DRINK Your Breakfast!

I am constantly asked "What do you eat for breakfast?" Well, for me personally I prefer to drink my breakfast. You can eat your breakfast as well, but you have to do one or the other. I know you have heard it 1000 times but BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY!!! Now when I say "breakfast" I simply mean the first meal you have when you get up in the morning (or in my case the afternoon). So whatever your "wake" time is, you must put SOMETHING in  your body. Think about it, you just spent anywhere from 6-10 hrs sleeping-your body just used all its resources to repair and detoxify itself. Your body wakes up on EMPTY. Just like the engine in your car-if you don't have any fuel, your car isn't going to run. You HAVE to fuel up when you wake up from a full night's sleep (and I hope you are getting at LEAST six hours of sleep, but I will post about that later). This is the turning point of your day. What you eat at this moment will determine how your body reacts for the rest of the day. This IS the most important food decision you will make the whole day! So that being said lets put you on the right track!

When I wake up the FIRST thing I do is have 2 tablespoons of Bragg's Apple cider Vinegar. I have a glass of water handy because I won't lie-it taste horrible. BUT this is one of the best things you can do for your body! Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar is high in potassium, an element that many people don’t get enough of due to an unsatisfactory diet. Potassium is another element that prevents our bodies from breaking down. Ask any elite athlete what the body needs to perform at the highest level, and potassium will be at the top of the list. Regular ingestion of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar will also help to break down arterial plaque that is one of the leading causes to heart disease. In other words, Bragg’s can serve as a liquid roto rooter for your entire circulatory system as well as for your digestive system. It will also help to naturally raise your metabolism so DRINK UP!

BREAKFAST: You need PROTEIN when you wake up. Just doing a bowl of cereal with some milk ain't gonna cut it! A bagel? A muffin? Don't you DARE!!! If you are serious about working out, getting in shape, and staying healthy you NEED protein when you get up. Your muscles need protein to build muscle and muscle burns fat. Try to get an average of 30 grams of protein in your breakfast. I used to eat 2 whole eggs, with 3 egg whites, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and sprouted grain toast (Ezekiel bread is the best). Since I don't have a lot of time to cook in the morning I now drink my breakfast. I have concocted a super shake that I will share with you. It is dense in calories and carbs with about 30 grams of protein. I drink it before my workout so I am ok with the high carb count. Feel free to adjust this shake according to your needs, I am a big girl so it works perfect for me (5'9", 160lbs).

(Its about 400 calories, 30 grams of protein, 64 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat)

My POWER SHAKE recipe:

In a good blender combine the following:

1 whole navel orange (yes, peel it)

70 grams of ORGANIC frozen strawberries (please measure with a food scale)

70 grams of ORGANIC frozen raspberries

2 scoops (or 1 serving of a good whey protein) of Dr. Mercola's Pure Power Protein

1 scoop of Andrew Lessman's vanilla SECURE meal replacement powder

1 scoop of GREEN VIBRANCE

1 tbs chia seeds

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk (or water if you prefer-I use a mixture of both)

1 scoop of Glutamine (optional)

Where to order links:

Protein: http://proteinpowder.mercola.com/pure-protein.html

SECURE powder: http://www.procapslabs.com/Products/SearchResults.aspx?input=secure (the vitamin powder is also available on HSN's website as well)

Green Vibrance: http://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Health-Green-Vibrance-Family/dp/B000NDME6C

So Bragg's FIRST, then your power protein shake, and then your daily vitamins which I will post shortly. Happy breakfast!!!!

Missing Motivation?

We all feel stressed, tired, and lazy at times. You can't let it interfere with your goals when it comes to your health and your workout. A friend posted on my blog and asked me what motivates me, so Shonna-this post is for you ;)

I have a lot of little tricks that help me stay motivated. Here are a few ideas that might work for you:

1. I have a picture of what I would like my abs to look like on my FB page, so every time I go to FB its right there to remind me of my goal. Have some sort of picture in your head about what you want to look like and think about it when you are working out.

2. I have a pair of shorts I would like to fit into hanging in my closet in plain view so every time I go into my closet I have to look at them. Occasionally I will try them on to see what progress has been made.

3. I listen to music while I work out. I have rock, hip-hop, and house....all fast tempo to keep me moving.

4. When I want a change from the tunes I will listen to an audiobook (audible.com is my favorite), and get so engrossed in the audiobook my workout just flies by.

5. Get a workout partner. I have done this is the past but I prefer to workout solo now. Some of you may find getting a partner helps keep you both on top of your workouts.

6. Reward yourself......"if I do "x" I will reward myself with "y"..... just make sure it doesn't interfere with your workout regimen. You can't make a deal to give yourself a day off or eat a whole chocolate cake.

7. Get a trainer. Some people find trainers to be helpful in keeping them motivated. You are paying this person a butt load of money so you BETTER work out-kind of thing. Just do your RESEARCH. Just because they call themselves a trainer doesn't mean they know what the hell they are talking about. Make sure they (at minimum!) have an ACE certification. Try to find someone who is accredited through a few different organizations.

8. REMEMBER: once you start working out it will take 9 (yes NINE) weeks for your body to start to really respond to what you are doing. Your friends will notice a change around week 12 (TWELVE) and you yourself will probably not notice a change in yourself until week 16 (yes, SIXTEEN weeks). SO, TAKE PICTURES!  Pictures don't lie and its an objective way to look at your progress instead of scrutinizing yourself in a mirror.

9. Allow yourself a "cheat" day. Don't go crazy, but eat whatever you can't eat while you are doing your workout/lifestyle regimen. For example say you love cake. Go ahead and have a half a piece of cake on your cheat day. Wait ten minutes and if you MUST have more then go ahead (but only on your cheat day). Just give your body the opportunity to pace itself. If you have a small piece and wait ten minutes you will be surprised how often you realize you don't really want the whole piece, but if you start with a whole piece you are going to eat the whole piece. LOL.

10. Don't save for Monday what you can start tomorrow or in a couple hours. I know a lot of times we will fall off our workout/"diet" and say "Oh well, I'll just start next Monday." (and its Tuesday). If you fall off the wagon jump right back on. Don't wait until days later to restart. Restart right away. Even the following meal if possible-it doesn't even have to wait until the next day.

11. Make it a HABIT. My "diet" which I don't like to call a "diet" because it is a "lifestyle change" is a routine. If I miss my morning shake, I am totally "off" that day. I try to stick to my regimen as closely as I can and now its like second nature to me. If you make your workout/"diet" a habit, it will become part of you. Just like when you get up and brush your teeth in the morning.

12. Have FUN! Take a class, kick box, play a sport, and have FUN! There are so many workouts that are fun to do! Switch it up so you don't get bored.

13. Be REALISTIC: no one is perfect. Don't compare yourself to the person next to you. You are you. Be happy with you. Just believe you have the ability to get where you need to go and don't worry if you make a few mistakes on the way.

14. Your loved ones. Think of them if you need motivation. Your health and well-being are important to you and THEM.

On posts to come I will give you concrete information on morning shakes, supplements and what I like to eat to keep me going. I hope some of this helps Shonna!