Physical Funness for the Motion Starved

Fit more fun into your fitness while exploring the outdoors.


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Quinoa?

Hella Yum!

Years ago my cycling coach suggested that I try quinoa as I wasn’t getting enough protein in my diet. At the time I had no idea what the hell quinoa was, and since I thought the guy was kind of a jerk, I ignored his advise (forget the fact that I was paying him a shitload of money to tell me things I didn’t like, silly me!).

So, what is quinoa? Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Kind of a light, fluffy rice like thing. It’s yummy and it’s super high in protein and fiber.

I hate to admit it but it’s been until now, 5 years later that I’ve finally given quinoa a try. Guess what, it’s damn good! With that I share the following recipe. You won’t be disappointed so make the effort to give it a try.

Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans and Avocado

Ingredients:  (4 servings)

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
1 large white onion
10 medium button or Crimini mushrooms, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small avocados, peeled and diced
2 tbsp lime juice (or more to taste)
salt to taste

Instructions:

Start by cooking quinoa in either a rice cooker or on the stove top. Add 1-cup dry quinoa (rinsed) to 1.75 cups of water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to the quinoa pot for extra flavor!

Meanwhile, dice the onions and mushrooms and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, and all moisture has cooked out of the mushrooms.

Once the quinoa has finished cooking, add fluffed quinoa and black beans to the pan with mushrooms and onions, and stir to combine and heat through.

Add 2 tbsp lime juice (or more to taste), and reduce heat to low.

Stir in sliced cherry or grape tomatoes and avocado, and season to taste with salt.

Serve with tortilla chips and a dollop of Greek yogurt, and enjoy!

With the double dose of black beans and quinoa, this dish packs a huge nutritional punch of making a complete protein.  Perfect for vegetarians and vegans, but tasty and simple enough to make anyone clean their plate.

P.s. I found this recipe on Daily Garnish, check it out, she’s got some smart ideas.


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It’s Summer, are ya lookin’ swank in your swimsuit?

Couch Potato

Hey now, it’s Workout Wednesday. How’s your fitness routine going? Are you working out consistently? Three, five times a week for 45 minutes? How about an hour plus? I know you have gym memberships and classes that you want to attend, are you going?

When I started this business it was my hope to offer a comfortable, fun, fresh air environment where all of us, non Lululemon clad, “look at me” Hot Bodies could converge and feel comfortable. A place where you don’t have to already be “fit” to get a good work out, a place to start, or simply work out sans the attitude and the judgment.

Unfortunately I’m having a hard time motivating these sorts of folks. Some have come around but where’s everyone else?  I know you’re out there. I see you and I thought I understood. Now I’m thinking that maybe people don’t really want a place like I’m offering. With a place like this, there’s no excuse not to exercise. Sure, it’s hard to find the time but I don’t buy that. I’m wondering if maybe I should cater to those Hot Body types after all, they seem to want to work out, hence their Hot Bodies. Better yet, maybe I should cater to Hot Body 40 Something Men specifically. Hummmm…. now that’s a though!

While I work on my new approach for generating clients and readers, I offer you an exercise sequence that should work for everyone. You don’t even need to leave the couch.

The Couch Potato Work Out — Do these exercises at every commercial break. Do 20 reps of each exercise; repeat at every break for an hour.

  • Push ups – Facing the couch, kneel on the floor about 2 feet away from it. Cross your ankles, and place your hands shoulder-width apart on a cushion edge. Slowly bend your arms, and lower your upper body until your chest touches the couch. Hold, press up again. Repeat
  • Side Crunches – Lie on the couch on your left side with your legs together and your knees bent. Place your right hand behind your head with your elbow pointing toward the ceiling. Wrap your left arm across your waist. Contracting the oblique muscles along your right side, lift your shoulder off the couch, bringing your rib cage toward your hip. Hold, slowly lower. Repeat, switch sides. (If your couch is too soft, you may need to do this exercise on the floor.)
  • Triceps Dips – Sitting on the edge of the couch, place your hands on the edge on either side of you. Move your feet out so that your butt is off the seat, and your knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Bending your elbows so they point behind you, lower yourself as far as comfortable. Hold, slowly press up again.
  • Scissors – Lie on your back on a couch (you may need to angle yourself for more room) with your hands (palms down) under your butt and your legs straight up in the air. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet flexed, slowly spread your legs as far apart as comfortable. Hold, then slowly bring your legs together, resisting as you press them in.

As always your comments are welcome.  Bring ‘em on!

Kiss, kiss…


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To pop or not to pop, that is the question

Gross!

Someone once told me not to pop a blister. He said, “blisters are natures band-aid” don’t pop them. Then, not too long ago I saw a Dr. Oz segment suggesting that we pop our blisters. It’s all very annoying and confusing as I find that I’m always at a loss for what to do when I get a blister.

With that, I decided to look into the matter. Here’s what I found.

If the blister isn’t too painful, try to keep it intact. Unbroken skin over a blister provides a natural barrier to bacteria and decreases the risk of infection. Cover a small blister with an adhesive bandage, and cover a large one with a porous, plastic-coated gauze pad that absorbs moisture and allows the wound to breathe. Don’t puncture a blister unless it’s painful or prevents you from walking or using one of your hands.

If you need to drain/pop a painful blister, follow these steps:

  • Wash your hands and the blister with soap and warm water.
  • Swab the blister with rubbing alcohol, and sterilize a clean sharp needle with rubbing alcohol.
  • Puncture the blister at several spots along the edge. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a bandage.
  • After a few days, remove the dead skin with a sterilized tweezers and scissors. Apply more antibiotic and a bandage.

And so now we know…

P.s. The above advice is taken from the MayoClinic.com


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Happy Monday

I’ve decided to take a “Personal Day” today. I trust you understand. It’s been a long weekend.

In my absence I suggest you consider partaking in some sort of lusty act. I’m talking about stretching your horizons a bit. Look into a Poll Dancing class, Massage for Couples… you get the picture. Run with it!

I’ll be back tomorrow…


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Stuff is just stuff but what’s the etiquette on borrowing?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately as I’m missing some things that I could really use about now. I guess I could ask for them back but I don’t think I should have to. I guess it’s just me, I tend to return the things that I borrow and I forget that not everyone thinks like that. You see, I once drove 100 miles out of my way to return a book.

Anyway, I was curious about how others felt about the etiquette of borrowing so I decided to ask Google. In the end I found only what I already knew, but managed to forget.

  • If you loan something out, don’t expect to get it back. If you cannot live with that thought, don’t make the loan.
  • If you borrow something, treat it as the most precious and valuable item on the planet. Even if it’s just a paperback book. Return the item promptly and heaven forbid, if you lose it or damage it, tell the truth. Then move heaven and earth to repair or replace it while apologizing profusely.
  • It is very important to remember that whenever we borrow things from others, it is essential that we promptly return the said item, without waiting for the day when the owner asks to collect it. At that point, the owner may already be irked or annoyed.

Somewhat satisfied with my findings, I’ve decided to let my missing things go, after all I don’t have to dust them anymore (I hate dusting!), and if I decide that I can’t live without them, I’ll simply go shopping (I love shopping!).

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend, see you on Monday…


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Cherries!

Yummy, but don't eat too many!

I really like cherries. The other day I got to thinking about cherries and why they crack sometimes after you rinse them. I know that the crack is no a big deal but it looks gross, so I either toss the cherry, or cut off the crack and eat the rest. Yea, I know it’s ridiculous.  Anyway, I decided to look into the cherry cracking matter, here’s what I found.

Basically a cherry has a skin (they call it membrane, but I don’t like that word) that covers the fruit. Evidently, during the late stage of development, there’s an explosive increase in growth, the size of the cherry increases at a rate of one square centimeter (a sixth of a square inch) per day, which is a large rate of growth in relation to the small size of the fruit. Apparently, the insides of the fruit grows really fast but the outside skin remains the same size and is expected to stretch to cover the inside fruit (like a balloon filling with air). When the cherry gets wet, it puts a strain on the skin, and sometimes it cracks. Very interesting, don’t you think?

Since we’re talking cherries, here are a few tidbits you might like.

  • Washington State produces more than 50% of all the sweet cherries in the United States. Washington cherry season is June – August
  • The Rainier cherry, is yellow with a red blush, was made from a cross between two dark red cherries, the Van and Bing
  • Each American eats approximately 2.6 lbs. of cherries per year and there are approximately 53-pitted cherries in one pound of cherries (I have already eaten my quota!).
  • One cherry has 5 calories. One cup contains about 90 calories and 3 grams of fiber.
  • Cherries are a good source of vitamin C.

Personal lessons from Kelley

  • Watch that you don’t eat too many cherries. Remember, they’re high in fiber, which can be dangerous (get where I am going with this?). Trust me.
  • Cherry juice stains your fingers and cloths. Just so you know.

Enjoy!


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Coconut Water, not just for the shipwrecked anymore

Coconut Water

A couple of years ago my coach at the time suggested I try drinking 100% coconut water to rehydrate after a hard workout. Sadly at the time his words went in one ear and out the other. Now, years later I’m finding that the cloudy liquid inside a coconut has become highly popular and is currently all the rage.

Basically, coconut water contains more potassium than most sports drinks along with a huge list of other impressive claims: it cleanses your digestive tract, fights viruses like Herpes and AIDS, raises your metabolism and I even saw some data that suggested that it promotes hair growth (soak your bald head with it).

In the end, 100% coconut water is a naturally refreshing drink full of electrolytes. Use it to rehydrate after an intense workout. I think it tastes pretty good, although my friend Jacks thinks it tastes like “toilet water.” My suggestion to her was put it in the blender with some frozen fruit and whip up a post workout smoothie. Try it with frozen banana chunks, strawberries, add some yogurt, whatever floats your boat.

What the heck…give it a try, I’m glad I finally did.


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Uh-oh!

Ouch!

If you exercise, most likely you’ve experienced physical pain. They say that 42% of exercisers hurt themselves every year. As I read about pain and injury, I realize that there are many kinds of pain as it relates to exercising. I can’t be sure, but I believe the 42% refers to the percentage of people who actually damage their bodies during exercise, not those who simply experience a few hard workouts and feel “pain.”

I can’t tell you how to heal yourself or diagnose your injuries. I’m not qualified to do that, although I am extremely familiar with the concept of inflicting damage to ones body as a result of exercise. I am going to share a few bits of wisdom that I have accrued over the years. Maybe they can help you; they pretty much keep me alive.

  • Feeling pain? The first thing you need to do is to figure out if you have an actual injury, or just the pain that results from a hard workout. Pain that comes on gradually over the course of the workout is most likely just the lactic acid and carbon monoxide that builds up during exercise. A sharp, sudden or constant pain is the kind of pain that requires rest and possibly the attention of a professional.
  • If you’re healing from an injury or simply a hard workout you should not stop exercising. Activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to help mend your body as well as boosts your spirits.  All you need to do is find something that doesn’t aggravate your injury. Try something new.
  • RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Generally speaking, if you feel you have an injury to a muscle, ligament, tendon or bone the basic treatment is to begin RICE’ing immediately.  Example: I tore my Achilles recently, the first thing I did (after I dragged my poor wounded carcass home) was to put on my magic compression socks, lay on the floor, put my leg up on the couch resting on a big fat bag of ice. That ladies and gents, is RICE.
  • My favorite part of healing is the mental part. If you focus on your pain and the doom you feel, your pain will seem more intense and last longer simply because you’re focusing on it. When you focus on pain you stress yourself out which in turn puts stress on the body and keeps it from healing. It’s a nasty downward spiral, you feel bad so you fret about it making things worse. All you can do is acknowledge that you’re wounded, come up with mending plan and go with it. Focus on what you can do rather than what you cannot. That, is your only option.
  • Most of all, respect your body. It’s very good to you. When it’s wounded be kind and let it heal, don’t stress it in any way, let it relax and know that you love it and it will respond by healing and helping you to become even stronger than ever.

Trust me on this…


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Iron, not just for Popeye!

Popeye The Sailor Man

You know that you need to make sure that get enough iron in your diet, but do you actually know why?

Iron does many things in our bodies but mainly it carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. Iron also helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Too little iron in the body will result in iron deficiency and eventually anemia. The terms anemia and iron deficiency, are often used interchangeably but there is a difference. Iron deficiency refers to depleted iron stores without functional or health impairment, anemia, being more serious, affects the functioning of several organ systems.

How do you know if you’re iron deficient? — It’s pretty clear. Do you feel tired all the time, dizzy; get headaches, or leg pains?  These are a sampling of the symptoms, and are especially common in women and intense exercisers.

So, how much iron do you need? — Premenopausal women need 18 milligrams of iron daily and men require 10.

Think you need more iron? — First you need to understand that there are two kinds of iron. Heme and non-heme iron. Heme comes from blood or meat and non-heme comes from plant sources. When consuming iron from non-heme sources you’ll need to help your body absorb the iron by also eating Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb the non-heme iron foods you eat, especially when the food containing non-heme iron and the vitamin-C rich food are eaten at the same meal.

Here’s where you can find the best sources of iron — If you opt for the heme form of iron, go for animal products such as liver, clams, salmon, oysters, and sardines. A nice steak will work too. Good non-heme sources are: oats, soybeans, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, spinach, eggs, black currants, fish, dried fruits (figs, apricots), nuts, fortified breakfast cereals, chocolates, tofu; almonds, avocados, beets, dates, kidney and lima beans, lentils, peaches, pears, brown rice and wheat bran, and sesame seeds.

Fun fact — Cooking in a cast iron skillet increases the iron content in food. The longer the food is in contact with the skillet, the more it absorbs.

Just for fun pay attention to your iron intake for a few days and see how you measure up. I’ll bet you aren’t getting enough. Figure it out and prove me wrong! Here’s a chart to help you calculate.

P.s. You do realize that I am not a doctor, right? I just research things that interest me and then share the broken down, nuts and bolts version with you. If you think you have a health problem of any sort it’s important that you contact your healthcare provider.


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Summer’s a comin’… Chop, chop!

Old School's the way to go!

Yippee! The weekend is upon us. What are you doing with your weekend? You know, there are only 11 days left until the first official day of summer. Does that encouraged you to get a little more exercise than usual? It does me.

How about I challenge you to mix it up with some of your favorite household items? You don’t have to do anything structured, just look at the list below and play around with as many of the items as you see fit. Just for fun see what you can do to get a little extra exercise and be creative. Just add this challenge to the other things you plan to do this weekend. Call it extra credit, or extra burn, as I like to think of it. Let me know how you do.

  • Water Bottles — Fill ‘um and go for a walk or use as hand weights while you watch TV
  • Gallons of Water or Milk — The original Kettlebell – Use as a weight
  • Backpack — Fill it and go for a hike/picnic
  • Stairs — Up and down, up and down, hop or walk, also good for doing calf raises
  • Lines on Pavement — Hop from side to side back and forth, for as long as you can stand
  • Wheelbarrow — Push it around, empty or better yet fill it a friend/kid
  • Sledge Hammer — Swing it
  • Axe/Hatchet — Chop, chop (be careful with this one!)
  • Saw — Be sure to use both arms though – balance both sides of the body
  • Shovel — Dig it up!
  • Push Lawnmower — I do this every few weeks! It’s great fun and good for the core
  • Car Pushes — Push a car, just make sure someone is in it ready to use the brake when it’s time to stop!

Have fun! See you on Monday…