Running Rounds!

For those of you who love running and are looking for something to mix things up, try running rounds!

What you will do is get on a treadmill and set it for a speed you can handle for 5 minutes.  When the first round is over you have a 1 minute break.  During this 1 minute break you will drop the speed to a walking pace and raise the incline to one that is challenging for you.  Walk this for 5 minutes (Round 2).  During your next 1 minute break, drop the treadmill back down to a 0 incline and repeat Round 1 again.  Do up to 5 rounds (alternating each round).

The good thing about the treadmill is you can keep track of your progress very easily.  Record your speeds and incline settings and try to increase these each time you do the program.  You can alternate this into your regular workouts or you can do it 3-5 times a week depending on your fitness level and goals.  Since you are mixing things up it goes by quickly and will get your heart pounding!

Example:
Round 1:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes
Round 2:
Incline of 7.5, walk at 3.5 mph
Round 3:
Run at 7 mph for 5 minutes

Mercola.com’s Death by Medicine

Everyone should watch this. Just because a Doctor tells you something doesn’t mean it’s true, they have a terrible track record. Even Doctors (like Dr. Mercola) are starting to speak out about how bad it is. Many just want to put people on pills (which have tons of side effects) instead of trying to fix the actual problem. Not all Doctors are bad, but many of them are.

Dr. Oz’s Brain-Boosting Smoothie

If you do not eat healthy enough and want to add plenty of healthy fruit to your diet in one convenient drink, try this smoothie.  Here is what Dr. Oz had to say about it:

“Bananas are high in antioxidants, dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine boosts memory and attention while serotonin elevates mood and helps control appetite, memory and learning. Blueberries contain pigments called anthocyanins that give the fruit its dark color and also boost brain function. They also help protect the brain from stress and may reduce dementia. Hemp nuts are rich in Omega-3′s which are essential for the health of your brain and nervous system. Additionally, the compounds found in hemp seeds have been shown to promote memory, learning and immune function. Apple juice prevents the loss of an important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine which is critical for memory and brain health. Rhodiola rosea extract improves mood, alleviates depression and can also improve sexual functioning and libido. It’s available for purchase in natural food stores.”

Recipe

1 banana
1/4 cup blueberries
A handful of hemp nuts
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp rhodiola rosea


Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.  He says to add ice but if you do so as you blend it you will have a more milk shake consistency.

Reasons To Eat Your Vegetables

Remember that for a balanced diet you need to eat several servings of vegetables everyday.  The health benefits (and taste) of organically grown vegetables are out of this world.  If you are not a big fan of eating them straight you can always blend some up into a juice or buy some V8 juice.  Regardless of how you get them, just make sure you do.  You will feel more energized during the day and be healthier for it.  (Just click the picture to expand it)

Protein Pancakes

Looking to add a little extra protein to your day?  I tried this out yesterday for breakfast and these taste great!  Just like regular pancakes, I couldn’t tell the difference.  They are simple to make as well.

For a normal pancake recipe you will use 2 cups of pancake mix, what you want to do is replace some of the mix with a scoop of protein powder.  I used 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Vanilla flavor because it tastes like cake batter and works nicely with pancake mix.  So you still only use 2 cups total, you just put your scoop of protein powder in your measuring cup, then fill the rest up with pancake mix.

After that, all you need is 1.5 cups of organic milk and 2 eggs.  Mix it all up well and get to cooking.  This batter has over 50 grams of protein and makes 10-15 pancakes.  If you want even more protein in it you can even use 2 scoops of protein powder and throw in another egg.

Dr. Oz Metabolism Boosting Smoothie Recipe

According to Dr. Oz, this smoothie will help you relax, sleep better and speed up your metabolism.  So if you are stressed or can’t sleep well at night, give it a try and let me know if it helps you or not.

5 Ice Cubes
1/4 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup of Soy Milk
1/2 of a Banana
1 Cup of Tart Cherry Juice

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

This recipe is going to mix things up a little bit.  You may not think all of these ingredients go together but it actually works well when blended up.

1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 scoop of protein powder
1 free range egg
1 packet of unflavored oatmeal
3 packets of truvia/stevia
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of ice

Just blend it all up and enjoy.  If it isn’t sweet enough for you, you may add more packets of stevia if you desire.  Because of the protein powder, the peanut butter, egg and oatmeal, this smoothie is packed with protein.  Depending on the protein powder you are using, you are looking at around 45 grams of protein in this one.