Fast 5 Minute Pop Sugar Workouts

Who loves a quick workout? Um, me. I combine these short videos so I can work different areas like my arms and then switch to my legs, but these videos give me a quick variety and I can go for 10 minutes or 45 to match my energy level that day. A little is better than none, and Pop Sugar makes that possible with their quick vids. Burn some fat, and enjoy!

5 Minute Sculpted Arms (link for mobile)

5 Minute Crop Top (link for mobile)

5 Minute Sexy Back (link for mobile)

PLAYLIST: Now and Then

I've created the perfect mix of current tunes intermixed with some oldies. I took it for a test run today and was completely pleased with this heart-pumping combination. You're in for a treat folks, a real toe-tapping, dance in front of the mirror like no one is watching, shake your bon-bon treat. (Yes, that was a Ricky Martin reference. Find him in the list below!)

PLAYLIST: Now and Then

1. Shake it Off. Taylor Swift.
2. Stuck in the Middle with You. Stealers Wheel.
3. She Bangs. Ricky Martin.
4. Live and Let Die. Paul McCartney.
5. Blurred Lines. Robin Thicke.
6. September. Earth, Wind, & Fire.
7. Let's Get Loud. Jennifer Lopez.
8. That's All. Genesis.
9. Let it Rock. Kevin Rudolf.
10. Don't Stop Me Now. Queen.
11. Lights. Ellie Goulding.
12. Show Me How You Burlesque. Christina Aguilera.

Picking a Juicer

The Rolls Royce of juicers is the Norwalk 280. It runs a cool $2,500. I'm sure it's fantastic, but when I was looking for a juicer this one was out of the price range. Just slightly, of course. :/ We tried 3 different juicers before deciding what worked best for us. Here's the biggest difference you need to know about when deciding the right juicer for you: Masticating or Centrifugal. Read more HERE.

These are the 3 juicers we took for a test run.

1. Bella High Power Juice Extractor. It's an affordable centrifugal juicer available at Target for $70. Not bad! Overall it worked fine, but it kind of made a mess with leaks and spitting kale out of the machine. Ultimately, it wasn't our favorite.

2. Omega Model J8006 Heavy Duty Nutrition Center Juicer. This is a high quality masticating juicer that we got from Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $300 (less the 20% off coupon that's always available). It takes a little more time to use than the previous juicer, but you do get slightly more juice. This machine will also make pastas and nut butters. Yum! The biggest disappointment with this one was juicing fruits- it's just not effective. It turns it into mush and clogs the juicer. It's great if you just want to juice veggies!

3. Breville Juice Fountain Plus. Another centrifugal juicer similar to the first, but higher quality. This specific model is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $150. This was our winner! It had a wide mouth opening to fit whole apples, was speedy, and it didn't spit our veggies back at us like the Bella. We've been using this model for about 3 months and really like it!

If you missed our other juice posts, read more:
Juicing Post #1 HERE 
Juicing Post #2 HERE

My Latest Playlist

Here are the latest tunes making an appearance on my iPod. I'm an avid workout playlister and need to have something to keep my mind off the fact I'm running on a treadmill for 30+ minutes. Aside from exercise, I answer emails for work, do laundry, write blog posts, and make lunch to these tunes. It's an anytime list, really. Go on, get down with your bad self (spoken like a true white girl).

Sing, Ed Sheeran
The Story of My Life, One Direction
Runaway Baby, Bruno Mars
It's Time, Imagine Dragons
Safe & Sound, Capital Cities
One Last Kiss, Pink
Lights, Ellie Goulding
Raging Fire, Philip Phillips
Counting Stars, OneRepublic
Tokyo, Imagine Dragons
Pompeii, Bastille
The Walker, Fitz and the Tantrums

Juicing vs. Blending

If you missed the first post about juicing, you can catch up here. What's the difference between juicing and blending, you ask? In a nutshell juicers extract liquid from the vegetable or fruit removing the pulp, and blenders mix the whole food, retaining the fiber. Simple enough, but is juicing better than blending? They both have awesome health benenfits, and complement each other well. You can get results from both methods, but figuring out your goals will help to determine which will be most beneficial.

Here's a quick, basic breakdown on the benefits of each.

I like juicing because I'm getting more nutrients in one glass of juice vs. one smoothie since a larger quantity of vegetables are needed to make up a glass of juice. However, if you're looking to get full fast without a whole meal a blended drink might be the way to go. Here's a great site that shares more information on juicing than you may want to know! Click here.

Romaine Summer Salad with Mozzarella Ciligene

This summer salad is fresh, tasty, and beautiful! I threw it together when I had some ingredients that needed used up in my fridge and it has quickly become a favorite in our house. One of the best things about this salad is it doesn't need dressing. Just use a lemon wedge to squeeze over the romaine and it has the perfect kick of flavor! Let's talk about Mozzarella Ciliegine. Don't know what that is? You do, it's just small mozzarella balls. It's a classy, yummy addition to the salad (and fancy names make anything taste better).

Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 lemon wedge
cucumber, sliced
red pepper, chopped
red grapes, halved
avacado, sliced
hard boiled eggs, sliced
goat cheese, crumbled
fresh mozzarella ciligene
sunflower seeds

Wash and chop romain lettuce and stack on plate. Squeeze lemon over lettuce. Top with remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

Oil Pulling

If you haven't heard of oil pulling you may be hiding under a rock. It's getting quite a bit of attention over the last few years for its supposed health benefits including:

• Teeth Whitening
• Reduces plaque
• Prevents bad breath
• Increased overall oral health
• General Detoxification
• Clears Complexion
• Reduces Inflammation
• Etc, etc, etc

In a nutshell, oil pulling is swishing about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or other vegetable oil) in your mouth for 20 minutes per day to draw out toxins. The oil doubles in size from saliva and the "toxins" as you swish it around. I started oil pulling last week and do notice whiter and cleaner teeth overall, but the main reason I tried it out was to help get rid of my canker sores. They're healing faster than they would normally, but it's not a miracle worker overnight. I have noticed that they are less painful, which is a huge plus! If you're interested in oil pulling read more about it from some trusted sources in the links below.

Mercola.com link
US News & World Report Health link

Why We've Converted to Juicing

One evening when the hubs and I had nothing better to do we watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix (movie trailer below). This journey of an overweight Australian who goes on a 60 day juice cleanse is intriguing. From fat to fit, his transformation is pretty awesome. Next we watched The Gerson Miracle about the effect a juicing diet can have on cancer. Is juicing really the miracle non-drug? Some say it is.

Chase and I aren't overweight, we don't suffer from regular migraines, but I am convinced there is something to adopting juicing into your daily diet that can provide huge health benefits (even if you're not trying to cure cancer). The extreme form of juicing that is shown in these documentaries isn't for everyone, but who couldn't use more vegetables? Americans consume far too many carbs, fatty snacks, and sugars in our grab and go lifestyle.

Well, we now own a juicer. Stay tuned for more juicing experiences, recipes, and benefits.

Toned Butt and Thighs Workout

It's that time of year when the shorts and bikini bottoms come out to play. Here are two killer booty and thigh routines that will leave you sore, but toned. If you have other routines that work well, let me know! Share below in the comments.

1. Booty Burn. Yowza. 

2. Thin Thighs. Ouch.

Quinoa and Kale Salad

It's difficult to eat well all the time, but when you find a meal that's healthy and delicious you hold onto it for dear life. That's how I feel about this Quinoa and Kale Salad. Filling, tasty, and super duper healthy. If you don't want to make it on your own, stop by LGO and pick one up to go!

QUINOA AND KALE SALAD
2/3 c. Kale, shredded

1/2 c. Quinoa, cooked & chilled

1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1/4 c. Grapes, sliced
3 T. Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 T. Sunflower Seeds

1/4 c. Reggiano & Manchego Cheese, shredded

Light Vinaigrette Dressing

Add garlic to cooked quinoa and chill. Toss in grapes and bell peppers to chilled quinoa. Layer kale on the bottom of serving dish, place quinoa mixture over kale, top with cheeses and sunflower seeds. Select a light dressing to serve on the side. Bon appetit!

80's Workout Playlist

If I don't have music playing, my runs aren't likely to last long. I need a distraction to keep myself going so my body doesn't realize I'm trying to whip it, whip it good. Playlists on my iPod are plentiful, but one of my favorites is "80's ADD". Try it out for size. Take it for a stroll around the block in your leotard, leg warmers, and sweatbands. A few tips before downloading the music: 1) Look for the shortest version of the song. 2) A remix might be nice to change things up. 3) Listen to it before you purchase.

80's ADD
a-ha, Take On Me (1983)
Escape Club, Wild Wild West (1989)
Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984)
Whitney Houston, I Wanna Dance With Somebody (1987)
Duran Duran, Hungry Like the Wolf (1982)
Blondie, Call Me (1980)
Young MC, Bust A Move (1989)
Loverboy, Working For The Weekend (1981)
Michael Jackson, Beat It (1983)
George Michael, Faith (1987)

Honorable Mention:
1980: Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
1981: Hall & Oates, You Make my Dreams Come True
1982: The Cars, Shake It Up
1983: Michael Sembello, Maniac
1984: The Pointer Sisters, Jump (For my Love)
1985: Glenn Frey, The Heat Is On
1986: Whitney Houston, How Will I Know
1987: Salt-N-Peppa, Push It
1988: Techtronic, Pump Up The Jam
1989: Tone Loc, Wild Thing

Toned Arms with Two Videos

When you wave to someone, don't let your arms wave back! Here's a 10 minute arm circuit from +POPSUGAR Fitness. My arms were a little sore after, and I only used 2 lb. weights! The video focuses on your biceps and triceps. This celebrity trainer's workouts are always great -- she also does the Victoria's Secret body workout which hurts for days.

Here's a second great arm workout from Tracy Anderson, another awesome celebrity trainer. This one is hard to keep up with for the whole 8-minutes if it's your first few times doing it. You can feel the burn!

These workouts will have you looking toned!

How to Sprout Chia

Chia seeds have great nutritional value, and so do the sprouts! Use them on sandwiches, salads, in smoothies, and more. We think they are tastier than alfalfa! Here's a link to purchase the chia seeds from Amazon. Seeds are available at most grocery stores, and we like to buy them in bulk from Sprouts. Here's how I sprouted our chia seeds:

Put rocks in the bottom of your dish for drainage. Be sure the bottom has holes for extra water to escape.

We used regular flower & vegetable garden soil and put it on top of the rocks.

We use the Spectrum brand of Chia seeds for planting.

For faster sprouts, soak the seeds in water first. I added a small layer without soaking to the top of the dirt. After you're done putting the seeds on top, water and place in a window sill, or outside where it will get a moderate amount of sun.

Continue to water the seeds once daily. Here are the sprouts after 7 days.

Sprouts after 15 days! Lush and beautiful!

Ready for eating! Cut the sprouts close to the dirt and rinse. Only trim what you need,  they can be stored in the fridge.

Click here to learn more about CHIA! 

The Better Back Workout

We've been putting some time and energy into our yard lately, so achy muscles come along with the territory. This 8-Minute Better Back Workout from +FITNESS Magazine saved me this morning.

I combined the workout/stretch with a little cardio after and I'm feeling splendid today. Taking time to stretch can make a big difference. Plus, it helps to get rid of back fat -- always a good thing. With step-by-step instructions this Back Workout easy to follow, although I do usually prefer a video so I know I'm doing it right, but five moves make it doable without messing with a vid.

Follow my Pinterest board "Work It" for more fitness ideas!

Vegan Fashion Fit

If you're into fitness, the vegan way, or fashion here's your one stop shop for the trio. Brooke worked as a personal trainer for years and has a knack for great style. She's also a meatless kind of gal, which adds a nice little spice to her posts! Get your fix of healthy recipes like this one for Quinoa, Black Bean, and Vegetable Stew. Have you done a burpee? What about 105 of them ... in one workout? This Burpee Burn is killer.

And her style is on point- here's a snippet. Follow her on Pinterest or Instagram: br0oke_y0ung

Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella ... Oh My!

I love the combination of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. It's packed full of flavor and healty, too. Here are three great recipes that make awesome use of these ingredients.

Caprese Salad

Sliced Tomoatoes

Sliced Mozzarella

Basil Leaves

Salt & Pepper

Balsamic drizzle

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the sliced mozzarella on top, then add the basil. Drizzle with balsamic. Delicicous. Some people also drizzle with olive oil, but I don't think it's necessary.

Italian Grilled Cheese

2 Wheat Bread slices

Butter

Sliced Tomoatoes

Sliced Mozzarella

Basil Leaves

Salt & Pepper

Heat skillet or panini press. Butter one side of each bread slice, place tomatoes on unbuttered side and add salt & pepper. Top with mozzarella, basil, and other slice of bread. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Optional: dip sandwich in warm marinara sauce.

Margherita Pizza

Here are a few recipes to choose from, each is a little different with it's own twist. For my favorite, you must visit La Grande Orange in Phoenix! 

Pizza 1

Pizza 2

Pizza 3

Creative art idea for your home

I found this art at The Farm at South Mountain in the little gift shop. I thought it was a unique, creative art idea and easy to make on your own! Although I may just purchase the original art because it's fabulous and done right. I love the message and look forward to having our own garden VERY soon!

They used a page from a dictionary, then put the phrase and illustration over the top. You could use a different phrase, or just a picture, and feed it through your printer. The possibilities are endless! The simplistic look is great and with a plain mat and a frame you have wall-ready art.

Birchbox Mighty Leaf Tea Review

OK, yes, it's true. My wife asked me to test the +Mighty Leaf Tea sent in last week's +Birchbox. I took the tea to work and it fell out of my pocket. Sue me. However, contrary to what you were led to believe, I did NOT lose the tea. I later found it in my car. Maybe I need the Drop Stop featured on +Shark Tank and +QVC. Now, for the tea review.

First, the presentation and packaging is fabulous. The actual tea bag is delicate and transparent, and the contents of the bag are more substantial and recognizable than most generic brands. Nice work,   +Mighty Leaf Tea.

Organic African Nectar
Full disclosure, a ripe nectarine is the best taste in the world, so I may be biased toward this tea. It was sweet and fruity, but not overwhelming. I will say, however, that this flavor is not an everyday tea. Partake and enjoy in moderation.

Green Tea Tropical
For me, green tea usually lacks in the taste department. Often, I drink it for health reasons or to warm my often cold soul, but this tea will not disappoint. If you're a regular green tea drinker, this is a must try.

Vanilla Bean (Black)

Typically, I'm not a big fan of black teas. This tea was no exception. It was still bitter, only this bitter came with a hint of vanilla. Pass.

Favorite POP Sugar Workout Videos

POP Sugar Fitness is my go-to website when I'm working out indoors. They have great videos from celebrity trainers and they're pretty short, usually about 10 minutes. I'll choose three different videos, targeting different areas, so I keep moving for my 30-minute burn session. Here are links to some of my favorite POP Sugar workout videos.

1. THIGHS. They call this the Victoria's Secret Model Workout. Holy moly, your legs will be burning and your booty will hurt for days ... until you get used to do it.

2. ALL-OVER. "Blast Away Belly Fat" is the title of this video. Me-oh-my, it works me over! CAN'T.BREATHE.

3. ARMS. This one is a killer 10 minute arm toning session from Kelly Rippa's personal trainer. Have you seen Kelly's arms? Um, yes please!

4. ABS. I get tired of doing sit-ups for my ab workout, so this changes things up. It's not too intense, but still gets the job done.

5. CARDIO. This last link is for 10-minute cardio. It's fairly simple, but you do still sweat a little. Use this one for your easy or short days when you're running low on time.

Spicy Spaghetti Squash

I work full-time, so coming home and preparing dinner usually isn't something I look forward to. I'll aimlessly walk around the kitchen, throw some ingredients together, and hope it turns out OK. Usually I'm not impressed with my concoction, but this week the meal was filling, flavorful, and easy! Here's the recipe for Spicy Spaghetti Squash.

Ingredients:

• 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• 1 spicy chicken sausage (Sprouts)
• 1 T. butter
• 1/2 c. mushrooms
• 1/4 c. red pepper
• 2-3 c. spinach
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and take out the seeds. Rub each squash half  on the inside with a teaspoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. On a large baking sheet, add about a cup of water and place the squash halves face down. Set the timer for 20 minutes and put in the baking sheet in the oven.

2. After the first 20 minutes of baking, add a metal cooling rack next to the squash and place the spicy chicken sausage link on the rack. Set the timer for another 25 minutes and let the squash and chicken cook.

3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a skillet. Saute the mushrooms and red pepper. Next, add in the spinach and stir until it is wilted and cooked thoroughly.

4. When the squash and chicken are cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Cut the chicken sausage into pieces. Add to skillet.

5. Using a fork, remove the spaghetti-like strings from the squash halves into a serving dish. Add the skillet mixture to the dish and stir. Add red pepper flakes.

6. Dinner is served. Time: about 1 hour