Excellent Juice Combo

After working up a serious sweat teaching Indoor Cycling at Equinox this morning (92nd & Broadway), I  picked up a juice from their juice bar.  The cafe at Equinox has named this juice "Ocean Greens"  It includes; cucumber, celery, green apple, kale and spinach.  This was a great combo, not very sweet but rich in minerals and nutrients.  Kale in particular is a great vegetable to juice, it is very low in calories and comes with a variety of other benefits, check out this link to see why kale is so great for you; "Benefits of Juicing Kale".  Remember juicing daily will keep you energized, young and lean! 

Suck It Up

This one made me laugh; "Suck it up and someday you won't have to suck it in".  When working out becomes tough, that's when it counts the most.   Remember why you are exercising and look forward to the post exercise high.  If you want a great body, you have to work for it - nothing worth having ever comes easy. Suck it up!

Is Your Smoothie Making You Gain Weight?

Smoothies can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  The size of your smoothie and the ingredients are key to your health and weight management.  Smoothies are great because they are full of vitamins and nutrients, they fill you up and cool you down after a workout or during the hot summer.  My first suggestion is to order a small (large smoothies are typically too many calories). Be careful what you put in your smoothie, don't use ice-cream or frozen yogurt and stay away from most juices.  Instead, use coconut water as a base or a little fresh squeezed orange juice.  I personally love using avocado  in my smoothies, it  adds great nutritional value, makes it creamy and very tasty (don't use too much because avocado is high in calories).  Adding things like peanut butter, ice-cream and frozen yogurt can turn what was a healthy choice into a bad choice. Try using avocado, I know it sounds a bit odd, but you will likely love the texture and flavor.

How To Get Michelle Obama Arms

Michelle Obama is well known for her sculpted arms.  Please check out my most recent article on Ebony.com; "How To Get Michelle Obama Arms".  Discover Michelle's motivation and why she stays committed to working out. Also, try the workout that I designed to help you get lean and toned arms like Michelle.  In addition to cardiovascular training and boxing workouts, one of my clients has been doing the "How To Get Michelle Obama Arms"  workout three times a week for a month, her entire body has slimmed and her arms look amazing!  Please email me with any questions and/or concerns.

Worried about your waistline?

The warm weather is here,  it is almost officially summer.  Hiding excess body weight under winter clothing is no longer an option.  Thick thighs and flabby arms are now more of a concern.  The good news is, it is never too late start a workout regimen and adjust eating habits to lose some unwanted lbs.  Getting started and wanting immediate results are often deterrents, therefore it is imperative to make a plan, stick to it and the results will come in time. If you already exercise on a regular basis and eat pretty well but are not getting the results you want, there is hope for you too.  

If you are new to exercise and healthy eating, keep it simple.  Commit to exercising  four days a week and select the activities you will do.  Here is a simple routine for beginners; Run or speed walk for 20 minutes, complete 5 sets of 100 jumping jacks, and then complete 5 sets of 10 of each exercise; push ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups.  

In addition to exercise, diet needs to be considered.  To help lose weight, eliminate these things from your diet; fried food, bread, white rice, cheese and all junk food, juices and sodas (fresh vegetable/fruit juice is allowed).  Over a two week period, a beginner will notice results in energy and physique after doing this for just four days a week.

For those already exercising on a regular basis and not getting the results you want, you need to take a look at your diet, maybe adopt the suggestions above and/or try becoming a vegetarian for two weeks.  Additionally, you need to make changes in your routine.  Your body has likely become accustomed to doing the same thing over and over again, you no longer get the results you did earlier on.  Lack of results are also a result of doing the wrong exercises and low  intensity.   Try dynamic and intense movements such as; jump rope, running stairs, boxing and plyometrics.   If you have specific questions about your routine email me for some suggestions. 

Start your new routine today, slim your waistline!

Still Juicing - For Weight Loss & High Energy

I am still juicing daily, sometimes twice a day.  The more I juice, the better I feel!  Although I'm a huge advocate of juicing, it is important to still eat fruits and veggies. Vegetable juices are not meal replacements, there is little to no fiber or fat in a vegetable juice, therefore it is not a balanced meal.   Some of the benefits of juicing include more absorption; drinking fresh juice allows you to absorb up to 80% more nutrients, tons of minerals and vitamins that you  otherwise wouldn't get.  Juicing also allows for a wider variety fruits and veggies in our diets, you can't eat the quantity you can juice.  Additionally, juicing helps the health of the liver, kidney and other organs, fights disease, promotes weight loss and boosts energy levels.  Juicing leads to better overall health. 

Tips for great tasting juices; add lemons, limes and/or ginger.  In addition to improving taste, ginger   is known to improve cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation and aids in digestion.  Be sure to drink your juice immediately, it is highly perishable if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, juice can be preserved for up to 24 hours.   

My juice today: Cucumber, Celery, Mint, Lime, Ginger and Pear,   I go for nutrition over taste, so I'm very heavy on the veggies and light on the fruit (only half a pear)!