Saturday, November 12, 2011

Green Smoothie Recipe

Hi there!

Today I tried a green smoothie for the first time! For those of you who don't know what a green smoothie is, it has romaine lettuce, celery, and spinach added to it. It comes out a Hulk green color - I love it!

I recently heard about drinking green smoothies for detoxing our bodies, clearing up our skin, having more energy, and even losing weight. One particular recipe is from Kimberly Snyder, a celebrity nutritionist. She uses only organic fruits and vegetables. I personally cannot afford to buy all organic, especially if I'm going to be making these smoothies everyday.

Green Smoothie Recipe 

Ingredients :
1 1/2 cup Water
1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/2 head Baby Spinach, chopped
3 - 4 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Pear, chopped
1 Apple, chopped
1 Banana, chopped
Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lemon

Directions:

Add water, lettuce and spinach. Blend on low.
Add celery, apple, and pear. Blend on high.
Add banana and lemon juice last. Blend on high.

Makes about 32 ounces.

For my first smoothie, I substituted the pear for pineapple. As for the taste, I love it! It tastes like banana with a hint of celery. So refreshing!
I have so much more energy today after drinking it. I am in a much better mood too -not as much anxiety... What a Relief! :)

I can easily picture myself drinking these every morning - no problem!

My nutritionist told me I should have protein at every meal. So tomorrow, I am going to add a scoop of Fat Flush Body Protein powder to my smoothie. It provides 20g of vegetarian protein.

I hope to see a lot of benefits from this diet, especially weight loss! I will be keeping you updated on the changes and my weight loss progress.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Weigh In and Measurements - Week 1

Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
175.0 lb
Body Fat 41%
Hydration 37% (Dehydrated)

Real                              Ideal
175 lb                           130 lb
BMI 32                         BMI 24
Body Fat 41%              Body Fat 20%
Waist 34"                     Waist 26"
Hips 44"                       Hips 36"
Thighs 28"                   Thighs 20"

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Calorie Counting Is Crucial!

Hi everyone!

I must stress the importance of calorie counting. It might seem like a chore at first. But with practice, it will soon become second nature to you.
To burn fat and lose weight, you must burn more calories than you are taking in.
The average woman should try to consume 1200 calories a day.
If you aren't exercising, aim for 1000 calories.
If you are very active (exercise for an hour each day), aim for 1500 calories. You'll need extra fuel for your workouts.

Another thing to pay attention to is the Fat, protein, carb, sodium and fiber content of everything you eat and drink.

Here are the recommended daily values for each (for women 18+) :

26 - 46 g Protein* (*based on your height and ideal weight)
visit this link for the calculator : http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Protein_Requirement.html

20 - 70 g Carbs* (* if you need to lose weight)
25 g Fiber* (*based on your age)
60 g Fat* (*based on your age, height, and daily fitness levels)
no more than 1,300 mg Sodium

visit this link for some great calculators:
http://www.healthcalculators.org/index.html

Thanks for visiting and check back soon!
                                                                            Love and Blessings,
                                                                                         Jessi

Monday, January 24, 2011

Blackheads Be Gone!!

Ladies, do you have blackheads and/or bumpy, dark, leathery skin on your inner thighs? I do and it is caused by being overweight. I have done my research and discovered that you don't necessarily have to see your dermatologist to treat this. All you need is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid exfoliating exfoliating cleanser and scrub for acne. Use it with a loofah or rough scrubbing pad while taking a hot, steamy bath or shower.
Alpha hydroxy acid will exfoliate your skin and clear away the blackheads. This also improves skin texture, and helps fade dark spots and discolorations on the skin! Use it twice a day and in 2 weeks, your thighs will look healthy and renewed.

Another thing I heard works for blackheads is  a topical antibiotic called Metronidizol (the gel used for bacterial vaginal infections). Smooth it on your thighs after your shower every day, twice a day is best -- keep the area clean and dry, and in a couple weeks they will be gone.
After you get rid of them make sure to exfoliate the area every day. The skin in that area is sluggish to exfoliate itself and the dead skin on top of the oil is what causes the blackheads. Squeezing doesn't work - they will just come back again.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Fat Flush Berry Smoothie Recipe

Mixed Berry Protein Smoothie


Ingredients:


8 oz. Spring Water
1 Cup (4 oz.) Frozen Mixed Berries
1 Tbsp Flaxseed Oil
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Scoop Fat Flush Body Protein Powder (Vanilla Flavor)


Directions:


In blender, combine berries, water, flaxseed oil, protein powder, and chia seeds (in that order). Blend on Low for about 30 seconds or until slushy. Makes 1 Serving (about 20 oz.)

Enjoy!

The Intro.

Hi everyone, welcome to my new Blog!
My name is Jessica. I'm 25 and from Central Massachusetts. I am a mother to a 6 year old boy named Joseph. I had a C Section which unfortunately resulted in torn abdominal muscles from my belly button down. I have a Kangaroo pouch from my lil' Joey!  lol
I am 5'2" and weigh 175 pounds (BMI 32). My goal is to weigh a healthy 130 pounds. For my height, i need to weigh between 109 and 137 pounds. Anything above that is considered overweight. So, I need to lose 45 pounds! I especially need to tone up my thighs, butt, and abs.

I will be starting the Fat Flush Smoothie Shakedown. It is a Body Protein made from Brown Rice and Yellow Peas. It is Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free. You blend it with water and Frozen or Fresh Fruit for a delicious Protein Smoothie. 1 for Breakfast, 1 for Lunch, and then eat a sensible dinner (lean protein and veggies) for 2 whole weeks. Make sure to take a MultiVitamin and the other recommended supplements. Expected weight loss is 10-20 pounds and 10 inches. That's right, 10 inches (from your arms, stomach, and thighs mostly). That is exactly how much I lost when I did the plan over the summer. You will likely lose more if you exercise for at least 45 minutes everyday.

Need to lose more than 20 pounds? You can do the smoothie shakedown for 2 weeks, take a break for 1 week (still eating healthy) then do another 2 weeks. Visit AnnLouise.com or UniKeyHealth.com to order.

To achieve this goal, I will be doing the Fat Flush plan (Phase 1 for 2 weeks) developed by famed Nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman. Visit AnnLouise.com for details. It is basically a detox to cleanse your liver and digestive tract and rev up your metabolism. You are required to cut out all white foods and bad carbs. That means no fruit juices(except unsweetened Cranberry), soda, alcohol, coffee, white rice, potatoes, white bread, sweets, desserts, and fried foods. Drink lots of water, fruits, veggies, and lean protein (chicken, fish, turkey). You can safely stay on Phase 1 for a month but you might feel deprived of your favorite foods. Phase 2 reintroduces from great food and Phase 3 is for those who have accomplished their weight loss goals and now just to maintain their weight. It is called the Lifestyle Phase.

For exercise, I will be doing weight training - Arm Curls (5 pound weights to start),  thigh weights, leg weights (machines at the gym)
Sit Ups, Crunches, Cardio (walking, jogging, elliptical, stair climber, and swimming). I will be also try a little Zumba and Kickboxing to spice things up! In a few months, I hope to be able to do real push ups! lol

This blog will be tracking my progress and motivate and inspire others to reach their goals!
I'll try my best to be on everyday if not every other day with weigh ins, fitness logs, and recipes, healthy and beauty tips, and more!

Thanks for checking out my blog and I hope you will stay tuned!
                                                        Love and Blessings,
                                                                  Jessi