Food Friday- Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Food Friday 

and 

Happy Valentines Day!

Wild Orange Chocolate Torte

What a great day for a sweet treat. Who doesn't love a little bit of chocolate on Valentines Day.  This Wild Orange Chocolate Torte has been a hit this week. I made two and played around with the flavors but I have to say that mix of orange and chocolate is amazing!  Not only is this dessert gluten free and dairy free but it used some heart healthy 70% chocolate in it (of course always in moderation:)) and I thought I would try my hand at using some of the essential oils I use and try the Wild Orange added to the chocolate.  I wish you could taste it from here but it is super subtle put yet you that hint of orange is just the right amount.

Ingredients:
14 oz of 70% dark chocolate. I am definitely purchasing organic and not Hershey's:)
3/4 of a cup of melted Ghee (you can also use butter)
2/3 cup of sugar. I used coconut sugar
2/3 cup of almond flower
3/4 cup of coconut flower
4 eggs

The How:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
oil and dust with coconut or almond flour a dark tin cake pan (8")
Melt the ghee or butter and chocolate in a dbl boiler. I used a glass bowl over my pot filled with boiling water.

I added all the remaining ingredients to my mixer and poured in the ghee and chocolate once it was melted. I mixed it on high for 3 minutes.

Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Take it out immediately and flip it over to cool sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder and enjoy!

We didn't get very far post cooling before digging in.  This made an excellent treat for the Valentines week and holiday but really who couldn't use a little hit of sweet goodness every now and then.  Of course everything in small doses can be a good thing so enjoy!  I know I did!

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit and Eat good desserts every now and then:) 

I have to point our my favorite glass bottle that made an appearance in my Valentines day photo. mybkr.com is a great site for picking up one of these trendy bottles that have been a favorite of mine and my athletes.  Check out their website or shoot me an e-mail and  you can purchase one through me. 

Happy "HEART' day everyone!

Workout Wednesday-Powerful Legs

Workout Wednesday

Powerful Legs!!!

It is cold and wet here today so what I took things indoors and made a fun little HIIT workout that anyone could do.   This 30 minute workout will leave your legs feeling strong and sculpted, but also feeling fresh and not like you spent for-EVer at the gym. 

 I met a client at the gym today and while I was waiting I had 40 minute to kill. I decided to get on the treadmill (Yes, I have a love hate with the treadmill, but I also figured why not) 

I warmed up for 10 minutes and that was about all I could handle of running in place. I jumped off and immediately went into the above workout targeting the legs. 

The workout:

A Round means you go through all 7 exercises one after the other without stopping. A rest is set after each round. 

•  Round #1- 30 seconds of each. After the 7th exercise, rest 1 minute. 
• Round #2- 45 seconds each. Rest 45 seconds.
• Round #3- 30 seconds of each, Rest 30 seconds. 
• Round #4- 45 seconds of each, rest 45 seconds. 
• Round #5- 30 seconds of each. Finish or Repeat!

You can repeat the 5 rounds again OR you could jump back on the treadmill or my favorite fixed piece, the StepMill (like a set of revolving stairs:) for 10 minutes and then repeat. 

You could even substitute the treadmill or stepmill for a jump rope, a quick jog/run around the block etc.  

You have all the means to get this done but the question is, will you? 

Give it a try! What do you have to lose!?

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit. 

Get out and MOVE!

Workout Wednesday

Workout Wednesday

Simple and Strong. 

I am taking one of my favorite exercises today and giving you tons of variety mixed in with some cardio intervals and you will have yourself a little 20-30 minute blast of total body work. 

The Mountain Climber

Looking at the picture above and the position of the person climbing up, let's take a look at the basic mountain climber, its position and what you should be feeling first. 

How to start: 

Assume a push-up position with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles. 

Without changing the posture of your lower back (it should be arched), raise your right knee toward your chest.

Pause, return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. 

What are you feeling? 

A tight core, strong arms

triceps are tight, joints are not hyper-extended

back is not swaying

calves are feeling a stretch

neck is in neutral spine. 

There are plenty of ways to mess up this one basic exercise so check in to make sure you are on track with the above and let's get moving!

Mountain Climber Workout

(our climb to the top: workout))

Make sure you are nice and warm. 5-7 minutes of prep movement is key. 

Round 1:

30 seconds of Mountain climbers

10 seconds of rest 

Use the count of 1 hold-2-3-4-and then back as your guide for this round. 

Repeat the above 5 times.

Stand up and jump rope for 1 minute. Tight arms and core. 

Round 2: 

Reptile knee Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Your knee will be going to the elbow vs. the center line. Alternate sides

Use the 1:1 count for this round. 1 up, 1 back and switch. 

Repeat 5 times. 

Jump rope or high knees for 1 minute

Round 3: 

Cross the mountain climbers-30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Opposite knee to opposite elbow. 

(right knee, left elbow/left knee, right elbow) 

Use the 1:4 count from round 1.

Repeat 5 times. 

1 min of jump rope, high knees or jogging in place. 

Round 4:

Mountain pulses for 30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Right knee hold with a pulse. 

2 pulses center, 2 pulses to reptile return to plank and switch. 

alternate sides

Repeat 5 times. 

1 minute of jumping jacks

Round 5:

Bosu Mountain Climbers  

(place your hands on the black side, blue side down)

You can also do this on a foam roller if you don't have a bosu. 

Basic mountain climbers

30 seconds on, 10 seconds off

1 minute: finish this off with your choice of jog, high knees, jacks or rope. 

If you have a TRX at home and want to take it up a notch you can perform this with a little more work load using a tight core and TRX. 

There you have it!  

Have fun and let me know what you think. 

Get out and Move and remember, do it with purpose!

 

Workout Wednesday- The 12 Days of Fitness

 Workout Wednesday

'The 12 Days of Fitness'

What better way to kick off the countdown to the holidays than with a 12 Days of Fitness workout. I loved this article posted via the Huffington Post as it really is applicable to the busy days leading up to Christmas.

This workout covers moves that all of my classes are familiar with and on a day things get to hectic or an afternoon you could use a little movement here is a fun way to burn a few extra calories so you don't feel so guilty going to the holiday party and enjoying a small bite of something sweet:)

From the Huff Post December 12, 2013 posting.

You start with one minute of planking on day one. Each day you do the day 1 plus the next day.
So 1 minute of planking + 5 star jumps and so on. You can repeat them each again if you need more of a workout or like I did today, I added 5x1 minutes of planking after my run. Tomorrow I will do the same after my strength workout I have planned. I will do the 1minute of planks and add in the start jumps. I will likely repeat 3-5 times before calling it quits but even if you just do what is listed above it is better than nothing.  As you go more time and more total body workout starts to accumulate and then by Christmas Eve you are in the rhythm and ready to take on the remaining days of December.

I will be posting my progress as well as my classes each day so check back and join in on the fun! 

Here is a fun way to add a bit of intensity to your plank plus working out with a friend is always more fun! 

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit.

www.bendbootcamp.com

Workout Wednesday

Workout your Chest Wednesday

(And yes, he was our governor while in CA)

So I am not talking big chest but I couldn't help but post this picture. 

You don't have to live big heavy weights to work your chest.  I am usually not even a fan of chest work as we spend way too much time in the frontal plane as it is that our posture starts to suffer over time.  I will give you some chest opening exercises as well at the end. 

But for now....

Let's talk Push-ups!

One of the most convenient exercises you can do. 

They can be modified

Intensified

Challenging 

or 

just plain fun!

The Basic Chest Push-up how-to's:

1.  Start on your knees placing both hands in front of you on the floor, shoulder width apart.

Wrist and elbows should be in line with your shoulders and fingers spread wide with finger tips facing forward.  

2.  You can stay on your knees or you can tuck your toes under and lift your body up so that you are in a plank position. 

3.  In the plank position, you need to remember to keep your quads active, heels extended out behind you and hands firmly pushing away on the ground. Don't forget to pull your abs up to your spine focusing on lengthening your body in a nice level plank. 

4.  Draw in your abs and keep your hips/pelvis level and begin to lower your chest down to the ground. You want to lower your body down so that your upper arms are parallel to the ground. pause and then push away with purpose and return back to your starting point. 

5.  Remember it is all about form and it is all about control. Don't let your body fall to the ground and worm yourself back up to the top.  Think about lifting and lowering your body keeping in a nice level plank both on the down and up portion of the movement.  

This is a lot to think about for one movement but more times than none we don't think about the form and just move through the motion.  

Two of my favorite Chest Stretches

 

Find a corner in your house/room and place your hands against the wall at 90 degrees.  Keeping your body in line and abs pulled in you can begin to lean into the wall keeping your arms in place. You can even modify by placing one foot forward and lunge into the wall until you begin to feel the stretch. Take a deep breath and as you exhale you can sink into the stretch a little deeper.  

 Find a wall and stand close up against it so that you can keep your lower back against the wall. You might have to walk your feet out away from the wall to find that perfect spot.  You can take your hands and place them against the wall, opening the chest.  The important thing is to keep your wrist flat against the wall and elbows in contact.  You can slide your hands up and down the wall maintaining contact the whole time.  Keep your abs drawn in and enjoy this stretch.  It is not only great for the chest but also in helping work those shoulder blades back and down where they belong. 

Want more details, Want a video or want to learn more. E-mail me and I will be happy to help!

Enjoy one of my favorite exercises and stretches and have fun.  There are so many variation we can play with but for now, focus on your form and range of motion. 

Go on, get moving!

Food Friday!

Smoothie Friday

aka: Food Friday. 

Today I thought it would be fun to set up a little smoothie tasting post workout for my 6am class.  I am planning on rotating these around my classes so stay tuned to my other classes if you are reading this:) 

I always get asked about new ideas and flavors for smoothies, what protein I use and what is the best to use.  There are so many protein powders on the market and I have a new love for Vega Nutrition. Vega nutrition offers pure protein from plant based sources. It does not have additives or artificial sweeteners in it and having since moved away from meat it is a true source of plant based protein.  I will often use Egg White Protein on occasion but Vega Nutrition has been my main source and go-to product.  I will give you a breakdown of my other favorites from Vega next week but for today here are three new smoothie recipes you have to try! 

(left) Pumpkin Pie (center) Berry Bliss (right) Chocolate Fun

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1 Serving of Vega All-in-One Vanilla flavored

1 Scoop of Pumpkin spice flavored greens

1 frozen banana

1 handful of strawberries

1 serving of chia seeds

Pumpkin pie spice

2 cups of water 

Blend away and enjoy! 

Berry Bliss

1 Serving of Vega All-in-one Berry flavored

1 serving of Chia seeds 

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 frozen banana

2 cups of water

Blend and enjoy!

Chocolate Friday Fun

1 serving of Vega Nutrition Chocolate Performance Protein 

1 frozen banana

1 serving of Chia seeds

2 Tbls of sunflower butter

2 Cups of water

Caco Nibs added at the end for a little crunch and fun. 

Blend and enjoy! 

The classes loved them all and we even ended the week with a little Friday Fashion as we had local fashion connoisseur Jill Hansen in class showcasing her fun and functional threads!  It was a great way to kick of a Friday Funday! 

Want to learn more about Vega Nutrition. Visit their website at myvega.com or shoot me a comment here and I can help.  Also check out their other fun recipes on the Vega online Recipe Center.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Food (and drink) Friday!

Food Friday or in this case Hydration Friday!

The Water Challenge is back!

I want to circle back on a topic and challenge that I launched this past summer. It was hot and working out, outside I was trying to make sure everyone stayed hydrated in the summer heat. We had a ton of fun with the challenge and got the competitive juices flowing.  Now that the colder months are upon us and we are entering into winter I thought it was just as important to be reminded about just how important hydration is in the colder months. 

If you are like me, I am always cold. Drink cold water doesn't always sound fun nor does staying cold all day because of it. This is my excuse half the time and in talking to others this seems to hold true for most.  

I am re-lauching my water challenge to my classes next week in hopes that we all keep one of the most needed essentials to our health at top priority. 

Here is why water is so important: 

Life: We lose water daily so think of water as being an essential to help you keep your vital organs hydrated as well as your skin and hair. It also aids in digestion and helps keep your mind clear and sharp but most important it helps with circulation and body temperature. So going back to the excuse of being cold is not a good enough reason to stop.  We have turned on our heaters and things tend to dry out so keeping our body's full of the essentials is key. 

Muscles: Water helps energize muscles. When our muscles don't have proper hydration they can't perform like we want them to.  It is just as important to drink prior to working out as it is during. If you need something to give you a little pre-workout hydration my go to choice is the Vega Pre-Workout Energizer.  It adds just enough flavor to your water but includes natural key ingredients such as coconut oil, green tea, yerba mate and ginseng giving you a little push to start off your workout.  

 

Your skin: with your skin acting as a protective barrier against moisture loss it is one of your vital organs that truly benefit from hydration. Drinking water helps your skin maintain a youthful glow and also helps to eliminate dryness and wrinkles.  

Kidney Function: Your kidneys help to eliminate waste and without water this would not be possible.  Water soluble waste is passed through the kidneys thank to the help of fluids serving as a transporter and will definitely be key in keeping the bad stuff pass through. Not enough water can often times result in kidney stones as the waste is not able to properly pass through. This is reason enough. 

About 20% of water intake comes from foods (fruits and vegetables) but it is up to you to get the rest. I challenge you to begin upping your hydration this winter, keeping your body happy and healthy.  

Your goal:  90+oz of water a day!  Make this a new day and a new way to challenge yourself to a better you.  Let me know how you are doing and as always comment below if you have questions or comments.  

Food Friday....The other end

The other end  of the spectrum.

There is no pun intended and you will understand once you see read my post below. 

As I was doing research on my sugar post I came across a rather funny find. I thought I would pass it along to add a little laugh to you day. 

Enjoy!

When we think of sugar and ways to omit the evil refined kind or High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) we either go about the right way or we learn about short cuts that leave us wishing we hadn't. 

I stumbled onto a discussion about using 'Sugar-Free' alternative or fake sugars.  Well here is a find that will give you a good laugh. 

This gigantic bag of gummy bears above is 5lb bag of Haribo Sugarless Gummy Bears. To some this is the end all be all treat that can help them satisfy their sweet cravings by tricking their mind and body with a rather 'bad' choice in sugars.  

Check out some of the review on Amazon that were post about this product. 

Here are a few fun reviews....but you might want to go see the product on Amazon for yourself just for a little humor and entertainment:)

http://amzn.to/151TbS2

 

 

So there you have it. The proof is in the pudding. Just go for the good (real) stuff and leave the fake stuff behind:) 

Sweet Tuesday!

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Need I say more??!

So in light of my last post (Food Friday) I thought I would share a great recipe that utilizes the healthy sugar challenge.  This recipe calls for the use of honey and there is nothing better than raw local honey. 

I found this recipe via Taylor Made It Paleo and they are double D'lish! 

Recipe for the truffles: 

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 cup almond butter (or sunflower seed butter) 

2 tsp coconut oil, melted

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla

 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

For the Chocolate Coating: 

1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips 

1 tbsp coconut oil

1. Combine all truffle ingredients in a medium sized bowl until everything is well incorporated.
2. Roll into bite sized balls and set on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
3. Allow to harden in freezer for about 15-20 minutes.
4. About five minutes before you take the truffles out, prepare your chocolate coating by melting chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan on LOW heat, stirring often so it doesn’t burn.
5. Once melted, take chocolate off heat and use a toothpick to dip the truffles, covering them completely (If you have a hole left on the top, simply cover with more chocolate using a spoon). If you don’t want to cover them completely, you could also just use a spoon to drizzle a little chocolate over each one.
6. Once covered, place truffles back on the wax paper and allow chocolate to harden in the fridge/freezer.
7. Consume!
8. NOTE: These should be kept in the fridge/freezer or they will melt pretty quickly!

Enjoy!  I will definitely be enjoying these post 21 day Purification:) 

 

Food Friday-No Sugar Challenge

Just how sweet can you be? 

 So instead of giving you a new recipe to try I thought I would mix it up and give you a challenge to consider.  What would life be without sugar?  Since having recently taken on the 21 day purification and successfully reached day 13 (today...woohoo!) without sugar, the answer to my question may be easy for me to answer but how would YOU feel?  

 I follow a great blog The Healthy Home Economist and she shared some rather helpful tips on how, as she puts it, to Slay the Sugar Monster. Here were my biggest two take-aways that you may find helpful to for this challenge. 

1.Replace all Refined Sugars with Natural Sweeteners

     what are natural sweeteners you ask?
       Honey, Maple Syrup, Coconut sugar or whole cane sugar are all great options.

I recently had a conversation about agave syrup as it got a lot of press as being a good sugar alternative but the truth is it is highly processed and really high on the glycemic index. You are better off with one of the above options.

2. Increase the amounts of whole, unprocessed fats in your diet

This one has stuck with me for quite some time from my days of "dieting" and trying to find alternatives to satisfy my sweet cravings. I would turn to things like sugar free gum, sugar free jello and puddings, sugar free jelly and syrups and without really realizing I was ingesting more harm than good.  The process in which these are made consist of chemicals and compounds from the land of the unknown.  I finally learned and re-educated myself on making the whole food, whole fat options a priority but in smaller quantities all in line with my beliefs, 'everything in moderation.'

The 21 day purification has helped remind me of this important reminder. My sugar cravings have diminished and I am now turning to more whole food options such as fruit and such to fill the void.  Yes, I am serious and not just saying this. Will I avoid and never eat a fun treat again, NO, but I will be mindful of my selections and likely be reminded by the consequences as I know my body all to well to say it won't be affected.

The added healthy fats in the natural fats of olive oils and whole butter we have been using in our cooking (in moderation of course) have given our foods the full flavor our bodies needed during the first week or so.  We finished the day feeling full and quite frankly we were satiated but we were indeed full of food as well as nutrients.  It feels good to be loaded with the good stuff!

So What's next? Where is the magic formula?

Well this is where I will leave you to hopefully walk away feeling a little more informed. A little more prepared and a little more thoughtful when you are going shopping, buying treats or reaching for that can of soda.   As a busy mom of two amazing girls, a wife to an amazing husband (or as I call him-HH) and a leader to many busy athletes who come to me to seek support, guidance and lifestyle tips I don't have a magic pill, formula or answer. What I do have is the advice to take each day in stride, make the changes you see fit and be aware, educated an always look to what your goal is each day in life.

If your goal included making healthier choices then I hope you are able to read this and take away a few bits of info that you will use or at least consider.  Do I expect you to do everything perfectly?  No, I can't even say I will be doing it perfectly but what I can say is that I am going to be aware and try to make the best choice I can in keeping my family well nourished, supported and most of all loved.

I can't leave here without giving you all a little challenge:)

For the next week, can you challenge yourself to:

•  omit (little by little) the refined sugars?
•  try out one new natural sugar in lieu of your current sugar intake? 
•  make one healthy treat using a natural sugar instead of refined or artificial sweeteners? 
• reduce your overall sugar intake? 

Go ahead...give it a try. What do YOU have to lose? 

Workout Wednesday

It's Tabatta Time!

Last week I gave you a great exercise to help create strength in your lower back and muscles that help with posture, core and stabilization. Have you been adding them into your regime?  

Are you ready for a little interval to speed things up?  

Let's talk Tabatta Workout. 

We have done these before and I thought it was time for us to add a little speed and intensity to your week. 

Here is the workout: 

20 seconds on-10 seconds off. 

Do each exercise below full out (in form of course) for 20 seconds. 

Rest 10 seconds and repeat at total of 8 times for each exercise before moving on to next one.

Then rest 1 minute. No more, no less. 

= 5minutes per cycle.

Move to your next set of exercise and repeat. 

** Option: You can add a minute of jump rope in between each cycle or run around the block. 

Start your next cycle of exercises and go. 

Make sure with any exercise you warm-up. Jump rope is an excellent way to warm-up or you can jog around the block, do jumping jacks, mountain climbers, planks and/or quick squats

Exercises:

Jack knife crunches 

(alternate legs each leg counts as a half) 

Push-up with knee tuck

Prisoner Squats (hands behind head to engage your back)

Reverse Narrow Db Row 

(arms close to your body. Hands should finish at hip.)

 Mountain Climbers

(knees into your chest, keep in perfect plank) 

As an option you can record the number of reps each round.  

Ex: Round 1: 10 reps

Round 2: 12 reps

 etc. all the way to 8 rounds. 

This is a fun way to document your progress and challenge yourself the next time you want to take on this same workout. 

The workout total time is: 20 minutes

With a 10 minute warm-up and cool down you are done in 40 minutes.  

Great work and have fun! 

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!