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Posts Tagged Iron Yoga

Give That Cold the Boom Boom Pow

Mar 2

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 12 Comments

Hi blog buds!

Thank you all for the wonderful comments to yesterday’s Marathon Monday post.  I loved reading all of your encouraging words!  I hope you know how much more enjoyable (not to mention accountable) this marathon process is, knowing that you are all cheering me on.

I already know what I’ll be doing differently on my next run.  Something that I’ve been figuring to be the issue, but that I have neglected to implement.  (Partly due to pride, I think.)  I’m treating myself as I would a client so I’m going to take my own advice.  So stay tuned for the next Marathon Monday and I’ll share my “tweaks” and let you know how it goes!

I rested the ol’ knees on Sunday by not doing any exercise.  Then on Monday when I woke up my knees were feeling bueno!  So I’m thankful that they are recovering quickly, that’s a good sign!  I treated them to some Iron Yoga in the morning before scooting off to work.

While the knees are back to normal, that weird sneezing fit seems to be a touch of a head cold.  So I’m giving it the BOOM-BOOM-POW of green smoothies, Emergen-C drinks and green tea.  Hopefully I’ll get this thing nipped in the bud!  I feel fine, but my nose deciding to keep on running well past that 14 mile mark!  ;)

Anyone else this messy while making green smoothies?

I have covered the entire island!

***

I was fortunate to start this morning with a delightful run at my favorite hilly trail with one of my clients.  Look at the moon as I pulled into the parking lot!

It was just getting light out and the moon was SO bright!  I love pretty runs like this!  While my little friend OSCAR told me it was 28 outside, we did freeze our hineys off a bit because it was WINDY!  (I’ve been going to this trail for about 9 years now – you’d think I’d learn that it’s ALWAYS windy there and dress accordingly!)  :D

I wore my VFFs for the 3.7 miles we did.  Ohhh boy do you feel every little rock on a gravel trail in them, especially when your feet are frozen!  But I loved it! They thawed out after about 15 minutes, once the blood started pumping and then it was like skipping along like a kid!  These things are a hoot!

I so wish that my calves were ready to wear these ‘unshoes’ for longer distances because the impact on my knees is almost nil.  I’m getting there!  I’ve added another mile to my longest run in them… progressing slowly but safely.

Today’s discussion:  what’s your “tried and true” remedy when you have a cold? As I mentioned, I like to try to knock it out with high nutrient foods, like what I add to my green smoothies.  This is the first I’ve had in almost a year – I didn’t even catch one when I flew to Michigan in the fall (and I was that person who would catch something every time I stepped on a plane.)  I have attributed this good immunity to all the fruits and veggies I’ve been eating since last April.  But recently I’ve let some refined carbs and sugars creep back into my diet so I know that’s partly to blame.  Time to get back to basics!  :)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

– Shari B. =)

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Feet Like Spider-Man

Dec 15

Posted by Shari B. in Product Review | 3 Comments

Check out my cool new fitness toy!  No-slip yoga socks!  I was in the health food store the other night and they had these right when I walked in the front door. 

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I’m often too lazy to unroll my yoga mat (and when I do, it often doesn’t get rolled back up.)  So these are PERFECT!  I was worried that my teeny-tiny-toes wouldn’t fit into the separate openings but they did.  These socks ROCKED.  And even better than keeping you from slipping on the floor (or your mat) they also helped in tree pose because I had like Super Spidey Grip on my inner thigh.

For my non-yogi readers,  here’s a pic of tree pose.  With bare feet, my lifted foot has a tendency to slide down my leg!  1 tree pose

(photo source)

I think these would make a great gift idea for any of your yoga enthusiast friends – especially for this time of year when feet get cold anyway!  I’ve added them to my “Favorite Things Amazon Store” if you want further details. 

Monday morning, after the too-short night of sleep, I still managed to get in an hour of Iron Yoga.  I knew that if I didn’t, I’d be bumming later.  Once my day got going I knew I wouldn’t have another chance to workout again until Wednesday morning and I didn’t want to go THREE days in a row without exercise.  That just perpetuates the vicious sleepless circle.

This one still works me well – especially my legs and shoulders. 

To thank my body for doing well in yoga, I then treated myself to a hot shower and one of these:

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It was 32 ounces of green nutrient rich goodness… try to top that, Super Big Gulp!  Spinach, sprouts, cucumber, 1/3 frozen banana, 1 clementine, 1 apple, 2 stalks celery. 

Who wouldn’t feel like a million bucks after YOGA and GREEN SMOOTHIES?  It’s like having a spa day before you even head out the door to work!

Today’s question:  What is your FAVORITE YOGA POSE if you’re a yogi (yogini??).  Right now mine is Eagle Pose. 

1 eagle pose

(photo source)

Have a ZEN Tuesday everyone!  :)

– Shari B. =)

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Orange You In The Mood For French Toast?

Nov 20

Posted by Shari B. in Recipes | 9 Comments

Good morning friends!  Happy Friday! 

Can you believe that one week from today Thanksgiving will be behind us and we’ll be out fighting the Black Friday shopping crowds?  Is 2009 really almost over?  One week from today I’ll be putting up my Christmas tree and ‘inside’ decorations. Outside decorations will be done whenever we have a warm(ish) day. 

Thinking about Thanksgiving yesterday had me craving breakfast for dinner.  (That and I just was NOT in the mood to zip to the store so I had to come up with something from what we had in-house already.)

I tried to be creative and made up this dish:

Mandarin Baked French Toast Fingers  

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  • 6 whole eggs (organic, free-range)
  • 1/2 cup MimicCreme (or something like FF half-and-half if you are a drinker of dairy)
  • 2 Mandarin oranges (or one regular orange)
  • 7 slices Ezekial sprouted grain bread

-Crack eggs into bowl and add MimicCreme.  Using a zester or microplane, zest the skins of both mandarin oranges into the bowl.  After zesting, cut each orange in half and squeeze the juice into the mix.

-Whisk well.

-Make two stacks of Ezekial bread, cutting through each stack twice lengthwise to create the ‘fingers’. 

-Dip each finger into the egg mixture and add to a prepared baking dish (I used my large round stoneware baking dish from Pampered Chef.)

-Pour remaining mixture into baking dish after all pieces are coated.

-Let sit in the refrigerator for one hour so that the egg mixture soaks into the bread really well (the sprouted grain bread is dense).

-Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (my toast fingers were double-stacked.  If yours are in a single layer they may take less time.)  Cover for most of the cooking time so they don’t get really dry.

-Or make your french toast in a pan on the stovetop like ‘regular’ french toast rather than baking.

-Once plated, garnish as you like.  I sprinkled on unsweetened coconut flakes and some cinnamon, then used agave nectar as my “syrup”.

I think next time I make this I’ll try the regular french toast version on the stove top.  The baked version didn’t have a very pretty presentation, but it had really good flaver with all that orange zest.  Breakfast for dinner is always fun.

The rest of the day’s eats went like this: 

Half of a banana before my 6:15 AM training client. 

A beautiful 30 oz GREEN SMOOTHIE after my 45-minute arm-killing Iron Yoga session. 

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Lunch out with MSP at Three Margaritas.  I’ve been craving their Veggie Enchiladas for weeks now. 

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It’s probably the healthiest meal I’ve every discovered at a chain Mexican restaurant.  Sauteed veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots tucked inside a corn tortilla and topped with CARROT PUREÉ.  So good.  I ate half the plate and brought the other half home.  And ate the cold leftover beans for a nighttime snack.  MSP thought that was the nastiest thing ever.  (He doesn’t like cold pizza either!!!  I can eat any food cold..)

Today’s discussion is on the topic of Thanksgiving:  What foods are on your menu?  Are you cooking at your house?  If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, what are some of your favorite things to serve?  Or do you have a favorite dish that you like to take when you go elsewhere for Thanksgiving? 

We don’t go anywhere for Thanksgving.  Most of our relatives are all out of state.  Sometimes we go out to eat and hit up the movie theater.  Last year (when I still ate meat) we picked up a full meal from Boston Market for our ‘turkey dinner’ and we loved it!  It was fast and fun.  This year, I’m aiming (keyword is aiming) to do some fun cooking at home, depending on the budget.  (My list of ingredients for the things I want to make may cause me to NOT make some of them – then I’d just be spending all that money I’ll be saving on the Friday xmas shopping!)   We always like to make a yummy breakfast on Thanksgiving so I’m thinking of tweaking a favorite recipe for Sausage Biscuits & Gravy into a vegetarian, non-dairy version.  Still working on the ideas for that one.  MSP would also LOVE some bread pudding so I’m thinking of making a Chocolate Croissant bread pudding recipe for him (too rich and full of dairy for my liking so that will be all him!)  I also have my eye on a recipe for vegetarian Almost Beef Wellington as the ‘main dish’ for the day.  We’ll see.  ;)   I always have grand ideas for cooking!  If we have GORGEOUS weather that day, it may all get thrown out the window so that we can get outside for a hike!

Have a FABULOUS Friday everyone! 

– Shari B.  =)

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What Is YOUR “One Thing”?

Oct 28

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature | 4 Comments

Another day, another snowstorm.  :)   It’s starting to feel like the norm here lately!  This has been the craziest, snowiest AUTUMN that I recall having experienced in Colorado in a really long time, if ever.  I know, I know – this is a fitness blog, not a weather blog.  But hey, the weather does in fact affect my outdoor exercise, so really, it’s relevant.  Right? 

They (the evil forecasters) are saying anywhere between 10″ and 18″ by the time it stops snowing tomorrow night.  Guess we all know what my CARDIO will be, huh?  :)

snow day

Luckily for my cousin, the snow didn’t start accumulating on the roads until she was well on her way to the airport this morning in her all-wheel-drive rental car (big yay for them giving her a Subaru!)  She is officially safely in the air on her way back home and will be stepping off the plane into 60 degree weather.  My family will never believe me again when I say that we have FABULOUS weather here in Colorado. 

OK, so enough of my boo-hooing about the snow. 

First things first, yesterday’s feat!  I did IRON YOGA again!  It felt so great the first time, that I was actually kind of ‘craving‘ it!  Hmmm, this could be the start of a new trend for me!  Afterward, Lisa and I each had double green smoothies. 

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OK, green smoothies and YELLOW smoothies might be more like it.  ;)

We hit up a local coffee shop later in the morning for some ‘quiet time’, then on to Whole Foods for lunch at their mix-n-match hot-n-cold bar.  I had a BUBBLY for the road.

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For dinner, I was feeling like some ITALIANO.  For me, I tried a recipe for Raw Marinara Sauce from Raw Foods Made Easy for 1 or 2 People.  I added it to a pile of raw zucchini ribbons and some baked spaghetti squash and kalamata olives.  For MSP, I made whole wheat penne pasta with meat sauce. 

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My dinner was veggie-licious!  

***

I was reading an article this morning about families making changes to their holiday habits to make things less stressful and it got me thinking about today’s FitFeature.

Every transformation (whether it be for your physique, health, finances, anything) starts with the first step.  Then taking ONE more step.  Add those steps together and you have yourself a journey.  If they are all POSITIVE steps, then you have yourself a SUCCESSFUL journey!

Today I’d like to challenge you to note ONE THING you can do to improve upon yesterday or to maybe get you started on a journey you’ve been meaning to start but haven’t. 

I’ll go first:  since it’s been unseasonably cold and snowy, I’m finding that I am not drinking the amount of water I normally would.  Sometimes water is the last thing I want when I’m feeling chilled.  It’s easy for me to gravitate toward an extra cup of decaf coffee, which is acidic and will dehydrate me further.  Now I’m noticing that not only is my SKIN feeling dry, but even my eyes are.  So today, I’m going to drink more room temperature water and also add in a couple cups of hot herbal (and naturally caffeine free) tea to boost my hydration. 

Hydration in cold weather is just as important as it is in hot weather.  The body produces more urine when cold, so dehydration can occur more quickly than it would on a mild weather day.  (Keep that in mind if you participate in cold-weather outdoor activities, like running, skiiing, etc.)

What is your ONE thing that you can do today?  Share with us in the comment section.

I’ll leave you with this fun little ‘story’ below that I used to keep posted in my previous personal training studio, in hopes of reminding clients that before you can lose 5, 10, 20 lbs you must lose ONE.  Much the same way that before you can change multiple bad habits into good ones, you still have to change ONE. 

JUST ONE POUND

Hello, do you know me? If you don’t you should. I’m a pound of fat, and I’m the happiest pound of fat you would ever want to meet. Want to know why?  It’s because no one ever wants to lose me; I’m ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound.  Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds, but never only one, so I just stick around and happily keep you fat.  Then I add to myself ever so slyly so that you never seem to notice it, that is until I’ve grown to ten, twenty or even more pounds in weight.  Yes, it’s fun being ONLY ONE POUND of fat, left to do as I please. So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying, “Oh, I only lost one pound.” (as if that were such a terrible thing!)  For you see, if you do this you’ll encourage others to keep me around because they will think I’m not worth losing.  And I love being around you–your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips and every part of you.   Happy Days!!!  After all, I’m ONLY ONE POUND.

(Unfortunately I do not know who to give proper credit to as the author – it’s posted in many places online, but I haven’t found a name.  So for the record, I did not write this.  Some other genius did  ;) If you know who the author is feel free to let me know and I’ll update the post.)

Have a great Wednesday everyone!  I’ll see you all next time (provided I don’t get stuck in a snowdrift while shoveling!)

– Shari B. =)

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