30 Day Challenge - Day 3 - How are you doing?

For those of you who are not involved in the 30 day challenge and might be wondering if you are going to see a post every day for the next 28 days I want you to breathe a sigh of relief. No you will not get a daily update, but I will keep you updated on the feedback I get from the participants.  Here is my personal day 3 report*:

DAY 3: I was not sure what I was going to do since I was still suffering from sore abs from the last time I did my planks. Only 15 minutes, right? How hard could it be? Mallory went for a run with some other co-workers and I am so proud of her. I would not be brave enough to run with them, mainly because I run really slowly and my children make fun of me. I don't let it get to me though, they can make fun if they want, at least I am not a couch potato and at the end of the day they will remember that. My ten year old joined me for this workout. The jumping jacks were a hit.

Here's K from Detroit's day 3 photo, doing bent over Dumbbell rows while trying to take a photo, I am impressed! 

Here is a blog post from one of the 30 Day Challenge participants and it is entitled: Things That Take Time. Take a moment to read her take on what it means to take up the challenge. It really touched my heart.


LIST OF PARTICIPANTS: Day 3

1. Mel -Core and strength exercises (See graphic*)  - Toronto. Ontario, Canada
2. Mallory - Run - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Crystal -Walking 30 min and Nordic track 15 min - Regina SK Canada.
4. Goanna - One hour Circuit Training and a 1 hour Pilates class.
5. Lis -25 minutes Yoga session and 8 minute Cardio Interval Workout -  San Carlos, Mexico.
6. K - 45 minutes Strength Training - Back and Biceps - Detroit- Detroit, MI
7. Ishii - 30 minutes of Interval Training.
8. Tanya - 40 minutes on the Treadmill.   -  NYC
9. Lily -Strength Training (Upper body) 
10. Jill -  Walking the dog-Toronto
11. Tofodil-  Kelly CM's Cardio Sculpt Fitness ~ 60 min
12. Bella -15 min walk (got off the bus one stop early). Ottawa, ON Canada 

Who says 30 Day Challenges are all about pain? Here is Mall's pic today, her "post run epsom salt soak." Now that is what I call making a 30 day Challenge fun!

Having a goal and a little bit of motivation is something that helps keep the momentum going! When you workout you must make sure to:  Fuel your body right.

 

By Melony Teague
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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge and WELCOME to the Stragglers.

30 Day Challenge is Underway!- And no Coffee for me yet.

This challenge has turned out to be just the thing that was needed by more than just me and my co-worker. The more people hear about it, the more they jump on board. I am thrilled and am so glad that it has been the motivation needed to get out of that rut of doing the same old thing all the time. If you are thinking about joining, it is not too late, you can join up until Friday 16th, 2012. Please feel free to share your progress on Facebook or twitter, you can do so by sharing this page. ( See the buttons at the bottom of the post) And please DO comment! Cheer the participants on! They would love to have some cheerleaders. I for one am proud of each of them!

DAY 2 is completed. We have a few more that have joined.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS: Day2

1. Mel - 2.03 miles on Treadmill - Run (30 minutes) - Toronto. Ontario, Canada
2. Mallory - 20 minutes of "Booty" Workout. - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Crystal - 30 minutes of Nordic track and Dance practise - Regina SK Canada.
4. Goanna - 1hour Circuit and in the evening did a 1 hour Pilate's class.
5. Lis -25 minute Yoga session (Exalted Warrior Series) -  San Carlos, Mexico.
6. K -Treadmill- Detroit, MI
7. Ishii - 30 min of Jillian's 6 week Six-Pack
8. Tanya -Lazy day Workout   -  NYC
9. Lily - Kettle bell workout
10. Jill - Walked the dog -Toronto- New Participant.
11. Tofodil - New Participant.
12. Bella - 30 minute walk -  New Participant
13.  Add your name! 

Notice how different the work outs are and you will notice another thing. No one stayed within the 15 minute minimum. Why is that? Well, if you think to yourself, "Ugh I have to do a whole hour!" - you probably will not start. When you are thinking, "Only 15 minutes, I can do that...." and then you get going and before you know it 40, 50 or 60 minutes have passed.

If you want to read more about Kettle bells, here is an article in the Globe and Mail.  Who knew that the kettle bells seem to originate from Russia.

Some reminders when you work out:

• Stay hydrated. Don't wait until AFTER you workout to drink your water. Start before you workout. Water is the best option by far. Stay away from sugary "energy drinks" that are full of sugar and caffeine.
• Safety first - make sure you have all the equipment you need to exercise safely and without injury. Rather stop if you can't finish a rep, than do it in bad form. Keep good form ALWAYS!
• Write your workout down. This is a great way to measure your progress and to motivate you. You will see how far you have come and have a better idea of where you are headed.
•  Make it fun! 
• Don't be afraid to try something different.

Here are some photos provided by the participants for DAY 2!~Evidence!

By Melony Teague
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 www.melonyteague.com 

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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MALL & MEL 30 Day Challenge - Day 1

Yesterday was day #1 of our 30 Day Challenge and I have sore abs to prove it!  I am so excited about the people who have jumped on board and have taken up the 30 Day Challenge with us. Read about how it all came about here.

RULES:

1. Minimum of 15 minutes intentional exercise a day (Warm up and cool down not included)
2. Whom ever does not do it, buys coffee!

You can still do #2 if you live far away, ever heard of Starbucks gift cards? hehe!

I am excited to share with you the list of people joining Mallory and I. One of them lives in New York City. There is one from Santa Barbara too, another is in Mexico...and they are spread all over the globe, all participating and excited to go. I will be detailing our successes on this blog, and the challenge ends Dec 13th, 2012.

Posted will be pics from participants around the world and what they did so that we can get ideas from each other and hey, who knows, you may try something you have never tried before?

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS: Day 1

1. Mel - Strength exercises - Toronto. Ontario, Canada
2. Mallory - Restorative Yoga and 15 min boot camp - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Crystal - 15 minutes Nordic Track on setting 4 - Regina SK Canada.
4. Goanna - 1 Hour Circuit Training
5. Lis - 25 minutes Yoga -  San Carlos, Mexico.
6. K -45 min Lower body ST and 35 Min Brazil Butt Lift DVD - Detroit, MI
7. Ishii - 34 Min Run
8. Tanya - Walking -  NYC
9. Lily - Pilates
10. ....Will you add your name here? Email me if you want to join in. (Click here)

DAY 1

 Mallory did YOGA! 

Mallory wrote, "Feeling proud I got off my lazy ass for day one! Only made it through 15 mins of my booty camp cardio DVD (screw burpees unnnngh) cuz I felt like barfing, but I breezed thru 30 mins of restorative yoga."

 

My Strength Training Workout:

 I know that the planks are what did me in, my abs are reminding me about them every time I move. I guess my core needs some work. Post workout Power pudding sounds good to me...here is the recipe.

 

 

By Melony Teague
© All Right Reserved

 www.melonyteague.com 

To subscribe to my consolidated newsletter, Click here 
Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
Join me on facebook. 

 

30 Day Challenge - Who is in?

I have found the transition into fall a little challenging this year. The urge to hibernate on rainy cold damp days is overwhelming sometimes. I have lost some of the momentum that I had in the summer where I ran three times a week. I know from experience that all it takes is a little motivation and a LOT of blackmail and then I am back rolling along as I did before. A co-worker posted on her facebook page that she was battling to fit her daily exercise in and was feeling "blah" and wanted a change. Now any trainer will tell you that having a fitness partner and someone to be accountable to, is something that really works when it comes to sticking with a program. Knowing that we would have a better chance of success if we tackled this problem together, I issued her a challenge...( it was her idea to do it for 30 days) and so we made an agreement (pinky swear) and shook hands on it.

Here's the deal, if one of us does not do their 15 minute minimum a day, they have to buy the other person a coffee. Since we are both broke at the moment and can't afford to do so every day, it is a form of blackmail and it will work. Of course there is friendly competition and pride involved. Who wants to be the loser, right?

Yesterday was day one so I thought that I would extend the challenge to my readers. All you have to do is do 15 minutes a day (you will probably end up doing more!) and comment on the blog to report back. This gives you accountability and just think, by November 13 you will have racked up a minimum of 450 extra minutes of exercise. That is 7 1/2 hours! It is not hard to do and anyone can find an extra 15 - 20 minutes a day. We will be cheering you on!

WHO IS IN?

Comment below or email me to add your name to the challenge! 
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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Coco What?

I had never in my life heard of such a thing as a "young coconut"...my idea of coconut was the stuff you found in a nice little package in the baking isle in the grocery store. That was until I started drinking unsweetened coconut milk, using canned coconut milk and coconut oil. Wow, to think that a year ago none of these things (besides the baking isle stuff) could be found in my kitchen. A little indication of how things have changed perhaps?

So my latest forrey into the world of trying new things was when I picked up a nice young coconut. To be honest it sat on my counter for a couple of weeks becasue I just didn't know what to do it it. I knew enough to know that it was healthy and rather something that you can't get everyday here in Canada, so when I saw it at the grocery store I snapped it up, not really knowing what I was going to do with it. Thank you so much for "google" because without it, my dear little coconuts would be rotting on my counter top. For those of you, ( like me) who have no idea what I am talking about, watch this video on how to crack open a young Thai coconut. Even if you know what they are, I tried this method and it is extremely easy and hassle free. I would suggest chilling the coconut before using it for a smoothie.  Below is a photo of what it looks like.

Young Thai Coconut

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO ON HOW TO CUT OPEN A YOUNG COCONUT

This video is the best I saw, no cleaver needed and it was quick and easy. Once I cracked it open I poured the liquid into my blender, scraped out the tender flesh with the spoon, without even having to crack open the shell. It was so easy, you don't have to wait two weeks to tackle it like I did. Here's the smoothie recipe:

Young Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

 Flesh and liquid of one young coconut
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup Aurthur's Pineapple Coconut Juice ( I used the coconut but you can use whatever flavour you like) 
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup ice cubes (more or less as needed)
1 cube frozen spinach
1 drop stevia liquid.

Method:

1.  Crack open the young coconut and empty out the liquid into your blender
2. Scrape out the tender flesh and clean off the brown "skin" and put in blender
3. Add juices, frozen banana and spices together with the frozen spinach and Stevia. Add Ice  cubes and blend.
4. Blend until smooth.

Serves 2 

Health benefits of this wonderful fruit are numerous, one of them being that the coconut milk is the highest form of electrolytes known to man. (This is according to this site) That little piece of information is handy to know in case you are suffering from dehydration. Next time  you see them in the grocery store, why not snatch one up and give it a try. They are better chilled in my opinion.

Comment below or email me.

By Melony Teague

By Melony Teague
© All Right Reserved

 www.melonyteague.com 

To subscribe to my consolidated newsletter, Click here 
Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
Join me on facebook. 

When it goes limp, what to do.

My only regret is that I did not take a photo when I discovered my kale had gone completely limp in my fridge. Not only was the kale nice and fresh when I bought it, but it was a local crop too. Life got too busy and I didn't get to it until it was too late. I could have cried. Then I thought of what my brother would do to resurrect flowers and plants. His advice would be to drench them in water after trimming off the stems.  It couldn't hurt, so I gave it a try and what do you know, fresh plump leaves ready for my smoothies and a welcome little bit of green in my kitchen. I glance at the grey and dreary wet day outside and my kale makes me smile.

Can you believe that this is the same kale that I almost threw out?

 

So what's all the fuss about Kale?

You might be asking what the big deal is about Kale.  Kale is high in Vitamin A and C. What many don't know that Kale trumps the banana in being a source of Vitamin K any day and Potassium per gram. So bear that in mind, it is per gram.  Kale also has the B Vitamins which help to keep our nerves healthy, particularly if you are stressed.You can check out the nutrient tables for this unassuming leaf by clicking here. One cup of Kale actually has 2.2 g of protein in it. 

I admit that I have never gotten the hang of Kale "chips" but if you can do it, you know how delicious they are. I think that Kale chips sprinkled with Chipotle spices and would be even better.

So what do I do with this beautiful leaf then? Primarily I saute these leaves with onion and garlic or more commonly I use it in my smoothies to counteract the natural sugars in the fruit or beets that I use in my smoothies. I also occasionally juice these leaves, one word of warning, it takes many leaves and stems to get just a little bit of dark green juice.

Here are some smoothie recipes that use Kale and I posted them before in the Merits of Mint post. One thing I learnt is that Kale gets bitter if they are exposed to hot weather, so this time of year is perfect to get nice non-butter Kale. Here is my Dark Chocolate Smoothie Recipe.

Bear in mind that your smoothies are a great source of fuel for your body and you really have to be intentional about what you put in them. Think about whether your smoothie is pre or post workout. Smoothies can be a breakfast or a dinner. Sometimes I just don't feel like eating dinner and a smoothie does the trick. Particularly if the rest of the family are eating something that my sugar-free, gluten free diet does not allow for.

Remember that adding mint, basil leaves or cacao nibs to your smoothie can add an unexpected zing. 

If your kids are having a pizza night you can supplement their diet by making a smoothie loaded with fruit and veggies as a trade off. 

Do you need a special smoothie maker? No, I use a blender and it works. When my blender is being used for something else and I want a smoothie, I have used my  hand held wand blender. You don't have to get fancy. 

What is your favourite smoothie recipe?

By Melony Teague

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
Join me on facebook.  

Top 25 Health and Wellness blog Award.

 As part of the Top 25 Health and Wellness Moms 2012 blog competition each participant in the top 25 spots was asked to answer some questions.
Here (below) are the answers to the questions that were posed to me. Thank you again to all those who voted for me.

If you click on the "Read More" below you can read my answer. Click here if you like my answer!  (You will see a vote+ sign on the right next to my answer! To add your vote, click the "up arrow") Please do not feel you have to sign up and join the Circle of mom's site. That is entirely up to you!

 www.melonyteague.com 

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children. Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
Join me on facebook.