Archives for May 2013

Fell of the wagon? So get back on track!

05.28.2013

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!! We had a fab time playing tourist in Napa and Sonoma this weekend. I’m from Sonoma, but we love getting out of the city on the weekends to visit. My main goal was to relax by the pool… success! We also did a little wine tasting…which led to us signing up for 2 more wine club memberships. (We couldn’t help ourselves). Did I eat clean? NO. Did I workout? Not really. Did I drink a lot of wine. YES. Was it worth it to take a break? Abso-freakin-lutely.

Going into the wine cave with my enormous water in hand…hehe

View from our room at the Meritage Resort & Spa. This place was AMAZING! Beautiful rooms, pool and wine caves! This place was a hidden gem, highly recommended!

Heaven=laying by the pool

Blurry iPhone shot of my main squeeze. We ate din at Morimoto…THE best food ever. And no, I didn’t hold back. 😉

I know, I strayed away from my goals this weekend. I ate a lot of food I wouldn’t normally go for, I drank more wine than I should have, I didn’t really work out, I slept very little. And now guess what, I feel gross. I fell of the wagon and feel bloated, puffy, and gross. My point? Get back up and back on track stronger than before. Life gets in the way sometimes, and I am not letting myself feel bad about it. Instead, I am getting back on track today. Working out, drinking gallons of water and getting a good nights sleep. Keep going and leave your failures behind! I also think that taking a break from your normal routine is necessary. Sometimes you get so caught up in the same routine that it starts to feel so monotonous and unimportant. After taking a couple days off, I am ready to go at it 120%. I am feeling refreshed, energized and ready to killl my training today! Inching closer and closer to my goal physique…without letting little hiccups in the road get in the way. 🙂

“The only thing that stands between you and what you want in life is the will to try and the faith to believe that it’s possible.” -unknown

Look what was waiting at my door when I got home!! It must have been a sign. 🙂

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Do you find it hard to get back on track after a long weekend? Leave me a comment!

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[Also, don’t forget to enter the Crazy Sexy Kitchen cookbook giveaway! Enter here.]

17 things running teaches you about life

05.23.2013

(photo via Pinterest)

I wanted to share this article I found on thoughtcatalog.com. One of the many things I love about running is how much it teaches you about life in general….enjoy 🙂

17 Things Running Teaches You About Life (by Kovie Biakolo)

1. To be good at anything, you have to put in the time and effort no matter how talented you are.

2. Your abilities and someone else’s abilities are not the same. Do the best that YOU can do.

3. If winning is your objective, realize that you have to work 10 times harder than the next best person.

4. No matter how hard you work and how prepared you are, disappointments will happen.

5. The most gratifying experiences usually come as a result of enduring the most painful trials.

6. To be great at anything, you have to risk failing terribly at it.

7. A lot of people endure the same pains that you do.

8. If you focus on putting one foot in front of the other, you will eventually reach the finish line.

9. You cannot reach the finish line unless you start.

10. The mind is a very powerful thing. If you can train your mind to keep going even when your body wants to quit, you can achieve some incredible things.

11. Learning the difference between physically being unable to continue and giving up.

12. Accepting that every day is different — some days 5 miles is really easy, other days it feels like a cruel punishment.

13. Pace yourself.

14. You cannot give 100%, 100% of the time.

15. Sometimes you need a day off, a day off from everything.

16. The worst time, the slowest pace, the last person to finish the race is still better off than the person who refused to try.

17. Even if you fall, even if you cannot finish today, you can and should pick yourself up and try again tomorrow.

Meet Health Coach Amanda Kelly & GIVEAWAY!

05.21.2013

Today I am having Health Coach and friend, Amanda Kelly take over the blog! Here she is…

Aloha!! I am so excited to write a post for Jenna’s Fitness & the City! I have been following her since she started last year and I LOVE her blog.

My name is Amanda Kelly and I am a certified Holistic Health Coach. I work with people to slowly incorporate healthy habits into their lives, so they can live a happier, fuller life (and get healthy!). I love what I do and I adore talking nutrition, so I was psyched that Jenna offered a guest post to me! Woot woot!

Everyone wants to be happy and healthy. For you ladies (and gents!), I made a quick list of easy-to-implement healthy habits that will make your skin glow and your body tight. I don’t believe in a one-day overhaul of your health; it takes time to get totally on track! These are simple, easy tips that you can slowly take on, one at a time.

1. Sleep at least 8 hours a night. Everyone loves to sleep. Give your body a much-needed break at night to restore itself. There are so many benefits to getting enough sleep at night, including: WEIGHT LOSS, improved memory, increased life span, and improved performance at work and in real life (think exercise!). Aside from all that, getting enough sleep will make you one hot lady! While you sleep, your skin repairs itself. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing!

2. Eat more color!! Include more dark greens, rich purple, orange, red, and white produce into your day. Colorful produce has an array of vitamins and minerals, and you need every color of the rainbow to get each of those vitamins. Try something new each week, like eggplant or mashed cauliflower. I have recently come to love purple cabbage in my salads!

3. Don’t skip meals. EVER. Eating should be your favorite thing in the world. If you are eating all those colorful fruits and veggies, you should be able to eat until you are full without worrying about packing on the pounds. It is seriously impossible to over-eat veggies. Plus, if you are eating well, you will be feeling well!!

4. Check your labels. Anything that doesn’t come from the produce aisle is likely to have some questionable ingredients. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, you probably shouldn’t eat it. Just imagine all that gunk trying to break down into your body and get into your cells : Try whole foods, which are easier on your body.

5. Take your vitamins!! Although eating lots of fruits & veggies will get your gorgeous bod glowing with vitamins and minerals, you should still take a multivitamin daily. It is a good back-up. You want all that goodness in your body! I swear that I am happier when I take my vitamins.

6. Avoid GMO’s – just know that GMO’s have not been researched enough on humans to be deemed safe. That does not sound appetizing! Stay away from anything made in a lab and you will be looking fab (Like my rhyme?).

7. Try organic. This is one super easy way to increase your health and probably your lifespan. Organics are so good and pure they make me want to jump for joy! Do a little experiment, if you like. Grab an organic apple and a non-organic apple from the store. Take a bite of the conventional apple (after you pay for it) then take a bite of the organic apple. Prepare to be blown away! You will never want conventional produce again.

Little side note: I know organic is more expensive. If you aren’t ready to go all-out organic, take a look at the dirty dozen list. This is a list of foods that have been shown to carry the most pesticide residue. You do NOT want to buy these in the conventional form. There is also a list called the clean fifteen, which have the least amount of pesticide residue. Google them!

8. Switch to all-natural products. I’m talking skin care, toothpaste, body wash, household cleaners, you name it. I have started using coconut oil on my face and hair. It’s amazing! Also, you can make a fab toner out of a little apple cider vinegar + water. Plus, using natural products is less expensive than all those creams and face products. Yay!

9. Exercise!! I swear, you will get hooked on endorphins. Get fit AND get high! The easiest way to incorporate exercise into your life is to find something you like. Try a Zumba class, Jazzercise, spin class, whatever. Even long walks with friends count. Try it! You can even start a little weight circuit – dumbbells are super fun. Feel like a boss and get toned at the same time. Weights are inexpensive (get some dumbbells at Target for less than $10) and there are TONS of free Youtube videos that show you weight circuits for any body part. I am a huge fan of Tone It Up – these girls are fun AND know how to get toned!

10. Slow down. Take some time to relax!! I’m talking about doing something every day that makes you feel rested and well. Take a long hot bubble bath. Get a massage. Read a novel. Do something totally indulgent and feel good about it. YOU should be your first priority. Don’t feel bad about it either! When you take care of yourself, you are happier, healthier, and more of a joy to be around.

GIVEAWAY!!

If you got to the end of this article, you are in for a prize! We are prizing one of you lucky ladies (or guys!) with MY FAVORITE COOKBOOK! I cook one of these recipes weekly, and the food is freaking delicious! Aside from it being mouthwateringly-incredible, it is also healthy! I nearly died the first time I made the split pea soup with kale. My boyfriend even ended up eating FOUR BOWLS. In one sitting! There are so many recipes in this book that will make you want to entertain for days. I love making these recipes for guests, because they are so incredibly delicious but so healthy! The cookbook is called … (drumroll please) Crazy Sexy Kitchen!! It is written by a cancer survivor (Kris Carr) who has lived with an incurable stage 4 cancer for 10 years! She knows a thing or two about health, let me tell ya.

To win this delectable little prize, you must complete the following:

You must be following this blog to enter. Just subscribe by entering your email to the right —>
Then “like” the Fitness and the City Facebook page
Go over to my Facebook page, Amanda Kelly Health Coaching, and like that also
Lastly, I want to know which of these little health tips you are going to work on this week. Share that as well as tell us what you completed in the comments below.

The winner of the giveaway will be selected Tuesday 6/4/13.

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Thanks Amanda! Be sure to check out her website: www.amandakellyhealthcoaching.com 🙂

TGIF!

05.17.2013

Spread the word! Happy weekend!!!

Juice Your Way to a Healthier Lifestyle!

05.14.2013

Juicing… I’m pretty excited about it at the moment! My mom sparked my interest, as she has been on this 30 day juice cleanse. She has been making smoothies as a lunch meal replacement and has seen amazing results! Weight loss, increased energy levels and my Dad’s blood pressure has never been so low since he started juicing! Keep in mind, that you need to make sure you are getting the correct nutrients and fiber, but juicing just one meal a day has been the leading factor of our family’s healthier lifestyle. In fact, we bought my Mom this gem for Mother’s day. Juicing with an actual juicer as opposed to a normal blender makes ALL the difference. The smoothies are fresh and full of nutrients! We spent most of Mother’s day experimenting with different smoothie recipes…delish!

To read more about the 30 Day Smoothie Challenge via healthishappiness.com, click here.

So, why juice?

Juicing is an easy and delicious way to add more fruits and veggies to your diet.
Prevent diet related diseases and premature aging by increasing your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreasing your intake of meats and dairy.
Studies show cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease may be prevented or lessened if certain components found in a plant-based diet are added to your daily diet.
Fresh juices provide the proteins, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients vital to good health.
The advantages of adding fruits and veggies to your daily diet include: a. increased energy; b. strengthened immune system; c. reduced risk of disease; d. stronger bones; e. glowing complexion.
Without juicing, it is nearly impossible to consume the amount of nutrition needed to naturally reduce the risk of cancer, disease and stroke. For instance 16 ounces of carrot juice provides the carotene equivalent to approximately three pounds of carrots.
A mid-morning or mid-day juice is a great natural source for an energy boost.
Stave off binge eating or overeating by drinking juice between and prior to mealtimes.
Once you start experiencing the benefits of juicing, it becomes easy to incorporate a variety of juices into your daily diet.
Fresh Juices v/s Whole Fruits and Veggies:
Did you know pressed juices as opposed to masticated juices retain the naturally occurring fibers found in whole fruits and vegetables? Fiber refers to the indigestible materials found in plants. While this is very important for proper bowel function, it is the juice that nourishes us. Our body converts the food we eat into juice so it can be absorbed. Juicing allows for quick absorption of concentrated plant-based nutrients. The result is increased energy levels.
Fresh Juice v/s Canned, Bottled or Frozen:
Fresh juice is far superior to its processed and pasteurized counterpart. Fresh juice contains living enzymes that have not been killed during the pasteurization process, and provide a natural source of Vitamins A, C and E for boosting the immune system. Fresh juice promotes cardiovascular health and is proven to increase energy by the nearly instant assimilation of nutrients into the bloodstream. Fresh fruits and vegetables in raw juice are full of anti-oxidants which help cleanse the body, hence improving the body’s overall function.

(Source: www.viva-raw.com)

Since we’re on the subject…many friends have been ranting and raving about Dr. Oz’s 3-Day Detox Cleanse. Have you heard of it, tried it or have any thoughts? It seems to require a lot of food, so I think I may give it a try and track my results!

Here is a fun guide to smoothies via supperskinnyme.com:

I’m obviously pro-juicing but I am sure there are some people out there that are opposed…especially if you are juicing every single meal. So keep in mind these are my thoughts and personal findings, I am not a nutritionist. Bottom line, do your research! 🙂

Here are some interesting articles I’ve found in relation:

If you have any more information to share, please do so & happy juicing! 🙂

Archives for May 2013

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