Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/03/22/mason-jar-kale-salad-recipe/

This nutritious and portable Mason Jar Kale Salad recipe makes a fun packed lunch! Add some carbs (bread, or a cooked whole grain on the salad) to make it a meal.

As part of the Let’s Move! Event at the White House (<—recap) that I attended last week, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford gave us a fun cooking demonstration: these adorable mason jar kale salads, which make for a really fun portable lunch.

<img src="http://www.fannetasticfood.comhttp://www.fannetasticfood.com…

Source: http://www.personaltrainingco.com/the-key-to-transforming-your-body-in-2013/

. . . “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

This is the key to any successful and dramatic physique transformation. Let me explain…

Where you are now, is your comfort zone. Your health and fitness goals are where you want to be.

So by definition, your goals are outside of your comfort zone – if they weren’t, then you’d have accomplished them by now…

Which means that in order to achieve the body you want (or any other worthwhile goal in your life) you’re going to have to venture outside of that safe, warm, cozy comfort zone and experience some discomfort.

When it comes to a fitter, more toned body, it means you’ll have to experience the discomfort of hunger from time to time… it means you’ll have to push yourself in your workouts, and keep pushing even when your muscles are burning and crying for rest.

… It means you’ll have to follow your nutrition plan – even on the days you feel like eating pizza and ice cream (or whatever your “sinful” indulgence is).

… And it means you’ll have to adapt and reasses when things don’t go according to plan or life throws a curveball at you to see if you’re paying attention.

Getting uncomfortable is what makes us grow. It’s what makes us change for the better. So the sooner you come to terms with it, the sooner you’ll have that rockin’ bod! <im…

Source: http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/practical-steps-to-making-the-best-of-2016/

Good Evening Everyone!

I am checking in on your New Year’s Resolutions?  Remember all those good intentions that you set up at the beginning of the month….

You make plans for yourself and promise that you will actually follow through this year. Then, life gets in the way and things don’t go as planned. You get discouraged, and possibly give up. “I’ll do better next year.”

Sound familiar? Not this year! Incorporate the following tips into your daily routine and you will end 2016 feeling accomplished, motivated and with a smile. Are you ready?

Let’s go…

1) Tell Your Friends- Accountability will be a key factor in your success. Tell your friends and family about your goals. Ask a few of them to check in with you periodically to see how you’re doing with your list.

2) Take Baby Steps- When beginning your goals, try starting out with baby steps. Change is a process, not a race.

3) Don’t Be Hard on Yourself- If a plan of action doesn’t seem to be working out as planned – don’t fret. Allow yourself some wiggle room to figure out what works best for you.

4) Positive Thinking- It sounds simple, but thinking positively is so powerful. Keep a positive mindset this year as you’re on your journey.

5) Stress Less- Commit to breathing exercises and/or yoga this year as you are …

Source: http://www.karpfitness.com/indoor-workouts/

Is the cold December weather keeping you from your regular fitness routine? Fortunately, chilly temperatures don’t have to mean foregoing your daily activity. Instead, you can try one of these great indoor exercises: Jump Rope – Awesome if you don’t have a lot of space! But remember, you will want to land softly to keep this safe for your knees. Dancing – Turn … Read More

The post Indoor Workouts for Winter Weather appeared first on Personal Training Vancouver.

…

Source: http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/how-to-combat-the-sugar-beast/

Good Morning and Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Today, I want to share a few tips on how to combat the sugar beast.  Like most Americans, I used to be addicted to sugar. I was tired all of the time, and needed that afternoon pick-me-up or that quick sugary fix to keep me

going. And despite the jolt of energy most of us experience after eating a sugary treat, the reality is that sugar is terrible for one’s health.

Many people don’t understand how detrimental sugar can be. It’s more addicting than drugs, one of the major toxins, and leads to inflammation and weight gain, depletes the adrenals, and leads to other serious health problems.

Put simply- sugar burdens your body.

If you want to ditch the sugar addiction, it is possible! Let me tell you what worked for me:
1.Start your day with protein. I like to add a protein powder to my morning smoothie because the amino acids balance and stabilize blood sugar, which reduces sugar cravings.
2.  Start your day with affirmations and one-minute meditation. I realized I was jumping out of bed and pushing my adrenals to the max right away. Don’t do that. Instead, make time in the morning to create  space for yourself–even 5 minutes will change your day.
3.If you are craving something sweet, THINK GREEN, I carry Chlorella Tablets with me and pop a few when I feel that sugar beast rising its ugly head.  Chlorella alkalizes the body and shuts down the cravings for sugar.
4. Hydrate daily…

Source: http://zenrockfitness.com/2015/10/the-posture-of-meditation/

Stress is so prevalent in our culture that being stressed out is considered a ‘normal’ state of being. If you’re racing from appointment to appointment, working, worrying and losing sleep at night, you’re just one of the many that do the same thing day in and day out.

The Yin for this Yang is meditation. Meditation is the conscious act of stilling the body, mind and soul. Spending just a few minutes meditating can transform how you feel when dealing with modern life. It is the counter balance for activity.

In order to optimize your sit, you should consider the following:

The body must be relaxed

This implies that your spine is perpendicular to the floor and the muscles that hold the spine are relaxed. This is probably the biggest issue that anyone new to sitting has to deal with. To help reduce the workload, it’s critically important to have the pelvis at the same level or higher than the knees. Sit for meditation and feel the muscles around the pelvis, if they are working, sit on a pillow and notice the difference. Sitting cross-legged will always activate the lifters that connect the pelvis to the thighs inhibiting the body’s ability to relax.

The abdomen and ribs must be able to relax

When the breathing slows, or almost stops, the body will…

Source: http://summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-how-to-overcome-procrastination-a-victory-for-gmo-labels-and-why-you-shouldnt-work-before-10am/

For the Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup. 

This week how to overcome procrastination, a victory for GMO labels, and why you shouldn’t work before 10am.

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app I just discovered to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

Want to see all my favorite links? (There’s lots more). Be sure to follow me on Delicious. I also share links on Twitter @summertomato and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

The Evolution of Anxiety: Why We Worry and What to Do About It <<Anxiety is certainly a bummer, but this article is more about how to focus on and accomplish what is important. A great read. (James Clear)
The Healthiest People In The World Eat A Lot Of Carbs <<With this headline I expected this article to go in one of two directions: nuanced science or vegan propaganda. I was pleasantly surprised. (Huffington Post)
In defence of genetically modified food <<Speaking of nuance, I’m happy to see that we’re (just barely) starting to move beyond good vs ev…

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/25/468622469/artisanal-plastic-japans-fake-food-is-a-real-art?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Norbert Schoerner and Steve Nakamura

From the windows of restaurants, grocers and department stores, they beckon: Perfectly swirled ice cream in a cone, elaborately whipped cakes topped with red strawberries, a glistening piece of raw fish atop rice.

They’re meant to whet your appetite, but don’t bite them: These are plastic display foods, and they’re ubiquitous in Japan — designed to advertise the foods available for purchase inside. They’re also big business: A fake mug of beer, for instance, can sell for U.S. $150, says photographer Norbert Schoerner.

Schoerner first encountered Japan’s intricate display foods during his first trip to Japan in the 1990s. “I not only found it quite odd and surreal, but it also sort of triggered a fascination with the idea of the process and the whole culture that sits behind that,” he says.

You might think of these display foods as “artisanal plastic” — that pineapple or pasta dish in polyvinyl chloride was likely hand-crafted by a highly trained artist. “There’s quite an intricate craftsmanship that goes into that,” Schoerner says.

His new book, Nearly Eternal, co-authored with art director Steve Nakamura, visually explores the questions of re…

Source: http://www.bornfitness.com/arm-workouts/

I’ve been writing articles about arm workouts for 15 years. Besides abs, there’s no trait that guys desire more than muscle biceps and defined triceps, which is why I have a big confession to make: I wish I shut up and learned a little more before writing many of my earlier articles.

For years, I was pulled in one extreme direction or the other, never really finding the sweet spot that resulted in real growth. It started when I was sucked into the idea of “you don’t need curls to build bigger arms.” Big mistake.

After my anti-curl era, I was obsessed with progressive overload. That is, I only concerned myself with using heavier weights on all exercises—curls included. This led to non-stop elbow issues and more time rehabbing than growing.

Today, things are different. I know the exercises, rep ranges, and frequency that help build an impressive set of biceps and triceps. Avoid my mistakes from the past and follow my tips for the future, and maybe – just maybe – I’ll never have to write one of these articles again.

Arm Workouts Require a Pump

As much as I love using heavy weights, great arm workouts usually require plenty of volume to help with growth and reduce the likely of injury to your elbows. And the reason is simple: when you go very heavy, you start cheating more than you want. A few cheat reps are fine on any exercise, but your arms will grow by volume and tension. If the weight is too heavy, you start to use your trap…

Source: http://zenrockfitness.com/2015/10/fall-in-love-with-you/

Fall in Love – with YOU!
Saturday, November 7th at 2:00 pm
$25 per person

Are you your own worst critic?

Is your head filled with self-loathing thoughts?
Do you look in the mirror with contempt?
Do you feel guilty or ashamed of yourself?

If so, you’re not alone! So many people feel this way. In this workshop, you will learn how to turn that disconnected, dysfunctional relationship with yourself into a loving, supportive one!

Falling back in love with yourself is one of the most important things you can master in life. After all, it’s only when you love yourself that you can truly love others and receive their love right back!

You can learn to:

Live with a heart full of love for yourself
Look in the mirror with love and admiration
Experience gentle loving kindness for yourself – warts and all!
Finally know what it means to live from your true heart!

Agenda (about 2 hours):

How to Manage Negative Self Talk
Daily Practices to Reconnect with YOU
Release Past Shame
How to Look in the Mirror with Compassion

Sign up today!

More about Tammy:

Tammy Steele is a life coach, an energy intuitive and founder of Fully Present Living. She has been practicing since 2005, and in 2009, completed a four year healing arts program at the Northwest…