Body in Balance: Learning about Alkalinity

Let’s talk about keeping our bodies in balance. A body that is in balance means a body that is more alkaline. A more alkaline body means better immune function and increased energy. Our bodies have a natural process to keep our pH levels balanced, but research shows that an unhealthy diet can cause our body’s pH to become more acidic. This can make you to feel out of balance and one way our bodies react to excess acidity is to create new fat cells to absorb the acid.

• Caffeine, dairy, red meat, processed grains, alcohol and fried foods require your body to use acidic processes.  Leafy veggies, citrus fruits and spicy peppers work to create an alkaline environment in your body during digestion.  Combine these foods to stay neutral.
• Squeeze a bit of lemon in your water, drink green juices & smoothies for some alkalizing power.
• Try a Kombucha tea or a shot of apple cider vinegar mixed with apple juice in the morning.
• Stress also contributes to an acidic, out of balanced state, so getting your daily workout will help too!

Sticking with our lean, clean and green diet (that we talked about a while back) will encourage the metabolic processes that keep us in balance and prohibit those fat cells from growing.

The Ultimate Summer Salad

With the weekend speeding our way, I wanted to share a delicious, summery salad with you.  Take this to a BBQ or share it with Dad this weekend.  It is bursting with flavor, packed with seasonal veggies, and you can eat it for any meal on your Bode plan (though you might not want it for breakfast). It packs well in mason jars for picnics too!

Head down to your local farmers' market to pick up the ingredients.  I love shopping at farmers markets for the freshest, most in-season veggies.  Beautiful colors, crunchy textures, and sublime taste make eating your veggies super easy in summertime. And veggies are a freebie... eat as many as you want!!

Ultimate Summer Salad

3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
1 red pepper
2 cups green beans, cut in pieces
1 cup shelled, frozen edamame beans
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno, sliced in thin slices
1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
Zest from one lime
10 leaves basil, chiffonaded
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Roast red peppers, cut into thick strips, and corn with a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt at 400°F for 10 minutes.  When the peppers are done, dice and add to the salad.

Boil green beans and edamame beans for about 3-5 minutes.  Drain the water, then immediately submerge beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Whisk together dressing ingredients: lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime zest, and honey.  Pour over the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with basil.

Healthy Travel Tips

Summer is usually a heavier time for travel, whether it be roadtripping or hopping on a plane for vacation!  Or maybe you travel all the time for work... Being away from the comforts of home - a kitchen, our gym, our favorite grocery stores - can make it harder to stay on track!  But we don't have to let travelling slip us up.  Here are some tips:

• Pack snacks for the road, plane, and your hotel room
  • Nuts or homemade trail mix (almonds, pepitas, dark chocolate, dried fruit)
  • Fruits and veggies
  • Prepackaged nut butters
  • Bode Shake packets]
  • Bars - Kind Bars, Clif Bar MOJO, LARA bars
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Lean turkey or bison jerky
• Stick to your 5 meal per day schedule as closely as you can.
• Make room for your workout gear in that suitcase!
• Hydrate!!
  • Drink plenty of water - flying can be especially dehydrating.
  • Bring your own refillable water bottle... just make sure it is empty before you go through security!
  • Aim for 8-16 ounces per hour in flight.
  • Skip the soda and juices (and alcohol!) on the plane.  These will leave you feeling bloated and icky.
• Aim to eat a full meal before you head to the airport or out on the road.  If you have a super early flight, at least have a banana or yogurt before going to the airport.
• Have a layover?  Walk the concourse a few times rather than sitting to wait for your next flight.
• Head out for a run when you reach your destination!  Ask your hotel's concierge for a safe route or look up routes on Map My Run before you go.  Running can be an amazing way to see a new city.
• Pick up a piece of tubing at your local hardware store to do some resistance training in your hotel room.  The tube won't take up any room in your suitcase, but you can get a great burn on with it!
• Get creative with your workouts!  Find a park and use it to do a circuit workout.
• Ask your hotel for a refrigerator or to clear out your mini-bar so you can stock it with healthy snacks.
• Split your meals when you go out to restaurants.
• Most of all, have fun!! Enjoy yourself and the local cuisine.  Don't be too hard on yourself if you indulge a little bit!

Stretch it Out

One of the keys to long, lean muscles and recovery from our workouts is proper stretching. Integrate stretching into your daily activities to:

• Improve flexibility and range of motion
• Increase circulation to increase energy
• Alleviate lower back pain
• Reduce stress
• Improve coordination

Before you exercise, think about doing “active” stretches to warm up your muscles. Here are some examples. After your workout, make sure to hold your stretches for 15 seconds before releasing.

Here are a few routines to get you started:

Triathlon Stretch —Tone It Up

Stretching for Flexibility or Relax with Me Stretch— Blogilates

Stretch and release your stress and tension away!

Weekly Challenge 5 and Strength Pyramid Workout

Whew! It's been busy lately, but don't think that I've forgotten you!  Our challenge for this week is to work on our strength and start incorporating more strength into our routines.

Challenge:  There are a few ways to meet this challenge.
- If you currently weight lift, challenge yourself to 1) increase the weight you lift, 2) increase your reps, or 3) try a new move out!!

- If you take group fitness classes, try out a heavier weight next time you go to class.

- If you aren't currently incorporating strength into your workouts, start with the pyramid below.  Do it 2-3x this week!

Let us know on the Facebook page how you are getting stronger this week!! Remember strong muscles burn lots of calories! And muscles take up way less room in the body than fat, so we look leaner when we are stronger :)

Protein Pancakes

 

Protein Pancakes are a fantastic thing.  You feel like you are eating such a treat, but in reality, you are eating something that is relatively good for you!  Full of protein and nutrients, these pancakes will help you start your day off right! This is a variation on a blueberry protein pancake that I posted on my other blog, if you don't have protein powder at home, you can make those instead.  I find that this version is just closer in texture to a regular pancake.

I use Vemma's Chris Powell Bode shake powder in vanilla for my pancakes.

Protein Pancakes

2 egg whites
1/2 mashed, ripe banana
1 scoop (about 30 grams) protein powder (I used vanilla flavor)
Dash of cinnamon
Optional: 1 tablespoon ground flax
Beat the egg whites slightly before whisking in the other ingredients.  Cook over low heat until bubbles form in the batter, flip and cook for another few minutes until both sides are golden brown.

Top these with fruit, yogurt, coconut, nuts, whatever you want!

Meditation Tips

Reducing our stress is important for weight loss.  When we are stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, which contributes to weight gain!  One great activity to reduce stress is meditation!  Take some quiet time to yourself once a day or a few times a week to help relieve stress and center yourself.  Here are a few tips:

1) Breathing - pay attention to your breathing. Focusing on your breath will help you to quiet your mind.  If necessary, count your breaths.

2) Focus your mind - you want to quiet your thoughts and be present in the moment. Come back to your breathing whenever you feel your mind start to wander.

3) Posture - sit up straight, don't slouch over.  It will be easier to breathe and focus.

4) Purpose - meditation is an active process.  Go into it with a clear purpose.  That way you won't feel like you are sitting there wasting your time.

5) Timing - pick a time that works best for you.  Consider meditating first thing in the morning, when there are fewer things to distract you or worry you.  Starting the day off on this quiet, peaceful note sets a great tone for the rest of the day!