To Get Right on the Outside, First Get Right on the Inside

Recently I have been very focused on detoxing. I've thrown in a few hot yoga classes, minimal meat, extraordinary amounts of fruits and vegetables and no grains aside from the occasional oats here and there. I can honestly say that I feel good. I am trying to heal from the inside out. Between the arthritis flare ups (partially due to the cold Ohio weather), skin outbreaks and Candida overgrowth, I knew it was time to change something up.

I work right across the street from Whole Foods which is normally daunting. I look out my office window at the store telling myself to not even go there because I will spend too many dollars. Well, yesterday I decided I wanted to go for it. There are all these fun things that I have been reading up on and they go hand in hand with my current detox mentality!

I bought four new things to try; Get Probiotic tea, Green Chia kombucha, U Matcha Ginger Tea powder and an apple cider vinegar drink.

get probiotic tea by Republic of Tea;
This tea is geared towards helping with digestion and the health of your gut. Probiotics are live bacteria that can be found in your gut. Before you wince at the word "bacteria" realize that there are both good and bad forms of bacteria and probiotics happen to be a good kind. They are the building blocks of our immune systems. With a healthy digestive tract comes a healthy immune system and vibrant skin, healthy digestion, low inflammation, the list goes on. I enjoy drinking this tea in the morning on an empty stomach so I can be sure that my body is completely absorbing and reaping the benefits. Also, the flavor is wonderful. Very subtle with mild hints of vanilla bean, rooibos and black licorice.

Green Chia by GT's Kombucha; Raw chias and organic chlorophyll, the worlds best form of "green energy". Kombucha nourishes the body, delights your taste buds, bolsters your immunity and makes your spirits fly. You feel on top of the world. Healthier. Happier. Stronger. It is living food for a living body. It is also excellent for recovering from intense workouts. Chia is often referred to as runners food and it's no doubt why! The omegas in them are great for joints also.

U Matcha Ginger Tea Powder by Republic of Tea; Premium U Matcha Ginger is unlike regular green tea, these tender, shade-grown leaves are ground to a fine powder creating a spicy kick of flavors in baked goods or savory dishes. This exceptional tea is abundant in nutrients and has the balanced flavors of what is referred to as umami (literally, "yummy" in Japanese). U Matcha Ginger wakes up the flavors of miso soup, stir-fry and sweet desserts. Matcha is wonderful for skin, hair, nails, a cancer fighter a fat torcher and so much more! Chalked full of antioxidants, you'd be silly not to add this to your daily intake.

Apple Cider Vinegar All Natural Drink by Bragg; Apple cider vinegar has been made out to be some sort of holy grail. Great for balancing the body's pH levels, curing acid reflux, aiding in the appearance of skin, helping with digestion and reducing inflammation. This drink is a diluted version of pure apple cider and has flavors mixed in with it for taste. I have to say, this was the item I was most hesitant to try. For one, I know apple cider vinegar to be potent and the smell isn't very appealing either. Also, the packaging wasn't nearly as cute as the other products that I bought. I was very pleasantly surprised though! I got a cinnamon flavored apple cider drink and absolutely adored it! It was tasted just like regular apple cider just with a little bit more of a kick. The smell was still wasn't to die for but the taste was good and that's more important to me. I loved this so much that I went back to Whole Foods and bought the concord grape-acai flavor (which was also wonderful!).

I highly recommend all of these products. I have felt a serious change since I have been using them. They definitely have cleansing and anti inflammatory components that work! :)

Tasi With My Lassie

Today I got the pleasure of meeting with my dear Friend Hannah for brunch. I always joke that my idea of a perfect date is going to brunch. Think about it, you can sleep in a little, get up at your leisure and then begin the day fresh in a warm atmosphere with great company and lovely food. Well after today this still stands true. Hannah and I went to a restaurant called Tasi. The atmosphere of this place was on point. From the rustic design, brick walls and artisan looking chalk board menus, my visual senses were already appealed. The menu items ranged from breakfast fritatas and scrambles to lunch soups, salads and sandwiches. All made from fresh and authentic ingredients. I (after a long hard look at the menu) decided on huevos rancheros that came with a simple mashed black bean quesadilla with a side of sweet and spicy smoked bacon. YUM. Hannah got a divine plate of Greek scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

Did I mention that the chairs and mugs were orange? If you've ever seen my kitchen then you know how I feel about orange.. <3 As if this place couldn't get any better.

As I was saying before I began musing about our food, this was the best way I could have started my day. With a person I love dearly talking about things we could connect with on a deep level in an atmosphere that was so warm and inviting to my being. I have no doubts that the rest of my day will be wonderful because I began it with such great energy in the best way I can fathom. It's not always about what you do as long as what you do is right for you. It makes you feel good. No matter how big or small it makes you happy. Maybe that's not brunch. Maybe it's not in the company of other humans. Maybe it's just being snuggled up in bed with your dog for hours on end. But whatever it is, if you do it with intent and with your own satisfaction at heart then you are setting yourself up for a success and happiness. 

This carries over into making life style changes. Have purpose from deep within your soul behind doing what you do. Be mindful. Do what you know makes yourself happy. The rest falls into place after that. Whether the "rest" is a new career, new relationship, a fitness goal, etc. You find more satisfaction in your own life when you start living this way.

Welp, there is my huevos rancheros fueled food for thought for the day. Cheers to a great week ahead of us. 

B.

The Joyous 12 Days of Christmas..

12 Drummers Drumming, 11 Pipers Piping, 10 Lords a leaping, 9 Ladies dancing, 8 Maids a Milking, 7 Swans a Swimming, 6 Geese a laying, 5 gooooldennn ringssss.. WAIT. No, that's not right. I've been sadly confused all these years! Apparently the 12 Days of Christmas is in fact a much more physical and greuling endeavor than singing this catchy little song. Why you ask? Well please, by all means, let me tell you about the real 12 Days of Christmas.

Today's WOD ("workout of the day" in the CrossFit lingo I mentioned in my prev. post) was The 12 Days of Christmas. It goes as follows;

1 burpee box jump
2 push press
3 strict pull ups
4 power cleans
5 back squats
6 ring dips
7 v ups
8 wall balls
9 kettlebell swings
10 toes to bar
11 thrusters
12 jumping lunges

So you know, you'd think you just run through this once or twice like a circuit.. LOL, WRONG. This exercise in done in ladder form.

It goes 1, 2-1, 3-2-1, 4-3-2-1, .. etc until you reach 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 working your way all the way down from the 12 jumping lunges to the 1 burpee box jump. Holy hell. This 30 minutes (give or take) was brutal. They were really trying to make up for the fact that the gym won't be open for two and a half days weren't they? ;)

Though this was incredibly challenging and few modifications had to be made, it's rewarding to see myself achieving tasks that even last week I wasn't able to. So, all y'all, go get out of your comfort zone and push yourself. Outside of the comfort zone is where the fun really begins :)

Zucchini Noods!

Hi all!! It's been a bit since my last post. Lot's has been going on. Long story short, new job, new home, new routine, the whole nine. Good news though- I'm happy with all of it. Happier than I have been in a long time so I do say the silence has been worth it.

So let's cut to the chase. Now, if you know me you know I tend to stick to a workout routine for about a year and then go on to the next. From zumba to pilates to running to lifting to competing to boxing. Not on purpose, it just seems to happen like that. Not because I don't like the workouts, I do, but because I like to try it all. I just want to do everything. That being said, I have joined a CrossFit gym! I always swore I would never crumble to the pressure and do CrossFit. Honestly, I was intimidated. It is a completely new element, something so far out of my comfort zone that I have to remind myself daily that it is real life.

Not only is it a new atmosphere, it's like a whole new lifestyle. You've got the whole new language that comes with it, acronyms and famous names of heroic people that symbolize certain workouts and lets not forget nicknames for people who push themselves a little too far.. cough cough pukie. Aside from the new language that I have pondered buying some sort of dictionary for (perhaps CrossFit for dummies, that exists, no?) there are also special diets that many Crossfit athletes follow, mainly the Zone Diet and Paleo Diet. We will touch on those in another post- there is no vague way to get into all that jazz. The workouts are like nothing else I have ever done before, at least not since I was in gymnastics eons ago.

I'll keep y'all updated on this new chapter. It's definitely challenging me in a way I have never been before, I'm constantly competing with myself to be better. That is probably what I like most about this sport, there is almost no way to halt progress. You are always becoming stronger and better,

Now, let me tell you about this bomb dinner I made tonight. Zucchini noodles with tomato, onion, garlic, spinach, crushed red pepper all topped with grilled chicken and tomato sauce mixed with a little cottage cheese. Yum. I used my Spirelli vegetable cutter to make the noodles and then cooked them on the stove top with the other vegetables in olive oil. Meanwhile I was heating the sauce in a saucepan with the cottage cheese until the cottage cheese was all melty :) Low carb, high satisfaction fasho.

Zucchini Noods a la Bailey

Serves 1

1 zucchini

1/4 c onion chopped

1 roma tomato

handful spinach

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp olive oil

italian spices to taste

1/3 cup no sugar added tomato sauce

1/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese

3 oz grilled chicken

Cook the vegetables and spices in the olive oil on the stovetop. In a separate pan heat the sauce with the cottage cheese. Once the vegetables are cooked and the cottage cheese is melted, top the "noodles" with the sauce and grilled chicken. Viola.

Until next time, happy Monday!

B

 

So I think I'm Tough..

Hi guys!! Sooooo I did something a bit drastic. I've been itching to have a challenge recently, something to motivate me and a goal to work towards. I'll be running in the Rock n' Roll Marathon in April in Nashville but I was looking for something a little more physically challenging. That being said, I signed up for my very first Tough Mudder! Ackkkk!!

A group of twenty some odd people from my boxing gym have formed a team. We will be meeting twice a week at either Hoover Dam or Alum Creek on either given day for group boot-camp workouts. The workouts will be led by instructors from Title Boxing. It will be 10-12 miles of muddy, brutal, challenging obstacles and throughout them we will learn the true value of teamwork. I'm so nervous but also excited for this. I've heard many horror stories about Tough Mudder but I have also heard that accomplishing one is one of the best feelings in the world. I'm eager to conquer this challenge and even more excited to have a team of people I'm growing closer with to take it on with me.

The challenge is open to anyone so if you are interested in joining our team you can log on to the May 17th challenge in the 11 am group. Our group name is The Sticky Wet Bandits. You can also find more information in the Facebook group (just look at the groups I am in and you will see one called Tough Mudder 2014).

On that note, I am off to bed now. One last day of work until I can commence in the weekend festivities! It is St. Patty's Day weekend after all :)

Yay For Mini Trips!

I took the liberty of putting some of my racked up PTO to use this week and went to Louisville, Kentucky with my cousin! We stayed with one of our aunts and needless to say it was pretty fun. Sticking to a healthy diet while traveling can be troublesome but I made due just fine this trip. We left on Sunday and arrived after a four hour commute. Half way through we stopped at Montgomery Inn, a restaurant famous for their ribs and sports memorabilia. I got a salad, broccoli and grilled shrimp which was all rather delightful.

Day one in Kentucky entailed of a workout and sight seeing in down town Louisville. First we hit the gym and worked our legs. My aunt was sweet enough to get Jake and I two day passes to her gym. After we got our swell on we made our way down town and wandered the Museum Hotel, took some pictures and then grabbed a drink and a quick lunch at a bar in a hotel. Normally I wouldn't go on about this but this bar was much cooler than most bars.. It was a giant fish tank! Pretty nifty if you ask me. 

After that I had the pleasure of making a lovely dinner for the fam :D I made sauteed shrimp and asparagus and a rice, cauliflower and broccoli side. It was so good! I just sauteed the shrimp in lemon juice, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and a little bit of butter. As for the asparagus, I just roasted it with a few spices.

Day two was also a slam packed day of activities. We woke up and went to the Muhammad Ali Center which was super cool. It was filled with amazing facts and videos and quotes and even the gear Ali used throughout his career. Believe it or not Ali was from Louisville Kentucky and still resides there now. The Ali center was nothing less than inspirational. I couldn't help but walk out chanting "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee".

After the trip to Ali's museum we made our way to the gym for back and biceps. It was a SOLID workout, probably the best I've had for biceps in a while. Then we went home and got all cleaned up to go see the Broadway play of Ghost. It was great! 

^^ That's us on the red carpet thinking we're fly ;)

We made our way back home the next morning and the lovely freezing weather of Ohio greeted us eagerly. It was a nice short trip away but it's also good to be back. I was up and at it in my usual routine today, up at 5 and boxing until 7. Then worked and came home and meal prepped for tomorrow. TGI(almost)F baby!!

Do You Even Poptart?

There has been a lot of Pop-Tart hype in the body building and fitness community recently. It goes hand in hand with the IIFYM diet approach where as long as it fits in your macros for the day, you are golden. Pop-Tarts are being used as a carb tool of choice. They are a "quick" carb meaning the refined flour and sugars are quickly broken down by the body and more readily used which is ideal pre and/or post workout. The high carbs and low fat make them an ideal pre or post workout snack. Not to mention they have over 29 delightful flavors!



Here is the breakdown of the traditional cherry frosted pastry:

Serving Size: 1 Pastry

• Calories – 200
• Total Fat – 5g
• Saturated Fat – 1.5g
• Trans Fat – 0g
• Polyunsaturated Fat – 2g
• Monounsaturated Fat – 1g
• Cholesterol – 0mg  (0%)
• Sodium – 170mg (7%)
• Total Carbohydrate – 38g (13%)
• Dietary Fiber – less than 1g
• Sugars – 17g
• Protein – 2g

As you can see, high carb and relatively low fat. Ideal for a "quick" carb. The reason people go for quick carbs pre and post workout is because the body needs fuel to burn immediately during and after a workout. If the body doesn't have something at the ready to use it will dip into your muscle stores for the energy and it will be harder to retain any size and muscle density. When the carbs (the body's preferred energy source) are at the ready for "quick" use, your muscle stores are safe from being dipped into by the body for energy. Therefore, simple carbs such as refined flour and white rice are ideal.

I bought a box of Pop-Tarts this past week to see how I felt about them as a pre workout option. I feel like they were a good source of energy in the mornings upon first waking up before I got a lift in. It was something small to have in my stomach to fuel my workout (mind you I only ate one at a time) which was nice. I also tried eating one before boxing and the extra sugar helped keep me powered through the brutal hour of high intensity cardio. Is it something I will regularly buy? Ehh I can't commit to that. I am weary of anything with 17g of sugar per serving. Except ice cream.. that will always be an exception in my life ;) I may buy them from time to time because they were very convenient and tasty and useful however it is not high on the list of my better caloric investments.