I Followed the Sunshine and This is What I Found...

Hi everyone!

If you don't already know, I live in beautiful Washington State.  I LOVE living here.  I've been all around the world and Washington, and the Pacific NW as a whole, is the most beautiful place I have found.  It seems no matter where you go, there is a new trail to explore or mountain to climb.  The great thing about living in Western Washington, in particular, is that you can drastically change your scenery in only a few hours!  I can go to the ocean for some surfing or fishing, I can go snowboarding and skiing, I can go to the desert.  And in my own backyard, I am surrounded by water and lush forests.

I didn't take full advantage of Washington until I got in shape.  Now it is like I am rediscovering the place I've lived for so long.  I'm rediscovering my body and what it can do.  Life is what you make of it.

The one drawback to living here is the rain.  Especially during the winter when we get about 6 months of gray, rainy Hell.  Many of us Washingtonians get S.A.D., an appropriate acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is basically seasonal depression.  My first 2 winters here were awful.  By my third winter, my body had adjusted and I had learned a few tricks, but that's another blog post.

Why do we put up with it?  Not only for all the reasons I mentioned in the first paragraph, but also because our summers are PERFECT.  We get 3 months of the most beautiful weather you can imagine.  Washington summers are a time to go to concerts at the Gorge (the best venue in the world for concerts), boating in the Puget Sound, fishing, stand up paddleboarding, camping, kayaking, going to Seattle for our games.  Washington summers make up for the Washington winters.  And even winter can be manageable if it snows and you spend it on the mountain snowboarding.

We are at the beginning of Spring now, which means even more rain, but now it is punctuated here and there with green grass, flowers and the occasional sunny day.  The other day it was raining where I live, but I noticed a break in the clouds over yonder.  So, in an attempt to escape the rain and put a smile on my dog's face (yes, pit bulls smile!), Lola and I jumped in the car and drove toward the sunshine.  I had no idea where I would end up--I just followed the sun.  The great thing about Washington is that no matter where you go, there is always a hidden gem to explore.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and they inspire you to go on a spontaneous adventure of your own!

Lots of love,
Mon

I was so surprised to find a sweet little pond at the end of the trail!

Beautiful Washington greenery :)

I <3 my trees.

Lola is taking in the scenery.

Lola saying "Thank you" for taking her out. :)

Juice Recipe and Juicing Tips!

Even Lola loved my juice!  She kept trying to get some! lol

Hi everyone!

I know it has been a minute since I posted.  If you follow me on facebook or twitter, you know that my back went out last week and honestly, it was just too painful to sit at the computer for too long.  As an added bonus, I have to say that a week without as much technology was kind of nice. :)  But I am starting to feel a lot better and I'm back with a yummy juice recipe I made today!

I just bought jars to store my juice in.  Jars are great because they keep your juice airtight, which will keep it fresher longer.  Remember, real fresh juice is not loaded with preservatives so it will turn brown if exposed to the air for too long!  Another trick is to add a lemon to any juice recipe--lemon juice is like Mother Nature's preservative!

I juiced enough to fill four 32-ounce jars.  These jars are the perfect size to take with you so you can drink your juice all day long!  I challenge you to wake up a little earlier and make some juice for your day.  I guarantee you will feel amazing!

Lots of love,
Mon

Juice Recipe 

(enough for 4 jars)

7 apples

2 oranges

about 3 handfuls of baby carrots

3 pears

5 kiwis

3 stalks of celery

1 lemon

Add all of these ingredients to your juicer and enjoy!

Juicing Tips
-If your juice tastes bitter, add more apples for a sweeter taste.
-Add a lemon to your juice to keep it fresh longer.
-Mix it up and don't be afraid to experiment with different juicing recipes!  I usually just use whatever fruit and veggies I have on hand.
-Costco makes it very affordable to buy enough fruits and veggies to make all of your juice! (and I did not get paid to say that! lol)
-Buy jars to put your day's supply of juice in to prevent oxidation and keep it fresher longer!

SuperHero Ninja Smoothie

This smoothie went Superhero Ninja on my sweet tooth tonight.

And it's good for you too.

Ingredients

6-7 frozen strawberries

1 banana

2 kiwis

about 1 cup soy milk (more = creamier)

about 1 1/2 cups water (less = thicker)

Directions

Peel the fruit.

Add fruit to blender.

Add water and soy milk to taste. 

Blend.

Sleeper hold your sweet tooth into submission.

Healthy Habit #5-This is Why You're Sick and You Can't Lose Weight

Hi everyone!
     Healthy Habit #5 is the hardest challenge to date, but I believe it is THE MOST IMPORTANT.  If you have been trying to lose weight but can't, and think you're doing everything right, this may be the reason.  If you are sick, have disease, feel 'off,' or visit the doctor's office way more than you need to, you NEED to watch this video.
     It is time for you to give up your processed, junk, and fast foods!  The high fructose corn syrup, MSG, food additives, preservatives, and hormones are killing you!  Ditch the diet soda!  Ditch the artificial sweeteners!  They are causing your health problems, diseases, illnesses, cancers, skin conditions, allergies and more.  Does it seem hard to believe?  Do yourself a favor and pick up the books I've recommended below.  They will educate you about the state of our food industry.
     The food industry is drugging you.  They are tricking you into thinking cardboard tastes good!  If you gave up the McDonald's for a week and then went back to it, a few things would happen: (1) You would go through withdrawals.  That's what happens when you're on drugs.  (2) When you eat it again, it won't taste near as good and you'll probably get sick.  And (3) if you got through all of your withdrawals, and your cravings went away, as soon as you eat it again, you'll start craving it again.  Drugs are a terrible thing.
     At 10 minutes, I know this is my longest video to date, but I wouldn't waste your time.  This is important information.  I also go through a lot of the GOOD CARBS that I want you to be eating.  As always, I welcome you to write me with any questions you might have.  I will get back to you and it brings me ridiculous amounts of joy to help.
     I know this one is hard, but believe that you can do this!  I do.
Mon    

                                                     

Green Juice Recipe!

Green Juice Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pears

1 apple

Directions:

Throw ingredients in juicer.

Drink juice.

Feel better.

Start Losing Inches with Healthy Habit #4!

Hey everyone!

Have you joined the Healthy Habit Challenge yet?  Don't you want to transform your life week by week with just 10 revolutionary habits?  They are so simple and so profound.  Your life will begin to change little by little, then momentum will build and pretty soon you will radiate good health!  It started with drinking water, to cleanse.  Then we started eating way more fruits and veggies, to nourish.  Then we combined lean protein and high fiber veggies at every meal, to satisfy.  Today, you learn to cut portion sizes and be mindful when you eat, to start losing.

When you eat, I want you to pay attention to how your body feels and how hungry you are.  Wait until you are at least a little hungry to start eating.  Then eat slowly, mindfully, enjoy your food.  Take at least twenty minutes to eat so that your body has time to send the "I'm satisfied" signal to your brain.  When you are no longer hungry but you don't have the "full" or "stuffed" feeling, that is when I want you to put your fork down.  Never again do I want you to eat until you are so full  that you want to take a nap after dinner.  I want you to stop eating when you are satisfied but not full.  You should feel light and energetic after your meal, always. 


Your don't need to count calories ever again!  Your body will naturally regulate calories with hunger signals.  That's one reason the first three habits are so important, even if you haven't seen very many results yet.  You needed to take care of the inside of your body so that all of those signals are working properly.  What good are those hunger signals if you're really just thirsty?  But you know the difference between hunger and thirst signals now because you've been drinking all of your water for three weeks now!  There is a method to my madness, people!

As always, check in with me and let me know how you're doing.  Comment here on my blog, find me on facebook and twitter.  You can email me at liveitupfit@gmail.com.  I try to answer everyone that writes me.  

Until next week, take care of yourself, love yourself, and ALWAYS believe in yourself!

Mon

Healthy Habit #3 Guarantees You're Always Satisfied, Never Deprived...

Hi everyone!

Healthy Habit #3 will guarantee that you always feel satisfied, never restricted or deprived.  I never would have been able to lose 40 pounds if I had felt like I was on a diet.  I want to live life, and eating great food is part of that.  The invaluable trick I learned was to eat protein and fruits or veggies every few hours to satisfy my hunger pains before they started.  Protein satiates your appetite.  The fiber in fruits and veggies is filling.  Together, protein and fiber pack a powerful punch against hunger!  If you follow this way of eating, you will never feel restricted or deprived and you will eat plenty of delicious food in the process.

Women should be getting 46-58 grams of protein per day and men should be getting 56-70 grams per day, unless of course you are a body builder or training your body with exercise and nutrition to build more mass.  You can get protein from a variety of animal and plant sources.  It is surprising how much protein you find in vegetables -- especially spinach!  Below you will find a handy list of animal and plant protein sources, and how many grams of protein you receive per serving.  Use this as a guide and start pairing these proteins with a variety of smoothies, salads, juices, and sides.  Get creative and share your creations with the rest of us!  Post pictures of your meals on my facebook or twitter.  Comment on this post with your favorite combos and meals.  Who knows, you might help someone who stumbles across your post. :)

Good luck with Challenge #3 this week!  I KNOW you can do this.  I believe in you, and I want you to believe in yourself too.

Lots of love <3,

Mon