21 Day Purification...How am I doing?

The update.

First off, I apologize about the delay in my update.  Every time I have sat down to write and update it I have been at a loss for words. I am officially at week 1 of the purification and this is how the week has gone. 

The goods.

Days 1-3:  These were by far the hardest.  I was surprised to find I was not craving my daily Dutch B but was more so craving everything my girls were eating:)  They are not afraid to throw down some almonds and popcorn in the afternoon and I was about to attack them but held it together.  Instead I opted for one of my approved protein shakes.  I have seriously grown to love these shakes and have been forced to get creative. 

I eat up to 2-3 shakes a day along with all the fresh vegetables and fruits I want.  I have gotten pretty creative with cooking up new flavors of the above but I also realized I could never be a full blown vegan.  Kudos to those out there but perhaps I say that now so don't hold me to it. 

Side-effects: Frequent trips to the restroom. (sorry for TMI)  I did get a few headaches but my overall energy seemed to be fine although I was happy to go to bed each night. My headaches really only affected me on day two but I woke up with them gone.   I have grown to love tea.  Green tea is the preferred but I am branching out and trying some new ones as well.  Who knew I would be OK with out my daily dose of Dutch Bros.

I do have to take 7 capsules of the required SP Cleanse Capsules 3x a day. These are the hardest part as they often leave an after taste that I would love to chase with a glass of wine but I have refrained:)  (Mara, no worries I have not cheated) 

Day 4-7: Things seemed to have gotten easier.  I am getting the capsules down no problem, the shakes are becoming more flavorful as I put more effort into making them fun and tasty. Dinners have been getting better and my daily salads are getting a ton of variety.  I was saved on day 4 when I came across a pinterest pin that highlighted tons of recipes for this particular Standard Process 21 day Purification. Bless that woman as she has opened a new door for Mark (my HH) and I with recipes.  I was also given a great recipe by one of my athletes (Thanks Debbie) that turned out to be a favorite dinner...you can see the recipe on my recent Food Friday post:)

Thank you Mommypotamus for all the help!  Anyone wanting to do the 21 day purification must remember her blog!  She even breaks it up into daily recipe ideas. Amaze-balls!

Here I sit day 8. I am not only proud I have come this far but I am feeling great.  The HH and I have gone from talking about the food we want to eat after the 21 days to talking about the changes we want to instill post 21 days.  The no alcohol change may hold its ground except on occasions, the increase of vegetables which I once thought I was doing well will stick and I am sure as we continue down the path more things will surface on how we want to stay on board to a healthier eating path. 

Day 11 is the day we are looking forward to. Day 11 is this Wednesday but who is counting:)  We get to add in lean proteins back into our daily meals.  So for now I will leave you with a few more pics of what the week has entailed and an overview of my activity that has surprisingly stayed high along with a few low lying days.  

Thanks for all your support and thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any questions and I promise I will do my best to update mid-week but for sure you will hear more next week as we complete week 2!

Want to know more of the down and dirty???  e-mail me or post your comments below and I will respond.  Come on..ask away:) 

 Keep moving!!!

Food Friday- Warm your bones

Mexican Inspired Vegetable Soup

 This recipe was passed over by one of my athletes. She is taking part in a challenge we are having where they are adding in extra veggies and healthy fats into their daily snacks.  This soup has been a favorite of hers to add those extra veggies into her day and it sounded so good I decided to give it a try.  It was a hit, even among the littles as I made a couple changes to create a better chance of a win. 

The Recipe

Thank you Debbie and it originated 

via 

Weight Watchers.com 

2 cups uncooked green beans, fresh and cut into bite sized pieces. 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 small uncooked zucchini, cubed

14 oz canned diced tomatoes, Mexican style (I used no salt fresh diced tomatoes)

1 medium uncooked onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 cup chopped tomatillos

1 medium jalapeno pepper (we omitted this and added it as a garnish)

1/2 medium poblano chile, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I always add a little more cumin:))

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (packed in water)

Garnish: 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp lime juice

3/4 tsp sea salt

Put all the vegetables above into a large stock pot except the roasted peppers.  Place those in a food processor and puree them, then add to the rest of the ingredients. Add the veggie broth, cover, boil and heat over high. Reduce to low once it comes to a boil and let it simmer. 

Top with the cilantro, lime juice and sea salt as well as the jalapenos. We also added fresh cubed avocado to this soup.  We added some fun corn tortillas chips to the girls soup and fresh cheese as they needed a little more fun. 

This was amazing and I have to say will be a staple this Fall and winter as it got better the next day! 

Enjoy!

Workout Wednesday

 A little 'hump-day' check in and workout for you!

So for most of my athletes today is a recovery day.  I am going to give you an exercise that will allow you to still stay in recovery mode but also offer major benefits to your entire body and posture.

Take a walk, hike or perhaps all your doing today is sitting. Take a moment after your run, walk, hike or work day to focus on stretching your body out and lengthening your spine, core, neck and body. 

Supermans

While lying on your belly, reach your arms and legs in opposite directions keeping your head neutral, legs no wider than hip width, your belly pulled in and your breath relaxed.  

Begin by slowly lifting only the arms off the ground reach out and up. Then begin to alternate opposite arm, opposite leg reaching up and down in opposing directions. 

You can start with 10-12 reps of just the arms and then add 10-12 reps of the alternating arms/leg movement. You can continue by lifting both arms and legs together but perform this slowly as it will help protect your lower back.

Purpose

This exercise focuses on the erector spinae or the three long muscles surrounding the spine.
These muscles start in the hips and and insert into the skull and upper vertebrae. The main purpose of these muscles is to extend, flex and rotate the spine and neck. The superman exercise helps to strengthen these muscles and help prevent not only injury but also help with your posture.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Get out and move!

Day 1

Pure change, Pure foods, Pure energy

So today is day 1 of my 21 day purification. I woke up actually very excited and ready to focus a little more on me and all that I preach. I am human and I have found myself too many times in the past month neglecting to get in my total servings of veggies, enough water and perhaps too many 'on the go nutrition' bars. 

I was beginning to get a few headaches, not sleeping well, and feeling a little bit off. This purification came at a perfect time as my body is ready as well as my mind.

Thankfully my amazing husband is doing this with me so I have some home based support:). I also have my amazing athletes and blog supporters to help me stay accountable and keep me focused. Comments are great so if you feel the urge to cheer me on you can leave a comment below:) 

So what does this purification look like?

I get to eat as many fruits and vegetables as I want, protein shakes, water and additional fiber and greens. It really is a lot to consume and the cool thing is there will not be a lack of nutrients here. Add in some healthy fats, my chia seed and I am feeling pretty darn good day 1.

I have not had my daily dose of Dutch brothers today so that is the one thing I have to say I miss although I can have it if I really, really need it but deep down I know I don't need it but fingers crossed it stays that way:)

I am loving my shakes and have been drinking green tea due to it being a chilly day. Lots of the basics that I used day-to-day is this is not a major change but rather as the title says, a pure change.

I will continue to check in and share my progress so check back. Thanks for your support and wish me luck! 

Food Friday-Drinking your Greens

Juices and Smoothies

Here are some great ideas and ways you can incorporate some additional greens and nutrients into your diet.  As we enter into Fall it is always a good way to 'feed the machine' with a few extra nutrients from whole foods, fruits and vegetables.  Not only will this help aide in digestion but it will also help to boost immunity, added fiber and enzymes needed to stay fresh, alert and healthy. 

These recipes can help in detoxing your body by restoring its alkaline with all the above mentioned benefits.  Thank you to Mind Body Green for their recipes that we found to be delicious and an added boost of goodness that we all could use.  

Visit their link here: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10992/4-juices-smoothies-to-help-you-detox.html

Green Goodness Smoothie
Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy beverage
• ½ avocado
• 1 kale stalk
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• ½ cup mango

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
Morning Glory Juice
Ingredients:

• 2 kale leaves
• 2 celery stalks
• ½ cucumber
• 1 apple
• ½ lemon
• 1 small piece of ginger

Directions:
Juice all ingredients and enjoy.
Sassy Spinach Juice
Ingredients:

• 3 cups spinach
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 cucumber
• 1 apple
• 1 lime
• 1 small piece of ginger

Directions:
Juice all ingredients and enjoy.
Green Tea Ginger Lemon Smoothie
Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1 green tea bag
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Stevia to taste

Directions:
Bring water and ginger to boil in saucepan, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the tea bag, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the bag, add lemon juice, and enjoy warm or chilled.

Thanks Lindsay for finding and sharing the above. It is always good to have new ideas and recipes that we wouldn't normally find or try to add a little variety to our day to day.  Try one out..what do you have to loose???

Let us know what you try and pass over any of your favorites.

My personal 21 day challenge.

 21 day challenge

As I prepare to enter Fall I look back at all the amazing fun this Summer has brought. Camping trips, s'mores, wine on the back deck, bbq's, healthy salads, hikes, swims etc.

Yes, I did it all and as you all know I am one that does my best to live a balanced life free of deprivation and focused on providing my family the best whole food choices.  As we enter Fall and move towards more comfort cooking (some of my favorites are my slow cooker recipes...more to come on this later) cold and flu season and a shift in the climate, I want to prepare my body for these changes. 

I have decided to take on a personal challenge of Purification.  I am committing myself for a 21 day challenge that will allow me to achieve the following:

Benefits of Purification ●      Improved weight management results ●      Immune boost: flu prevention/wellness protection ●      Disappearance or lessening of past health conditions ●      Increased energy & vitality ●      Improved digestion & decreased bloating ●      Clearer skin & shinier hair ●      Better sleep ●      Clearer thinking & balanced moods ●      Improved libido ●      Improved home & office morale & productivity

Purification is Essential!

The Standard Process 21-day Purification Program is a unique, comprehensive, whole-food based program that is specially designed to not only purify your body, but nourish and help you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle even after the program is completed.  These factors set the Standard Process 21-day Purification Program apart from other “quick fix” purification programs that may be harsh on the body and leave you feeling unsatisfied.

PURIFY

This strategically designed program stimulates specific detoxification organs in your body - the liver, kidneys and intestines.  In combination with organic whole foods and whole food supplements, these organs work optimally to cleanse your body of external toxins.

NOURISH

The purification program provides a dietary plan to nourish yourself with nutrient-rich foods that provide a complex combination of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that protect the body and promote optimal health.

MAINTAIN

After the 21 days are completed, you will have the tools to continue your new, healthy lifestyle.  You will have learned how to transition into a healthful way of eating that will keep you looking and feeling your best for a lifetime.

How am I doing this?  Well a good friend and colleague has been leading these for a while. Her information is below or you can contact me at danza@bendbootcamp.com

Healing Response Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine

www.healingresponse.net T: 541-647-1217 E: mara@healingresponse.net 

A current bend boot camp athlete recently completed this process with Mara. He was able to  increase his fitness and overall health and was truly an inspiration.   I like to motivate and inspire you all but more than none I am often inspired by your efforts and dedication.  

If you would like to join me on the journey let me know as we can do it as a group, encourage, support and motivate knowing that post purification, we will be setting ourselves up for a safe and healthy Fall and Winter.  Think of this as being your preventative health care for this up and coming cold and flu season.  Eating healthy and avoiding processed foods, sugars and alcohol is something we all need to be reminded of and this is my way to stay focused on what it is I do and that is practice what I preach.  

Follow me on this journey. My start date will be September 27th and I will be documenting my progress here. I am laying it all out there for you to see so I would love to hear your support and questions below.  

Signs it's Saturday

Signs it's Saturday!

I had the chance to start off my morning with some amazing friends and athletes. What was suppose to be an easy run of 5-6 miles turned into a faster paced almost 8mile run along the rolling Deschutes River.  I have to say that starting my Saturday off early was not always a desire but getting my workout in and then having the day to spend it with the family has been key. 

My girls ventured out for a breakfast play date with their dad and then it was off to horse lessons. My oldest is venturing into a new arena (literally) and becoming more and more interested in life of horses.  The discipline and commitment makes this mama smile as I watch her do the daily chores of grabbing her own tack, getting her favorite pony, "Cutezilla" brushing her and then saddling her up so she can ride for her lesson. Her younger sister watches in awe and always wants to join but we are taking baby steps with her as she truly decides what her Saturday callings are.  

We ride bikes, ride horses and I can't wait for the day my girls will be running or riding along side me but until then watching them ride horses, bikes or just take a walk is one of the most rewarding things ever. Going back to my run, I once use to wake up at 5 or 6 with some of the best women I know and we would train for hours on end riding our bikes, running or swimming getting ready for our "next event" but life has changed and I would not trade it for the world.  Events and goals can still be made but to know they include my sweet little family of four, or six counting our hounds, is pretty cool. 

I guess in a way I could call this post Saturday Sprinkles as it is merely just that....a Saturday sprinkled with so much fun. Here are some pics of what today has looked like thus far. Enjoy your day and I will keep "sprinkling" some family fun into my posts as I focus on keeping in line with my overall blog goals of staying balanced, active, healthy and well.  

morning run

visit to the barn

post ride play on the vaults

Happy "Sprinkle" Day! 

Food Friday-Chocolate Chia Pudding

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Can you say Yum?

I was having a craving for pudding after I was doing a little grocery shopping and saw the single serving pudding on the shelf at Whole Foods.  I didn't want to give into the cute packaging as this particular brand even came with its own cute little spoon.  I refrained (for which if you know me, you know I like cute packaging) and decided to give it a try on my own.  I can totally do this and I have to share that not only did I do it, but it was yummy and my girls thought it was the best treat EV-VER!

Here are the basics: 

1 cup of almond milk (or other favorite milk product)

3 Tablespoons of Chia Seed (I actually used more and I will tell you why)

2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

2-3 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup or your other favorite "real" sweetener

a pinch of salt. 

Mix all the ingredients together.  My picture below shows how hard it can be to stir the cocoa powder in so I thought I would put it in my vita mixer.  Well that was going a little too far hence the need for more chia as it ended up liquefying it.  I needed to remember the saying...."Patience young grasshopper"  but I added more chia and I have to say it was even more amazing.  I ended up adding one more Tablespoon and it allowed for the seeds to gel and create a thicker pudding.  

 

The finished product was so worth it and it totally fulfilled the craving without all the guilt or adding sugar, additional unknown ingredients etc.  

If you try it let me know how it turns out. 

Since they say practice makes perfect I may give it a go in another flavor....stay tuned!

Who says you can't work out in style??

Who says you can't work out in style?? by fitfree featuring a pyramid bangle

Run Mod Moves Crop / C.Y.B Tank / Stella & Dot zebra wallet / Stella & Dot pyramid bangle / Stella & Dot earrings / Stella & Dot gold filled chain necklace / Beats Solo HD - On-Ear Headphones from Beats by Dr. Dre - Light Blue

Old School Workout Wednesday

There are days when I just don't want to think.  I want to think about my form and challenging myself but I just don't want to think about what I should do for a workout.  This is my old school Workout Wednesday as I just took it back to the basics.  These are the moves we first learned in gym class. They are the moves as adults we don't often choose to do, but once they are done...I know not everyone may agree, but I feel awesome!

I paired this workout after a quick run around my neighborhood.  It may have been a bit overkill as I was feeling pretty worked after but I have to say that I had the most energy that afternoon you would have thought I slept all morning:) 

I did the old school strength moves 2x through. You could even do one set as a warm up and add in various intervals with shorter distance running, jumping rope for 2-3 minutes.  A quick lap or two around the block on your bike.  You can add 4-6 sets of the total body strength moves just in itself.  

This workout started out rather dull in my normally creative mind but I have to say this ended up being a super fun hour of power that I will definitely repeat again. 

Let me know what you think and most of all...Keep moving!!

Workout Wednesday-My love for stairs!

My love for Stairs.

So I have to say stair workouts are by far one of my favorite workouts.  They are focused, intense and the ROI on them are huge. 

Benefits of Stair workouts: 

• You are getting both cardiovascular gains from both an aerobic capacity but also anaerobic which for most is a state that is untouched.  
• Moving at an inclines recruits lower body muscles in a way that normal standing or regular floor workouts can't match. 
• Stairs also require you to center your body for balance and going up the stairs works your core much differently than going down the stairs.  
• Although the upper body is not getting a huge amount of work, you can mix in some upper body work such as push-up on the stairs, seated dips and even use the rail (if applicable) as an assisted pull up bar.  

Things to consider:
Going up and down stairs does place stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints. The stress can be even more than that of jogging or walking to it is important to consult a physician if you have any major knee issues or pain. If working under expert guidance you can benefit from stair workouts as long as you are working equally among both sides of the body.  Also proper warm-up, cool-down and corrective exercises will all help make the stairs fun for everyone.

Here is one of my favorite stair workouts.  Make sure you stairs are clear of debris and not wet.  Have fun and let me know what you think.

Warm-up: Walk up and down the stairs 2-4 times

(you can insert dynamic stretches here or transition into the workout if already completed)

Speed walk or light jog up the stairs 2-3 times

Run up the stairs 2x

Right hip lead up 2x

Focus on keeping your hips square to the side and driving that knee up each step. Keep abs in and chest up. 

Left hip lead up 2x

Same as above

Single foot/leg hop up. 

Right foot 1x

Left foot 1x

Repeat 2x through

Squat jump up

Squat and then jump up moving yourself up each step landing softly on each step with your core engaged and chest up. Try to keep your weight distributed equally center with emphasis on your heels.  Avoid leaning/squatting forward into the knees. 

You can start with one step and graduate to 2-3 steps as you get stronger. 

Push-ups on the stairs

In push-up position you can stay stationary and work through 2-3 sets of 12-15 push-ups or you can bear crawl up 2-3 steps and then push up 1-2 times before progressing up the stairs.

Tricep dips

In a seated position facing away from the step with hips close. Put your palms down with finger tips facing your hips. Hinging at the elbows, lift and lower yourself allowing the tricep to contract and release. Squeeze at the top when your arm is straight. Do not let your shoulders creep up on you so focus on keeping your chest lifted, abs in and elbows pointing back. 

Warm-down

Walk up and down the stairs (easy pace) 2-3 times. 

Drink lots of water and stretch where you need to, but most of all SMILE...you are done!

Get up and move and have a happy Wednesday!