Enjoy Your Weekend!

"Health"ful Podcasts

I don't know about you but I am constantly looking for different ways of learning. I stumbled upon a couple of podcasts that offer great insight on health, nutrition and exercise through itunes. I have found that I enjoy listening to these when I am working out (it provides a bit of motivation) or driving in the car. Both of these podcasts cover a variety of topics and present information in a very easy way to understand. I highly recommend both of these podcasts.

The first is called "Build a Sexy Body". Please overlook the somewhat "lame" name as it really provides tons of great information. Dan Rodriguez hosts this podcost. Each segment is around 20 minutes, which fits perfectly into your drive too and from work! He covers everything from how to eat right to maintaining a heathy mindset. You can find the link to download the podcast for FREE here or simply search it in itunes store.

The second one is called "The Jillian Michaels Show" and offers honest information from a tough motivating trainer. I really enjoy this podcast because Jillian is charismatic, informative, and above everything else, blunt. This podcast applies to everyone. Those willing to lose weight, those that are already in great shape, or those who want to gain weight. You can find the podcast in the itunes store, and again this ones FREE!

I hope you take the time to check these free resources out. I have already learned so much from these and wish they were broadcasted more than once a week, as I have already burned through all the old segments.

"Everything tastes better over an open fire."

Please forgive me for the lack of posts last week, I took the weekend to relax and the rest of the week to reorganize. As I mentioned last week, I went canoeing and camping last weekend in Roscommon with some amazing friends. We had a blast and although we did more floating than canoeing it was fun to get a different type of exercise from the normal gym routine.

I also cannot say that we ate particularly healthy but we did eat delicious food all weekend. The second night we made "Campfire Hobo Dinners" and they were delicious. We took ground meat, potatoes, veggies, onions, and a little bit of cheese and butter, wrapped it all up in tinfoil and cooked them over the fire. It is true that everything tastes better over an open fire.

Caryn also made scrambled eggs using a plastic bag and cooking them in boiling water. I decided my new favorite camping food was "egg loaf".

We really did have a great time, and our last day we spent at South Higgins lake and enjoyed just relaxing at the beach. I think we played monkey in the middle for a good two hours in the shallow water.

I found this recipe for campfire bananas and it looks delcious. You can even make it "healthier" by using almond butter, and dark chocolate. I wish we could have tried it.

Thoroughly Impressed

Last night I found myself alone around dinner time. I was especially in the mood to cook and had no intention of eating cereal or making scrambled eggs. I looked around and found lots of fresh veggies and decided I was going to make a veggie panini wrap. It was easy to make and you can put whatever you would like in it.

I first started by grilling zuccini and red pepper on a grill using the stove (you could use a regular grill, or simply cook your vegetables in a pan with a little big of olive oil.

I also cut up some avocado, fresh mozzarella cheese and got out pesto, fresh (locally grown) greens, and 100% whole wheat wraps.

I spread some pesto on the wrap and added all of the other ingredients. I folded in the sides and placed the wrap on the grill. To make it "panini" like, I placed a baking sheet on top of the wrap, followed by a heavy can of soup to press it down, to substitute for my lack of a panini maker. 

It took a couple minutes per side. I cut in half and served with Michigan grown strawberries. I must say I was thoroughly impressed with my meal for one.

Other Ideas: I would have loved to grill up some mushrooms or add tomatoes to the panini wrap. If you want to make a "real" panini, use ciabatta bread or other thicker loafs.

Jordan Valley Triathlon

A couple weeks ago, several members of my family competed in the Jordan Valley Triathlon. This annual triathlon is a local event hosted by the East Jordan Ambulance Association. All the funds raised support the East Jordan EMS department. The triathlon was a sprint distance event, starting with a .3 mile swim, 20 mile bike and concluding with a 5K run.

Start of the swim (looks cold, I am glad I didn't have to get in)

My brother, Ben, was competing but because he hurt his knee skiing this winter he has not been able to run. He asked me the night before to do the run portion of the race. My mom was also competing but was planning on taking her time and enjoying the scenery, until she saw her arch nemesis in her 50 and up age category and then had to get serious. The highlight was that my sister was competing as well. This was her first triathlon (maybe her last too...) and she came in first in her age group, congrats Mara!

It would be a miracle if my mom could keep her eyes open for a picture

Ben did really well coming out of the water and into the first transition. Because of his bummed knee he has picked up his bike training and rocked through the bike course, coming in first into the second transition, where I had to pick up... Everyone looked a little confused as to why the first place rider was passing off to a recreational runner.  Either way, everyone had a ton of fun and it was great to support a local cause.

Ben is pretty serious about these things...

Ben was like a celebrity at the triathlon and seemed to know everyone. I always love watching him compete and am so proud of everything he has accomplished with his triathlons. He competed in the Kona Ironman World Championships last October and I wish I could have gone. I am hoping he will qualify again so I can make it the second time around. He also has a blog about his triathlon endeavors, check it out here (his most recent post is about monster trucks. It isn't about triathlons but it certainly is entertaining...).

In one week...

A week from today, I am going to start a new workout plan and would LOVE if you would join me. This Friday I  will be taking my second CPA exam and have been studying like a maniac. Unfortunately, because of all my studying I haven't been able to be nearly as active as I would like. Once I take this test, and have a relaxing weekend with some of my favorite people canoeing and camping (pictures next week), I am starting fresh.

I would really like to incorporate more weight lifting and resistance training into my workout as I am constantly reading about the benefits of this type of training, especially for women. Many women believe that weight lifting will cause us to become bulky rather than slim us down. Well ladies, our bodies are built differently than guys and we simply do not have the same amount of testosterone (Hallelujah!) as men which contributes men's bodies becoming bulky.

I am going to lift/resistance train 4 times a week, and do cardio/cross train the other days. In addition I want to make sure I get to enjoy the beautiful summer weather and get active throughout the day. I will be looking forward to some bike rides, kayaking, and swimming in the lake.

Maybe you want to reinvigorate your routine or motivate yourself, this a great opportunity for us to work together. We can share exercises and help each other stay motivated. I have tons of resources that provide great exercises and I can't wait to utilize them. SO if YOU want to start fresh, take this last week to outline your personal goals, research exercies and nutrition plans, and talk to me about what you want to accomplish.

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Now that it is a full blown summer, there is one food that I could eat every single day and never get sick of, and that being, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, with basil and balsamic vinegar. I love everything about it. The different textures and tastes all wrapped into one delicious bite. It is great to eat fruits and vegetables in season and summer is a perfect time for tomatoes.

We grow tomatoes on our front porch every year but unfortunately they won't be ready until the end of summer but I cannot wait until then (obviously).

We also have a fresh herb garden and until shortly it has not been flourishing. But now that it is getting warmer the basil is thriving.

If you have never tried tomato and mozzarella I highly recommend it. It is easy and makes a delicious summer snack or side! Simply slice tomatoes, and top with fresh mozzarella, sprinkle fresh basil and add a touch of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy all the delicious fresh foods that come with mid summer months.

What is your favorite summer food?

Save Michigan: Buy Local

I am constantly reminded of the importance of  buying locally grown organic foods. It is vital to our health and wellness, as there are thousands of chemicals being pumped into our food supply that we have no control over. We have yet to understand and experience the health effects these chemicals may have on our bodies.

There are various resources that I learn about the importance of organic foods. In particular, this blog (which I love) titled, Amanda Jane, posted about the importance of buying local. Amanda is a graphic designer from Ann Arbor, Michigan who has designed a print series to promote Michigan. You can check out her prints here. This print is one of my favorites as it encourages buying local.

Save Michigan, Buy Local; Amanda Jane,  Jones Press

You can even buy a screen printed t-shirt here.
Do you know how to go about buying locally? Check out this website and it will help you find farmers and markets in your area, CSAs, and organic health food stores.

Want to learn more about Michigan and all the gems it has to offer, check out I heart MI, where one of my favorite people shares her adventures throughout the mitten state!

Survey Results!

The results are in from last weeks survey, found here! I enjoyed learning about all of your preferences relating to exercise. This will help me focus on topics of interest that will, hopefully, benefit all of you. Here are the results...

While, most people enjoyed working out at the gym, exercising outside and at home came up close behind. This post from earlier this week provides lots of great exercises for the gym. But for those of you who enjoy working out at home and outside, I found this site that offers countless options for tough exercises that you don't need gym equipment for! Take a look at these sites and design a workout plan for you. I use resources like these to help plan my daily workout. If you have a schedule and set goals, you are much more likely to have efficient workouts while maintaining motivation to exercise every day!

The results of the type of activities people enjoy doing were more evenly spaced. Most people, including myself, enjoy a variety of activities. Here are some good resources to accommodate all these different interests.

I use Gmaps Pedometer when I am planning on running outside. It is a great resource to measure distance outside, either running/walking or biking! It is really easy to use and you can plan out a route around your house or anywhere else for that matter.

I posted last week about two resources, Netflix, and ExerciseTV.com,  that offer exercise videos that you could do at home, including great pilates and yoga videos.

For those of you who enjoy the outdoors, check out this link to find the best trails around your area for hiking, mountain biking, and trail running.

Again, for more weight lifting tips and exercises check out the Healthy Habits blog, featured here.

As for the feedback on my blog, I enjoyed everyones responses. Many people are interested in more recipes and abdominal exercises. I have lots of great stuff I can't wait to share. Look forward to some delicious summer recipes, a local triathlon, and an informative podcast coming soon!

Have a happy Fourth of July, be safe, stay active, and enjoy a beautiful summer weekend!