Operation Tonergy

The past few months I have had the privilege of being a trainer for this amazing fitness group in Southern Utah Operation Tonergy .  It is a great combination of intense workouts and nutrition revolution. Nutrition revolution sounds a bit zealous right? Well, the definition of revolution is: "a sudden, complete or marked change in something" which is exactly what Tonergy has to offer. It aims to teach that anyone can replace unhealthy habits with healthier ones thus making way for permanent "sudden, complete or marked change" in life and fitness. My fitness journey started almost a year before I joined the Tonergy Team but my biggest accomplishments happened after. The clients were HUGE inspirations to me. Each time we met to workout they gave 110% and I felt I needed to give twice as much to be leading them each week. First I got into a great workout routine consisting of  explosive cardio, weights and a little bit of treadmill.




My hip measurement has gone from 40" to 34" and my waist from 33" to 28"

While my workout habits were becoming great I found that my past eating habits were much harder to change. It took over a year for me to admit that maybe I needed to try a healthier approach to eating.  By no means am I a "clean" eater but I have removed as much refined and processed sugars out of my house as possible, seriously, best decision ever! As well as purchasing whole grain breads, rice & cereals too! I cook twice as many veggies at each meal, make coffee at home instead of grabbing Starbucks, drink at least 64oz of water a day, and remember to eat smaller portioned meals more often during the day to help my metabolism works for me instead of against me. This did NOT happen overnight, and I still work on it everyday but it is a great goal to work for and has helped me on my fit journey.

 

Live Long and Prosper,

-LifeIrie







Coffee Breakfast (or anytime) Smoothie

Hryck. / Foter.com / CC BY

I LOVE me some coffee and I have enjoyed many a trip to Starbucks. Since starting to focus more on eating and living healthy I saw how unhealthy those delicious  Starbucks beverages really are. Still wanting me coffee fix I started experimenting with my blender at home to see what I could come up with.

Here's my recipe for a more healthy coffee smoothie.

Remember when you are making a smoothie to always put liquids in first! It will make for a much "smoother" process.

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup coffee or 4-6 coffee ice cubes see Below:

I Highly Recommend this method :)

• If you do not have coffee ice cubes use 1/2 cup ice
• 2 TBPS All natural Peanut, or Almond Butter (Almond is my fave)
• Handful of spinach (you can't even taste it but it gets a nice helping of veggies in for the day)
• 1-2 TBPS protein powder (Optional, and I use Hemp Protein)
• 1-2 TSP Chia Seeds, they are great for you, AND they help keep you full longer.

I like to throw in a couple Almonds too. and last if I want to make it a little creamier and also add some sweetness I use half a banana.

hope you enjoy!!!

Live Long and Prosper,

-LifeIrie


Tips Toward Health

Despite what I know about eating healthy, I have not worried too much about my eating habits. Working out on a regular basis was hard enough and figured that I was gonna have to pray to the fitness gods that it would be enough to make up for all the junk I eat...up until just a week or so ago I was living in this denial.

But how to change this? I am busy enough as it is??? Then I watched the documentary Hungry for Change. It was very informative about what we (as US Americans) have been tricked into thinking is healthy for us as well as what time, $$$, and energy we have to eat healthy. I did find the shameless plugs for juice cleansing a little unnecessary. . .Anyway the main points I got out of the documentary were:

• No matter how far away you feel you are from eating healthy it is possible to get there. One step at a time is better than none!
• Get back to the basics of nutrition, Food=Fuel for your body
• Your mind is as important to feed as your body

Now, for all the busy people out there, here are a few tips towards healthy eating that don't require too much extra time out of your day. Promise you've got the time for at least one of these!





Photo credit: Klearchos Kapoutsis / Foter.com / CC BY

Drink more water! It is CHEAP and easy to find! Ditch the sugary/processed drinks: I know you've heard this before, probably A MILLION of times but it's serious! cut it out! They do nothing good for you, and they are designed to make you want them more.

Buy a water bottle that is at least 20oz. You can pretty much get them anywhere and the one I got cost less that $5. Before you leave the house in the morning fill it up. Sip on it in class, at work, while you clean, whatever you are doing have that water bottle by your side. At first you will most likely have cravings and even withdrawals from your sugary beverage but that is totally normal and will go away with time. Brave the symptoms and you will be one step closer to healthy nutrition.


From inspire my workout.com

Read food Labels. Knowing what is in the food you eat is  the number one part of healthy eating ,but it is also one of the harder things to do on your own. One way that has helped me is to download the app from fooducate.com onto my smart phone. Using the app you can search or scan barcodes of pretty much any food product and it will give you a rating from A-D. The ratings are based on how processed the food is, and how rich it is in nutrients. So Freakin useful!!

Stay on the perimeter. Next time you are in the grocery store circle the perimeter. You'll notice that most of the whole unprocessed (an therefore healthy) foods are there, like the produce or meats. Do most of your shopping in those areas and you will most likely leave with a cartful of goodness. Plus you don't have to fight as many people through the isles, haha.

Don't skip meals! This is key, especially if you are a busy bee. You need to fuel your body for it to work right. You don't need to eat huge meals just get something in your belly. On your day off, before, or after work take 20mins to prep some "brown bag" meals. Boil some eggs , slice up some veggies or fruit, bake some pita chips, make an easy dip, put some nuts n freeze dried fruit in a zipolock, prepare some chicken or turkey...you get the point. Having some healthy food ready to take with you to munch on will keep your body fueled and help you avoid those drive thrus. This tip takes a little more time but it totally worth it!!!!

Stay Positive. This is truly THE most important thing. You must believe that you can eat healthy and that even after a day(or however long) of "bad eating" you are not doomed. Changing eating habits is one of those fall seven times get up eight sorta things.  Positive thinking does more than keep you motivated check it out here.
To help you stay motivated come up with your own daily dose of positive. It can be pretty much anything, a quote, a photo, even a song. Whatever it is use it as a reminder that you are worth it and that you are trying. Look at it everyday! I use my phone as an alarm clock and it lets me label the alarm so that the message pops up each time it goes off. It says, "today is yours, get outta bed and make it happen." I change it every so often depending on what motivation I need. Try it out!!

Give one or all of these a try and see if it doesn't help ya on your journey to a healthier life. I know they helped me.

Live Long and Prosper,

-LifeIrie

Music that hits me.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's music has an emotionality that reminds me of all my favorite memories. It takes me back to good nights with great people but it's free from the past.

 When I heard the lyrics of Thrift Shop for the first time I immediately thought of my 17th birthday. My mom and 6 of my closets friends (cause my family had a GMC safari van and that's how many it fit) One day in Vegas visiting a plethora of thrift shops I found using Google and MapQuest and no GPS...It was the early 2000's okay? Ha.

 

But then there are songs like the one artistically displayed in this music video that have a deeper message and stand for something more. My parents always taught me to stand up for what I believe in even if it is unpopular. I believe in equality for every human on this planet. No one is of less worth or should be denied the right to love with their whole hearts.

 

The Heist is a work of musical art. I even bought an actual CD copy of the Album. Check it out!

Live Long and Prosper
-LifeIrie

Snack Anyone?

I'm not sure about you but I LOVE to snack. I could do it all day long! I am also trying to be conscious of what I am putting in my body and am always looking for healthier options. Recently I discovered how freakin easy it is to make pita chips which are healthier than store bought chips but equally as delicious! 

They are also pretty inexpensive to purchase. I can get a package of 5 or 6 which makes between 80 to 96 chips for $1.78 at my local grocery store.
 

Here is what you'll need:

A large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If you don't have any parchment paper I'm sure they'll bake ok without it but try to invest in some, it is worth. It's used in a lot of baking/roasting recipes, and helps with easy cleanup.

 2-3 Pita Pockets, preferably ones with whole grain. Usually I just bake a whole package, or two. They are a great chip to have on hand when you are on the go, are too busy to make a batch every time you're in the mood.



1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for brushing chips- I bake a whole package at a time and I haven't needed more than 2 tablespoons.

A pastry brush- I found mine at the dollar store and I love it! Most definitely worth the purchase.

Seasoning of choice- I do a mix of garlic powder, paprika, and salt; about 2-3 dashes of each for every 2-3 pitas you are baking.

And a knife to cut your pitas in to chip size bits.


Okay now that you have gathered your supplies preheat your oven  to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While your oven heats up cut your pitas.

Start with two cuts lengthwise

Then break the pita sides apart using the knife to avoid tears, and tears...



 Gently pull the pits sides apart, and stack them. Make one final cut through the center

 

Lay them on your cookie sheet so that they don't overlap. The pita chips will crisp up better this way.

 

Now pour that 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small bowl or cup. Brush each pita lightly with the oil. I add the seasoning to the oil but you can always sprinkle it on top after.

 

Alright pop these bad boys in the oven for about 10 minutes. My oven takes 12 minutes so check on them. The chip should be mostly crisp about 80-90%. They crisp up more when you take them out of the oven. I put mine in an air tight plastic container to stay fresh.

 

They are great on their own but here's a healthy dip recipe to try them with:

 

Perfect Avocado Dip

 

 2 chopped avocados

1 garlic clove minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
   1 cup Greek yogurt
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
  1 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or any vinegar)
   ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

I put a table spoon of fresh salsa and a whole chopped jalapeño in it too cause I love spicy :) but those are totally optional!

 

Throw it all in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Or you can mash it all together with a fork if you want it chunkier.

 

 

Live Long and Prosper my fellow bloggers,

 

-LifeIrie

Recovering Blogger



Hi, my name is Tracee and I am a recovering blogger. It has been several months since my last blog post. I mean I'll write a post here and there but I never publish them. It's just too hard to commit to pushing that post button. What if my grammar is incorrect?  What if that picture of my pasta looks blurry? What if my fellow bloggers don't respect my blog? It was just too much! But I am here to say that I am committed to taking the first steps towards full recovery and a full blog!

“I [Tracee], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute [at least 4 posts a week], and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the [integrity of blogs everywhere].” quotation reference link.

 

Live Long and Prosper

LifeIrie