When Lower Body Workouts Send You Running for Cover…

Here’s a lower body leg workout you can take a shot at today, and it won’t send you running… for cover… no pun intended! Sometimes, a leg workout routine can seem intimidating or overwhelming, especially if you add in a long cardio session after you strength train. So, if you’d like to try out a more simple approach, check this out!

We love leg workouts, especially body weight leg routines. And this one is simple yet effective for helping you get your legs (and your abs) in shape!

Compliments of the 28-Day Warrior Girl Challenge. This is “Workout #1” of the 5 Workouts Per Week plan. I did this workout at home this morning, and not only does it fire up your fat burning potential by incorporating High Intensity Interval Training, but it also helps to strengthen, trim & tone those legs (& abs) while you’re at it!

Tip: Pin this to one of your Pinterest boards so that you can take it with you to the gym!

To get the details on the exact instructions & modifications for all skill levels for this Workout and the rest of the “28 Day Warrior Girl Challenge”, visit our CLICK HERE!

Shhh…Just Between Me & You…20 Secrets to Get You Ready for Bikini Season

TOP 20 SECRETS TO GET YOU READY FOR BIKINI BODY SEASON

First of all…Bikini Bodies are COMPLETELY OVERRATED…it’s all about getting fit & strong ladies!

Here are 20 unconventional ways to get & keep a fit & strong body while still having a life!

Incorporate these rules below into your daily lifestyle to not only improve your health & well-being but to help you fast track your progress toward achieving your fitness goals! For more on the details & science behind these guidelines, check out other related posts here on www.BraveAngel.com. Otherwise, follow these rules and you’ll start shedding the excess weight you’ve been trying to get rid of!

1. Avoid alcohol

2. Write down three habits that will bring about change in your potential to stick to your goals. Ex: I will drink one bottle of water every two hours while at my 9-5 job.

3. Eat 4-5 small meals/snacks per day that are 300-500 calories max

4. Eat on smaller plates that are no larger than 6” diameter

5. Take Probiotics, like Jarrow Formulas – Jarro-Dophilus EPS

6. Workout at least 5 days per week

7. Strength train at least 4 days per week

8. Don’t do too much cardio! Three, 25-30 minute sessions/week + 1 longer 45 minute max session/week is a good standard to go by…

9. Eat whole foods. Unrefined. Nothing processed. From the earth, to the plate & to my belly!

10. Oil pulling

11. Drink Bentonite Clay (this will be one of my next posts!)

12. Take a Magnesium Supplement

13. Drink at least 80 ounces of water/day

14. Avoid High Glycemic Foods (& Sugar)

15. Eat Fat! (Healthy fats that is, like coconut oil, olive oil, & flax oil)

16. Keep a daily log of what & how much I consumer

17. Keep a daily log of type & duration of my workouts or activity

18. Eat organic. Food without use of antibiotics, GMOs, pesticides, or fertilizers, & that is grass-fed & free-range.

19. Take an Omega-3 Supplement (I use Deva Organic Vitamins Flax Seed Oil, Omega-3’s instead of Fish Oil)

20. Eat for what your activity level will be for the next three hours. “Eat for what you are about to do”. Remember, food is your fuel so you can get out there and seize the day!

P.S. – If you are sick of always trying to get in shape by summer…but by the time bikini season arrives you haven’t reached your fitness & physique goals….then you may want to join us Brave Angels in the 28 Day Fit & Toned “Bikini” Body Challenge. I will be posting it here on the blog in the next day or so! It includes a total of FIVE workouts for you (with modifications for all skill levels), a 28 day countdown calendar, and the tools you will need to get you where you want to go by the 2014 Bikini Body Season! Oh, and these FIVE workouts, you can do at home or at the gym and they will be downloadable to your smartphone & you can print them out! You can’t go wrong with this one! I slaved away to make sure I covered all the bases for you!!

Follow this blog and check back here tomorrow to get your 28 Day Fit & Toned “Bikini” Body Challenge!

Or Follow Us on Facebook & Twitter & to get your 28 Day Fit & Toned “Bikini” Body Challenge directly via our Facebook & Twitter feeds!

Yours Truly,

Brave Angel

Will Toned Legs Ever Rule the World?

This whole thigh gap thing has me perplexed. Since when is it “hot” to look emaciated? Go ahead and starve yourself and spend countless hours wasting away on the treadmill so that you can have the “thigh gap” look if that’s what you want…….
But us here at Brave Angel are going to stick with focusing on our health & wellbeing, hard work, determination, and the shorter & more enjoyable workouts that leave you feeling fulfilled, accomplished, energized & strong…and with super trim & very toned legs!

How to get super cut and toned legs for bikini season:

1. Fuel your body with the necessary amount of calories, no starving & no binging!
2. Follow a macro-balanced whole foods diet
3. Exercise 4-5 days per week for at least 30-45 minutes
4. Be consistent with #1, #2, and #3 above, consistency is key!
5. Include below leg exercises in part of your weekly routine

Obviously, it is a little more involved than the five steps above. But each action mentioned above is a whole post in and of itself. Steps #1, #2 & #3 will be included in a complete bikini season exercise & diet plan that we are currently putting together for all of you! I will be posting the plan soon, here on my blog, for all of my followers. So stay tuned (and make sure you click “follow” on my blog)!

Until then, get active! Include the below trim & toned legs workout to uncover those sleek and sculpted legs that lie underneath any extra layers of excess weight you may have accumulated over the winter months!

Super Cut & Toned Legs Workout:

Strength: Do 2-3 rounds of the 10 exercises below w/minimal rest in between.

1. Walking Lunges (10 reps/leg)
2. Alternating Hip Lift Bridge [30 pulses total]
3. Jump Squats [10 reps]
4. Split Squats [10 reps/leg]
5. Elevated 1-Leg Hip Lift [10 reps/leg]
6. Fire Hydrant Side Kicks [20 reps/leg]
7. Pike Jumps [20 jumps]
8. Step Ups [10 reps/leg]
9. Lunge Jumps [20 switch jumps]
10. Plank Jacks [30 reps]

 

 

 

Cardio: Now hop on the treadmill or stair climber and do the following interval workout for eight minutes.

• 10 seconds at a Moderately Challenging Pace (Active Rest Interval)
  
• 20 seconds at your Max Pace (High Intensity Interval)
  
• Alternate between the Active Rest Interval and High Intensity Interval for 8 minutes
  

Now cool down and congratulate yourself on completing a challenging workout. You’re one step closer to achieving your fitness goals!

Yours Truly,

Brave Angel

W.O.W. Week 2 – RawFitnessChallenge!

Time for a new W.O.W. (workout of the week)!
This week we will be doing a ‘Time & Rep Challenge’. Again, focus on form first, endurance & strength will follow as you improve in fitness. You will perform the below exercises in a circuit fashion, perform the given # of reps for each move, then move onto the next move until you finish the whole circuit. Then do a 2nd and/or 3rd round. Your goal is to see how many rounds you can complete in 30 – 45 minutes. You choose the how long you want to push yourself for. If you’re a beginner, aim for 20-30 minutes. If you’re advanced, go for the whole 45 minutes. Or you can even up the intensity and just do 30 minutes! It’s up to you and your goals!

‘Time & Rep Challenge’: Warm up for 5 – 10 minutes.

1. Split Squats 30R/Leg
2. Pike Press 30R
3. Donkey Kicks 50R/Leg
4. Dips (Off chair, Dip station, 1-Leg, you choose) 40R
5. 1-Leg Deadlifts 20R/Leg
6. Reptile Push Up 10R
7. Plie Squat Pulse 40R
8. Bicycle 30R (2 twists = 1Rep)
9. Double Straight Leg Circles 10R/Way (Lie w/back on ground for beginners)
10. Toe Touches 30R

Cardio: Do 10-20 minutes of high intensity intervals on treadmill, elliptical, arc trainer, outdoor jog, bicycle, spin bike, etc.

• Do 30 seconds at a 6-out-of-10 exertion level. (Active Recovery Interval)
• Do 30 seconds at a 8/9-out-of-10 exertion level. (Effort Interval)
• Alternate between these two exertion levels for 10-20 minutes.

Cool Down and pat yourself on the back! Good Work!

Click on the exercise to be taken to a youtube video showing the exercise move if you aren’t familiar with what the exercise is. Make sure to have a nice big bottle of water nearby and write down how many reps, the weight you use, and how many rounds you get done. Then post your results on our 30 Day RawFitnessChallenge Facebook Page! Keep a journal of your workout results so you can track your progress!

M.O.W. (Meal of the Week): Perfect light meal that you can cook up on the grill! Sweet potato rounds are my ‘go-to’ when I’m hitting up a cookout. Everyone is throwing on their greasy, artery clogging burgers and hot dogs…meanwhile my sweet potato rounds are grillin’ up and are absolutely satisfying and tasty! Serve w/a side of raw vegan zucchini pasta that you can make ahead of time and bring with you to your cookouts. All the other guests will be jealous of your yummy plate of food!

Raw Vegan Zucchini Pasta

Grilled Sweet Potato Rounds

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. What I write in my blogposts is simply information that I have gathered over the years from reading and researching several health related topics from credible resources as well as personal experiences. I urge you to consult with a physician before changing your diet. The purpose of my blogposts are to share my experiences and fitness knowledge with everyone I possibly can to help others in their journey to improve their state of well-being.

30 Day Raw Fitness Challenge – Exercise Guidelines & W.O.W.

Here we go people! 30 Days to Re-Vamp Your Health!
So, I was hoping to get this post up yesterday, but we experienced ‘hurricane-like’ storms here in my area of Parkville, MD this past Friday. So when I returned from my vacation down at the ocean, I returned to no power, no air conditioning, 93 degrees in my house, all of my refrigerator food warm, and so on…we may not get our power back until FRIDAY which would be 7 whole days. Let’s just say I look pretty fabulous right now…sarcasm… I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET POSTS UP ON RAWFITNESSTV.COM and FACEBOOK to keep this challenge going during this time of challenge due to power outages! I promise:)

BUT!!!!! Let’s get our workout in still. I need your motivation people, in times like this, it’s so easy to find an excuse NOT to get a workout in, but just 10 minutes…start there and see where it goes! So let’s help each other out in this 30 day challenge! The previous post defines the ‘Nutritional Guidelines’ for the 30 day challenge, so please print those out and put on your refrigerator or somewhere you view daily. View ‘Exercise Guidelines’ below.

1. Log in 3-7 workouts per week on our Get Fit with RawFitnessChick Facebook Page
2. I will post a Workout of the Week (W.O.W.) on Sunday for you to do throughout the week. Make sure you give your muscles 24 hours to recover and rebuild. So do ‘cardio’ (run, jog, bike, aerobics, zumba, etc) in between strength training days or the W.O.W. days.
3. If you’re a beginner start with 3 workouts per week as your goal and add 1 additional workout every 1-2 weeks until you reach 5-7 workouts per week. A workout can be as short as 10 minutes. ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING. Listen to your body. If you’re exhausted, do something less intense or give your body a break that day. Just try to get at least 3 workouts in per week. And space them out every 1-2 days. Try to get a workout completed at least every 1-2 days.
4. Have a combination of ‘cardio’ and ‘strength’ workouts. If you are already lean and are looking to build lean muscle mass, your weekly cardio:strength workout ratio will be leaning more towards strength training and less time on the cardio aspect. If you want to shed excess body fat, lose weight, slim and tone up…aim to do 3-5 workouts per week that involve strength training to build or maintain lean muscle, and aim to do 3-7 workouts that involve cardio every week. I usually combine my strength and cardio into one workout, I complete my strength training first…then hop on the ‘arc trainer’ or ‘elliptical’ for 20 minutes of ‘cardio intervals’ (30 seconds of all-out-effort, 30 seconds of active recovery). Great way to blast fat & increase your metabolism!
5. If you’re intermediate-advanced. Don’t workout more than 60 minutes at-a-time. WHY??? Because when you workout more than 60 minutes, your body will begin to produce cortisol because it is ‘stressed’. Cortisol is a hormone linked to belly fat. You can get in a great workout in 60 minutes or less, trust me! If you aren’t seeing results from your workouts, don’t increase the duration of your workouts, increase the intensity and take a look at your diet. No matter how hard you workout, if your diet isn’t on track, then you’ll have extreme difficulty achieving your fitness goals.
6. If you’re pressed for time or just plain tired and don’t have the motivation. Get up and do at least 10 minutes of exercise for me! I don’t care what your excuse is…everyone has 10 minutes to spare! And if all you’ve got is 10 minutes, just increase the intensity and give it your all for that 10 minutes…then get on with your day!
7. AGAIN…POST YOUR WORKOUTS ON THE GET FIT WITH RAWFITNESSCHICK FACEBOOK PAGE!
   1. Do the W.O.W. that I post or your own workout.
   2. If you have the time, try to post what you did for your workout on the Facebook Page to help give others ideas and motivation!
   3. Also, post your workouts on your twitter account and use hashtag #rawfitnesschallenge if you wish to:)

Workout of the Week: W.O.W.

“Building a Foundation” – This workout will use basic body weight moves, strengthening and toning moves, and incorporate a cardio-endurance aspect. Beginner’s, listen to your body, take your time, and just do your best, shoot for 1-2 rounds and if you get through 3 rounds, WAY TO GO! Intermediate & Advanced – aim to do 2-3 rounds and use alternative or less intense moves when necessary. EVERYONE, I want you to focus on form over ‘just getting through it’. Our goal is to build a foundation of strength and endurance. Push yourself, but when you lose form…that means you hit your max for that move. Take a breather and move on!

Circuit: Perform 1-3 rounds. Do each ‘move’ for no more than 50 seconds. Take a quick 10 second break and move onto the next move immediately. Therefore you will spend 1 minute on each move, including rest. If you perform 3 whole rounds, it will be about a 30 minute workout. I have give you ‘goals’ to hit in terms of # of reps for each exercise. Try to get as many reps per exercise in that 50 seconds. Use a stopwatch or interval timer app on your phone. Perform 1 round straight through, take a quick breather, and perform a second and third round if you can. Remember form is the priority as well as listening to your body.

1. 100 High Knee Jump Rope Skips (Perform high knees while jumping rope/or just high knees if you don’t have a jump rope)
2. 15 Reps Push Ups (Advanced: Feet elevated on chair; Intermediate: On toes; Beginner’s: On knees)
3. 100 High Knee Jump Rope Skips
4. 50 Reps Jump Squat (Sit down into a squat with feet shoulder width apart, tap floor, power up and jump up)
5. 100 High Knee Jump Rope Skips
6. 100 Mountain Climbers (Get into a push up position, tuck one knee into chest, hop/switch feet, 1 hop = 1 rep)
7. 100 High Knee Jump Rope Skips
8. 30-40 Reps Dips off a Chair
9. 100 High Knee Jump Rope Skips
10. 50 Reps Plank Jacks (Get into plank position on your elbows and toes, jump feet out and together similar to motion you do with feet when doing jumping jacks, 1 hop out and together = 1 rep)

Click on the exercise to be taken to a youtube video showing the exercise move if you aren’t familiar with what the exercise is. Make sure to have a nice big bottle of water nearby and write down how many reps you get per exercise and how many rounds you get done. Then post your results on our 30 Day RawFitnessChallenge Facebook Page! Keep a journal of your workout results so you can track your progress!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. What I write in my blogposts is simply information that I have gathered over the years from reading and researching several health related topics from credible resources as well as personal experiences. I urge you to consult with a physician before changing your diet. The purpose of my blogposts are to share my experiences and fitness knowledge with everyone I possibly can to help others in their journey to improve their state of well-being.

RawFitnessChallenge – Nutritional Guidelines!!

I updated the ‘RawFitnessChallenge 30 Days to Re-Vamp’ post with new instructions on how to join the 30 Day Challenge & Interactive Community Board. Basically, we switched from using twitter.com as the main interactive community location to facebook.com. Read the post for instructions on how to join. You will go to my FACEBOOK PAGE ‘Get Fit with RawFitnessChick’ and make your commitment statement there as well as any posts related to the challenge, and this will be the main hub to find support and motivation.
Without further ado, click here for the ’30 Day RawFitnessChallenge Nutritional Guideline’. Read this and follow the 7 steps. You have 5 days from now until we start which will give you enough time to get prepared!

Will be uploading the exercise guidelines soon!

Take 30 Days & Re-Vamp Your Wellness…weight loss, fitness & well-being!

Alright…it is SUMMER! Today is the first day of summer. So much to look forward to, getting out and about with friends and family, the beach, enjoying the city you live in, taking in what nature has to offer and much more.
We also will be faced with more temptation. You will face temptations at cookouts, there are more gatherings centered around drinking alcohol, people will be indulging in frozen treats and drinks everywhere, like ice cream & pina coladas…you’ll be tempted to skip a workout either because you went out and had a little too much to drink the night before…or the view of the pool is calling you away from your workout shoes…

Enter…the 30 Day #RawFitnessChallenge. Coming July 1st, 2012. Take the month of July to re-vamp your wellness. Work towards 3 health, fitness & lifestyle goals. This challenge is for you, you will customize it to what you want to get out of 30 days in relation to your health. Be it mental, emotional, physical health and so on. I will provide each RawFitnessChallenger with a template and you will customize it to your individual needs and goals. You can do this challenge from anywhere in the world. If you happen to live in the Baltimore, MD area…you will get the opportunity to take part in my local wellness meetups I hold for this challenge. If you live elsewhere, you can do this challenge on your own…or invite friends/co-workers/family and hold your own meetups…the RawFitnessChallenge interactive community will provide everyone with the workouts, nutrition guidelines, motivation and accountability to keep you going for 30 days! I will explain how you join (free) the interactive community for the RawFitnessChallenge below.

What will the challenge be?

• You will do 3-7 workouts per week (depending on your current fitness level and goals). The 30 Day Fitness guidelines will be posted on RawFitnessTV.com blog for you to read, print and post on your refrigerator or somewhere you visit daily.
• You will follow ‘clean eating’ practices that include wholefoods that are unrefined and unprocessed for 30 days. The 30 Day Nutritional guidelines will be posted on RawFitnessTV.com blog for you to read, print and post on your refrigerator or somewhere you visit daily.
• Each Sunday, I will post the W.O.W. (workout of the week). You can choose to do the W.O.W. or your own workout you design but must log your 3-7 workouts on the RawFitnessChallenge interactive community board as an accountability factor and to help support others & keep each other motivated as well as provide ideas.
• Each Sunday I will share a new M.O.W. (meal of the week) breakfast, lunch & dinner recipe to test out and include in your week’s meal plan. You can choose any ‘clean’ wholefoods, unrefined/unprocessed ingredients and recipes that follow the 30 Day Nutritional guidelines. You are encouraged to post your recipes, success w/avoiding temptations, experience, and questions on the RawFitnessChallenge interactive community board!
• You will join the challenge by posting your commitment on the RawFitnessChallenge interactive community board on Facebook. Also you can post on your twitter page (if you have one) and your own facebook wall, as well as email close friends/family so that they are aware and able to empower you and keep you accountable. You must state this on the Facebook Page: “I am committing 100% to the 30 Day #RawFitnessChallenge to fuel & condition my mind, body and soul towards optimal wellness. (State your 3 fitness goals you want to work towards/achieve in 30 days if you feel comfortable doing so)”. Make sure you use the hashtag #RawFitnessChallenge when posting on Twitter so that your post is logged in the twitter RawFitnessChallenge interactive community board!!!!
  • Example: “I am committing 100% to the 30 Day #RawFitnessChallenge to fuel & condition my mind, body and soul towards optimal wellness. Lose 5 lbs, go vegan, apply myself at work.”
• Email Friends/Co-workers/Family: “I am committing 100% to the 30 Day #RawFitnessChallenge to fuel & condition my mind, body and soul towards optimal wellness. Lose 5 lbs, go vegan, apply myself at work. If you’d like to join me, let me know! Go to RawFitnessTV.com for info on the challenge.”

Where do I find the RawFitnessChallenge interactive community board?

• Log on to your facebook account.
• ‘Like’ Get Fit with RawFitnessChick.
• Every time you workout, need motivation, hit a roadblock, have questions about the challenge or need support, eat wholefoods, want to share a recipe, achieve one of your goals or to log the results you’re experiencing…basically, ANYTHING related to the RawFitnessChallenge….YOU WILL compose a new facebook post ON GET FIT WITH RAWFITNESSCHICK’s page – this page will be the interactive community board.
• You can also log on to your twitter account. If you don’t have a twitter account you can choose to open an account with twitter, or just log your posts on the ‘Get Fit with RawFitnessChick’ Facebook page.
• Once logged onto twitter follow @RawFitnessBmore
• Your first tweet will be your ‘commitment’ tweet as explained above.
• You can also tweet your questions, motivational quotes/pics, recipes, achievements, experience, workouts on twitter using hashtag #rawfitnesschallenge. You can then do a search on those posting about the #rawfitnesschallenge on twitter and get support and motivation on twitter as well. But the interactive community board is FACEBOOK.
• Log on to your pinterest account. If you don’t yet have one, sign up on www.pinterest.com.
• ‘Follow’ the following boards on ‘RawFitnessChick‘s’ pinterest page: Wellness, Amazing Vegan Desserts, Vegan Meals & Snacks, Raw Delicious Meals & Snacks, Raw Desserts, Exercise, Nutrition (or just follow all my boards if you wish).
• These ‘boards’ on pinterest.com will be a good resource for recipes, motivation, and workout ideas!

Your resource for workouts, recipes, nutritional advice and guidelines, motivation and support will be mainly Facebook, RawFitnessTV.com, and pinterest.com AND if you wish to use it, Twitter. If you live in the Baltimore, MD area and want to join in on the wellness meetups…join us on meetup.com or listen for updates on meetups on facebook and twitter!

The 30 Day RawFitnessChallenge will provide you with exercise and nutritional guidelines as well as the support, motivation and accountability needed to stick to the 30 day challenge to empower you to achieve your 3 health & fitness goals. After the 30 days, you will incorporate what you’ve learned and the habits that you’ve maintained into your new life for a healthier and happier new you! Let’s do this together, start preparing now, join the challenge now on twitter and facebook. Get committed early so that you can learn what you’ll need to do for the challenge and when July 1st comes you will be 100% ready to go!

Join us now…#RawFitnessChallenge…make your commitment statement now on twitter and facebook, let it be heard!

Hop on the Macrobiotic Train, Next Stop…The Sky’s the Limit

So, whether this is the first post you’re reading on my blog or if you’ve been following me through my 30 Day Challenge…let me just say and announce that I have been converted to the Macrobiotic Way. Go back and read my posts from May 1st to May 30th and you will understand more about what the hell I’m talking about!
To sum it up, I’m sad it is the end of the 30 Day Challenge because I want to keep going with it and the group of ladies that I’ve been doing the challenge with are AWESOME! SO I’m sticking with it baby! Why in the world would I go back to my old ways? I’ve learned so much and experienced how amazing and energized and clear-minded and strong I can feel and be when sticking to the macrobiotic way 100% (I did not cheat!). In fact, I think I can take it another step and incorporate more of the macrobiotic way into my life, there is so much more to learn! This was just the introduction, now it’s time to educate myself more and improve upon that knowledge. Some may say, “She is crazy”…but I say that anyone would have to be crazy to regress to what they were doing before. Once you learn something that will improve your quality of life, why in the world would you let it “go in one ear, and out the other”? Why would I go back to my old ways in which I had a lower quality of life? WHY? I ask myself this all the time when I share a VERY USEFUL piece of knowledge with someone, a piece of knowledge that could improve their quality of life greatly, and see that they don’t incorporate that new piece of knowledge into their life because it seems ‘too hard’. Well, isn’t it even harder to go day-to-day feeling like crap and isn’t it frustrating when you can’t seem to reach your health and fitness goals?

GO out and get a book on Macrobiotics (‘The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health and/or Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition are two that were recommended to me and are great) OR just start doing research on the internet. Learn what the principles and rules are and stock your pantry with Macrobiotic friendly foods and learn new recipes and start your own 30 Day Challenge. GIVE IT YOUR ALL AND YOU WILL ‘SEE THE LIGHT’.

Before Kara’s 30 day challenge I ate mostly ‘clean and whole foods’ (or thought I did). My ‘vices’ that I got rid of for the 30 day challenge were my vegan protein powder, coffee (8 cups/day…organic though! Lol..), oatmeal (microwaved rolled oats), LOTS of vitamins/minerals, fiber supplement, fish/meat/chicken/eggs (didn’t drink dairy), my beloved ‘processed, store bought’ almond milk, alcohol, seltzer water and those were my ‘vices’. My first day of the 30 day challenge I stated in my blog post, “This is a 30 Day cleanse/makeover/challenge and in no way do I plan on restricting my diet to this extreme after the 30 days is finished…BUT, I plan on taking a lot of what I learned and implementing it in my nutrition & lifestyle habits post-30 day challenge. Will I stay ‘vegan’? To be completely truthful…I doubt it…nothing personal to any ‘vegans’ but it seems very restricted and I don’t do well with extremes. I do want to lower the impact I have on the planet and the types of products I use to be of no harm to animals…we will see how much ‘veganism/macrobiotic’ I keep with me after the 30 days, how about that?”

Well…I’m not turning back!!! The funny thing I notice when I look at that statement is the word ‘restricted’ because this 30 Day Challenge has been the opposite of restricted. It has opened my eyes to the great variety of foods, recipes, ways of living and joy for life that you experience by living the macrobiotic way. Before the 30 Day Challenge, eating wasn’t fun because I ate the usual ‘healthy’ chicken and broccoli for dinner, salad for lunch, and my beloved oatmeal for breakfast. Now, the options are endless, and they make me feel good after eating too which I always had problems with. Follow me on pinterest.com where I ‘pin’ all the recipes I find, there are SO MANY great and tasty recipes out there!

Since I was a little kid, I dealt with horrible digestion problems, I remember I used to hate eating dinner because immediately afterward I’d be in severe pain from stomach issues, no matter what I ate this problem persisted. Even later in life, when I was eating ‘clean’ and correct portion sizes (ex. chicken and broccoli for dinner) I still experienced stomach issues. One of the most relieving moments on this 30 day challenge was around day 3 or 4. I ate my first meal in years in which my stomach felt COMPLETELY normal after finishing the meal and I was SO happy! As I’ve already stated, this new feeling of weightlessness and surge of energy and clear-mindedness and awareness have emerged & materialized. Everything I sense seems so ‘crisp’, from the blue sky to the green trees to the birds chirping and light warm breeze and smell of the fresh spring air. When I run I feel that energy surge just as I used to feel when I was 5 years old. When I take my pup for a walk, I literally start running as fast she is and we’re flying across the field, be it I probably look like a lunatic but I don’t care one bit because I feel amazing. Running never felt so good, I feel weightless and strong. I finally feel what ‘living’ should feel like and I’m ecstatic. THIS is why I’m not turning back to my old ways and I’m going to continue on after this 30 Days truly living life by fueling my body, mind and soul with what God wanted us to consume and how God wanted us to live!

Kara, thank you from the bottom of my heart. No words could ever express the amazing and life-changing impact your 30 Days Challenge has made on me. You saved my life, because now I can actually live it! Kara’s site: Natural Body Makeover

From here on out I’ll be sharing with you exercise routines, exercise videos, recipes and my journey to optimal wellness in hopes that you can enjoy life and really start living! Hop on the macrobiotic train, because when you truly feel alive and well, the sky is the limit baby!

Yours Truly,

Nat

Tushy Toner & Strawberry Orange Mint Cream Smoothie

I tested out a recipe last night, there are some tweaks that I’ll have to make but it is actually a perfect light energy snack to have on hand during this heat wave we are experiencing here in Baltimore. It’s called socca bread and is made from chickpea flour/water/salt and what ever flavoring (sweet or savory) that you add to it is up to you. Chickpea flour is just finely ground up chickpeas (that have been soaked/sprouted/or not soaked/sprouted, this is your preference and I’ll be experimenting with the two options). So I had a ton of leftover cooked chickpea that I didn’t want to go to waste, so I used them. The original recipe for socca bread does not involve cooked chickpea, it is chickpea flour. But I figured, what the hey!
Socca Bread: My ‘Test’ which will need adjustment

1. 1.5-2C Cooked Chickpeas
2. 1-2 tsp salt
3. 1-2 TBSP Agave
4. 1-2 tsp lemon juice
5. 1 tsp cinammon
6. 2 tbsp almond nut cheese
7. 2-3 tbsp water
8. 375F for 15-30 minutes in square coconut oiled pan

Place all ingredients in blender of food processor and blend until combined. Then put in a 8X8 baking pan and throw in the oven on 375F for 20-30 minutes. Turned out light, a tad sweet and delish! I will need to tweak though because it crumbles easily and I want it to stay together. Maybe arrowroot powder or something else, I will update you when I figure it out!

On to the workout…

I woke up ready to tear up some legs and core exercises down at a park near my house with my TRX and straight up body weight moves. I tuned my bike up yesterday so I hopped on my bike, brought my backpack with my workout gear (TRX, phone for music, exercise journal, water) and hit the road for a pre-workout quick bike ride which was perfect warm-up, took me about 7 minutes to get to the park.

Then I did the fabulous workout below baking under the warm morning sun.

Tushy Toner Workout:

Do each exercise for given # of reps and sets. Then move onto next exercise. Complete workout one time through or if you’re really feelin’ it that day, go for 2 rounds!

1. Pistol Squat (10R/Leg; 2 Sets) (Hold out 1 leg straight while you squat all the way down then back up on other leg, I used TRX for a bit of assistance on way back up)
2. TRX Reverse Lunge (10R/Leg; 3 Sets) (Make TRX into 1 Foot Strap, place foot in foot strap, hop forward on other leg so you about 4 feet away from anchor point, squat down on leg as you reach foot that is in foot strap back OR do same motion resting one foot on stability ball) (OR do a reverse lunge)
3. TRX Ham Curls (10 Reps; 3 Sets) (Lie on back facing TRX w/both feet in foot straps, raise hips up, curl feet into butt-back out-then lower hips down OR do same motion w/heels on stability ball) (OR Lie on back, place both heels up on edge of chair, raise hips up and down)
4. TRX Jump Squat (10 Reps; 5 Sets) (Facing TRX holding handles lightly, feet wide and plie/toes point out, squat all the way down then power up and jump up OR do same motion without holding TRX handles)
5. TRX Knee Tucks (10 Reps; 5 Sets) (Do plank w/feet in TRX foot straps OR on stability ball, from plank you tuck both knees up to chest and back out) (OR do plank and hop both feet up to hands and back out)
6. Burpee minus push up (10 Reps; 3 Sets) (From standing, squat down, place hands on ground, jump feet out to plank, jump feet back in, stand up/power up/jump up, repeat)
7. Shoulder Taps Feet Elevated (20 Taps Alternating; 3 Sets) (Get into plank w/feet in TRX foot straps, on a stability ball or elevated on chair, contract core & right arm as you tap right shoulder w/left hand, repeat w/right hand tapping left shoulder, do 20 reps)
8. V-Up Knee Tuck Reach High (10 Reps; 2 Sets) (Lie on back, hands at sides, raise upper body up and tuck knees up to chest as you come up into V shape w/body and reach hands up to sky, lower back down)
9. Side Plank Reach Unders (10 Reps/Side; 1 Set) (Get into side plank on left hand w/feet in TRX OR on stability ball OR elevated on chair, take right hand and twist torso as you reach under left side, do 10 Reps/side)
10. Side Lift Splits (10 Reps/Side; 1 Set) (Lie on Left Side, split legs pressing feet up against a wall, press left hand into ground right under left shoulder and raise hips up off ground and lower back down, do 10 Reps/Side)

Then I biked back home taking a longer route that included a BIG hill, so biking for just a total of 15 minutes but with intensity! DONE! ENJOY!

After my workout I continued to be quite active. Took my pup for a long walk, hit up the organic market for some goodies, played baseball with my boyfriend and then I needed to cool off from the 90 degree heat with a tasty and refreshing Strawberry Orange Mint Cream Smoothie (VEGAN)!

Strawberry Orange Mint Cream:

1. 8 Frozen Strawberries
2. 8 Sprigs Fresh Mint
3. 6 TBSP Fresh Almond Milk
4. 1/2 Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
5. 1 TBSP Lacuma Powder
6. 2 Shakes Stevia/Agave/Brown Rice Syrup
7. 1 TBSP Shredded Coconut
8. Ice to desired thickness
9. BLEND!

As you can see, I had already taken a big gulp of the smoothie before taking the picture! It was just too good to wait! Perfect treat to chill off and cool down from one fabulous Sunday!

Health & Happiness,

Nat

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