Friday Workout

Today I began with 15 minutes of cardio. Then I focused on my arms with the dumbbells.
I did shoulder presses, bicep curls, and rowing moves.

Row with dumbbells

I finished up with some regular squats and then sumo squats, while holding the dumbbells in near my chest. Adding the weights gave more core exercise to the squats.
This is a good image of the sumo squat with a weight. Place feet more than shoulder width apart. Remember not to let your knees go beyond your toes, and to act like you're sitting in a chair. The deeper the squat, the more it burns.

Sumo squat with weight

As always, I followed my workout with a protein shake. Today I had whole milk, a scoop of chocolate raw protein powder, a banana, and a large scoop of peanut butter.

Healthy Me

So, during the past two semesters of college multiple things have caused me to slide down the slippery slope of unhealthy habits. The biggest of these being my eating habits. I was always on the run, and always had too much to do to ever catch up. Every day felt like I was just treading water trying to keep my head above it all.

Well a few days after I graduated I decided it was time to make a change. I have less commitments taking up my time and I'm going to replace it with an effort to care about my body and myself. During my unhealthy eating period I felt tired, sluggish, and lumpy. I threw out some of the unhealthy things I was eating, but not all.

I went to the store and found things that I knew I would eat. Why buy them just to sit around and eventually be thrown out? On my first trip I picked up:

-carrots
-cucumber
-celery
-avocados
-apples
-bananas
-peaches
-cherries
-spring mix lettuce
-eggs
-GMO-free high-fiber granola cereal
-unsweetened almond milk
-vanilla greek yogurt
-quinoa
-basmati brown rice
-organic grass-fed chicken breasts
-cliff crunch granola bars
-peanut butter

In the mornings I've been alternating between cereal and a smoothie.

My favorite smoothie is:
1 banana
1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c greek yogurt
2 T peanut butter
1 tsp nutella

In the past I was hungry 45 minutes to an hour after breakfast. This smoothie keeps me full for at least 4 hours. I have been drinking so much more water :) and adding fresh lemon juice to my water. Already I am feeling like I have more energy. I am also seeing less bloating in my stomach. I will keep updating with my status and any new recipes I come across and love.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is delicious. You can eat it plain or with jelly, but new ideas are sometimes more fun. Because of its gooey, oily nature it is easy to add to your favorite recipes.

The nutritious facts:
Peanut butter has a high level of monounsaturated fats. (like our friend the avocado)
It also contains protein, fiber, and magnesium.
Magnesium is an important mineral -- but sadly, many diets lack magnesium.
Magnesium works to eliminate the negative effects of drinking soda. It is a vital mineral for the reduction of headaches.

My favorite (right now) recipe with peanut butter is...

Peanut Butter Frosting (eat sparingly... but so good)

MMM.. it looks so tasty. Click here make this treat.

Word of caution::: Peanut butter bought from the store contains other ingredients that are not healthy. (as does the above recipe, but this is a treat!)
I try to buy the peanut butter that lists peanuts as the ONLY ingredient.

If you prefer, (and have the time and equipment) you can make your own homemade peanut butter here. If you are in need of a good mixing device, check out the one below.



Have fun!