Here we are at the Beginning: Health Stats and Body Comps

Alright....here they are. Cassie's Body Comps and Health Stats.

Let me say before I go any further that I am not in any way trying to be Cassie's Dr. I am not giving her medical advice on issues that I am not experienced in. I AM however, a believer that diet and exercise can heal many diseases, so I want to have a snapshot of not only how her body composition is improving but how her health is improving as well.

Cassie scheduled an appointment with her Family Doctor and got all of her current health stats. She shared with her doctor what she would be doing and will be following up with him along the way.

Cassie let me take a look at her reports and it pretty much knocked the wind out of me. I looked at her and said in a very loud, dramatic tone. "OH MY GOSH! What does this do to you when you look at this mess that is going on in your body??!!! This is so scary!!! You are 26 and you are sick!!!" I know. Way to be gentle, Liz. I have a way with words.

Cassie replied very calmly that it didn't do much. She's used to it. It's just the way it is. She goes to the dr, gets her meds and moves on with her life. There is a gnawing in her that things aren't good and a desire for them to be right, but has continued to just manage the health issues rather than seek a way to reverse them....until now of course. :)

It's my desire to see her attitude toward her body change....which I've already begun seeing. I want her to CARE about her health. I want her to get excited not only about the changes that are going to be happening on the outside but on the inside as well. We're all going to see her hot body take shape, but personally...I will feel the most satisfaction out of seeing her health improve. I want her to have the same enthusiasm.

Ok, so here they are....

Cassie's Health Stats as of Monday, May 7, 2012

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 199.4

Body Fat based on bioelectrical impedence: 35.4% (overweight)
Body Fat based on sum of measurements: 41.9% (obese)

BMI: 31.4 (moderate severity) is there such a thing?
Obesity related health problems increase when a persons BMI exceeds 25

Blood Pressure (On medication): 140/90
Cassie has Hypertension

Cholesterol: 206
Cassie has High Cholesterol.
Her good cholesterol is low and her bad cholesterol is high

Cassie also has elevated glucose levels and is slightly anemic as well.

SHEESH. No wonder the poor girl doesn't feel well!!

I can't WAIT to see all of this improve!

Measurements:

Neck: 14.25

Chest: 46.5

Bust: 40

Waist: 38.25

Hips: 43.5
(Cassie has a waist to hip ratio of .88. This puts her at risk for many diseases)

Thigh: 25.25

Calf: 15.75

Upper arm/bicep: 12.75

Cassie Before:

Alright!!! Let's start cheering Cassie on!!! Leave encouraging words for her below in the comment box or on my facebook page!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

A Peek at Week ZERO:Education, Preparation, Declaration, and Dedication

Before launching my 12 week program, Live with Liz, I really want whoever I am working with to be prepared both mentally and emotionally for the overhaul that is about to occur in their lives. They need to understand the strong commitment that is required of them to make real change happen. It's easy to get hyped up about "great things to come", but once reality hits, we start finding excuses for staying the way we are. It's all we know. 

SO, prior to starting this program with Cassie, I required one week of preparation and education that involved a lot of homework and research. The way I see it is this...once you face the truth you are stuck at a crossroads. 

You have 2 choices. You can either:

1. Do something about it and start to make a difference in your life.

2. Not do anything about it and live with the guilt of knowing the truth and doing nothing.

Very Harsh, but Very True

Back to Cassie...

Wer're going to take a look at WEEK 0:

  Education, Preparation, Declaration, and Dedication

I gave Cassie an outline for the week (in a cute little notebook of course, which could be WAY cuter) about what I expected from her. I also sent her homework daily. Let me tell you that Cassie is a GREAT student. She never complained and did EVERYTHING I asked. Love her! This basically involved a lot of reading and watching films with her family. As we went along, I got their feedback on what they were learning and it was super exciting to see the enthusiasm that developed in Cassie and her husband Stuart. The more they learned, they more they were in. 

Why do I call it week 0?

 Because I gave Cassie the freedom to back out after this week. I wanted them to fully understand the importance of why they are making decisions to better the health of their family. As I've said before, you are much more likely to adhere to behavior and habit change if you have a deep driving intrinsic motivation for doing so.I never want my clients to be puppets on a string. 

Week 0 also involved several personal changes that I wanted her to make in her family. Examples would include avoid sugar, drink x amount of water, cook your dinners at home, among several other endeavors. Cassie stuck to these BEAUTIFULLY. I fact, results started happening already...even with the small changes. I was so proud. 

Perhaps the most fun night of the week was Cabinet Transformation. I went through her cabinets and we read food labels. I taught her about what to never bring back into her home and what these ingredients were and what they have been doing to her and her family's bodies. It was an absolute blast cursing the demons out of her cabinets and fridge....at least for me it was. For Cassie...not so much. You should have seen that girl with her Chocolate Mini wheats and popcorn butter (yeah, the butter.  not the popcorn). Hysterical!! She cradled those things like a blankie. I made her say her good byes, and we chucked pretty much everything in her cabinets and sent what we could to a food bank. 

We're gonna turn that frown upside down!

Of course I made Cassie curl that trash to show us all WHO's BOSS??!!!

This weekend we took a trip to the grocery store to prepare her for Week One: Cleansing and Restoration

We shopped for all of the items she would need this week, but I did my shopping as well so that she could get a good look and take notes on the things I shop for weekly. That was a super fun trip and we came home with a CAR LOAD of life giving foods. 

Last night I went over to Cassie's house and gave her a live juicing tutorial. Once again we had a blast and she got to experience her first juice, which she THOROUGHLY enjoyed. YAY!!! We'll see how she does this week. It's day One...and I can tell you....so far so good!!!

Cassie and Charlotte getting their juicing tutorial!! Look at those beautiful counter tops. What an improvement!

Alright! Stay tuned! Tomorrow I'll have Cassies before pictures and Body Compositions posted. 

If you get a chance, leave an encouraging word for Cassie. This is a hard challenge she is taking on and it's even harder to share it with the world. Let's let her know that we are supporting her!!!

Got Beets?
Gotta love the juice stache. ;)

Meet Cassie! Here's Her Story

Ahem… Hello, my name is Cassie and I am 26 years old. I have 2 awesome girls, a wicked awesome husband and the coolest dog in the whole world. I really have a great life, but I have never felt comfortable in my own skin. When I was younger, my mother and aunts would talk badly about themselves, and critique their bodies. I grew up to be the same way, and now with 2 daughters of my own, I’ll be darned if they see me whining about every wrinkle or roll that I have.

Cassie and the fam

When I was a kid, I was naturally chubby. I have a memory of hoarding Captain Crunch under the table because my mom wouldn’t let me eat it. At friend’s houses I ate beef along with the best of them, but at my house it was contraband. When I entered high school, I slimmed down a lot because I got active in marching band. I ate trash all the time, and looked like a toothpick. I remember eating a Snickers bar, Cheetos (still my favorite), and a Coke for lunch every day. I worked at a smoothie place, and had smoothies that could total up to 700 calories in one cup for dinner many times a week. I was still a rail. I weighed 130 pounds at my lowest, and I’m 5’7.  

When I got married, I was 18 years old. My husband is military and I flew to El Paso to see him over the weekend. I missed my flight to go back so I asked him to marry me instead (because we know how thats the natural order of things…). I moved to El Paso 2 months later, and immediately started packing it on. When I got married I was up to 150 pounds, and by the following year, I weighed 175. I still looked ok, so I didn’t worry too much. That year, he was given orders to deploy for 13 months to Korea, and I moved back in with mom and dad (Awesome!!!...Not.) I worked a full time job at the hospital, and came home to good home cooked meals nightly, and I just chipped in for groceries. I gained 10 pounds in 3 months and kept it all year.

Cassie on her Wedding Day

When he got home, I weighed 185, heaviest I had ever been. I got a job as a waitress at an awesome steakhouse in El Paso and lost a  little bit…right before I got pregnant. I guess looking hot again really spices things up. I was 21, and preggers at 170. I gained 50 pounds with Charlotte on account that I ate a king size Snickers bar daily and drank massive amounts of Coca Cola at work. I after she was born, I kept 20 pounds to myself (190).

He deployed again to Qatar for 15 months, only 2 weeks after Charlotte was born. I moved in with my grandmother and feasted on her southern cooking all year and hung out with my baby. When it was time for him to come home I ran the treadmill to the ground determined to lose something so that it wouldn’t look like I sat around on my butt all year…which I did. I squeezed off 15 pounds then quickly put them back on when we started to go out all the time (which is a common thread in my weight gain).

Cassie, Stuart, and Charlotte

We then moved to Oklahoma. This town has not one solitary salad bar anywhere. (Speaking of business ventures Liz…) As wonderful as some of the people here are, they are totally comfortable being ignorant to health issues arising from obesity and smoking. I truly felt welcome here in my new, “curvy/lumpy” body. Unfortunately, my body was starting to kick back. I was up to 196 when I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter Lucy. I went into the hospital with a headache that had lasted 2 weeks, and was diagnosed with pregnancy, hypertension, and pneumonia. When they tested my BP, I was 165/96 resting. It was truly scary. I didn’t really look that bad in my eyes. I mean, my husband still swooned me, I didn’t feel sick, but I just had no energy, no libido, and no self esteem. When I topped out with Lucy I had gained 40 more pounds and after birth and water loss, I tipped the scales at 214lbs all on my own. I tried to breastfeed thinking that I could eat the hamburger and the baby would suck out the calories for me, but obviously that naive thinking was false. So we bottle fed the baby all the while I was still mad about the lack of my ability to “passively” lose weight through breastfeeding. I started student teaching in January (Lucy was 8 months old), I slipped off 14 pounds due to the amount of moving around I did in the classroom and now at her first birthday, I weigh 200-199 depending on my supper last night.

Cassie and Baby Lucy 1 year ago

I am tired and hungry all the time. I have no energy and no libido. I am looking forward to the next 12 weeks like a kind of personal experiment to see if Liz’s idea of health truly builds a better picture of the real me. I know that I’m a super hot chic and have a winning personality, but if you can’t see it on the outside, then I’m stuck having my own party all by myself. The most important thing I want to get out of this endeavor is the ability to teach my daughters how to be happy and healthy. I want to break that cycle of self hate that I saw in my mother and show them that you can be happy with your body. The amount of stress that I put myself through because of my lack of self esteem is just disgusting. I want to SHOW them how to love themselves, not just tell them. I have no idea if ill really see a huge change in my cravings for sugar, or my love of steak, but I know that after the next 12 weeks ill have no excuse to say “I can’t” anymore. I hope that you guys see an awesome transformation; I know I am looking forward to it. Gaining weight is way too easy, and this may suck for a little while while I’m adjusting to my new eating habits and exercise patterns. But mark my words, I’M BRINGING SEXY BACK!!!!! Lord help me.

Cassie went back to school and recently graduated. What an awesome future she has before her. 

LIVE with LIZ: My Preface to a Story of Change.

You are about to meet an amazing gal named Cassie.

This is Cassie the Fabulous and her 2 girls

I met Cassie at church one of the first weeks that I moved to Lawton. She was sitting behind me and after looking over my shoulder and scoping out my visitor info, she boldly exclaimed that we were neighbors, introduced herself, and we quickly exchanged numbers. Some time passed with no follow through on the well meaning promise, "Of COURSE I'll call you!!" But God's plans were bigger than our mediocre efforts to pursue friendship, and He kept putting us in each other's paths. We started running into each other EVERYWHERE. Not that it was pulling teeth to call this fabulous girl, but I can catch a hint when God wants me to pursue a relationship, so I called Cassie up and I am SOOOO glad I did because let me tell you that this girl is a GREAT person to know and an even better friend to have.

I took care of her two little girls Charlotte (4) and Lucy (1) for 3 months while she finished up school. This was a huge blessing for us both and through it, our families have become super close and I consider Cassie now to be a great friend. She has a personality that lights up a room. She is a real and honest person and she will make you "pee in your pants" laugh.

That's a picture of my girls Lily and Catie on the left with Cassie's girls Charlotte and Lucy on the right. They were helping me build their own garden. 

She is eager to do well in life and to be a good mother and a good wife. I'd say she's doing a pretty darn good job, but there's just ONE area of her life that is holding her back from truly thriving and that is her HEALTH.

Cassie and the fam. Love em!

Cassie expressed to me from the very beginning of our friendship that she needed help. She was concerned about her weight, her health, and her lack of energy. Again we made one of those well-meaning promises to each other. "Liz, you GOTTA train me one day and help me get my sexy back."..."Oh, girl. You know I will one day!!!" 

We can say a lot of well meaning things and wish for brighter futures, but if we don't take action steps toward achieving those dreams, they will remain empty ambitions that leave us perpetually frustrated with ourselves. 

So, of course...God once again urged me to make a personal commitment to help Cassie and I seized the opportunity the first moment that I could. However, you can't seize an opportunity that involves someone else unless they have the same willing spirit. And what I am planning to do with Cassie is a complete overhaul. 

I have a tendency to think BIG and be pushy in a CARPE DIEM kinda way, so a long time ago I began praying that Cassie would really continue to ask me for help over time and that the desire in her heart would be as strong as it was in mine. If I'm going to help someone, I am in it BIG time. There is NO half way with me. I wanted her to put the same amount of effort back into it. This is why I did not jump into anything big with her at the first suggestion of getting my help. But, over time through getting to know each other and building up trust, I felt that it was time  to propose a bigger offer than even she was asking.  

You see, Liz (yes me), is not about just ONE thing. I'm not just about getting fit or having good nutrition or cooking or gardening or JUICING even. I am about whatever it takes to really LIVE and to live WELL! Investing passion and hard work into anything or anyone without the ultimate end being real and lasting change through and through seems empty to me. It is worth all of my time, effort, and expertise to go full on with a person's life because I feel that after personal experience and education, I have the skill to offer practical tools that ANYONE can utilize in their own lives. Sometimes though, people just need someone else to be committed and devoted to helping them step by step. Life is busy and it's hard to make big changes on your own. Without practical habits, we are only a series of motivated moments that usually don't endure.

So, after a recent meeting with Cassie and her husband, which involved a VERY intense session of tough love/let's face reality because you're dying a slow death kinda business talk, they agreed to let me guide them though a lifestyle change program. I laid out a detailed outline of the next 12 weeks with them and everything that I expected and would be implementing. With the full support of an amazing and devoted husband, Cassie agreed to take on this challenge!!! This program is centered on her with the intent of her being able to implement it and pass it on to her family. 

I call the program ...

Live with Liz. 

Here's why...Living is not passive. It is ACTIVE and to LIVE WELL is my ultimate call to action for whoever chooses to work with me and that is exactly what I will be teaching Cassie to do. 

But what's even MORE exciting is that Cassie is going to let us follow her in this journey. You will start with us from the beginning and watch her experiences and her changes unfold before you. You see, Cassie wants to impact people too. She wants her life to be meaningful and purposeful, so she is willing to open up for the sake of teaching and compelling others to take action in their own lives. She is a beautiful person and we are all very fortunate to get to know her better. 

Throughout Cassie's 12 week program, she and I both will be sharing regular updates on her progress and her experiences. I will give you some snapshots of the the program I am having her follow and the changes that they are bringing about in her along the way. Basically, she and I are both going very RAW with all of you during this process. 

It's going to be amazing. Cassie is fully committed and SO far she has been an amazing client. We've spent the last week in intense training and education to prepare for what starts TOMORROW!!!!  She is set and ready to go!! She and her husband have done everything to a big fat T so far. They are ALL IN and loving the experience so far. It's a beautiful thing!

We'll begin the journey with a personal testimony from Cassie herself. We will see where she is physically and emotionally right now. We'll see what her goals are and what her heart is. You'll get more pics too! This testimony will be up tomorrow!!! It'll be a great start to the week.

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you will enjoy taking this journey with us!!!

Cassie and I at her Graduation Dinner.

Friday Food for Thought

It's funny that I stumbled upon this statement because I've been thinking a lot about this very thing lately. 

We live in a culture that sees food not as a necessity but a luxury and a reward. We are a nation of obesity in part because of this mindset. We often reward our GOOD behavior with BAD behavior thus creating poor lifestyle habits that we not only ingrain in ourselves but instill in our children. 

Do I think that having a sweet treat every now and then is a bad thing? NO

Do I think taking your child out for pizza and ice cream once in a blue moon is a bad thing? Not at all

But the bad habits begin when we start using food as a reward system. 

"If I can make it all day without sweets, I'll have a bowl of ice cream before bed."

"I've had water all week. I'm going to have a soda on Saturday."

"I'll give you a lollipop if you clean your room."

"I'll give you a donut if you eat your apple."

"Leave me alone and I'll give you whatever you sweets you want." ;)

What happens when we think this way and use food as a reward is we start living for the bad behavior. It's the sweets that motivate us or our children to make healthy choices rather than the great feeling we get simply from living this way. We're not enjoying healthy habits, we are just enduring them until we can get our next treat. If we see healthy living as something we have to ENDURE we will have negative associations with it and live on the roller coaster ride of stress and guilt. 

As far as our children are concerned, WHY do we need to give them sweets? How are we loving them by giving them crap every time they do something good? We aren't really caring for them in this way. We are manipulating them or finding a quick fix to our own needs. We also are creating poor associations. Healthy food = discipline. Toxic food = happiness. Please tell me how this is a good thing? 

When you want to give your child a treat, just do it on random occasions because you want to enjoy it....NOT because you or your child did something to earn it. They are going to get sweets and treats elsewhere anyway. They'll get there fill without us giving them stuff every time they do something we want them to!

When our child is overweight in middle school or high school, all of those "rewards" we fed them will manifest themselves in what looks like punishment. Let's change these habits while they are young!

What better way to reward your child than with a future full of health and vitality!

I must admit that I am guilty of this every now and then, but I really want to start eliminating this behavior from our family completely. Let's work on this together. The best way to change a behavior is to have practical alternatives.

There are OTHER ways to reward yourself or your children. I'd love to hear some of your ideas. Share them on my facebook page. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Fit-List/234310136626646

Wednesday Workout

Warm Up:
5 mins of Jump Rope


Perform the following Circuits 3 times through before moving to the next


Circuit 1 (3x)
Dumbbell Squats 30s
Jump Squats 30s


Circuit 2 (3x)
Alternating Dumbbell Lunges 30s
Jumping lunges 30s


Circuit 3 (3x)
Alternating Dumbbell side lunges 30s
Low Jacks 30s
(similar to a jumping jack, but keep your knees bent and jump in and out. Arms can be close to your side)


Circuit 4 (3x)
Pushups 30s
Burpees 30s


Circuit 5 (3x)
Tricep Dips (30s)
Squat Thrusts (30s)


Circuit 6 (3x)
Flutter Kicks (30s)
Mountain Climbers (30s)

Reflecting on my Cleanse and Looking to the Future.

I have officially made it 4 weeks on a Healing Cleanse!! I started with the goal of 5 days and it turned into almost 30. I listened to my body and my spirit and just went as long as I felt necessary. I also felt fantastic and saw no need to stop because I did not feel deprived in any way. In fact, I felt more full and nourished and alive than I'd felt in nearly my whole life! 

My intention now is to move beyond the discipline and more into the freedom of living this way. I am adopting it as my personal best and flourishing in it so that I can be purposeful and impact others to live in the same way. 

I know many of you wonder why I care so much about the things that I do. "Why does Liz keep posting about all this health and fitness stuff? Ugh. What a weirdo." :) Don't lie. You've thought that a time or two. Well, I'll tell you that it's not because I am obsessed or paranoid or a hypochondriac or a conspiracy theorist or any of those such things. And if you know me at all, you will know that I am quite laid back (in a very hyperactive way) and nonjudgmental. I might disagree with you, but I'll love you nonetheless, and if you invite me over to your house for a hot dog and some ice cream, I'll gladly eat them with you because I just feel blessed to be with you. 

I share what I do, who I am, and what I believe because I have strong conviction in these things, and because I REALLY care. I am overwhelmed with an eagerness to help people learn how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. I think this stuff is serious. I look around me and see overweight, sick, depressed, tired people everywhere I go. I hear people make excuses for their conditions and I know the excuses come from a place of helplessness. People are overwhelmed and they are burdened. They feel powerless to change their habits because there is so much else going on. They say they'll get to it later when they feel better, but they never feel better. Their bodies only get sicker and the resolve of their minds and will in their spirits deteriorate with it. And everyone around them is impacted. We are interconnected and I feel that God has called me to help bring light to the aspect of our physical health not only for the sake of ourselves, but for the sake of others, and for the sake of his Glory. If you gave me a precious gift, you would hope that I cared for it. God wants the same for the gifts he gives you. Your body is one of those gifts. 

As I have spent time over the last month really filling my body with good nutrition and being disciplined in saying NO to the poison that is out there, I have fully recognized the healing power of food. Although I have been super healthy the last few years, this is a whole new level! My thoughts have never been clearer. My energy has never been greater. My body is healing its chronic ailments. I am happier. I am more purposeful. I just feel great and through it all, I have had the well-being and clarity to pursue what God is leading me to do with courage and confidence. I am more sure about what God is asking of me than I've ever been.

I have GREAT plans for the future. I am so excited about the things that I will be able to share with all of you!!! There is so much coming down that hatch.

I'm going to close with these thoughts....

You only have this ONE body that God gave to you. Are you taking care of it? I truly believe that we have to be accountable one day for how we use this vessel and how we care for the vessels of our children. Let's stop turning a blind eye to things that matter. THIS MATTERS. Living a healthy life CAN be done. I can help you learn how.
There are so many out there with genuine afflictions. Are your afflictions the cause of your own hand? Choose this moment to care for the only body you will ever have. It's hard to live a life of abundance in a vessel that is broken. There is so much life to be lived. Whether it's for only a day or a hundred years, live them well! As I've said before,

"You cannot add days to your life, but you can add life to your days!"


Now that I am easing back into a "post-cleanse" way of eating and living, I will begin sharing what that looks like with all of you. You'll see recipes, meal plans, fitness routines, and personal challenges. Make sure to check out my facebook page where I post a lot of information that will help educate you about adopting a healthy lifestyle. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Fit-List/234310136626646

Nutrition for Nails: More Evidence of Juicing. Here's the highlight of my whole month!!!

My whole life, I have been a nail biter. Besides the fact that I have the ugliest hands in America (as you will see in a moment), I have weak nail beds that tear and break easily. Any time I've ever gone to a nail salon to get a manicure, the techs laugh at me and tell me I should just get acrylic because pretty much, I am a hopeless case. I mean this happens EVERY TIME.

Anyway, I noticed recently that biting my nails took WAY more effort. I thought to myself, HMMMMM? Am I crazy or do my nails feel strong? I was also having to do a lot more biting because they're growing faster. I thought, surely this is all in my head, but MAYBE my body is giving me stronger nails and so MAYBE I should stop biting them once and for all and try to grow them out. I took advantage of this new ambition by taking my girls to the salon for a DIVA DAY. 

I told the nail tech not to laugh at me, but I wanted just a manicure because I was going to try and grow my nails out. I then proceeded to go on and on about how weak and brittle my nails are, so that I didn't have to hear it from him and because I talk to much, when all of the sudden he says words I never thought I'd hear in my life, 

"Actually, Ma'am. Your nails are very strong and thick. You can grow these out no problem."

WHAAATTTTT???? 

I then asked him to take a picture of my nails and began telling him all about Juice Feasting with great enthusiasm, at which point he told me I was kind of crazy and then told some other lady something probably more offensive in his native tongue. It's ok though. I'm used to it. But he was thrilled that I knew what Bok Choy is. Lol. We're friends forever. 

So, now I have a new goal. To GROW MY NAILS!!!! This is a very exciting thing for me. I always said in my next life, God would give me pretty nails. It looks like He's going to give them to me in this life. :) 

We'll check in in a month to see how things are progressing!!!

I cannot believe I am posting a picture of my hands as they are the most shameful part of my existence, but hey, I'm just putting it out there and hoping you love me anyway. If not, it's cool. I'll have some fabulous nails in not too long!

Liz's Nails Before

5/4/2012

Wednesday Workout!

For any exercises you are unfamiliar with, you can google them or find them on YouTube. Eventually, I'll just record myself doing the workout. 

A. Full Body Circuit: 8 Mins
Perform the following 8 exercises for 50 seconds giving yourself 10 seconds of rest in between. Push as hard as you can and do as many reps as possible within the 50 second time frame

• Jump Rope
• Reverse Lunge with bicep curls using Dumbbells (Alternating)
• Burpees
• Pushup with Dumbbell Row (Alternating)
• Jump Squats
• Tricep Dips
• Mountain Climbers
• Jump Rope

B. Lower Body Tabata: 4 mins

Perform the following 2 exercises back to back. 20 secs work/10 seconds rest. 4 times through

1. Sumo Squats using Dumbbell. 
2. Sumo Jacks

C. Upper Body Tabata: 4 mins

1. Overhead Dumbbell Press
2. Divebombers

D. Ab Tabata: 4 mins

1. V-ups
2. Plank Jacks

E. Repeat Full Body Circuit Above: 8 mins

There's your 30 min hard core Wednesday workout!!

GET FIT! DON'T QUIT!!

Your Monthly Super Food Challenge for May

I'm gonna keep the challenge simple, but it will be very practical in helping you adopt healthy habits for a lifetime. AND it will trickle down to your children who will hopefully develop the same interest and love for foods that nourish and give life. 

So, here it is!

Each week, take a trip to the grocery store and choose one or two items (preferably a vegetable and preferably organic) from the produce section that you have never tasted, have never heard of, have never seen, and/or have never cooked. Commit to making dinner once or twice a week using that item(s). Find a recipe that includes what you have chosen and give it a go. You may even just want to eat it raw or add it to a salad. It doesn't necessarily have to be cooked. 

But here's the most important component of this challenge...Educating yourself and educating your family about what you have put on their plate. Find out what the health benefits are of what you are eating (Google is fantastic for that). Learn about them yourself and then share them with your spouse and children at dinner. Have the kids help you prepare the recipe if possible.

Celeriac (Celery Root) was my brand new Super food adventure for the week. I didn't recognize it at the store and certainly had never cooked with it. I took it home and found the following recipe after learning it's nutritional value. 

Celery Root and Ginger Gold Apple Soup

While you are sharing the nutritional value of your meal with your family, make sure that you are not talking about its FEATURES as much as you are talking about its BENEFITS. 

For example 

FEATURES of Celeriac would be:

High in Vitamin B

Rich in Potassium and Magnesium

Strong Celery Taste

BENEFITS of Celeriac would be:

Improves your memory

Makes you smart

Burns fat

Releases water retention

etc....

Tell your children that super foods make super kids! My girls love the thought of longer hair after eating something nutritious. :)

I will be sharing my super food selections throughout the week and my recipes. I'd love to get feedback on what you have found and are feeding your family. Let's share these ideas, plans, and results with each other on my facebook page.

I hope this is practical enough. The journey toward health doesn't have to be rushed. Just enjoy it!