PREGNANCY AMBIVALENCE

So this thing with pregnancy memory loss, most of us know about. But pregnancy ambivalence. Come on! I started cooking dinner and was aiming for quinoa with fish and veg. It changed during the course though and I made veg stir-fry. However, that didn't quite suit my taste buds either so I fried some turkey burgers. Nope. I didnt' want that either. So what did I end up with in the end? Spinach, cottage cheese, tuna and quinoa mixed with cucumber, tomato, red onion and avocado oil. Yup! What to do with the veg stir-fry, turkey burgers, fish and rest of the quinoa? Let's just say the dog is the best fed organic pooch in the neighbourhood. 😉

ALMOND MILK PART 2

Finished making my almond milk today. After letting the whole almonds sit in the water overnight, I blended them up real good together wih the existing water. Have seen other recipes where they change the water and blend it in fresh water instead, but I didn't bother as I feel it's a pity to waste precious water with almond goodness extracted into it.

After blending the almonds and the water for several minutes, I separated the almond pulp and the milk that was created from the blending through a cheese cloth attached onto a pan. See pic below. It look a bit of time to wait for it to drip through, but it was worth it. I finally extracted 600 ml of milk and used the leftover pulp to sit in a new batch of water to see if I can extract even more almond milk out of it.

The coffee today with my own homemade almond milk tasted looovely! I must say, it actually tasted nicer than the one bought in the store. Big success!  :)

DETOX AND LIVEFIT TRAINER

Since Big J moved in with me and I'm no longer the only human living in the flat anymore, I must say I have been struggling. Before, I could mind my own business, eat whatever I wanted however boring it could be, train whenever, sleep whenever, do whatever whenever. But as soon as another person lives with you that you actually care for, it becomes harder. And as a woman, I think we automatically feel this calling of taking care of our man, which shifts the focus from ourselves instead of trying to find a balance.

So, I have gone through a period of 5 months where I have strayed from my usual diet and training regime and finally I've had enough. Don't get me wrong, I've had a good time, I'm not gonna lie, but when the jeans are getting too tight that's when I have to set my foot down. Honestly, I am dead scared of going down the dangerous path of obesity again, which I know won't happen again, but the fear is there, in the back of my head.

Like so many other people after New Years, I am jumping on the detox bandwagon for 30 days. Unfortunately, I have been sick with fever and a throat infection, but I am back to writing my food journal and restricting calories as well as carbs. It's good to be back on track!

Next step is to chose a training program. I thought I might just go back to my old one I did with upper and lower body split supersets, together with my classes I instruct at the gym, but I had such good results last year doing the first 5 weeks of Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer that I'm gonna go back and finish it. This time, I will start in week 5 phase 2 and go from there.

But for now, lots of tea with lemon and honey. Gaaah!

 

ALMOND MILK RECIPE PART 1

Now that almond milk has finally become a little bit more popular, it's nice to see it popping up on the supermarket shelves. However, thesupermarkets have forgotten one important thing: to buy the non-sweetened almond milk.

Read somewhere it's supposed to be quite easy to make your own almond milk, so this time I'm going to try to make my own instead of buying. It will reduce the cost by more than half. Yay!

Step 1:
Steep 2 dl organic almonds in 10 dl of water a minimum of 5 hrs, preferrably much longer for a sweeter taste, which is what I'm going to do. I'm actually leaving it overnight. Add a tiny bit of organic vanilla powder in the water for a vanilla tasting almond milk. And let it all sit...

To be continued...

EXERCISE: GOOD FOR BODY, GOOD FOR MIND

"It may come as a surprise to you that I don't love to exercise. Sometimes I actually hate it. But I do it anyway, because the rewards far outweigh whatever discomfort I feel during a workout. Regular exercise leads to better health, more energy, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, and a longer life. But it isn't just the physical benefits of exercise that push me — it's what it does for my mental health.

The mental-health benefits start right after you exercise. Have you ever noticed how good you feel when you complete a workout? That you feel relaxed, or even euphoric? That mood lift, often called "runner's high," comes courtesy of natural morphine-like chemicals called endorphins. Exercise floods the brain with endorphins, which help to relieve pain, enhance your mood, and relieve stress.

But the feel-good effects don't stop after the endorphin rush subsides. Over time, exercise provides a major boost to your confidence. As you start working out and getting stronger, your sense of strength in other aspects of your life will naturally flourish as well. To put it another way, if you can survive my workouts, you can do anything — and when you feel that sense of empowerment, nothing will be able to stand between you and the life you want to live." - Jillian Michaels

RAW FOOD BALLS RECIPE

Raw food balls recipe
Remember, I don't really measure when cooking or baking so I suggest you use your own judgement and taste buds to get these the way you like them. Use a food processor and add:
Almond flour (optional)
Coconut oil
Raisins, sultanas, figs and/or dadles
Nuts (whichever you prefer)
Seeds (sesame, pumpkin)
Spirulina and/or wheatgrass powder
Water or any other liquid you prefer
Mix all the ingredients well and taste the batch. Make them into little balls and roll them in coconut flakes or cocoa powder mixed with stevia. Store in the fridge. Yummm! Enjoy!

RAW FOOD SEED CRISPBREAD

Crispbread or crackers, whatever you want to call them. Whatever the name, it is the best recipe you'll ever try. You won't know how the heck you've lived without it until now!!!

Here's my recipe (all ingredients are organic and GMO-free):

• 1 dl flaxseeds


• 1½ dl sesame seeds


• ½ dl pumpkin seeds


• ½ dl sunflower seeds


• 1-2 tsp vegetable broth (I use Renée Voltaire)


• ca 2½ dl water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for an hour or three, depending on your time. Put the oven on 50¤ Celsius and put the rack at the lowest level. Put a baking sheet into a semi-deep pan, just to stop the mixture dripping outside the pan. Pour the wet mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it/flatten it evenly with a spoon, all over the baking sheet. Put the pan into the oven on the lowest rack and let it cook for 3-4 hours on the same low heat. Perfect time to clean the house, do laundry or other "fun" things around the hous. Once done (when it's no longer wet underneath) let it cool for a bit before you try it. It's soooo yummy!

I like to eat my crispbread, or crackers, with almond butter. Or with a slice of cheese when it's straight from the oven. Or why not with some cottage cheese and avokado. There are no limits! Bon apetit.

The wet mixture before the flaxseeds develop the gel around them.

The mixture spread out evely on the baking sheet before going into the oven.

Freshly out of the oven. Mmmm!

SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS

You can't achieve success if you're not moving toward something. Think about your ultimate long-term goal, and then break it down into less overwhelming mini-goals. Then find some incentives to help you stay the course. What kinds of goals am I talking about? The ambitious and attainable ones.

First: Think long and hard about what you want. Make sure your goals are actually things you want to achieve, not what society dictates or what your family or friends want for you. Ultimately your life is yours and you must live it for yourself. I know you might be thinking that's selfish, but so what? Sometimes being a little selfish is a good thing, especially if it enables you to take care of yourself.

Second: Remember, goals are not inflexible roadblocks meant to make you feel badly about yourself. If you don't accomplish a goal exactly on schedule, so what? You can't predict what life is going to throw your way — but you CAN choose the way you react to situations that come up. That is where your power lies. If you fall off the wagon, just get back on — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Third: We all have to be realistic when we set our goals. I'm 5 feet 2 inches, and I have a stocky build. I am never going to be a petite little waif, no matter how hard I work. I also want to make a difference in the world, but something tells me I probably don't stand a good chance of running for president. Instead, I set goals that are realistic and productive. I am 5 feet 2 and stocky, but I am going to be the most fit 5-feet-2 muscle chick I can. I might not be president, but I can teach people how to be healthier and happier through fitness.

Make sense? The bottom line is that goals provide direction. They help bring a focus to our lives so that we can live our dreams — no matter how big or how small they may be.

Taken from EverydayHealth.

BREAKFAST GLORY

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day they say. And I say HECK YEAH! I love my breakfast. It really does set you up for the day. Not only physically but psychologically as well. If you have a healthy brekkie your mind will want to keep on the same healthy track you started the day off on.
Make sure to include all the macronutrients in your first meal of the day. Carbs from veg, protein from lean sources, and fats from healthy oils. Take a look at my brekkie (pic above) this morning. This plate of egg/eggwhite omelet pan fried in rapeseed oil, cottage cheese, mixed leave sallad and tomatoes, it will set me up for hours by firing up my metabolism with a steady blood sugar level, vitamins, minerals and is low in calorie. (Pref. organice produce.)
It doesn't have to be boring or bland. Find what tingles your taste buds and fits your morning schedule, but remember to always eat breakfast. Try my smoothie recipe if you're tight for time.
Now have a fantastic day and live life to its fullest! :))

KILLING THE FAT MAN

The reason why you haven't seen any updates here these last few days like I promised, is because I went and got hurt before I even started. Putting my coat on. DOH! How frickin bad is that. POW! and something felt like it snapped in my back and I pulled a muscle so bad I had to go to the doctor to make sure my shoulder blade was still there. I mean, I couldn't even scratch my head when I had an itch. Yeah, so that's what I've been up to. Nursing my injury back to help.

Just watched a couple of episodes of "Killing The Fat Man" with Gary Roberts and his journey through Crossfit. Loving those videos! He's so frank, honest, and just funny! Check out episode 8 and you'll understand what I'm talking about. But watching them made my itch to workout even worse. But I got strict orders of a week's rest. ARGH! It's getting better though, which is a good sign. Maybe this will teach me some patience. hahaha! NOT!

Off to bed now so I can get up and go for a long walk tomorrow morning instead. Nite y'all!

BELIEF IN MY OWN 12-WEEK PROGRAM

It's Sunday and I am mentally and physically back from a wonderful 2-week holiday. I've been traveling around Ireland with Mr J. where we saw the sights, ate the food and drank the drinks. Enjoying every minute of it! And unfortunately I have some extra pounds to prove it...

Being back is a mixture of feelings but it's mostly great. I'm so eager to get back to a normal training and eating schedule - although doing my morning workout by the gorgeous mountains in Co. Kerry, Ireland won't beat it! Have been looking into which 12-week training program I am going to embark on next and it hit me - why don't I do my own. I don't think by any means I am better or have more capacity than some of the fantastic trainers out there, but none of the programs out there fit my life schedule seamlessly or the goals I have, so I thought I might as well pick the stuff from the different trainers I like and make my own. My own way. Just the way I like it. :)

I'll try to post my program here on the blog as I go along and share it on my Facebook page Jumping Jax Fitness so head over there too and like my page so you can get the updates in your FB timeline.

Off to the drawing board I go to work on my own 12-week program. Big task I'm setting myself but hopefully I can do it. Self-belief to be tested!!!

PROGRESS MOTIVATION

I've been doing really well lately with my workouts and diet and I can finally see some results. Although I do have cravings, I am pretty adament not to cave in to them. Have you noticed the only difference between crave and cave is the R. ;)

One thing I have changed in my eating though is the amount of fats I eat. I have upped it almost 100% and I can notice a big difference. Not only in my energy level but also on the way my weight is dropping. I've also upped my calories from around 1200 to about 15-1600. Protein level is still high but my carb count (and I eat A LOT of veggies) is around 30-35 gr per day. I train at least once a day and on my rest days (Friday and Sunday) I only take walks with the dog. So far I have dropped 3,3 kg in 2,5 weeks. Granted the first week it was mostly water weight, but damn it feels good anyway. The pounds have snuck their way in there again and I got comfortable with eating a little bit here and a little bit there. Nope. Not anymore! And no, it's not EASY to get up at 5:15 in the morning to go for a run and then do some strength workouts at home, all before going to work. And no it's not easy to say NO to those yummy afternoon snacks my colleagues or boss gets for all of us to munch on. And no it's not easy weighing and calculating EVERYTHING that passes my lips. But yes, I'm loving the reward. And the photo I've posted with this blog entry is now attached to my fridge because it keeps me focused. A healthy life is what I want. A fitter body is what i want. Sometimes it's a challenge, but if it wouldn't be, then it wouldn't change me. When you pray for strength, you get tested in order to show you've got the strength. Nothing comes for free. You've got to work for it. And the reward is so much sweeter in the end!

WHEATGRASS: SUPER FOOD BENEFITS

Wheatgrass benefits: As its name suggests, Wheatgrass is a grass of little wheat plants. This is one of the most recommended health food supplements around, and is filled with enzymes, chlorophyll, minerals, and highly concentrated vitamins. Nutritionally, wheatgrass is a complete-package food. Wheatgrass juice and wheatgrass consuming in general, is a superb way to obtain dark green while eating. Wheatgrass is over twenty times thicker in nutrients than other vegetables choice. Since wheatgrass belongs to the grass stage, it’s still safer than white wheat consuming for people with wheat allergy. The juicing process allows to unlock extra nutrients from the wheatgrass, makes them much usable to the body cells and much more concentrated. One of the main wheatgrass benefits is chlorophyll, that has a chance to draw toxins in you body just like a magnet. Considered as the “blood of plants”, chlorophyll can heal and soothe inner tissues. The chlorophyll in wheatgrass has elevated levels of light energy and oxygen, which could supply the body tissues and the brain by having an optimal environment to function. The chlorophyll in wheatgrass also offers antibacterial property, which could stop the growth of parasites in your body.

Wheatgrass Builds Blood: Countless health experts have highlighted the chlorophyll molecule in wheatgrass as similare to  the hemoglobin molecule in the blood of humans. The single dissimilarity would be that the central aspect in hemoglobin is iron and in chlorophyll it is magnesium. For this inherent similarity, the body can certainly transform chlorophyll into hemoglobin enhancing the red blood cells count along with the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen along with other nutrients towards the body’s cells. Chlorophyll can stimulate the enzyme systems, promote higher metabolic process and release free oxygen, obliterate toxic carbon dioxide, normalize blood pressure level through dilating the blood pathways,and build red blood cells rapidly.

Wheatgrass Cleanses the Body: Wheatgrass juice and powder are very useful foods in terms of their cleansing capabilities. The powder and wheatgrass juice content are known to have around 100 separate elements, which for scientists name it a “complete food”. It is a good resource of carotene and vitamins B, C, E, that highly efficient in cleansing the body, eliminating free radicals and destroying it. It also has a high ability to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, organs and the blood.

Wheatgrass Has High Amino Acid Content: Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, as you probably already know.  They are necessary to our cell regeneration and growth. The Amino acid that’s in the wheatgrass juice, is in a perfect form to be consumed by gym-goers, and some bodybuilders are integrating powdered or fresh wheatgrass juice into their diet as well. Wheatgrass juice contains a complete list of protein benefits such as valine, phenylalanine, tyrptophane, leucine, methionin, alanine, glycine, aspartic acid, lysine, absenisic, serine, and arginine.

Wheatgrass Fights and Protects against Illness: Consuming organic wheatgrass juices and powders is a very efficient way for boosting the immune system of the body, and recover from ailments and illnesses. Wheatgrass is also a good resource of 19 different amino acids and over 90 different minerals, contains vitamins C, E, H, and K and a large amount of vitamins B and beta carotene. It also contains many vigorous enzymes that play a main task in assisting hugely in weight loss, undertaking biological functions and breaking down fats.

 

Taken from MuscleSport Mag on Facebook.

JUMPING JAX SMOOTHIE RECIPE

I'm finally going to write down what my smoothie in the morning consists of. Don't be fooled by some of the ingredients, the smoothie tastes delish. You might have to experiment with how much of everything you want, but that's up to you. This is for your inspiration only. Use it as you please.

Water
Wheat bran
Pure lemon juice
Frozen berries
Whey protein powder
Raw cacao powder
Coconut oil or flakes
Ginger powder or raw root
Cinnamon
Turmeric
Spirulina
Wheatgrass
Mint

Mix it all in a blender and enjoy!

It's a lot of stuff, but my smoothie goes on autopilot now and I make sure I prep some of the dry ingredients all scooped into a cup the night before, that way I just dump it all into the blender in the morning. For the properties and benefits of these ingredients... well, let me just say it's all good for you! Unless you're wheat intolerant, but then u can add something else to substitute the fiber. And need I say most of it is organic. ;)

Let me know what you think.

MIRACLE NOODLES

For all you who want to cut back on the starchy carbs yet still enjoy your pasta or noodles, here's the perfect food solution.
Shirataki are very low carbohydrate, low calorie, gluten free, translucent Japanese noodles made from the konjac root. Largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, they have little flavor of their own.
I recommend rinsing and draining them before preparation. Then I cook them in a bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to extract more water from them as well as heat them up. Then eat them with whatever. I had these Fettuccine Shirataki with salmon and spinach in a bit of cream sauce. Yum! And yesterday I made a chicken thai soup with the skinny Shirataki noodles. Delish!
Yup, I would say they are Miracle Noodles for sure!

THURSDAY WOD

It's Sunday and I'm still a little sore from Thursday's workout. How is that possible, you wonder. Well, I'll tell you. This is the WOD that shook my legs to the core. If you know how to do a proper full-range, deep squat, then you know what I'm talking about.

1. 10 clapping push-ups (can be modified either up or down on a bench)


2. 20 air squats (full-range and deep enough so that your hips pass below knee level)


3. 50 metre sprint

Repeat 10 x of this circuit, as fast as you can without compromising form. Then come back and tell me how sore you were the next day. And next day again. ;)

BALANCED TRIO

For all of you guys who are following my blog know that I have been a bit quiet lately. I don't know why really. I have had things to write and share but still didn't feel like they were worth sharing. I have been feeling a bit low as well and got a few days where I was feeling a bit feverish and then I got a cold. What's good about being healthy in general is that although I do get sick, it's not like I'm dying and I think I bounce back pretty quickly anyway. But as an active person, days of rest (in this case 3) feels like forever and I am getting antsy about getting back to training. My philosophy nowadays, and have been for a while, is "train hard or don't bother". I know it's an all or nothing mentality but it's just the way I function. It's full throttle or no gas at all. Makes life exciting but it also means I burn out a bit quicker, I think.

I have this ideal picture of my training schedule (comes out to about 9 sessions per 7 day week between crossfit, kickboxing, pure strength and my own classes) and then my body says stop by signaling different ailments. Pisses me off but maybe I'm supposed to learn from it too. I heard someone say that you are truly healthy when you have these 3 aspects balanced: physical, psychological and emotional. There might be some truth in that statement as I can notice although my diet is spot on and my caloric intake is on par with my BMR, I train good, get pretty good sleep, I am STILL not losing any weight or fat. How is it possible?! But I also think I am not in a very good mental state at the moment with a lot of things going on in my life which keeps dragging me down emotionally, that in return affects my cortisol levels and fires stress into my body.

This waiting game for my life to get more stable isn't doing much good for my health and I haven't figured out a way to block it out. If I could, I defo would. But then I wouldn't have a balanced trio of physical, psychological and emotional health... Hmm, something to think about...

Now, I'm gonna prep brekkie for tomorrow, then read my new BODY magazine that I just got in the mailbox today and off to bed for an early night. Friiiidaaaayyy tomorrow!!! :)

GINGER ME UP

I've been saying this for years and that's why I use it in most of my cooking.

Of all the functional foods out there, ginger arguably has the most functions. It’s used to settle the stomach and reduce pain, and it has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antioxidant properties. But more important, studies show that ginger can boost metabolism. It appears to do that by two methods: (1) by causing muscle tissue to use more oxygen, which means you’re increasing the number of calories you’re burning; and (2) by increasing lactic acid production, which, in turn, increases fat-burning. Makes that sashimi dinner look even more appealing, doesn’t it?

Taken from Muscle&Fitness Hers.

TOP 10 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

Your body is under attack—only you probably don’t realize it. So what’s the problem? Inflammation. It’s a normal process that is designed to help your body recover, which causes the occasional ache or pain. In small doses, this is fine. But if you’re constantly putting your body under stress—whether from work, illness, or even exercise—your body flips into protection mode. The inflammation that’s meant to protect you instead causes your body to fight against itself. The system breaks down, and you become more vulnerable to injury or even disease.

But all hope is not lost. The process of healing your body can be improved with several small, simple changes. For example, many foods contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can alleviate pain and swelling, and help protect your body. Amanda Carlson-Phillips, the vice president of Nutrition and Research at Athletes’ Performance, lists which foods provides the most powerful boost to your body’s ability to regulate and reduce inflammation. Here are her top 10:

Cinnamon
Once considered more precious than gold, cinnamon is one of the world’s oldest and most coveted spices. Research has shown that cinnamon not only reduces inflammation but also fights bacteria, assists with blood sugar control, and enhances brain function. Sprinkle cinnamon over yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal, or add it to a smoothie or a glass of low-fat milk.

Ginger
This flavorful root is available all year and used in everything from soda to stir-fries. Ginger contains several anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols, which may relieve joint pain, prevent free radical damage, protect against colorectal cancer, and increase immunity. Ginger is also a natural anti-emetic, often used to alleviate motion sickness and morning sickness. Steep a couple of slices of ginger in hot water for ginger tea or blend it with soy sauce to top a stir-fried dish.

Onions
Onions are packed with sulfur-containing containing compounds, which are responsible for their pungent odor and associated with improved health. These widely-used and versatile vegetables are believed to inhibit inflammation and linked to everything from cholesterol reduction to cancer prevention. Try using onions as a base for soups, sauces, and stir-fries. Other foods with the same benefits include garlic, leeks, and chives.

Tart Cherries
One of the richest known sources of antioxidants, tart cherries are an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. New research suggests that tart cherries offer pain relief from gout and arthritis, reduce exercise-induced joint and muscle pain, lower cholesterol, and improve inflammatory markers. Drink a glass of tart cherry juice in the morning with breakfast or combine dried tart cherries with nuts for a snack.

Walnuts
Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts you can eat. They’re loaded with anti-inflammatory, heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and provide more antioxidants than Brazil nuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, almonds, macadamias, cashews, and hazelnuts. Walnuts are also a great source of protein and fiber. Top yogurt or salad with a handful of walnuts or eat raw walnuts as a snack.

Turmeric
A mustard-yellow spice from Asia, turmeric is a spice often used in yellow curry. It gets its coloring from a compound called curcumin. The University of Maryland Medical Center found that curcumin can help to improve chronic pain by suppressing inflammatory chemicals in the body. Make a homemade curry with turmeric or mix it into other recipes once or twice a week.

Pineapple
This tropical yellow fruit contains the enzyme bromelain, which is helpful in treating muscle injuries like sprains and strains. According to a study in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Disease, this enzyme may also help to improve digestion along with aches and pains associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Add pineapple to a smoothie or salad to help improve your body’s tweaks and twinges.

Flaxseed
Flaxseed is packed with omega-3 fatty acids which can help to reduce inflammation in the body. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that omega-3 found in flaxseed may help in blocking pro-inflammatory agents. Grind flaxseed to release the oils, and then add a spoonful of it to your salad, oatmeal, or yogurt. For more omega-3-rich foods with anti-inflammatory benefits, eat soybeans, extra-virgin olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

Carrots
Colorful orange carrots are rich in carotenoids, a group of phytochemicals known to help protect cells from free radicals and boost immunity. They also help regulate inflammation, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Add carrots to your salad or cook them as a side dish for any meal. Other carotenoid-rich foods include apricots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and pumpkin.

Dark, leafy greens
Dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale are packed with flavonoids, a phytonutrient that boost heart health and may help ward off cancer. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, flavonoid-rich foods may also reduce inflammation in the brain, possibly slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Eat a spinach salad a few days a week for a powerful punch of flavonoids. Other good sources are kale, soybeans, berries, tea, or even a glass of wine.

Taken from Livestrong.com.

THE ORDER

"1. Diet
2. Diet
3. Weight Training
4. Sleep
5. Cardio
6. Supplements
Diet is far and away the most important, so I've listed it twice. Weight training keeps your metabolism up, and that means more fat burning. Sleep is crucial for recovery, cardio helps burn fat, and supplements can be useful as well--once all these other elements are in place."

CALF AND SHIN STRESS FRACTURE

What started off as a pulled back has now resulted in a sore back, throbbing hip, pain behind/side of the knee and a stress fracture in my calf and shin. All left side! I'm very annoyed, to say the least. I know I should've listened more to my body. I know I should've taken it easy coming back into full training. But I have always believed that unless my body part isn't falling off, it'll be fine. Not so fast though.

I called the national medical helpline today to shed some light on what I should do, since I don't run to my GP very often. I was ordered rest for 24 hours to see if it improves the sore leg. If not, then I need to go to my doctor and get it diagnosed, possibly x-rayed. But hey, I'm resting so I'm sure it will be just fiiiiiine! :)

I haven't rested this much in ages. I even laid on the couch for 2 hours tonight, just lounging. Aaamazing! Have done my research and now I know how to keep working out without putting pressure or aggrevating my leg. Yay!

Now heal leg, heal!

FRIDAY CROSSFIT WOD

Holy schlofogomus it was hard to get out of bed this morning! But as I was arguing with myself, discussing reasons to pull out, I thought: I will never regret getting up and going for a run, but I will almost always (unless I'm sick) regret if I don't go for a run. Which is so TRUE!! Although very sore from the boxing session I made it to last night, I managed to give the run a good go. I even managed to do a CrossFit WOD consisting of 3 exercises:

1. Sprint 25 metres x 5


2. Jump pull-ups 5-5-5-5


3. Air squats 10-10-10-10

Still need to work on my pull-ups and it's definitely one of my goals to be able to do them strict or kipping without jumping. Strrrrong!

KIPPING PULL-UP

Wow, just saw this video where it teaches you to do a Kipping pull-up. Man, I wanna be able to do them! Don't know how long it will take me to reach that goal, but it's defo one of my goals from now on. Check it out here on YouTube.

FROM REST TO CROSSFIT WOD

Some people say it's good to rest your body. I say sure, but not too long.

This morning was euphoric for me, to get up early and take a run in the chilly air, not a person around. Just me and my dog and the sound of my shoes pounding the pavement. The feeling and happiness is undescribeable.

Somebody at work commented yesterday on me looking different. I never thought that my involountary rest period would be so noticeable, but I suppose the lack of energy in my eyes could have given it away. Exercising makes me feel alive. And rightly so! I have never understood people who exercise below or just up to the limit of what they think they can do, when they can improve and reep the benefits so much more by pushing themselves a little bit further.

This morning together with my run, I did a Crossfit Workout Of the Day, or a WOD. I found an old tire, weighing about 12 pounds, in the field where I usually do some exercises, and I decided to use it for my drills:

10 push-ups
10 squat w tire press
15 one-arm tire throws
10 full range burpees
20 bicycle crunches

All these exercises x 2 as fast as I could without rest in between.

I'm totally sold on Crossfit. I love the intensity, the near death experience of fatigue, every cell in your body doing their best to make it work, and the pride when you complete it. Love it!

Now some Zzz's before the alarm rings at 05:20. Nite!

SPRING RUN

After weeks of back injury, doggie paw injury, and 2 weeks working on the road, my pants are feeling a teeny tiny tight to say the least. So after being able to sleep in my own bed and not in a hotel or a train, I woke up well rested, saw the sun and got my running clothes on. I thought I would be in much worse state than what I actually was. Happily surprised! Haha. And Murphy was the happiest out of us two, jumping around thinking he had turned into a rabbit. :)

Best way to start a Friday and this coming weekend!

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT OR DRINK DARK CHOCOLATE CACAO

Yes, I know, I know. That title isn’t exactly comforting. I hate giving you guys bad news, seeing as how you make this website possible, and I hate making unpopular recommendations like “eat more butter” or “get some sun” or “drink a glass of red wine,” but I have to stick to the truth here, even if it hurts. And the truth is that you should probably be eating dark chocolate on a semi-regular basis because the stuff is pretty dang good for you. Before you log out, never to return again, give me a minute to explain myself:


You were kids once. Your parents probably forced you to finish your overcooked, mushy, bland veggies or wash your hands and finish your homework – or some other routine unpleasantry – “for your own good,” and that’s what I’m doing here. Dark chocolate is healthy. It may be awful, terrible, and disgusting, but it contains some really good things that have some remarkable effects on various markers of health. So, yeah, eat your chocolate. Finish your raw cacao powder. Choke down that homemade hot chocolate. Hold your noses if you have to, but get it down and done.

I’m kidding, of course. There’s no arm twisting required when it comes to chocolate. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that the Primal community can suck down some high quality dark chocolate. Don’t think I didn’t see how quickly that chocolate disappeared at last year’s PrimalCon. And why wouldn’t it? Dark chocolate’s great, the perfect storm of flavor, flavonoids, and fat. It tastes really good, comes loaded with polyphenols, and cocoa butter is a great source of saturated and monounsaturated fat. High-cacao dark chocolate, then, is quite literally a healthy candy bar. What’s not to love?

I’ve discussed my favorite dark chocolate in the past. I’ve even provided chocolate-choosing tips. But until today, I’ve never really explained why we should be including high-cacao dark chocolate in our diets. I’ve never explicitly outlined the myriad health benefits that cacao offers. Well, let’s get to it, shall we?

Dark chocolate contains healthy fats.

Cocoa butter, which is extracted from the cacao bean and incorporated into most reputable dark chocolate bars, is mostly monounsaturated and saturated fat, with very little polyunsaturated fat. And because most of that saturated fat is stearic acid, widely known for having neutral effects on LDL, even avowed lipophobes can happily and heartily gobble up cacao fat.

Dark chocolate contains lots of polyphenols, particularly flavanols.

When it comes to polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, cacao trounces the “superfruits” acai, pomegranate, cranberry, blueberry and whatever else your annoying friend who always falls for multilevel marketing schemes is hawking this week. The most studied polyphenol in cacao is epicatechin, a flavanol. Although last week’s post on the benefits of polyphenol consumption centered on pigment-derived antioxidants, cacao’s polyphenols are also quite potent and potentially healthful.

What happens when the rubber hits the road, though? Or, somewhat more literally, what happens when the square of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate melts on the tongue, is swallowed, digested, and incorporated into the body? What are the actual health benefits of consuming high-cacao content dark chocolate?

Dark chocolate and blood pressure.

Epidemiological studies pretty consistently show that dark chocolate consumption is related to lower blood pressure readings. In Jordan, among Kuna Indians living in Panama, among pregnant women, and among elderly Dutch, this holds true. That’s all well and good, but it’s just an association. We need controlled studies:

One found that fifteen days of eating dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, lowered blood pressure (and improved insulin sensitivity) in healthy subjects. The main difference between white and dark chocolate is the polyphenol content; both types contain cocoa fat. Cocoa consumption also improved arterial flow in smokers.

Some studies suggest that the flavonoids are key. In one, flavanol-rich dark chocolate consumption improved endothelial function while increasing plasma levels of flavanols (which indicates the flavanols had something to do with it). Another study used flavanol-rich cocoa to increase nitric oxide production in healthy humans, thus inducing vasodilation and improving endothelial function. In another, the highest dose of cacao flavanoids caused the biggest drop in blood pressure. Still another found that while dark chocolate did not reduce blood pressure, improve lipids, nor reduce oxidative stress, it did improve coronary circulation.

Or maybe it’s the soluble fiber. In “spontaneously hypertensive” rats, cacao-derived soluble fiber lowered blood pressure, perhaps by reducing weight gain.

It’s probably both, in my opinion, although the polyphenols undoubtedly contribute more to the cause than the five grams or so of soluble fiber you’ll get in the average serving of dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate and cardiovascular disease.

You’ve heard of the cholesterol-fed rabbit; how about the cocoa-fed rabbit? If the former is an effective vehicle to study the negative effects of poor lipid clearance, the latter is a testament to the inhibitory effects of cocoa polyphenols on lipid peroxidation. We also have similar findings in rodents. Feeding hypercholesterolemic and normocholesterolemic rats polyphenol-rich “cocoa fiber” (defatted, sugar-free chocolate, basically) reduced markers of lipid peroxidation in both groups (PDF). It also seems to work quite well in test tubes.

In humans, both with normal and elevated cholesterol levels, eating cocoa powder mixed with hot water lowered oxidized LDL and ApoB (LDL particle number, which, if you remember my post on lipid panels, you want to lower) counts while increasing HDL. All three doses of high-flavanol cocoa powder – 13, 19.5, and 26 g/day – proved beneficial. If you’re wondering, 26 grams of powder is about a quarter cup. It also works if you drink it with milk (and no, Hershey’s syrup doesn’t work the same).

Given the effects of chocolate on lipid peroxidation, we can probably surmise that it will also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. And indeed, epidemiological studies suggest that this is the case. In a sample of over 2200 patients (PDF), chocolate consumption was inversely associated with progression of atherosclerotic plaque (determined by calcium scoring). What’s incredible is that the association held for chocolate in general, and I don’t think it’s likely that everyone was consuming 100% raw cacao powder brimming with polyphenols. A study from this year from the same group got similar results: chocolate consumption was inversely associated with prevalent cardiovascular disease.

While most cacao research focuses on vascular function and heart disease risk, there are other, less intensively-studied benefits. Here are a few of them:

Dark chocolate and insulin resistance.

For fifteen days, hypertensive, glucose-intolerant patients received either 100 daily grams of high-polyphenol dark chocolate or 100 daily grams of zero-polyphenol white chocolate. Diets were isocaloric, and nothing differed between the groups besides the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate improved beta cell function, lowered blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity, and improved endothelial function, while white chocolate did none of those things.

Dark chocolate and fatty liver.

Rats with fatty liver evince higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, but cocoa supplementation partially attenuated these pathological changes – even in choline-deficient rats. While cocoa wasn’t enough to fully resolve fatty liver, the researchers concluded that cocoa may be of therapeutic benefit in “less severe” forms of fatty liver.

Dark chocolate and UV damage.

Resistance to UV damage is commonly measured by MED – minimal erythema dose. A higher MED means greater resistance to UV rays, while a lower MED indicates lower resistance. High MED, good. Low MED, bad. One study found that feeding high levels of dark chocolate to healthy people over twelve weeks doubled their MED; feeding low levels of dark chocolate had no effect on the MED.

Similarly, another study found that a high-flavanol-from-cacao group had greater resistance to a given UV dosage than a low-flavanol-from-cacao group (who actually saw no benefit at all) over a six and twelve-week period.

Those interested in a fairly comprehensive compendium of chocolate research can check it out here. I tried to stick to in vivo research, but there’s more theoretical stuff out there too.

Seeing as how most of chocolate’s benefits stem from the polyphenol content, and most of the studies that saw large effects used “high-flavanol” dark chocolate, you should be gunning for chocolate with high polyphenol counts. Dutch processed, or alkalized, chocolate lightens the color, removes some of the bitter compounds, and gives it a milder taste. Awesome for Hershey’s Kisses, but awful for the flavanol content. Those “bitter compounds,” you see, are the flavanols. Without the bitterness (which I think of as complexity), you’re missing most of the beneficial polyphenols. It might taste good, but it won’t perform all of the aforementioned physiological tasks. To quantify the extent of the degradation, check out the results of this study on the flavanol contents of cacao powders subjected to various degrees of alkalization:

Natural – 34.6 mg/g
Lightly processed – 13.8 mg/g
Medium processed – 7.8 mg/g
Heavily processed – 3.9 mg/g
Once you’ve got a lead on some good chocolate with high cacao and lower sugar levels, eat a few squares a sitting. Exercise restraint, however, as it is still candy and it shouldn’t make up a large block of calories. Treat it like a condiment, or even a medicinal adjunct to an otherwise solid diet. If you’re sensitive to stimulants, avoid chocolate too close to bedtime.

If you get your hands on some high quality cacao powder (raw – which is actually fermented – or roasted, but never Dutch processed), try making coconut cacao milk. Mix half a (BPA-free) can or carton of coconut milk with a couple tablespoons of cacao powder. Heat on the stove until almost simmering. Add sweetener to taste and, if you’re adventurous, a bit of cayenne, cinnamon, and turmeric. Enjoy!

Anyway, that’s it for today. I think I’ve presented the case for high-cacao dark chocolate – not that you were exactly a tough crowd or anything! Thanks for reading and be sure to give your thoughts – including quality sources and recommended methods of ingestion – in the comment section!

Text taken from the app Mark's Daily Apple.

BODY SCAN RESULTS

Today I got to do a body scan to see if my physique is good enough and also to see where I can improve. Although I keep a good diet and I train well, I was a bit nervous to see the results. I got a lot of test results back, but the one I was the happiest about, considering I have been skinny, then FAT, and now I have a fairly normal body size, was that my abdominal fat was a 4 on a scale of 1-12 in the normal range (then the range continues 13-59 for overweight people). Yay! But that also proved the fact that a lot of my belly pudge is excess skin stretched out and not bounced back from my years of having been a big girl. Bummer. Oh well, I will have to learn to live with that. Other test results:

• I scored 45, out of a max of 50, in my diet and training test. Boo-Yah!


• My bone density is way above normal for my weight. Excellent!


• My metabolic age is below my biological age. Heck yeah!!!

So all in all, I was quite pleased with myself, but it can always get better... as soon as my back is feeling better, which I have decided is in exactly 2.5 weeks! Haha! I am taking it easier, and have been for a few weeks now, but would love to step it up and concentrate more on building muscle again. But for now, 8 hrs sleep, then tomorrow, teach 3 group training classes. Bring it! :)

A LETTER TO THE WEAK ME

When I was at the Arnold this weekend, I heard so much feedback about something I wrote a long time ago. I wrote it so long ago, I didn't even have it saved on my computer! But luckily a friend of mine sent it back to me so I could share it on this page.

I wrote this one day when I was exhausted from working my butt off, sick of dieting, and just plain exhausted. I remembered that when I'd woken up that morning, I felt strong and eager to eat healthy and work out that day, but as the day wore on, I got exhausted and lost my motivation. So here's the letter from the strong me to the weak me -- I hope it can help you!

*  *  *Dear Weak [enter your name],

I get it. You're dying for a piece of candy. Maybe it's not the candy (or the pastries, or whatever), maybe you're bored, you're hungry, you're tired of thinking about the candy all day and you're just saying screw it. One bite, one piece, one serving/helping, and then i'm done, I'll go to the gym, I'll go home for the night, I'm still on track.

You're bored.

This is absolutely the stupidest reason imaginable to throw yourself off track, feel disappointed in yourself and your lack of self-control, give yourself a belly you'll have to work off for four days, screw up the carb deficit that I work hard every single day to create, feel cranky, avoid plans with friends or your boyfriend, dread the weekend, add stress to your already stressful life, etc. Remember, you never get bored of accidentally discovering how slim you are, whether it's in the fitting room, when lining up progress pictures, in the locker room at the gym, when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a window as you walk down the street, when someone calls you "slim" or "toned" or "fit". THOSE THINGS never get boring. Focus on how fun and exciting that part of the process is and ignore the rest. For my sake.

You're hungry.

Go drink four glasses of water right now. Back? OK. Are you still hungry? If so, email someone you can confide in. Or eat a protein bar, or go microwave some broccoli. You know that will fill you up and do good things for your body and your goals. You don't want the broccoli? Then you're not hungry.

You're saying "Screw it."

If you want to quit this journey, decide to quit and then you can eat pizza and drink beer every night. You an go out with your friends and eat hors d'oeuvres all night long. you won't feel good, but at least you will be free.

So...is it the freedom that you really want? No. You're having a momentary lapse. Well, think about me. The one who preps all her food for the week on Sunday night, the one with abs, the one who's going to stand up on stage in front of 10,000 people and turn her back and stick out her butt. I'm the one who feels awesome in her clothes, the one who prances around the gym like she owns the place, the one who drags herself out of bed to do early morning cardio, the one who inspires her family, and friends. Think about what you're doing to ME, Strong [enter your own name], when you let a momentary "oh screw it" overtake and overcome all of the hard work I put in every single day, every time I go to a bar and wave off the waiter when he asks what I want to drink, every time I skillfully assemble a healthy, trap-free meal at a restaurant while everyone else orders fries and a third (or fourth...) beer or regular Coke.

And you know very well there's no such things as "Just One Bite."

Every single time you tell yourself you can handle having one taste of something, you're wrong. Is it because you're literally powerless in the face of sugar, is your insulin really swinging that hard that you can not resist? You know that you have a ton of self control. EVEN YOU (I obviously do). This isn't about saying no; by the time you've had the first bite of sugar, you've given UP on saying no. You're saying "yes," and you will continue to do so until it's time to go home or there is no more freakin' candy left in the bowl (did you REALLY want a Mounds yesterday? They're VILE!) So don't ever let yourself cross over into saying "yes" to junk. Say "NO" for HEAVEN SAKE!!

A message from me to you.

I love you (even though you are the weak version of me) because we are the same person. You have a ton to be proud of and you should love the process and love how far you have come. You can go even farther, and you will be around less and less as time passes, you won't have to read this letter as often. You are strong inside, this is only temporary, and it will pass. Now go get a cup of water and get back to kicking ass.

Love,

Strong [enter your name]

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow morning when you wake up.

Text from Rachel Mac's Facebook Notes.

LIVE BBELLS

Samantha Fisher from BL5 Aus lives by BBELLS. You want to live by BBELLS every day? Here's what it means:

Be thankful.
Believe.
Enjoy.
Laugh.
Love.
Succeed.

Well said Sammy! :)

FRIDAY CROSSFIT CHALLENGE

Good morning JumpingJaxers! Here's your Friday Crossfit Challenge. Try to do this circuit as fast as you can without losing form. If you have any questions about the exercises, ask me. Good luck!

50 push-ups
50 kettlebell/dumbbell swings
100 mountain climbers
25 full range butterfly sit-ups
25 full range burpees

Rest for 1 minute and repeat!

Music recommendation: SCOOTER!

Now, Just Do It!