Tag Archives: weight loss

Powering up like Piccolo

Summer is here. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the weather is nice. With constant outside activities, I would like to share a workout regimen inspired by one of my favorite anime characters: none other than Dragon Ball Z’s Piccolo.  For this exercise, we will be venturing to your local playground (or outdoor fitness area if you have one available). This will be a full body workout that will challenge your endurance and is callestenics based. 

Here’s the workout give yourself adequate rest between sets:

Warm up : dynamic stretching for 10 minutes

Cardio: jumping rope (weighted or unweighted) for up to 30 minutes

Strength training: For the following, you will need a weighted vest as well as ankle weights.

Legs: lunges (forward or reverse) 4 sets 10-15 reps per leg

Core: leg raises (using the monkey bars or hanging bars) 4 sets 15-25 reps

Back/biceps: (using monkey bas or hanging bars) chin ups 4 sets 8 to 15 reps.  Alternatively, you can switch for pull-ups

Triceps/chest/shoulders: (using parallel bars) dips 4 sets 8 to 15 reps. Alternatively, you can also use the steps on a playscape or bench for decline push-ups for the ame number of sets up to 20 reps

Finisher: burpees AMRAP within 60 seconds

And there you have it! It was a good summer workout with a good challenge. While you might not be able to fire off ki blasts lile Piccolo, you will certainly get stronger with this workout. Until the next time, dear readers. Excelsior

Outfit not included with gains

Benefits of juicing

Recently, I went to a juicery for the first time. I enjoyed the diverse mixes of fruit and veggies and felt the need to get another mixed juice. I then took a look at the price of the juice and asked myself: What if I just did this at home to save myself some money? Fast forward a week, and I purchased this lovely little tool.

And so it begins

Before I begin, there are many reasons why juicing was an appealing method to amd why a juicer was a wonderful investment. The first part is that without extra sugars and preservatives, it is lower in calories, and I can enjoy it guilt free compared to regular store bought fruit juice. Keeping in mind this juice typically should be consumed in 24-48 hours due to the lack of said preservatives. Additionally, this helps more of the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables get into your system more easily than the body needs. During the summer months, this is a refreshing way to keep hydrated . Also, there are good natural additives one can use, such as cinnamon and tumeric, for aid in weight loss and better digestion. And lastly, it’s just fun coming up with different flavors and mixes.

I then began reading up on different juicing combinations and ideas and decided to give it a give it a try. My first juice was an apple, pineapple, and strawberry juice mixed with a little bit of cinnamon for the extra kick.

The Tiki glass really set the tone for me

I then got to brainstorming and looking for inspiration for the next juice. That’s when things got a little…..wild. Early on a Sunday morning, I felt the creative urge to whip something up, and I had the great idea to make another juice. But this time, there was a twist. The first juice was a pineapple, cherry, strawberry juice with cinnamon.

This was insanely sweet

Next, I decided to try vegetables, so I made a green juice with green apple, spinach, cucumber, lemon, and tumeric.

Added a little too much lemon but excellent nonetheless

Once I finished juicing , I realized I had pulp left over. Then my wheels began to turning and I went to the net for different ideas on how to use the pulp. My first creation was adding a little extra frozen fruit to make a smoothie bowl

Can never go wrong with fruit and granola

Once I devoured my smoothie bowl, I wondered what I could do with the veggie pulp. Then, after some digging, I decided to make it into a dip akin to a spinach artichoke dip. A little cottage cheese as a base (and extra protein to boot) and a little cheddar cheese really brought this together.

Before
After

There are many benefits to juicing. This was a wondeful experience for my first few times trying it, and I look forward to trying more combinations in the future. This would be a wonderful tool for anyone’s kitchen and the possibilities for not just juicing but also what can be done with the pulp alone are numerous. Until the next time, dear readers, excelsior!

Buffalo chicken burritos

In the last few months, I have been on a low calorie high protein kick. There are several recipes I’ve come up with and seen that were absolutely mind-blowing. The latest recipe I came across was surprisingly filling and loaded with protein to meet my macros and was quite flavorful. That recipe would be buffalo chicken burritos. Bonus here. This is also a fun recipe one can make in a crock pot.

To start, you will need the following: 60 oz of chicken breast (about 4 large pieces), 2 cups of low or zero fat cream cheese, 4 oz of reduced fat cream cheese, 3 cups chicken Bone broth, 1/2 cup low calorie buffalo sauce  (I prefer franks red hot because it’s just that good so i cheated a little here, 1 1/2 cups white or jasmine rice ,2 cups of fat free cheddar cheese,10 low calorie tortillas (i used low cal high fiber wraps) and for seasoning I recommend a packet of ranch seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, tumeric, cumin, and a little salt free mrs. Dash seasoning.

First, mix in all the seasonings into the chicken until the color changes. Second, slow cook the chicken on high for about 3 hours or until it reaches recommended serving temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit

Might not look tasty yet but  it smells delightful

While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice in the bone broth to allow it to soak in for extra protein. While that is boiling, take your cottage cheese, cream cheese, and buffalo sauce and mix it in a mixer/blender until it has combined smoothly into a creamy sauce.

We’re getting there little by little

Once the meat is done, sprinkle the cheese and pour the sauce over top and give it a good mixing. Once mixed, prepare your tortilla with 1/10th of the meat and rice and evenly wrap the burritos until all the ingredients are gone. Once completed, these are ready for serving or can be wrapped in foil to store for up to 60 days to enjoy for a quick meal.

Ready for assembly

This was an excellent meal prep that kept me full and was really easy to make. I hope this recipe makes for a wonderful meal prep or family meal for anyone reading this. Until the next time, dear readers, excelsior!

My burrito wrapping skills could use a little more work

You are what you drink

This month marks the beginning of the year and of a new decade. Lots of us are making goals and resolutions being crafted. One such goal I have often heard is drinking more water. As someone who drinks half their body weight in ounces of water at a minimum, I want to share with you some really great things about drinking water on a steady basis.

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. What is neat is when you need water your brain activates a thirst mechanism to tell you that you need water. Secondly, water can help you get some control over your calories. Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.  Additionally, drinking water with your food will help in trimming your calorie intake.

Image result for drink more water

Water can energize your muscles before a workout by helping maintain the fluid level in your body. During a workout when you sweat, there are electrolytes lost and there is fatigue. If you drink water before a workout your physical performance will be better than without drinking water beforehand. Your skin contains plenty of water and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don’t expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines. Proper hydration will help keep your skin look better and not as dry. You can also use a moisturizer to help lock in moisture on your skin.

Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that can pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Our kidneys can filter a lot of toxins from the body but keeping your body hydrated, the kidneys can continue their job in flushing out all the toxins in your body.  When you’re getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions. Drinking less water will increase your risk of kidney stones and other disorders connected to the kidneys being unable to flush out toxins it takes in. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration and the result is constipation.

Image result for waterboy meme

Some of the best ways to keep yourself on track with drinking water would be eating foods that are water-rich, like fruits and vegetables. Keep some water for during and between meals as well. There are even water bottles designed to help motivate you to keep on chugging the H2O. Let’s keep the goal of drinking water flowing this year. Until the next time. Excelsior!