Green Smoothie Love!

“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” – Hippocrates

Hey Love Peeps!

I know that you have heard all the talk about green smoothies and lots of you have asked me to share my favorite recipes, tips and how to's.
Here are some questions I have been asked:
Why do you drink them?
*Green smoothies provide the nutrition, vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates, fiber and low fat whole food that you need. After drinking green smoothies for a few weeks, I noticed that my cravings for junk foods were less and I actually began craving healthy food options!
*Increased Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables (Particularly Greens)
The American Cancer Society recommends that we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day to prevent cancer and other diseases.  Drinking green smoothies helps get more of what I need in a cup of something that tastes GOOD!
*Green smoothies are high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Not only are you giving your body the best defenses for disease, but you are ingesting a variety of natural substances that are essential for optimum health and fitness.
*Green smoothies are delicious! I have played around with ingredients, and found what makes me happy, and have fallen in love!
Here are the basics:

Ice (1 cup)
greens ( spinach, kale, mixed greens) try to rotate the greens to prevent buildup of oxilates.
1 scoop of protein powder
1 cup of almond milk ( I use unsweetened)
1 sliver of fresh ginger
1 lemon whole, ends cut off
1 cup of frozen fruit ( I buy in bulk at the grocery store)

Add milk, greens, lemon, ginger, ice, blend in a high power blender and add fruit.  If the smoothie is too thick, you can add more milk or lemon juice.  I like lemon juice, because of it's alkanizing properties, and taste.  I use a VitaMix, but, you can use any high powered blender.

Here's my latest Favorite Song! I can't wait to mix it up in a spin class soon!

Red Quinoa Black Bean Salad

The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ingredients

• 2 cups red quinoa; soaked and rinsed  then cooked.  I use one cup of quinoa uncooked and 2 cups of water. (I use Trader Joe's Brand)
• ½ of a small red onion 
• 1 cup of plum tomatoes, halved
• 2 green onions; sliced thin
• ½ cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 15oz can of black beans; drained and rinsed
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans; drained and rinsed
• Fresh Pico de Gallo from the Grocery store, I buy the plastic tubs and keep one in the fridge at all times. I use one whole container for this recipe.
• 1 can of tomatoes and chilis
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Feta sprinkles on top if you like

Cook the Quinoa, toss in the black beans and the Chick peas.  Toss in the rest of the ingredients, including the spices.  Finish with the lime juice and red wine vinegar. Add more or less juice and vinegar to taste. 

YUMMY!

I had to share this wonderful picture of my sweet friend Marsha.  She is one of my favorite sweet hearts and convinced me to do the 60 mile Susan G. Komen walk last October.  

Feet Don't Fail Me Hills and Drills Spin Workout

I teach a 90 minute spin class every other Saturday morning.  I find this to be a challenge mentally and physically! I can teach 60 minute classes without worrying about the playlist, but creating a profile that makes sense and doesn't feel redundant or boring is a challenge.  My goal this week was to create a profile around hills, jumps and intervals of different intensities.  I use the Tabata Protocol 2 times, but, truly we only hit major intensity on the second one.

The Spotify Link Is Included below the Profile Description.

Feet Don't Fail Me... Intro/warm up                                                        
Shake Your Hips - Continue warm up, 3 position climb, on beat change, increase tension, and move position, rotate between hp 1, 2, 3
Throw it on me, finish warm up, climb harder, seated 1/2 to finish standing
BomBomBom- first Interval Set Seated surges increase gear after each one, three at HP 1, two at HP 2 and 3 at HP 3.  Quick surges, getting busy quickly.
Fancy - climb, pedal strokes on beat, increase gear on chorus, finish standing
Visions of Coleco - Interval Set 2 - 30% gear seated surges, recover at 3, 20 sec surges, 10 sec to recover.
Straight to Memphis - my new fav. Jumps, 50 % tension
 Mombasa - Hill repeats seated to standing climb
Barracuda - Tabata Drill - 20 sec surges, 10 sec to recover, add gear to surge, back off gear to recover.
Watusu Warrior Drums - Jump Set 16 ct, 8 ct, 4 ct 1st set med light gear, second set med heavy gear
Reload - Climb, time to get heavy, starting at 40% gear, tempo on beat and maintain cadence, as gear increases. Seated to Standing Climb
The K-Wang - Seated climb, 1st minute is recovery from previous climb.  Pedal Strokes on beat, maintain tempo, gear increases every 20 - 30 seconds.  Goal is to get heavy, keep cadence. Stay seated and on beat. *few 'bombs' I WOOHOO over them. :)
On Fire - Hill Repeats.  Seated to standing climb, heavy at the top of each hill, sprint down back side, repeat 3X
Tribal Tabata- Tabatas.  Getting busy on these, intensity higher than first Tabata.  I coached seated, but, have done HP 1, 2 and 3.
Warrior's Call - recovery 1st minute, get ready to climb, Climb at HP 2-3.  Increasing gear on beat and chorus.
Sandstorm - long challenge 7 1/2 minutes. Seated flat, sprints on beat change, standing climb when beat slows.  repeat 3 times.  at the end of the song, we stay seated and increase gear every 10 - 15 seconds
Whole Lotta Sex Machine -
Spirit and Crane - Last Jump Set Jumps 3 ways, light, med, heavy tension
Fire - End on seated sprints sprint on "Fire!"
Hall of Fame- Cool
Run Every Time - Cool and Stretch

 

Kale -YEAH! 

Kale and Strawberry Salad
In large mixing bowl, beat vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper with whisk. Beat in olive oil; blend until smooth. Add kale and shallot; toss until kale is thoroughly coated. Gently mix in strawberries. Divide evenly among 4 serving plates; top with croutons and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Ingredients:

1/4 

cup balsamic vinegar

2 

tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 

tablespoons honey

1/4 

teaspoon pepper

1 

tablespoon olive oil

1 

bunch (8 oz) fresh kale, ribs removed, cut into bite-size pieces (6 cups)

1/2 

shallot, thinly sliced

2 

cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/4 

cup shredded Parmesan cheese

This is a picture of my new bike, we ordered it Friday and hope it's here before next weekend.  More on this little adventure later!

My Daughter and I working out at the Track together.

Eat Clean Train Dirty Workout!

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” Ronald Dahl

Load for today – AHAP! Post load with time.

50 squats, deep, hips past knees...

150 Push Ups
Every time you stop and rest with your chest on the ground this constitutes a penalty. If a penalty is counted, you must immediately do 10 3 jack +1 tuck Jumps. Once the penalty is completed continue with the push ups.
You can rest in a pike position (the top of a push up) but once you can not do push ups any longer and need to rest on the ground, a penalty is counted and a complete 10 tuck Jumps

Push Ups are hand release...meaning, chest comes down, touches the ground, hands lift up.

50 One Arm Kettlebell swings
5 reps each arm. Do not put the kbell down until you reach 50.
Russian swings (not overhead)

50 One Arm step-ups holding heavy dumbell...
5 reps each arm. Do not put the kbell down until you reach 50.
5 step-ups onto box with right leg holding kbell in right arm.
Switch – 5 on left leg with kbell on left side. Rotate until you reach 50.

Load for today – AHAP! Post load with time

• front squat
• burpee hurdle jump
• pistol Squat
• chest press
• dips

You will cycle through the exercises, spending 60 seconds at each – the clock does not stop as you transition from one exercise to the next. After you have completed the fifth station, rest 60 seconds... Repeat for a total of three rounds.

Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

Enough for 1 Person

1 cup raw oats,
1 scoop Protein Powder,
3 egg whites,
1/4 cup water,
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon,
2 packets sweetener,
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Ingredients for making oatmeal protein pancakes:-Place everything into a blender and blend for 30 secs.Pour onto a hot griddle once pancake batter has been mixed well.

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Cheerleader Workout! xo

Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you’re scared to death!
-Earl Wilson

I thought that was appropriate...thanks to all of you for your sweet comments and support! WOW! I definitely do feel supported and love knowing that my friends and family are there to be my biggest cheerleaders~ I realized today that no matter what we endeavor to do, with a strong support system, even the biggest and scariest tasks are do-able! I hope this for all of you too, that there is a support system that helps you with your goals. Everyone struggles at some point or another with lack of motivation, fatigue or lack of consistency! Sometimes though, it's not a lack of motivation – sometimes it’s the people you center yourself around. The most successful people I've trained surround themselves with a powerful, encouraging group of people who stand by them throughout it all.

Who are your cheerleaders? Who can you be a cheerleader for?

Tonight's workout!

Warm Up
1 minute Rotations~
Box Jumps
Burpees
High Knees
THREE SETS.

Then, we are headed out side to enjoy this weather!
You need to take outside to the back:
mat, bar for squats, medicine ball,

1x sprint, 20 x Push ups
2x sprint, 20 x Push-ups, 30 decline situps
3x sprint, 20 x Push-ups, 30 x decline sit-ups, 40 squats
4x sprints 20 x Push-ups, 30 decline sit-ups, 40 squats, 50 Wall Ball throws
3x sprint print, 20 x Push-ups, 30 x decline sit-ups, 40 squats
2x sprint, 20 x Push-ups, 30 decline situps
1x sprint, 20 x Push ups

ohhh yeah~~
this one is epic!
newbies, scale down by doing half the number of reps!