One Word Wednesday

LUNCH. 

Avocado Chicken Salad & Roasted Veggies

On the "to cook" List...

I always have a long list of healthy recipes that I want to try. Thanks to Pinterest, that list just continues to grow. These are the ones I'm currently eying...

My own rendition of these Paleo Pizza Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from health-bent.com 

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This Guacamole Salad, also from health-bent.com, looks DIVINE to me. It would be a great side dish to any meal.

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The recipes on this site are all paleo, and there are some really incredibly delicious looking ones. Just saying. 

 I think these cheesy cauliflower tater tots look pretty dang tasty, and I even think I could health-ify them up a bit more.

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I would love to turn these Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls into Puffed Quinoa Almond Butter Balls!

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Who isn't looking for new ways to cook chicken? Then again maybe you have more of an expansive meat palate than I do...anyways...this Maple Mustard Glaze Chicken looks awesome, easy, and extremely delightful. 

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Oh, and don't these Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites look pretty tasty? I think so.

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If you'd like to check out my Pinterest Boards you can check HERE for my Healthy Recipes and HERE for my Paleo board.

Do you have any recipes that you have been dying to try? OR...any that you love already and know I should be trying?

Make it fun and Make a plan

Yesterday was an incredibly beautiful day. My friends and I decided to go for a leisurely bike ride. It started out with like five of us heading out for a quick stroll, and turned into quite the posse. We rode all over Provo which was so much fun. We were on our bikes for a couple of hours, and it didn't even feel like exercise because it was such a good time.

Just another reminder that being active, and living an active lifestyle doesn't have to be painful and boring. Find things that you enjoy, and make your exercise fun! You will be far more likely to stay active if it doesn't feel so arduous and hard all the time.

With today being Monday, I always try to think ahead as to what my workouts are going to look for for the week, so I can be sure to fit them in. My plan looks somewhat like this:

Monday: 60 mins of intervals on the elliptical
Tuesday: Circuit/Weights workout
Wednesday: 10 mile run, Barre Bootcamp Class
Thursday: circuit/weights workout (light)
Friday: 20 mile run
Saturday: Yoga, light weights workout

My challenge for you is to make a plan for your week as far as your exercise is concerned. If you know what you need to plan around, you will be a lot less likely to make it to the end of the day suddenly realizing you never got your workout in. Just like I always say...PREPARATION! Preparation really is the key to success.


What is your favorite way to get leisure exercise in? Do you know what your workouts look like for the week?

Product Review: Just Tomatoes

I have a lot of nieces and nephews. I absolutely love each and everyone of them. One thing I have noticed about them, and little kids in general, is that they are little snackers. Whatever I happen to be eating, they usually want a bite of. I totally had them in mind as I was reviewing the products that Just Tomatoes, Etc. sent me.

Sadly, so many of the foods that kids are fed for snacks are sugar based, made with processed white flour, and full of all sorts of processed products we can't pronounce. It is almost as if we are forcing kids to have a sugar addiction right from the start. Now, I know that a lot of parents make a very valiant effort to feed their kids good, high quality foods and snacks. Having healthy snacks that are easy to grab can help parents in a big way.

Just Tomatoes, Etc. describes the process that they use to create their product in this way...

"Our Process
Just Tomatoes, Etc.! dehydrated fruits and vegetables are vine-ripened (or tree-ripened), hand-picked at peak condition, washed, cut and then placed in specially designed dehydrators and dried at low temperatures to preserve color, flavor and nutrients. Both dehydrated and freeze-dried products are an excellent source of nutrition.

This line of unique dried fruits and vegetables have been carefully selected and combined for your ultimate enjoyment... as great snacks and terrific ingredients for culinary treats."

 The snacks they provide come in pouches that can be resealed and taken anywhere. They are fresh, and full of flavor. I had a friend of mine test out these fruit munchies with me, and she LOVED THEM. They have a ton of flavor, and I think they would be awesome mixed into some oatmeal, cereal, muffin mix, or yogurt.

There is also a line of organic and pure powder products that can make adding nutrition and flavor to shakes, cookies, muffins, etc. I think the idea is absolutely brilliant. We may not always be able to have fresh produce on hand, but by using products like this you can have good healthy options at your fingertips anytime.

 

 In regards to the topic of children and poor nutrition, a big problem comes in the fact that kids are not receiving the education and knowledge they need at a young age. Just Tomatoes, Etc. Is really trying to do something about that. If you click HERE you will see a collection of free downloadable teacher/parent resources to help teach your kids about eating healthy in fun and interesting ways. You can also go HERE to print of a coloring sheet to have your children color and enter into their coloring contest.
I love what this company is doing! I think that these products offer a tasty alternative for snacks. I know that healthy adults come from healthy children. Starting now to introduce good health habits will be so beneficial to your kids! Thanks Just Tomatoes, Etc. for the opportunity to review your product!
Do your kids eat healthy? Do you have to force feed healthy foods down their throats, or will they willingly eat healthier choices? Do you find that they are already addicted to processed and sugary foods and snacks? How do you introduce the idea of eating healthy to them?

Happy Mothers Day!

Mothers are the BEST. I don't know what I'd do without mine! I just have to take a sec and say Happy Mothers Day to the amazing mothers in my life.

 My mom is one of the most caring, genuine, fabulous women I know. She is so full of love. She is absolutely beautiful on the inside and out. She has taught me so much, and she is always so positive. I love spending time with her, and I hope that when I am her age I can look as amazing as she does! You cannot meet Elaine and not fall in love with her!

 My sisters are also pretty much amazing. They have both always taken such good care of me, and I wish they lived right by me so we could hang out all day, everyday. They are both such strong, beautiful, and talented women. They are kind, funny, and they have produced some pretty ridiculously awesome kids too. I love them so much!

I have so many other "mother" role models in my life. I have clients that take such great care of me, aunts that are incredible women, friends who look out for me, and I can only hope to be even a smidge as amazing as all of the mothers I know. I hope YOU have an amazing mothers day! 

Happy Mothers Day! Give yourself a pat on the back for all that you do!

Weekend Ramblings...

Saturday's are like little drops of heaven. Sunny and warm Saturdays are like little drops of heaven with a cherry on top. Today was one of those. This weekend has been fantastic thus far. Here are some weekend ramblings for you..

- My workouts this week have been AWESOME.
Monday: 60 mins of cross training intervals on the elliptical
Tuesday: Kettlebell Burpee Pyramid workout from Hell = sore inner thighs for a week
Wednesday: 7 mile run up the Provo Canyon Trail & I taught my Barre Bootcamp class = sore on top of sore.
Thursday: Power Lift Circuit: Combo of deadlifts, power cleans, squat presses, overhead presses, and back squats + a one mile sprint.
Friday: 12 mile long run and a sweatshop yoga class
Saturday: Restorative Yoga class + a quick sprint/squat/lunge circuit with some core work

- I have had some pain in my upper back for like the past 6 or 7 weeks. I thought at first that i might have torn or strained my rhomboid or lat muscle, but even when I laid off it for a bit it still really bothered me. Lucky for me there is an awesome chiropractor that comes to our restorative yoga class, and he took a look at my back for me. Turns out I have a rib out of place, and that is what has been killing me. He did an adjustment for me, and gave me some rehab tips. I hope it helps!

- 4 weeks until the marathon. Yowza. That came quick. I am ready to be over with it. I am excited to focus my training more on lifting and circuit workouts!

- I tried Gu Chomps for the first time yesterday and I LOVED them. I usually go with Shotblox, but I decided to switch it up, and they worked like a dream. I don't do well with the Gu gels, the texture isn't my fave.

- I saw The Avengers last night. I was surprised that I actually really liked it. I am usually not one for a superhero movie. However, Robert Downey Jr. made that movie.

- I have a few awesome product reviews coming up. I can't wait to share them!

 - I managed to squeeze in two post-workout lay out sessions in the park. That is happiness right there. I LOVE summer. L-O-V-E. Love. I can't wait for warm nights, outdoor runs, driving with the windows down, family visits, vacations, BBQ's, pool time, night walks, etc. etc. etc. ahhhh I love it!

What is your favorite way to refuel on your long runs? Did you get some good workouts in this week? What are you most excited about this summer??

Challenge of the day: Push Yourself

I have been thinking a lot about what causes people to push themselves. In training for my marathon I have found that there are a lot of times when I start a run or a workout with the thought..."I don't really want to do this right now..." I'm sure you all have been there and have felt the same way.

For whatever reason, even when I am less than stoked at the get go, I know deep down inside that I get some strange satisfaction out of finishing a hard workout. It isn't that I'm loving every minute of it. Some days I do, a lot of days I'm cursing myself for deciding to do so in the first place. I felt this way towards the end of my kettlebell pyramid workout yesterday. However, I know how good it feels to finish something hard. I think this is what gets me to push through on the days that I'm just not feeling it. I love knowing that I have accomplished something.

I know I love the "After" feeling. I also love the after effect. I like the way exercise makes me feel and look. The same goes for sticking to a clean diet. Yes, sometimes it is way hard. However, I know that in pushing myself towards something hard leads to some good progression. I can't tell you how often I hear people say.

"I could never eat like that. It's too hard."
or
"Well, there is no way I could ever give up eating _____ so I couldn't ever do that."

Do you want to know what I think is unfortunate about both of these statements? And all other statements just like them for that matter. There is %0 effort being put forth. How do you have any idea what you can and can't do until you try? Yes, things may be difficult. You may not be able to run up that hill the first time you try it, you might not be able to eat perfectly as you try to change your diet, BUT you have to try. Make baby steps. PUSH YOURSELF to do something that you maybe don't fully think you can do. When you push yourself you will see growth. You will learn that the limits you are placing on yourself are probably just that, limits that YOU have predetermined. Why not break those limits? Why not do something you think may be too hard?

PUSH YOURSELF. 

I think the perfect analogy to go along with this is the way the human body works. If you want to improve muscle strength, you have to push your muscles to the point where they become fatigued. This is the point where it is hard for them. Muscle fibers that are pushed to the point of fatigue will tear, which hurts. This is, in part, where muscle soreness comes from. As muscles heal and repair themselves, they become a little bit stronger, and so the process continues. Muscle strength comes from pushing yourself.

If you want to do increase your ability to do something you have to PUSH YOURSELF. It may be hard. It will probably hurt a little, but you will grow. You will improve. You will become better.

So, my challenge for today. STEP UP! Choose something that you want to improve on and PUSH YOURSELF. Stop finding a million excuses as to why you can't, won't, or shouldn't do something and PUSH YOURSELF. Stop living a life of "wouldn't that be nice" and "maybe someday.." and do something today. Accomplish something hard. I can guarantee you that you will be surprised with just how capable you are. The bottom line is that you will never know until you TRY.

What are you going to do to PUSH YOURSELF? 

Don't forget! Tonight is another free Barre Bootcamp class at The LAB. 7:00 PM!