Hey guys,
I wanted to apologize for not starting all this hip stuff sooner...October has been a crazy month and I will definitely be continuing this into November! Another reason it's taken so long is that I really want to demonstrate certain moves that Google hasn't satisfactorily found for me. Expect those later!
So the first really great and super easy stretch is simply the bridge...
How to: lie on the floor with your feet hip width apart and knees bent. Place your hands by your sides, or alternatively, under your back in a fist, with your shoulder blades rolling inwards. Raise your hips until you feel a comfortable stretch (generally when you create a flat plane from your core to knees). Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat until you feel like you've had a satisfactory stretch!
A plus: this move helps tone your glutes while stretching out your hip flexors.
Happy stretching!
- Kirren
Hey guys!
So do any of my lovely readers have tight hip flexors like me? Sitting for even an hour cause you AGONY? Constantly trying to stretch out your hips? Your pain is normally down the front of your hips NOT the side?
If you answered yes to any of these a) I feel your pain, and b) I am going to address this issue and hopefully come up with a permanent solution.
I know I experience this partly due to running- a constant forward motion activity easily puts strain on your flexors. This pain sometimes goes hand in hand with IT band pain, which you can feel down the outside of your knees and lower back.
It is absolutely essential to warm up and do dynamic stretches before you workout. Afterwards it is super important you stretch it out to minimize pain.
While stretching can help reduce this pain, why wouldn't we try and avoid it in the first place?! You can get away from constant pain by strengthening your flexors, and this is my long-term goal.
Stay posted for different stretches and exercises I'll be bringing to you this month to help your hips!
Happy October Readers
...yes that may be true, however I promise it makes a tasty, healthy and filling snack!
COTTAGE CHEESE
Some facts you should know about it:
1. It is a cheese, however it is not fermented. This is great for people who have a sensitivity towards fermented foods.
2. It is a low fat, protein filled food making it a good choice to keep you full for a while. Half a cup is only 100 calories, but has 15 grams of protein.
3. There are many different ways you can enjoy it. Have it savory or sweet- add some diced veggies or sliced fruit. Make it more interesting with spices or honey!
One thing to watch out for is that it can have a high sodium content as seen on the label here. You can get cottage cheese in non-fat, 1% or 2%.
Fruit wise I think cottage cheese tastes awesome with berries. If you're looking to make a veggie snack my personal favourite is with diced cucumber.
TIP: Try replacing your toast at breakfast with cottage cheese! Cut out some carbs and add some protein.
I wanted to tell you guys about the NutriBullet. For anyone that has the MagicBullet just think that x 100. It is SO super powered...the blade is incredible. Let's just say this is NOT your average blender! As the website claims, it truly can shred the toughest of materials. It comes with one tall cup, two smaller ones, 2 blades, a number of lids, and the motorized base.
You can essentially put anything (safe) you want in the NutriBullet (yes, even nuts and seeds!) as long as you have enough liquid to help emulsify your creation. It is great since you don't lose anything from the fruits and veggies you add (think fibre and nutrients in peels). Unlike juicers, every edible bit of your fruits and veggies can be used. There are some things are NOT safe to put in...for example, apple seeds (they contain cyanide). The NutriBullet comes with a booklet telling you what is and is not safe to blend.
It is super fun to come up with different recipes to blend. I try and include celery in everything I make. I truly despise celery normally but blending it has made it bearable and occasionally even tasty! After a workout I love adding some protein to my smoothies as well.
One of my favourite recipes goes as follows:
1/2 peach
1/2 apple
1/2 banana
3 frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
almond-coconut milk
water
Not only can you make juices and smoothies, but you can also use the NutriBullet to make dips and other healthy snacks.
The juice in the video contains mint leaves, cucumber, celery, apple, and blueberries.
You can check out the NutriBullet website here!
Hey peeps!
Sorry I've been MIA for such a long time...things have been crazy and unfortunately I have neglected the Nutrition Edition. I'm back now and foresee myself being more consistent!
Tone It Up is a community based fitness site filled with women of all ages working towards their fitness dreams. You can check out their website here. I recently started following the Tone It Up girls on Instagram (@karenakatrina) and created a profile on their website. They send positive and motivating messages and their workouts look amazing!
I finally decided to try one that popped up on my Instagram today and I just wanted to share it with you and let you know how I felt about it. It is called the Stars&Stripes workout and it incorporates cardio with body toning moves without weights. Check it out below.
Overall I really liked the workout. Burpees are no fun so I got easily pooped out after 13. I like squats so next time I'd probably add 25 regular ones as well as the plies.
It only took about 40 minutes so it's great if you don't have a lot of time. You don't need any equipment besides a mat, your shoes, and your body so it is a great option if you're not a member at a gym.
By the time I was on the last 10 Bikini Bicycles I was getting tired. I guess we'll see how my body feels tomorrow.
Stars&Stripes was a great workout and I'm excited to try more from Tone It Up!
GREEK YOGURT!
It is all over the place, you can't seem to get away from it! Is it really better than regular, old yogurt? The answer is yes, but there are certain things to watch out for when you are picking up your Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt is made by straining goat's milk (traditionally) or cow's milk (what we get at the grocery store) extensively to remove much of the whey giving it a thick and creamy texture.
Both are great and comparable sources of calcium (Greek can be slightly lower due to the way it is strained). However, Greek has less sodium, less carbs, and almost double the protein than regular yogurt (woohoo!). One thing to watch out for is Greek yogurt's fat. It can get quite high and sticking to the low or non-fat versions would be a better choice health-wise.
Now, WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR! Many brands selling Greek yogurt are simply adding thickening agents, and even cream (not so healthy anymore) to their yogurts to give it that texture and calling it "Greek" but aren't actually. These include gelatin, starches, gums, and condensed milk. Look for labels with the shortest ingredient list and none of these additives. Essentially all it should have is milk, and the active bacterial cultures. My favourite brand is Skotidakis...they have single serving size containers perfect for a snack.
References:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/09/30/greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt-which-is-more-healthful
http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1550
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/dining/to-many-yogurt-fans-its-all-greek.html?_r=0
http://www.skotidakis.com/en/products/product-yogurt-plain-500g-0-percent.php
Salvia hispanica, more commonly known as chia seeds, is an ancient seed and traditional food originating from Central and South America. More recently it has been dubbed as a "super food" with a number of health benefits associated with it. Chia has an excellent composition- protein, omega-3s (even more than flax seed!), carbs, plus a lot of fibre. The ratio of omega 3 to 6 fats is an excellent one. Furthermore it contains no gluten and an expanse of phytochemicals giving it antioxidant activity.
Chia seeds have been suggested to help with weight loss because the high fibre content provides satiety- you just feel fuller for longer so essentially you eat less. With its strong antioxidant activity it has been suggested to decrease the inflammatory response as well. Some studies have looked at it in regards to cardiovascular disease since it has a great combo of omega-3s and antioxidants. It appears to have a positive effect against CVD, but more research needs to be done. Since the majority of all chronic diseases (think obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, etc.) have now been determined to be inflammatory in nature, I wonder if chia would prove to be effective against them as well? There is tons of room for research on this tiny seed and I'm sure we'll be hearing more about it soon.
One interesting article I did come across was using chia seeds for carb loading. The study used 50% chia seeds plus 50% of a sports drink and it was found to provide similar results to just a carb drink. This successfully cut the participants sugar intake down a lot, and at the same time gave them a boost of omega-3s.
I use ChiaNutra and I like to put the seeds in my smoothies (about a tablespoon), and from experience they really do fill you up! Something I'd like to try is creating a chia gel- you soak the seeds in water for about half an hour and you can add it to your cooking, baking, etc. You can easily toss them in your cereal or oatmeal, or on salads.
If you're looking to boost your omega-3s chia seeds are your best choice, definitely the way to go!
References:
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2012/171956/
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/1/64.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183832
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA365093/Chia-for-Health.html
