MASTER CLEANSE DAY ONE

Oh hello there! Happy 2012!

My friend/co-worker Janet and I decided last month to kickstart our new year by making nice with an old foe of mine: the master cleanse!

Remember when Beyonce did it for Dreamgirls? She looked great. I think she did it as a fast. But guess what? There are other purposes for it too!

For some of my goals this year, I'm back to cutting meat out of my diet and I'm finally putting down the cancer sticks. To help myself with these commitments, I started the master cleanse today! Lucky for you, I'm going to chronicle my days here!

So here we go. Day one. Boring! It was my day off so I just stayed in all day and worked on things. Drank lots of fluids. Didn't even feel a pang of hunger! Well, ok, maybe a slight tiny one now that I'm almost going to bed. But Day One is officially over and it is a success! I wish everyday could be like today...

I hope everyone had a great year! Toodles!

a home workout routine

AHHHHHHHHH

why is it so hard to remain motivated?!

somewhere in between my full time job at a web agency and a half-time job of music and yet another half-time job at the yoga studio (yes, ironic), it's so hard to find dedicated time to work out. and honestly, even on the days i've exercised, it's sometimes hard to find the motivation to document and write about it too. 

so today, i told myself, i will, damn it! 

it was sprinkling on and off today and i didn't really feel like going out. so instead, i did a home workout routine that i sometimes do when i want to just hang out at home. 

hey, no one said that your house can't also be a makeshift gym! :)

i've spent my last couple blog entries complaining about how i get owned real bad doing workouts so i decided i'd change up the tone a bit and show you some of the exercises i do at home, and maybe even give you some ideas on how to incorporate some of these ideas into your own workout routine. a lot of these i've learned over the years as it's a hybrid of yoga + sculpt, so it works out the entire body quite well if you get into the discipline of doing them daily.

i start out doing a little bit of warm up stretches. arms, legs, shoulders, and core. maybe about 5-10 minutes of stretching.

and then hop right into it:

forearm plank: works out the triceps, shoulders, abdominal muscles, and legs

hold for ~1 minute - and revisit again 2 more times later!

this isn't an easy pose (try keeping it this way after 30 seconds) - but i love it because it works out everything essentially, and it's extremely helpful in yoga where you're working all of these muscles. eventually strengthening your shoulders and abdominal muscles will help you do a forearm handstand as well. i'll demo that at some later blog, for those who are interested.

20 reps of chatturanga push ups: again, revisit 2 more times later!

note that shoulders are pushed TOWARD the side body as opposed to out like wings

front view:

 

fully extend your arms, making sure your shoulders are right above your wrists.

the chatturanga push ups work out your arms, core, legs. a real, full body workout.

mountain climbers:

ooh this is a really good cardio workout.  here's what it looks like from the side. 

bring your right knee to your right elbow. hold, then bring your leg back to a plank position. your arms may bend a little bit (like mine), but generally it should try to remain at the top of a push up, arms fully extended. switch legs, and repeat. the result should be like you're running in place while holding a plank position. run in place for about 30 seconds. repeat 2 more times!

ice skating:

50 times (with both feet considered as once). repeat the set 2 more times.

it's a slight break from the arm and core-heavy poses that I've showed in the other ones...but this one works out your side muscles and stretches out your legs in the meanwhile.

and, finally -

half burpees: 10-20 reps

start from a plank and jump up. I'm actually cheating a little bit by not coming completely up to my wrists but this move is pretty tasking as it is. If you want to take it up a notch, you can rise up and do a little hop at the end (that's a full burpee). notice that i come into a pose at the end which is called the child's pose in yoga. this helps bring your heart rate down and gives your body a little break so you're not abruptly standing up or something.

so what do I do in between? 

running in place, crunches, side kicks and jumping jacks.  anything that involves full body movement and me sweating at the end = success.

alright, off to the rest of my day! 

Jumping BACK in

I definitely wrote this up and drafted it for a week, this would be a summary of Nov 17-24. I debated on whether or not I should post it, but I figured I would since it was already written up:

So there is a reason why I eagerly posted so quickly on the day of birth for this blog. It is because on Friday, right after work, I drove straight up to Vegas for a friends birthday and all my health consciousness went out the window for 2 days. However, I did jump right back in post weekend.

I used to have this mentality where once I let myself indulge a little, I would then feel terrible, and then counter intuitively continue on a indulgence spree because I thought to myself, "I've already messed up, I guess I may as well just keep going and start new after I'm done." Looking back, this is silly because then I'd just overdo it and it would just add onto the guilt. Now, I fully enjoy my indulgences, know where the end is, and jump right back in. I try to limit myself to a couple of cheats a week, rather than a "cheat day" or two. And the most important thing: I fully enjoy these indulgences to the max instead of feeling regretful. It all sounds like common sense but it took a little time for me to fully grasp it.

Back to this weekend. I luckily got a full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep on Sunday night (I'm not one who sleeps a ton so this is a really good amount for me) and woke up on Monday feeling great and refreshed. I was able to make it to the gym straight from work where I intended on going to a spin class, but the instructor never showed up so I instead did a 30 minute core class followed by a 60 minute Turbo Kickboxing class. I love going to classes at the gym because it gives me a little extra motivation to make it, and I enjoy the classes. Didn't have my usual post workout fuel on me so I post fueled with a piece of salted dark chocolate with almonds. Definitely not a regular thing, but ... it had some sugar, protein, and fat? On Tuesday, I strength trained by going to a Bodypump class and had a protein bar post workout. Yesterday, I took a break but today I did a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10k. Haven't run in about a month, and at the 3 mile mark wished I had only signed up for the 5k but ended up running with a decent pace and finishing strong. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello all! My name is Sneha and I met Serina in high school.. about 9 years ago! I found out about her blog through the power and connectivity of facebook :)

I am 26 years old and have been living in the Washington D.C. area for 8 years. I was the kid in school that never voluntarily participated in anything athletic!

Then, after 25 years of couchpotatoing, last year I joined golds gym here in DC, and have been working out (strength training/toning) regularly for 14 months!

Here are some things I've learned/observed so far:

1) having a workout buddy is an imperative! My best friend and workout buddy, Sam, is the motivation I need to tell me I HAVE TO GO TO GYM, on those days when it's rainy and cold outside, or I'm just feeling lazy, and I do the same for him.

2) Joining a gym 2 blocks away from my office was a good decision- I make it a habit to go there 4x a week, immediately after work. That routine is ingrained in my head now.

3) My appetite is voracious at times now. Weight training demands higher calorie intakes. I eat at least 5-6 meals a day and I've gained 8 lbs since I started working out, mostly muscle.

4) I like having a game plan for each day of working out and keeping it fresh to trick your body:
Right now we do -
Mon- Chest, Shoulders and Abs

Tues-Back and legs
Wed-Arms
Thurs- Cardio and abs
friday-sunday- no gym!

5) I now drink a full glass of Kefir everyday within a 20 minute window after gym. This helps me not pass out and/or be so famished that I stop by a fast food place on my way home. I find it to be a good alternative to those powdered mixes of grainy/mealy protein powder which don't sound appealing to me at all.

Healthy Quinoa

I have a confession to make. I went to a dermatologist the other day to get some laser treatment done to my face (get my freckles removed) and I ended up looking like a victim of smallpox. I left work immediately (I had gotten this procedure done at lunch). I haven't moved from the house in over two days.

It is killing me.

So having dropped the ball on workouts, I have been religiously cooking meals at home and planning my strategy of attack for Tuesday, when I'm hoping I can go out in public again.

But there was at least a little good I got from this tortuous hibernation. A wonderful quinoa recipe!

Since I started working in a cubicle, my body has gone into a shock from sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. No, seriously, how do women do it and remain fit? So anyway, due to this development, I began packing lunches daily to avoid eating out at the fatty restaurants that my co-workers like to frequent everyday (my coworkers are all young men who can eat whatever the hell they want).

One of my favorite lunches to pack is a simple soup, some quinoa, and some Korean side dishes! Without further adieu, here is my recipe for a delicious Quinoa lunch!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)

2 cups water

1 cup milk

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil + 1 Tablespoon Butter

1 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon mashed garlic

1 fresh tomato, chopped

1 broccoli head, chopped

2 teaspoons tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Pinch of oregano

Pinch of cayenne

Possible Garnishes:

Sliced roasted almonds

fresh cilantro or basil or parsley

fresh queso fresco cubed

grated cheddar cheese

1. Place 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until water is almost gone and quinoa is translucent with yellow rings around the grain. Remove from heat and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes.

2. Place oil and butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a couple minutes; then add the broccoli. Add the garlic until you can smell it. Add the chopped tomato, a pinch of salt, oregano, cayenne, and tomato paste. Sprinkle with fresh pepper. Stir ingredients together and cook until the sauce has cooked down a little. Stir in the cheese (if you have some) at this point. Remove from heat and season accordingly.

3. Stir 1 cup of milk into the cooked quinoa. Serve the quinoa topped with sauce and garnish with whatever you wish!

First jog in a long time today

I decided I would brave a run today, after having not seriously jogged since college (~4 years ago). Since I started practicing yoga more seriously, it's pretty much been my main mode of workouts and although it's gotten my body relatively flexible and toned, I realized TODAY that my cardiovascular endurance has gone down... a lot.

So, I went for a run in Ocean Beach starting at Andrew's house on Orchard Ave. It's a really beautiful area of San Diego, right along the coast of Sunset Cliffs. Here's the play by play:

• 5 minutes in: Not bad. Got my breath pace down. I think - I can do this for a while. Hellllll yeah no problem.
• 10 minutes in: There's a bit of an incline on the road I'm running on as it starts to head toward the coast. I start to get a little tired. I play a mind game with myself and say, "If I get to the coast without stopping, then I can take a 30 second stretch break".
• 15 minutes in: Haven't stopped! I get to the coast. Incidentally, there's a breast cancer awareness walk going on and flocks of people are walking by with their bright pink boas and t-shirts. Cars are honking and yelling, "WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU!! WOOO!!!!" And then, here I am, sheepishly jogging with them, looking like a boob-hater in my black shirt and black shorts.

• 20 minutes - I'm past the coast now. I REALLY want to stop because my lungs feel like they're about to explode. I run into my two friends Maripat and Justin who drive by and call my name. I'm totally disoriented and deliriously and breathlessly say some crap about breast cancer people. Haha, sorry guys.
• 25 minutes - Heading uphill again. FML so hard right now. I stop and walk for 1 exhausted minute.
• 30 minutes - I'm heading back to my starting point...Orchard Avenue. I can't run anymore. So I do low lunges all the way back. 

Here's the route I took:

2.5 miles - measured using MapMyRun.com

 Not too bad for a first run, but then I think of all my marathon runner friends and I want to cry.

I head back and plop down on a chair, glass of water in one hand, Macbook in the other... and write this entry.

Looking wasted.

Happy saturday.

Oh hello there! My name is Hana and I'm friends with Serina because of a brief dating gig she did with my best friend Dustin! I am a 25 year old food junkie that is trying to get back into the groove of nutrition and fitness. I moved to Korea back in May and whittled my waist size down to a size 2, only to jump back to a size 6 when I got into a relationship. So it goes... I joined this crazy gym last week and I have been trying to motivate myself into going everyday.

So what's keeping me from going everyday?

1. 9-5 job.

2. Boyfriend.

I know, it's no excuse. I gotta find the time! I do have time, I just find myself feeling so lethargic after sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours a day. Please let me know if you have any tips for motivation! I have done everything. I mean, I've even made a picture of Arizona Muse as the wallpaper on my phone for motivation.

When I began working out again, I started cooking at home more. This meant that I would be able to control my caloric intake and overall nutrition. The downside to cooking in Korea is that there are so many ingredients that I can't find here! Hummus, for example, is something that I used to buy from Trader Joe's like it was my job and the other day I had to make it from scratch!

But get this, hummus is super easy to make. I mean, super easy. And it's super delicious. And super nutritious. And yea, it's nice to just pick up a tub at the supermarket, but you can control the amount of oil and other fat-inducing ingredients if you make it at home! SOOOO. Without further adieu:

Homemade Hummus

3 garlic cloves, mashed and minced

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup of tahini, roasted and not raw

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can put more in if you like it tangy)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stick everything but the salt into a food processor and just push that button til it's smooth. Stir the salt in at the end and adjust the seasoning as you wish!

Additions: roasted garlic cloves, cayenne, basil (basically whatever you want, stick it in the food processor!)

Garnish with toasted pine nuts or chopped up chives. Dip a raw red bell pepper spear, baby carrots, celery, or whole wheat pita bread and enjoy!