Saturday's Stretch and Flexibility - Yoga for Holiday Meal Digestion

With Thanksgiving being next week I thought this would be a good yoga routine to post.  Even though we don't mean to, most of us overindulge on Thanksgiving because there is so much on the table that we don't eat every day.  It's a special day that revolves around family and, well, food.  

Now I'm the first one who always tells my students not to get all freaked out about it, it's one day--enjoy it and the food!  There is one exception, don't eat anything that you know is going to make you really sick--that's just not worth it to me.

My trick to not overdoing it is simple--I eat the foods that I don't get regularly and skip the ones I do.  I don't eat the mashed potatoes or rolls, but eat the stuffing and gravy--and the pecan pie that my son makes--YUM!!!

This routine is called "Yoga for Holiday Meal Digestion"  Maybe instead of napping on the couch, you can get your guests to do this together---hahaha, I can just see my brothers....

Friday's Facts and Findings -- Green Smoothies--some things you might not know

I have been on a green smoothie kick and I thought I'd share some important info that I found with you.

Our magic bullet broke last month, so I've been using my Cusinart hand blender and it's working out fine.  However, I did reveal the coveted 30% off coupon from Kohl's and you get $10 back for every $50 you spend, so there may be a Nutribullet or Ninja contraption in my future!

Some people can't get past the fact that the smoothie is actually "green" in color; that there are green vegetables!!! in there!  I'm here to tell you that you don't even know they are there--well except for the color...you can't taste them at all.  Now it you are someone who likes V8 (ewww--my opinion only) you can make savory smoothies as well where you do taste them.  Personally, I prefer soup if I'm going to blend veggies together--drinking it cold just doesn't do it for me.

My go to greens are usually spinach and kale.  But I've recently read that spinach contains oxalic acid which can bind with minerals (mainly calcium) and make them inaccessible to the body.  If you eat foods that contain this acid on a regular basis over several months you could develop a form of kidney stone called calicum oxalate stones.  These are actually the most common type--they form when calcium crystallizes with oxalates.  Other foods also contain high levels of this acid as well--nuts, seeds, grains, soy, berries and more. I have to admit, this concerned me.  I've been eating a lot of spinach lately. The key to avoiding this is variety which is what I'm starting to do.

Variety also inhibits the build up of alkaloids.  These are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that are produced by many different organisms, including leafy greens.  These are toxic in large quantities, but in small amounts are harmless.  Sprouts contain higher amounts of alkaloids, so these should be limited a bit more.  Some common alkaloids are opium (from the poppy) and caffeine--neither of which come from leafy greens, but these are substances we have all heard of.  Eating the same greens for an extended time (weeks to months) can cause a build up of alkaloids.  This can cause all sorts of symptoms from low energy and sluggishness, loss of appetite and even tingling sensations--not good.  So rotate your greens to stop this from occurring.

So, I'm going to start using some other greens--celery, romaine and other lettuces, I just bought some bok choy and napa cabbage to try.  You can also use herbs--basil, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, oregano; and don't forget things like carrot tops and  beet greens.  Now some of these flavors are more potent than others.  You have to experiment with how much you put in.  I would not put a cup of broccoli into a sweet smoothie--it just isn't going to work.

Well, I got the Nutribullet and I Love It!!!  I'll post some recipes on Sunday!

Thursday's Total Body/Cardio - Deck of Cards

Here's the last deck of cards workout that I'm posting for the week.

This one is for the total body--I'm going to add a little twist this time to add some extra cardio work.

Here's a quick review-- 4 suits, 4 exercises -- the number of reps you do corresponds with the number on the card; face cards = 10 and aces = 11.

The twist here is that I'm going to give you a cardio burst to do every 10 cards--so keep track...and don't forget to put in the Jokers!

These exercises are going to be combinations of upper and lower body to hit all your muscles.

Hearts:  Squat with an Overhead Press

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Grab dumbbells with an overhand grip and bring them up to shoulder height with your palms facing out. Inhale, bend your knees, and lower your hips into a squat (A). Keep your head up, heels on the ground, and back arched. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then quickly return to standing and exhale. Drive both dumbbells overhead until your elbows are fully extended (B). Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Diamonds:  Lunge with a Rotation

Grab a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell with both hands. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight out (A). Take a big step forward with your left foot and, bracing your abs, twist your torso to the left as you bend your knees and lower your body until both of your legs form 90-degree angles (B). Twist back to center, push off your left foot, and stand back up. Repeat on the other leg. That's 1 rep. Keep your elbows straight but not locked. 

Clubs:  Push Up with a Row

Get into push up position with arms straight, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, and hands resting on a set of dumbbells directly below your shoulders (A). Do a complete pushup (B). Then, from the up position, lift your right elbow toward the ceiling until your elbow passes your torso (C). Lower, then lift the left dumbbell. That's 1 rep.  To modify the move, go to your knees.

Spades:  Alternating Bicep Curls and Lateral Raises one of each = 1 rep

No explanation here except this--do 1 bicep curl and 1 side lateral raise--continue until all reps are done.  To modify, you can bend the arms to 90 degrees as you do the side raise (see pic #3 below)

Bicep Curl

Straight Arm Lateral Raise

Lateral Raise with Bent Arms

After first 10 cards:  Do 1 minute of jump rope (with or without an actual rope)

After the next 10 cards:  Do 1 minute of jumping jacks

After the next 10 cards:  Do 1 minute of high knee jogs

After the next 10 cards:  Do 1 minute of butt kick jogs

After final 10 cards:  Do 1 minute of cross country skiers--take one foot in front, one foot in back, jump and switch feet as fast as you can. (see video)

JOKER'S WILD!!!!

First Joker:  Do 1 minute of burpees (see yesterday's post for description)

Second Joker:  Do 1 minute of mountain climbers (see video)

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!!!