Motivational Monday

GET UP and GET ACTIVE!…

How many times have you made excuses to miss out on your workout?

…I’m tired…

…It’s so hot outside…

…*sigh* I have just had a loooooong day!…

…I have so many other things I need to get done today!…

The excuses should stop TODAY!

Get up and get active for YOU!

Did you know that if you engaged in a good workout it could make you feel better!?

YES!!!! If you have had a long, hard, or stressful day working out can help work that stress right out of your body.

So now you really do not have any excuses.

Even if you do not engage in a full hard workout get up and do something that will get your heart pumping and help you burn a few extra calories that day! Doing anything is better than not doing anything at all!

Happy Monday!

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20 Songs to Get You Through Your Workout

I find that one of the best ways to inspire myself into a great workout is through great music.  Here is a list of my favorite 20 songs right now to get you pumped through your workout:

1.  My Body - Young the Giant

2.  One Thing - One Direction

3. Brokenhearted - Karmin

4.  Takeover - Mizz Nina

5.  I'm All Yours - Jay Sean

6.  Take Care - Drake

7.  Payphone - Maroon 5

8.  Starships - Nicki Minaj

9.  Titanium - David Guetta

10.  Burn it Down - Linkin Park

11. Now or Never - Outasight

12.  Let's Go - Calvin Harris

13.  Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine

14.  Stronger - Kelly Clarkson

15.  The Fighter - Gym Class Heroes

16.  Chasing the Sun - The Wanted

17.  Brighter Than the Sun - Colbie Cailat

18.  Good Time - Owl City

19.  Sun Hands - Local Natives

20.  Everybody - Martin Solveig

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Fantastic Food Friday

We have sung the praises of chia seeds before, but maybe you're wondering how to eat them -- and like it!  How does an exotic tropical chia smoothie sound?  With all of its delicious fruit flavors and the natural chia energy boost, I almost felt like I was someplace tropical after trying this fantastic smoothie.

Tropical Chia Smoothie

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the beverage next to the soy milk, not the canned kind)
1 cup frozen mango pieces
1 cup frozen pineapple pieces
1 banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Pour coconut milk into a blender. Add mango, pineapple, and banana. Blend until smooth. Blend in chia seeds quickly. Enjoy right away, as chia seeds become gelatinous once they are wet. Pin It

Wednesday Wisdom - The Jillian Michael's Detox

Detox Drink

First off, congratulations to Rosemary Brosofski-Mikla for winning the Boot Camp Babes Camp Fidel Hat!!!  Wear it proud and thanks to everyone who entered for supporting and helping to spread the word about Boot Camp Babes!  We'll be offering different giveaways at different times, so don't be discouraged if you didn't win ... there will be more :)

Sometimes in the journey to get fit, our diet is one of the biggest roadblocks.  One of Jamie's favorite ways to kick-start back into healthy eating is with a detox and her favorite detox drink is the Jillian Michael's 7-day detox.  Not only does it help clean out some of the toxins (soda, sugar, hydrogenated fats, etc) that you've been eating, but it flushes out all of that extra water weight that your body is holding on to.  The key to this plan is to not make excuses or delay starting - decide right now that you want to eat healthy and do it!  Use this drink as a compliment with the clean foods that you're going to start eating RIGHT NOW.  We always have reasons to delay, "I'll start on Monday, I'll start tomorrow, I'll just eat this pie first, I'll do it next session..."  Stop waiting and start right now and use this drink to help you see a difference soon.

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Superfruit Power

Fantastic Food Friday

Superfruits... ever heard of them? Not every fruit qualifies, but those that do are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals and other nutrients.   These sweet little powerhouses help you live longer, look better, and even prevent disease... and that is super!  One go-to superfruit to put at the top of your list -- Blueberries.  What makes them super?  Several studies link high flavonoid levels in blueberries with improved brain function and memory, with regular consumption leading to less cognitive aging over time... keeping you feeling and thinking younger, longer.  Blueberries are also rich in manganese, which plays an important role in your metabolism, which can help keep you slim and energized.  Younger, smarter, slimmer and more energized -- all in a handful of delicious blueberries -- now that is fantastic food!

  

 Blueberry Coconut Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients

Oatmeal 
• 1 1/2 cups (260 grams) Steel Cut Irish Oats
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fine Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 4 cups (950 ml, 32 ounces) unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 2 cups (480 ml, 16 ounces) light unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1 1/2 (240 grams) cups fresh Blueberries (frozen OK too, do not thaw first)
• 1/4 cup (47 grams) unsweetened dried Blueberries
• 1/4 cup (22 grams) unsweetened Coconut Flake
• Vanilla Stevia Drops or your favorite natural sweetener to taste
Blueberry Sauce 
• 2 cups (360 grams) fresh or frozen Blueberries
Optional Toppings
• Toasted Nuts
• Coconut Flake
• Whipped Cream (vegan or not)
• extra dried and fresh Blueberries
• Coconut Milk

Method

Oatmeal 
• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center. Lightly coat a 13X9X2" inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl adding blueberries and coconut last. Sweeten to taste (I used 2 droppers full of vanilla stevia drops.) Bake for about one hour. The oatmeal will appear not done when you take it out of the oven. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then put it in your refrigerator overnight for best results. It will thicken nicely in there.
Blueberry Sauce
• Heat the blueberries with a splash of water over medium high heat. When you hear them sizzle reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes until saucy. Mash the blueberries against the side of the pan with a spatula.
• Serve oatmeal with some almond or coconut milk and blueberry sauce.
Notes
• Cook this oatmeal the night before you plan on serving it so I has time to thicken in the refrigerator. Re-heat portions before serving.

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Wisdom Wednesday

 Why do you eat fast food???

Well, there have been many times that people stress the importance of limiting or STOP eating fast food.

Being realistic it is hard to give it up 100%. With a family, busy lifestyle, and not enough time….fast food is a great option for most people and families when meal time comes around.

Take a pledge to limit your fast food intake. Try to plan and schedule your menu/meals. This is not only a healthier option, but over time it can help you save money! If you take the $5-$20 you would spend PER MEAL at a fast food place, you can apply that to your grocery bill and get healthy meal options and snacks.

Created by: MedicalCodingCareerGuide.com

Happy Wednesday!!



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Giveaway - Camo Fidel Hat

Here is your chance to win a Boot Camp Babes Camouflage Fidel Hat.  

 There are various ways to enter and for each entry you increase your chance of winning.  Check it out below and good luck!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway Pin It

Motivational Monday

With all the amazing technology we have today, there are so many tools that you can use that can be helpful and motivational to help you with your health and fitness journeys!

There will be some options listed below that YOU can use to help you! And yes, these tools are literally at the tip of your fingers! I know that today most people have pretty nice smart phones, tablets, or ipads. Mr. Pearlie Davis was kind enough to compile a list of some of the most popular and most used health and fitness apps that you can find on your own devices. Here are some apps that you can use that can be helpful to you and your health and fitness journey:

2012′s Top Health & Wellness Apps

Make your smartphone your workout buddy

 These apps will help you stay focused, eat right, and power through the slumps.

1. Endomondo Sports Tracker (Android, iPhone)
If competition keeps you motivated, Endomondo might be the system for you. It’s a running, jogging, and cycling tracker built for people who like to push themselves and others to improve. You can input your planned route into the app, and it will track your progress in real-time via GPS, measuring your performance against your personal best and providing audio coaching when you approach or surpass a previous record. You can also share routes with friends and then compete to become the “Champion” of that route (sort of like being the Mayor in Foursquare). It also includes the usual fitness app basics—heartrate monitoring, workout history, and planning. This is easily the standout fitness app of 2012; it’s creative, comprehensive, and most importantly, it’s free. (Cost: Free, Pro version for $3.99)
2. Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker
This app by MyFitnessPal allows you to track food choices, exercises, and long-term fitness and nutrition goals customized to your specific needs. It includes a database of almost 600,000 food items, so you can fit almost any conceivable meal into your dieting math. It’s easy to use and features an attractive interface; but this app really shines in its personalized evaluations of your nutrition and fitness needs, based on your lifestyle, body type, and long-term goals.  (Cost: Free)
3. Instant Heart Rate (Android)
This app is worth downloading just for the gee-whiz factor alone: it uses your smartphone’s camera to detect almost-imperceptible color changes in your skin, measuring your heart rate as accurately as the fingertip heart rate sensor in your doctor’s office (because it uses the very same technology). Use it to check your active heart rate during a workout to make sure you’re working at your potential, or check your resting heart rate as an indicator of your overall cardiovascular health. (Cost: $0.99)
$0.99)

There should be NO excuse as to why you have no assistance or help with getting your health and fitness routines on track! The apps listed above are just a few of the hundreds of applications and other tools that you can find to use!

Happy Monday!!

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Fantastic Food Friday - Ice Cream Craving

I admit it ... I have a weak spot for ice cream.  Whenever I'm feeling overworked, overtired, grumpy, sleeping, hungry (pretty much any of the 7 dwarfs) I want ice cream, so when I found this recipe on Pinterest it sounded too good to be true - it's NOT!  The texture is right, the taste is right and you can make it with one ingredient (although I prefer the version with three).

 

Banana Soft Serve Ice Cream

• Take two frozen bananas from the freezer and cut them into smaller chunks
• Remove the peels and throw the bananas into the blender
• In a food processor - blend, scrape the sides, blend, scrape, etc. - this takes a while.  They'll convert from big chunks, to little bits, to a lumpy mess, and then finally, after your taste buds can't wait another second, to a creamy, smooth texture just like ice cream!
• Add whatever flavor you want - I strongly recommend a spoonful of peanut butter and a spoonful of cocoa powder and blend some more.
• That's it!!!  It is amazing and so good for you!!!

Just more proof that you can eat clean and still eat delicious food!!!  This is a great one for the kids too :D  For the full detailed directions, this recipe comes from The Kitchn

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Wednesday Wisdom - Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds - The OTHER Super Seed

Many people know about the "super seed" flax - it's "super" because it delivers maximum nutrition with minimal calories.  Chia seeds have the same nutritional benefits as flax, including omega fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, protein, and more, but without the need to grind them up.  Without grinding, flax is not properly absorbed by the body, but once ground into powder or oil, the flax must be stored in a dark, cool place - not something you can always guarantee when you buy it at the store. 

As a staple of ancient Aztec and Mayan diets, the name Chia comes from the Mayan word for strength.  Back as early as 3500BC, chia seeds were consumed regularly and were considered magical because of their ability to increase endurance, energy, and stamina.  After the conquest of Latin America by the Spanish, the farming of chia seeds was banned and finally, nutritionists are recognizing the benefits and the popularity of chai seeds in North American culture is rising.

  The overall benefits of chia seeds are numerous 

• Chia is one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids ... even more than salmon!  It is also very high in omega-6.  Both of these essential fatty acids build new cells and regulate various processes of the body, and our bodies cannot make them internally.  As an added plus, they also support beautiful hair, skin, and nails, and a healthy heart.  
• As a super-power for protecting our body against free radicals, antioxidants are another nutrient that you can count on chia seeds for.
• With almost 11g of fiber per serving, chia delivers over 40% of your daily value of fiber in a single serving.  Fiber is key for weight loss and digestion and helps to make you feel fuller by soaking up fluid and expanding in your digestive tract.  
• Many Americans are not getting enough calcium, but a serving of chia seeds contains more than 15% of your daily needs - which is more than three servings of skim milk!  A shortage of calcium can lead to osteoporosis, meaning fragile bones.
• The chia super seed also contains all of the essential amino acids, which means it's a protein with a powerful amino acid combination that will help with more effective training sessions at Boot Camp and faster muscle strengthening.

Since they don't require grinding, chai seeds can be thrown into almost anything; smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, salad ... you can even just add a spoonful to a cup of water and drink it!  They start out as crunchy little seeds you can chew and after sitting in liquid for a few minutes, soften to a gel-like texture.  Don't believe me about the power of the seed?  Check out what Dr. Oz has to say about them!

  DrOz-5Supplements

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