On the go

Detail-cleaning a car is no small job. I got to experience that this morning as I got out a bucket of soap, a rag and scrubbed my car, inside out. My attention went to the muscles in the back that got a good work out, plus, my arms where screaming for a break as I had already "killed" them in the gym earlier this morning. This turned out to be more time consuming then I had in mind - so I started thinking about cars, how necessary they are (thankful!), how cool some cars are (good job inventors!) and how "one day I`ll get a brand new car and it`s gonna be awesome" (dreamy!). I started wondering about all those shiny cars that I see so often and how people spend lots of time and money on their cars. Upkeep like oil-change, smog, registrations and insurance are just a few of the responsibilities that comes with having a car - not to mention being a responsible driver on the road. Human bodies and cars have some common grounds, both of them need some form of upkeep, fuel, attention and money put into them. Us humans can and probably will outlive a car, or even a few of them, but we cannot outlive our bodies.

One of the things I do in order to keep my body happy and healthy is that I eat regularly. I shoot for 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day, starting first thing I get up and ending a few hours before bedtime. I also consider what kind of food it is I put in my body.
As I have been getting busier with work in the last few months I have noticed that I allow myself to have excuses for poor choices. For instance, my meal preparation time has been cut and so my meals are not as planned as they used to be. I find myself skipping meals which means that my work outs wont be as hard as I would like them to be. Other effects of skipped meals can be fatigue, unstable food intake later on, unhealthy snacking (chips, candy, caffeine and sweet. AKA foods that will spike the blood sugar before it drops down way low etc).

I look at these excuses as amusing challenges in life that can have creative and practical solutions to them. Food preparation is one of these areas. One of the biggest mistakes people make with their health is to skip meals. There`s a saying that goes something like this:"failure to prepare is preparation to failure", and I know from experience that preparation can be exactly that key that was necessary to success when it comes to food and health.

So in my busyness, one practical way to success has been to pack my own On-The-Go-Oatmeal! Just as I wont let my car run out of gas on the freeway, I will not let my body run out of fuel that it needs to keep going strong:

It takes me less then a minute to put together a packet of On the go oatmeal, all I have to do is get out my ingredients (which are pre granulated - another practical way to stay prepared; turn almonds, flax seeds and oat meal into flours ahead of time), measure it up and put it in a little plastic bag (Michaels sell these). One meal is about...

 3 heaping tbs. Gluten-free Oat flour

1-2 cups boiling water

1 tbs. Flax meal

1/2 tsp. cinnamon/vanilla powder

a handful of nuts and or raisins

I also add a tablespoon of hemp protein powder =)

I keep a couple of these in my purse and pull it out whenever hunger strikes. At the gym, at church or like the other day when I was out for breakfast with a friend, and the options for a gluten free hungry person was limited... SCORE! =) 

-Kathrine-

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Mango.

I just really like that word. Mango. A few years ago I traveled in Vanuatu for six weeks and one of the places we stayed at had a huge mango tree in the front yard. It was incredible to go and find a ripe fruit at any time of the day, pull out the knife and eat it. Ah - simplicity. We ate an enormous amount of amazing fruits during those weeks - coconut, papaya, mangoes, bananas, pine apple... good times.

This Saturday morning is gonna be good. I am getting ready to go to the gym - gonna get my work out on! Then off to the newly-opened-for-the-season farmers market before I head back to the gym for my spinning class.

Juicing fresh vegetables sure makes vegetables go allot faster then if I was to eat them all. This morning all I could find was carrots, a pear and a mango. So I juiced the carrots and the pear. Then I blended it in my high speed vitamix with the mango. A little bit of fiber, a lot of sugar (! pre work out meal) and at-least it was all natural foods.
Changing up my diet (when I say diet this does not mean micro dieting. It just means that I am referring to what I am eating) this week has been incredible. 4 cups of fresh vegetable juice until mid-afternoon. Then a normal lunch, and a lighter dinner later on. I am full of energy =)
 

Have a beautiful Saturday Loves

- Kathrine -

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Fresh fruit and vegetable juicing

On this half sunny, half cloudy morning I took our new moped out for a little drive. 7AM is still very peaceful as far as traffic goes, with my newly learned skills in driving the moped that is perfect for me. 

Lately I have not been wanting to eat vegetables. It comes in waves, sometimes all I want to eat is a different kind of salad for all my meals. Then there are times when all the greens I get is in stir fried foods. Waking up in the morning tired, is a sign to me that I need to pat attention more to what I eat and make sure I get allot of high quality whole foods rich in nutrients.
As I was cruising around the neighborhood this morning, I wondered if I could do the far drive to the one grocery store in town that makes fresh green juice. I considered the roads, the busyness and my skill level and quickly decided that it was not a good idea.

It dawned on me that I have a juicer in my garage, it was given to me a year ago by some sweet friends of ours and I have not even used it. You see, the last juicer I had was a crazy little machine I got at a thrift store for $6. It juiced my vegetables well, but it was super loud and it took at least 20 minutes to clean up! Joy filled my heart when I discovered that it was broken and I could throw it away =)

Anyway, I got home, parked the moped and found my "new" juicer. I used all kinds of vegetables - carrots, apples, lemons, golden beets, spinach and cucumbers and got 2 cups of really refreshing and tasty juice.

"The juice of fresh fruits and vegetables is the richest available food source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes." -From the book Juicing for life.

I am excited for my next cup of juice!

-Kathrine-

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What I do today, will benefit me tomorrow

Today I am thinking about lasting health and how - what I do today will benefit me tomorrow. (Tomorrow, as in 10-20 years from now on.)

Some people seems to age really well. We can find really "fit" looking people in the entertainment world like Madonna. She is a lady that has been around with her music for years and years and managed to stay in shape through pregnancies and through the years.
I firmly believe that what we do with our health right now, will have lasting effects on our life. Madonna didn`t just follow a trainer for a few months, neither did she just do yoga for a month to be where she is at right now, she has worked to stay fit all of her life - when she was in her 20`s, 30`s and 40`s.

Healthy habits will keep us going strong and in some ways "slow" the aging process.
Exercise and diet goes hand in hand and plays a vital role here. Now Madonna probably has all kinds of chefs, trainers, equipment not to mention time, to focus on her health. But her example still stands.

(I want to explain myself, I am not using Madonna as a role model for her skinny-ness. People with allot more weight on their bodies can still be in great shape...! It`s not about how skinny we look, it`s about having a strong heart and strong muscles. Anyone can be skinny or fat, but it takes work to become strong and age well. Which I think Madonna has done well.)

I don`t ever wanna become a slave to something. For example an extreme diet, or too harsh of a work out routine that will only last for so long. Finding a balanced lifestyle where diet and exercise goes hand in hand, with all the other aspects of our lives is really important.

When working out becomes hard or boring to do day in and day out, I remind myself that I`m doing this with the future in mind. For myself and for the people that are important in my life. Quickly the sense of purpose comes back to me and I stay motivated for my work out.
So keep running, you runners, keep skiing, keep walking, dancing, lifting weights - whatever it is. Just stay active. =)
I realize that some of you don`t have that habit of exercising or eating healthy, but you know what, It`s never too late to start, never. Health is for everyone who wants it. It does not require anything, just your choice.

-Kathrine-

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My work outs and Carbs

Me saying that I am enjoying this day is a huge understatement. I love days when I can drink tea with my love, research the web for recipes, bake and cook delicious food and in the end of the day have our best friends (I so love you guys!!) over for an evening of laughter, conversations and a good meal.

This week I have put in many hours working out and instructing classes. My body screams for relaxation and recovery, I am mostly sore in my upper back but my arms are a little jello-like too. I am also tweaking my diet to fit my activity-level. Loading up on carbohydrates and nutrient rich food.

My work outs week 12:
Monday: EFX circut training 50 min. 
Tuesday: Stairmaster 45 min.
                Bodysculpt 50 min.
Wednesday - Stairmaster 30 min.
                      EFX circut training 50 min.
Thursday - Bodysculpt 1 hour
                  Spinning 45 min.
Friday - OFF
Saturday - Spinning race-day 2 hours

 Carbs, carbs, carbs:
A few years ago, during my transitioning time of becoming gluten free, I ate 95% raw and vegan. It was rewarding to focus on what I could eat, rather then what I could not eat. The backside of it was a constant feeling of being hungry. I snacked on carrots and nuts all day long in order to keep that hunger in check. But even with eating vegetables all day long - in the end of the day, a raw and vegan lifestyle did not support my activity level. Working out was hard and gathering motivation for it likewise.
As I started introducing more and more carbohydrates, protein and dairy products into my diet I found that I had more energy. My body felt more at ease because I was not constantly hungry and now I had a ton of energy for daily chores and working out. Over the years I have come to find what foods work for me and the amount that supports my activity level.

Food is obviously essential. The type of food we eat has powerful effects on energy levels, moods, appearance, longevity and how we age. There are foods that are good for us, then there are foods that are good in smaller portions, and there is foods we should stay away from (like overly processed food).
Dietary carbohydrates play a vital role in human nutrition because they provide the primary source of the energy we need to fuel bodily function.

Some carbs are good and some are bad depending on what it does to our blood sugar levels. We can use the glycemic index (GI) to find out just how much our blood sugar increases in the hours after ingesting. The food with the highest glycemic index aka the nastiest food you can eat in terms of turning to sugar the minute you eat it is... drum-roll, white bread! The GI of white bread is set to 100 and all foods are compared to it (GI charts either use white bread as reference point or pure glucose which has a GI of 140.

What we call simple carbs = empty carbs = high GI foods, have been refined and stripped of their supportive nutrients. So white sugar, white bread, pastries and even cereal has no nutritional value. It goes like this: you eat it, your blood sugar spikes, the pancreas works really hard to pump out insulin to get the blood sugar level down, and it works... fast, now you crash, feel fatigue and soon enough hungry again.
Anyway, since our bodies needs energy and fuel, we need carbs, good carbs! Ones that digest slowly and allows us to stay full for a long time, it also supplies us with balanced energy levels throughout our day. On a gluten free diet we often turn to replacement foods (gf bread, pizza, pasta, cookies etc), and the typical main ingredient is corn, white rice and potatoes which unfortunately is not much else but starch and lacking in nutritional value.
Choosing foods wisely is essential to our health in the long run, gluten free or not. Complex carbohydrates from grains are the body’s best source of energy because they are burned in a constant, time-released manner. Some of the carbs that I choose, that leaves me feeling full for a long while and also supplies me with high nutritional value include but are not limited too:

• Quinoa, millet, sorghum, oats, teff, amaranth and buckwheat
• Apples, kiwi, avocados, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and brussel sprouts
• Berries, nuts and seeds.

 So that was a little bit of allot of things =) I need to get to my cooking and baking now. I wish you all a peaceful day!
 

 -Kathrine-

Resources: The encyclopedia of healing foods, Gluten free for dummies

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Getting back into the swing

As the last month has been a bit of a hold-back month as far as training goes - dealing with painful knees and then bronchitis, I now feel ready to get going with training again! =)

I have instructed a bunch of classes in the last few weeks, but that is different. My first real work out was done yesterday and it was allot harder then I expected. Usually I love going from one exercise to the other and pushing really hard. But all I wanted to do yesterday was to quit. I felt weak.

At times working out is not all that fun. Not having a work out rhythm can become and ongoing cycle. Always having to do a "first work out" in a while is not awesome, especially finding out that our fitness level is not all that it could be. 
I think once we have established a rhythm, working out feels allot easier, more fun and our fitness level will always improve.

Anyway, when I finished up my work out yesterday and felt "down" about it, I made a decision to look ahead. I told myself that after the next work out I will feel a little stronger and a little more fit. Immediately I started looking forward to my next work out..
This morning I got up and hurried to the gym, I had already decided to be challenged in a EFX (Everyday Fitness Extreme) class at Everyday Fitness. (A high intense interval circuit training class that goes for an hour.) Sure enough, I did the work out and felt 10 times better about it today compared to yesterday`s work out. I remember now that I do love to exercise.

 -Kathrine-

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Frisbee golf

On Sunday we found a park. It had big fields of grass, perfectly placed benches, massive trees and a frisbee golf court. J had shared stories from last year of his adventures here. I was excited to try out a new game and to soak up some sun, most of all I was excited to spend quality time with my very best friend, my Husband J.

 I quickly realized that Frisbee golf (or more correctly disc golf) is allot of fun. 

"The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." -Rules, PDGA.com

Not that I can brag about my well-done-ness (scored 15 over par), but I loved the simplicity of just throwing the disc and doing my very best.

This is a perfect Sunday Fun-day game for families, friends and can even be done alone. Click here, and search for courses close to where you live. It`not just a recreational activity - there can be several fitness benefits of playing this game. Throwing the disc works muscle strength, walking the hilly course can work your heart/aerobic fitness and the mental challenge can lead to emotional relaxation.

Some of us need exercise disguised as fun =)

 -Kathrine-

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I win..

...At the end of the day, this is what you wanna be able to say to yourself: Making the choice for a higher level lifestyle is worth it. Lance Armstrong once said: "pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever". We can apply this to many circumstances in life like training or cutting the rope on certain foods.
Here`s a little secret for you that gave me hope when a restricted diet was hard to deal with.
It`s easy to think that someone with a sensitivity to gluten (including people with celiacs) has a compromised immune system. That is absolutely wrong. The opposite is true! The immune system in people with celiac disease is working way harder to fight the "bad guys" like gluten.
Yey for having a great working immune system! ;)

Practically, what does it look like to "win". When you are faced with a challenge, you don`t have to take the easy turn that will feel good only in the next few moments. You can take the road less traveled.
In my spinning classes (which everyone in Redding should come and try by the way!) I challenge them to work through what feels impossible in the moment. We are on our bikes, headed up a steep hill and we can barely "see" the top. It`s heavy gear and our muscles are aching. Giving up seems like THE solution. Just take off the gear and quit. Or, keep working, keep looking to the top, and reap the benefits once you get there. In the end of the day you can stand in front of the mirror and say "I win". Maybe you had to say no to try those nachos your friend ordered at Logans Roadhouse, or say no to your other friends birthday cake that looked like heaven on earth. Its the choices in those moments that defines who you are. The kind of person I wanted to be was a healthy, vibrant, gorgeous, creative and exhilarating person who loved life and everyone around her.

One small choice at the time, one meal at the time, one day at the time will get us closer to where we want to be. Here are a few of my tips on how to stay gluten free on the GO

• Choose your friends wisely - Spend "eating" time with people that are flexible, kind and maybe on the same road as you in a way or the other. Avoid people that are grossed out by salad and healthy choices. No joke, I have had to defend my diet so many times.
• Choose restaurant wisely - opt for places that serve fresh produce, brown rice, corn tacos and salads. Mexican food works well.
• Avoid foods like - french fries (they batter foods in bread and fry them in the same oil), meats/fish with sauces that might have gluten in it, pasta, pizza (BJ`s brewery offers GF and so does a few other places in bigger city's), chinese food (PF Chang`s has a GF menu, and it`s amazing too), sushi, Buffets are the worst. 
• Stop - going to McDonalds and those kinds of fast food places. You will never get a satisfying gluten free meal there.
• Ask questions - don`t be afraid to have a conversation with your waiter about the food they serve - how it`s made, their work space and such. 
• Get familiar - with the farmers markets and health food stores where you live, the GF aisles and the GF, DF, no soy, eggs etc products. Even on your travels - inform yourself ahead of time on what the options are for food. For instance, I always know where the next Wholefoods is..
• Snack! - I`ve said it before, but your gorgeous purses will come in handy for this one.. keep a bag of almonds, raw/GF bars, apples, bananas, tea bags (no joke), GF chocolate and airborne with you at all times.

It might seem weird to people that you have strong preferences when it comes to these thing. But stick to your plan and you will reach the goals you have set out to reach. In the end.. you win =)

-Kathrine-

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Water

How is everyone`s fitness goals going? I am curious! =)
For the last 5 days my knees have been completely stressed out and not very co operative, and I have not gotten my work out`s done. This is beyond sad, but has made me realize how important our joints are.

I got on my computer and did some research and found several articles, researches and discussion boards about how dehydration can cause joint paint. "Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers". Here are some other facts I found interesting:

• lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue
• having a "dry mouth" is an extremely late sign of dehydration
• 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated

So most of us could be drinking more water. Who`s up for a challenge?
It is said that we should drink half our body weight in oz, (if you weight 120lb. Drink 60 oz. of water etc), but I think that should be an "at least" amount. Jillian Michaels golden number for how much water to drink is 100 oz a day. There will be some bathroom run`s, but lets just get used to it and become avid water drinkers!

Here are some benefits to drinking water:

• protects and moisturizes our joints
• helps with our metabolism
• regulates body temperature
• relieves fatigue
• reduce the risk of cancer
• detoxifies our body
• helps our organs to absorb nutrients better

-Kathrine-

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Thursday Morning

Good morning! =) Sipping on lemon juice, getting excited for a new day.
The last couple of days have been busy. I don`t know about you, but I will always take a hard work out, instead of having to do office stuff. Baah. Anyway, I`m still sore from my last work out where I focused on the upper body. And here are my reality photos. Just tracking where I`m at.

Have a beautiful day!

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More running stuff

Last Monday, I was very intrigued by marathon running. Redding has a yearly Marathon that takes place in January. It happened to be last Sunday, and a friend of mine participated and finished strong. Now, that I`m a runner, I know how much work goes in to running miles. A 26.2 mile run... is just completely impressive, and on a whole different level.

Back to my story, Monday came around and I decided to set out on a long run on the treadmill. I had done 8 mile runs in the last few weeks. Now the next obvious goal had to be a half marathon - 13.1 miles. Fully aware that the conditions of running inside and outside are totally different. It`s cannot even be compared, really. Outside you have weather, hills, drinking stations and such that influences the run. A treadmill is very simple, flat and straight forward. But tracking my work on a treadmill made me sure that the accomplishment would still be very legal. So I ran.

And I did it. 13.1 miles. I took very few breaks, but all in all it took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Then I spent the rest of the day in bed extremely nauseous, a little dizzy and with a few other issues that I wont share here.
Lesson: Don`t run LONG runs without eating something, anything - a date or some nuts.
Also: eat a carb filled meal the day prior - like pasta.

Some day soon I`ll be a pro runner, well maybe! =) But for now I take experience, hard work and lessons learned with a big smile. Small step sturns in to big accomplishments. Mother Theresa once said "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies".

Kisses

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Jump Rope - an amazing work out!

Lately I've been using the good old jump rope as a part of my exercises. Its one of those fun activities many of us did as kids. We could all use a little change in our work outs, adding jump rope is one with many benefits.
First of all, its something we all know how to do. Secondly, besides the fact that you are burning huge amounts of calories while jumping, you can also do it most anywhere. At home, traveling, in a hotel room, back yard etc.
If you have kids, this is a great activity to do together. Your not just role modeling an active life style,  you are also spending quality time with them.
One way to incorporate it, whether at the gym or at home is, to create a challenge. Set you timer for 3 minutes and see how many you can do in that time. To fitness test yourself, use a heart rate monitor and track how fast your heartbeats calms down after the hard work. Then in a few weeks or months test again. Seeing results on paper can be very motivating.

I always use my  Gymboss timer when jumping rope. I set it for 10 seconds, 50 seconds, for 10 rounds or more. Another way I can use it is to do 1000 jump ropes and time how fast I did it.

Another fun thing is to jump only on the left foot, for a certain time or amount, then alternate. A little Bonus with jumping rope is that you get gorgeously toned calf muscles.

You can do it! ;) 

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Curry Carrot Salad

This salad is NOT for everyone. For example, I wont be serving this to my Husband. But for you that are craving a healthy, fun and detoxing salad with allot of flavor..This one is packed with nutrients. It`s a very time efficient meal, takes 10 minutes. If you double the portion, just store it in the fridge for a few days and eat it as lunch the next day. This salad is also a delightful meal after a hard work out. 

For this Curry carrot salad you need:

• 3 medium size Carrots
• 2 small Rutabagas
• 1 cup chopped up walnuts
• 1 Cup soaked raisins 
• 1-2 Cups of cooked brown rice
• 2 tbs Curry
• 1tbs Turmeric
• 2 Tbs Apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs Olive oi
• 2 Tbs sweet honey Dijon mustard

Let the raisins soak in filtered water for about one hour. 

Cook the brown rice and let cool

Wash the vegetables, peel the carrots..

grate them..

the rutabaga as well..

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well

 and make it cozy for the dinner party, it`s nice to have a girlfriend come over for dinner when the Husband is out of town.

Kisses

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7 foods that boost my metabolism

Now that January is here, and summer is just around the corner, I want to boost my metabolism and get rid of stored up fat in my body by eating amazing, healthy and vibrant foods. Detoxing, dieting and working out is on our minds and sometimes the last little push we need before we start feeling and seeing results is by focusing on what kind of food we eat. I try to stay with colorful fresh organic foods.. Most of them are super tasty and there are endless possibilities for use. I will post a recipe later on today for my curry carrot salad. But first, here are a few of the food items I eat allot of and that keeps my metabolism working great:

• Water, H20 - I try to drink allot of water, always!
• Apples, Green ones, red ones, yellow ones... apple sauce
• Grapefruit - It`s rich in fiber and is known to break down fat stored in our bodies..Ah yey!
• Green tea - I LOVE my cup of tea
• Vegetables like spinach, carrots and broccoli - Salad days!!
• Oat meal - It doesnt sound very good, but I have a phenomenal recipe that I`ll be posting soon.
• Curry - a powerful antioxidant 

5-6 smaller meals a day will be of great benefit to your metabolic system, as well as staying active.
Happy Healthy Wednesday!

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My work outs - week 1

 January is the big gym month, loads of enthusiastic people have found their way to the gym. Some people stick to the elliptical machines, some go for the weights and some people test out classes. Some people come alone, some come with their friend. This morning I got to work out with my friend Alyssa, and it was a blast. We gave it all, worked really hard and inspired each other to keep going. That `s the beauty of having a work out buddy ;) Thanks Lyss!

This is my work outs of 2011 so far:

Sunday - ran 4 miles, 20 min. strength training

Monday - Instructed Spinning 45 min.

Tuesday - Instructed Spinning 45 min.

Wednesday - Ran 1 mile, did 30 min of strength training (HIIT), instructed Spinning 45 min.

Thursday - Free

Friday - Ran 1,5 mile and did 40 minutes of strength training (HIIT)

Saturday -  Instructing Spinning 45 min

 For all of you runners out there; Keep track of your runs with Nike+ GPS (an app you download to your Iphone) and if you run on a treadmill, the Nike sensor will pick up your miles, pace etc. Too. Makes running more exciting ;)

Happy Friday!

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AM beauty

I was up bright and early today. Hopped in my work out clothes, grabbed a bucket of water and ran out in the cold. Every morning my car has ice on the windows, so a quick solution is to pour water on the car.

I instructed a Spinning class at 6AM... Jamba juice is luckily on my way home from the gym so I stopped there and got a yummi fresh squeezed orange juice. I liked their new logo.. and I added my own twist on it:

 I haven't had a cold or a flu since June. Working out and making sure I get vitamins seems to be working. Yey for coldbusters =)

 Many of you are working early morning too. Or, you get up early to finish homework, or to make lunch for the Husband. Finding the beauty in the AM hours can be hard, especially when we are tired. I treated myself to a Jamba Juice, enjoyed the frost on the ground, the extreme fog down at Park Marina and the sunrise as I drove home. These things made my AM beautiful.

What is beautiful to you today?

Kisses

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Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

 First Monday of the year is here, many of us are back at work and busy schedules. I want to encourage you to prioritize your work outs because there are so many benefits to it. If you are relatively new to exercising, or coming back after pregnancy or injury, then start by taking small steps. Walking, biking or a fun class at a gym are good options. 
For those of you that have been regularly working out for a while - fuel that motivation and start chasing after new goals. One small step at the time will make up for a big goal achieved. Some of us have to dig a little deeper to find inspiration. Maybe a reminder of how good it feels to have accomplished a hard work out, or 2 long miles that seemed impossible at first is all that's needed. Maybe you need a few more reasons to hit the treadmill again..

Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to exercises that are intended to improve the oxygen system. It is an activity that is long in duration yet low in intensity. Examples are jogging, swimming, jump rope, elliptical trainer, bicycling and walking etc. Here are some of the main benefits by training aerobically:

• Burns fat - When exercising at aerobic rates your body prefers fat for fuel, and it learns to do this 24 hours a day
• Strengthens immune system - Research show that we increase "fighter" cells that can help protect against diseases
• Aid in sleeping - the balance in our body improves by exercising so now theres a better environment for rest
• Improved energy 
• Psychological benefits - can decrease stress, anxiety and depression. Can foster feelings of well-being. 
• Better stamina - a strong heart can go stronger longer

What are some things that motivate you?

I better get back to working, I am planning for Spinning classes - I teach 4 this week. Plus preparing Booty camps and other events. Hope your day is productive and full of love!

Kisses

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A Healthier Alternative

Wheat is a grain that our ancestors started growing about 7 000 years ago. It`s sounds like a long time ago, but it is in fact relatively recent considering that there has been people living on this planet for even longer.
As civilization grew, crops of complex carbohydrates were cultivated in order to stabilize food supplies. With the industrial and agricultural revolution that has taken place over the last 200 years, major changes has happened to our food. For instance, the wheat crop has up to 50% higher gluten content now than centuries ago. This is so that baking becomes easier. (Gluten is like glue, it helps bread and such stick together). Gluten is also the second most common food additive in packaged food.

Wheat as it is today, has made many people sick and can often cause food allergies and/or celiac disease, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, anemia, infertility, ADD/ADHD, depression, skin rash, muscle pain etc. Many of these symptoms has been shown to improve, when on a gluten free diet.

But come on, we all love pastries, bagels... bread and cinnamon rolls. Oh dear! We want them fresh, soft and delicious with the perfect texture.
So the question is: is there such a thing as healthy alternative to baked goodies? Can wheat be replaced by some foreign type of flour and give a good alternative of a pastry? Will it taste any good?

I dare say yes.

The best graham crackers I`ve ever had were GF. The most incredible tasting oat meal raisin cookie was GF (Tia`s Bakery GF, sold at Wholefoods). If Redding had a Cupcake store that sold GF cupcakes, I would eat them all day long.
Now, just because it`s GF, does not mean it`s necessarily healthy. But it does mean that you are avoiding bleached flour and mass produced pastries with weird fillers.

So whether you and I are GF or not, here are a few of my healthy baking tips:

• Choose nutritious flours like millet, oat, quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum and brown rice
• Starchy flours are tapioca, corn, potato and white rice
• Nut flours are good additions - almond, hazelnut, coconut, peanuts etc
• (Read up on these flours and how they behave in baking here)
• Use a recipe and stick to it - measurements in GF baking is crucial
• Awesome sweeteners are agave nectar, honey, organic cane/brown sugar, bananas and fruit juice
• Play with flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, almond extract
• Arrowroot, baking powder, guar gum and xanthan gum help lighten the texture
• Allergic to eggs? For some recipes egg replacer works well
• Pie crusts, Cheese cake crust and such can be made out of your favorite nut mix. Like macadamia nuts or walnuts.
• Have fun with it! GF baking is very different from regular baking - the dough acts differently, taste a little different... But toss aside expectations and perfection and you`ll find yourself in the midst of delightful treats and some that should just be thrown away.

 Kisses

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Quality Traditions

I`ve spent hours, almost the whole afternoon in my kitchen. My feet are tired and my shoulders are aching from my work out earlier. But I learned how to use my Kitchen Aid - a bowl lift, Standing mixer. I made some delightful blue berry ice cream. Dinnertime came around and I used it for mashed rutabagas and meat cakes.

One thing that I`ve been contemplating allot lately is cultures around food. Growing up, Christmas was my favorite time of the year, I looked forward to every single meal. Breakfast, dinner, dessert... it was all a big deal. The meat had been prepared for months. Already in august, my dad would make sure that the exclusive berry called cloud berry, was picked and stored away in the freezer. On Christmas Eve, my dad proudly served cloud berry cream for dessert.

The appreciation of distinct flavors like cheese, salted meats and fish is something I`m very thankful for having.
A downside is recognizing when food is flavor less, and replaced. For instance, I cant stand the taste of "sugar free". I always learn new things about American food culture. I came here thinking "fast food" was a choice. But I`m realizing that we`re in deeper trouble then that.
Nutritionally, the food that most people consume contains huge amounts of BAD fat - butter, milk, beef and corn. Science shows that food high in saturated/trans fats can impair our judgment on when to stop eating.  It`s like the pathway to our brain that tells us we are full is being blocked, causing us to want to keep eating these harmful foods in excess.  It can even last for 3 days after the food has been consumed.

On the opposite side, healthy fats have good effects on our brains. They are linked to sharpening our mental accuracy, which makes us stay focused. Another benefit is that good fats like avocados, walnuts, and olive oil will help you stay full longer.

So for people that are trying to loose weight, be mindful about you eat, and especially about what type of fats you consume. If what you normally eat makes you carry extra pounds, one way to shed can be  by making new traditions. 

Kisses

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Ole Henriksen

Last week I purchased my first Ole Henriksen products. I have heard so many good things about this and decided to give it a try.
I got this starter kit for normal to combination skin which contains 6 products. My skin type is normal but I tend to break out a little bit every now and then. There is also starter kits for aging skin, dry/sensitive etc. You can read more in depth about the products here.

So far I really love the Walnut Complexion Scrub - an exfoliating, foaming scrub with ginseng that deeply cleanses pores. That combined with the Firm Action Mask left my skin super soft and glowing. The two moisturizers are really nurturing to my skin, one is a day cream the other is a night cream. I absolutely love these products and will continue to use them.

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