Some Keepers

Want some nifty snack ideas? Well the sweet people at 34 degrees sent me some samples of their whole grain and rosemary crackers…they call them crispbread.

Only 3 ingredients!

I did what any good blogger would do and called out my professional taste tester:

(aka…my brother)

He was a fan of the whole grain crackers with some cheese on them. The rosemary, not so much.



Want some other good ideas for snacks? I like things with few ingredients and real ingredients.

Try a Trio Bar!




How about some Triscuits?




Or some Larabars!




All of these are great options! So branch out a bit, try something new…something new AND healthy!

~Are you a snacker, or more into eating a few bigger meals?
**I’m a snacker. I like to eat smaller amounts throughout the day. That doesn’t mean I eat all day though…just space it out evenly.

~My anatomy professor left us with a cool quote that I thought I’d share…it’s about appreciating our bodies as the miraculous things they are: "People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering."
What are you going to do to show you appreciate your body this week?

7 Days of "Egg"ucation

7 DAYS PEOPLE!

Only 7 days left of classes, a few finals, and I'm outta this place. Easier said than done though, right? Right.

Well, due to the fact that my brain is currently clogged with other schooling things, I'm sort of having writers block. Therefore, this weeks challenge is...

to "egg"ucate yourself!

Really, I'm looking for some new, fresh blog ideas. What do you want to learn about? What topics or info are you dying to get the scoop on? Fitness or nutrition related...I'd love to help you figure it out! One of the things I love about the "health" world is that there is always stuff to learn and read. And I LOVE to spend time finding out things and researching. So, please leave comments or e-mail me with suggestions! I want this summer to be full of lots of fun fitness and health posts that help us all. 

And the whole egg thing was really just for Easter this weekend. And probably also because I love eggs. So, get commenting, friends! I need some help!

Muscles and Injury

Happy Wednesday, folks! Half-way through the week...sounds good to me!

On Monday we accepted (yes, I'm sure you accepted it) the challenge to incorporate more strength training into our workout schedules. If you're pretty new to weight training and looking for info on starting up, check out these posts on strength training basics: one, two or three.

But today I'd like to talk about some of the common injuries that come from training hard, and what muscles they involve. That way, we are actively figuring out how to strengthen our bodies to prevent injuries. Like gorillas, right?!

Injury #1: Groin Pull
This can happen to anyone, but frequently occurs in sprinters or hurdlers. So any interval training can impact these muscles. This has to do with the 6 medial muscles of the thigh that all work to move your legs together (adduct). Doing exercises like lateral squats and lunges can help strengthen these muscles, along with over all good form running and sprinting.

Injury #2: Pulled Hamstring
This can be a horrible injury that can occur frequently in people that have under developed hamstrings. It again happens a lot with athletes doing lots of quick starts and stops or sprinting. There are three major muscles in your posterior thigh that make up the hamstring muscles. One of the most important things you can do to prevent this is adequately strengthening the hamstring and the quads. Without this balance, that is often when injury occurs. Leg curls are a good option to strengthen the hamstrings, as well as doing some hip raisers on a workout ball.

Injury #3: Shin Splint Syndrome
Many people complain of shin splints when they have pain or soreness along their tibia or the front of their leg. It is frequently caused my inflammation of the muscles surrounding the tibia. The tendonitis usually occurs when poorly conditioned runners run on hard or banked surfaces with poorly supportive running shoes. The condition may also occur with vigorous activity of the legs following a period of relative inactivity or running in cold weather without proper warm-up. Again, balancing the posterior leg muscles (the calf) and the front of the leg is important. Some ways to strengthen the shins are to walk on your heels or do toe lifts like you do calf raises.

~Have you had any of these injuries before?

~What's your favorite lower body strength exercise?
 

Weighty Issues

Hey, friends! I am almost back in business. The nice cold that sent me to bed last week is hanging around still, but I’m much better than I was!

After this snowy (what?!) April weekend, I’m ready to plow through this week.


In my anatomy class we are learning about the muscular system. As we’ve talked about it, my professor has really emphasized how certain muscles are certain shapes and sizes for specific reasons to protect our bodies. He even gave an example using gorillas!



Their quad muscles make ours look like little twigs! They use their leg and arm muscles so frequently that they are developed to an extreme, which in turn protects them from injury.

So, can you guess what this week's challenge is?!

incorporate more weight training into your workouts!

This is definitely something I need to work on. A lot. I’m such a cardio junky that I often don’t make time for lifting. But it is so important! So this week, schedule some time. You’ll see the benefits in so many ways!

Have an awesome week! 

~Do you have a set schedule for weight lifting?

 **I try to do an upper body circuit twice a week with a lower body once a week. Certain weeks go better than others...ha

~If you could add any face to Mt. Rushmore, who would it be?

**I was asked this in an interview last week. Of course, I said John Stockton.  

Pictogram

I am currently


My body is here…


while my head is here…


Got some time to do a little of this?


Check out these articles:

• Self Esteem and Diet – Do you think they’re connected?
• What's In Season? – guide to fruits and veggies you should eat NOW
• Endurance – how to increase it safely

Over and out, people. Hopefully I’ll be back with the living on Friday.

~Got any natural remedies for a throat that feels like it has been scratched through 10 times?

~Got any tricks for remembering every muscle, nerve, artery, and vein of the upper body?

**Ya…me neither

Protein Mix-Up

Hello friends! It is Monday and I’m back in school. I miss Spring Break already…but I’m ready to finish this semester off right!

In my anatomy class right now we are learning about the muscles of the upper and lower limb. It makes it fun to lift weights (which isn’t always that fun, let’s be honest). I get to figure out which lifts build certain muscles the best!

Along with building muscles in the weight room, it is important to build them in the kitchen! That’s right. This week, my challenge is…

to mix up your protein sources!

This can work for everyone. What I want you to think about is where you usually get your protein, and try new ways to get it in your diet. Often people only think about red meat and chicken. Here are some good sources of protein that people don’t always think about:

• eggs
• quinoa (Here are some recipes for quinoa!)

(source)

• nuts
• beans (I LOVE black beans!)

(source)

• fish (Check this out…fish AND nuts!)
• yogurt

Here is an interesting article on the best and worst protein sources you could check out too.
So, look at the above list and find something you don’t normally focus on with meals. Then, center your meal around it! There are lots of ways to center a meal around beans, quinoa, fish and eggs. And you’ll find it is quite delicious too!
Have a great week! Filled with building muscles and eating yummy food :)
~What is your favorite source of protein?

~Do you have a favorite dish that uses one of those protein sources?

Lessons Learned

I hope you have enjoyed some delicious granola bars, along with dipping your veggies in some guac instead of ranch! Mmmmm yaaa!

I learned a lot this week. Really, I learn a lot every week. BUT this week I thought I'd share some of those things with you :)

1. It isn't a good idea to wear keds when it is snowing

 

Oh summer, how I miss you.

2. When your anatomy professor gets on the ground in front of 350 students to teach you about how to do a sit up correctly, just laugh and enjoy it. As awkward as it may be, it is a break from lecture! (It was actually quite insightful. I will have to share his knowledge soon!)

3. Teaching your (big) little brother how to change a diaper over the phone is hilarious. And almost as fun as sending him on his first date :)

4. Canadian bacon is really the rectus abdominis muscle of a pig. For real. 

5. Having a six pack really just means you haven't been working out all 10 muscles of your abdomen. So don't get too excited. (Let's be honest. I'd probably still be stoked if I had a six pack...)

6. Competing in 269 triathlons in your lifetime is no big deal. Ha...right! (I met a nice old man in the gym this week that has completed that many. And he has many more planned for this summer. Incredible! It made me want to race sooo bad!!)

7. 3 day school weeks are da bomb.

8. Broccoli is still my favorite food.

9. This guy is insane. But the story is oh so intriguing.

10. You can vote for your favorite BLOG right here! So please, go vote :)

~Got any sweet plans for the weekend?
~What have YOU learned this week? (Other than how to make awesome granola bars and make healthy swaps!)

Friday's Top Ten

How was your week? It's been a mighty good one for me!

So here are some of the highlights of my week:

1. Donating to the Guadalupe School of Salt Lake City
(The guy stopped me on campus and said "Do you like kids?" and after I looked at him like he was crazy he said "Because if you do, you should donate to give these kids food and clothing!" haha)

 
2. Figuring out you can use a scarf to cover your steering wheel over night while your truck sits out in the cold. Then in the morning, it doesn't feel like it is going to freeze your fingers off! Fabulous

3. Taking my first anatomy test, and pretty much owning it. That's right!

4. Knocking out an almost 5 mile run that felt really good!

5. Eating some delicious oatmeal each morning for breakfast! I guess this is a highlight every week, because it never changes...

6. Sunday dinner with the whole family!

7. The regular Thursday volunteer tutoring at an elementary school down the street from my apartment

8. Finding my mitten snow scraper that I got for Christmas a year ago before the snow came this week. Hallelujah!

9. The "balmy" 40 degree weather we have had the last 2 afternoons. What is this, summer?!

10. Now it's a three day weekend! Okay, it's always a three day weekend since I don't have school on Fridays. But still, that is a highlight that can't be overlooked each week.

~Any fun plans for the weekend?
~What were your highlights of the week?

Make sure bodies are all zipped up...

Sorry if the title freaked you out a bit. BUT, I went to my first anatomy lab this week. It was exciting! As much as that class is time consuming to the extreme, it is something I enjoy learning about and find fascinating. The human body is amazing! Next week...we're working with the human heart!

Anyway. The month is almost over! Can you believe it? How was your week of remembering? While I study for anatomy, I often remember another accomplishment I’m quite proud of: passing the AP Calculus test in high school. Until that class, I had never put so much time into studying for a class. It took a lot of time and effort and brain endurance. In the end, though, it was completely worth it. That’s what keeps me studying some days!

This week also involved a killer spin class…

some volunteer work tutoring at an Elementary school…



some yummy dinner with the sister at Costa Vida...

and some new online yoga! For real. Check it out – some of the shorter classes are free! Those are the one’s I “bought”. You can do it any time, any where, and as many times as you’d like. Pretty spiffy. Have a stellar weekend!

~Growing up did you like dissecting things in school?
~What class have you had to study for more than anything?