Posts Tagged body building

Fat Foods That Are Healthy


I absolutely love this girl.

In my opinion, she has the most desirable body on this planet (although Gisele could give her a run for her money)

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Hots and Fits, today has been tough. Very tough. Its that time of the month, and for me, its very very difficult.

 


I also went crazy this afternoon with a bunch of my friends and run in the snow. I was wearing jeans and knee-high boots so it wasn’t that disastrous. It only lasted 10 minutes and it was exhausting. There was 30 cm worth of snow.


I spent 1 and a half hours commuting this morning. Wow. Just wow. And saw about 5 car accidents on the way. People need to be more careful.

 


This morning started off with INSANITY’s Pure Cardio (I realise I am going in reverse here. Oh well) I was actually planning on doing another workout in the afternoon but it just not happening.


Instead I have read People Magazine and found out that Michael Buble is engaged to an Argentinian actress called Luisana Lopilato who used to be my childhood’s celebrity obsession.

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I partly owe to her telenovelas the fact that I can speak Spanish. Yes, in case I have not bragged about it before, I am a fluent Spanish speaker. I learned it all from watching telesoaps since I was 10 years old. I am sad, but I also rock.

 


After I was finishing with PEOPLE I went on to more educational material and read an interesting article about fats. Since fats used to freak me out (I still don’t touch Peanut butter) I listed to the top 10 healthy fat foods I know of and how I eat (or, for some, would eat) them.


Oxymoron? No, not really.

  1. Avocado – with its amazing fatty acids, this guy rocks in my salads now adays. The country I was born at cultivates avocados in heaps. One of my BFFs is from Indonesia, she puts it in a blender with chocolate and gets a sweet avocado shake.
  2. Tahini – I am obsessed with hummus, and my family always puts tahini on the side, too. It has high nutritional values and is integrated in many types of diets, especially the Mediterranean. It constitutes of single and multi fatty acids which are unsaturated. This is a lot of gibberish to me, but I will tell you to dip your pita bread in it or pour some over your salad. I Will also tell you to watch your portion size and not to eat it raw unless you like a bitter taste. And let me know if you want me to e-mail you a recipe
  3. Halva – This is like tahini, only sweet. 100% sesame paste. When I was a kid my grandma would blend is for me with fruits. It resulted in one fat baby. I took of the weight as I learned how to walk. I have a Halva Spread downstairs in the pantry, and I also top my oatmeal with it sometimes. Again, watch your portion size (though you can get it sugar-free/low – cal)
  4. Canola oil – I don’t fry things. Never. Not because I am obsessed with what I put in mouth (I am, not denying, its just not the reason). I detest the smell. Anyhow, I know my dear madre only uses canola oil for frying because canola is like the “hybrid” of all oils.
  5. Walnuts – these guys contains many essential fatty acids, including omega-3. They also contains a high caloric value (642 kcal per 100 g) and are rich in protein (14.3 grams per 100 g). I try to grab a few nuts a day cause I do not voluntarily put healthy fats in my mouth. So I aim for 5-8 pieces and call it a day
  6. Flax – I cannot believe I am recommending flax, mainly because they don’t have in the country in which I reside at the moment. But flax seeds are good. Ask Katie, she knows better than me about this stuff. Put it in your oatmeal, cereals, and even in your soups and salads.
  7. Salmon – my favourite fish. I eat it smoked, cooked, grilled or canned. Tons of omega 3. Besides, as a kid my grandma used to say that fish was good for your brain. So if you have kids, they should have some of it, too.
  8. AlmondsHeather would be able to tell you more about this. Unsaturated fatty acids. Its becoming the phrase here, isn’t it? Apparently, they also help our bodies defend itself against toxic substances. They are also one of those nuts I may end up eating during the day. Usually salted, though. Cannot stand them otherwise.
  9. Olives – Not more than 5 a day. That is my rule of thumb. Myths say there is a difference between black olives and green olives – I was told its nonsense. I like the taste of green ones more, but sometimes I get a craving for black ones. Chop them and throw them in your salad. Or on your healthy pizza.
  10. Brazil nuts – these are fabulous due to their high selenium content, which makes their protein content “complete”. This means that, unlike the proteins in most plant products, Brazil nuts’ proteins contain all the necessary amino acids to foster optimal growth in humans. These aren’t available where I am, either. Serving size if I could? 5-8.

 


You guys have any fats you like to eat? Or do you think my assessment is too insane? I am fine with that, too!

Sig

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Packed Protein

Happy Sunday, dumplings!

 


This weekend has been fabulous-o, despite all the snow we have been getting. Just so you know, we broke the record. At the moment, my balcony is holding up 30 cm of snow . That major here.


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I had a very lazy bummy Saturday which involved doing a whole lot of nothing. Well, I did procrastinate a lot, but that’s part of the nothing. After clearing up some of the snow in hopes of getting my car out of the driveway, I got ready and left to my friend’s birthday party at a vegetarian restaurant in town.


I ordered a vegetable lasagna baked with parmesan cheese and tomato sauce, while one of my home dwellers who else enjoyed the party ordered a Mexican burrito with black beans, pepper salsa, guacamole, jasmine rice sour cream and a side salad. Because we wanted a bit of both we just split the dishes. It was awesome. I never ate in a vegetarian restaurant before (they are just starting to get popular where I reside) and I was pleasanty surprised . Will definitely be back!

 


This morning started off with some more snow and then INSANITY ’s Fit Test. I didn’t really have to do it, especially since I do not follow the program strictly, but I wanted to see how much better I have gotten.


Here are my results:

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Wow. I am very impressed. I feel so much stronger but I am glad to see I have finally got some actual proof. And I think Push up Jacks are my favourite moves!

Once done with the Fit Test I started doing P90X’s Core Synergistics . I do think this is one of my favourite workouts, too. It really works your whole body. Some of those lunges had my abs getting sore! LOVED IT!

 


As it seems, I doubt the heaps and heaps of snow will enable me to run much this week. This is a problem which I like to ignore. I am going to have a pretty strict INSANITY schedule with one or two P90X workouts, probably Kenpo X for recovery.

 


In other news, I finally tried Heather’s Protein Pancakes today. The result was…hmm…interesting.


I used:

  • 60 grams egg whites
  • 27 grams 100% Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
  • Some baking powder
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • 10 grams oats


I shaked them all fairly well and the mix still ended up being a bit lumpy. I then poured it into my skillet and after 2 minutes this is what I got:

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Believe me, this was a lot tastier than what it looks like. I must admit that I did not use anything to grease the skillet (cause its non-stick, this is probably the best thing I have ever bought in IKEA). This is very filling too, and according to my calculations, this has only 185 calories. I’d double the portions if it were breakfast, and keep it the same for a snack after a nice workout.

 

Now tell me something fascinating you have done this weekend. There has to be something.

Sig

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Heathcliff, my love

Jolly Thursday Hots and Fits!

 


I started the day extremely well! Despite a rather restless sleep I got up at 5:20 and decided to run outside.


For me, if I know in my head that it is cold but still wanna make it out and not let the winter scare me off, I open the window, stick my hand out, and prove to myself its not that cold (considering the fact that I sleep with a tanktop). I think it works because I am very warm when I wake up (now, wearing a long sleeve shirt and typing this, I am freezing!).


It wasn’t that bad but I only did 2 KM because my foot hurt. My other foot, that is. Weird. Something isn’t making sense. I will try again tomorrow.


Came back home and had a date with this guy (while being imitated by a bunch of other people):

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I did the last 20 minutes of Pure Cardio, only skipping the 8 push ups + running session because I was going to end up late to work.

 


After all the “get ready hassle” (which lasts 20 minutes) I sat down to a bowl of this.

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Gorgeous.

I also had a cup of coffee in my favourite cup:

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Wuthering Heights is my favourite book. I heard Heathcliff.

 


I other interesting news, I came upon an article claiming that according to research, the pressure our knees and ankle joints absorb when running with sneakers is greater than if we were to run barefoot!

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The research, conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Colorado in Virginia (huh??) studied the pressure on the hip, knee and ankle by gathering 68 volunteers, 37 of whom were women, all healthy, broad age range, and with no significant history of muscle injuries.


They ran at least 24 miles a week, either outside or on the treadmill. They also made them walk in high heels around a shopping mall for a while.


Surprisingly, they found that running shoes provided the highest pressure levels on the joints!


Threre are individuals that are criticizing this research, claiming that the sample group was too small. All I have to say is that I wish I could run barefoot.

I actually did once (shhhhh ….its a secret). I was on holiday in some remote village with my family and I felt like going for a run, but did not have my shoes. It was right after I graduated from high school and done with the track, thinking I would never wanna lace up those shoes! Anyhow, I did it. It felt great. But it is dangerous. Just thinking about all the crap that could be on the road made me constantly look down.

 

 


Ight Hots and Fits, my little sis just came back from vacay today so I’m going to hang out with her. I will see you all tomorrow!!

 

Its Friday in 3 hours! Well, at least for me :P

Sig

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Get Hot and Fit: ChaLEAN Extreme

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So, I have had this sitting around for quite some time now.

15 workouts on 6 DVDs.

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ChaLEAN (the instructor’s name is Chalene) is divided into three phases (information taken from the official Beachbody website):


PHASE 1: BURN

You start lifting weights to jump-start your metabolism and break down those “extra” reserves of fat. In these moderate training workouts, you’ll work your upper body then lower body, and learn how “Lean Phasing” will help you see major results every 30 days!


PHASE 2: PUSH

Chalene shows you how to lift heavy—beyond your comfort zone—so you build the muscle you need to burn fat. Chalene makes it easier than it sounds with incredibly fast results.


PHASE 3: LEAN

Here is where you really bring it home with new routines and dynamic moves that literally melt the fat off your body. You will be blown away with jaw-dropping results and rewarded with a brand-new body!

 


If you owe the deluxe DVDs, you also get:


EXTREME CARDIO

During each phase, Chalene ignites your metabolism with super-intense cardio and strength-training routines, and then rejuvenates and lengthens your hard-working muscles with an invigorating flexibility workout.


POWER CORE

Shrink, tighten, and tone your tummy with two targeted ab routines for a rock-hard midsection!


 

I have to let you know in advance that I have just read the program manual, skimmed briefly through the DVDs and did the first workout of phase 1. As time goes by, I will do more and be able to give your better reviews.


Anyhoo….

PHASE 1 – BURN CIRCUIT 1

Was just over 35 minutes long, and included a good warm up as well as a good cool down in my opinion. Chalene has 4 other people with her in the Imagestudio, one of them using bands, another one using lighter dumbbells, so you could follow whichever suits you best.

She really explains everything. She is also very nice. But fitness wise, she really tells you what you need to know in terms of reps and weights, which I like. I notice Tony does that too, and I think its very important. This really enables you to get the maximum results without forcing an injury on your body

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So, what’s The Hot? Quick, much quicker than P90X’s 50-60 minutes workouts. Chalene really explains a lot, so what you are doing actually starts to make sense. Variety is key too, you wouldn’t get bored, actually time went by very quickly. Also, you work your whole body. Every single muscle. The Spit? I am a cardio whore, and this isn’t a cardio workout. Yes, there are some DVDs that focus merely on Cardio. But most of this is mainly toning. Which is not a problem as long as that is your goal. This is why I did INSANITY in the morning and then this. So I get a bit of both.Sig

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Double Cardio

I had to do it.

This girl is practically challenging me at a whole new level.

You have to go check her blog. NOW!

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Oh yes, if you are lost – I just finished doing Insanity’s Plyometric Cardio Circuit. And the reason this post has the word “double” in the title is cause I also went on my first run in 10 days this AM. The benefits of having a holiday.

My home dwellers think I am mad. I was dripping, head to toe, and at the moment I am gulping down water.

The Hot is that I can’t remember the last time I did so many variations of push ups and felt my entire body working. My abs were on fire. And guys, this workout is your cardio-god! Its quick, you get a lot done, and Shaun T is a pleasure to look at.The Spit is that I collapse often, usually in the second or third circuit. My form probably isn’t very good, and I sometimes have to hit the pause button and wait for my HR to go down.

But this is the real thing! I love it!!

Anyhoo, I am off to this store now:

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I am not a huge fan, its massive and I have to spend at least 2 hours every time I go there. Oh, and I always end up buying something. ALWAYS. Apparently, there is a post-Christmas sale, and well, if you are not there, you have no idea what bargains you are missing. Yeah, yeah, we shall see.

 

Hope ya’ll had a fabulous Sabado!

Peace out

Sig

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