Motivation

 

ENOUGH SAID!

Juicing

Back to school for my kids means back on track for mom! 

 

I had a great summer!   A staycation here and there with my hubby and kids.  A girls weekend in Vegas with my sisters to see Beyoncé!  And an amazing trip to Hawaii with my cute fam!  But what do these places all have in common...Food!  And whoa am I feeling the effects!

My good friend, Lara, introduced me to juicing a few months ago and I absolutely LOVE it!  It helps me feel energized, (yes, even more than a Diet Coke), and helps clean out and regulate my system.  I've even noticed a change in my complexion!  So, wanted to share a few recipes that I have found and have enjoyed...

 

This first one I call "Lara" since this is what she had me try, and got me hooked!  Super simple, and my kids love it too!

Lara

 

1 apple

1 carrot

Approx. 1 Cup strawberries

(And sometimes when my kids aren't looking, I'll sneak in some kale or spinach.)

 

Citrus Green Juice

 

6 kale leaves

6 Swiss chard leaves

1/2 cucumber

6 clementines

 

Carrot Apple Ginger Juice

 

3 carrots

2 apples

1" Ginger

 

Green Juice

 

1/2 cucumber

3 celery stalks

1-2 apples

6 kale leaves

1/2 lemon

1" ginger

 

And one more that I am going to try later this afternoon...

 

Sunset Blend Juice

 

1 lg. sweet potato

1 med. carrot

1 red bell pepper

2 lg. red beets

2 Golden delicious apples

1 orange (optional)

 

I like to get creative as well, and add pineapple, mango, spinach, kiwi, etc.

 

There are a lot of juicing cleanses out there.  If you choose to do, for example, a 3 day juice cleanse, prepare your body by drinking a lot of water in the days leading up to your cleanse.  Eat clean. No red meat, soda, sugar, dairy, or caffeine.

 

Personally, I love balance.  I eat 3 healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal includes a lean protein.  And for snacks I drink my juice along with a handful of almonds, or I'll add a little protein powder to the juice to get my protein intake.

 

Happy juicing!!!

 

(And yes, I'm drinking my juice from a Thor cup...Kind of a crush.) :) 

 

 

Just a Little MOTIVATION!

10 Tummy Tightening Foods

 

Summer is just around the corner and we all want to lose a few pounds to fit into the perfect outfit or swimsuit. I have listed a few foods with magical fat burning properties to help you with this dreaded task of weigh loss. Just remember – not one food alone can do the job. You have to have a plan and a purpose. Make sure you are eating the proper amount of calories for your body.
Here are a few Tummy Tightening Foods to help get you on the right track to a slimmer summer:
1. Oats with Cinnamon- Oats are a great start to your day. They will help keep you full while the cinnamon has natural thermionic properties which may increase your metabolism. (Love this Skinny Slow Cooker Oats recipe)
2. Grapefruit- Grapefruit helps lower insulin levels which promotes weight loss and fast metabolism.
3. Red Peppers- Peppers contain Capsaicin which can help with burning stubborn fat.
4. Almonds- Almonds are a great source of protein to help keep you full and keep your metabolism kicking. (Skinny Almond Trail Mix here)
5. Salmon-Salmon is loaded with Omega 3 Fatty Acids which is beneficial for fat loss. (Check out our Skinny Caribbean Jerk Salmon or Skinny Blackened Salmon)
6. Avocado- While avocados are considered a fat, they are a healthy fat. Your body needs healthy fats to use as energy to promote fat burn.
7. Blueberries- While Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, they are also low in sugar and great for a healthy low calorie snack.
8. Green Tea- Natural caffeine can help speed up the metabolism and keep you energized to burn more calories throughout the day.
9. Chicken- Chicken is a great source of lean protein. By placing more protein in your diet you can lower the amount of carbohydrates you take in while promoting weight loss. (Check out our hundreds of Skinny Chicken Recipes here and on Pinterest.)
10. Sweet Potato- Sweet potatoes are great for keeping your blood sugar levels stable while promoting a better, faster metabolism. (Click here for our Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes)

*Courtesy of Skinnymom.com*

30 Day Challenge

30 Day Challenge

May 1^st-30^th

Eat 5-6 meals per day containing an item from each category.  (1 protein, serving of fruit and/or veggies, etc.) This will help speed up your metabolism.

Drink water… No soda!

Beware of “hidden calories”!  Ex. Mayo, salad dressing, a few potato chips, etc.

Little to no sugar.

Keep a food journal.  This will help you keep track of what you’re eating, and what you may need to change in the future. (If needed)

One cheat meal per week.  Choose wisely…For ex. Date night!

Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week.  Good Luck!!!

Did You Eat Your Veggies?

 How do you eat more while losing more weight at the same time? One of the best answers is to eat "negative-calorie" foods, meaning that these foods actually take more energy to digest than they deliver to your body. While these foods may be an important source of phytonutrients, they are not sources of fat-packing calories.

Because of their surprising lack of calories, these foods can essentially be consumed in unlimited quantities without you gaining weight (body fat). That works because your stomach senses when it is physically full, and it will trigger your brain to stop eating when you can't handle more food. You know that "I feel stuffed" feeling? That's your stomach (which has its own complex nervous system, by the way), telling your brain to tell you to stop eating.

This is why, believe it or not, the simple act of drinking a glass of water before each meal is a proven weight loss strategy. It fills your belly with water, thereby reducing the amount of space left for other foods. So your stomach gets full more quickly, triggering the "stop eating" signals in your brain.

Eating an apple before each meal also works in much the same way. This is true even though apples are not negative-calorie foods. But they are rich in water, and water takes up space in your stomach.

Below is a list of negative calorie foods...Eat up!!!

Need A Bootylicious Booty Stat!

My sisters and I are going to Vegas in June to see the one and only...Beyonce!!! I couldn't be more excited!  However, I need to get this "jelly" ready to shake at her concert, and thought I would share a fab "bootylicious" workout today!

25 squats (Add weight if you need more of a challenge, and really want to work that booty!)
10 burpees
10 reverse lunges (Per leg)
10 burpees
10 curtsy lunges (Per leg)
10 burpees
20 donkey kicks (Per leg)
Repeat 3 times

If you are a beginner, try doing one round, and then build on that as you get stronger.  Another alternative is to cut down on the reps.  For example, 15 squats, 5 burpees, 5 reverse lunges, and so on.  You can always incorporate weights into your sets too, if you feel like it's too easy.

 Here's a little music/video to have fun and motivate us ladies to get "bootylicious"! :)