Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

Lemon-Water-detox

During competition prep, I drink 15 water bottles a day with lemon juice!

Never at any other time in my life did I have such clear, glowing skin. I swore my creases in my face were less visible, I had more energy, and felt cleansed.

Drinking lemon water has endless benefits:

clear skin, boosted immune system, natural energy, detoxes unwanted waste, cures throat infections, helps relieve respiratory problems, promotes weight loss, reduces fever

Being hydrated and drinking water in general is one of the best things you can do for your body. One tip for drinking more water: write down a schedule. One bottle with breakfast. One bottle before shower. One bottle before, after, and during workout. One bottle with each meal. One bottle before bed. One bottle every time you leave the house. These are just a few examples to make yourself more aware of when your drinking water!

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Best Advice I can give

DSCN0071Last spring, I set out with the biggest goal of my life. It sounds kind of cheesy but my biggest life goal or dream was to compete in a fitness competition. I could not imagine my body ever looking like that, and I was so passionate about fitness. After achieving this goal, I set bigger goals. 1. Compete in and WIN a bikini competition. 2. Become a certified personal trainer. 3. GO PRO!

I don’t know if I will ever reach my biggest goals, however it is extremely empowering to achieve a goal you set.

The one piece of advice I would offer to anyone in any position of their life is to believe in yourself. YES I KNOW. Cheesy. But it is so incredibly true. Trust the process of hard work. Set a goal and believe that you will reach it. The mind is a powerful tool. I cannot give any better advice than this.

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Why to Do Cardio and What are the Best Forms of Cardio

DSCN0048While I focus a lot of my blog posts on the benefits of strength training, cardio workouts definitely have their place in any healthy and fit person’s life.

Cardiovascular exercise is not only proven to improve your mood by releasing endorphins, it also reduces your appetite, strengthens your heart, lowers your blood pressure, and promotes weight loss.

So what kind of cardio do I recommend and how much should you do?

Well, how much you should do varies depending on your goal. If you are trying to build muscle mass you should not do hours of cardio on end.

I usually recommend 30-75 minutes of vigorous cardio to an athletic person.

What is vigorous cardio?

Stair-master, running FAST, playing basketball ball intensely, swimming laps, HIIT workouts (see previous post), boxing, or cycle classes.

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For moderate cardio you can do around two hours.

What do I consider moderate?

walking, jogging, elliptical, stationary bike, etc.

The important thing is to sweat and move! Always consult a doctor before beginning a new cardio routine.

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My Favorite Nutritional Smoothies

cakebatterblueberry shaake

Cake Batter Blue Berry Oatmeal Shake- Very filling and delicious. A Perfect breakfast option for leg day. Recipe: 1 scoop of Cellucor Cake Batter Whey Protein, a handful of blueberries, 1/3 cup oatmeal, almond milk & ice.

strawberry banana shake

Strawberry Banana Shake- Recipe- Banana, Almond milk, and strawberries with ice.

spinach smoothie

Paige Hathaway Inspired Veggie Smoothie- Recipe- Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Ginger, Lemon, (Apple) optional.

berry smoothie

Berry Spinach Smoothie- Black berries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Spinach, Water, & Ice.

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Healthy Pancake Alternatives

One of my favorite off-season treats are pancakes. However, classic pancake batter is not good for you. Here are a few healthier alternative pancakes I have discovered for a great pre-workout breakfast in the off-season!

proteinpancakes1One of my favorite pancakes (pictured above) are my oat pancakes. Recipe: 1/3 cup of oats, 1 banana, 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, splash of almond milk. Cooked like regular pancakes in your choice of coconut oil, butter flavored PAM, or smart balance buttery spread.

proteinpancakes2Another great option are my banana protein pancakes. Recipe: 1 scoop of whey protein (I used unflavored why isolate protein powder by Isopure), 3 eggs, half a banana (microwaved and mashed), a splash of vanilla extract, some ground cinnamon, unsweetened almond milk, and a little bit of honey!

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Cake Batter Protein Pancakes- Recipe- 1 scoop Cellucor Cake Batter Whey Protein, 2 eggs, Splash vanilla extract, 1/4 cup oatmeal (cooked).

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Plain Protein Pancakes- 1 scoop of oat flour, a scoop of unflavored whey isolate protein powder, mixed together with egg whites, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

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Fluffy Protein Pancakes- One scoop of cottage cheese, oat flour, egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and whey protein.

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Clean Eating Shopping List

Clean Eating Shopping List

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In this post I am going to talk about what you will find in my shopping cart during contest prep and off-season clean eating. Here is the difference:

During Contest Prep you will ONLY find:

-Chicken breast cutlets

-Flounder cutlets

-Bundles of Asparagus

-Sweet Potatoes

-Oatmeal

-Egg whites

-Whole Eggs

-Mrs. Dash Salt Free Seasoning

-Mustard

-Almonds

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“Off-Season Clean Eating” you will find:

-Kashi “Go-Lean” Crunch Cereal

-Unsweetened Almond Milk

-Eggs

-Lean Ground Turkey

-Strawberries

-Bananas

-Blueberries

-Greek Yogurt (plain)

-Almond Butter

-Avocados

-Lettuce

-Tomatoes

-Tuna

-Chicken Breast Cutlets

-SO Delicious Coconut Milk Lactose Free Icecream

– Kashi Oatmeal Raisin Flax Cookies

-Rice Cakes

-Edamame

-Celery and Carrots

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Leg Day Workout Routine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKJ-xm08eiI

This is an example of a “leg day” workout routine.

Hip Adductor Machine 15 reps/3 sets

Hamstring Curls 15 reps/3 sets

Leg Extensions 20 reps/4 sets

Hip Abductor Machine 15 reps/3 sets

Leg Press Machine 20 reps/3 sets

Alien Squats 15 reps/3 sets

Step Ups 3 sets/ 20 reps each leg

Walking Lunges (I usually just walk the longest length available in my gym)

Donkey Kicks (3 sets 50 reps each leg)

Air Squats (100 reps)

Glute Machine (3 sets/ 15 reps)

Glute Kickbacks (3 sets/ 15 reps)

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Healthy Whole Grain Pesto Pasta

Healthy Whole Grain Pesto Pasta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN-wtjQeNVA&feature=youtu.be

Pesto Shrimp or Chicken Pasta

1 lb of Shrimp or 3 Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
1 diced yellow onion
1 diced zucchini
2 diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of pesto
1/2 box of pasta (preferably whole grain)
3 cups of chopped spinach
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
4 cloves of minced garlic
salt, pepper, & Italian herbs

Boil water and cook pasta al dente.

If Shrimp: peel, rinse, and flavor with lemon, salt, & pepper and sauté for 3 minutes.

If Chicken: Spray Pan with cooking spray and bake until thoroughly cook and season to preference and slice in thin slices.

Sautee herb, garlic, zucchini, and onion in coconut oil in a large pan.

Drain pasta when al dente, add contents from the large pan to the pasta. Turn off heat. Add pesto, spinach, and chopped tomatoes. Top with chicken or shrimp and serve immediately.

This recipe serves about 5 people, however is very good reheated. I make it at the beginning of the week and have little portions the next three days. Extremely nutritious and delicious 🙂

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My Favorite Packaged Products

My Favorite Packaged Products

  coldpressedjuice

My usual advice for anyone trying to eat healthy is: to avoid anything packaged such as store bought snacks and protein bars and instead eat natural foods like vegetables, nuts, and fruits as snacks.

However, sometimes these snacks are boring and it is easier to buy things when we are busy and on the run. While many of these items are off limits during competition prep, they can serve as healthy alternatives during the off-season while trying to stay very healthy.

Here is a short list of a few of my favorite health products:

  • Trader Joe’s Cold-Pressed Juice (Green)- For someone who has trouble getting enough vegetables, this is a good alternative. Each bottle is only 100 calories with seventeen kale leaves and a whole pound of spinach. The only sugar is all natural and just 11 grams.
  • Walden Farms Pancake Syrup- The perfect topping for delicious protein pancakes or oat pancakes. This syrup alternative has no calories, gluten, fat, carbs, or sugars of any kind.
  • Walden Farms Ketchup- A great tasting ketchup alternative with no calories, gluten, fat, carbs, or sugars of any kind.
  • Quest Bars- My favorite flavors are cookies & cream and cookie dough. These bars have 21 grams of protein, lots of fiber, and no added sugar.
  • Lenny & Larry’s All Natural Complete Cookie- A delicious clean cheat. These cookies are vegan, gluten free, and taste better than any other item on this list. These cookies have 16 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. While the sugar is higher at 15g a serving, there are no added sugar alcohols or preservatives.

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