B Fitness For Life

Booty Blaster. Buddhist Newbie. Citizen of the World. Crazy Cat Lady. Half Jamaican, half New Yorker at Heart. Health & Happiness Promoter. Lacto Ovo Vegetarian. Lover of Life. Momma Wannabe. Nutrition & Wellness Consultant. Organization Freak. Personal Fitness Trainer. Rhythm Junkie. Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist (soon to be) Sweden raised, Brooklyn based. Typical Taurus. Women's Fitness in Focus.

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[bfitnessforlife]

Article casting light on Germany banning circumcision.

[bfitnessforlife]

Very good and brief summary of the values of Buddhism.

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Motherhood.

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[bfitnessforlife]

[bfitnessforlife]

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

This is one of my absolute favorite soups. It has a little sting from the curry and a little fresh sweetness from the pears and so much goodness from the ginger. Easy, cheap  and a perfect fall and winter soup.

1 (2 lbs) butternut squash

3 tbsp unsalted butter ( I prefer olive oil)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp curry powder (I prefer Jamaican)

1 tsp salt (I use very little sodium)

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I use vegetable broth)

2 firm Bartlett pears, diced

1/2 cup half and half (I use almond milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash lengthwise, discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves down on the sheet. Roast in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until very soft. Scoop the pulp out and put aside. Melt butter or put olive oil in pot over medium heat and stir in onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Pour broth into pot and bring to a boil. Stir in pears and squash and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the pears are very soft. Pour soup in a blender and fill about halfway full. Hold the lid with a kitchen towel and puree until smooth. Stir in half and half or almond milk and reheat.

[bfitnessforlife]

Start planning out your Ideal 2013 on ONE page today. Clarity is power. Robin Sharma

From Robin Sharma's Facebook page. What else could be better to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon than writing down your goals for 2013. It has been proven to be the best way to make visions and dreams become reality.

Also check out Robin Sharma's book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.

[bfitnessforlife]

Inspiration. Truth. Focus on you.

[bfitnessforlife]

Inspiring Mothers: Gisele Bundchen

I hardly ever shop at Victoria’s Secret and know close to nothing about football. Still, I know Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady. 

Brazilian, one of the worlds top super models and one of the heavenly bodies on the Victoria’s Secret cat walk, well that’s what I thought I knew about Gisele. Earlier today, she announced the birth of her second child Vivian Lake on her Facebook page and I caught a picture of her doing yoga with a very pregnant belly and decided to read up on her exercise routine. 

Coming back into fitness after pregnancy in a successful way always appear to raise the voices of skepticism. Most commonly it leads to comments and discussion about being blessed with ‘good’ genetics. I truly believe her ability to get back to her fit self is more about the fact that she came into her pregnancy on a healthy fitness level and with an active lifestyle. Mindful eating while expecting as well as continued exercise is surely big part of the ‘bounce back’ after having her son Benjamin. Gisele practices Anusara yoga with focus on opening the heart and uplifting the soul and increasing positive flow of energy and Kung Fu twice a week up until two weeks before delivery. She has stated her love for extreme sports and live a very active lifestyle.

This bounce back is not surprising since most mothers with a healthy and normal pregnancy can keep the fitness routine as long as they feel good about it. Gisele stated that the eight hour birth of her son was pleasant and didn’t hurt the slightest which some have a hard time believing. Maybe because we live in a culture that almost encourage fear of gaining weight and giving birth. Gisele’s daughter was born at the Brady residence in Boston. Natural birth and home birth is still something that many find controversial. Coming into pregnancy fit and keeping up a exercise routine has proven to not only decrease pain during delivery but also up the chances of delivering closer to due date and decrease labor and recovery time.

Gisele developed Sejaa, her own natural skin care line that is committed to manufacture recyclable carbon neutral products with chlorine-free processing using post-consumer waste paper. In 2007 she started The Luz Foundation, a organization working towards empowerment of young girls and donates a certain percentage of her annual income to the organization. In 2009 she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation’s Environmental Program (UNEP) that focuses on assisting developing countries to use environmentally friendly practices. 

While starting out as a beautiful and well paid model on the runway, Gisele Bundchen has in my eyes been uplifted to the more fitting description of humanitarian, environmentalist and citizen of the world and a inspiring mother.

Also check out this video of Gisele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGfNwXnOjc

[bfitnessforlife]

Motherhood for someone going on 38. 

[bfitnessforlife]

"Man.... Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived." The Dalai Lama

[bfitnessforlife]

Feeling a bit under the weather today and there's nothing better than to start the day with a power breakfast. Smoothie with fresh spinach, sprouts, mixed frozen berries and almond milk. This is so easy, just throw what goodies you have in the blender and mix. A real immune system booster! Together with rest and fluids I hope to be back on my feet in no time.

Life is good. Live it. Fit.

[bfitnessforlife]

December 5, 2012: WOD

I love training legs so today we went in on the heavier side. It feels great both after the session and the next day! 

You will notice below that I do a heavier weight exercise first and follow with a body weight or lighter weight recovery exercise. This is not resting though, just recovery from the heavier weight so it will be challenging. I hardly ever give myself a few minutes to recover unless it's a very high intensity exercise. This way I can fit more exercises into less time and keep up a good burn.

4 sets:

45 degree leg press x 12, 130 lbs

Curtsy lunge x 20

Smith machine: (repeated twice)

Squats: 70 lbs x12

Flying lunges for 30 sec

Static lunges: 70 lbs x12

Flying lunges for 30 sec

Static lunges: 70 lbs x12

Squats 90 lbs x12

Flying lunges 30 sec

2 sets:

calf raises on step x50 12 lbs dumbbell on shoulder

3 sets:

Abduction machine x 8 85 lbs

Single leg wall sit 30 sec

Abduction machine x 8, 85 lbs

Single leg wall sit 30 sec

Abduction machine x 8, 90 lbs

Regular wall sit on toes 30 sec

3 sets:

Glute machine x 12, 125 lbs

Dead lifts with barbell x 20, 40 lbs

[findvegan-blog]

Coconut Cream Pie Smoothie. 

[heyfranhey]

Vegan and Gluten-free, too! Click here for recipe.

[bfitnessforlife]

December 4, 2012: WOD

WOD I

2.5 mile morning run

10 min abs at home (3 x 100 bicycle crunches, 3 x 25 Puerto Rican planks)

WOD II

One hour intermediate candle lit yoga for stretching at home. The Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose see below) proved very challenging. I love doing yoga at night, it helps slow me down and I feel so relaxed when it's time for bed. I choose to do yoga at home because it felt like a chore carrying around the mat and trying to make a packed class on time to grab a spot. Instead of feeling relaxed and balanced I felt more stressed and tense.

I use the app All-In Yoga and paid $2.99 when I bought it. Totally worth the price. It has a gallery of over 300 poses, ready made programs on levels from beginner to guru but you can also customize your own sequence which I love. If you are like me and struggle with getting started with yoga or feel pressure when thinking about going to a studio, check this app out and start doing something simple for 10 minutes a day. 

[bfitnessforlife]

One of my goals: To fit into this gym outfit again

With the parents in town for a month, a trip to a all inclusive resort in Jamaica as well as the boredom and change of schedule due to hurricane Sandy, let's just say that the calorie intake has been way higher than the expenditure...

My gym clothes truly motivate me and I LOVE this outfit by G Sports. So therefore, I am posting this pic to remind myself of my goals! It's done. It's now up on the mental refrigerator door.