Tag Archives: healthy

Hamstring-Glutes and Core Workout

I must confess, I had been practicing a little bit of yoga, cardio and not enough strength training. For me, not enough physical exercise got me feeling some muscle, bone and joint ache. Not to say yoga does not strengthen the body or that some cardio is not good enough, but with all the stress I had been placing on to myself following my move back home, lack of strength training was not helping me in staying strong. I had lost a lot of my motivation in my personal practice and came close to giving up. Through contemplation, meditation and prayers my mind, my spirit and my heart would not allow me to fail. I may have felt weak, fragile, betrayed and may have cried but, deep down in my heart I knew I would pick myself back up because I am stronger than that. I have acknowledged and accepted my weaknesses in order to face my fears and remove all obstacles in my life. Also, I had not been  active with my blog because I have been blessed catching up with new business and lots of work. I finally feel relaxed enough to sit down and journal down all of my exercises and meal intakes.  The good news is, I would push myself two days in the week to practice some yoga and some cardio exercises in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Where does this all leave me? That’s right, in a beginner to intermediate level in my fitness practice. But that’s okay. As a fitness enthusiast, I can accept this and blossom once again.

Yesterday, I focused more on hamstrings, glutes and hip abductors since I only had an hour and a half to workout. I enjoyed this routine a lot because it got my heart rate pumping and left me feeling good. I’m a little late posting yesterday’s workout but I feel better posting something than nothing. It is my motivation to share with you and a good way for me to remain accountable with a healthy lifestyle.

So here I am back in the grind building this body back strong. Feel free to try this routine next time you go to the gym. You can always modify the intensity and/or the weight and repetitions to your fitness level. Enjoy 🙂 Continue reading →

Pineapple and Spinach Juice Experiment

Join me today to prepare some delicious Pineapple & Spinach juice.  I chose this combination because Pineapple is high in Vitamin C which helps me combat any airborne illness and therefore, boost’s my immune system. Spinach is high in Vitamin A which is involved in immune function, vision, reproduction, and cellular communication. Vitamin A also supports cell growth and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. bullet will blend all your fruits and veggies to a nice smooth texture. I hope you enjoy the video and try this amazing mix at home!!!

 

Pineapple Pineapple

Although the season for pineapple runs from March through June, they are available year-round in local markets. This is one of my favorite fruits to boost my immune because it is super high in vitamin C. Pineapple is sweet, hydrating with a tiny bit of tart when fully ripened.  Best time to slice your pineapple is when it’s mostly brownish mixed with dark yellow and you are able to smell that sweet pleasant scent. Continue reading →

Why I chose the Path of Yoga

mediting

I will  begin by sharing that without my auntie who was taken away by Cancer nine years ago, I would have never been in a quest for so many questions.  Why couldn’t any doctor cure or properly treat my aunt’s illness?  I accompanied my aunt to the hospital when she was still a bit strong and I could see the pain in her eyes as she squinched each time the doctor poisoned her with chemotherapy.  As young as I was then, I could see how these treatments kept swallowing her dry and taking her soul.  Yet, what continued to saddened me was to see my family trusting in her doctor to save her life.  Instead, he sentenced her to a hospice care where she would be surrounded by family as we observed her final breaths.  Throughout the years, I have come to learn that drugs and medications do not heal the sick because if they did, pharmaceutical companies would not profit nor continue to have control over the diseased.   They push doctors to prescribe all sorts of drugs to their patients therefore, maintaining them dependent on drugs and worsening their health.

Continue reading →

Quik fix yet healthy. Quinoa, Split Pea & Spinach

Quinoa, Split Pea & Spinach

Quinoa, split pea & Spinach

Just the other day I was at Barnes & Noble getting lost in my own little world of books that included Philosophy, The End to Illness, The Kardashian’s, and some nutritional cookbooks until my stomach started rumbling signaling me it was time to eat, it is the best method in helping me keep track of time, because my favorite watches I wear on a daily basis do not help me at all. So, I was tempted to get a quick bite at the Barnes & Noble’s cafe but from reading many books and articles about processed foods and the link it has on cancer & many illnesses, I decided to run home instead.

I dug in the fridge and reached for the Split Pea soup my boyfriend’s mother had packed for me the night before, which is always delicious! (Trini’s call it Dal’). She has probably noticed by now that her Dal’ is my new weakness. Then, I found a large container of Quinoa my boyfriend had also made the night before and I have to say it tastes even better each & every time. Finally, I needed something more to full-fill my hunger & nourish me from a tough Spin class I had taught earlier that day, so I looked for the bag of Spinach I had bought at Target and I completed a quick fix to get back on the road. My Avocado‘s weren’t ripe yet but typically in a quick fix like this one I would add half of an avocado (sliced). I’m sure you all know just how much I love Avocado’s. Just one cup of Quinoa contains 222 calories, 157 from carbs, 32 from fat and 32.6 from protein – so these calories are well distributed. It contains 8.1g of Protein, 5.2g of Fiber, 9.3IU Vitamin A, 77.7 mcg of Folate (needed in every woman’s diet). It also include tons of Minerals such as Calcium, magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium 13mg (very small amount) still needed for healthy levels of electrolytes, copper, magnesium and Selenium. One cup of Split pea soup contains 160 calories, 3.5g of fat (healthy fat), 25g of Carbohydrates, 9g of fiber and 9 grams of Protein. It also includes Minerals such as 4% of Vitamin A, 2% of Calcium, 2% of Vitamin C and 10% of iron. Moreover, one cup of Spinach has less than 1% of fat, 6.9 calories, 1.1g of Carbs, 0.7g of fiber, and 0.9 of Protein. Spinach has high percentages of healthy minerals such as 57% of Vitamin A per cup, 3% of calcium, 15% of Vitamin C and 5% of iron.

It is a good thing I only invite healthy food into my kitchen because had I had some fries or junk food in my pantry (which I never do), I would have destroyed it in matter of seconds and because it has no nutrition value, I would seek for more food causing me to over binge and fill my body with trans-fat and fake calories. As it has taken me years to master healthier options, I want you all to know it takes time and dedication to practice good habits. I really hope everyone can make wiser decisions on what they eat, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Good thing for me, I am never trying to lose weight because I have no weight to lose, neither am I trying to gain weight because I am happy with my 125 lbs. body frame, 92% of it is all muscle, and the remaining 8% is body fat that my body appreciates because it’s healthy fat I find from my lovely avocado’s, nuts, olive & coconut oil, omega-3 and 6 supplements and some fish too.

**Nutrition information taken from caloriecount.com

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