30 Day Push-Up Challenge

30 Day Push-Up Challenge-10 repetitions of each of these 3 push-ups by the end of the month

Military Press Push-up video Military Press Push-up (or Shoulder Push-up

• Place feet slightly wider than hip distance. Bring your hands to the floor, creating a V with your core.
• Lower your head toward the floor as if you are coming down into a head stand (you'll be rocking on the balls of your feet). Push back up with your exhale.
•  Rocking or lowering your head down will put the focus on your shoulders rather than your chest.

Regular Push-up video Regular Push-up

• Come into plank position with your arms and legs straight, your hands are placed slightly wider than shoulder width. Tuck your pelvis and keep your abdominals and glutes engaged.
• Keeping a straight line from the back of your head to your tailbone, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Don't let your forehead or hips drop toward the floor. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Exhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one repetition.
• If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your hands on an elevated surface (chair, bench, coffee table) rather than coming to your knees. Bringing the hands up off of the floor will decrease the intensity. 

Close Arm Push-up video Close Arm Push-up

• Come into high plank position with your hands shoulder width apart, fingers pointed forward. Keep your back and abdominals straight and strong, creating a straight line from the back of your head to your tailbone.
• Pull naval toward your spine, engaging abdominals and glutes.
• Lower your chest toward bench, keeping spine in alignment, and elbows tucked close to your sides. Press up with your Exhale. 

DAY OF MONTH	EXERCISE	TOTAL PUSH-UPS
Day 3/1	1 rep of each	3
Day 3/2	2 reps of each	6
Day 3/3	Rest	0
Day 3/4	2 reps of each	6
Day 3/5	1 rep of each, repeat 3x	9
Day 3/6	Rest	0
Day 3/7	2 reps of each, repeat 2x	12
Day 3/8	3 reps of each	9
Day 3/9	Rest	0
Day 3/10	2 reps of each, repeat 3x	18
Day 3/11	4 reps of each	12
Day 3/12	Rest	0
Day 3/13	3 reps of each, repeat 2x	18
Day 3/14	4 reps of each	12
Day 3/15	Rest	0
Day 3/16	5 reps of each	15
Day 3/17	6 reps of each	18
Day 3/18	Rest	0
Day 3/19	4 reps of each, repeat 2x	24
Day 3/20	6 reps of each	18
Day 3/21	Rest	0
Day 3/22	7 reps of each	21
Day 3/23	8 reps of each	24
Day 3/24	Rest	0
Day 3/25	8 reps of each	24
Day 3/26	9 reps of each	27
Day 3/27	Rest	0
Day3/ 28	9 reps of each	27
Day 3/29	5 reps of each, repeat 2x	30
Day 3/30	10 reps of each	30

Sweet potato and Black Bean burritos

Sweet potato and Black Bean burritos

Ingredients

2-3 medium sweet potatoes cubed
1 large onion diced

2 Garlic cloves minced

Canned black beans

1 tsp Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Soft tortillas (corn, whole wheat, flour...whichever you prefer)

In skillet, warm olive oil (about 2tbsp). Add sweet potatoes,onions and garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, pepper and cumin. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until soft over medium heat (about 10min). Heat black beans in small saucepan. Spoon beans, sweet potatoes into warmed tortillas, top with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, squeeze of lime if you want or guacamole. Enjoy!

Cilantro, Black Bean, and Corn Salsa

•      1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
•      1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
•      2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
•      1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
•      1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
•      5 green onions, finely sliced
•      1 small red onion, finely chopped
•      1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•      1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 
  
•    1/4 cup lime juice
•    1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
•     2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste

Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil to serve. 

Sweet Potato Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs with Wilted Spinach

Sweet Potato Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs with Wilted Spinach

Servings: 2

Equipment:

-          Frying pan (cast iron rocks!)

-          Cheese grater

-          Heavy spatula

Ingredients:

-          1 medium sweet potato

-          4 eggs

-          3-4 cups raw spinach

-          2-3 tablespoons finely sliced green onion

-          Salt & pepper

-          Olive oil

1.       Heat pan over medium heat.

2.       Grate sweet potato & press as much water out as you can with a kitchen towel.

3.       Put in a small bowl and add green onions.

4.       Add oil to pan.

5.       Break 1 egg into bowl with potato and onion and scramble.  Then mix with potato and onion and add salt to taste.

6.       Use a soup spoon to drop mixture into hot oil, making 4-6 pancakes.  Use spoon to flatten and spread mixture.

7.       Cook for 3 minutes or so or until you can see that the bottom is starting to turn golden.

8.       Flip and cook a couple minutes longer.

9.       Remove to a plate and keep warm.

10.   While pancakes are cooking, scramble remaining eggs.

11.   Keeping pan hot, add more oil if necessary.

12.   Add eggs and spinach at the same time and stir constantly, keeping eggs from browning too much.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Remove eggs when cooked through and continue to cook spinach until it reaches desired wiltedness (I don’t think that’s actually a word, but you know what I mean!).  

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread (recipe doubled)

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread (recipe doubled)

• 3c blanched almond flour
• 6Tbsp dark chocolate baking cocoa
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 2tps nutmeg
• 2tsp baking soda
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 2tsp vanilla
• 2c finely shredded, raw zucchini
• 2/3c brown sugar
• 1/3c dark chocolate chips
• 6 eggs

Instructions

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bread pan (I used  a 9x13 cake pan sine I didn't have 2 bread pans). 

Shred 2c Zucchini (1 medium zucchini makes about 1 cup). Pat shredded zucchini with paper towels to remove some of the excess moisture.
In a medium bowl, first mix all of the above dry ingredients together

In a separate small bowl, mix together all the above wet ingredients (accept zucchini)

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients' bowl

Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips

Pour mixture into greased bread pan

Bake at 350-degrees F for 35-45 minutes (check doneness by sticking a toothpick into the center of the bread to make sure it comes out clean)

Cool, slice and enjoy!

Chocolate Flourless Beet Cakes

You can make this dessert in a 9-inch springform pan or individual cups of most any size. For a 9-inch cake, bake about 40 minutes. The center should be “jiggly” when done, as the cake or cakelets will set as they cool.

Ingredients

Cake:

9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) butter

1/4 cup olive oil

6 eggs, separated

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup puréed fresh beets or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and puréed

3/4 cup almond meal (or almond flour)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Glaze (optional):

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. To prepare cake, combine chocolate, butter and olive oil in a bowl set over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk together eggs yolks and granulated sugar until light and well-blended. Add cooled chocolate to egg mixture, whisking well. Stir in the puréed beets and almond meal.
4. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture just until combined.
5. Pour mixture into 6 greased cups. Bake about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Centers will be very “jiggly.” Let cool on a wire rack. Chill.
6. To prepare glaze, combine chocolate, cream and butter and microwave on low for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave another 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted. Pour or spoon over tops of cakes. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to garnish, if using.

Read more: http://relish.com/recipes/flourless-chocolate-beet-cakes/#ixzz2srXAhFp7

A tale of mindful eating.

One day, Betty welcomed her friend Junie in for an afternoon tea. Junie brought over a delicious, freshly made, straight of the garden pico de gallo and some tortilla chips for an afternoon snack. With bag of crisp tortilla chips open and bowl of fresh pico on the table, Betty and Junie embarked on an adventure of delightful conversation all afternoon, sipping tea and nibbling on chips and pico.

Before long, the bowl of pico was gone and the kids were trickling home from school. Junie had to scoot home to make dinner. Before the chaos of the "after school witching hour" could settle in, Betty diligently plugged  into her online calorie tracker that she had eaten tortilla chips and pico for snack...guessing about a cup of veggies (yay!) and a serving of tortilla chips.

What Betty  didn't realize, was that she not only had eaten one serving of tortilla chips, she had eaten nearly 2 more servings on top of that.

Recalling back to the afternoon visit with her friend Junie (who's pico is entirely too irresistible!), she realized that there was a pattern of less than mindful eating during these visits and throughout her day in general.

At her next pico afternoon visit with good friend Junie, Betty decided to grab just handful (1 serving) of tortilla chips and a hefty serving of the pico (high nutrient density, low energy/calorie density), and  slowly, mindfully ate her afternoon pico, savoring it like she never had before.

Betty started to enjoy her food more, pay closer attention to how, what and when she ate, making sure to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into her day and even taught her children to be aware of serving sizes. Before long, Betty started to notice a difference in her energy levels, an increase in her desire to exercise more frequently and with greater intensity, an improvement in her stress levels and noticed that her pants were feeling a little loose. Betty had a new appreciation for food and her body thanked her for it.