worry, that will come later.)

First things first. The term paleolithic refers to a way of eating which is also frequently called the caveman diet, primal eating, the hunter-gatherer diet, or as I refer to it paleo. This is pronounced Pay-lee-oh.

Very shortly put, it refers to a way of eating that in a sense, takes the dinner table back in time. If you think of the way a caveman ate, you would picture fresh produce, fresh meats, nuts, and whatever else they could find. I doubt there was a vending machine with pop-tarts and crumb donuts...just saying. Our food choices have become insanely inundated with processed foods, LARGE amounts of sugar, and all sorts of other additives and chemicals that we may not even be able to pronounce. Many have studied and believe that it is all of the additives that have causes such weight issues in our society. Is it possible that our bodies don't know how to process these ingredients that are more chemical-like, and less food-like? Do me a favor and look at some of the food labels of the items in your pantry. Chances are a few of them have words that you can't define, recognize, or maybe even pronounce.

Paleo eating focuses more on including whole, healthful foods that are full of awesome nutrients, and getting rid of processed items entirely. The bulk of this method of eating consists of high quality meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots, and healthy fats. It eliminates grains, legumes, refined sugars, and processed oils. Depending on the individual, some exclude dairy entirely as well. Others will include high fat dairy items sparingly. HERE is a more detailed list of foods you can eat if you are interested.
Some hear the composition of the diet and argue that it is just another "low-carb" diet like the Atkins craze. The difference here is that most who engage in this diet eat a plethora of fruits and vegetables which are foods almost entirely made up of carbohydrates. Because fruits and vegetables are lower in calories, this method of eating happens to result in a lower carbohydrate diet. It isn't necessarily that this is the focus, it is just the result of food choices. Many people also think that this diet is lower in carbohydrates because they are comparing it to their vending machine diet that is comprised mainly of Doritos and Skittles. Yeah, I guess if that is your comparison it is quite a bit lower in carbs. 

There you have it...there is the WHAT. More to come. I'd love your questions, so throw them at me if you have them! 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

For Now :)

I am working on some posts about the paleo lifestyle that some of you have been requesting. All of that typing is taking quite a while...so in the mean time, please enjoy a few of my favorite health related...hilarious...pinterest finds. Maybe you can relate?

 People are funny. Oh, and you can follow my pinterest boards HERE.

Monday, August 27, 2012

New Week, New Motivation, New Winner!


Happy Monday! Sometimes Monday can come at us with the dread of a new week...and sometimes Monday can come at us with a drive for some new motivation. My challenge to you today is to find your Monday motivation. Start fresh! Clean up your diet! Map out your exercise goals for the week! Start now to make your week a great one!

And of course, it's time to announce the winner of August Anthems Mix Giveaway it is....SB Peace! She said...
Congrats! Email me at megolina21 at gmail.com and I'll get your tunes to you!
I hope your Monday is fabulous! xoxoxo

Friday, August 24, 2012

Sore Legs are Happy Legs: A Killer Circuit Workout!

I LOVED my workout yesterday. I usually like my workouts, but for some reason I really LOVED yesterday's. It was challenging and it went by really quickly! I was sweating like crazy, and I am now super sore, which is not the norm for me. It felt great! It went a little something like this...
Alternate through the first three sets three times, and then finish with the fourth set of core work. The pull ups can be done on an assisted pull up machine, or can be replaced with bent over rows if you are doing this workout at home! I used a 25 lb dumbbell for my clean to press, but you can use whatever weight works for you!
Happy Sweating! 
Don't forget, there is only a few more days to enter the August Anthems Mix Giveaway!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Banana Chocolate Chip Paleo Cookies

Weird to see Paleo and cookies in the same sentence, right? I know. BUT, believe it...it's the truth. I have been searching for a fun paleo treat to try out that sounded tasty, and when I found one with banana and chocolate in the same sentence I was totally sold. I found this recipe on Multiply Delicious, and I LOVE it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Paleo Cookies 
recipe adapted from Multiply Delicious

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas mashed
2 TBS almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup almond meal/almond flour (I used the Bob's Red Mill Brand)
1/4 cup of Enjoy Life chocolate chips 

Directions: 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together bananas, almond butter, and vanilla. Add in baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and almond flour. Combine in chocolate chips. You could also add any dried fruit or nuts to these cookies and I think it would taste great! Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 13 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet when you remove from the oven and then complete cooling on a baking rack.
These cookies are light and fluffy. They were delicious straight out of the oven, and I LOVE that there was not a drop of added sugar. I am definitely considering concocting a pumpkin version when my fall time pumpkin obsession rolls in...and it always does. My batch made 18 cookies. I froze a bunch of them and then kept the rest in a sealed container...and then I ate one for breakfast this morning. Hey, 5 AM called early, and I wanted to get my metabolism going. ;) 
Here are the stats...

I had a non-paleo, sweet eating, person try one for me and he actually claimed they were tasty. Who knows, he could have been trying to make me feel good, BUT I really liked them. I also had my gluten-free friend dive in and she thought they were delicious. Try them! I think you'll like them too!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

It is HARVEST TIME! Don't forget to buy local!

Remember last year when I RAVED about our local farmers market? Well, my preaching is back. Now is the time when most farmers markets are FLOURISHING with goodness, and you most certainly should take advantage of it!
When you buy local you are buying fresh, high quality, produce and you are supporting your local economy at the same time. Plus, let's be honest, it just tastes better!
In almost every case you will find that the produce is less expensive, and there will be amazing varieties of different types of produce you can try. You may even develop a new taste for something you haven't ever had before. 

If you aren't sure where there is a local farmers market close to you, I can fix that! Go to Local Harvest  and you will be able to enter in your location. It will bring up all of the closest farmers markets to your area. My search looked like this...

You can also search for farms, meat processers, wholesalers, and grocery co/ops, and restaurants, prettty neat-o if you ask me! SO, go local! Try out your nearest farmers market. They are so much fun, and full of fantastic finds! 

Also...don't forget to enter the August Anthem's Mix Giveaway if you haven't yet! 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

August Anthems Mix Giveaway!

August seems to be passing by just as quickly as the rest of the summer has. I even saw a few flashes of orange in the trees while up in the canyon today. I can't believe it! I guess we should celebrate the culmination of summer with some good tunes, right? It's time for this month's mix giveaway!
I had to start the mix off with the song that helped us all fall in love with the US women's gymnastic team...ahhh...I miss the olympics already! The rest of the songs are fun and fabulous as well!

Home - Phillip Phillips
Express Yourself - Labrinth
30 Days - The Saturdays
Let's Go feat. Ne-Yo - Calvin Harris
This is Love feat. Eva Simons - Will.i.am
Turn up the Music - Chris Brown
We are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
Excuses - The Morning Benders
Tongue Tied - Group Love
"45" - The Gaslight Anthem
Settle Down - No Doubt
Creep Remix - Kanye West
Carried Away - Passion PIt
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
Hello feat. The Dragonettes - Martin Solveig
Good Time feat. Carly Rae Jepson - Owl City
Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn
Hazy feat. William Fitzsimmons - Rosi Golan

To enter to win this mix, you know the drill...
1) Become a follower and leave a comment letting me know that you are one!
2) For an additional entry...leave a separate comment telling me your favorite olympic moment!
3) For more additional entries...tweet about the giveaway, blog about it, pin it, etc. and leave a separate comment telling me you did so!

Good Luck! The contest will end Sunday July 26th at midnight! The winner will be announced on Monday the 27th.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Treadmill Sprint Circuit

I love a good circuit workout. I think I've made that pretty clear. One of my favorite circuit workouts is really simple, and definitely works up a great sweat. All you need is a treadmill and some dumbbells. It goes like this.
I use twenty pound dumbbells when I do this workout, but you can use whatever gives you a good workout! The three exercises go as follows:

Squat with an overhead press: Start with your dumbbells by your sides, squat down and return to standing, pressing your DB's all the way up over your head. Repeat.
Alternating lunges with a bicep curl: Start standing with your dumbbells by your sides, lunge backward and step together while curling to the front. Repeat on the other leg, curling to the front again.
Squats with a bent over row: Squat down with your dumbbells by your sides, return to standing and flatten your back out with a slight bend in your knees. Row your elbows back as if to touch them behind you. Be sure to keep your core/abs very tight to support your lower back.
Happy Sweating! 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

A Laugh for Thursday

I love to laugh. I think laughter is a big part of health. Take a second...let these make you laugh.
Funny stuff I tell you. Funny stuff. I hope you burned some calories laughing like I did.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Let's Talk Eating Habits

One of the most difficult things about working out is food. People would love to think that they can separate the two, but unfortunately it just isn't possible. I've said it once, I'll say it again...(as will the million other people who have said it)...YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. True, there are some people who can get away with eating whatever they want and working out occasionally, and sometimes never. BUT, understand that these people are the minority. My motto of the day?
I have worked with people in the past that think that they can eat whatever they want all day long, and by coming into the gym they will look like a million bucks. If only, right? The problem is, it can take a LOT of sweat and effort to burn a good 500-1000 calories, and it can take about 5 to ten minutes (and scarily sometimes even less time) to consume that same amount. Sabotage anyone?

This is the first thing that I try to drill into the heads of those that I work with. The food you eat will make up about 80 percent of the results you'll get, and your workouts are about 20 percent. So, with my clients, before we even start working out...I make sure they know if you want to see results from the ten million squats, hundreds of sprints, and hours of planks that you're doing...be sure that what you are eating smart. Eat clean. Watch your portions. CUT OUT SUGAR. AND for heavens sake stop eating so much sugar! Be consistent with your actions. Doing things for a week isn't going to do much for you...keep up your efforts for several weeks! If you need some more tips read 10 weight loss tips that work and 10 that just won't.

Bottom line: Make your efforts in the kitchen more than just lifting a fork up and down...kapeesh?

Monday, August 13, 2012

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Farewell to the Olympics!

I don't know about you, but I'm a little bit sad the Olympics are over! I had so much fun watching all of these amazing athletes doing incredible things!
Some of my favorite highlights...
- The women's gymnastics team taking the GOLD in the all around
- Watching the US women's volleyball team kill it for the their 3rd olympic gold
- Watching Usain Bolt. UnREAL.
- Michael Phelps taking home his 22nd medal.
- Shalane Flannagan (2:25:51) and Kara Goucher (2:26:07)taking 10th and 11th in the womens olympic marathon. I can't even comprehend those times. 
- Watching the womens 4x100 relay...new record for the US and a new world record.
and on and on and on...
There are endless stories of triumph, defeat, an amazing effort that just give me the chills! I am absolutely amazed that people can continue to become better and better and better in every sport. Records are continually broken. The limits of the human body are pushed further and further. It should be a reminder to all of us that we are capable of so much more than we think we are. Don't give up on your goals, on your dreams, and on the things that may seem somewhat hard at times. Push yourself to be your best self. Push yourself to do things that may seem hard. There is such an amazing feeling that comes from accomplishing things that are difficult, and quite often you will end up realizing that you are capable of much more than you give yourself credit for.

Oh, and just as amazing as the athletes...the parents of the athletes.
If you haven't watched the video of Aly Raisman's parents watching her routine...click HERE and scroll to the bottom. It is AWESOME.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that I loved being a part of the olympics?
I came home to this gem posted on a reminder for my neighborhood about a party that was going on. I'm guessing this is as close as I'll get to olympic greatness, so I'll take it.
What were your favorite olympic moments? Do you feel as inspired as I do to push yourself a little bit harder to achieve your goals??

Thursday, August 9, 2012

I Forgot to Tell You...

So, there are a few things I forgot to mention from my AZ trip

1) Eat at Sauce. 
I think this makes like the 20,000th eating recommendation I have for Arizona. How about if you are ever planning on going there, consult with me first, K? Anyways, back to Sauce. Ever heard of it? My sister LOVES it, and for whatever reason in all of my Arizona visits I have never been there. Well, we took care of that. OHHHH. It's so good. We may or may not have eaten there for lunch two days in a row....annnnd I may or may not have eaten the same thing both times.
The Turkey Avocado Feta salad is BOMB. Just looking at this photo makes me hungry.

2) Driving in the car is not that fun.
Although Papa Les is a good time, Spending about 22 hours in a car within a period of three days is not what I'd consider the best form of exercises. You should avoid doing that.
The view may be pretty...but...still.

3) iPhones are essential for road trips. 
Well, they are essential for life too, but for road trips especially. Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, Instagram, Twitter, surfing the web, texting, and my music library saved me. Thank you to all of you who participated in making life better for me :)

4) The olympics are still awesome
We spent a lot of evenings watching the olympics and I have decided that I'll take the body of a sprinter, thank you. WOW. They are unreal. I love when they show snippets of their training procedures and what their regimens are. They really really do work SO hard. I am sad that the games are drawing to a close because I have loved watching them so much!

5) My family is the best.
I love them so much, and it has been so fun to spend so much time with them!
Ok...so maybe I've mentioned that like 5,000 times...but it's still true!

Monday, August 6, 2012

A Simple Jump Rope Dumbbell Circuit

Sometimes being home in AZ really is just the best. I woke up this morning and laid in bed, which is SUCH a luxury to me. Usually the moment my alarm goes off I have to sprint out of bed to get to work in the wee hours of the morning. Not today. I stayed there for a bit...read for a bit...played on my phone...and then decided to get up and get my work out on.

This morning's workout was simple. All I needed were these two things.
The workout went a little something like this...
I used 15 lb dumbbells, but you can increase or decrease weight to make it more difficult. The key is to go from one exercise to the next without resting too much in between. This is an awesome full body workout that requires very little equipment, which makes it so you can do it anywhere!
Today's post-workout activities consisted of shopping, shopping, and more shopping. We did a number on the Fashion Square mall. 
Maybe I should say that mall did a number on us...It is so massive, and we were so tired after. So tired that we decided that we needed to do some post-shopping refueling. Naturally, we decided to stop by Yogurtland.
 So tasty. I think it tasted especially good because it is 111 degrees here. Let's be honest, it always tastes good!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Summer is ending...isn't it...?

UGH. I know that saying, "all good things must come to an end," but that doesn't mean I have to like it. There are a few things that always let me know really quickly that summer is over.

1. The first thing that always reminds me that my favorite time of year is over is that everyone leaves me.
It has become a trend for my family members to venture to Utah for the summer to enjoy some down time, and although it is always CRAZY when they are here, I love it.
We work out together. We swim together. We craft together. We eat together. We laugh together...and somewhere in between all of that I fit in sleeping, working, and a social life. We go a million miles a minute, and I love it.  Then, all of the sudden everyone leaves...and it always makes me sad! I had to say goodbye to the last of the visitors yesterday.
 And so instead of dealing with the realization that everyone is gone, I hopped in the car with these fine individuals and ventured to Arizona for a few days... :)
 My dad insists on stopping at the Cracker Barrel every time we drive through Flagstaff. Oh, the Cracker Barrel...

2. The second thing that always reminds me that summer is ending is quite a bit happier, and makes dealing with the blow a little easier. FRESH PEACHES! Oh my gosh I forgot how much I love fresh Utah peaches.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Fresh produce is the best thing ever. If you want your family to learn to love healthy fruits and vegetables, stop feeding them canned stuff, and give them the GOODS! There is nothing better than the fresh and delicious taste of fresh produce. FRESH PEACHES people. I'm telling you. They are worth coming to Utah for. My mom bought a whole box to bring back with her to Arizona. They are that good.

I'm still sad that summer is ending. Hearing everyone talking about going back to school is so crazy to me. When did time start flying by so dang quickly?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Bananarama! Snack time!

A lot of people have asked me what I eat as far as snacks are concerned with my paleo eating. Here is a list of some of my favorites...
- frozen banana chunks (they are like lil' popsicles to me)
So simple. So tasty. 
- Natural turkey jerky from Costco
- Almonds (My favorites are raw almonds, and the cocoa roasted almonds)
- Produce (baby carrots, berries, apples, cherries, cherry tomatoes, all other veggies)
Sorry for the blurry photo...but this is a pic of the beautiful tomatoes a client brought me yesterday from her garden. Garden tomatoes = heaven. I drizzled a little balsalmic on them and was happy as can be! 
- Larabars
- Roasted Veggies (I know I already said veggies, but I usually make a huge batch of THESE roasted veggies and eat them all week.) 
- Rotisserie Chicken 
-Eggs 

Pretty simple. My meals and my snacks are all kind of the same it seems. I am a total snacker by nature, so it is always important for me to be prepared. I used to be a reach the hand in the cereal box/dip my finger in the jar of PB kind of girl, but that is no longer the case. The biggest thing for me is having fresh produce on hand, so I always have a good option to go to if I need a snack! Don't forget that snacking calories count too, and a LOT of people think they are eating healthy, but fail to remember the excess four or five hundred calories that have crept in their day by way of extra handfulls here and there. 

What is your favorite go-to healthy snack? Have you ever tried frozen bananas? You should...they are sooooo good! 

Friday, August 3, 2012

Hikes, Babes, and Polka Dots.

1) Hikes. 
I worked out with one of my AWESOME clients yesterday morning, and we did a high intensity circuit workout that made my legs burn real good...yet, for some reason on my drive home from work I was REALLY itching to hike the Y. It is a great little hike if you are looking for something to completely burn your legs and your lungs all at once. It is one mile to the top, and the incline is insane.
 I decided to go for it. The view from the top is SO pretty! My legs were already tired from my workout with Tycee, and the hike was like the basketball sized cherry on top. A little part of me wanted to try and run it, but I decided against it with my foot still not being %100. I made it up in 20:35 and back down in 13:12. A solid half hour of cardio for the day!
2) Babes: 
For lunch I met up with two of my favorite friends, Janae and Ashley. I think we laughed for like two hours straight. We talked about just about everything under the sun, and we could have kept going. Isn't Janae just the darlingest little preggers you've ever seen? She still runs like 8-10 daily and she is due in a few weeks...NBD. Here BABE is going to come out wearing mini Nike Free's I can see it now.
 These are some of the only girls I know that can hold their own against me in salad bar construction. These are also some of the only girls that don't judge me when I take 15 minutes at the salad bar to construct my masterpiece. YUM. I could eat that every day...and sometimes I do.
 3) Polka dots. 
So for a few months now I have been OBSESSED with these jeans from Anthropologie.
Tell me those aren't to die for? I just couldn't seem to bring myself to spend a couple hundred dollars on a pair of pants that could possibly make me look like myself circa 1994 (May ALL of my stretch pants of old rest in peace). Well, yesterday I decided to take matters into my own hands. My mom and sister and I Anthropologized our own polka dot pants...and voila.
I feel good about it. I love a good DIY.

I am off to AZ for a couple days tomorrow! Wahoo!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

July's Muncher Cruncher 30 Move Killer Circuit!

It's here! Remember how all of July I threw all sorts of new moves at you? Well, it's time to put them all together! This is a KILLER circuit workout that will surely get your heart rate up and have you sweating!
There are a few ways that you can use it...
- Time yourself trying to get through it as quickly as you can. Work to beat your personal best time each time you go through it.
- Try to see how many times you can get through it! You just may surprise yourself
- Make it part of your running workout and add a .25 mile or .5 mile sprint throughout the workout.
**If you would like a description of what each item is you can click HERE and look back through July's posts. All of the exercises have descriptions!**

I would LOVE to hear your results if you try it out! Post your time and/or how many times you make it through the entire workout in the comments! Happy sweating!!