Carb and Load

Trick or Treat’s what many kids across Pittsburgh will say tonight, as for me Carb and Load is what im saying. Whole grains, whole wheats, whole oats, oh my!

When I woke up I had an egg white sandwich with blueberries, kiwi

A very healthy assortment of fruit. Kiwi = the bomb of all fruits, but apples are good 2, and blueberries, and goji, acai…. I love fruit!

Speaking of fruit, the mail man delivered my Bear Naked Tropical Fruit Bar sample.

Mango’s, Papaya, Coconut, Pineapple. All crammed into a hand sized bar. I didn’t eat mine yet because I had all my nutrition planned out for today, but Ill be sure to let you know how I liked it.

After church, and running around for find a new running shirt “because tomorrows going to be freezing” It seems my short sleeve shirts are not in season. Anyways, Mom made a delicious salad with whole wheat pasta, bread. Like I said, carbo loading to the max today. The proper way.

• To carbo load you want most of your calories from complex carbohydrates, so the fat doesn’t become a source of empty calories. 4000 calories in carbs is a lot of carbs, but if you put in some peanut butter, and fat, the calories rise and become like an empty source.

A great source of carbs,

the enemy of dieters…

Whole Wheat Pretzels…

Just 7 of these sticks pack on 22g of carbs. Wowza. I never eat whole wheat pretzels, but tonight I was eating everything whole grain in sight. So why not? Sean = Race Car, Carbs = Super Fuel, Spirit of Pittsburgh Marathon = My race. wahooo!

And you have the other kinda carbs. CaNdY! No, I didnt eat any candy, because I dont wanna risk getting sick before my big race. I cant tell you the last time I had a candy bar.

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet, Give me some Simple Carbs to Eat! ©

I hope you all are having a great Halloween. Be safe.

Perfect Plan For Women Fitness

A lot of women all over the globe are trying to shed unwanted pounds. While some are taking such drastic steps as taking diet pills that might bring more harm to their health, there are others that are going for surgical procedures that pose a great deal of side effects, risks, and complications. However, the fastest and best way to really lose weight effectively and maintain is to adhere to a good fitness strategy. If you are a woman and you want to lose weight, here are three of the most important components that should be included in your plan for health and fitness:

Eating Healthy

The food that you take in every day plays a vital role in your weight loss. This is because your rate of metabolism will also depend on what you are eating, and in turn, your metabolism will also affect the way you will lose weight. For a quick weight loss and better health, you must get rid of processed foods in your diet, especially those that contain unnatural ingredients. You should replace these with wholesome foods that are as organic as possible. This means that you have to throw away all the prepackaged and boxed foods in your fridge and instead consume more fresh fruits and vegetables as well as lean meats and whole grains.

Drinking Lots of Water

You should know that water aids in the proper functioning of the systems of the body. It will also aid in heightening the rate of metabolism. This means that increased water intake could encourage a greater loss of weight and could work well with your other strategies on weight loss as well. On the average, you would need at least eight glasses of water daily. However, if you are exercising regularly, this would have to be increased by two to four glasses everyday. There is a way for you to ensure that you are taking in the proper amount of water every day. You can do this by always keeping a bottle of water near you where ever you go.

Exercising and Keeping Your Body Moving

Even if the metabolism rate of women tends to decrease beginning in their thirties, they can do something to alleviate this situation. They could keep their body moving always so that metabolism could be sped up, calories could be burned continually, and lean muscles mass can be formed. The ideal fitness plan that a woman should have must involve augmenting the muscle tone and heightening her heart rate by at least 65 percent even when at rest.

Because women posses a different structure when it comes to their bodies compared to men, they will fare better with low-impact workouts. There are a number of exercises that could provide these to women, and these include walking, swimming, and biking. It is also best for women to do some exercises for at 30 minutes every day and at least three times per week so that they can speed up their metabolism rates as well as work on the other factors that could help them lose weight. These exercise sessions could gradually be built up to become one-hour sessions done every day.

We'll See...

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.

“Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“We’ll see,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.

“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.

“We’ll see,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“We’ll see,” answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“We’ll see” said the farmer.

Pushing Past the Pain of Exertion

From yesterday’s New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/fashion/29FITNESS.html

Chrissie Wellington of Britain

I had my first visit with my new physician this past week.  It was a sign of the times.  I have been fortunate enough to have had just one doctor, Richard Kahn, M.D. since moving to Maine in 1973.  It has been 36 years of excellent care, from a man who was one of the first in our area to ride his own bicycle bike to work from his home in Union some fifteen miles out.  He sold his practice to Dr. Anderson, and she will be fine. She had been practicing way up in Aroostook County for the past two years.   She read my chart with me, to be sure she hadn’t missed anything.  I was thrilled when she started asking me about my 2007 Appalachian Trail through hike, when she disclosed that she and her husband were avid day hikers and also backpackers.  We learned that shared some trail experiences in Yellowstone as well.

She is an osteopathic physician, and after deciding that my blood work did not indicate any serious problems, encouraged me to schedule my next appointment sometime next Fall after I ( hopefully) return from my 5- 6 month, 2,700 mile Pacific Crest Trail  backpacking expedition, where we could recheck those numbers.

Then we talked pain, something I have been increasingly familiar with.  I consulted about putting together a backup medical kit that would prepare me for any emergencies.  I  did hear her when she made the observation that pain is often a signal to the body that something is wrong and that stopping may be the best solution, rather than to dose pain with analgesics or stronger ( opiates) and push through  to some preset goal.

Then this article came out and it assisted me in placing pain into  a better perspective.

Endurance athletics exposes one to eventual pain.  It is important to train for the ability to sustain exertional pain, while at the same time accepting that the acute pain of an injury, such as  shin splints, a broken metatarsal bone,  or a bad back is a message from the body to stop for a while and heal.

 

Lucy in the Plinth

In Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom stands the famous landmark, Nelson’s Column. Around the column are 4 plinths, 3 of which have statues on them. However, the fourth plinth remains empty. Many suggestions have been made as to what should be on the plinth and several pieces of temporary art have graced the plinth over the years.

Recently, the well-known English artist, Antony Gormley (famous for his Angels of the North which stands just outside Newcastle in the north of England) was commissioned to create a work of art for the Fourth Plinth.

Antony decided that the Fourth Plinth should be occupied for 100 days continuously by members of the public for an hour each. Occupation started on 06 July and finished on 14 October 2009 and 34,520 people applied from all over the UK to take up one of the 2400 sixty minute slots.

Lucy Croucher was one of the lucky ones to be chosen and her one hour slot started at 11 pm on 06 August 2009. When she made the application to be on the Plinth, she had already decided that she would spend her hour doing yoga and she was very excited when she received confirmation that she had been chosen. She immediately started to plan her practice and realised that she would need some good equipment to get her through her hour of fame. So she wrote to Yoga Paws to ask them if they would be prepared to donate a set of Yoga Paws for her to use on the Plinth. The answer “Yes” came back immediately and a couple of weeks later the Yoga Paws arrived through the letter box.

You would expect the weather in August to be pretty good and it was on 06 August until 7 pm. Then it started to rain really heavily and it did not stop at 11 pm. Lucy spent a very wet hour on the Plinth but it was so fantastic – the most amazing experience ever. Despite the rain, she managed to get through her whole practice just as she had planned. The Yoga Paws were invaluable as her mat was like a sponge and became useless after about 5 minutes.

If you would like to see Lucy in action on the Plinth wearing her Yoga Paws, please visit www.oneandother.co.uk, click on Plinthers, Week five, select Thursday and look for the 11 pm slot (the last one of the day).

Fitness Fun

This weekend I took The Boy and The Girl hiking. While we were waiting for The Boy’s scout buddy to arrive, we took a quick walk around the entrance area of the park, and found an exercise center. We had a lot of fun trying out the different stations to see what we could do. The Girl was particularly excited about the incline push-ups. She tries her best to do push-ups at home, but is a little too young to really understand proper form. Using the bar though, she was able to do four on her own!

It gave me a chance to challenge myself as well. I took a look at the pull up bar and decided I was going to give it a go. I’ve never been good at pull-ups. My first attempt as an adult was one. Yeah. One. After 6 months of training I was able to improve my perfermoance by 100%. (That sounds a lot better than saying I could do 2!) This weekend, though- I did 5. It’s still not a highly impressive number, but I’m proud- darn it!

The Boy, The Girl, and I are already making plans to go to the park again this weekend. It probably won’t be Bonita Lakes (we have to go to Jackson) but I know we can find another park with a fitness center to play at.

And now, just for fun, some more pictures of our park workout!

The Girl- showing off her awesome push-up form!

The Boy- able to leap hurdles in a single (heart stopping!) bound!

The Mommy- feeling like superwoman

CORPO SEM LIMITES

“COMO A CIÊNCIA ESTÁ CONSTRUINDO A NOVA ETAPA DA EVOLUÇÃO: VAMOS VIVER MAIS, MELHOR E COM
CAPACIDADES SOBRE-HUMANAS”

Galileu

“Sem limites
Dean Karnazes vive de desafiar o corpo e a ciência. Já correu 563 km sem parar e diz que pode mais

Dean Karnazes gosta de dizer que é um cara de sorte. Para ele, sua capacidade de correr 563 quilômetros sem parar, enfrentar 50 maratonas em 50 dias seguidos ou suportar 40 graus negativos em um prova no Polo Sul não passa de uma coincidência feliz. “Tenho apenas um bom corpo e uma baita sorte por poder viver dele.” O corredor diz isso com um sorriso que quase convence que ele é um cara comum. “Fui colocado na Terra para correr. Simples assim.”

Mas, por trás dessa aparente simplicidade, esconde-se alguém com uma profunda vontade de ultrapassar os limites humanos. Aos 46 anos, o americano quer saber qual é o máximo que seu corpo suporta. Foi assim, afinal, que ele começou a correr, 16 anos atrás.

No dia em que festejava seus 30 anos, com o organismo lubrificado de tequila, Karnazes teve um estalo: tirar a roupa e sair correndo. Na hora, a ideia pareceu excelente. Vinte quilômetros depois,…” (Leia mais e comente a matéria)

Chicken + Biscuit

I had the most delicious snack today, and it wasn’t even ICE CREAM!

It was homemade trail mix, and I suggest you make up some of your own.

Hurry, it doesn’t take but a minute.

• mixed nuts
• dried cranberries
• chocolate chips

Oh me, oh my, is that heaven in a baggie or what. All you salty/sweet lovers out there will lover this alright.

Ok, enough about my baggie of trail mix.

I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill too.

Oh wait, that’s boring.

Yes it was.

No one wants to hear about that.

How about this:

Delicious salad with CHICKEN [the first chicken I have had in months] and a biscuit.

What a biscuit that was too. Stuffed with organic blackberry jam.

My salad was pretty decadent too.

I must note that Mama D. prepared this entire meal. Which is why it includes:

A. Chicken and B. Biscuit.

Two things I normally would not add, but then I had forgotten what I was missing with those two items.

J’adore.

Gotta jet, it’s my cousin’s 15th birthday. Happy Birthday Jacob!

Happy food accidents are the best

I haven’t had a day this busy in ages and ages. The to-do list I posted this morning grew exponentially when I realized I had left off quite a few important items.

After scrubbing and cleaning our apartment from top to bottom for two hours, I was beyond hungry. Since it was only 10:30 in the morning, a snack was in order.

I made me a green monster featuring:

• a frozen banana
• a cup of milk
• a handful of spinach
• a tbsp. peanut butter
• a handful of ice

I poured it into one of my favorite cups, that just so happens to also be an example of Japanese pottery. So beautiful. And a perfect size to hold my GM.

A few more chores down and hours later I realized it was lunch time, but I also needed a shower and was running short on time. I threw 1/4 cup of rice and some water into my rice cooker and cut up some carrots, which went into the oven. And into the shower I went while my food cooked. The plan was to make spinach tuna wraps and enjoy rice and carrots on the side.

But, I ended up eating this:

I love happy food accidents that turn out perfectly. When I hopped out of the shower I realized my rice was done, but my carrots had cooked way too long and shriveled into almost nothing. I also unfortunately found out that the tuna I had put in the fridge sometime last week was a few days past its prime and I was too nervous to try eating it.

What to do, what to do? I had to think on my feet because 1. I was standing there in my towel dripping water all over the kitchen and 2. I needed to get lunch eaten very soon to finish other necessities in time to leave and catch my train for work.

A stroke of genius must have occurred because this little food accident was amazing. I took a tortilla and put the spinach “wrap” I had already concocted on top of it, as well as a sprinkling of cheese. Dumped my cooked rice on top of that and added a few chopped onions, my over-cooked carrots, some pepper, salt, parsley, and chili powder. Mikan served on the side. Without realizing it I created a meatless burrito. And it tasted delightful. I will (on purpose) create these again in the future. I didn’t miss the meat at all.

I did get a little “snacky” around the time to leave for work and had a piece of cheese, some sunflower seeds, an apple and another mikan.

The husband had dinner ready when I returned home from work. Parmesan Italian chicken breasts with mashed potatoes. Yum.

I think I might have overdone it a bit today on my foot. Two hours of moving around and cleaning, plus two bike trips and some walking from the train station to work left my poor big toe aching by the time I made it back through my front door tonight. No good. I’ve decided that not counting physical activity that I can’t avoid, tomorrow is a mandatory rest day.

I really want to get back to running soon. I’m afraid it might not happen as soon as I want.

Things I Love About Japan

One of the few things that made me seriously nervous about moving to Japan was knowing we would not have access to a car. I’ve spent the last six years using a car to get anywhere and everywhere I want to go, so what was I supposed to do without one? To say I was apprehensive would be an understatement.

Luckily, Japan has one of the best train systems in the world. They’re rarely ever late and you can use them to get almost everywhere. I take the train to work every morning and ride it back home, too. And I love it. Surprisingly, two months have gone by and I still don’t miss my car, yet.

Oh sure there are days when I think, “Man, a car would be good right now.” Like when I need to haul a lot of groceries or it’s raining outside. But those times are so few and far in between the times when I think “Man I’m glad I’m not putting my money towards gas,” or “I’m glad I can use my bike instead of a car–it’s better for me and the environment.”

Japan is so commuter and bicycle friendly. Everyone, from children to old women, owns a bike and uses it to get where they’re going when possible. There are automobiles and many people have those, too, but I think people are more willing to only use those when necessary than Americans will ever be.

There are even parking lots just for bikes here, like this one at my local train station:

Now, on the flip side, there are certainly some negative things about not having an automobile and relying on the train system and bikes. For one, it takes a decent amount more time to get anywhere you want to go. You can’t just pick up and leave… you have to plan and figure out when trains arrive and depart from which stations. And you have to buy train tickets to go and then return home. But those are so much cheaper than paying for gas!

I love relying on my bike though because while it’s getting me where I’m going, it’s also allowing me to burn calories, get stronger, and exercise. All powered by me and requiring no fuel. Score!

Cause4KDZ and KooDooZ

Cause4KDZ is a sub-brand of KooDooZ.  Whereas the latter is an interactive social media site which rewards kids for achieving change around personal or societal challenges, Cause4KDZ is a vlog which will be posting a variety of different video interviews with kids who are change-makers.  Built as a “virtual meets virtuous world,” KooDooZ teaches KDZ (our site users) how to find their life balance of Heart, Mind, Body and Spirit through featured goals co-developed by brand and non-profit partners to meet service learning standards, and/or to address social impact and cause-marketing campaigns. 

KDZ are given challenge methodologies and milestones to track their hours for civic recgonition, scholastic credit or personal avhievements.  As an added bonus, friends and family can choose to financially reward (micro-donate) to these young change-makers (or the non-profits they serve) via an integrated payment gateway on KooDooZ. 

Research shows that people who track their goals are 75% more likely to acheive them, and KooDooZ provides the online and real-world goal attainemnt to turn challenges into lifelong achievements.

In August, KooDooZ engaged youth and their families at a real-world event, entitled “Tour De Fitness” for the purpose of driving new engagement around the importance of youth health & wellness.  Powered by O2 MAX Fitness our 6-mile walk leveragd the expertise of certified fitness and nutrition experts to design comibinations of energy and nutrition stations.

With nearly 12-million children in the U.S. significantly overweight, fun events like Tour De Fitness have the potential to change the shape of America — literally.  The simple act of exercisng can make anyone feel good about themselves.  Which is important, because positive body image, self-worth, and well being are critical to helath and wellness.

Body dissatisfaction is a huge problem in our society and is related to all sorts of negative behavior, affecting kids who are as young as 5-years old. 

See what KooDooZ did to incorporate fun into wellness: 

A6w – aerobiczna 6 Weidera

A6w – aerobiczna 6 Weidera jest zestawem ćwiczeń mięśni brzucha, których głównym celem jest spalenie zalegającej w jego okolicach tkanki tłuszczowej oraz wzmocnienie poszczególnych partii. Ćwiczenia wchodzące w skład programu aerobicznej 6 weidera wykonuje się w taki sposób, by nie dopuścić do rozluźnienia mięśni brzucha w trakcie wykonywania następujących po sobie powtórzeń. Kluczowym momentem każdego powtórzenia jest moment zatrzymania ruchu, na 2-3 sekundy którym mięśnie brzucha znajdują się w stanie maksymalnego napięcia. Ćwiczenia a6w wykonuje się na płaskim podłożu (może być zwykły dywan lub karimata) przez sześć tygodni. W momencie zbliżania się końca programu a6w (piąty
szósty tydzień) należy zadbać o to by łączny czas wykonywania ćwiczeń nie przekraczał 25 min – w tym celu należy skracać czasy, w którym następuje zatrzymanie ruchu.

Basic Yoga Postures

Note: Hold each pose for 30 seconds.

 

Spinal Balance

Knell on mat. Place hands under shoulders, tucking knees under hips. Keep arms straight, aligning head with spine so your back is flat. Place tops of feet flat on floor. Raise right arm parallel to floor, with bicep next to ear. Hold arm straight. Raise right arm parallel to floor, hold. Repeat with opposite leg and arm.

 

Table Position

From Spinal Balance, return hands to mat directly under shoulders, tucking knees under hips. Keep arms straight, aligning head with spine so your back is flat. Tops of feet are flat on floor. Hold this Position, keeping back straight and flat.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Cat Pose

From Table Position, slowly round your back up toward the sky. Breathe out though your nose, returning to Table Position. Repeat.

 

Abdominal Work

Lie on your back on the mat. Bend knees so feet are flat on floor. Place hands behind head. Exhale and lift upper body, bringing ribs toward hips. Inhale and release upper body back toward floor. Remember to keep elbows wide and support your head.

 

Bridge

From ending position of Abdominal Work, rest arms at sides with feet still on floor. Lift hips and raise chest toward chin. Clasp hands together. Continue to lift hips while keeping shoulders and head on floor.

 

Final Relaxation

Return to Bridge start position. Rest arms at sides, extend legs, let feet roll open in resting state. Inhale into your  feet, relax ankles. Inhale into your legs, relax knees. Inhale into your hips, relax spine. Breathe into your shoulders, relax neck. Breathe into your face, your jaw and forehead. Relax. Breathe at your own pace.

You so need to check out this video with Valetina Petrova She is definitely not a beginner, but definitely an inspiration!

She has a retreat going on now and another coming up in March of 2010. Click her name and visit her site for more details!

 

Spring Clean

It’s so literal, it’s actually beyond cliché. The fires are still burning, the kaleidoscope’s whirring and I’m cleansing everything in sight with an unabated frenzy.

Someone must’ve fed me a hallucinogen or two. Or three perhaps, or maybe my water supply’s laced with the stuff.

There’s bound to be some explanation for the cyclonic activity of me.

A crazy wench demands (now that she’s relatively sane-ish), she ALSO wants to claim her body back, too. There’s vanity in there, of course. But there’s also victory, power, aliveness. A synchronisation between heart, mind, soul and body.

Thus, I found myself signed up to group personal training (aka Boot Camp) twice a week, necessitating early nights and mornings, pre-dawn cycling, sweating, running, boxing and skipping. And more. Ole!

And yes I feel like I’m dying and a small but pointed voice asks demoralising questions like So why the hell are we doing this?? Luckily the wench has an answer ready, lobbing it back quickly BECAUSE we want our cardio fitness back.

Then, the yogini signed up for yet another yoga class, an eleven week course. Her voice is loud too, but emanates from the heart, not the ego. There was a moment in that demonstration class where the pleas started. We HAVE to do this course!!! NOW!!

Oh… I didn’t want to talk about Shadow Yoga yet, as I simply don’t know enough. It’s a mystery actually like a pass the parcel prize I get to unwrap a little more each week.

Perhaps though, I can talk about how I’m doing: simultaneously undone and re-made. I scatter into a thousand rainbow shapes and, learning new alignment and strength pulls me back together. It makes me sob, but in a good way. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s something rather miraculous.

Like its moniker this work takes me inside my yoga, working from the inside out. I see angles and creases where before I only saw form. And already my body is doing things I never knew it could.

Hilariously, this is just the introduction. Not yet the preludes. There’s barely any asana happening and there won’t be, not for months. Still, I work hard and sweat and I feel it in my body.

Between regular yoga, yoga teacher training, cycling everywhere, Boot Camp and Shadow Yoga, my body triumphantly aches.

And there’s a desire to CLEAN. Everything! The twice a week early mornings are rubbing off on other days. Now I awaken freely, no alarm needed. The absolute opposite of the past few years. And there’s in-the-corners-totally-thorough type house cleaning going on. Weird.

Strangely I find myself saying things I don’t expect. Randomly, an old work mate strikes up a Facebook chat and says something like With all that yoga you must be so bendy. Must keep all the boys happy!

Says I: Boys? What boys?

Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realise [assumes I bat for the other team]…

No [guessing her assumption], what I meant to say is, the man-drought is still in full swing…

And then this conversation leads me to openly, freely and very clearly explain exactly why that is. Initially, the man-drought being self-imposed until it became self-perpetuating! And why.

Strange. Who is this woman talking openly to another person about where I’ve been for the past four years? Undramatic. Straight-forward. Honest with outsiders. Without shame. Where did SHE come from?

Too many questions. So much movement and activity. I fire up iTunes, clean the windows and sob as my heart undergoes suction, extracting puss and atrophied tissues.

~Svasti

Jumping Down a Size.

When was the last time you jumped rope? For most of you probably not since PE class, but if so your missing out on a great workout experience. What the jump rope brings to your workout is  high caloric burn, core stabilization, balance, cardiovascular stamina and calve muscle tone amongst other benefits; And all for under $25. It’s effective, easy to do and travel sized. There is a number of different rope to choose from.

The choice is the one you can keep up with comfortably. The nylon rope is light enough for anyone to handle at their own pace and any entry level. The beaded rope is also great for any entry level and has a little weight to it so to give your shoulders a good workout. The speed rope give’s you higher caloric expenditure, higher heart rate and easier to do cross-over tricks. Also the speed rope is generally the lightest, easiest to adjust and least expensive. The weighted rope take’s it all to the next level by giving you more resistance to help develop the muscles of the forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest.  Also the additional weight gives your heart and lungs an even harder go at it. I don’t suggest starting with the weighted rope, but rather build up to it at your own pace. And I do suggest you check your doctor before starting a jump rope program. 

Your next decision is length.  General rule of thumb is that rope handles should come up between nipple line and arm pits. Higher will probably be too long and below will probably be too short. You can easily adjust the length by tying a loop near a handle or both if you  need to take in a little more or the reverse if  you need to let some out.

Most people do the double bounce between rotations in the beginning . You want to jump cleanly between each rotation just barely lifting the ball of your feet off the ground while keeping your heels up throughout. Remember you only have to clear the rope, not an oncoming defensive linebacker! Your upper arms should barely move but remain loose while turning your rope. The rotation of the rope should come from circular wrists movements. If you want to increase the speed of the rotations, simply tighten the circles that your wrists is making. Also you want to keep rhythm while jumping by counting off the jumps in you head. After a while the tempo will become more natural. From here you can set a timer or stand in front of a clock and start building up your minutes.

From here you can build a program suitable to your fitness level.  For example, 1 minute jumping 1 off for 10 rounds or 3 minutes on 1 off or 5 minutes on 1 off, you get the picture. You can also integrate the rope to your weight regiment by doing Push/Pull/Jump sets where you do opposing muscle group like push-ups, pull-ups and 1 minute rope jumping 3x then dumbbell rows, dumbbell press and 1 minute jumping. The combinations are endless and the body fat just melts away at up to 1000 calories an hour. So dig out that old JHS keepsake or head over to your local sporting goods shop and give it a go! I’m sure PE class wasn’t as rewarding.

Martial Arts is Good for the Brain

Juggling enhances brain connections.

Dr Johansen-Berg says: ‘Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone should go out and start juggling to improve their brains. We chose juggling purely as a complex new skill for people to learn. But there is a ‘use it or lose it’ school of thought, in which any way of keeping the brain working is a good thing, such as going for a walk or doing a crossword.’

Or learning a martial art…

-BCP

Enhance Your Flexibility

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise – cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training – it’s pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring.

However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.

How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines:

Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better that nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What’s more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you’ll experience. A qualified personal trainer, physical therapist or health professional can design a functional flexibility program specifically for you.

Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment. An individualized stretching program is best to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion).

Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulder, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training.

Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body’s signals and don’t push too far. Avoid bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous.

Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries will need to take special precautions.

Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching.

Warm Up First. Don’t forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 to15 minutes is a simple way to do this.

Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching.

Stretch Your Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.

It’s Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance.

Do It Consistently. It doesn’t help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs – they’re dedicated practitioners of regular stretching and you rarely see them getting the kind of joint or muscular injuries that humans get!

Shoulder and Trapezius Stretch
** Stand upright with shoulders back, chest out, and feet hip-width apart.
** Clasp your hands behind your buttocks.
** Slowly lift your hands up and away from your body until they have reached the furthest comfortable position.
** Keep your chest out and your chin in without hunching over.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your chest and anterior shoulders, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.

Lying Quadriceps Stretch
** Lie face down on a mat.
** Lift your right leg up towards your buttocks.
** Reach around with your right hand and grasp your foot. Slowly pull downwards, stretching your quadriceps to the furthest comfortable position.
** Hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.

Shin Stretch
** Using a wall or chair as support, place your left foot behind your right foot, with the top of your left foot on the ground.
** Extend the bottom of your left shin as far forward as possible. Slowly lower yourself by bending both legs.
** Once you have stretched your anterior tibialis to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.

Hip, Gluteus and Back Stretch
** Sit on the floor with both of your legs extended in front of you.
** Bend your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee.
** Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, and extend your right arm behind you with your palm flat on the floor for support.
** Slowly twist your upper body to the right while looking over your right shoulder.
** Lightly apply pressure with your left elbow on the outside of your right knee as you twist. Be sure to keep your upper body straight.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your hips, buttocks, and lower back, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch sides and repeat.

Calf Stretch
** Put the sole of the top half of your right foot against the wall. Slide your right heel as close towards the wall as possible.
** Slowly lean forward towards the wall stretching your calves. Once you have stretched your calf to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.

No stopping or weighting

Bright and early…. ok, ok, early… to the gym this morning.

At 5:20am I was already on the mini weights circuit, for the first time in what has seemed like ages.

I was very careful to approach each machine sensibly, adjusting weight levels downwards and only doing 15-20 reps per, so as to not strain anything that didn’t need straining. Almost ‘back to basics’ stuff.

I followed up with 6 miles on the recumbent bike and 10 minutes on the elliptical.

I do ache now I am back home. But I think its in a good way rather than a bad way.

Abs, Back and Stretch - October 7, 2009

Workout #36

I’ve been doing so well at crossing every available class off the list that I will have tried each session in the course catalog by the end of October.  Once I’m done sampling everything I will then be able to create a regular program of classes that I want to take each week either because they were fun, or hard, or both. 

This particular class, “Abs, Back and Stretch,” was a compact little thirty-minute effort that I found to be efficient and effective.  I love it when you get in a good abdominal workout, and then you can’t even sneeze later without having to hold your gut because you are in so much pain.   Who wouldn’t like that?  No one, that’s who.

Description of the class from the catalog: “Abdominals and lower back. Stability ball may be used. Finishing with stretching.”

The instructor started off with some simple warm-ups and yoga-based stretches, and then we got right to work on those pesky abdominals.  We utilized some of the more classic exercises, such as crunches, but then incorporated some standing variations, and of course the plank.  (not me)

I hate the plank, but not because it isn’t effective.  Rather, it is because it hurts like hell and is almost impossible for me to hold for more than fifteen seconds.

After the abdominals we utilized some dumbbells to work on the muscles in the back.  I am writing this 3 days later and I can still feel it, so this was an excellent workout in a short period of time. 

Once we were through with the back we spent about five minutes at the end of the class stretching everything out.  All in all I was very happy with what was offered to us during this course and would definitely come back.  Since this session was only a half hour long I decided to stay and spend another thirty minutes on the stair master, and then a few minutes on the treadmill.  This was a good effort for a Wednesday. 

Class size:  15

Duration of class: thirty minutes

What you should know:   This class is appropriate for all levels of fitness, and is low-impact.  No special clothing or equipment is needed. 

Check back later this week when I try out Body Pump and Cardio Box.

SCHOOL RECESS-THEN AND NOW.

Ray Salomone, Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

 Flashback to 1974. School Recess, Bedford Hills, New York

When I was ten years old, recess was my favorite part of the school day. Looking back with the benefit of time, what I remember most is the absolute chaos that occurred. We sprinted out of the school building and continued to run, jump, fall, organize games of tag, kickball and anything else that allowed us to play. Of course there were also a few schoolyard fist fights that only add to my fond memories. The teachers had to demand that we return to the classrooms, often times the principal was called for added weight. Rarely, if ever, did I return from recess without breaking a sweat, skinning a knee or being out of breath.

 Flashforward to 2009. Upper East Side of Manhattan.

 I am jogging with a personal training client past the school yard of an elite private academy. It is recess time and the children are listlessly milling around, many of them standing in small groups looking into their iphones.

 This scene says so much about where are children are heading.

 

 Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

Dr. Katina Ioannidis, Chiropractor

www.GrecoRomanWellness.com

Blog: www.GrecoRomanWellness.wordpress.com

The Most Provocative Wellness Blog on the Planet

 

Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. Exercise Intensely

PLAY ROUGH AND LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

 

Contact Me Directly at: Ray@GrecoRomanWellness.com

 

Coming Soon to bookstores:

The Greco Roman Road to Wellness

by Ray Salomone and Dr. Katina Ioannidis

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Greco-Roman-Road-Wellness-Old-World-Times/dp/0982139209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243604904&sr=8-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

Dr. Katina Ioannidis, Chiropractor

www.GrecoRomanWellness.com

Blog: www.GrecoRomanWellness.wordpress.com

The Most Provocative Wellness Blog on the Planet

 

Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. Exercise Intensely

PLAY ROUGH AND LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!

 

Contact Me Directly at: Ray@GrecoRomanWellness.com

 

Coming Soon to bookstores:

The Greco Roman Road to Wellness

by Ray Salomone and Dr. Katina Ioannidis

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Greco-Roman-Road-Wellness-Old-World-Times/dp/0982139209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243604904&sr=8-1

How to make a coffee protein shake

Today I was a little rushed in the morning because I prolonged my shower . So I grabbed something simple for a snack and ran out the door after breakfast. My snack which was a larabar was very tasty, and convenient of course.

When I got home I was pretty hungry. My lunch wasnt much, 5oz natural turkey, 2 small pieces of bread, and an orange. Enough to fill you up but not from 11:00am to 3:00pm. So I made a coffee shake before my run.

Sean’s Coffee Shake

The first ingredient I always add to my shake is low fat milk. This is so the harder/powdery stuff doesn’t stick to the blender. Low fat milk is a liquid protein that plays the base of our shake. You can use soy milk for the vegan option, or water if you want to trim 80cals.

The next ingredient I add is almond butter which is your healthy fatty acids. I usually use 365, or blue diamond almond butter. Almond butter is semi healthier than peanut butter, and gives the shake that nice almond taste.

For a complex carbohydrate I use Quaker quick oatmeal. This will give the shake texture and give you long lasting energy for your runs or workouts.

Instant coffee for that caffeine kick we always want. It also makes the coffee shake taste like coffee, duh . Add enough coffee to meet your needs. I usually add 1-2 tbsp.

1 scoop vanilla whey protein, I use whey protein which is from milk, you can use soy, or almond milk in place for vegetarian options. This is your main source of protein.

Once everythings in the blender, blend for 60 seconds into a dark “coffee shade” liquid.

Pour and enjoy the delicious, sustained energy shake!

After my 4 mile run, which went ok. I was a bit congested but 10x better than Tuesday. I had a Clif bar. After I munched down my snack I did a small upper body workout downstairs.

Shortly after my workout mom came home with Greek salad and hummus for dinner, Yum!

A very colorful assortment of delicious veggies.

Coming soon: posting!

Yes, that’s right. I will post on my blog. Eventually. There has just been a lot going on. Some of it good, some of it bad, some of it painfully stressful. But, since I am sitting up at work (at night. again.) I figured I would give updating a shot.

The Husband: He has completed his first three weeks of the police academy, so we’re making a dent in that one. Just seven more to go. He’s gotten to the stage where he is allowed to call home. It’s just once a week, and they only get about 5 minutes, but it’s something. Weekends are getting harder and harder. It’s great to have him home, but it’s difficult because we know he’s not staying. By the time we fall into a good weekend rhythem, it’s time to pack the bag and load up the car again.

The Boy: Is thrilled that Cub Scouts is working out. Kind of. We had a meeting last Thursday and another one this week. He’s really looking forward to it. He’s working on all kinds of badges and stuff- one of them is for Physical Fitness which I am really excited about. And no, I didn’t pressure him to choose it. My kid’s just weird (like his Mommy) and thinks exercise is fun.

He lost his first tooth this weekend, too. The darn thing was loose for about a month, and The Husband finally convinced The Boy to just pull it out. He seemed a little scared by the process, but he’s excited over the prospect of the tooth fairy. We aren’t sure how to play that one yet. So, for now the tooth is in a safe place and next weekend The Husband and I will figure out what exactly the tooth fairy will do in our home.

The Girl: Has reverted back to “attached to Mommy’s hip” stage. She does this every time our routines get thrown off and, with The Husband gone more than he’s home, she’s having a difficult time adjusting. The good news is, she’s four now. And this stage is a lot more fun now than it was when she was one. Instead of just constantly crying and waking up in the middle of the night, she’s wanting to do stuff. Fun stuff! We read a lot of stories together, play with princess dolls and my little ponies, and cook. The Girl is loving being in the kitchen. Her Christmas wish list right now is an apron, a wooden spoon, an easy bake oven, and a bike. (Ok, so we can’t cook the bike, but we can use it to burn off the calories from all the stuff she plans to bake for me!)

The Mommy: Is a mess. Where to begin?

• Smoothie challenge- update will be coming soon. I have been making them, but haven’t had time to post because (until last night) I did not have internet at home, and goofing off time at work has been limited.
• Banking- Ok, so that budget I carefully created? Useless! Without internet at home, we couldn’t deposit any checks. So I watched our account get lower and lower as things were taken out, and the stack of checks waiting to be deposited got higher and higher. Things should be set up now, but it’s been a really scary experience, and now I have to straighten out that mess and see if I can repair the damage to the budget
• Work- :::bangs head on desk::: I am really hating my job right now. So, so, so much. I am trying to like it, but it’s a struggle right now. I spend a lot of time having to play the bad guy talking to people who were sent to collections, and I just flat out don’t like to do that.
• Sleep- Have you heard of it? I have. Once, a long, long time ago. It sounds wonderful. I wish I could get some. I even went out and bought some new sheets for our bed. The Husband and I have been looking for t-shirt sheets for a queen mattess for seven years now and finally found them (on sale, yay!) They are soooo comfy and I thought they would help me with my inability to sleep. But no. At least I am tossing and turning and lying awake all night in a very cozy bed now.
• General Diet/Health/Fitness- is coming and going. I get on track, and then weekend come along and I get emotional and eat. And then I get on track again. And I get sick and can’t workout. Then I get on track again. And then I have to work extra shifts every night for a week.

Keeping on the sunny-side

I feel so bad for the people in the Philippines right now. All this rain we’ve been getting in Japan is coming from the two typhoons that have recently hit the Philippines. I should start counting my blessings instead of complaining so much. It’s so easy to forget how much worse my life and situation could always be.

I’m setting a new goal for myself: No more starting blogs with complaining… things could always be SO much worse. Besides, who wants to read negative thinking all the time? Not me! And probably not you either.

After a less than stellar start to my morning, today ended up not being so bad.

I made sure to drag one of our heavier covers out of the closet and wash it today. This girl will not be having trouble sleeping tonight because of being cold.

Lunch:
My breakfast was super filling and tided me over until after I returned from the grocery store, which was close to 12:30! I was super hungry, though, and wanted a “real” sit down kind of lunch.

Leftover sloppy joe mix on wheat bread, 1/2 an Asian pear, and a salad

Our refrigerator was REALLY full after my visit to the store, so I used some leftovers to make my sandwich. The wheat bread I bought a few days ago is so thick that I couldn’t even imagine putting two pieces together again for a sandwich. So, I cut one piece into two and used that. It was easy to do and a good idea.

See my cute new salad bowl? Inside of this bowl is some lettuce, spinach, sprouts (!!!), onion, green pepper, green onion, craisins, and a little drizzle of Italian dressing. Yes, I did try the sprouts again, and once more, I enjoyed them. I think we can officially say that Maria is a sprouts lover. And what’s not to love about that?

I bought a new variety of tea than my usual today. The package was so appealing and I thought the tea would probably have a good flavor, too.

My thoughts? The tea smelled amazing! That alone might have sealed the deal for me. Lucky for me, it tasted good too. The strawberry flavoring wasn’t very strong. It tasted more like regular black tea than strawberry tea, but it still had a nice taste. I would buy it again, for sure.

Snack-time:

Some more of my weird crackers, along with a soft cheese, were my snack between lunch and dinner. They weren’t too bad when I added a little cheese on top of them. Still probably never buying this kind again.

Dinner:

Tacos with a little bit of beef, lots of lettuce, and onion, and a reheat of mac ‘n cheese with some frozen veggies thrown in.

I didn’t put much beef in mine, since I just ate sloppy joe leftovers for lunch. Instead I loaded up with veggies tonight… even skipping the cheese since I already had some on my macaroni. So proud of myself for that. It’s been a veggie day for sure.

——————————————————–

Had a great ST session and yoga practice today instead of the run that I had scheduled in on my GCal. I knew that if I insisted on the run it would never, ever happen. The odds of me convincing myself that running outside in the cold, windy, rain were zero to none. It was a much better idea (and more likely to actually happen) to switch my workouts around for this week depending upon the weather. So, today’s run will wait for another (and hopefully more pretty) day.

Super excited to figure out today that I am able to listen to my favorite radio station from back home online! I was so happy to have some tunes while I worked today.

Do you like fishsticks?

The best part of waking up… is knowing you’re going to have an awesome breakfast. Okay, maybe that isn’t completely true because there are a lot of great things that get me out of bed every morning. But when my eyes popped open at 7 this morning I was looking forward to my blueberry french toast and scrambled eggs–a pretty heavy breakfast for me, but perfect since I went on a 6 mile run about 45 minutes later.

My run was so good today. It was hard, challenging, and a true test of my willpower, but those things are what make running worth it for me. Unfortunately my HRM watch was being wonky again, so here are my “kind of” splits, adjusted a little so not perfect:

• 10:38:31 (not correct, would be closer to 10:02 but my lap button was malfunctioning)
• 9:48:62 (definitely not correct)
• 10:22:46
• 10:45:32
• 10:43:60
• 10:40:31

Total time=1:03:00

I was pretty pleased with not only the run, but also my time. I tried to maintain a comfortable pace and not push myself too hard since this was my long run for the week, but I didn’t hit any 11:00 miles, which always makes this girl smile. My legs felt surprisingly good after just running 5 miles on Friday. I think the key to this was some major icing after Friday’s run, along with rolling out my legs. Also, I swam in some pretty cold water yesterday while we rafted and soaked in the hot water at the onsen, too. Add all of those things together and you get legs that felt like they were fresh-off-the-conveyor-belt-at-the-factory good.

Besides my run and a few household chores, I decided today was going to be my day. I don’t get to take advantage of the weekend and just do things that make me happy very often (being an adult sure has its downside, doesn’t it?) so I wanted to really milk today for all it was worth while I can. I know I have a busy week ahead of me, so enjoying today was a top priority! I made a Caitlin list to make sure I got the most out of it:

Started off by changing into a tank top post-run. It is supposed to rain here all this upcoming week and rumor has it that after that the warm weather will be nowhere to be found. I’m pretty sure the person who told me this is right since all the shops have started setting out their winter goods and supplies. Oh yay… not. I hate winter. So this is probably the last time I’ll be wearing a tank top for a few months, which is too sad.

Then I decided it was a perfect time to bake! I scribbled down a recipe I found online for chocolate chip cookies and halved it (no, it’s really not necessary to have two dozen cookies sitting around my apartment screaming for me to eat them, I decided).

The recipe was really easy and made some super yummy cookies, J said.

I agreed, obviously, since I ate 2 3 of them.

After the cookie baking extravaganza, I headed to the grocery store, which I do not consider a chore. I love to grocery shop… maybe a little too much. For me, wandering down the aisles and looking at all of the food choices is a bit like turning a kid loose in a toy store. Didn’t find a ton of new/fun foodie items, but I did buy two different new yogurts that I will try soon. One is a 0% fat one, so maybe it will be a little bit like Chobani or Oikos? I hope! That would make my week. Also I picked up some sprouts for the first time, so I’ll have to get back to you on how those go.

When J and I got back from grocery shopping I decided it was FINALLY time for lunch (oh it was only 4:30!). Despite my 6 mile run earlier this morning my body just wasn’t too hungry. Maybe it was the banana I snacked on after my run, or the three cookies?

I baked two pieces of white fish that I found at the grocery store today and made some pasta for the side. I made too much pasta! I knew I’d end up putting about half of that in the refrigerator for a different meal. I actually ended up putting almost all of it in the refrigerator because the seasoning I used on it was way to spicy for my taste. I felt like my mouth was on fire after only two bites. Whew! Not for me. The fish, however, was delicious, and was appropriately dipped in ketchup, which is the best way to eat fish if you ask me.

Dinner was a little more creative than usual, for me.

I had already promised J we could do quesadilla tonight, but when it came time to make them I wasn’t feeling it. Mexican was just “meh.” So, I threw some broccoli in the microwave until it was hot and melted some cheese and chicken in with the broccoli to make my quesadilla. It was really good, actually, and the broccoli gave it a good flavor.

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! And oh yeah, check out the new plates I picked up today. They’re clear, which is okay, but they are nice because we don’t have too many plates, having just moved into our own place.

It’s movie time and then off to bed. One more day of helping J at school and then I’m DONE!

Thanks for nothing, weather.

I was originally going to haul my ass downtown today to see a movie, but at the moment it is literally down pouring, and the forecast for later is “heavy rain and a thunderstorm;” I may be dedicated to the cinema, but I’m just not willing to perish by way of lightning attempting to get there. I have to walk, you see, as I am not in posession of a car at my college location. Alas. I think I’ll just hit the gym and the grocery store and then call it a day. The grocery store requires walking, too, but that’s only a mile from campus as opposed to the movie theater’s two mile distance.

I think I’m going to have to start replacing a day of running with a day of walking; whereas before, when I was doing three miles per session, it wasn’t a big deal to run hard two days in a row, running five to six miles two days isn’t a row just isn’t doin’ it for me. I woke up last night with a mad cramp in my leg, and while before I looked forward to going to the gym to see how far I could go, today going to the gym holds all the appeal of … well … going to the gym to run in place for an hour. Let’s not get over dramatic, here. So, I may start following my day of running with a day of walking. I figure it’ll recharge my batteries and I’ll the same distance I would usually run, so I’ll burn the same amount of calories.

Blergh, I already had my pre-workout snack (peanut butter on wheat, again—I had to use a heel of the bread, oh the horror), so I guess I should hit ye olde torture chamber before breakfast rolls around and I’m hungry before having even worked out.

Productive, Busy Bee Day

Could today have been any more productive? Dang! I got a lot done.

I started by waking up at the butt-crack of dawn (6 a.m.) to get ready for work and meeting my new co-workers.

Back home, I spent a good hour and a half thinking and planning out tomorrow’s lesson for my students. Followed by a great leg and abs ST session and some yoga practice. And add in two loads of laundry on the side.

I didn’t even get hungry for lunch until after 2 o’clock. The English muffin with peanut butter and grapes I had this morning must have really filled me up. Well, that and the nashi pear I enjoyed as a snack while I worked on my lesson.

(Sorry… no pics of those items since this morning was a whirlwind of “Oh my gosh! I’m going to be late!” and running out the door.)

Lunch:

It took a while to make lunch today because I whipped up stuffed peppers that I’ve been wanting, but not had the time to make, all week. They were really easy to make and tasted amazing. Completely amazing. These would be great to make in advance, freeze, and reheat for lunch during the week.

I used a basic stuffed peppers recipe, but I didn’t cook my pepper before stuffing and baking it (I enjoy a little crunch). Combined rice, some ground beef, onion, chili powder, garlic powder, diced tomatoes, and fresh cut-up tomato in a pan. Added in a dollop of sour cream for a zing (well, that and it was about to go bad). Stirred that all together and spooned the mixture into my peppers. Threw the rest of the rice mishmash into the bottom of the pan with the peppers. I baked the peppers for forty minutes on 350 degrees. They were perfectly done and ready to eat.

Enjoyed my pepper/rice while continuing to work on tomorrow’s lesson, and then finished it while watching more of Biggest Loser Australia Season 1.

Had a banana for a snack between lunch and dinner while the husband played video games.

Dinner:

Super easy dinner tonight (and really filling). I was happy to have already cut and prepped many of the veggies I needed to make my vegetable soup. That made for a happy Maria because it was as easy as throwing dinner in a pan. Can’t beat that some nights. Especially when you’ve had a busy day.

I’m so excited to start work tomorrow (officially) and to meet my students. Wish me luck!!!

Don’t forget the question of the day:

What are your October goals?