Workout :: Side Step Up & Squat Combo

A favorite glute move for those troublesome saddlebags that plaque women everwhere! Start slow and on a steady surface. We're using a bench with a soft cushion which requires balance. Once you get the movement down, add weights for an extra burn!

Pesto with a Twist. A healthier twist

I'm half Italian, my paternal grandparents came here form Calabria. I've spent a better part of my life in my grandmother's kitchen, watching her make a horrible mess that I know I'll have to clean, as she makes the BEST Italian food I've ever had.  She makes everything from scratch, yet still really love McDonalds... I know, it's weird.  At two, my favorite food was cappuccino.  My mother was less than thrilled when she'd pick up her wired toddler at the end of a long work day. Sorry mom! 

I almost never go to Italian restaurants, because what's the point?  I use garlic and onions as a base for almost everything I eat and until recently, I only cooked with olive oil.  Like most Italian grandmothers (nonnas) mine has a surplus of basil on her patio. I've tried to grow basil, it was terrible. It needs plenty of sun and just the right amount of water. I failed miserably.

So, I make it a point to steal basil from my grandma's stash whenever I leave now.  She won't miss it, I swear.
 

Nonna watering her plants in her finest slippers

Last night I wanted to make pesto sauce. It's so easy it's stupid. Then I had an idea. Well more of an improvisation. I didn't have pine nuts so I opted to use sunflower seeds. I also didn't have parmesean (or pecorino) cheese. But I did have basil and garlic! I also had oil. Lots of oil. coconut, olive, extra olive, canola and MCT oil.

Since I was already subbing in sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast for the cheese, I decided to really get wild and use the MCT oil.

MCT oil, or Medium Chain Triglycerides, are fats predominantly found in coconut or palm oil.  MCT are rapidly digested and absorbed quicker in your liver.  This means your body can use the fat for energy much quicker than other fats as opposed to being stored for energy use later. Too much stored fat leads us into darker waters and leggings, if you get where I am going with this.

Ingredients for a healthy pesto!

Since MCT oil, the one I specifically used, has no taste I decided to try it in my sauce. I loved the end result. I got the same taste I grew up loving with a little less guilt. Win/win.


Pesto* with a healthier twist ::

• 2 cups packed fresh bail
• 2 gloves of garlic (I used one large glove) 
• 2/3 cups MCT oil
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (I used salted)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.

If your sunflower seeds are unsalted, you may want to add Himalayan or sea salt.  

I blended the sunflower seeds and yeast first, then added the basil, garlic and oil.
I tend to eyeball everything, taste, then add as needed.  Feel free to add more garlic, less garlic, yeast etc.

That's it!  Stupid easy, right? I think my grandma will be so proud. Mangia!

*Recipe derived from Ina Garten's Pesto recipe.

Keeping it Clean

Want to give the 10 Day Cleanse a try? Click here

 
This summer is like most summers, very humid and going by way too fast!
I love spending time outside going for walks, drinks, dinner, runs - you name it, I do it outside - weather permitting. 

Before and After - 10 Day Cleanse

While I don't think I have been slacking on my workouts, I am slightly more lenient on my diet.  It comes with the laid back attitude of summer. "What's one more drink?", "It's hot, I need that frozen yogurt!" It's easy to convince myself to enjoy the moment and not worry about the scale.

For the most part, that is how summer should be. It's how life should be, within reason of course.  As someone who has always struggled with her weight, I work on maintaining a balance for the sake of my sanity and waist line.

The Advocare 24 Day Challenge

 Last year I decided to switch things up a bit. I was happy with my over all fitness and health but I wanted to see some more changes.  A good friend of mine, who is also a personal trainer, had mentioned Advocare in the past.  At the time, I had dabbled in supplements here and there but never stuck to a routine other than the occasional protein shake.

To see a change, you need to make a change

With summer quickly approaching, I decided to give the Advocare 24 Day Challenge a shot. Nothing risked, nothing gained, right? I also convinced my mom to give it a try with me. The 24 Day Challenge is comprised of 2 parts. The first part is the Cleanse Phase. For the cleanse, you are given ProBiotic Restore capsules and Herbal Cleanse tablets, as well as some Spark. Spark is a yummy energy drink with "...20 vitamins, minerals and nutrients that work synergistically to provide a healthy, balanced and effective source of energy that won't overburden or over stimulate your body."

These products, in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise, help to rid your body of waste and prepare your body to better absorb nutrients.* This isn't the kind of cleanse where you drastically reduce calories or consume only liquids - this is the beginning of a healthier lifestyle!

Other than feeling a little more tired than usual, the first 10 days were a breeze. When you  order the challenge, you're given a nutrition guide that outlines what you should be eating, your water intake and even some recipes that can be found online. Now they even offer a virtual coach!  The recommended food was more or less the same as my existing diet so I didn't have an issue adjusting my eating. My mom had a hard time with how MUCH she was supposed to be eating.  As a teacher she is used to eating when she can, which is about once during the day. She also wasn't used to drinking that much water. She was a trooper though!

The best investment is one you spend on yourself

 The second phase is the Max Phase.  Now that I primed myself for complete nutrient absorption, I was ready to burn some fat!

The Max Phase is about fueling your body in order to achieve maximum results.
During this phase you will take three products that work together to provide you with sustained energy, appetite control, core nutrition and overall wellness.

On days 11 - 24 I had the chocolate meal replacement shake as either my first or second meal of the day. I ended up eating about six times a day, which is more or less how I've continued to eat since trying this challenge.  Other than that, this wasn't really a challenge. I continued with the provided supplements, CorePlex, OmegaPlex, ProBiotic Restore.  All are provided in a pack they call MNS-3, which provided a foundational level of appetite control and energy.

While this doesn't sound like any type of cleanse I've heard of, I certainly wasn't hungry or felt deprived, I did notice I was a little more tired than usual. I allowed my body rest and minimized my workouts to about two to three times a week. My mother didn't exercise more than once a week and that was if she had time.  It seemed a little too easy to me and the scale didn't budge for me at all!
My mom would check in and say, "I'm down 2lb! How did you do?"  To be honest, I started to think I had wasted my money.  Then Day 24 Came...

Day 1 on the left,
Day 24 on the right

It wasn't until I saw the side by side that I noticed the change, most notably in my abdomen and arms!  I remember being at the gym on day 18, catching my arms in the mirror and thinking, "when did I get more definition?"
While my weight stayed the same, I clearly lost inches. I didn't think to take measurements beforehand so I don't know how many total unfortunately.