Fueling My Fitness!

Kristy, one of our Face of FNLers, is a hot yoga junkie and has a very active lifestyle. This month she is sharing some of her favourite foods and products that help fuel her sweaty yoga sessions for optimal performance and recovery.

It’s taken me a long time to find an exercise niche that I could really get into, but now that I’ve discovered this strange, sweaty workout it has become my obsession. My studio Iam Yoga has a wide variety of classes that range from ab-destroying core workouts to restorative Yin mediation. Finding activities that don’t feel like a chore is so key, for some people that may be running, or a pilates class, or learning weird YouTube dance choreography with your best friend in your living room (I very much suggest this one. Nothing bonds two people like the mortifying experience of trying to learn how to “booty pop” in front of each other). I still try to fit in some additional cardio, and living downtown I walk everywhere, but Yoga has become my exercise of choice. In February I did 30 days of Hot Yoga in a row which was insane but really great, and really taught me the importance of properly fueling my body.

Tailoring your nutrition to your lifestyle is important and not that hard. Do you exercise all the time? If so, make sure you’re getting enough protein and iron, and have an extra green smoothie after your run. Marni has introduced me to some amazing  products that have really amped up my nutrition.

I was lucky enough to receive an AMAZING Vega Thrive Forward Starter Kit and now I am addicted to their whole foods approach to nutrition on the go. Seriously, I’ve been scheming ways to become a Vega ambassador and I will not be stopped.

Here are a few products that I have absolutely fallen in love with:

1.Vega Electrolyte Hydrator

This has rocked my sweaty little yoga world. A naturally flavored powder meant to replace the electrolytes you are sweating out, pouring a little packet of this into my water bottle makes a world of difference when you are sweating out massive amounts of fluids. Even if I was super hydrated sometimes I would leave particularly intense heated classes feeling lightheaded or nauseous, and this little gem has completely eliminated that.

2.Vega One Chocolate Protein Powder

This stuff is so good mixed with Almond Milk and a little ice. After a yoga class, this is my go-to treat to make sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need while feeling like I’m drinking a milkshake. Sweetened with stevia, it is so freaking good. Seriously Vega, I have a huge crush on you. They also now have a new Vega One bar which has all of the essential nutrients formed into one convenient and delicious bar!

3.Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder

Frozen Bananas+ Ice + Spinach+ Coconut Milk +This powder = A delicious green smoothie.

This month I was also lucky enough to take Marni’s Raw Made Easy cooking class which was amazing. She showed us a ton of simple, raw recipes to add huge bursts of plant powered nutrition into our days. We made these phenomenal little nori rolls that I’m going to make for my in-laws at the cottage this weekend and the most amazing raw pizza that our whole class could not get enough of.

Seriously, sundried tomato tapenade and raw “caRAWmelized” onions and mushrooms – it was glorious.

To maintain a balanced lifestyle, it is important to stay active in whatever way works for you, and to eat plant based foods to support a healthy and active lifestyle!

Join me in the Smoothment!

I just love blending up delicious smoothies in my blender!

Start 2012 off with your Blender!

After being asked by Navitas Naturals, as one of their newest team members I am excited to share with you about there new program The Smoothment!

This program is designed to get you drinking more smoothies daily and to help you along every step of the way. This couldn’t be a better idea! From tips, recipes discounts on amazing superfood products, along with videos on how to make the tastiest smoothies, they’ve got it all. There’s nothing like having your hand held all the way from your blender to your glass! P.S. Don’t forget to sip your smoothie with a glass STRAWESOME straw!

If you are not already making smoothies or haven’t figured out just why they are so good for you let me help you out first:

Top reasons to start the new year off with a smoothie!

Not only are smoothies refreshing and give you energy first thing in the morning – but they are also so much fun to create. Everyday you can create a new theme in your blender using different, flavours, tastes and textures  pack it full of raw organic, fruits, vegetables and superfoods!

Making a smoothie is the easiest way to absorb a whole bunch of nutrients all at once. They are full of fiber and vitamins and depending on what you put into it you can also get your daily dose of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Why not indulge… and drink your next meal? What can be more delicious than a creamy smoothie that fills you up and gives your body the nutrition and vitality that it requires to thrive? There really is no better answer…so let me tell you five simple reasons why you should be making smoothies and blending your way to health!

Time Saver – Smoothies take all of  5-10 minutes to make (depending on how prepared you are) and can be taken on the go, and will last all day in a stainless steel bottle.

Easy to Absorb – liquids are easier to digest and allow nutrients to absorb into your cells for immediate uptake.

All -in -One – you can get a “whole” lot of goodness into one blender – nutrients, protein, carbohydrates and fat!

Super Fun– enjoy the “process” get creative with colourful ingredients and textures (add granola and eat it with a spoon!)

Liquid Energy – use superfoods to give you a boost (no booster juice!!!) Make your own blend and enjoy in the morning, afternoon or pre/post work out!

You are in luck because I am going to give simple steps on how you can to make the perfect smoothie everyday.

 

How to blend your way to health:

These can be made in any blender (but a Vitamix or BlendTec are highly recommended!)

1. Start with 2 cups of liquid – rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk, coconut water
2. Choose your protein (2 tbsp or more)– raw brown rice protein (Sun Warrior - (Use coupon code MW007 to save on your order)), hemp protein, hemp hearts or almonds
3. Choose your fruit (1/2 – 1 cup of either)– blueberries, raspberries, banana, mango, avocado, dates
4. Choose your green (one handful)– spinach, kale, chard, sprouts, cucumber or (1 tsp) greens powder, spirulina, chlorella
5. Choose your superfoods – (1 tablespoon of one or more) goji berries, acai, pomegranate powder, cacao nibs, maca, mesquite, hemp seeds, raw honey, chia seeds, matcha green tea

Want to win some Superfoods?

Sign up and join the Smoothment and WIN some superfoods!

1. Leave a comment below

2. Join our pages Delicious Knowledge and Navitas Naturals

3. Share The Smoothment on Twitter

The Cleanse…

 

My assistant Abby and I have  decided to take on the task of doing Health Force Nutritionals Cleanse. I have done some version of this cleanse  3 times over the past 3 years.  I think I  always forget just how intense it really is. The amount of integrity and energy each of their powders and capsule contains is insane. They are loaded with super herbs, nutrients and other special cleansing properties that you pretty much feel right away.

In the past I have taken on both a 7 day and two week cleanse. This year I decided to do 4 days and finish the remaining 3 at a later date. I started with the first four days which was of course intense. As taking up to 20 capsules in one sitting is like eating a meal. Since there is never a good time to do a cleanse, the timing coincided right into my trip to New York which you will be finding out about very soon. So I had to end my cleanse a bit early.

When it comes to cleansing for me, I don’t do anything drastic with my diet or my overall habits – as you can imagine they are already pretty good. So it may mean that I am eating a little less chocolate and maple syrup throughout the week, but my meals stay pretty much the same with  more of an emphasis on raw foods and juicing. Since that was the goals of mine and Abby’s whole cleanse, to go raw for 30 days. That very quickly changed when April turned out to be such a cold month and we just wanted to stick with clean vegetarian food instead.

Read my views or opinion on cleansing in general that I wrote for Chatelaine a couple of weeks ago:

Marni’s Views on Cleansing in General

So the way my day looked like was this…

Green Juice – apple, cucumber, celery, kale, lemon, ginger, parsley

Smoothie – typically a green smoothie loaded with blueberries, almond milk, chia, kale and sun warrior protein powder

Organic wholesome dinner – this may have included quinoa, steamed kale, sweet potatoes, green salad or sprouted bread with avocado.

Possible snacks: rice cakes with almond butter, walnuts, almonds, cashews, apple, sunflower seeds, sprouts or green juice.

Note on HealthForce Products -

They truly take health and healing seriously. Their motto is “100% Truganic” which means everything is true, pure and organic! Just taking 1 tablespoon of their vitamineral greens in your juice or smoothie is powerful enough that I truly feel it in every cell. I have never used or would recommend a “greens” powder as potent as theirs.

The other products in this cleanse included a liver cleanse, bowel movement formula and intestinal drawing formula. They all do what exactly they say they will do. And you feel them working. Every herb, nutrient and detail has been research and analyzed as being an integral component of the product. I truly commend Jameth Sheriden, the naturopath and genius behind these products. They are truly one of a kind. So if you are every thinking of taking on a cleanse with more than just food,  I would certainly give health force a try. These products will just take your cleansing to the next level and truly work on your organs to keep them functioning efficiently. This is not something to do more than once or twice a year. The start or change of a season is usually the best time, but otherwise just trust and listen to your body. Otherwise, if herbals are too much for you, just choose to stick to a cleanse wholesome vegetarian and you will attain a clean peaceful mind and body.

Since I had done a Healthforce Nutritional cleanse before, I made sure Abby was on board to try one with me this year. It is so much easier to do it with a someone or at least have some one else keep you on track.

Read Abby’s Review!

You can get more delicious knowledge by checking out Marni’s Cleansing with Superfoods e-book, available here: http://www.marniwasserman.com/ebooks/

Blend Your Way to Health!

My Article in Tonic Toronto, April 2010 Issue

Learn how to make your next smoothie!

It’s official – making smoothies is my favourite way to start the day!

Also, with spring on the horizon, the desire to eat a heavy meal diminishes. So making a daily batch of liquid goodness seems like the perfect plan!

Not only do refreshing smoothies give you energy first thing in the morning – they are also so much fun to make. Everyday I create a new theme in my blender using different flavours and textures – but they all have one thing in common – they are packed full of raw, organic, fruits, vegetables and superfoods!

Making a smoothie is the easiest way to absorb a whole bunch of nutrients all at once. They can be full of fiber and vitamins and depending on what you put into them you can also get your daily dose of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Why not indulge… and drink your next meal? What could be more delicious than a creamy smoothie that fills you up and gives your body the nutrition and vitality that it requires to thrive? There really is no better answer…so let me tell you five simple reasons why you should be making smoothies and blending your way to health!

Time Saver – Smoothies take all of 5 to 10 minutes to make (depending on how prepared you are), can be taken on the go and will last all day in a stainless steel bottle.

Easy to Absorb – Liquids are easier to digest and allow nutrients to absorb into your cells for immediate uptake.

All -in -One – You can get a “whole” lot of goodness into one blender – Vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and fat!

Super Fun– Enjoy the “process” and get creative with colourful ingredients and textures (add granola and eat it with a spoon!)

Liquid Energy – Use superfoods to give you a boost (no booster juice!!!). Make your own blend and enjoy in the morning, afternoon or pre/post work out!

You are in luck because I have provided simple steps on to make the perfect smoothie every day.

How to blend your way to health:

These can be made in any blender (but a Blendtec is highly recommended!).

1. Start with 2 cups of liquid – rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk or coconut water
2. Choose your protein (2 tbsp. or more)– raw brown rice protein (I like Sun Warrior), hemp protein, hemp hearts or almonds
3. Choose your fruit (1/2 – 1 cup of either)– blueberries, raspberries, banana, mango, avocado or dates
4. Choose your green (one handful)– spinach, kale, chard, sprouts, cucumber or (1 tsp) greens powder, spirulina or chlorella
5. Choose your superfoods – (1 tablespoon of one or more) goji berries, cacao nibs, maca, mesquite, hemp seeds, raw honey, chia seeds or matcha green tea

Have fun and get creative!