Fuel Up Naturally

In 9 months I will be competing in my first Ironman and while my mental prep began months ago, I have really been honing my skills in the kitchen so that I am able to train for this event on a natural diet. Last year I went through a myriad of different gels, bars and bloks during training which left my digestive system a bit of a mess. It's amazing that athletes, who are presumably healthy individuals, allow themselves to ingest all those fake ingredients...

Here is a recipe for Sweet Potato Balls- The perfect combination of carbs, fat and protein to fuel your body for a swim, bike, or run... Or just to have as a side with a big salad (like we had for dinner the other night).

They are so easy to make, just boil 2-3 sweet potatoes and mash with a can of black beans and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa. Roll this mixture into small balls (think 3-4 bites/ball).

On a seperate plate sprinkle flax seeds and roll the ball in them so you have coated about 75%.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. They are great to eat both hot and cold.

Enjoy!

Beet&BlueberrySmoothie

This morning in place of a banana in my smoothie, I decided to throw in a beet... It may seem random, but it actually turned out pretty good. Packed with high levels of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Folate, beets pack a powerful punch of nutrients!

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup of water

1 cup of ice

1 tablespoon Hemp Protein Powder

1 tsp Hemp Oil

1 cup of frozen Bluberries

1 roasted beet

Vasisthasana: Side Plank Pose

Vasistha literally means "most excellent, best, or richest"... Not only does this pose strengthen your abdominals, arms and legs, it also stretches the wrists and improves your sense of balance.

Try incorporating it into your next workout, holding at least 20-30 seconds on each side.

Push it HARD! 12.5 Minutes!

November can be a tough month for fitness... Christmas parties are on the horizon, and it seems like the the seasonal baking is already in full-swing. PLUS the days seem so much shorter with the sun going down earlier...

I know... it can be tough to find the time for a workout. Luckily, our bodies respond well to being pushed to their maximum capacity for a shorter period of time. I know everyone can find 12 and 1/2 minutes in their day to do something great for your health!

1 Minute:

Explosive Jacks/Burpee Combo (Like a regular burpee except instead of jumping up, you do a wide legged explosive jack)

45 Seconds:

Side to side taps on the Bosu

3o Seconds:

Fast High Knees

15 Seconds:

Tuck Jumps

15 Seconds:

REST

***5 Rounds***

Just Do It.

Lessons in Plank

The other night in a Hot Yoga class the teacher challenged us to hold a 2 minute plank. Now normally the plank really doesn't get me too worked up... but 2 minutes?! This was something I had never done. Nevertheless I assumed the position and got into it.

I will admit that it was a pretty MAJOR test- not only for my body, but for my attitude. Those two minutes were really about weeding out the quitters, and I am no quitter. I promised myself that I would not give up. So I didn't. It sounds harsh, but simply understanding that that decision was mine was huge.

Much like all challenges or goals we set for ourself (big or small), the decision to persevere lies within... The committment to eat healthier, quit a bad habit or start to exercise, pushes your body out of it's comfort zone. Combine that with the affirmation that you will not lie to yourself, or quit yourself- that is when you will see what your body if truly capable of.

That said, I have decided to take this same challenge to my morning class tomorrow...

Two Minutes. One Plank. Zero Tolerance for failure.

Give it a try at home. Your body will show up for you. I promise.