Also it’s fucking yummy and you can totally use it instead of oats for breakfast. Or a snack. Or pretty much any time.Keen-what? Keen-Wah!
*spelled quinoa
Quinoa is a seed that once cooked, has a delicious, fluffy, slightly crunchy, and almost nutty flavor.
Along with the yummy taste, check out some of the benefits:
- Trying to up your protein intake? Hello?! Try some quinoa! Not only is it a super good source of protein…but the protein it supplies is complete protein! This means that it includes all 9 amino acids! Hooray!
- Migraines? You might want to think about adding quinoa into your life! The magnesium in quinoa relaxes your blood vessels, which will help reduce those achy migraines!
- Quinoa prevents against lots of probelms too! Heart disease, childhood asthma, breast cancer, gallstones, cardiovascular health and so many more!
These are only a few of quinoa’s benefits! So considering how easy it is to add into your life, there’s really no reason not to include it! Add it to your salad, throw it in a wrap, eat it with your stir fry…anything!
Now go get some! :)
*This is not my photo, but I searched and couldn’t find the source, if I do…I’ll be sure to add it!
“I want to lift weights to tone up, but I don’t want to get bulky. So should I use lighter weights and do higher reps?”
NO. Women do not have the levels of testosterone necessary to get “bulky” or manly from lifting weights (even if they are HEAVY!). It takes a lot more effort than most people think to gain muscle… especially for women. Those female bodybuilders you see? They take steroids and have been working HARD to gain that muscle over many years. Cardio and playing with light weights will not “tone up” your body. Heavy weight lifting WILL. Extreme muscle gains will not happen magically over night so don’t worry about it.
In order for your body to change… you have to give it a DARN GOOD REASON to… otherwise it would be quite “content” remaining the same shape and size. Lifting light weight is something you do everyday… (your blow dryer, laundry, purse, etc.) and your body doesn’t change from that… so why would it change from you lifting some little beauty bells an extra hundred times or so? Lift heavy weights and you will be shocked at how amazing the results are.I agree with this to a certain extent. As a Crossfitter, I am a HUGE advocate for lifting heavy, but I have also gotten very satisfying results from doing the 30 day shred, where I used 2-lb dumbbells the whole time. If you don’t have access to a weight room or gym with the right equipment, lighter weights can be very effective when used correctly.
those are such giant 15s…
11 Health Benefits of Spinach
It is difficult to overestimate the nutritional powerhouse that is spinach. Here are eleven reasons why spinach should find its way into your grocery bag.
- Diet - One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating.
- Cancer Flavonoids — a phytonutrient with anti-cancer properties abundant in spinach — have been shown to slow down cell division in human stomach and skin cancer cells. Furthermore, spinach has shown significant protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer.
- Anti-Inflammatory - Neoxanthin and violaxanthin are two anti-inflammatory epoxyxanthophylls that play an important role in regulation of inflammation and are present in unusual amounts in spinach.
- Antioxidants - The vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
- Blood Pressure - By inhibiting the angiotensin I-converting enzyme, peptides within spinach have been shown to effectively lower blood pressure.
- Vision - Both antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin are especially plentiful in spinach and protect the eye from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
- Immunity - One cup of spinach contains over 337% of the RDA of vitamin A that not only protects and strengthens “entry points” into the human body, such as mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts, but is also a key component of lymphocytes (or white blood cells) that fight infection.
- Skin - The high amount of vitamin A in spinach also promotes healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention in the epidermis, thus fighting psoriasis, keratinization, acne and even wrinkles.
- Bones - One cup of boiled spinach provides over 1000% of the RDA of vitamin K that can prevent excess activation of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bones), as well as promote the synthesis of osteocalcin, the protein that is essential for maintaining the strength and density of our bones.
- Calcification - Vitamin K is a crucial component of the process called carboxylation, which produces the matrix Gla protein that directly prevents calcium from forming in tissue. Eating one cup of spinach contributes to this process that fights atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- Brain and Nervous Function - The abundance of vitamin K in spinach contributes greatly to a healthy nervous system and brain function by providing an essential part for the synthesis of sphingolipids, the crucial fat that makes up the Myelin sheath around our nerves.
Full article:http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/11-health-benefits-of-spinach.html
(Source: theweightofperfection)
(Source: tonned-tanned-fit)
(via imgTumble)Just did my last Month 2 workout.. I’m officially an INSANITY GRADUATE! It’s been a long, hard journey but one that’s also very worthwhile. My last fit test is tomorrow so I’ll post my full review of Insanity then as well as my final pictures.
I’m also starting the whole program over on Tuesday because I loved it so much! Here we go again…
Day 1 shown here was me sucking in with all of my might and flexing my “abs”. Day 59 was taken today, no flexing or sucking in. All in all, I lost less than 5 pounds during this journey, so this just proves that weight is only a number.
For more before and after weight loss pics every day, click HERE to follow.
(Source: tonned-tanned-fit)
Enjoy your curves. Just have healthy ones
Just Believe - Someone once said “You can have anything you want, if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m a huge believer that you can do anything you want as long as you simply put your mind to it.
I haven’t always been this way. In fact, I was probably the opposite. I was the ultimate “negative nelly.” Sometimes, in life, change is what you need to catapult yourself into the right direction and change your perspective on everything. About a year ago I had a huge change in my life. I was in a relationship for a really long time and we broke up. I thought that I was unhappy with that person, however, in reality, I was utterly unhappy with myself.
I was determined to change this. As day by day passed by, I started to believe in myself again. I got rid of that negative and sorry attitude and changed it to an “I CAN do this attitude”.
One of my biggest goals for the past 6 or so years has been to lose weight. I gained not only the “freshmen 15″ but then the sophomore, junior and senior 15 as well. My attitude was always , “ahh I have so much to lose, I can’t do this.” I would automatically be defeated before I even started TRYING to lose those extra pounds. Well in 2010, I told myself that I am determined to lose this weight and become happy with myself, Lauren Elizabeth. I would write in my journal:
“Lauren, you CAN lose this weight”
“You ARE beautiful”
“You CAN accomplish your dreams”
“You ARE successful”
“Lauren, you CAN do whatever you put your mind to “
Slowly but surely, I started to actually believe what I was writing. In my mind, the first step in accomplishing a goal is believing in yourself. If you believe that you can’t accomplish something, then you never will. So look on the bright side of life, know that you can accomplish your dreams and don’t settle for less.
