Morning Habits

After burning over 700 calories in spin today breakfast tasted reallllly good.

As a creature of habit and routine, I generally eat one breakfast for months before switching and right now I am into a gluten-free version of “Overnight Oats”...

Every night before bed I mix the following:

-         ½ cup of buckwheat

-         1 tbs Chia Seed

-         1 tbs Hemp Hearts

-         1 tbs ground flax

-         ½ a handful of dried cranberries or raisins

-         1 dollop of peanut butter

-         1 cup of Rice milk

Overnight everything soaks up and mixes together and is so good the next day. With the combination of protein and fiber, this breakfast also keeps me full at least for a couple of hours. 

Completed with a green juice and an Americano I have to say my morning routine is pretty perfect. 

Core.

Feel unmotivated by your current abs routine? 

Repeat the following circuit 2-3 times, holding each exercise for 60 seconds to mix it up and blast those abs! 

1- Leg Drops

2- Side Jack-Knife (Make sure you do both sides) 

3- Jack-Knife

4- Bicycle 

5 Benefits of Flaxseed

1- Flaxseeds are a great source of fibre and act as a natural laxative. I like to think about it as an exfoliation of your intestines, but that might be an over-share :)

2- Contains Omega-3 Fat which your body does not produce on its own- benefits include reducing inflammation, preventing fatigue, and keeping nails and hair healthy and strong.

3- Ground flaxseed helps lower cholesterol and regulate insulin levels.

4- Flaxseeds are a good source of magnesium- benefits include keeping your blood circulating smoothly and building/strengthening bones.

5- High concentration of lignans which are found in plants and may help prevent against certain types of estrogen dependent cancers such as breast cancer. 

Saturday...

Taking a rest day away from major fitness and the gym is a definite MUST and something that is very challenging for me. But because I know that giving the body a break is not only ok, it's actually incredibly important, I gave myself this Saturday to just chill out ... 

The morning started off slow. 1030am wake up ( hours later than normal ), a leisurely walk across the street for an Americano, followed by a really yummy breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Oats.

After some major house organization I met up with Lauren for a Hot Class at YYoga... it was packed, sweaty and felt amazing. 

What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday?

Peanut Butter Banana Oats 

Ingredients:

• 1 large very ripe banana, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2-1 tsp chia seed (or ground flax)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• toppings: So many options: heaping 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon, pure maple syrup, honey, yogurt 

1. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the banana and non-dairy butter or oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, and add the oats, chia, milk, spices, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well until combined.

3. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Scoop into a bowl and top!

Motivate.

Urdhva Dhanurasana

1- Lie supine on the floor. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your head, forearms relatively perpendicular to the floor, fingers pointing toward your shoulders.

2- Pressing your inner feet actively into the floor, exhale and push your tailbone up toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths. Then firmly press the inner hands into the floor and your shoulder blades against the back and lift up onto the crown of your head. Keep your arms parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths.

3-Press your feet and hands into the floor, tailbone and shoulder blades against your back, and with an exhalation, lift your head off the floor and straighten your arms. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward and firm the outer thighs. Narrow the hip points and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees, lifting the pubis toward the navel.

4-Turn the upper arms outward but keep the weight on the bases of the index fingers. Spread the shoulder blades across the back and let the head hang, or lift it slightly to look down at the floor.

BENEFITS: Stretches chest and lungs/ Strengthens arms, wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen and spine/ Stimulates thyroid and pituitary/ Increases energy and counteracts depression/ Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility and osteoporosis 

No Excuses