Hey there…are you eating tons of fruit & veggies while keeping your body a nutrient rich powerhouse? 
Remember that fruits and veggies do wonders for your energy, not to mention are crazzy good for losing belly fat.  One summer fruit fav, the watermelon, is packed with nutrition.
Most people think (I know I thought this way) that watermelons are just water with taste, harmless, but not a good option for nutritonal gain.  WRONG!  Watermelons have some of the most nutrition per calorie of common foods.

And while it's a good idea to buy most other fruits organic, the good news with watermelons is that you don't need to break the bank with buying an organic (heavy) watermelon.  (watermelons are acutally among the fifteen most clean non-organic fruits & veggies with a thick exterior to protect the fruit)

We all know watermelon is great because it helps us stay hydrated and is low in calories, but it's also a great source of vitamin C, which is a major anti-oxidant.  It's surprisingly high in vitamin B (thiamine and pyridoxine) which help to maintain electrolytes and the transmission of signals through our nervous system.   The vitamin B also helps with essential enzymatic functions that convert food into cellular energy.  Who knew?
To top it off, watermelon provides potassium & magnesium that help with cardiovascual and brain health as well as the kidney function, assisting fluid retention = LESS BLOATING! 

Be sure to hit the watermelon workout in the previous post, then add in more watermelon to your summer eating….you'll feel like an energized, lean & hot-bodied powerhouse!
To sunny summer days & feeling amazing (always!),
Laura

Tilapia Tacos With Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients:
(makes about 6 tacos)

For the red chili salt

For the watermelon salsa

• 1/2 seedless ripe watermelon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 organic mango, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/4 cup)
• 5 to 6 scallions, white and light-green parts, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 to 1 small jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
• Juice of 1 large lime
• Salt
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• Sugar I used stevia but you can also use a healthy sweetener such as organic coconut nectar

For the cabbage

• 1/4 head cabbage
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• Salt again I substituted the Himalayan pink salt

For the tacos

• 2 (10 to 12 ounces total) boneless, skinless tilapia fillets
• 1 tablespoon canola oil  I prefer to use coconut oil or hemp oil to add in healthier fats
• 6 corn tortillas I used "food for life" brown rice tortillas which are both wheat & gluten free
• 1 medium red onion

• 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 
   

For the red chili salt: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the watermelon salsa: Combine all the ingredients except the sugar (stevia) in an airtight container. Season with sugar (stevia) to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the cabbage: Cut the cabbage into very thin slices and place in a bowl, then pour cider vinegar over it. Season with salt to taste. Let sit for 30 to 45 minutes; the cabbage should be wilted. Drain and discard the vinegar; set the cabbage aside.

For the tacos: Prepare the grill. If using a gas grill, heat it to medium. If using a charcoal grill, start the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly under the cooking area for direct heat. Oil the grate.

Season the fillets lightly with the red chili salt mixture; reserve the remaining salt mixture for another use. Drizzle them with a small amount of cocounut or hemp oil.

Grill the fish for about 4 minutes per side. When the fish is nearly cooked, add the tortillas to the grate and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until their air pockets start to rise and the tortillas start to take some color. Transfer the fish to a work surface and coarsely chop. Cover loosely to keep warm, and set aside.

To serve, layer the tortillas with the fish, then the cabbage and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the watermelon salsa.  Garnish each taco with some of the red onion and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Enjoy a wonderful, healthy meal and your body will thank you with a non-bloated flat belly!  
 

How's your Monday going?  Nice.

Anyway, here are some fun & wacky stomach exercises you can do anywhere.  Stay focused on the flat, sexy summer stomach misson.  Grab a watermelon and get going, it's the perfect (heavy) fruit to use for a workout…yes, I'm serious (and it tastes good when you're done)

I'll be back later in the week with some healthy ways to enjoy watermelon (after you're done using it to workout)….for now, get movin' to jump-start your week with a great workout!

Laura

"The Wacky Watermelon Workout"

-Watermelon Sit-Press
-Watermelon Chops
-Watermelon Burpee Press-Mountain Climber superset (do 2x's back to back without stopping)
-Watermelon Hops
-Watermelon Sit-Press (repeat 1st exercise)
-Watermelon Side Chops (do both sides 2x's)
-Watermelon Rolling Push-Ups
-Watermelon Burpee Press-Mountain Climber (repeat)
-Watermelon Bridges

*Do 4 rounds of the following exercises, or if it's easier to time….do the workout as many times as you can in 24-25 mins*

I'm sure by now you've seen these funny looking shoes that look like "foot gloves."  

(these are the exact ones that I have – oh yeah!)

If you haven't seen them yet, welcome to the barefoot revolution!  They are called "five fingers" or just plain Vibrams.  I love wearing my minimalist shoes to strengthen my feet, ankles, and legs….and I also get a kick out of someone who is shocked staring and asking "what the hell are those!?"

I got my first pair back in November and admittedly I was a bit hesitant at first.  I always knew that running barefoot in sand was a great leg and lower body workout, but I never imagined we'd bring that concept to road running and cross training workouts.  I'd watched people run the marathon in them and thought how can their feet possibly take all that pounding! 

Now, progressing my distance and workouts wearing the barefoot shoes, I'm a total fan!  I feel them working my  Read the rest of Sexy Summer Legs (run barefoot!)

My Superfood Spinach Berry Booster

Here's the perfect thing to trump your energy slump!

(superhealthy & on the go – ready in 5 mins)
 

1/2 cup of Spinach 
1/2 cup Orange Juice or cut up orange
1/2 cup of Strawberries
1 scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein
Psyllium Husk Fiber
squeeze of lime juice
1 scoop of Green Superfood
(see below)
 

Toss everything into a blender, add ice if you want to chill out, blend until desired consistency.

(One serving gives the antioxidant equivalent of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables. A full spectrum of alkalizing green superfoods, antioxidant rich fruits, and support herbs unite with Acai and Maca to provide a powerful dose of whole food nutrition. Complete with pre & probiotics and digestive enzymes to ensure rapid nutrient absorption and healthy digestion)

Here's some quick info on how this shake will boost you up….

Why Spinach?
it'll rev your energy with it's reviving iron benefits, plus it's also loaded with calcium and vitamin K.

Why Orange juice?
In order to absorb the iron and gain an energy kick from the spinach, you'll need to take in vitamin C.  So, the oranges and strawberries will provide the vitamin C that's necessary to absorb the iron from spinach.

Why the Whey?
A hard workout depletes glycogen from your muscles, so you need to refuel right away to avoid feeling sluggish and to ensure that your reps don't go to waste.  Whey protein mixed with simple carbs from fruit will top off your glycogen stores to kick up your energy, repair and build lean muscle.

Sculpt Sexy Abs and feel superhot for summer (it's only a few weeks away)!

Hey everyone,

With summer approaching fast, it's time to get started on improving your stomach.  (There really is no better accessory to a bikini or tank top than a sexy stomach)

 (that's me at the Brookdale Park in Montclair, NJ doing one of my favorite's:  the plank arm-lift)

And while looking hot and feeling lean are awesome, there are many other benefits to toning your core.  A strong core will help to stabilize the spine and pelvis.  With more core strength and stability also comes better posture, as well as a more efficient energy transfer though the body.

A slimmer waistline, walking taller, feeling more energetic, and looking dead sexy.  That sounds great to me

See many of our lifestyles expose us to bad posture which tightens the hip flexors and causes us to extend and arch our lower back…especially if you sit at a desk or travel often.  Training abs can balance the stress on our bodies and address the slouching to eliminate pain and back problems.

This quick Ab routine will work all the muscles around the pelvis and lower spine, which is key for visible ab definition.

Without a clean diet six pack abs aren't going to pop, but if you eat healthy and add in these key moves 3x's per week, you'll be on your way to fab abs.

So get going ==>  Six moves, 3 times each in less than 20 mins a day.  Commit to it now and tighten up your eating, while flushing your body out with tons of cold water.

These are 6 of my favorite stomach and ab toning exercises (video above):

1. V-UPS

Raise your legs and upper body simultaneously, while inhaling deeply. Keep both halves of your body as straight as possible. Use your abdominal muscles to pull your body together. You will form a "V" shape with your body. Try to touch your toes with your hands unless you can do so without bending your arms.

Do 25 reps or as many as you can in one minute.

2. Flutter Kicks

Lift your heels about Read the rest of Flat Stomach Workout

Hey everyone, I know you're kickin' butt with your workouts after the holiday weekend.  If you're not or if you're feeling off after over-indulging, well then this post will help you get back on track ASAP.

Run your ass off, literally, and lose weight from the weekend. 

Why?  Because it's National Running Day!

(and because I want to lose weight)

Happy National Running Day, hope you are all super-charged up and enjoying the great summer weather.  

Many of you are amping up your workouts and adding more cardio, so today's post will highlight some awesome running tips that'll have you on your way to faster weight loss, more enjoyable cardio, and hey…maybe even getting over that old hurdle you have about running.  (I hear it all the time, "I hate running", "I'm not a runner")

Running is definitely not the easiest exercise, it takes dicipline and time, but it is definitely worth it…especially if you want to lose weight fast. 

I actually had a really hard time when I first started running, and I wasn't a natural at all.  By sticking with it and continuing to slowly increase my pace, I was able to go faster and longer….and finally get my body to elicit that flood of endorphins.

So, running is not easy and like life, you have to put in some hard work to reap the rewards.  But, I can tell you it is one of the few cardio exercises that can enhance your mood, clear your mind, wipe away negative emotions and bring more energy and positively to everything you do.

Here are a few reasons you should lace up and head out:

-Running lowers max blood pressure and risk of stroke
-It supports your entire Read the rest of Running & Weight Loss

Hi everyone, hope you're off to a wonderful and kick-ass start to your week.  

I'm a bit fired up today, ready to rock my workouts and life.  We've all heard it before…."LIfe's Tough".  And while it is, I don't know that hearing that when you're going through hell necessarily makes you feel any better.

But, one thing is for sure:  The more we practice determination and the ability to remain optimistic (especially when we're outside our comfort zones), the better fit for life we become.  Being fit is more than just fat loss and fitness, it's also a mindset.  And it does effect every facet of your life-your confidence, you outlook, opportunities, gratitude, relationships….you know, what life's all about.

The way I see it, the tougher you can become through obstacles and challenges that come your way, the more likely you are to achieve success- and yes, that does mean staying fit & losing fat.

If you can develop some grit, you'll be unbreakable & unstoppable in everything you do.  (Kinda like a superhero)

See, just a few weeks back, I completed my second "Tough Mudder" event in less than a month and it re-awakened toughness and grittiness in me. 

It's part of my why and part of the metaphor that drives every thing I do, every workout I conquer.

Anyway, you're probably wondering, what on earth is a Tough Mudder?

Tough Mudder is described as the "toughest day on the planet" (and ohhh it was!)  

It's not an average lame-ass mud run or Read the rest of Get Tough, Gritty, & Be Unstoppable – Focused

The Battle for Your Body – and how to win

 

Does it ever feel like you are killing your workouts, eating clean, and your weight won't budge? 

You step on the scale to see your weight is going up….I know what you're thinking, what the hell is going on? (!)

Most likely, if you are training correctly, you are gaining lean muscle.  This is a VERY good thing.  While I know this can seem a bit mentally frustrating and even scary, you have to keep reminding yourself of your goal.  Muscle is much denser than fat (fat just takes up more space).  So throw away your scale, and please stop weighing yourself every day. 

Go with how you look and feel, how your clothes are fitting, how toned you want to look….not how much you weigh.  Your weight can go up and down every single day… even 2-5 lbs in one day!  

See, the battle goes on whether you're awake or asleep, on the couch or on the treadmill.  On one side, we have the good guy: Muscle.  Muscle is like your own personal agent.  His/Her job is to make you look good….you know attract a hot partner, get all the cute guys and/or girls attention, and keep out the riffraff. 

The riffraff in our case, is a man called FAT.  He (fat) hates muscle, and the feeling sure is mutual.  Fat wants to fill your time and take away your potential with all his fat, lazy friends and contacts who sit around complaining, putting people down, encouraging you to eat poorly, skip workouts, and scaring away all the positive vibes and attractive attention. 

Fat wants to run Muscle out of town.  Period, end of story.  Don't let fat win.

You know what side you are rooting for: 

1)  Muscle burns fat from energy, which is why building and maintaining muscle is the key to losing flab and sculpting a lean, toned body.  Muscle boosts your metabolism (your agent doing some key networking here), helping you burn calories day & night. 

2)  Muscle will boost  Read the rest of Strong and Sexy – Fat vs Muscle

Hey there, hope that you are doing great & rejuvinated as we start the week off.
Today's post is all about quick, usable & real world  tips that will help you start making healthy changes, for yourself and your loved ones.
 

Start taking little steps ("baby steps") to introduce healthier modifications.  (That will ultimately lead us to live healthier, more satifsfying & productive lives)  

I'm pretty sure almost every parent or partner wants good things for their children & spouce: a positive outlook on life, a healthy mindset and winning attitude, a strong sense of self, a disease-free body…a healthy body weight -right?

Despite our best intentions, a recent report suggests that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. (re-read the last sentence)

To me, well that's just craziness. 

With all the advances in medicine, how could this possibly be true? The blame falls squarely on today's toxic food environment.

In short, your kids are eating too much junk.  (and you are probably too!)

And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great.

The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Take these simple tips and transform your child's diet into one that is packed with good health.

1) Add Color

Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child's plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.
When possible aim to provide organic, they'll enjoy the taste much more and won't be injesting the toxic pesticides that impede the body's ability to digest and break down other foods.

If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Try to serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you'll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat.

2) Think Whole Foods

Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children.
Two of the most harmful choices that are consumed regularly are boxed cereals and packaged snacks. 

Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea.

3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners

Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. But wait, there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup:

• Sucanat: This pure, dried sugar can juice retains its molasses content. Use it to replace white sugar in baking.
• Stevia:  Pure sweetner extracted from stevia plant leaves.  300x's as sweet as sugar and has no effect on blood glucose (won't cause a spike like white sugar)
• Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the "fake" syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple syrup contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids.
• Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes longer to digest and won't spike your blood sugar like refined sugar.
• Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather than adding white sugar.
• Raisins, apricots, dried blueberries, & cherries.  Great to add to any homemade granolas, oatmeal, or snacks.  Natural souces of sugar & great sources of fiber.

4) Make Smart Substitutions

Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that's not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

• Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings.
• Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce. Stick with red sauce, since white sauce is so high in fat.  Make mac & cheese homemade; opt for lower fat cheeses.
• PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Try the PB&J Makeover recipe sandwich; whole grain bread with natural peanut butter and natural fruit preserves (with real sugar from the fruit, not corn-syrup modified) that will provide real wholesome fuel for your child's day.

5) Ban Sugary Drinks

One of the best things that you can do for your child's good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop, diet sodas and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain.

The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don't have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so that they grow accustom to drinking only water.  Try using juices but training teaching them to adapt to the taste of using 1/2 water & 1/2 juice.
 

*quick tip*  When you buy juice, separate the container into two equal parts, then add water to both containers.  It'll taste a bit watery at first, but over tiem you'll be drinking less sugar & more water (you adapt your taste for less sugar).  If you do this sugar cut back over time, even with beverages such as coffee, you will find yourself craving less and less sugar! 

While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child's diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and I guarantee you'll look and feel better.

Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well?

Here's another quicky, slim down idea for you (my favorite snack lately) to munch on late afternoon and to keep your body burning up belly fat!

Apples and Cinnamon….yummmm yumm!
I use either macintosh apples or granny smith (green) apples, just chop em and sprinkle with cinnamon.  I like them pretty well covered in cinnamon, so I cut mine up, throw them into a baggy, add the cinnamon and shake.

The benefit is two-fold; good fiber from the apple (that'll help the urge to eat more carbs and calories at dinnertime, and the cinnamon will keep your blood sugar stable and body incinerating fat!  
 
How does cinnamon burn fat?  Well, cinnamon increases insulin’s effectiveness and moderates blood sugar levels. When blood glucose levels rise suddenly that  triggers a massive insulin response from the body. Unfortunately this rise in blood sugar and insulin also makes it possible for your body to pack on the pounds in the form of fat. Now, you don’t want insulin to not enter your bloodstream because you’d then experience the dangerous long term effects suffered by many diabetics.

What happens is that your body is using sugar in the cells as fuel to make things happen. Insulin is the body’s response to a condition where you have more sugar in your blood than you need. The insulin helps your body get the sugar into the cells, where it can be stored for later use. Just how is it stored for later use? A small amount is stored as glycogen, which provides fuel for the muscles to do work when it is needed. That accounts for only a very small amount of the total stored sugar.The rest is stored as your enemy, body fat.

Cinnamon helps to keep blood glucose levels more controlled and lower, preventing so much insulin from being released and so much fat from being stored.
Partnered with apples which provide natural sugar and healthy fiber, you've got an awesome tasting BELLY FAT FIGHTER!

I'll be sure to keep you filled in on all my sneaky fat loss tips & slimming recipe tweaks…you can make losing fat taste good.  I promise.
We're on a mission to kick ass and get you the best body you've had in years.  (you can look better now than you ever have in your life!)

Keep Kickin (our enemy- BODY FAT)'S Ass,
Laura