3 Ways to Become the MacGyver of Spring Cleaning

It’s officially Spring here so it is time for Spring Cleaning! Have an open mind and let’s apply this yearly tradition not only to your home, but your body & mind as well! Become an expert and a MacGyver on Spring Cleaning!

Your Spring Cleaning Goals:

#1 = HOME: Clean out, declutter & focus on one room in your house that has been bothering you all winter!

#2 = MIND: Close your eyes, and think about one thing that you’ve been meaning to do, that has been on your mind all winter (or for the past year!). Write it down. Now write down the roadblocks associated with this goal or obstacle. Now get strategic and write down the steps to tackle each roadblock. This week start working toward overcoming your obstacle and achieving your goal ONE STEP-AT-A-TIME!

#3 = BODY: This week it’s all about simplifying everything! Simplify your diet. AND simplify your exercise routine (if you don’t have an exercise routine, than start with the one spelled out below!)

BODY: EAT CLEAN

• Drink eight, 8 ounce glasses of water per day
• Whole foods, nothing processed.
• No baked goods, breads, added sauces, condiments, sugar or artificial ingredients or artificial sugars.
• Eat lots of green leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli & spinach.
• Add some colorful veggies to the mix like bell peppers, tomatoes & carrots.
• Eat clean & lean animal and plant proteins like organic, free-range & grass-fed turkey, bison, & eggs, as well as raw almonds, cashews, & sunflower seeds!
• Get some healthy fats in your diet from ground flax seed meal, avocados, coconut oil, & the nuts & seeds listed above.
• Lastly, include some unrefined, unprocessed, wheat-free organic whole grains like quinoa & buckwheat!
• Keep it simple. Each meal should only have 3-4 ingredients (for example: a kale salad with tomatoes, bell peppers & 2 eggs scrambled is a yummy breakfast, lunch or dinner option you can cook up in one pan on your stove top).
• Use lemons and fresh herbs & spices to flavor your meals and snacks.

BODY: SIMPLIFY YOUR WORKOUTS

This week focus on one muscle group per day and do at least 5 workouts. Choose one of the exercise routines below. Do the given number of reps/sets/time and then perform the cardio option for given duration. Go at your own pace and for your own skill level & have fun with it!

ROUTINE #1:

Muscle Group – Chest/Arms. Do 5-10 sets of 10 push ups.

Cardio – Run for 25 minutes at moderately fast pace.

*Do push ups against wall, or on your knees, or on your toes depending on your skill level

ROUTINE #2:

Muscle Group – Glutes/Hams. Do 5-10 sets of 10 prisoner jump squats.

Cardio – Run for 25 minutes at moderately fast pace.

*Just do squat portion (minus the jump), if you don’t feel comfortable doing jump squats

ROUTINE #3:

Muscle Group – Triceps. Do 5-10 sets of 10 tricep dips.

Cardio – Run for 35 minutes at moderate pace.

*Do dips from a chair, a bench or a dip bar

ROUTINE #4:

Muscle Group – Quads/Abs. Do 5-10 sets of 10 step ups/leg.

Cardio – Run for 20 minutes at max pace.

*Do step ups from floor or onto a chair or step bench

ROUTINE #5:

Muscle Group – Back/Abs. Do 5-10 sets of 10 Back Fly/Back Row combo (image on right).

Cardio – Run for 45 minutes at a steady-moderately challenging pace.

*Use dumbbells or if you are a beginner you can even just use two water bottles!

It’s good to change up your workout routine every 4-6 weeks to trick your muscles & body (& mind)! I wanted to share with you one of my favorite workout shirts that gets me pumped up (on the right).

What’s your favorite inspirational & motivational workout gear?

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!

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!

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!

What are YOU Allergic too? Could it be making it difficult for you to lose weight?! Want flat abs?

Post 30 Day Challenge. I’m still vegan/macro and let me tell you a little story why! This past weekend was my first weekend since my 30 Day Macrobiotic/Vegan challenge. So, I tested the waters a bit and went out to dinner with my fabulous boy-partner.
Friday night we hit up a local authentic mexican joint that I had been dying to try. Beforehand, I checked out their menu to make sure they had food that fit my preference. This is always good to do so that you aren’t caught in a bind when you are already seated and everyone’s ready to order…and there is nothing on the menu for you, been there and done that!

I heard some great things about this restaurant (Los Amigos) AND it had vegetarian dishes that I could easily ‘make’ into vegan (if I wanted to). I ordered the vegetarian fajitas which came with rice and beans and a little bit of guacamole and lettuce. This was a ‘celebration’ dinner for making it the WHOLE 30 days without cheating, so yes…I allowed myself two corn tortillas lol…this is the thing about life, enjoy yourself! If you’ve been consistent with exercise and nutrition for 4 weeks, IT IS OK to include SOME things in your meal that aren’t usually part of your diet (such as the 2 corn tortillas). Just don’t go out to McDonald’s and get a 1/4 pounder with cheese…

I ate correct portion sizes and it was for the most part a pretty well rounded meal, as well as very tasty! I even had a corona light! HOLY S**T! It is 2012, so I’m trying to enjoy myself a bit before the zombie apocolypse… ANYWAYS, I felt good after the meal, meaning I digested it fine. I was worried that after 30 days of VERY clean eating, mexican food might be a bit too much to handle… BUT I WAS GOOD TO GO! Basically, this macro/vegan thing is fantastic because it has really helped heal my digestive system. Before the challenge there was no way that I could eat a mexican meal and feel fine after. So 1st test night…check!

My second test night, Saturday, we went to a spiffy little joint called Pazo’s that serves tapas and entrees. I stuck to somewhat vegan/macro tapas plates with the exception of some CHEESE in one dish (zucchini ‘no pasta-lasagna’) and I ate a few scallops…and maybe a little crabmeat lol. Again, I felt reasonably good after the meal and was pleased to see that eating seafood wouldn’t disrupt my balance.

Things that I’m ‘Allergic’ too: Tofu & Cashews (Nuts). Not seeds. Every time I include tofu in a dish I notice that afterward I just can’t digest it properly. It may either make my stomach hurt, cause a little heartburn or indigestion, or a ‘sour stomach’. Same for nuts, cashews especially. After eating just a handful of cashews I will immediately feel bloated, have ‘sour stomach’, indigestion and so on. Seeds however, I can handle in small amounts…thank god! Because I love me some hemp seed. Also, almonds are okay with me to.

I’m rambling on about this so that maybe you can identify and start becoming aware of different foods that you may be ‘allergic’ to. I use the word ‘allergic’ and define it as an unwanted, negative body/mind reaction to the consumption of a food or beverage. When you have a negative reaction, when a food makes you feel crappy, this is your body telling you, STOP EATING THAT FOOD!

It may cause an acidic response in your body that you just can’t tolerate, and we don’t want high acidity in our body. Read post about pH level, acidity/alkalinity here. It may cause some of your organs or bodily systems to work in overdrive which makes them not able to perform their important daily functions (ex. alcohol = liver overdrive = liver can’t metabolize fat at normal capacity). It may cause inflammation, and more specifically inflammation in your digestive tract, which we really don’t want! (inflammation of intestines = inability to absorb nutrients from food). It may cause a ‘back up’ or better known as ‘constipation’ in which we will hold in a lot of excess waste, you will feel crappy because your full of it (barf!) Read this:

(Constipation) “This leads to weight gain problems, because of poor nutrient absorption. When sludge begins to line the colon walls it becomes harder for nutrients to be absorbed into the body, as the body must now try and extract nutrients through this wall of fecal matter.

When this occurs, guess what happens?  Your body tells you that you must eat more!  You are not getting the right nutrients so you continue to eat in a vain attempt to get what the body needs!  Cravings kick in because of a lack of certain key nutrients.

Further. colon or bowel blockage results in several bodily problems. As the colon becomes impacted, just like an old rusty drainpipe, the hole in the middle becomes smaller and smaller.  The more impacted the colon becomes, the more weight you carry. Not only does weight become an issue, but diverticulosis (herniated bowel pockets filled with trapped fecal matter and caused by constipation), colon polyps (a tumor that rises from the colon’s surface and then protrudes into the inside of the colon), and cancer can be down the road.  This is a progressively degenerative disease where eventually you end up with total colon blockage, cancer and even death…. regularity will help to give you that flat stomach that doesn’t bulge out, and it will aid you in losing weight and keeping it off.”

Well, I’m so glad we had this talk…probably the last thing you wanted to hear! BUT it is important. You’ve got to start eating clean, do a 30 Day Challenge like I did (heck, even two weeks will help!). Then after your 30 days of clean eating, you will be able to slowly add in foods you used to eat to see what you may be ‘allergic’ to. And eliminate these foods you’re ‘allergic’ to because they only cause your mind and body harm! As well as your waistline!

Yours Truly,

RawFitnessTV.com: Teaching others how to fuel & condition their mind, body & soul towards optimal wellness.

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

Grain Burger – Fantasty!

For the main entree, I cooked up the famous ‘Grain Burger’!
Grain Burger:

1. Brown Rice: 2C serves 2 people
2. Beans (1/4 beans:1 rice) *re-cook beans w/dash salt
3. Spanish oregano
4. Roasted ground pumpkin seed w/dulse flakes
5. 1C grated carrot, celery, onion
6. Juice from bean stock
7. Garlic (a couple dashes)
8. Onion powder (I didn’t have any so I added green onions)
9. Red pepper flakes (dash)
10. Cumin (a few teaspoons)
11. Combine ingredients into patties and roll in Oat Flour (I used coconut flour)
12. Cook in pan in toasted sesame oil (I used sunflower oil)
13. Plate up with chopped cilantro on top & a squirt of miso mayo!

As you can see I substituted a few ingredients for what I had in my kitchen. I used adzuki bean pate, but you can use chickpeas or lentils that aren’t pureed. Also, I used brown rice but quinoa works as well. If you don’t have spanish oregano just use regular oregano. These are so yum!

Ginger Hummus Yummus

Serve it up! Pinto Ginger Hummus:
Hummus:

1. 2C cooked Pinto Beans
2. Pinto bean broth
3. Cumin (start with 1 tsp, add to taste)
4. Blend and slowly add in below ingredients until right consistency
5. Add olive oil, flax or hemp seed oil
6. Add grated ginger 1tsp & salt to taste
7. Optional, garlic and/or sweet potatoes