Reasonably priced workout gear!

Hey Peeps ~

Today I was talking with a friend of mine and we of course started talking about fitness and workouts..
I was telling her a few pcs of equipment she could get for a reasonable price from her local Fred Meyers, amazon or walmart!

She said "you should do a post about this".. DING.. light bulb moment! BLOG POST!!!

So, I'm giving you guys a list of 10 things that you can buy for under $30 that can help with your fitness!

1. Pull up bar.. I got mine at walmart for 9.99 this is awesome if you have any back issues.. it's great to hang and decompress your back.. I like to use mine also for not just pullups but for hanging leg raises 

2. Resistance bands I got a 3 pack w/ light, med, heavy resistance at Fred Meyer but these will do the trick

3. Stability Ball ~ make sure that you get the right size for you.. the average is 65 cm I believe..

 4. Resistance bands with handles ~ This is a super nice set for under $15 bucks

5. Jump rope ~ I LOVE to skip rope.. it's a favorite cardio warm up, workout, and end of set burner! I REALLY want this one!! AND BTW.. she is AWESOME and super funny and sarcastic.. right up my alley!!

6. Medicine balls ~ I LOVE these.. my favorite exercise using a medicine ball are these! You can find these pretty much anywhere like Big 5 sporting goods or online. Medicine balls come either like the picture in a set or you can buy them in single at what lbs suits your needs

7. Kettle bells ~ I like this one.

8. Agility Ladder ~ I want one of these

9. Any kind of ball.. soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, softball, baseball.. all GREAT ways to get moving for cheap!

10. Gymboss Interval Timer.. I LOVE this little pc of equipment! It does a lot for NOT a lot of money and it's a great addition to your workout arsenal!

There you have it!! 10 pcs of equipment to get your sweat and breath flowing! :) What's your favorite pc of equipment and what is your favorite exercise to do with it?

Later ~
Sherice

Carb Cycling

Hey ~

How has your summer been so far? I hope all is well.

I'm starting something new this week.. Carb Cycling. Do you know it?

I really like Chris Powell and love his show Extreme Weightloss. Chris and his wife, Heidi are the power house couple that helps morbidly obese people get their lives back with his 1 year transformation!

Chris has 2 books out. Both are on Carb cycling. I have the second book. that is similar to the first but has more options.

I do feel it will be trying at times considering that I try keep my diet mostly plant based!

But I'm sure that I can work it out. So basically you alternated days between low carb and high carb days. some go by the days your doing hard workouts to be high carb and cardio or non work out days to be low carb days.

The concept behind this is that high carb stokes our furnace aka metabolism. once revved then on the low carb day our bodies dip into our fat storage and burn it for fuel. You may feel tired in the afternoon but that is why you make the low carb day the rest/active rest or cardio workout day!

This is what he does with his clients. This meal plan and working out will get you to your goals fast. and it's healthy!!!

I will keep you posted. 
Here is some info on carb cycling

Get your sweat on!
Sherice

Mock Tuna salad

Hello...

Last weekend got away from me so I do apologize for not posting Sunday.

BUT... Today I have a delicious protein packed plant based sandwich recipe.

I used to hate Chickpeas.. also know as Garbonzo beans..  But once you start to eat clean foods you will be surprised at how many things you like that you thought you didn't.. at least this is what I found happened to me.

There is 2.4 grams protein, 8 grams carbs and 46 calories in 1 Tbls of chickpeas

Some Health benefits of Chickpeas.

• Fiber Advantage and Weight Loss: Like other beans, Chickpeas, are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that snares bile (which contains cholesterol) and ferries it out of the body. Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders.
• Protein for Vegetarians: Chickpeas are a good source of protein. Combined with a whole grain such as whole-wheat protein, they provide amount of protein comparable to that of meat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fats.
• Manganese for Energy Production: Garbanzos are an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. Just one cup of garbanzo beans supplies 84.5% of the daily value for this mineral.
• Iron Boost: Garbanzos can boost your energy because of their high iron content. This is particularly important for menstruating women, pregnant or lactating women and growing children. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.
• Stabilizing Blood Sugar and Low Glycemic Index (GI): Soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, beans like garbanzos can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. They have low GI value of 28 – 32 means the carbohydrate in them is broken down and digested slowly. This is helpful for weight loss as it controls appetite.
• Heart Healthy: Regular intake of Chickpeas can lower LDL (bad) and total cholesterol. Garbanzos contain the significant amounts of folate and magnesium. Folate lowers the levels of the amino acid, homocysteine and strengthens the blood vessels. Studies have found chickpeas lower the risk of heart attack
• For Women: Garbanzo contain phytochemicals called saponins, which can act as antioxidants. It could lower the risk of breast cancer, protect against osteoporosis and minimizes hot flushes in post-menopausal women.
• Weight Loss: Due to high fiber content and low GI, chickpeas are excellent for weight loss diets. Salad with chickpeas are tasty and can keep you full longer, controlling the appetite.
• info  source

 

Mock Tuna salad

This recipe is so easy.. I really don't have any measurements because I eyeballed everything..

Ingredients:
about 1/3 -1/2 cup Soy Free Vegenaise,  I just used a small spoon and it was about 4-5 spoons
can Organic Chickpeas rinsed
juice from 1/2 a Lemon
1/3 cup Onion chopped, I used a red one
1/3 cup Celery chopped
a handful of Italian parsley chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbls Dill Weed...
a squirt of Dijon Mustard, not pictured. It was an after thought once I was mixing..

 

First rinse and drain your chickpeas.. then I pulsed them in my food processor until desired consistency..

Looks like tuna huh..

then I added in all the other ingredients and mixed by hand..

I used Organic whole wheat bread and didn't use any spread on the bread itself.. you won't need any.. the only thing that would have made this even better, would have been a juice ripe red tomato!

I don't eat a lot of sandwiches but this really hit the spot.. and no fish breath :)

give it a try and add what ever seasoning you like. Next time I think I will make it with a spicy kick

ENJOY ~
S

Vegan Pancakes! YUM

Hi There ~

I know I've been really sporadic about posting and I'm giving you my promise that I will be more consistent about my posts.. so I'm going to set a goal for myself of posting once a week.. every SUNDAY!!!

That should be VERY do able..

I have been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time. Here it is...

VEGAN PANCAKES

Dry Ingredients

2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oats
1 cup W.W. Pastry flour
4 Tbls baking powder
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbls Flax meal

add dry ingredients together.. I always put mine right into the container that I'm going to store it in.. put the lid on and shake it up to mix.. I always shake it before I make them too.

you can make this recipe Gluten Free. Just play around with the flours.. I didn't really like the coconut flour when I used that but chick pea flour might work well.. or you can just use all oat flour and almond flour. The Almond flour gives it a nice texture along with the oats...

For the wet ingredients you only need 3 things....

You want to mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl or cup before adding it to the dry ingredients.

For 1/2 cup dry mix ~
1/3 cup Water
1 capful Vanilla
1 1/2 Tbls Real Maple Syrup

For 1 cup dry mix ~ 
3/4 cup Water
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 Tbls Real Maple Syrup

Add the wet (once mixed) into the dry....

you can also add fruit, nuts, seeds or pumpkin pie spice... I'm thinking 1/2 a mashed banana and some chopped walnuts would be good... Today I used Blueberries.. next time I think I will use a scoop of my Tropical Strawberry (which is vegan) Shakeology.. it's always fun to experiment in the kitchen!

As for topping.. I use a drizzle of Agave or Vanilla Coconut milk yogurt

These are delicious and HEALTHY!!!

Let me know if you try them and how you made them!

OX Sherice

Saying Good bye is never easy!

Saying good bye sucks!!

Today we said Goodbye to this guy!!

He's been my constant companion, friend, protector, and partner in crime for over 8 yrs.

Marley we love you buddy!

You'll always be my #1

Back To The Gym

Hey folks ~

My good news today is that I'm BACK IN THE GYM, Slowly but surely!

I've been taking a 'healing hiatus' for about the last 10 mos. I've got 2 bulging discs in my back that I've been healing. With that comes other issues so now I'm dealing with more Sciatic pain, like a constant charlie horse in my right glute.. seems to be Piriformis syndrome, which is due to a tightening of the piriformis muscle that attaches from your hip to your pelvis across the sciatic nerve. So when it's inflamed and tight it can irritate the sciatic and make you miserable. I literally woke up about 4 mos ago with this pain and it hasn't really left. Here's a link to more about Piriformis syndrome.

All the info I've read on sciatic and PS has said that the one thing I need to be doing is a lot of stretching and YOGA!! Which I already knew because when I'm really good about stretching and doing yoga it feels SO MUCH BETTER!!

So I feel like getting back to the gym is going to be a good idea. I vowed to myself to take it slow and easy.. I have a problem with going balls to the wall crazy and I I know I'm still healing and DON'T want to injury myself further.

I was in the need for a new gym because the Gold's I was going to closed and the only other one is to far for me to drive so I looked around and choose a locally owned gym in my area that had everything I was wanting, including a pool, which is a great low impact exercise.. it's low impact for me right now.

The Fitness Center has 2 locations... one right by my mom's place and the other is in the valley. I have access to both. I really like it. The North side gym, I will be using that one mostly, has a nice area for functional fitness training. So I'm excited about that.

On Sunday I made a workout that seemed pretty easy for my sister and I and we hit the gym

OH.MY.GOODNESS......
 It felt SO good to be back working out! I felt awesome..... until the next day and the day after that.. I hate DOMS.. even though I stretched and foam rolled my legs were Killing me.. with a Capital K!!! So Today is Weds and I'm finally feeling better...

I know getting back in the saddle will be a hard, slow process but I'm glad I've taken the first step!

So you know what this means right?! I will posting my workouts and progress.
I will be getting the Iphone 5 soon.. my 4 is crapping out and I'm due for an upgrade soon. As of now though I have NO memory on my iphone 4 so I have only been filming little vlogs on my macbook at home. But as soon as I get my new phone I will be filming more stuff.. So if you don't know or haven't checked out my youtube channel here it is foodieluvsfitness. Go and subscribe please and show some love by sharing with your friends :)


Till next time :)
Sherice oxox

All Hail Kale Chips

Hey Hey... 

I've been meaning to get this recipe posted for a while now, so here it is!

Cheezy BBQ Kale chips

1/2 bag of kale or 1 bunch of kale with the stems removed, wash and drain your Kale.. if it's not fully dry it's totally fine. Rip into bite size pieces.
Any kind of Kale would work I imagine. I used curly Kale or the bag of kale at Trader Joe's

in blender or magic bullet add...

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 handfuls of cashews
a good pinch of sea salt
a couple tsp of extra virgin olive oil
pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
3-4 turns of African Smoke seasoning or other BBQ flavored seasoning of choice
2 Tbls of apple cider vinegar 
Vegan Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top before putting in the oven
 
process till creamy, if to thick add a bit more water until you reach desired consistency. Remember to taste test along the way.. need more of something? Add it.
Keep in mind you want it to be on the thicker side so that it will stick in all the curly crevices of the kale  

I have this great blender attachment for my magic bullet that works awesome for bigger batches of sauce making so I made a dbl batch of cheezy sauce, It lasts for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
      
add your kale to a bowl and drizzle some sauce on top, use tongs to evenly disperse the sauce. add more sauce if needed.

make a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle vegan parmesan on top of the kale chips and pop them into the oven. bake between 325-350 until crispy and golden brown. 

It could take between 15- 20 mins.. give them a toss or turn about half way. You may even have to take them out and remove the done ones as they cook.. it's a process but so worth it.

You will need to keep a close eye on these as they are baking.. they go from not done to perfect to burnt in no time!! 

This recipe makes about 2 cookie sheets, give or take..

if you want to dbl the recipe use 1 whole bag of kale, stems removed or 2 bunches of kale, stems removed 

These are my new favorite snack. I can't get enough!! 
Enjoy!!

Sherice OX