Recipe of the week: Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

This time of year pumpkin is in everything including smoothies.  I had some left over pumpkin after making this recipe for a crustless pumpkin pie.  I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies so I thought I'd try combining the two flavors in a smoothie and this is what I came up with.  It was a great after workout pick me up, let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!


Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

1 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
1/4 canned pumpkin
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
ice (optional)

Add everything to the blender until ice is blended and enjoy.

Recipe of the week: Pina Colada Smoothie

I love pineapple, it's my favorite fruit, I could eat a whole one by myself.  Pineapple is high in digestive enzymes and has many health benefits, you can read about them here.  This smoothie has been my breakfast the past few days.

The few weeks have been really hot and humid here.   In this weather I have a hard time regulating my body temperature, I can't do anything about the weather but I can control my internal temperature.  I decided to eat mostly raw food for at least a couple of weeks.  (I seem to be easily susceptible to heat stroke, ever since the first time I had it at nine years old).

I use unsweetened coconut milk from Trader Joe's but you could use the canned if that's what you have.  It will add some fat and calories though.  You can always throw in some protein powder for a post workout drink, it's also good with some chia seeds and shredded coconut.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

8 oz coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 banana
handful of ice

Blend the ingredients and enjoy!

Twenty minute at home workout

Twenty minute at home workout


Half burpees 30
1 leg push ups 30  (15 each side)
Jump lunges 30
Sit ups 30
Squat & side Kick 30
Tricep Dips 30
Bicycle Abs 30
Side Plank 30 each side
Mountain Climbers 30
Tuck Abs 30

50 Jumping jacks in-between each one of them
Go as fast as you can using good form, it should take about 20 minutes, if you need to rest fine, but not more than about 30 seconds.

I am a big fan of the at home workout, there are times when I just don't have time to go to the gym.  Plus not everyone has a gym membership and honestly you don't need one.  You can get in the best shape of your life at home for free.  There are a couple of at home workout movements online that I follow, Bodyrock.tv is one and Blogilates is the other.  The past couple of months I've spent less time in the gym doing cardio and lifting because I've had some low back issues.  One of my yoga instructors suggested that my hamstrings might be too tight from lifting and I think she was right.  I've done this workout a couple of days a week and done yoga 3 days a week and my back is feeling pretty good most days.  I'm still just as strong and getting leaner, last week I bought a pair of jeans in a size 26!  Yay, I'd say that's proof you don't need a gym.

Now I'm off to do this workout.

Ciao!

My current workout play list....

So once again tonight I've been working on my workout playlist and I'm excited to go workout in the morning.  A few people have asked me to share what I've been listening to so I transferred this from Itunes.  It came out in reverse order alphabetically and I'm not sure how to fix it, so oh well on that one.  I've said my taste in music is pretty eclectic so don't judge...it's all about the mood you're in....and sometimes I skip through till I find something I'm feeling.  


So there you have it...enjoy.  I hope you find some beauty in this =)  Ciao.


Headstrong Trapt

Eye of the Tiger                 Survivor

All Summer Long A Salute to Kid Rock

Only Girl (In the World) Rihanna

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers

Move, Shake, Drop              Pitbull

Youth Of The Nation           P.O.D

Moves like Jagger Maroon 5

Sweet Home Alabama         Lynyrd Skynyrd

In the End Linkin Park

Can't Fight the Moonlight LeAnn Rimes

Bad Romance Lady GaGa

Poker Face Lady GaGa

We Owned The Night Lady Antebellum

Because of You                  Kelly Clarkson

Behind These Hazel Eyes     Kelly Clarkson

Stronger                            Kelly Clarkson

California Gurls                   Katy Perry

On The Floor (feat. Pitbull)   Jennifer Lopez

Hollaback Girl Gwen Stefani

Losing My Religion              Glee Cast Version)

How To Save A Life             The Fray

Over My Head (Cable Car)    The Fray

Dog Days are Over              Florence and the Machine

Big Girls Don't Cry               Fergie

Bring Me to Life   Evanescence

Paradise Coldplay

Viva la Vida                        Coldplay

Fallin' For You Colbie Caillat

Lady Marmalade Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink

Before He Cheats                Carrie Underwood

My Prerogative                    Britney Spears

Circus                                Britney Spears

Livin' on a Prayer Bon Jovi

Let's Get It Started              Black Eyed Peas

Just Can't Get Enough          Black Eyed Peas

Single Ladies                      Beyoncé

If I Die Young The Band Perry

Wunderkind Alanis Morissette

Black Roses Red                 Alana Grace

Set Fire To The Rain            Adele

Rolling In The Deep Adele

Never trust...

Recipe of the week: Post workout smoothie

I love smoothies and tried this combo a couple of weeks ago when I had finished a monster leg workout at the gym followed by a Bodyrock.tv workout. Research suggests that chocolate milk is a better post workout drink than almost anything else. Last year when I was trying to help my son put on some weight for football every night after practice I made him something like this minus the nut butter and he gained 20lbs of muscle and 2 inches in about 8 weeks. Let me know what you think, I think this one tastes like everyone’s favorite candy…peanut butter cups. (I usually use almond milk but you can also use coconut milk, when I make them for my son I use 2% milk).

8 oz milk
1 scoop protein powder (whatever your favorite is)
1 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)
a hand full of ice

Blend in the blender until its frothy and enjoy!

Great workout when you can't get to the gym...

I've started doing this on days when I can't get to the gym (or when I was out of town this past weekend).  It's easy, fast, you don't need any equipment and you don't need a lot of space to do it.  Try once and repeat as long as you have time for, I think the other day I did it 4 times in a row.