Author: Maddie

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a really great event put on by Teavana at their Broadway and 9th Street NYC location.  I have always loved drinking tea for both the taste and the experience, however I have been a more consistent coffee drinker over the years.  I have been looking to reduce my coffee drinking, though, not because coffee is inherently bad, but because having a cup of coffee for me is an excuse to also have a lot of milk and sugar.  Tea has always been such a great alternative because I am capable of enjoying it without the added milk and sugar.  That said, I have been actively looking for a tea brand or company where I could consistently get tea that I know I would love.  Teavana put on such a great event at such a perfect time for me, and I’m so excited to share it with all of you!

The event was an “Entertaining with Tea” session, featuring Teavana Teologist Naoko Tsunoda, and entertaining expert Chris Nease.  Naoko talked with us about five different tea blends, explaining the logic behind their flavors, how to perfectly brew them, and what foods to serve them with to best complement their rich flavors.  Delicious samples were provided, of course!  She also incorporated a bit of the history of tea into her segment, including the origins of the different teapots and why each teapot is ideal for different teas.  It was truly fascinating, and I had no idea there was so much that went into brewing a perfect cup of tea, including even the temperature of the water!  Chris’ segment centered around planning and executing the perfect tea party.  From table setting to food and dessert, and even tea related games to play, she did a great job sharing her creative ideas for planning a tea party that would go down in the books!

Check out both of their social media for tea-time tips and tricks!

I was SO excited at the end of the event when we got a gift bag with the Teavana Perfectea Maker, as well as a sampling of tea and some other goodies.  I couldn’t wait to brew my own perfect cup of tea at home.  The Perfectea Maker was so easy to use, easy to clean, and made it simple to brew the perfect cup of tea in just a few steps.  I think the only tricky part is making the water the perfect temperature – 175 degrees Fahrenheit.  I have a cooking thermometer that I use to measure the water temperature, but Naoko also told us that water drops 5 degrees every time it is transferred to a new container (as long as the containers have similar sized mouths), so this is an alternative way to ensure that you are brewing your tea with water of the ideal temperature.  Some of the teas have dried fruit in the blend along with the tea leaves, so it is naturally sweet, fragrant, and yummy.  If you’re brewing tea for two (or more), consider the large option for the teapot.

While I was at the Teavana location, I couldn’t help but notice how friendly, helpful, and well-informed the staff was.  They are so obviously passionate about what they do, and were so knowledgeable about Teavana teas and their blends that they helped me pick out the perfect blend for me to take home. While I was browsing the store, I also saw a matcha set which came with matcha powder, an electric whisk, and a porcelain bowl to mix your matcha in.  The matcha sample during the event was so good that I couldn’t resist buying this set. I have not been disappointed.  My sister tipped me off to a great matcha latte idea, where you whisk the matcha powder into almond milk instead of water, and instead of sugar you can add some vanilla protein powder.  It makes a DELICIOUS vanilla matcha latte that, depending on how much almond milk and protein you add, can function as a great snack.

If you’re into tea, or you’re looking for a means by which to familiarize yourself with tea, Teavana is a great place to start!  Stay tuned on my Instagram for more tea-related updates… I placed an order with Teavana for all sorts of teas and they should be arriving any day!

Stay fit and full of flavor, all!

Whether you’re looking to power lift, strength train, or if you’re just getting into the world of weight lifting, Jon Candito is a name you should become familiar with.  Jonnie Candito is the creator and CEO of Candito Training, and he is “one of the strongest pound for pound collegiate athletes in the nation,” taken from his website.  Jonnie Candito is an internet presence that I respect more than most, not only for his amazing achievements in the world of power lifting, but also because he promotes a “no nonsense” approach towards spreading knowledge of strength training by offering very informative and helpful videos (on his website and Youtube channel), as well as free strength programs on his website.  Jonnie Candito helped me with my squat form via his “How To Squat With Perfect Form” video, and his “Candito 6 Week Strength Program” helped me push past plateaus I was experiencing in my squat and bench.  This post will focus primarily on the 6 Week Strength Program, because this is what I have firsthand experience in (I recently completed this program), but I suggest checking out his website for other options and video tutorials.

A quick note: the 6 Week Strength Program is ideal for intermediate lifters.  If you are more of a beginner lifter, Jonnie Candito recommends his Linear Program, which is “ideal for beginners” but “can be very useful for more experienced lifters as well.” (Taken from Jonnie Candito’s website.)

First and foremost, you can find Jonnie Candito’s free strength programs here.  Download the PDF and the Excel spreadsheet for the 6 Week Strength Program (or the PDF for the Linear Program if you prefer that one.)  Jonnie himself offers in this PDF a clear and thorough understanding of this program, so in addition to providing a brief summary here, I also advise you to read through the PDF before you begin the program.  I will also offer you my own amateur review of the 6 Week Strength Program, a couple of tips to think about when you’re getting started, and a link to another review of this program by Izzy T. Narvaez of Powerlifting to Win.

Candito 6 Week Strength Program: The program is split into 6 weeks (with an optional 7th, see the PDF for details), with each week having a focus.  This is called periodization, which is beneficial because it helps to prevent plateaus before they even have a chance to develop.  Each week also builds on the prior week, keeping the “bigger picture” in mind with regard to balancing both strength and muscle mass, and helping to prevent injury.  The program also uses an upper/lower split within each week emphasizing compound movements (as opposed to isolation exercises) which are more stimulating.  This helps prevent injuries because “you will use better form having shorter, more goal oriented workouts.”  The exercises you will do in the upper/lower split are effective and superior to other filler exercises.  For example, if you can effectively squat deep on lower body day, there should be no need to do a leg press accessory exercise that same day.  Accessory or optional exercises should offer something that a main compound move doesn’t.

Candito tailored this program to each individual user by creating a formula, based on your own personal one rep max, to determine the weight you should be lifting each week.

The Exercise: The main upper body compound move is the bench press, so each upper body day you will be benching.  In addition to the bench press, on upper body days you have to choose 3 additional required accessory movements.  Therefore, in total, you will be doing at a minimum 4 exercises on upper body days.  With regard to the three additional required accessory movements, Candito explains which muscle group you should target (back, shoulders, and biceps), and he gives examples of moves that would be considered accessory moves for each muscle group.  These 4 exercises are the only requirements on upper body days, but you have the option to throw in two extra optional exercises if you’re feeling up to it.  Something to remember here is that since you are consistently doing the 4 required exercises, these are intended to be improved over time.  Optional exercises, however, can act as a cool down, or as a bonus for areas which need emphasis.  Candito also lists examples of optional exercises in his PDF.

There are two lower body compound moves in this program which will be done each lower body day: squat and deadlift.  These two exercises together hit the entire lower body, and are a great workout in itself.  These two are the only required exercises for lower body day, and follow the Excel spreadsheet and PDF for guidance on how many optional lower body exercises you have each week, and for examples of both explosive accessories for lower body, or hypertrophy movements.

Candito allows for customization to the program with the optional exercises, but you can effectively complete the program just doing the 4 required upper body lifts, and the two lower.  Only do additional optional exercises if you feel up to it, and if you feel as though you can complete them safely with good form.  Time also plays a factor here.  It is not a good idea to rush through the compound moves just to have time to throw in additional optional moves.

Thus completes the very brief overview of the program.  Candito’s PDF offers much more useful information regarding the program, including substitution exercises and helpful tips, and I wouldn’t recommend starting the program without reading it for yourself.

Why do I recommend this program? The short answer to this question would be that it worked for me – numbers don’t lie, and I certainly surprised myself throughout the program, pushing past plateaus in a way I didn’t think I could.  Candito mentions in his PDF the psychological factors involved in the success of this program.  It is designed in such a way that presents you your progress as early as two weeks into it.  The exercises are also designed to be difficult and challenging, but certainly not impossible.  There are consistent confidence boosts throughout the program, and weight doesn’t increase each workout.  I find that when I try to increase the weight a little bit each workout, every day becomes a demotivating struggle/competition between the current workout and workouts of the past.  I found that the methodology of increasing the weight and ultimately hitting a PR (personal record) at the end of it was very effective.

In addition, I love the fact that Candito offers not only a complete workout, but also an Excel spreadsheet to aid in planning and documenting the program.  The Excel doc really helps because I was never unsure of what weight to use or how many reps/sets to do.  I wasn’t constantly at odds with myself to meet my own personal weight and rep goals.  In addition, the program adjusted my goals based on my progress and capabilities.  I felt pushed to succeed, but never pushed in a way that made me feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or injury prone.

Lastly, the structure of the program (upper/body split and focus on compound movements) was really helpful to me in achieving my fitness goals.  I consider myself a busy girl – I work, go to school, and still consistently make it to the gym.  On most days, I don’t have time to spend over an hour at the gym.  The compound movements are more stimulating to the body, hit larger amounts of muscles than isolation exercises, and lead to a shorter but more effective workout.  Candito mentions in the PDF that the exercises in this program run between 45-60 minutes, and this is perfect for anyone who feels as though time is often running short.

Some tips for those seriously interested in starting this program: For one, use the Excel doc! It is impossible to complete this program without documenting progress and using the provided spreadsheet to figure out how much weight to use each week.  Second, and Candito also mentions this in his PDF, don’t modify the main compound moves (unless modification is necessary due to a bodily limitation or injury, of course).  The program is centered around these main compound moves for a reason, and though Candito allows a lot of modification with regard to accessory moves and optional exercises, the main compound moves should not be messed around with.  Candito does offer in the PDF alternatives for those who really do not want to bench or deadlift in the standard form.  Lastly, this program is doable but challenging.  Like I already said, it definitely works for someone who is busy, but consistency is key.  Start this program when you know you will have 6 weeks of access to the gym, and start when you are fairly certain you can be consistent for the full 6 weeks.

Lastly, I would like to stress that I am not a professional, and the advice offered in this post is simply my opinion and testimony of my experience with this program.

Want more information? Take a look at Candito’s website and Youtube channel, both linked above, and also take a look at this review of Candito’s 6 Week Strength Program, written by power lifter Izzy T. Narvaez of Powerlifting to Win.

I hope this article helps all of my fit and fab readers! Have a suggestion or comment about Jonnie Candito or Candito Training HQ? Share them below!

New  Year’s Day is a day for turning over new leaves, making resolutions, and beginning fresh.  New Year’s Eve, however, is a day/night to party!  It is a celebration where we can all take the time to look back on the past year and acknowledge the things that made us happy and sad, and move forward into the new year for better or for worse.

This year, me and my sister hosted a small party where we got creative with the food, the drink, and the decor.  My sister mixed a deliciously festive punch, I baked some glittery cookies, and we put together a DIY photobooth for some fun prop-filled pictures.

All photos in this post are courtesy of my sister (Minnie In Manhattan). Check out her blog for NYC Lifestyle posts, many of which feature dog-friendly ideas and options.

The punch consisted of:

• 2 parts POM pomegranate juice
• 1 part Ciroc vodka
• 1 part pear nectar
• 1 part club soda

What we wound up doing, since this was a slightly experimental recipe, was making a small batch and tasting it before we made enough to fill our entire punch bowl.  We suggest that you do the same so that it is tailored to your specific taste preferences.  We also used Ciroc because it’s smooth and delicious, but you’re welcome to use any vodka you prefer.  Also, we garnished our glasses with glitter sugar on the rim, using honey (agave also works) to get the glitter sugar to stick.  The way this is done is to pour some honey/sugar into a bowl, and some glitter sugar into another bowl.  Before any punch is poured into the glasses, dip the rim into the honey/agave and then into the glitter sugar.  Don’t use too much honey/agave here or it will drip down the glass.  Also, any type of fine sprinkle with work, so get creative with it!  We then used some fresh cranberries on party picks from Party City as a decorative garnish.

This was my second time making this particular sugar cookie recipe, and the more I make it, the more I fall in love with it.  You can find the recipe here. The great thing about this recipe, aside from the fact that it’s DELICIOUS, is that you don’t have to chill the dough before you can roll it out.  What I do do, however, and I highly advise you to do too when rolling out any sugar cookie dough, is to sprinkle flour generously and frequently throughout the whole process.  I sprinkle on the surface I’m putting the dough on, and then before I start rolling I press the dough down with my hands and do another sprinkling of flour on top of the dough (to prevent the rolling pin from sticking to it).  Then after the dough is rolled out, I sprinkle flour again on top of the dough to prevent the dough from sticking to the cookie cutter. I also flour the cookie sheet before I put the cutouts on there as well.  Have fun with this recipe, as its texture makes it very malleable, making it easier to get the perfect shape (with super crisp edges)!  I was able to hand cut the champagne flutes you see in the photos, as I had trouble finding cookie cutters in this shape.  The icing is hand made using confectioners sugar and milk/water.  You can also add food coloring for even more decorating options!

Lastly, this DIY photobooth was such a fun and unique addition to our NYE party.  We bought some props like hats, noisemakers, and sparkly leis from Party City, as well as a white backdrop, a “2015” banner, and some party streamers.  We hung the banner and the backdrop on a bare wall, positioned the camera (self-timer capabilities are a necessity) on a shelf a few feet away, and we had a perfect party photobooth in a matter of minutes! Make sure you do some planning beforehand, as you’ll need a method of hanging the backdrop on the wall you select.

We had a great time this New Year’s Eve, and have high hopes for an amazing 2015!  Stay tuned within the next week or so for more helpful posts, including delicious and healthy recipes and some of my favorite workout regimens to kickstart some New Year’s resolutions!

Stay fit and festive, all!

What says DIY Holiday Sunglass Decorating Party quite like healthy and delicious sweet potato muffins? Well, maybe just a few things…

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my very first DIY holiday sunglass decorating party, hosted by Pretty in Pistachio, with crafts supplied by Sunglass Warehouse.  My contribution to the event was a sugar-free and flour-free sweet potato muffin, inspired by this cookie recipe.  I’ll start off with the sunglass DIY, and I’ll finish off with the muffin recipe.

Step 1: Plan and Materialize! Figure out the theme you want your glasses to be, and brainstorm with the materials you have to make it into a reality.  I chose a Christmas reindeer theme, and these are all of the materials I used for my design.

Step 2: Execution.  This step is made WAY easier with a hot glue gun and plenty of glue.  I used a hot glue gun to get most of my materials onto the glasses.  I used two pipecleaners for each of the antlers, and they were a little bit tricky.  Take two pipecleaners and, keeping them together and even, fold them around the hinge of the glasses at the halfway mark of the pipecleaner.  Then, twist them like a twist tie very tightly for about a half inch.  Split the loose ends into two groups of two and then continue twisting.  I glued the antlers to the frame for additional security.  Get creative and make each point a different length!

For a little extra flair, I wrapped some gold and red sparkly ribbon around the temples of the glasses and glued it with hot glue.

My reindeer nose was just a pipecleaner rolled up into a ball.  I also put some glue on the front of it and sprinkled it with red glitter.  Then I attached it with red wire to the bridge of the glasses, and tucked the wire behind the nose pads to keep the wire mostly out of sight.  Be sure to measure the wire while the glasses are on your face to be sure the red nose falls right at the tip of your nose.

And voila! The perfect holiday reindeer glasses.  I can’t wait to be silly and wear these during the holiday season.  But wait – there’s one more step!

Step 3: Have fun! (Ok, that was cheesy.)  But seriously, this party took arts and crafts to a whole new level.  Get some friends and family together, eat and drink and have a blast with it. And don’t forget to bring your creativity!  Your glasses can be wearable, or you can decorate the lenses themselves and make ornaments or decorations out of them.

Were you uninspired by my design? Check out Pretty in Pistachio‘s and Minnie in Manhattan‘s finished sunglass designs also!

Want to DIY for the holidays but don’t want to decorate sunglasses? Check out Sunglass Warehouse’s other DIY holiday ideas.

Now for the muffins…

These were a delicious and guilt-free snack because they’re sweetened with honey, and the only oil in them is from almond butter.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup of almond butter
• 1/2 cup of pureed sweet potato (Bake or microwave them to get them soft)
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey (I used honey, and this is optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 chocolate bar chopped, or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. Make sure your sweet potato is pureed well before you add the other ingredients.  Instead of blending the potatoes, I mashed them up with a fork and this worked fine.  Also, buy a little bit more potato than you think you will need, because it is difficult to measure a half a cup of pureed sweet potato when you’re looking at a whole potato in the super market.  It will shrink, when you peel it you lose some mass, and once you bake/microwave them, there are bound to be some parts that you can’t use.

I used honey instead of syrup, but after tasting the muffins I learned that this addition should be totally optional.  They were very sweet.  Also, the addition of chocolate chips and the amount you add is totally optional and up to you.  Other delicious morsels that would taste good in these muffins are shredded coconut, raisins, almond slivers, walnuts, or cranberries.

The original recipe is a cookie recipe, and it called for a lot more additives (the things I just listed above), but I scaled these down.  My dough, therefore, was a little more loose than cookie dough should be.  So that’s why I made muffins instead.

They came out DELICIOUS, needless to say, because sweet potatoes can do no wrong.  If you add nuts or protein powder to the recipe, these could be a great breakfast item or post-gym snack.

More DIY coming soon!  Get excited for it. Instagram your favorite DIY activity or healthy recipe and hashtag it with #fitnessandflorals.  I’d love to try and feature a recipe of yours!

Stay fit and festive, all!

I recently bought my sister a book about Mason Jar lunches for her birthday, because I thought it looked healthy, trendy, and something she would love. The day I bought it, however, I leafed through it on my subway ride home, and began to regret not getting myself a copy!  Since then, I decided to try and make myself my own Mason Jar lunches for work, and here’s my first attempt.

Before getting into the recipe, it’s good to know a couple of the benefits of jarring your lunch instead of using a plastic container.  For one, the Mason Jar seals your lunch tight and keeps it fresher for longer, especially salad which always seems to get brown and wilty too soon.  Second, since Mason Jars are made of glass, you don’t run the risk of having unwanted chemicals leech into your food, especially if you bring a lunch that you want to microwave.  Also, glass is not porous, making it less likely to hold the aroma of your salad after you’re done eating.

The book provides more information about Mason Jar lunches, including step-by-step instructions and tips on how to most efficiently jar your lunch.  Check it out at Barnes & Noble here. Here’s my Mason Jar lunch recipe. It made three servings.

What you’ll need:

1 cup Kidney beans (super nutritional)

1/3 of an onion

3 servings of Quinoa (check your bag or box)

1 zucchini

Green olives (I used whole olives, unpitted)

Artichoke hearts

Less than 1 cup of peas

Olive oil

Mason Jar

Note that these measurements (and even ingredients) are very much subjective to my own tastes and preferences.  You can add more of less of something, or replace certain items with other veggies/grains/carbs.  The sky is the limit with these lunches!

Here’s what you have to do:

Chop up the onion and saute it in a little oil.  Also, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the packaging. Peel and slice the zucchini.  You’ll have to cook this one, too.  As soon as you have a free pan and an open stove top, saute the zucchini in a little bit of oil and you can sprinkle with salt and pepper as it cooks.

Once your onions are done cooking, you’re ready to begin jarring! I put a little bit of oil at the bottom of my jar, but I learned after I ate my lunch the next day that this step was unnecessary.  At the bottom of the jar you want to put whatever liquids will be in your lunch, such as dressing or oil. (The book also gives a neat trick for packaging your dressing inside the jar in such a way that it doesn’t touch your food at all!).  I layered the onions at the bottom in the oil.

Next, I layered in the zucchini.  As a general rule, things that are already wet and have a low risk of getting soggy in the fridge overnight should go towards the bottom, and the more delicate items (such as lettuce) should be towards the top.

Next came the quinoa.  I drained the quinoa in a strainer before I put it in the jar to remove all excess water.

Next came the kidney beans and peas…

And last but not least, the artichoke hearts and olives on the very top. Keep your lunch at its freshest by minimizing the amount of air in the jar by packing it tight with as much food as you can fit.

This recipe turned out delicious, and it made three lunches for the upcoming week.  If you are taking these lunches with you on the go, I advise that you make sure there’s a bowl you can use at your destination.  I like to leave a bowl and fork on my desk at work so I never have to worry about packing that one extra thing in the morning.

Jarring my lunches this week was quick and easy, but if you don’t have jars yet or you just aren’t into the idea, I suggest that you still consider bringing your own lunch to work, school, or wherever it is that you spend most of your time.  A pre-prepared lunch is a smart lunch because it is not subject to impulsive purchases that one would only crave at lunch time.  It’s also a lot cheaper than buying your lunch every day.

Comment your favorite Mason Jar recipe!

Stay fit and fresh, all!

Yesterday was such a beautifully sunny day, and lucky for me also my day off from the gym, so I decided to take a trip into Coney Island for a walk on the boardwalk and an ab workout on the beach.  On days that I’m not at the gym but still want to get some sort of workout in, I usually try to do abs or cardio, or both!  Additionally, I much prefer to spend these days outside when I can, and an outdoor workout for me is more fun and interesting than doing something indoors.

That said, in addition to the benefits I just mentioned of exercising outdoors, working out on the beach is particularly beneficial because the sand and water provide different and unique challenges for your body.  Sand is constantly moving around and shifting, causing your body to do more work to remain balanced.  Yoga and Pilates become more difficult and engage more muscles when done on sand when compared with being done on flat and unchanging surfaces.  Jogging and running on sand is also more beneficial than doing so on pavement because it requires more range of motion from your muscles causing them to work harder, and the soft sand is kinder on your joints.  Swimming in the ocean is also a great workout, especially when working against waves and currents (but no rip tides please!)  These types of conditions cause your muscles to constantly adjust and be in motion, engaging you more than if you were to remain inside.

My choice of beach exercise yesterday was abs.  I have multiple different ab routines, and I like to vary this workout as much as possible to get the best results.  Before I detail yesterday’s routine, however, it is important to remember a few key points before venturing out in the heat into a public area like the beach to exercise.  It is HOT out there, and you won’t have the luxury of a nearby waterfountain or an air conditioned rest to replenish your resources.  Please remember to bring an ample supply of water, as well as an umbrella to shield the sun, and sunscreen.

Yesterday’s workout consists of 9 exercises, broken into subsets of 3, and each subset is repeated for 3 sets.  I shoot for 20-30 reps for each set, but as this exercise is long and intense, you might want to start smaller and work your way up.

Subset 1 consists of these three exercises: 

1. Regular crunches with legs extended up, and at a 90 degree angle (as illustrated in the picture above)
2. Knees still at 90 degree angle, lay legs down to your left, allow your hips to rotate left, and crunch the right obliques
3. Same as number 2, but legs should go to your right side, and crunch the left obliques

Subset 2 consists of these three exercises: 

1. Keep your legs straight up and allow them to form a 90 degree angle with your torso.  Keep your arms flat at your side, and lift your legs and hips off the ground.  Your legs should go straight during this move without bending or changing the 90 degree angle at all.
2. Go into a side plank.  For this move you can keep the arm closest to the sky straight up, or leave your hand on your hip.  Allow your hip to touch the ground, while still remaining in side plank position.  Then lift up so your hip moves back into side plank and extend past side plank.  This completes one full rep.  This is an oblique move, and you should make sure you feel it on the side of your abdominal facing the floor.  Flip over and repeat on the other side. (This move is illustrated in the picture above).
3. Get back into the position of the first exercise of this subset with your legs straight up.  This time, instead of leaving your arms at your side and lifting your legs, extend your arms upwards and bring your fingertips towards your toes, lifting your back off the ground as much as you can.  (This move is illustrated in the picture above).

Subset 3 consists of these three exercises: 

1. Bicycle – lay flat on your back with your hands behind your ears, elbows to the ground.  Bring your right elbow to your left knee, keeping your right leg straight and not touching the floor.  Flatten back and legs out to starting position and then bring your left elbow to your right knee.  Flatten back and legs out, and this completes one rep.
2. Lay flat on your back, and leave your hands under your butt for lower back support.  Slowly raise your legs off the floor, keeping them straight, until they are perpendicular to the floor.  Lower back down slowly, and this completes one rep.
3. Sit up, bend your knees, and clasp your hands together.  Lift your heels off the floor and touch your fists to the floor, alternating the left and right side.  One rep consists of you touching  both sides.  The straighter your legs are for this one, the harder it gets.  Keep your feet off the floor for this whole exercise!

I do each subset three times before moving on to the next subset.  That’s a total of 9 exercises, 27 sets, and over 500 reps! This is a great workout to start with, but please never stop varying up your exercises and incorporating your own flair into your workouts.  Do you have a favorite ab workout?  I’d love to hear about it and incorporate it into my routine!

Stay fit and f-AB-ulous, all!

Labor Day Weekend is here! I always look forward to a good BBQ, fun in the sun, and spending quality time with family and friends. During holiday weekends, however, it can be difficult to find a healthy alternative to traditional BBQ foods, which are almost too delicious to resist! That’s why this year, instead of putting my self control to the test, I introduced to our BBQ menu some healthy and delicious sides as substitutes.  Both of the recipes below adequately fed a party of three, and probably could have been plenty for four.  If you are looking to feed more than four, I suggest you increase each of the ingredients for the recipe to make sure there is enough.

Kale and Quinoa Salad

For this recipe, you’ll need:

1. 1 bundle of any type of kale
2. 1/4 cup quinoa
3. 1/2 bullion cube (optional)
4. 3 cloves of garlic
5. Olive oil
6. 1 lemon

Boil the quinoa according to the instructions on the box or bag.  Add the half of a bullion cube to the water, if you choose to include this ingredient.  While you wait for the quinoa to cook, wash the kale really well and cut it into bite-size pieces.  Put it in a large pan or wok and drizzle some olive oil over it.  Sauté the kale until you are happy with its consistency (I like my kale a little crunchy, so I cooked it for about ten minutes).  While you are doing this (or you could do this first, as a preparatory step), mince the garlic and sauté it in olive oil until soft (approximately five minutes. This could take longer or shorter depending on how finely the garlic is minced).  When the garlic is soft, squeeze the lemon into the pan.  I saved two slivers of lemon for garnish.  Once the lemon is heated up, pour the garlic/lemon mixture over the kale.  Once the kale is cooked, take it out of the pan, or take the pan off the hot burner to prevent it from burning. Once the quinoa is cooked, drain excess water through a strainer if there is any, and combine the kale and quinoa into one bowl or container. You can garnish with lemon slices, and you can serve this delicious plate hot or cold.  Enjoy!

Cucumber Salad

For this recipe, you’ll need:

1. 3 cucumbers
2. 1/2 vidalia onion
3. 4 compari tomatoes (you can use whatever kind of tomatoes you like. The compari tomatoes are small, so that’s why I used four of them.)
4. Olive oil
5. Rice wine vinegar

This one is really easy! Peel the cucumbers (optional) and slice them into 1/4 inch slices, cut the1/2 Vidalia onion into strips, and cut the tomatoes into chunks.  Put all three into a large bowl, drizzle olive oil and rice wine vinegar to taste, toss, and enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy your Labor Day Weekend! Stay fit and in the work force, all!

In honor of my most recent smoothie post, here’s another (brief) one dedicated to smoothies and healthy eating.  Just yesterday afternoon I visited Fuel Champion Restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.  Fuel offers health food and fruit/veggie smoothies, with the addition of protein powder by request.  The environment was very casual and most people took their food and smoothies to go, but there are some tables in the restaurant to sit and relax while you eat your meal as well.  In addition to health food and smoothies, Fuel offers a wall of refrigerators containing your choice of beverage, including Vitamin Water, Gatorade, energy drinks, and protein shakes.  In addition, there was also a large selection of packaged snacks such as nuts, trail mix, and protein bars, for a quick on-the-run boost.

The menu is extensive, ranging from breakfasts, wraps, and burgers, to salads and smoothies.  View the full menu here.  After much contemplation, I decided on the Fuel Energy Power Smoothie (which is actually not listed on the menu posted online but can be found on the menu on the wall of the restaurant), consisting of banana, blueberry, spinach, acai berry, and soy milk.  It was delicious to say the least, and even more satisfying because I watched it being made with my own eyes from all fresh ingredients.  Unfortunately, I have not tried the food at this spot yet, although I intend to try it soon; so keep posted on my Twitter and Instagram for more information!

Don’t live in Brooklyn?  That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the delicious smoothie combinations on Fuel’s menu.  Check out the link above and try making some of them at home!  Then if you’re ever in the area, don’t forget to stop by to try your favorite recipes from their original source.

Fuel Champion Restaurant is located at 1715 Sheepshead Bay Road in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.  It is just around the corner from the Sheepshead Bay stop of the Q and B trains!

Stay fit and fresh, all!