The Ten Minute Tone Up!

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  We all know that one of the most challenging parts to working out is finding the time to do it!  For those of you that have jam packed days like myself, know that at the end of a long day, the only thing you want to do is melt into the couch with a glass of pinot noir.  (Or maybe that’s just me?)  BUT I’ve found that performing just a few core exercises gives me that extra boost of energy and tightens and tones in all the right areas. Granted, this 10-minute tone up is not meant to replace a high intensity cardio sweat, however it can be great for a day off from the gym or on a day you just simply don’t have the time to fit in a full work out.

  
  

  These moves originated from yoga and have many variations:

  
  

  ·      THE PLANK

  
  

  One of my favorite moves! When done correctly, planks activate almost every muscle in your body.  Sometimes I like to have plank challenges with myself to see if I can hold it longer than the previous day. (Nerd alert!)

  
  

  Lie on the floor on your stomach. Place your feet about hip's width apart as you tuck your toes and place your hands on the ground parallel to each other. Tighten your core and look down. Keeping your spine neutral and body straight from the crown of your head to your heels, press back with your heels and suck your tummy in. Hold for two minutes or until you reach fatigue. 

  If you’re feeling extra peppy, try elevating your heart rate and turn it into a cardio move by pushing up from your forearms to straight arm plank, one arm at a time.  Lower down and repeat as many sets as you can for one minute.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Try the next move by beginning all on fours, and slowly lifting your left arm and right leg.  Keep them elevated as high as you can, pause for a few seconds and really squeeze those glutes, then switch to the right arm and left leg. Continue alternating until you’ve done 15 reps on each side.  If you want to be fancy, try tiny pulses once you lifted to your peak. The balancing might be difficult at first, but push through it and don’t give up! 

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  These moves will tighten up every muscle fiber, while only taking 10 minutes of your time!

  
  

  Good luck!

  
  

  xoxo,

  
  

  Jill

  
  

  
  

Delicious Kale Pesto

When I was asked to bring a vegetarian-friendly, seasonal dish to a potluck style orientation, the infamous, yet very typical kale salad immediately came to mind.  But then I thought, kale is so trendy - the skinny jeans of the health world if you will. Now I’m not bashing kale here, I absolutely love this nutritionally packed super food!  I just wanted to whip something up that would really open up people’s minds to the numerous kale concoctions out there. I’m happy to say this dish was a hit! Everyone loved the unique twist on a sometimes boring, over-done ingredient.

Kale Pesto

Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Ingredients:

1 bunch of lacinato kale, thick stems removed

½ cup toasted hazelnuts

½ cup toasted walnuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup of parmesan reggiano

A tsp of garlic

A few pinches of salt

Directions:

Bake the hazelnuts and walnuts on a sheet tray at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the kale. Blanch for three minutes. Remove and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove and set on paper towels to absorb the water.

Add the nuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground.

Add the kale to the processor and pulse until the kale begins to break apart. Drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing the blade, pausing to scrape down the sides. Make sure not to puree the pesto – you want to have a somewhat chunky consistency.

Scrape the pesto into a bowl and season with a few pinches of salt and stir. Garnish the finished product with some chopped tomatoes, and you’re all set!

I served my pesto with a lightly toasted baguette, but here are some other uses:

·      Add it to hummus

·      Mix it with quinoa and cubed tofu or chicken

·      Toss it with grilled veggies

·      Spice up your favorite pasta

Good luck!

Xoxo,

Jill

Pay It Forward with Food Forward

I'm at the point in my life where I want to immerse myself in the health and wellness industry as much as possible to eventually transition into that world full time. So, what better way to do it than to volunteer?! Yesterday I participated in my first ever Fruit Pick! For those of you that don't know, a fruit pick is when you meet at a fruit donor's property and harvest the excess fruits that otherwise are wasted, donating 100% to local food pantries across southern California. The wonderful organization that puts these fruit picks together is called Food Forward. "Food Forward is a volunteer powered grassroots group of Angelenos who care about reconnecting to our food system and making change around urban hunger." The sense of community I felt was overwhelming. We are so fortunate to live in an area where we have an abundance of fresh, locally grown fruit at our fingertips, and it was amazing to see it being put towards a great cause. If you're interested in volunteering, check out their website here: http://foodforward.org/

                             Five boxes of the freshest grapefruits ready to be delivered!

xoxo,

Jill

Great Article

I LOVE this article from nutrition expert, Mark Hyman, MD. He shares his thoughts on the food industry, and how we can get back to the local, organic foods we ate 100 years ago by avoiding foods that have a nutrition label:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/food-industry_b_1559920.html?ref=healthy-living


Xoxo,


Jill

Hmmm...Interesting. Banning the sale of supersized drinks is pretty ridiculous. Will Mayor Bloomberg also ban refills? Or how about ordering multiple small drinks? What needs to be banned is High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is genetically modified, highly addictive and a dangerous substance when ingested into the body.


Check out the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/nyregion/bloomberg-plans-a-ban-on-large-sugared-drinks.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share


Xoxo,

Jill

Food Revolution Day in Santa Monica

Last Saturday I participated in an amazing worldwide event called Food Revolution Day.  Media personality and health-centric chef, Jaime Oliver (one of my personal idols), started this “holiday” as an opportunity for people who love food to come together to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues.  It couldn’t be more up my alley! I connected with all kinds of people and truly felt inspired to see all the effort put forth to educate and impact the public.


The day was an incredible showcase of progressive healthy living and sustainability. It ranged from food demos to fitness challenges and of course a generous dose of fresh, locally grown produce.  Think a mini Coachella of farmers markets, but without the pretentious attitudes. There was so much great info I'd love to share, and I’m going to highlight my personal favorites below:

The wonderful folks at Santa Monica Community Gardens taught kids of all ages how simple it is to grow their own plants.  Instead of being glued to a giant screen while clutching a game controller playing Call of Duty 36, I actually saw kids genuinely engaged in something rather unsavory such as composting: essentially creating beneficial nutrients out of left-over crap and worm poop!

 Being the work out freak that I am, I saw the words “fitness challenge,” and I immediately dove right in.  I had to lift these extremely heavy ropes and perform various exercises for intervals of 15 seconds.  Let’s just say my arms felt like jello afterward.

 I had the honor of getting to know Los Angeles based author, chef and healer Nancy Mehagian, who wrote The Supernatural Kids Cookbook. http://supernaturalkidscookbook.com/ The book features an impressive assortment of recipes geared towards the picky eater.  The names of the recipes such as ‘Zany Zucchini Bread’ are meant to be fun and catchy, yet delicious and filled with whole, natural ingredients.  I tried making the Sultan’s Surprise (stay tuned for recipe), which is a healthy take on pizza that was “surprisingly” delicious!

This was by far my favorite food demo. These delicious, completely vegetarian wraps are unique, easy to make, and most importantly taste great! Here is the recipe for these Beet and Goat Cheese Wraps:

Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 1 medium beet 

- Small handful of walnuts 

- 1 tablespoon fresh goat cheese

- 1 tablespoon honey (preferably raw and unfiltered)

- Small handful of arugula 

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

- 1 lemon

- Salt and pepper

- Spinach or whole grain wraps

To Make:

1. Boil beet for 30-45 min, or until softened. Do not peel before boiling.

2. Once the beet has cooled, peel and shred it.

3. Chop your walnuts.

4. In your wrap, arrange a handful of arugula, a handful of shredded beet, and some chopped walnuts. 

5. In a small bowl, make the dressing by combining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork. 

6. Crumble some goat cheese into the wrap and drizzle a bit of the dressing over everything. Make sure to not make it wet or you'll have a soggy wrap.

7. Drizzle the honey over the filling and wrap up.

8. Enjoy! 

I hope everyone enjoyed this recap and I look forward to posting more and more!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

xoxo,

Jill