Gym Style Guest Post

January is the time of year when gyms are filled with people trying to accomplish their new year's goals. If you are like most the ladies out there, chances are you want to work those resolutions in style. Being stylish while working out is possible, check out my guest post over at Teatime Thoughts with the wonderful Candice for tidbits and tips on how to get some gym style.

If you are not into equipment, or even if you are, be sure to check out tomorrow's Equipment Free Arm Routine. All my fav ways to work those arms into resolution shape, sans equipment!

Meat Free Monday: Juicing

As some of you may know, the hubs and I were on a three day juice cleanse last week. We were not able to do the whole cleanse as planned, terrible, I know. But still got some great results and information from it. Since all the ingredients were bought prior to starting, we still have quite a few in the fridge and have been trying every juice since the cleanse ended.

The pic above is not even all the veggies used for two people in three days. In fact, this is about enough for one person! Needless to say, you drink a LOT of veggies. 

The first day of the cleanse was pretty rough for both of us. This is the day we followed the guidelines the closest. I do not think this is why day one was so rough, it is more likely due to the influx of vitamins our bodies were receiving. Bodies handle the cleanse differently depending on diet and health when started. I have not been taking my vitamins as regularly as I should, for shame, so the vitamin change was a bit tasking. Plus, it is a massive amount of food to consume, something my stomach was not ready for. Since the second day we have both been feeling great, lost weight, and have higher energy levels. Yippee!

There are so many recipes in this three day cleanse- five per day. It has been hard to narrow down the ones I loved most... Some were easy since I will never drink them again in my life, ever, but some were a bit more difficult. Although the fruit juices are all delicious, I have a very hard time adding them to my top three since I hate drinking that much sugar. The three favorites are comprised of one standard, one spicy, and one fun. They are all listed below along with the recipes. To see the rest of the juice cleanse recipes and juice cleanse options, visit the Reboot site.

Recipes

All recipes are easy and call for combining all fruits and veggies in juicer, juicing, and drinking with ice.

Sunset Blend Juice

Surprisingly sweet with a bit of salt from the bell pepper, beets and potato!

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 large beets
• 2 golden delicious apples
• 1 orange- optional. We did not add

V28

A bit spicy and a lot yummy. This juice is more like a soup.

• 3 large beets
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 4 cups parsley- roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno- ribs and seeds removed
• 12 red radishes

Mean Green

If you know juicing, chances are you know this juice. It is fresh, citus-y, and delicious.

• 1 cucumber
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 apples
• 8 kale leaves
• 1/2 lemon
• 1" ginger root

Three Great Health Podcasts

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There are quite a few podcasts that have to do with living a healthy life, here are my three favorite podcasts for health. Some of these have more to do with fitness, while others are more about food and recipes. They are all fantastic and range in run times from 3 minutes to over an hour. I love these because I can listen to them while doing work around the house, driving, exercising, or just as a form of relaxation. The best part is that they are free! 

Nutrition Diva

The Nutrition Diva is something great to listen to if you are on the go and do not have much time. Her episodes are less than ten minutes each and give great, quick tips on being healthier. She talks about everything from what is in certain foods to health myths. Her advice is simple ans easy to follow and her knowledge is backed up. What more could we ask for in ten minutes a week?

The Jillian Michaels Show

If you are interested in staying current in the fitness world, this will be your new podcast love. The Jillian Michaels Show is a weekly podcast done with Jillian Michaels (of course) and some of her friends. Jillian is most well known from The Biggest Looser and her workout DVD's. She knows her way around fitness and shares weekly tips with us. The show usually runs between 45 minutes and an hour. Perfect for the commute home.

Vegetarian Food for Thought

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is the author of many books for vegetarians and vegans. Her podcast is fantastic for those who are already a vegetarian, or are thinking of placing less emphasis on meat in their diet. Every week Colleen goes over questions that vegans and vegetarians have, nutritional tips, animals rights, myths, and health. She loves literature and uses stories, poems, and etymology as a jumping point for her topics. This podcast is one of my favorites in all my podcast line-ups. It is so informative and motivational for anyone wanting to live a compassionate life.

Simple Systems: Foods to Decrease Bloating

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There are certain foods that we eat that will decrease bloating and some the will cause it. Everyone knows that beans and salty foods will cause bloating, but what about brussels sprouts and onions? Yep, those can cause bloating too. Our stomachs can hold up to six cups of food, best keep it to things that will decrease gas production and water retention, rather than aid it.

Water

Yep, it may seems counter intuitive, but drinking water will decrease water retention. I like to think of this as the camel effect. If our bodies become dehydrated, it will retain more water since it does not know the next time water will be available... A bit like a camel and it's humps. When we drink water, we are re hydrating our body and making the water retention unneeded. Be sure to get in at least six to eight cups of water daily. This can be a hard habit to gain, but will be worth it for your health.

Garlic

Garlic is great for heart health and immunity, but can also help with bloating. Garlic aids in fat loss in our livers, which can help in decreasing bloating. The liver is one of the greatest detoxifies in our body; by having this at proper working order, we can also help detoxify, and thus, de-bloat.

Watermelons

These giant fruits are giant wonders. They are quite filling and comprised of about 92% water. Watermelon is a great alternative to a sweets craving. They can also act as a diuretic and have high amounts of antioxidants. When eating watermelon, try not to mix many other foods with them since they can go through a chemical change when being digested and, actually, cause bloating. Yikes!

Non-Artificial Sweeteners

People who have a great amount of artificial sweeteners tend to be bloated more than those who have natural sugars. Check the foods that you are already eating that are sugar free (gum, diet sodas, and some energy drinks), chances are they have aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose. These all have sugar alcohols that cause bloating. Instead, opt for some agave nectar, stevia, or honey. Stevia and truvia are great options and can be found in a number of health-concience brands. 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of those foods that I just hate eating, but with all the benefits, I may have to forgo the taste and eat them anyway. Not only are grapefruits great to help against bloating, they can also help us lose weight! Grapefruit has insulin regulating properties, so when we eat it, our insulin levels are going down. When insulin levels go down, more glucose is burned and less fat is retained.

There are many health and fitness experts out there who recommend eating half a grapefruit or drinking 100% grapefruit juice before a meal. People who have done this reported losing an average of three pounds over a 12 week span. 

Blueberries

They are not called super fruits for nothing, these little guys pack quite the punch in the health department. Blueberries are among the highest in antioxidants per servings and also have a high fiber content. Between the fiber, vitamin content, and antioxidants, bloating does not stand a chance.