Yoga Stretching

Also, here’s a little post-workout motivation. Whenever I finish a workout at the gym, especially a really intense one, all I want to do is get back, shower and move onto my next task. It never feels like there’s time for stretching, but it’s SO important. In DC, I try to go to hot yoga at least once a week, and I always leave feeling refreshed and relaxed. Here are a couple of yoga stretches from Danica Langdon’s Pinterest page. I did these today after exercising and they really helped me feel amazing. Even if you only do a couple, relaxing your body can make a world of a difference when sleeping and when waking up the next day. Try them out next time!

Sorry!

This is more of an apology to myself, but I’m so sorry for not posting lately! It’s been a ridiculous week and, with school, news articles and everything else, I’ve been a bad blogger. However, this weekend I’m headed to DC so I’ll be making lots of yummy recipes to try on my own and will post them asap! I’m also meeting with one of the gyms I emailed about interning while I get my personal training certification. Can’t wait to see how everything turns out 🙂

 

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

In honor of chia seed blogging day, here’s an awesome recipe for chia seed vanilla pudding. Eat this for breakfast with some fruit or snack on it during the day. Either way you’ll get some awesome health benefits and won’t feel bad about the pudding part.

“Ingredients

 

3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened (vanilla)
2 – 3 tsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 – 4 tbsp chia seeds*
Nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Directions

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar or any container with a tight lid (I prefer glass), give a good shake or stir and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready to eat, stir and top with favourite toppings: nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes etc. Adjust the thickness of a pudding with extra milk if desired. Also the amount of sweetener is up to a personal taste.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.”

From: http://ifoodreal.com

Chia Seeds

Today I picked up a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and asked the smoothie guy to put chia seeds in it. Best decision of the day. So I thought, in honor of my happy moment, I’d post a piece about all the health benefits of chia seeds! The story is that chia seeds are this ancient natural “super food” that originated in Mexico 2,600 BCish. They were known as “running food” because of all their great health benefits. My home stay mom told me this while I was traveling in Argentina, but supposedly these magical seeds were known for giving the Aztec warriors their incredible strength (probably an over exaggeration…) Not convinced yet? Check it out:

1. They’re super rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help with high cholesterol and enhance your brain performance

2. They have lots of fiber

3. They make you feel satisfied for longer, so you don’t give into hunger cravings. A little seed won’t do a thing to your figure, a pizza might.

4. They have antioxidants that can help fight cancer and other diseases. They can also help with aging 🙂

5. They’re gluten free!

6. They can replace eggs because their outer shell swells and becomes gelly-like when in liquid

7. Couldn’t say it better myself: “A study published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” showed that chia seeds as a dietary fat source can lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels while increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol. The study also found that when substituting chia seeds for other fat sources, such as corn oil, the ALA was able to prevent high triglyceride levels and reduce central obesity” (http://healthyeating.sfgate.com)

8. They can help regulate your blood sugar levels

9.Again: “Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 18 percent of the DRI for calcium, 35 percent for phosphorus, 24 percent for magnesium and about 50 percent for manganese. These nutrients help you prevent hypertension and maintain a healthy weight, and are important for energy metabolism and a part of DNA synthesis.”

10. Last but not least: They don’t need to be ground up in order to provide all of these awesome benefits! So drink em down.

I imagine with all those awesome health pluses they’re a pretty decent pre-workout snack. And I love them because you can put them on/in absolutely anything without ruining the flavor. Try mixing some dry seeds in with your granola or oatmeal, that’ll mask them even more than having them floating around in juice 🙂

White pizza is by far my favorite. I don’t know what it is, but I really don’t like marinara sauce on my pizza. If anything, I’ll use pesto instead. That being said, pizza isn’t exactly the healthiest…unless you make it healthy! Check out this fabulous recipe from Cooking Light: (although I would opt for whole grain crust instead of cheese flavored)

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 teaspoon cornmeal
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons refrigerated pesto with basil (such as Buitoni)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sliced small tomatoes (such as Campari tomatoes) $
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup small basil leaves
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Place a baking sheet in oven; heat for 10 minutes.

3. While baking sheet heats, place crust on another baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat crust with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over crust, leaving a 1-inch border; sprinkle mozzarella evenly over pesto. Dollop ricotta, by teaspoonfuls, evenly over mozzarella. Slide crust onto preheated baking sheet, using a spatula as a guide. Broil 5 inches from heat for 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven; top evenly with tomatoes, black pepper, and basil. Sprinkle with red pepper, if desired. Cut into 8 slices.”

Thai Peanut Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Oh my god, this can’t be real life. I’m so happy this recipe exists thanks to Kristin Porter on bloglovin.com. Thai food is my absolute favorite. Definitely making this the second I’m back home in DC next weekend.

“Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 large chicken breast (6oz), thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 cup coleslaw mix
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped and divided

For the Thai Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

Directions:

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then add rinsed quinoa. Place a lid on top then lower heat and cook until quinoa has absorbed chicken broth, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork then set aside. (Can be done ahead of time.)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl then microwave for 20 seconds.Stir until smooth then set aside. Whisk together egg and sesame oil in a small bowl then set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper then add to wok and stir fry until no longer pink. Remove to a plate then set aside.
Heat remaining teaspoon peanut oil in wok then add coleslaw mix, frozen edamame, and green onions. Stir fry until tender, 2-3 minutes, then push to outsides of wok, creating a clear space in the center. Add egg whisked with sesame oil to center of wok then stir fry until soft scrambled.
Add cooked chicken, quinoa, sauce, and half the chopped peanuts to wok then toss to combine. Serve with remaining chopped peanuts.”

Pooch and Proud

Today after my run and work on the Curve machine at the gym, I did this ab routine called “lose the pooch.” But before I put it up, I just wanted to clarify something. I don’t think having a pooch or any type of curve is a bad thing. There’s this crazy idea advanced by the media and photoshop that fit women have perfectly flat stomachs. It just isn’t true. Fit women come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and curves. And just because you’re skinny doesn’t mean you’re fit (and vice versa). I work out every day and like to consider myself in shape, but I am damn proud of my pooch. I know that if I’m eating well and putting in the effort during my workouts that I’m healthy – too many women don’t feel the same way. I’m not saying it’s bad to have a flat stomach and I’m not saying it’s good to have curves because it’s neither. It truly depends on your body type and the shape you’re trying to achieve. Set goals to achieve the body you want but also be proud and comfortable with the one you have! Phew, okay, ab routine time:

(From: http://bikinibodymommy.com)

Happy training 🙂

 

Banana Protein Pancakes

I love that there are so many incredible recipes that seem like they should be SO unhealthy, but aren’t. Haven’t had a chance to try these yet, but I’m planning on pulling out this recipe for a brunch sometime in the next couple weeks. Plus mimosas, to drink back all the calories I’m saving. Shameless.

“Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3 1/2 tbsp vanilla whey protein powder
1 ripe banana mashed
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash cinnamon
extra banana slices and honey for topping

Instructions
Place everything in a blender and blend into a smooth batter. If the batter seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Heat a griddle to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter at a time on the griddle. Cook for several minutes until batter starts to bubble, flip and cook for several more minutes until golden and cooked through.
Top with sliced bananas and a drizzle of warm honey and serve!”

Some Updates

Good morning 🙂 I have a couple of awesome things I’m really excited for, so where better to talk about them than on my fitness blog?

The first thing is I’m super pumped for my hot yoga class this Saturday. I started doing hot yoga a little over a year ago and it always made me feel awesome. I didn’t stick with it as much as I should have, and when I came to college I fell through on my practice. But I found a studio in downtown Bloomington that looks promising so I’m dragging a friend along with me to get zen.

(From:http://yogainspiration.co/)

(I can do this on my first day, right?)

So, okay, second thing. I came to college 100% set on being a journalism and political science double major. Coming from DC, it just made sense. However, after working on the newspaper at IU as a beat reporter, I realized news reporting just isn’t for me. I have so much respect for those who can devote the time and energy to reporting; it’s a really tough field to make it in. Now, instead,  I’m taking a total leap of faith and doing something a little crazy. I recently applied to transfer from IU back to schools on the East Coast. No hate for the Midwest, it just isn’t my style, especially at a big state school like IU. But, at whichever school I end up enrolling in, I’m no longer going to pursue journalism and polisci. I’ve decided to work toward a food nutrition and dietetics major. Depending on where I go, I might even combine that with global public health! So, to be honest, I’m terrified because I never thought this was the path I’d go down, but I’m following my newfound passion and plan on making it work 🙂

Lastly, on a similar note, I just emailed a ton of gyms in DC to see if I can shadow at them this summer! Assuming all goes according to plan, I want to get my certification as a personal trainer in May and start working at a gym during or after. I also have this plan to work with a friend or acquaintance who wants to get in shape by creating a workout plan and meal plan for them. I’m going to track his or her progress throughout summer and make a project portfolio that I can submit to future employers. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but that’s what practice is for I suppose! So fingers crossed for that and any advice is more than appreciated.

Leg Day!

So I just started trying to focus on different parts of my body at my workouts. I go to the gym every day and, now that I have my cardiovascular routine down, I’m trying to focus a lot on good strength training. I found this mini routine at on Akira White’s Health and Fitness page on Pinterest. I thought it’d be an easy beginner workout so I did my 300 abs in between each repeat. Let me tell you, beginner or not, I was definitely feeling it.

I think it’s so important to remember that, no matter how easy or challenging a workout may seem, it’s all about the level of intensity you bring to it. Here are a couple of other leg and butt routines I’m excited to try out:

And, I mean, who wouldn’t be into this: http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2014/02/carrie-underwood-workout-moves-for-legs-and-thighs

Will post progress posts soon!