Paleo Started Off Strong

Starting paleo diet! I am hoping I can last for at least 2 weeks, I am now 3 days in and going strong!

First thing I did was went to the Farmer's market and got some fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts! I got all this plus 3 small bags of nuts for $30; that's pretty good!

After the farmer's market trip, I made a successful arm and ab workout!

After my workout, I made a fresh smoothie! Just add water and ice

At the farmer's market, I got 8lbs of oranges for $2.50! I wanted to make some fresh squeezed orange juice. From the 8lbs of oranges I was able to get 75oz of fresh OJ! 

It only lasted me 3 days because it was so delicious! 

At the farm'ers market I bought golden beets. I have never tried golden beats before, and honestly, I don't eat beets very often! I know they are good for me, so I thought I would give them a try in a salad!

Before making the salad, I cut the both ends off of the beets, wrapped them individually in tin foil, put them on a baking sheet and roasted them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. I let them cool completely, then peeled off the skin and thinly sliced the beet.

For the salad, I used roasted golden beet slices, arugula, white onion slices, orange slices (peeled), walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and sea salt!

I was very impressed with the salad! I ended up making the same salad 4 times it was so delicious :)

Also with my lunch, I made a fresh fruit salad with sliced apple, strawberries and kiwi; with fresh squeezed lemon juice and some fresh mint!

I can't wait for the farmer's market this week! It is so fun to explore all the different produce and for relatively low prices! Perfect for my paleo plan.

Legs, Legs, & EGGS!

I do love doing legs days. I adapted this leg workout from a class I took at C.O.R.E. Condition Boot Camp. I remember it being really hard, but after waking up today, my legs are definitely feeling it! I also ran a 7:58 mile at the end, so I was very excited! The pandora station Dance Cardio is a really good station to workout too! The songs are pop but I think it hard upbeat songs that will get you sweating.

Immediately after my run, I had the same shake as yesterday; 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder, and 1 tsp powdered greens, all in a shaker cup.

I made a very similar breakfast to yesterday also, except I put fresh tomatoes and chives on top of my egg white frittata and I cut up an apple!

Sautee chopped zucchini and onions in a medium heat pan with a small amount of coconut oil.

Add chopped kale and turkey breast.

Once warmed through, add egg whites, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes, and put the top on, lower the heat to medium-medium-low.

For this frittata, I left the top on the whole time, and never needed to flip it! It cooked all the way through, and I slid it onto a plate, topped it with fresh tomatoes and green onions.

I also cut up an apple, half of a banana, and 2 tbsp raw crunchy almond butter!

This helps crave my sweet tooth through out the day :)

The weather was so nice, I had to go swim laps at the pool! I ended up swimming for 30 minutes, and did about 1300m of freestyle and breast stroke. I even got a tan!

After my workout, I made a refreshing shake with strawberries, mango, pineapple, vanilla protein powder, ground flax seed, water, and ice.

I made the smoothie very thick, and topped it with dry oats, raw sunflower seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds. I ate it with a spoon and it was delicious! I like the texture the oats and seeds add to the smoothie; makes it chunky.

Dinner was BBQ turkey burgers, protein style with grilled onions, with baked sweet potato "chips", turkey chili left overs, and a small side salad! After working out twice I was really hungry, and it tasted so good.

Back to the Tropics!

I actually got up this morning before 8AM work and did a 2 mile walk with my dog. I was impressed with myself. Work today is short luckily so I will be able to do some legs and a light run after work!

I made a tropic breakfast shake this morning!

1 small banana
1 container Trader Joe's nonfat mango Greek yogurt
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 small orange, peel removed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2-3/4 cup water
Ice!

Blend until smooth, you can change up the water and ice amounts depending on how thick you prefer your shakes!

Pineapple Tofu Shake

This morning  I had a completely new experience for both making and drinking a pre/post workout shake. It involved my first time working with tofu! I have had tofu in a vegan pasta dish once but I have never myself worked with it. Not going to lie, I was a bit scared of what to expect!

I used chocolate whey protein powder in this shake but next time I may use my vanilla one instead. If you're vegan or trying to make this recipe vegan, using rice or hemp protein would work too!

This shake has about 300 calories with 33 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber!

1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 medium banana
1/4 cup firm tofu
1 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice
-->Blend until smooth

Why is this shake beneficial?
•Pineapple contains manganese, thiamine which will give you energy and bromelain which aids in muscle repair and recovery.
•Bananas give you sustained energy that will fuel you through your workout.
•Tofu contains high quality proteins as well as antioxidants that repair damage from free radical build up during workout.
•Whey protein gives your muscles energy and builds an repairs these muscles after your workout.
(info and recipe idea from April 2012 Oxygen Magazine)

Whey protein! In double dutch chocolate flavor

I have extra tofu, so I will either make another shake tomorrow or I got an idea from @sprinkledwlove on instagram for a salad with tofu. The salad has spinach, roasted cauliflower, tofu, cucumber, and hummus.

Prepping Ahead

Today is a long day at work, 12 hours, starting before the sun even comes up! So I prepped all my meals last night before bed.

Early breakfast: Mini breakfast shake
Late breakfast: Regular shake

The shake is very similar to the one I did yesterday, but instead of blueberries I put a whole sliced kiwi and added a scoop of vanilla protein powder!

For lunch I made a salad with mixed greens, chopped red bell pepper, celery, tomato, cucumber and non fat feta cheese.

For snacks I brought a sliced orange and a handful of raw pistachios.







After prepping my meals for today, I made dinner! It was a simple and typical dinner but still tasty nonetheless. Left over grilled chicken with a drizzle of ketchup (I know, I know), 1/4 cup brown rice & quinoa, and a hearty serving of steamed broccoli. I did treat myself to a glass of white wine because I fought temptation by not having pizza for lunch when I met up with some friends, and also for the Lakers win last night ;) 

New Shake!

After a good 3 1/2 mile walk to Starbucks with my pup jack to get a black coffee, I decided to experiment a little with this mornings shake...

I have been seeing people adding oats, ground flaxseed and chia seeds to shakes, and I have wanted to try it. Since I had ground flax and dry oats already in my kitchen I used these two to start with. It turned out so good!

I put 1/4 cup dry old fashion oats, 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 container Trader Joes nonfat honey Greek yogurt, 1 frozen banana sliced, a handful of fresh spinach & fresh blueberries, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 cup water, and ice; blended until smooth.

It turned out to be the perfect amount to fit in my large shaker cup and so I brought it to class!

Morning!

I do love me some fresh strawberries and bananas in the morning!

Carrot Juice

I have been really wanting to try carrot juice. Next time I go to the store I am going to get a small jug of it, and either drink it straight or add it to smoothies!

Picture from Instagram @Skyem

Breakfast Made Healthy and Easy!

Great simple breakfast!

My protein shake had nonfat raspberry yogurt, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, spinach, vanilla protein powder and almond milk.

You can't even taste the spinach but it adds a lot of nutrients! Kale is a great one to add also. I sometimes will use powdered greens instead if I do not have fresh greens to add. The taste is more overpowering with the powdered greens, but the nutrients are still there.

Also had 1/2 cup Cheerios, with almond milk and a handful of berries.

Oats & Fruits!

I love hot oatmeal, but sometimes I am not in the mood for a hot breakfast. So, I will make cold oats with milk and fruit! It's simple and super easy. All it had us old fashioned oats, almond milk, chopped fruit like grapes, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries I occasionally will add ground wheat germ and ground flax to bump up the nutrient value.