healthAwesomeness

I am a little obsessive when it comes to the health and fitness department. I love working out, and unfortunately when I don't, I feel bad about myself, which probably isn't so "healthy" but there are worse things in life. In the past year I have really cleaned up my eating habits. I have cut my carb intake in half and I eat only whole grains and brown rices if I do eat carbs. Now I do have my Neapolitan pizza splurges, and if I am out to dinner with friends, I'll let myself relax a little, but I still try to stick to what makes me feel best. And for me that is Low Carbs, High Protein & Lots of Veggies..Recently I have been trying to read up on more Raw foods, and how they can impact my energy levels, especially with the longer workouts I have been subjecting my body to. I am excited to try some new recipes that I have found on some wonderful food blogs. Think about a Raw Chocolate Milkshake...you had me at Chocolate and Milkshake. Yes, I know Chocolate has carbs...But this is Cacoa powder NOT to be confused with Cocoa powder. Cacoa is actually a superfood! It is an incredibly rich source of minerals and antioxidants. In fact, according to the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) it contains more antioxidants per gram than goji berries, blueberries, prunes, raisins, red wine, and green tea. Add a Frozen Banana, some almond milk, half of an avocado, a tiny bit of raw honey, and its a Milkshake fit for a health nut, fitness freak like me!

Workouts...I have officially up-ed the anty in this department. I now work-out 4-5 times a week.. 45 min to an hour of cardio and 30 minutes of Strength training. For Cardio I mix it up between my spin bike and sprints on the treadmill. For sprints I go with a 12 degree incline 8.5–9 Miles per hour, 15-20 times, or until I feel like I am going to puke! Then I hop on my bike and ride 10-20 miles depending on how I am feeling, or if I did the sprints before or not. Then its strength time, I work on my core, arms, butt and legs. Sometimes I will switch it up and go with Bikram yoga or Bar method. I have found that variety really keeps me from giving up, and helps my body get past boundaries. Then I am done! Time to take a shower, take a few minutes to feel grateful that I am able to workout...feel strong, and be happier.

Don't get me wrong, some days I really DONT want to workout. But its those days when I force myself to do it, that I feel the best afterwards and I know I am making progress towards my goal for life long HealthAwesomeness.