MacroVegan Sushi? So YUM! & Part of the RawFitnessChallenge!!!

So you’re thinking…’RawFitnessChallenge’??? Am I going to be eating broccoli for 30 days? Well although I use the word ‘Raw’, this challenge is in no way only ‘raw’ foods! RawFitnessTV.com and Raw Fitness personal training use the word RAW to describe the approach to nutrition, exercise and lifestyle habits. RAW can stand for Real, Authentic, Wholesome in relation to food, nutrition and lifestyle. RAW can stand for Ripped Ass Women or Ripped Awesome Workouts when it comes to exercise and fitness. Basically, I want you to be friendly to the environment and use what ‘the good lord gave ya’! Food should be from the earth to your table, unprocessed, unrefined, organic farming practices, wholefoods baby! Exercise should be functional, bodyweight and minimal equipment and machinery. Your body weight is a sufficient amount of weight for your workouts to get you trim, slimmed, lean and toned…and feeling great! Get back to the basics! Oh, and there is more info about how to join the #Rawfitnesschallenge at the end of this post, so don’t miss that!
A fantasticly tasty meal that is aligned with the RawFitnessChallenge is my MacroVegan Sushi rolls made with Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Avocado & Zucchini. SO GOOD! AND SATISFYING!

If there is anything that could help satisfy a sweet tooth craving, it would be the combination of a slice of sweet potato, a slice of avocado on top, and a sprinkle of sea salt or dulse flakes…and if necessary a drizzle of agave…so good. But you put that combo into a sushi roll and you’ve got yourself a pretty delish meal for a warm summer night. Refreshing, satisfying, filling yet light. Remember, your dinner should not be super heavy and filling, you will be sedentary after din din and going to bed soon…so there is no reason to load up on the calories.

Super Satisfying Sweet Potato-Avocado Sushi (Macro-Vegan, RawFitnessChallenge worthy)

Sushi Ingredients: (All Organic)

• Quinoa (1/4 – 1/2 cup per person)
• Avocado (1/2 Avocado per person)
• Sweet Potato (1/4 – 1/2 Medium Sweet Potato per person)
• Zucchini, julienned (1/3 Large Zucchini)
• Ume Plum Vinegar 1 -2 tsp (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 1 Nori Sheet per person

Marinade Ingredients: (All Organic)

• A few dashes of dried basil, oregano, dill, pepper and dulse flakes
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ume plum vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

First combine marinade ingredients and put your julienned zucchini into a bowl with the marinade and let sit, to soften and infuse the zucchini. Cook sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker for about 10-15 minutes depending upon how many potatoes you’re cooking. Remove from pressure cooker and place in tupperware on the side/countertop while you make other ingredients. Cook up your Quinoa before or during prep. You should soak your quinoa, then cook in pressure cooker for around 10 minutes. You can use it hot or chilled, it’s up to you. Lay one nori sheet on a sushi mat, shiny side down. Place about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of Quinoa onto nori sheet and spread out over one half of the nori sheet. Drop a line of ume plum vinegar down the middle of the quinoa on the nori sheet. Lay your sweet potato slices (1/4 inch thick slices), avocado slices (1/8 inch thick), zucchini slices down the middle of the quinoa and drizzle the extra marinade over the quinoa evenly. Roll it up, slice it up and plate! I used any extra avocado, sweet potato and zucchini slices to put atop my romaine side salad. Very delicious and satisfying dinner for a warm summer night! Enjoy!

For the RawFitnessChallenge starting on July 1st read the blog post ’30 Days to Re-Vamp’. Additionally, we will be chatting with eachother over the world wide web to keep each other motivated not only on Twitter.com but you can join the conversation and interactive community directly on Tweetchat.com too using the directions below. Remember, if you want to join the challenge you must post your ‘commitment statement’ on Twitter.com using hashtag #rawfitnesschallenge now…do it now…the instructions are in the ’30 Days to Re-Vamp’ post. And any tweets you make in reference to this challenge on twitter.com use the hashtag #rawfitnesschallenge.

Get Involved in the Interactive Online RawFitnessChallenge Community:

1. Go to tweetchat.com
2. Sign in using your twitter account on tweetchat.com
3. Enter rawfitnesschallenge as the hashtag to follow.
4. It will take you to a ‘wall’ with all the posts related to rawfitnesschallenge so we can share our experiences and keep each other motivated, share exercise routines and recipes, and do a little Q & A.

See you there! Make your commitment statement now!

Arm Ripper & Core Workout & Fresh Homemade Almond Milk!

This morning, I woke up SO ready to take on Saturday in full force. I felt excited about getting outside this morning for a Upper Body, Core & Cardio Workout. Also, my almonds that I had placed in a jar of water the night before to soak were ready to be blended up to make my first ever batch of home made almond milk! Before my 30 Day Challenge, I was drinking that processed, pasteurized almond milk from the store…during my 30 Day Challenge this has been one of my ‘vices’ that I had to let go of. I’ve known the whole time about being able to make my own home made almond milk (which I can have during the 30 day challenge), but haven’t had the time until today!
First I wanted to post a picture (pic above) from my Arbonne Spa Party I had the other day. I made up some macro/vegan meals for my lady guests, and they were a hit! I served up ‘Mock Chicken Salad’, Hummus, Salad w/ citrus ginger vinaigrette and my beloved raw vegan chocolate pudding!

The ‘Mock Chicken Salad’ was a hit, even my boyfriend likes it! And of course, chocolate pudding was phenomenal! Me and my lady guests had such a great time getting our mini-facials and makeup makeovers, the before and after was amazing. Kristy is SO talented at doing our makeup makeovers! Thanks Kristy!

I served it fresh and cool out of the refrigerator in cups and my guests couldn’t believe that this chocolate pudding was raw, vegan and made from simple and super good for you ingredients! It’s so tasty and there are so many different variations to this recipe!

On to my fabulous home made ALMOND MILK! Oh good lord was it SO much tastier and satisfying then the crap I bought in the store! First, I soaked 1 Cup of Almonds in a jar with filtered water. Fill jar up with filtered water to cover almonds completely + 2 inches more of water. Sit on counter top to soak overnight. Then follow directions below!

Home Made Almond Milk:

1. 1 Cup Soaked Organic Raw Almonds (drain water)
2. Blend Almonds in good blender first.
3. Then add in 2-3 cups water until you get desired consistency.
4. Strain almond milk mixture through nut milk bag into a big glass jug or jar.
5. Squeeze all of almond milk from nut milk bag.
6. Place nut ‘cheese’/leftovers to side (DO NOT THROW OUT!)
7. Put almond milk liquid back in blender.
8. Blend in 1-2 tbsp vanilla extract, 1-2 pitted dates/agave/stevia, these are optional and for whatever your preference is.
9. Also, you could add mint, raw cacao, fresh squeezed orange juice and so on to add different flavors!
10. Store in fridge, keeps for 3 days or so. You can flavor you leftover nut ‘cheese’ to taste like cheese or use it in different recipes, so don’t throw out the leftovers!

For my Ripped Ass Woman Upper Body, Core & Cardio workout, I took it outside under the sun and to a park near my house that has chin up and dip bars. I hooked up my TRX around one of the chin up bars. Below I give alternative exercise moves if you don’t have a TRX:). Enjoy!

Ripped Upper Body, Core & Cardio Workout:

Part 1: Strength – Do 1 Round of following exercises.

1. Chin Ups 12 Reps
2. TRX Atomic Push Ups (OR Push Up and Squat Thrust) 10 Reps
3. TRX 1-Leg Shoulder Press 16 Reps (8R/Leg) (Do Pike Press w/feet Elevated on Chair)
4. TRX Atomic Push Ups 10 Reps
5. TRX Dips (OR Dips off Chair or Bench) 15 Reps
6. TRX Low Rows (OR Inverted Rows or Bent-Over Rows) 15 Reps
7. TRX Y Flyes (OR Incline Bench Back Flyes) 15 Reps
8. TRX Atomic Push Ups 10 Reps
9. TRX Tricep Overhead Extension (Or Standing Overhead Tricep Extensions) 15 Reps + 20 Pulses (Upper Half Range of Motion)
10. 1-Leg Elevated (On Dip Bars, 4 feet high) Push Ups 5R/Leg; 2 Sets
11. Hanging V Leg Raise (Holding body off ground on dip bars, raise legs up in V) 10 Reps; 2 Sets
12. Inverted Rows (Overhand Grip 10 Reps/Underhand Grip 10 Reps) 2 Sets
13. Body Dips on Dip Bar 10 Reps; 1 Set

Part 2: Cardio

1. Set Timer for 10 minutes. You will perform exercise movement for 45 seconds of effort and have 15 seconds rest. So you will do 10 intervals of 45 seconds of effort and 15 seconds of rest for total of 10 minutes.
2. You will alternate between two exercise moves. Start with Sprint Runs for first 45 second interval. Rest 15 seconds. Then perform High Knee Jump Rope Skips for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds. Keep repeating and alternating between these two exercises for 10 minutes.
3. Sprint Runs: I ran ‘suicides’ in outdoor basketball court between one end, to mid court & back, then from one end to the other end and back. Basically, just sprint between two points for 45 seconds and you’re good.
4. High Knee Jump Rope Skips: I used my rock climbing rope for extra challenge because it is heavy, but any rope will do. Do jump rope while doing high knees. Or just do your best and go your hardest at jumping rope or high knees.

Now, chug some water, lie down and congratulate yourself because you just completed a Ripped Ass Woman workout!

I had a surge of energy later in the afternoon, and decided to take my bike out for a spin around town. So fun, relaxing and got a good 45 minutes of hills and flats in! Now time for an ice cold frosty home made lemon drink!

To Your Health,

Natty Mac

Chocolate Pudding? Superfood? Why Yes!

I had an epiphany today about food, nutrition and how EVERYONE should start viewing the ‘eating process’. The macrobiotic challenge has greatly helped me to have this ‘epiphany’. I changed my eating habits A LOT, from what I eat, how often, when, why, how and so on. I’ve cut out all animal products (gone vegan) and for the most part have cut out anything that is processed, meaning everything I prepare or cook is truly a ‘whole food’ in its natural state. At first it was really challenging to make these changes…I didn’t know what to eat, how to prep meals, I got a little frustrated but pushed through and am SO GLAD I stuck with it 100% because the experience has been life changing.
EVERYTHING I eat or drink is to ‘fuel’ my body. Each ingredient in my meals and snacks serve the purpose of contributing the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbs, fats, proteins, etc that my body needs to function at optimal capacity. AND THIS IS THE REASON I FEEL AMAZING. For the last 20 days, everything I have eaten has had some purpose in feeding my body what it needs to function, when you do this amazing things begin to happen. And it has only been 20 days, imagine what 3 months will hold.

My epiphany: Every meal or snack and every ingredient in that meal or snack should have a purpose, fuel for optimal performance.

When I wake up, my tea energizes me to start my day and my 16 ounces of water I chug first thing in the morning hydrates me. My breakfast of buckwheat groats gives me the sustained energy I will need for work and my exercise routine. Each meal/snack also has cooling or warming effect depending upon the season (warm/cold/winter/summer). Food, my meals/snacks, fuel me for the next few hours of activity. BUT…the big change, the epiphany…these meals & snacks are so much more fun to make, more satisfying, delicious, have variety, can be ‘sweet’ or ‘savory’, and are SO easily digested because there aren’t any animal products, artificial ingredients or highly processed crap & they are in their natural and ‘whole’ state so that I can receive ALL the nutrients from each ingredient. In turn…the outcome is a clear mind as I’ve never experienced before, energy like I had when I was a 5 year old, weight-less feeling, joy, and as my new friend Kara says ‘seeing the deepest, coolest, most vivid color blue as you’ve never seen it before’.

Depending on how much time I have, I can whip something up that’s good for my mind and body. Or take my time to make an elaborate meal. I HAVE MORE VARIETY NOW THAN I DID BEFORE! Some people may say that I’m on a restricted diet…this is incorrect actually. Look at my pinterest boards, the vast array of recipes and options for all meals of the day is endless and in NO WAY restricted.

In fact, I find the ‘macrobiotic way’ more satisfying. I can even have dessert now! If you stick to the ‘macrobiotic way’ you will shed any excess weight, feel amazingly energized and clear minded and get to enjoy in a variety of satisfying and delicious meals and snacks. I don’t know about you but this is way better than eating oatmeal for breakfast, salad for lunch and chicken and broccoli for dinner every day!

I made my new favorite dessert today, I call ‘Superfood Chocolate Pudding’. So easy to make and tastes AMAZING! Perfect for this time of year (Spring/Summer), has healthy fats, low G.I., loaded with vitamins/minerals and cools you down while satisfying that desire for something sweet and tasty.

“Superfood Chocolate Pudding”

Makes 1 serving.

• 1/2 Organic Avocado
• 2 TBSP Raw Cacao
• 1-2 TBSP Lacuma Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla bean or alcohol-free organic vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup filtered water
• Optional- 1 TBSP organic shredded coconut

Put all ingredients in your magic bullet, blender or food processor and blend. Enjoy! Add fresh mint leaves to the blender for mint chocolate pudding! Or fresh squeezed orange juice. Options are endless!

I encourage anyone to do their research and give the ‘macrobiotic way’ a real try, give it 100%, give it 30 days, it will be worth it.

Health & Happiness,

Natty Mac