Vacation Workouts

We're on day 5 of our vacation here in Cali:) I've been trying to keep up with my workouts here, because nothing feels worse then coming home from a vacation and feeling out of shape again!

 Working out can be difficult when you're on a trip and you're no longer following your daily routine.  When i'm on vacation I usually try and go on at least a run every morning, but since we do so much walking at Disneyland I've compromised and done a workout every other morning. The routine you see above is one of my very favorites! I usually do 4 or 5 sets and it usually takes about 30-35 mins, but you can adjust the amount of sets you do depending on how much time you have. I like it because it offers resistance training, but it kicks up your heart rate and you get some cardio in as well.  I'm way more tired after finishing this then I am after a normal run or weight lifting workout, but it feels amazing! Plus it's super simple and doesn't require any gym equipment so you can do it from anywhere. It also increased my vertical jump by a few inches. Which may not be a big deal for some but if you play intramural sports it's a plus:) 

If you're looking at the list and don't know how to do any of the routines above, a quick google search will answer your question. (I had to google burpees when I first started) So there you go! An easy workout you can do while on vacation. 

And also, that was the view from my workout spot this morning.. This getaway has been much needed:)

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Food for thought

As this semester is coming to a close and I'm only one semester away from graduating, I've been able to reflect on how my major has changed me. 

My major is Exercise and Wellness, and I would recommend it to anyone! I've learned how to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle and it's allowed me to better understand how I can help my family adopt healthy habits. 

This has also caused most of the arguments in our home. I'll get to that in a minute. 

A lot of my classes this semester are focused around the latest studies on nutrition and what types of foods decrease/increase your risk for disease etc.

For example, we repeatedly hear things like: 

"Protein should make up 25-35% of your daily diet, but you should not eat animal meat more than a few times a week." (not counting fish)

"Eat 5-9 fruits and vegetables daily, but blending them makes you less full then if you were to eat them whole, so try not to blend them." 

"Veggies are more important than fruits, but starchy vegetables don't count as a serving of vegetables." 

"Refined grains cause inflammation and increase the damage caused by oxidation; eat whole grains." 

"Food should be eaten in its purest form; avoid processed foods as much as possible." 

"Don't eat the same kinds of foods everyday; your body needs variety." 

"Avoid putting salt on your food; aim to drink 12 cups of water a day."

And trans fat is basically the Voldemort of our major, you just don't even go there.  

All of these guidelines, all told in the context of "Do this, or you're more likely to develop a chronic disease and won't live to see ______ (insert an emotional appeal here)." 

Just the other day, my professor said: "What's the #1 killer in the US.?" 

People naturally said things like: obesity, heart disease, car accidents etc. 

His response: "Wives and Mothers."

Why?

They feed their husbands and kids fatty foods and refined carbs, and feel bad if they don't eat it all because they think it reflects on their cooking.

In other words he's saying that wives and mothers set the trend for a households eating habits. 

Feeling a little pressure?  

Immediately I started being extra conscious about not only my habits, but Jon's as well. 

I would get worried when we'd run out of fruits and veggies and hadn't been to the store yet because OH MY!

"We may only get 4 servings of fruits and veggies in today instead of 7!!!"

Or sometimes we'd run out of wheat pasta and white pasta was all we'd have left, and I'd think I was failing at my duty of upholding our family's health. 

And then how can you not eat treats over the weekend? So I'd always end up feeling guilty about that. 

Until finally I came to a striking realization: 

I think my stress over eating healthy, is going to kill me faster then not eating healthy. 

Jon was quick to agree with me on this one. 

"Madds, there are smokers and people that eat nothing but refined carbs and fast food everyday that live to be 90+." 

Then I'd say that's not the norm and he'd point out that most of our family members have lived long, healthy lives despite not following these guidelines to a T.

Then I'd tell him "Well my professor said so and he has a PhD" and then he'd say my professor is extreme and then eventually we'd agree to disagree. 

Finally, there was a lecture in my nutrition class that changed my whole outlook. 

Basically it comes down to one thing: eating competence. 

Which is a fancy term for how comfortable you are with food and whether or not you are flexible in your eating habits.

Those who posses eating competence have positive attitudes toward eating, they recognize when they are hungry and they allow themselves to not only get enough food, but to actually enjoy it. 

Competent eaters see food as a positive thing, and because of that they naturally eat a variety of foods. 

The opposite end of the spectrum is known as the "conventional approach": 

Those that take this approach see eating in a negative light, sometimes feeling anxiety about what they've eaten and are often times worried about their calorie intake. They don't always respond when their body is hungry in an  effort to lose weight and they naturally worry about their portion sizes being too big. 

Basically they believe that if a person is healthy they will eat only a certain way and weigh only a certain amount, without taking into account that sometimes overweight individuals can be healthier then "normal" weight individuals. 

The overall conclusion: 

Competent eaters live longer then incompetent eaters (or those who take the conventional approach). They also have a decreased risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol. 

Part of this is because their feelings toward eating and food actually affects how the food they eat is processed. 

If you see food as a negative thing and are stressed and worried while eating it, your body will process it differently and it will affect your health in a negative way. 

Lastly, my favorite quote from the study: 

"Eating is more than throwing wood on a fire or pumping gas in a car. Feeding is more than picking out food and getting it into a child. Eating and feeding reflect our attitude and relationships with ourselves and with others as well as our histories. Eating is about regard for ourselves, our connection with our bodies and our commitment to life itself."

Moral of the story?

Eat things in moderation, and ENJOY THEM. 

In other words, eat the cake and don't regret it!

Now for some pretty pictures of food found from Pinterest (of course). 

(If you want more pics to drool over, follow my food board here.)

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Guest Post - Getting rid of Worry

So I'm finishing up a post about a nutrition fact I learned in my class the other day.. 

Who doesn't like posts about food? 

But it's not done yet, so I don't have much to say right now. 

Other then finals are right around the corner and I just finished up my internship! 

Summer is so close! I am stoked. 

It means I might actually have more time to invest in this blog.. 

Anyway, mostly I just wanted to let you know I wrote a guest post at Meet With a Smile. 

It's on "Getting rid of Worry". I'm pretty sure Jon would laugh pretty hard if he knew I was writing on the topic. 

He is always telling me I worry too much. 

Anyway, stop by Stephanie's blog and check it out:) 

Also, I know there are tons of video's about "real beauty" going around. 

But this is one of my favorites: 

Have a great day:) 

xoxo

Mornings

You guys. 

You know those past posts where I've complained about school and how I've never been so busy? 

I think this week beats them all.  

I'm taking my 5th midterm this week, and I have about 3 more projects to finish up. 

Also in my spare time I have to figure out how to fix my laptop that just decided it didn't want to work anymore..

30 YouTube tutorials later and I think Jon and I have almost solved the problem!

Anyway on a more positive note, I have learned how productive early mornings can be. 

Since I've been forced to find more time to get things done, 5 AM has become my best friend. 

And you know what? 

It's not so bad. 

Getting things done early and starting off the morning with a fruit smoothie has become my saving grace. 

Give me a few more days and life should get back to normal.

It can only get better from here:) 

Recipe: Chicken Alfredo and Olive Garden Breadsticks

I realize it's been over a week since I have posted. 

That makes me sad, because I would much rather spend my time updating this blog than studying/stressing about school, work, and my internship. 

Honestly, the stress level is pretty high around here lately. 

It is crunch time for us! Jon graduates at the end of April and then takes the MCAT and applies for med school all by June. 

And by April I will be done with my internship and all but a few classes that I'll take next fall..

So I will just be dedicated to trying not to bug Jon, working full time, and working on this new plan I have for my blog:)

And then the stress level is even higher because I want to have another baby, but you can't have a baby if your stressed out! So it's kind of a lose lose. 

But come June, we will be happy campers! 

Our summer is looking pretty exciting:)

And I'll probably realize in the next little while that I need to just chill and enjoy each day as it comes because we really are blessed right now etc. 

But for now I'm just going to whine about it, sound good? 

Ok, now for the good news:)

I have the best recipe you have to try!

We had some friends over for dinner on Sunday night, and I decided to make Chicken Alfredo, only because I wanted to make this Olive Garden breadstick recipe I found, but unfortunately it needed a main course other then the breadsticks. 

So I found this recipe called Pizza Factory Crockpot Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

How could that not be a winner?? 

The recipe was SO easy. And the key was that beauty above ^^^

Pizza Factory Crockpot Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken Recipe- 

-1 stick of butter. 

- 2 chicken breasts, cubed. 

- 1 envelop of "Good Seasons" Italian Dry Mix 

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours. 

Then add: 

- 8 oz. of cream cheese

-1 can of cream and chicken

-1/2 can of water

Cook for 1 hour longer. Then let sit for 30-40 mins so it can thicken. Serve over hot fettuccine noodles. (I used a mix of whole grain and regular noodles.. in an attempt to make this somewhat healthy)  

Any sort of vegetable (I used broccoli) works great as a side dish. 

Now for the best part!

Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe:

Ingredients: 

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

- 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm
water (105 to 115 degrees F)
- 16 ounces bread flour (3 cups)
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

On top:
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water in a small
bowl or measuring cup and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes,
or until it becomes foamy on top.

 Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use the paddle
attachment on a stand mixer to mix the softened butter into
the flour. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a mixing spoon
to combine the butter with the flour. 

When the yeast mixture
is foamy, pour it into the flour mixture and use a dough hook
on your mixture to combine the ingredients and knead the
dough for approximately 10 minutes. 

(If you don't have a stand
mixer, combine the ingredients and then knead the dough
by hand on a countertop for 10 minutes.)

Place the dough in

a covered container and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it

doubles in size. 

When the dough has doubled, measure out 2-ounce portions

and roll the dough between your hands or on a countertop

to form sticks that are 7 inches long. Place the dough

on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover and set aside

for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size once

again. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If you get hungry waiting for the dough to rise, eat a princess fruit snack in between**

(This is what they will look like after they have risen) 

 Once the dough has risen, bake the breadsticks for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

When the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately

brush each one with melted butter and sprinkle with a little

garlic salt.

Makes 12-13 breadsticks 

I doubled the recipe (because duh) and they turned out perfect. 

They are Olive Garden quality minus the taste of preservatives..

I'm already wanting to make them again! 

Try it and let me know what you think:)

♥♥♥♥♥♥

The greatest cookie recipe.

A few months ago, I was on the search for a yummy dessert to make for a party we were having at our apartment. 

I wasn't in the mood for regular chocolate chip cookies, 

so I went to my cookbooks in search for a new kind of cookie.. 

When I saw this recipe, I instantly fell in love! 

Every time i'm on the search for a new recipe, it has to pass a mental test before I try it: 

1. Does the picture look delicious? (It did!) 

2. Is there any weird ingredients? (Weird meaning I've never heard of/used them before) 

(Nope.) 

3. Are there any extra steps that require more time? (ex. cool in fridge for __ hours) 

(Nope again.) 

The cookies were perfect. 

SO yummy, and so easy to make!

Jon loved them, and we haven't gone back to regular chocolate chip cookies since. 

Also, if your a cookie dough type of person.. You may be tempted to eat all the dough instead:) 

But try to refrain! The mix of warm white and reese's peanut butter chocolate chips in a soft and melted chocolate dough.. 

So worth it. 

The best chocolate cookie recipe:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 butter-flavored shortening 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar 

1+1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup white chocolate chips 

Note on ingredients:  

*There have been multiple times when I have not had butter flavored shortening, so I have substituted it with another 1/2 a cup of butter (so 1 cup of butter total) in the recipe and the cookie texture turned out just fine! In fact the pictures above were one of those times.

*You can buy any type of peanut butter chips you want, but I always get the reese's peanut butter chips. They are in the chocolate chip section at Walmart for under two dollars, and they are SO good! You can also find the unsweetened cocoa powder on the same aisle:) 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar and gratulated sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture to combine and then mix in the chips. 

Spoon cookies onto a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. 

And you have it. 

The yummiest cookie recipe ever! 

Feel good smoothies

I've stressed myself out to the point of feeling completely sick these past couple of days. 

I finally decided I had to change something up, because what I'm doing obviously isn't working.. 

I think with school, work, and an internship, my body is absolutely drained by the end of the day. 

Put lack of time preparing healthy food on top of that, and it's no wonder I feel like my head is going to explode. 

For my Obesity and Weight management class, we are required to eat 5-7 fruits and veggies a day. 

I find myself eating the same fruits and veggies every day, because it's fastest and easiest.. 

Yet I know how beneficial it can be to get a variety of nutrients. 

I found this board on pinterest that is absolutely amazing!

So I had to share: 

It gives tons of different healthy smoothie recipes.

 (Those aren't even all of them!) 

My biggest pet peeve is when I click on a picture on pinterest to get the recipe, and I can't find it. 

Also, when I have to go open up a bunch of different pages to find the recipe I want to make.. 

I just end up not making it. 

With this, all the smoothies are on one page, and it gives pictures so you can estimate on your own how much to put in. 

I just love it. 

But lets be real, I'd bet most of our cupboards/fridges don't have every one of those ingredients. 

(What do you mean you don't eat hemp seeds and collards everyday????)

Some of the ingredients are a little complex. 

But I found at least seven different smoothies, where I only had to buy a couple of new ingredients and I could easily start making these.. 

Just looking at them makes me feel better!

Most of the ingredients are some of the most beneficial foods you can give your body. 

Even if it is a few extra dollars a month. 

Feeling great everyday is worth it:)

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

Jon and I took a Chronic Disease Prevention class together this past winter. 

If the title of the class sounds difficult, it definitely wasn't.   

I needed it for my major and he needed a class he could sleep or do other homework in. Perfect match! 

It was one of my favorite classes! I learned so much. 

I consider myself to be a healthy eater, but I'm not a health nut. (not that I'm proud of that)

I don't cook with egg plant or avocado oil. (Maybe someday I will.) Sometimes I eat white bread (guilty), and lets be honest I probably allow myself too many cheat days. 

Also, I'm married to a guy that could live off steak or hamburger and you'd never hear him complain. 

If he ever came home and heard me say "Hey babe, we're having the yummiest green papaya salad for dinner!" He would give me one look before he was out the door headed to  In-n-Out , or something similar. 

Not to say that I'd consider Jon to be an unhealthy eater. If we ever get fast food (it's not very often), I'm always the one with the fries or a shake, not him.  

He doesn't have sweet tooth, and he's fine with eating a salad or fruits and vegetables every once in awhile. However, whenever I bring up eating 5 + servings  of fruits and veggies a DAY, he has a hard time getting excited for that. 

"I had fruit snacks in my lunch. Does that count for a couple of servings?" 

"There was a piece of lettuce and tomato on my sandwich so I've had my vegetables for the day." 

"Broccoli, again?!"

One of the reasons fruits and vegetables are so valuable is because they are loaded with one thing: phytochemicals. 

These are chemicals found ONLY in plants (no dairy or meat products) and they defend against attackers in the body. 

Because of the disease protection they offer, eating foods that contain them (aka fruits and veggies) can dramatically decrease your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. 

And the best part? 

One serving of fruits or vegetables can contain more then 100 phytochemicals.

Along with phytochemicals, fruits and veggies also protect your health because of:

- The antioxidants they contain
- High fiber content
- Their low density (meaning you can eat more for less calories)

So, why does this matter?

Here's the good part! 

The most recent studies show that of the people who die each year, 1 in 4 of those deaths is caused by cancer. 

Over two thirds of that number is due to lack of exercise, smoking, or poor diet. 

They found that those who ate 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day decrease their risk of cancer by a whopping 50%. 

(*If you want the links, I'd be happy to send them to you. I just didn't want to bore you more with details about the study conducted. Just know it meets the criteria needed to be considered legit.)

Findings have also shown that for each serving of fruit/veggies a day, you decreases your risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.) by 3%. 

Doesn't sound like much?

If you have 5 servings a day, you've decreased your risk by 15%! 

Combine that with eating more whole grains and adding a handful of nuts here and there, and your on the road to living a life completely disease free. 

Convinced yet? 

I was. From all the studies that were shown, one thing became obvious: 

You could literally put years onto your life by making an effort to get more fruits and veggies in a day. 

As Jon listened to the lecture we had on this, I could literally feel his stress as he adjusted in his chair. 

He knew I was right. 

I knew I was right. 

And we both knew I was gonna do something about it. 

But I didn't want Jon to be miserable in the process.  

Getting that many fruits and veggies in a day is not an easy task, especially if you are not used to it. 

So I researched. 

I tried lots of different fruit smoothies.

The first few I tried, were not that yummy. 

They made me want to add a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream, but I knew that would be counter productive. 

Finally, I stumbled across this recipe, and I haven't tried anything since. 

The Perfect Fruit Smoothie

2/3 cup of low fat yogurt 
1/2 cup of milk
1 Tbsp of orange juice
1/2 Tbsp of sugar 
1 sliced banana 
1 cup berry of your choice 

(Strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries) 

Slice up the fruit, throw everything in, blend it up, and you have one delicious and healthy fruit smoothie!

The best part of this smoothie is it is so quick and easy to make, it keeps you energized for at least a couple of hours, and it contains 3 servings of fruit! 

Also, Jon really likes it! 

Ca ching. 

Try this smoothie, add a delicious salad loaded with veggies to one or two meals, and you've definitely passed the 5 servings mark:) 


Try it! 

Your life could depend on it. 

Literally:)