Jennifer Westmore concocted this amazing Margarita!
Low calorie and super yummy!
Thank you for sharing Jennifer!
If you have any recipes, I would love to share them with everyone submit them in the comment box below :)
During our honeymoon, we took advantage of another Tequila Adventure at the Ritz Carlton and did a Private Tequila Tasting.
Although my husband has already claimed Don Julio 1942 as his favorite, we were both up to trying all the other tequilas even though I am a Wine Chick ;)
The setup was beautiful! In the center was celery, jimica, carrots and chocolate which I took the pleasure of indulging because as the expert said tequila always tastes better with chocolate :)
My handsome hubby and the tequilas we tasted :)
From right to left: 345, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, Don Julio 1942, unsure ,Milagro, unsure
I have been following my STAR SYSTEMZ plan by taking my workouts to the hotel gym and eating the most nutritious foods but still of course LOVING life out in Playa!
It has been so fun and so care-free. I may not have results next week but I know I will maintain which is what is most important. I am loving my muscle definition and I can not wait to see those abs pop! I am not one of the lucky ones with the good genes I reallyREALLYREALLY have to work for anything on my body!
As they say:
"80-90% DIET, 10% WORKOUT"
I am in Playa Del Carmen on my honeymoon with my husband so posts may be spastic but I could never let you down and not give you a workout!
If you do not have dumbbells at home grab a milk jug and feel that thing with water and you have yourself a kettle bell/dumbbell :)
So many of us eat to eat but are you eating because you are actually hungry? Is your stomach sending you those hunger pains? Or are you just eating..
It can be hard to determine sometimes and it can be really difficult to write every single nutrient down and figure out what EXACTLY you are missing vitamin and mineral wise. But what if you did not need a fancy calculator, website, smart phone app and all you needed was that thing you walk around in all day. That's RIGHT your digestive system and brain are the best business partners and deserve a FORBES award you just have to LISTEN to them!
Now imagine biting into a fresh, organic Granny Smith Apple..how does it feel? how does it taste?
Can you answer those questions or are you one of the many who chew each bite 5-7 times on average and swallow?
If you are the many of chew each bite just 5-7 times you need to LISTEN UP!
Eating should not be something you just DO to DO but should have some sort of purpose in your life.
If you look at many other cultures including the French they dine on the finest foods and are super fit and thin...besides the fact they walk EVERYWHERE they actually sit and enjoy the food that is placed in front of them. They celebrate food..now do not take this the wrong way and think you can have a cake with candles at every meal just because you are willing to chew it more then 7 times a bite....
I am saying that when you eat you should be in a sitting relaxed state, eating food because you are hungry, and eating a healthy well-balanced meal to get all the nutrients available to you.
I discovered "Food Mediation" through tons of research and just the plain and simple understanding of how the digestive system works. Your body has to work to digest foods and yes when it works it burns calories and provides you with the minerals and vitamins available from the food you just shoveled into your mouth. But, did you know if you enjoyed every single bite, chewed your food thoroughly and relaxed while eating the food you could actually LOSE WEIGHT?
A simple fact that will change the way you eat a meal hopefully from now on...
Like I said above you can LOSE WEIGHT if you actually chew your food...how and why does this happen?
Digestion begins in the mouth..those pearly whites are made to grind the food you provide your body and that gorgeous PINK tongue has saliva on it which signals the digestive enzymes to break down starches into simple sugars
The saliva also contains lipid (fat) digestive enzymes that help begin the process of breaking fats down. The teeth also help grind the food into smaller pieces so that when the food is finally swallowed (after tons of chewing) it mixes better with your stomach acids (hydrochloric acid).
The longer you chew your food the taste and smell receptors start to trigger. Once this happens the production of stomach acids and pancreatic juices occurs so your system is ready to roar!
As you swallow the stomach acids begins to break down the proteins into even smaller digestible molecules and works on killing all that nasty bacteria and pathogens that may be in your food. Remember this...more area to work in the easier it is to get to work so the smaller your food the easier for the body to break it down even further!
The smaller the food is, the better the breakdown which further leads to more vitamin and mineral absorption in the small intestine. The small intestine is VITAL to star shining health!
The large intestine is up next and takes what is left of the already digested food (fiber and water). The large intestine sucks up the water and whatever vitamins and electrolytes are left and then creates your best friend :)
If your friends that come out your back side have food that's undigested or you always have that bloated, gassy feeling this may be a sign of not chewing your food thoroughly.
I could break this down further but basically CHEW YOUR FOOD for OPTIMAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
The more you chew the less you eat:
Hormones (leptin, cholecystokinin) have a chance to catch up and tell your brain "Hey I am full down here, thanks for the amazing nutrients"
Studies show that slowly chewing your food and making a connection of tasting, smelling, touching, acknowledge (see), and hear your body and what it needs you end up decreasing your food intake by 1/3 at a meal
Ways to work on this is by using Food Meditation! Watch the video above and try it out at your next meal :)
Thursday's are my new favorite post because I get to try a new drink! YAY ME!!
Mr. Bacardi Oak Heart enjoying my backyard....
I picked this beauty up at Costco for about $7.50 US! You can't beat that and let me tell you the flavors are tasty for you to enjoy the rum by itself...
Living an all around healthy lifestyle may be easy for some, but for most this task is a difficult one.
Many people do not have the time to cook a meal or even go to the grocery store for that matter, so if I am talking about you here are some tips in order to live that healthy lifestyle but with simplicity!
Besides the fact frozen foods can save you tons of money, flash-frozen organic foods such as vegetable mixes and fruits are perfectly acceptable! Go out to Costco or any other fine bulk store and stock your freezer up with these delicious, easy and healthy foods. Of course if you have the time please buy everything fresh but honestly sometimes flash-frozen produce can be better in terms of organic foods and budget. STAY AWAY from those containing cheeses, or additives (salts or seasonings), you can add these yourself!
Smoothies are super easy when all you have to do is throw in your favorite protein powder (still trying to find a new fav), frozen organic fruits and some frozen organic veggies!
Dry goods such as Black Beans, Chick Peas, Lentils, Basmati Brown Rice, Quinoa, Rolled Oats, Barley, and Buckwheat are excellent to have lying around in your pantry! Not only can you buy in bulk (always cost effective) but they work wonders in a soup, salad or side dish. If you get really creative you can turn those frozen veggies and one type of grain into an entire meal.
Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth and Vegetable Broths have a very long shelf life and are the base of most soups and sauces. Having these always on hand and buying in bulk will make your pantry complete and give you a base for all those grains and frozen vegetables.
Oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil should in your spices drawer/pantry. Check the quality of these oils as quality matters especially when cooking. Coconut Oil is ideal for high-heat and cooking while Extra Virgin Olive Oil works great as a salad dressing.
Grab some ground pepper, sea salt, cinnamon
Stocking your pantry is one of the main KEYS towards your goal weight, ideal body or just pairing good nutrition with your workouts.
A pantry full of chips, cookies and sodas will lead you to destruction later on! I know the feeling of an empty fridge (with nothing to eat) and the next door is always the pantry which is usually a hole filled with "junk" foods.
Another useful tip is to prepare large batches of soups and stews that store nicely in the fridge and work great as meals to bring to work, school or wherever you may be going. They also work as a wonderful late night dinner after working all day and not wanting to touch a pan.
I made the one above a few days ago and have been enjoying it on top of some chicken I made earlier in the week and just alone! It feels so nice not to have to start chopping up everything and waiting!
What are some tricks you use to stay healthy when on the go or super busy?
What are some new items you will pick up on your next grocery trip to make your life easier?
If you have goals, dreams and desires and never start the actual goal or take the first steps towards obtaining your goals, dreams and desires you really do not have ANY right to complain that something has not happened.
For instance..I dream, I desire and I want abs! I work hard at the gym, eat extremely clean but lack cardio sometimes and I honestly know I can push myself harder but do I?
Well...sometimes...but right now I am on a mission to get these abs I have always dreamed for and desired!
I stopped complaining and am now on a MISSION to eat organic, healthy foods and explore my natural surroundings while pushing myself EXTRA hard at the gym and adding more cardio to my lifestyle.
I hate the treadmill, elliptical etc. so I switch it up every 10 minutes at the gym but STILL ugh!
So now I am off to a new LOVE of hiking, and exploring Cabo San Lucas by foot.
Today I went off with two of my girlfriends and hiked (scaled) LOVER'S BEACH
For those of you who have yet to experience the MAGIC of Cabo San Lucas need to come to this beach! You either have to hike (scale rocks) to it or you can take a water taxi (which I always have)
Little girl in a huge pile of rocks!
The man pictured here has so much swag it became photo worthy! Socks and snorkeling!
Ashley and Nickie about to Scale Rocks
By the way I am BAREFOOT on rocks YES!
I did it!
I felt so accomplished and just super connected to my spiritual, natural self which is always good :)
My challenge to myself is to start trying new things and explore my element and explore just ME more!
I love the fact that I spent time with my girlfriends, worked out, checked off a ( I have never....) and began a new routine for myself.
As the quote above says...Begin NOW so start today....
MAKE THAT LIST RIGHT NOW!
and start checking things off...
What is stopping YOU from starting your new beginning?
Go out and buy yourself a jump rope! It is seriously the best investment, super cheap and can go with you anywhere and everywhere. When clients mention to me that weights are to heavy to travel with I laugh because I know that options such as a jump rope and resistance bands take 0 room in your suitcase and weigh far less than a pound!
A trick is to go to your local medical supply store and buy thera bands. Thera bands at these stores are much cheaper and you can have the worker cut the band as long or as short as you want.
Just completed this baby right after my trip to the farmers market! I got two of my girlfriends to join me today and we had a blast. It is awesome when you can have girls time and be doing something healthy instead of going out for drinks. I love doing other activities and it is always way more fun as you can actually hear each other and you are not blasted lol
Look at those delicious muffins and cookies!
The "good" stuff! I picked up some brownies for my hubby but none for me!
Herbs and greenery!
The colors of the tomatoes are so brilliant, I bought a bunch! Fennel and other root veggies!
More greens! Half the time I have no idea what I am buying but its green so I am golden :)
Mixed greens with flowers! Who would have thought you can eat flowers but you can and I got some!
Rainbow carrots! I love these!
Herb plants! I may pick one up next time but my goal is to get really good at sprouting my alfalfa seeds first!
Have you checked out your local farmers market?
What other activities do you like to do with your friends besides going out to clubs, bars or restaurants?
