I’ve cited tone it up plenty of times, but I want to point out that I stumbled across these fabulous ladies during last year’s “Bikini Series.” Their ‘Bikini Series” is an 8 week challenge where they post (on their blog) and email you (if you sign up for their newsletter) a new workout challenge daily – and challenging they are!

Here is a short video on this year’s series:

http://toneitup.com/blog.php?It-HERE-Your-2nd-Annual-Bikini-Series-5460

And here’s a good article about how to approach the 8 weeks (what to eat, what to avoid):

http://toneitup.com/blog.php?A-Must-Read-Bikini-Series-5466

It started last week I believe, but I finally got around to their first workout challenge last night. Below is a link to their first challenge, which is their original workout for their collaboration with SELF Magazine’s Drop 10.

http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Wild-On-Wednesday—Your-Drop10Challenge-Toning-Workout-5436

It consists of  8 full body toning moves – 2 to 3 sets of 12-15 reps.  I completed 2 sets of 12 reps with 5lb dumbbells. During the workout I wore my new heart rate monitor watch (Polar FT60) to track my heart rate and calories. Two circuits took me 20 minutes of which I burned 140 calories – not too shabby considering there wasn’t much cardio involved and let me tell you, I’m certainly feeling it today. My heart rate was between zone 2 -3. It even got as high as 170 on some of the moves! I ended my workout with 40 minutes of interval hills on the elliptical. All-in-all I’d say it was a great Monday workout!

Partly why I love their workouts is because you can do them anywhere (you don’t need to be at the gym) and most of them, even three times through, take no more than 30 minutes. So, in 20-30 minutes you have completed a full body toning workout and if you’re like me – a cardio addict- these are exactly the types of workouts you need! Best of all, they have all of their videos in printable format! Being the type A person that I am, I printed them all out and put them in a small binder – which I have actually taken on vacation with me

Here is today’s challenge if you want to catch up…

http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Tone-It-Up-and-Livestrong-WOMAN-team-up-to-bring-you-this-week-s-Tone-It-Up-Tuesday-5469

Enjoy and Good Luck!!

Asparagus

• Asparagus is high in glutathione, an important anticarcinogen
• It also contains rutin, which protects small blood vessels from rupturing and may protect against radiation
• Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A, C and E, B-complex vitamins, potassium and zinc

Avocado

• Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, which is easily burned for energy.
• An avocado has more than twice as much potassium as a banana.
• For a delicious, creamy salad dressing, mix together avocado and fresh carrot juice.

Bananas

• You don’t need to eat bananas for the potassium! (Although it is present in bananas, potassium is the predominant nutrient among most all fruits and vegetables.)
• Bananas are high in sugar, so they should not be eaten if you have blood sugar problems.
• Don’t eat bananas on an empty stomach; combining them with a bit of protein will help to normalize the insulin response caused by the sugar in the banana.
• Green-tipped bananas are better for your health than over-ripe bananas.
• On a side note: Because bananas are so popular, rainforests are often destroyed to make way for banana plantations.

Beet Greens/Root

• Beet greens contain notable amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus
• They also contain vitamins A, B-complex and C
• Beet roots are high in carbohydrate levels and should therefore be used sparingly

Broccoli

• Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange
• It has almost as much calcium as whole milk–and the calcium is better absorbed
• It contains selenium, a mineral that has been found to have anti-cancer and anti-viral properties
• Broccoli is a modest source of vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol vitamin E
• It also has antioxidant properties

Celery

• Celery is the best vegetable source of naturally occurring sodium.
• It is high in potassium.
• The high water content in celery makes it ideal for vegetable juicing.
• As an easy way to reduce grains in your diet, spread peanut butter on celery rather than bread.

Cilantro

• Cilantro may be useful to treat urinary tract infections
• Both the leaves and seeds aid digestion, relieve intestinal gas, pain and distention
• They also treat nausea, soothe inflammation, rheumatic pain, headaches, coughs and mental stress
• Cilantro is a member of the carrot family

Chicory

• Chicory contains inulin, which helps diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels
• Chicory is closely related to lettuce and dandelion but is a member of the sunflower family
• It may be cleansing to the liver and gallbladder
• Chicory is beneficial for digestion, the circulatory system and the blood
• Chicory leaves are a good source of calcium, vitamin A and potassium

Chinese Cabbage

• Chinese cabbage has anti-inflammatory properties
• It is an excellent source of folic acid
• Chinese cabbage is low in calories and low in sodium
• It is also high in vitamin A and a good source of potassium

Dandelion Greens

• Dandelion is beneficial to digestion and is an antiviral that may be useful in the treatment of AIDS and herpes
• It may also be useful in treating jaundice, cirrhosis, edema due to high blood pressure, gout, eczema and acne
• Dandelion is also used to treat and prevent breast and lung tumors and premenstrual bloating
• Dandelion greens are high in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid and vitamin C
• They also contain calcium and potassium
• Dandelion root contains inulin, which lowers blood sugar in diabetics

Fennel

• Fennel contains the antioxidant flavonoid quercetin
• This herb is anticarcinogenic and can be useful for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation
• Fennel can be useful for indigestion and spasms of the digestive tract
• It also helps expel phlegm from the lungs

Green Beans

• Fresh beans contain vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, calcium and potassium
• Green beans are diuretic and may be used to treat diabetes
• A fresh bean should snap crisply and feels velvety to the touch

Jicama

Good afternoon! As promised, I will give you my full review of Giada’s ‘Rise and Shine’ green juice. I was going to wait until this morning to try the juice, but the curious and anxious being that I am clearly didn’t let that happen.

Rise and Shine Juice:

I tweaked her recipe by using one apple instead of two and I also forgot to add the ginger.  This was my first ever juicing experience (I have made green smoothies) and it was absolutely wonderful! The drink itself was delicious, I gulped it down in about 2.2 seconds.  The stronger notes were celery and lemon, so it was sweet/citrus in flavor. Again, you can use more fruit or different fruit to sweeten it up! I used this as my pre-workout energy jolt, however the reverse happened – I fell into an hour long nap. Fear not, I got up energized and ended up having a two-hour long cardio session – a mish mash of sorts, but nonetheless a great one!

Let’s get to the benefits of  juicing, shall we? 

Phytochemicals, chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants, are responsible for color and organoleptic properties, such as the deep purple of blueberries and smell of garlic. The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that have biological significance.

Scientists estimate that there may be as many as 10,000 different phytochemicals having the potential to affect diseases such as cancer, stroke or metabolic syndrome. Although certain phytochemicals are available as dietary supplements, the potential health benefits of phytochemicals are best derived from consumption of whole foods and juicing.

Alkalizing-  helps promote a healthy PH balance as we eat many foods that are acidic.

Energizing - because the fruits and veggies are stripped of their fiber they are digested much quicker and therefore the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are ingested by the body almost immediately.

Beautifying – you’re giving your body a huge does of nutrients where your body doesn’t have to work as hard to digest (since the fiber is removed) leaving you with healthy glowing skin.

Quick and Easy - it takes all about 5 minutes to throw in the veggies and out comes a juice.

Quantity - the amount of raw fruits and veggies you can consume through juicing are far beyond what you would consume as a whole, thus providing you with greater levels of nutrition.

Variety - juicing allows you to consume a variety of veggies that you would normally not eat on a daily basis (or find tasty enough to eat raw)

Raw - all of your fruits and veggies are raw providing you with natural digestive enzymes (aid in the digestion of food) and also providing you with 100% of the vitamins and minerals (partially lost when cooking)

So, there you have it. An abundant amount of reasons to start juicing! I started my day today with my own Green Goddess drink. I prepped my veggies the night before so all I had to do was throw them in the juicer. It’s noon and I’m still sipping my drink btw.

Ingredients:

1 celery stalk

4 carrot sticks (about 3 inches long and skinny)

2 cups of spinach (guestimate, I just kept putting handfuls in there)

1/2 lemon

1-inch ginger

Yums! If you’re not into ginger, lemon or celery you will not like this drink. It was much more potent than last night’s drink, but I enjoy the lemon/ginger taste and less sweetness.  If you’re worrying about the ‘green’ part start by using milder greens like romaine lettuce or spinach into your smoothies first.  I promise, you won’t even taste it!

Further reading and recipes:

Health Benefits of Juicing

How to Make Green Juice

Green Juice Recipes

Everydayglow Green Smoothie Guide

Happy Thirsty Thursday! Drink up

It’s been a while, I know. I guess you could call it a minor blog-brain-freeze or blogger’s block or a lack of creative energy, nonetheless now that it’s officially spring, there’s no better time for spring cleaning – mind, body and closets I don’t know what it is about the vernal equinox, but I always have this burning itch to detox – and I’m not just referring to a body cleanse, however that is also a key component.  I don’t know about you, but spring time, to me, feels like the perfect time to rid of toxic substances (in all forms) from your life. There’s a reason why some religions have a “fasting” period before Easter (which is in the spring). It’s to cleanse your body and mind.

Now that we so gracefully touched the subject of detox, here is the definition: (Medicine) to undergo treatment to rid the body of poisonous substances, esp alcohol and drugs.  I have been reading a lot of articles on toxic substances lately and it got me feeling hopeless.  Hopeless because everywhere you turn there is a toxic substance attached to it. At this point, we’re better off living on farm and growing our own food or buying our own cows from local farmers. It’s depressing, but there’s not much we can do about it besides control what we can control and that is what/where we spend our food dollars.  I know, it’s really easy to get tempted and skip on the organic label because of price, but you either spend your money at the produce market or you spend it at the doctor – I’d personally choose the former. 

There are a number of ways to get a detox in gear. From juice fasts, eliminating allergens (meat,dairy,nuts,wheat), water fasts and the like. Now, you don’t have to be so extreme in your ways, simply vowing to buy organic for most -if not all- of your products is a huge step. “By switching to organic foods you immediately eliminate pesticide toxins, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified foods, antibiotics, and petroleum based food chemicals.” See, it’s that simple! Furthermore, it’s also a good idea to do a beauty drawer overhaul.  I’ve completely switched over to “Yes to” organic and paraben-free skin care line – I absolutely love how my skin looks and feels!  Slowly, but surely, I will be switching over to certified organic hair care products as well (as of now, I’m looking into Alterna’s Bamboo line.) Just yesterday – at my hour long whole food’s visit- I bought a tube of Tom’s fluoride-free toothpaste. Read here on the dangers of fluoride.  (Thankfully, Smart Water is distilled and fluoride-free so I don’t need to change my water department.)  I walked out with two bags full of organic goodies for $50! If you’re worried about over-spending, don’t forget to check for online coupons. You’d be surprised at your end-of-the-day savings.

If you’re interested in juicing, below is a simple green juice recipe I stumbled across in Women’s Health magazine. It’s Giada’s Rise and Shine Juice. First and foremost, you’ll need a juicer (blenders wont work).

• 5-6 oz organic baby spinach leaves, rinsed
• 2 medium organic carrots, scrubbed
• 2 organic apples (I prefer green) halved and cored
• 2 organic celery sticks
• 1/2 organic large lemon, peeled
• 1 piece of organic ginger, peeled (1-inch)
• ice

This juice makes 2 servings.

Juicing is a fantastic way to get as many servings of your veggies and fruits as you possibly can in one day. You can choose to do a straight juice fast – where you forego solid food for days at at time (to really rid your body of toxins). You can substitute a few meals/snacks with  a few juices a day, or you can simply just start by adding one green juice to your daily menu. The possibilities are endless! Let’s be honest, who couldn’t use a little more fruit and veggies in their day? Don’t be afraid to try something new and if you’re fearing veggies in your juice – don’t. You can easily sweeten it up with more fruit!

I’ll keep you posted on my experience with this juice recipe, and the many more I plan to try!

Further reading:

Organic Manifesto

The 20 best organic foods

Caged vs. Free-range Eggs

Happy Hump Day!!  Do something for your humps today (squats, lunges, stairs) Anything to get that booty bumpin