Thrive Forward

Know. Eat. Feel. BETTER.

Developed by Brendan Brazier, Thrive Forward is a FREE, personalized online program to help transform your health and sport performance through plant-based nutrition.  Starting with Clean Eating 101, Brendan guides your journey to optimal health and performance through customized topics most relevant to you—be it energy, stress, sleep, body composition, strength and endurance training, or even how to eat more sustainably. And every video lesson is enhanced with useful tools to reinforce what you’ve learned, including recipes and articles.

http://thriveforward.com

 

check it out !

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• Vega Sport Introduces Sugar-Free Energizer (thehotspotorlando.com)

Go Green!!!!

Green smoothies are quickly becoming the talk of the town. They are easy to make, easy to personalize, and have the potential to have drastic nutritional benefits. Personally, they helped me loose over 25 pounds, 10% in body fat, and most importantly, take control of my nutritional well being!!!!

One recipe that I keep coming back to is based on the 1/3 rule and looks like this:

1/3 dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, collards, chard, dandelion greens, mustard greens, etc)

1/3 frozen fruit (banana, apple, mango, papaya, orange, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, kiwis, etc)

1/3 water

If you are new to green smoothies or greens in general, or if you have a sweet tooth and need a little boost, try raw bee honey, agave, or stevia to naturally sweeten things up a bit.

You can also substitute fresh squeezed orange juice instead of water keeping in mind that will increase the sugar content.

Put it all in your high powered blender and enjoy.

Lastly, pat yourself on the back for taking the first step to a better you!!!!

 

A few things to keep in mind:

Have Fun!!!!!

the best smoothie is the one that you will drink. use this as a guideline and make it work for you. Ask me questions

Rotate your greens every two or three days

Always include at least one if not more “high-fiber fruit” such as bananas, mangos, or apples with peels. This will make it taste less “green.” by increasing the amount of insoluble fiber.

When possible… choose organic. (your kids will thank you)

don’t hesitate to reach out to me for with any questions or comments

 

 

A thought to ponder

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

Weight Management is the adoption of healthful and sustainable eating and exercise behaviors indicated for reduced disease risk and improved feelings of energy and well-being.

Note that there is no mention of weight loss or ideal weight….

Holy Fukushima Radiation From Japan Is Already Killing North Americans

You’re going to want to use every share button at the bottom of this article once you’re done reading, so get ready, it’s time to freak out: Maybe. If you live on the west coast of Canada or the United States, you’re pretty much already screwed at this point thanks to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Radiation levels are already increasing in the food and water, babies born with thyroid issues linked to radiation are rising quickly and governments in Canada and the United States are raising the “acceptable levels” of certain toxic substances in the food being shipped in from Japan.

via Holy Fukushima – Radiation From Japan Is Already Killing North Americans.

“A” is for Apple…

really cool post on apples… how many apples did you think there were?

Rooting

And apparently so is every other letter of the alphabet.

I was recently enlightened to the incredible diversity of the apple and have since become completely enamored with the fruit.  Worldwide there are 7,500 named varieties, and within North America the number stands around 2,500.  These varieties are referred to as cultivars, which means they have been created or selected intentionally and maintained through cultivation.

This information is fascinating to me on a number of levels.  Firstly, who knew that something so iconic, like an apple, is in reality a diverse group of thousands of varieties, each with individual characteristics differentiating them in color, shape, and (most importantly) taste?  Secondly, cultivation implies human intervention, meaning that apples as we know them do not exist independently in the wild.  In fact, the only native apple to North America is the crab apple, a tiny and very bitter cousin to the…

View original post 609 more words

Pre Summer Fit Tips!!!

If you are in the southwestern part of the country and have been outside during the past few days, it is evident that Summer is just around the corner. Are you ready? Have you dusted off your bikinis and board shorts? And are you ready to bare it all on the beach? If not, don’t worry, you are not alone and with a little hard work and discipline, you can flaunt what your mamma gave you with no reservations. Here are few tips to consider along the journey.

One: Go outside and move around. Get your blood moving around by taking your dog for a walk. Take your kids to the park or your significant other to the beach for a walk. Thirty Minutes a day, Five times per week!!! This is the US department of Health’s recommended activity level for a healthy adult. And just this little amount of exercise can have positively affect your mood, metabolism, libido, etc.

Two: Do some Burpees. Not sure what a burpee is? Search “burpee” in Youtube and several examples will come up. This a great exercise that can be done by people at most fitness levels that uses your own body weight as the resistance. This is a great core builder and a great exercise for anyone trying to flatten or tone their abdominals. Just add a few sets of these to your workouts everyday and burn more calories and build core strength.

Three: Drink Water!! Lots of it. Drink a glass or two of water when you wake up in the morning before you do anything. Have one ready by the bed so it’s the first thing you see and do when you wake. Sufficient water is essential to our well being yet a large number of individuals rarely drink half of the recommended daily amount.

Four: Cut out or cut back processed Foods!!! This step has “extreme life changing potential.” Eliminating, or at least minimizing chemicals, preservatives, and processed “food like products” from our diets allows our bodies to work more efficiently. Processed sugars, flours, and salts are just a few examples of the products you may want to reconsider. Instead opt for “Whole, All Natural” options. If possible, incorporate fresh organic fruits and vegetables as often as possible. Ask for brown or wild rice instead of white rice. Choose raw brown sugar over white sugar if available. Look for “Free Range and Organically Fed” lean protein options.

Five: Load up on Fiber. Why? Because high fiber foods are rich in nutrients and low in calories which means you will feel full from fewer calories, which would promote weight loss. Increasing your fiber intake can also help maintain and normalize bowel health, lower cholesterol levels, and can also help control blood sugar levels. Some of my favorites are: Spinach, apples (with skin), raspberries, carrots, and broccoli to name a few.

Six: Drink a Green Smoothie. This is the easiest way to flood your body with vitamins and minerals. Just one 8oz green smoothie will not only improve your fiber intake but will increase your intake of green leafy vegetables which are known to be among the most nutrient rich vegetables.

Seven: Start a Health improvement program.  You wouldn’t take dental advice from your mechanic, yet time and time again people turn to their friends or their television for wellness advice. We are all unique individuals and have a wide range of fitness and nutritional needs. I am passionate about finding the game plan that works best for you and your lifestyle.

Please contact me if you are interested in:

• Making better food Choices
• Healthy Weight Loss
• Personal Training
• Nutritional Coaching
• Plant Based Nutrition

Another Week With Bella and Marley

I know it is a few days past friday but better late than never 😉

here are a few pics to update you on Bella and Marley.

During the last week Bella has learned to sit and is having a blast learning how to walk on the leash with here big brother Marley

She took her first trip to the beach and was a bit overwhelmed with all the dogs but she had fun and by the end running around very confidently

After a long day at the beach it was time for a nap

See you all next week

Are you being tricked by your Juice?

Walking through your average grocery store juice isle can be a bit overwhelming and misleading. “All Natural and  100% juice,” are among some of the most misleading in my opinion and as it turns out the FDA has no regulations as to what these labels actually represent.

Orange Juice is probably the easiest to relate to. Most orange juice that comes in a bottle or carton has been pasteurized or taken through a similar process to prolong shelf life. This process not only changes or completely depletes the juice of taste but it also removes almost all of the nutritional content. To make the juice taste like orange juice again, the juice companies engineer flavor packs that are added to the juice to make it taste “natural and fresh squeezed”

In essence, when we consume a “food like product” such as orange juice, we are not truly getting what we paid for. Instead we are consuming a product that has been engineered to resemble the product it is claiming to be.

here are a few articles that I found helpful when researching juice myths 😉

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/juice-frauds-whats-really-juice-190200009.html

http://www.thedailymeal.com/8-healthy-drinks-are-actually-terrible-you?utm_source=shine%2Bnewsfeed&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=juice%2Bfrauds&RM_Exclude=Welcome

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/16/dirty-little-secret-orange-juice-is-artificially-flavored-to-taste-like-oranges.aspx

Dr Mercola on feminine care and it’s potential effects

Dr Mercola on feminine care and it’s potential effects

It’s not every day that I find myself pondering feminine care products and you may be wondering why I am blogging about feminine care products. If you can, take a few minutes to watch Dr. Mercola’s video on feminine care products and you might understand. Please pass this information on to any one that you love are care about. 

 

Love and Groove

Milk for sports nutrition?

If you are an athlete or have been to a gym in the last 10 years…

 

people consuming dairy based pre or post work out drinks is a fairly common site. Weather this is having positive or negative effects, I  will let you decide. While you think about it, here is a link to an article on the Vibrance Nutrition Page (www.vibrancenutrition.com) where Aimee Gallo (owner of vibrance nutrition) explains some facts about milk and the reality of what it can do to our bodies. I especially like her analogy of how our bodies are like high end performance sports cars.

 

happy monday

Love and Groove

http://vibrancenutrition.com/blog/chocolate-milk-is-crap-and-other-blasphemous-thoughts-on-sports-nutrition/