Look who’s highlighted by LuLu…
Dear lululemon guests,
It is a question with a million answers; what makes you Happy? New lululemon product? New colors? Well aside from these obvious answers we want to know what makes you Happy! This week we asked Tara from Kaia F.I.T. San Diego. “What makes me Happy: Read the rest of this entry »
MEANS FOR EATING YOUR GREENS…GREENS, BY ALL MEANS!
There are a whole lot of reasons why you need to start making greens a part of your diet, and I will discuss those next, but first I want to say just one thing: greens can be really delicious! That’s right, gone are the days that eating your green vegetables has to mean gagging down an unappetizing blob of dull green colored mush on the side of your plate. No longer do you need to dread forcing yourself or your family to eat these health-building plants because I will share how people are truly enjoying their greens. When prepared in some of the following new ways, greens can actually be an appealing food to look forward to for even the pickiest of eaters. But first, understand that leafy green vegetables are the most nutrient dense foods there are and they should be making it into your diet every single day without exception. Here is why: Read the rest of this entry »
A Strong Upper Body Means More Calories Burned?
Our motto “Strong is the new Skinny” sounds pretty motivating, but how many of you equate “strong” with ‘”ripped, shredded, or buff”? That’s exactly the response I got this morning after encouraging a Kaia girl to do some band upper body work at home to help a weak shoulder. “But I don’t want to get ripped!”
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How Much Weight Can I Expect To Lose During a Six Week Brik?
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, to maintain a healthy weight without making any changes to our diet, we would have to perform 420 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. Moderate intensity, strictly defined, is… Read the rest of this entry »
Eat the Colors of the Rainbow
“Eat the Colors of the Rainbow!” some of you may have heard this term before in reference to getting an array of multi hued produce into ones diet. Indeed there is something to be said for having a brightly colored plate: each pigment having a different set of unique and essential nutrients for your body. And the deeper and richer those colors, the higher the antioxidant levels in those fruits and vegetables, meaning your immune system will be better able to fight all those free radical invaders that can be toxic in your environment.
Not to mention that the benefits of fiber and the natural enzymes in things like red bell peppers, purple cabbage orange cantaloupe and green broccoli cannot be matched in any manufactured food found on a grocery store shelf in a bag, box or can! No matter what your preferences are in the produce department, try to find something form each section of the color wheel that tickles your fancy because these are the preventers of heart disease, strokes, diverticulitis, high blood pressure, and many types of cancer. There are such a wide variety of health components found in fresh fruits and vegetables they will even guard specific body parts from things like cataracts and macular degeneration or cholesterol build-up in the liver.
So what does this look like translated to the real everyday meals and snacks you are eating in a given day? Well, it is a common known fact that the typical American diet is often too high in processed carbohydrates such as breads and cakes and other baked goods, and that meat portions could stand to be reduced a bit also, or at least not breaded and fried! Picture a plate with chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese and a white bread roll with butter….. pound cake and whipped topping for dessert (yes, I see this kind of thing at social functions and neighborhood gatherings all the time) You are going to be looking at somewhat of a drab meal, all browns, tans, and whites. Now, picture a very different scenario where dinner starts with big salad containing ripe tomatoes (red), grated carrots (orange) and beets (magenta), chopped celery and cucumber (green) all over a bed of richly hued dark leafy greens. Add to this some sautéed summer squash (yellow) and you are really amp up the vitamins and minerals you are getting. Then you can add whatever else you like to eat, and still have room for! And your blues and purples? Easy. Have a bowl of fresh berries for dessert, or fit a delicious smoothie into your day like the one in the recipe below!
The goal is simply to get as many colors from the rainbow in your diet as you can so that you are maximizing your consumption of the broadest range of nutrients possible.
Judging from all the different produce colors included in this ingredient line-up, you are guaranteed to be getting a nice dose of diverse nutrients with just one serving!
Antioxidant Punch Smoothee
2 Bananas (yellow)
1 C Frozen mixed Berries and Cherries (blue, red and purple)
2 large handfuls baby Spinach (green)
2 C fresh Orange juice (orange)
Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Makes two servings.
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