Morning Nosh

I don't know about you, but I wake up in the morning immediately craving breakfast.  It is that meal of the day that is a reward for my morning workout, revs up my metabolism for the day, and I have the most fun being creative with!  The benefits of getting this meal in go WAY beyond just satisfying that morning hunger. This is your best shot of the day to fill yourself with nutrients. Let's face it, the day can get hectic real quick, but getting what your body needs early on will help if you can't squeeze it in later on in the day.  People who eat breakfast everyday are 30% less likely to be overweight.

I try to get a 30 to 90 minute workout every morning.  This means the alarm clock goes off super early on the weekdays and even sometimes on the weekend.  Saying that coffee is my savior is a complete understatement! I truly love my cup of coffee in the morning.  That one cup is all I need, to feel awake and ready for a killer morning workout.  After my workouts, re-fueling my body with lean protein and fiber to keep me full and restore my muscles is a priority as it makes for an energetic and productive day.  My breakfasts turn into something that I am excited for each morning.

Not only do morning workouts have their benefits, but that post workout breakfast will set your metabolism for the rest of the day.  Your digestive system kicks in first thing in the morning so your body can stay in that revved up calorie burning mode all day long.  Making sure that you put the RIGHT stuff in your body this early in the day also makes a difference- which is also what makes me so excited to prep for this meal each day!  Your breakfast choices will pretty much control your appetite for the rest of the day. 

This meal should include lean protein & a carbohydrate.  THAT in itself excites me.  This can be a great combination of a number of goodies.  Your proteins can include Egg Whites, Yogurt (Greek yogurt is really packed with protein), smoothies, tofu, and even peanut/almond/cashew butter.  Your carbohydrates can include grains like oats or bran, Fruits, and vegetables.  Finding a really great protein powder can pretty much make breakfast possibilities endless.  I highly recommend Perfect Fit Protein which leaves behind all the chemicals and artificial additives.  Who needs those?!  You can bake with this too!  Any time you would normally use flour, you can use the protein powder instead.  Who doesn't want a figure friendly, protein-pack, flourless cranberry muffin or banana pancake? 

My newest obsession is Overnight Oats which I'm bummed I didn't discover over the summer! This is basically a cold oatmeal that you prep overnight and can incorporate any of your favorite flavor combinations.  Best part about it, it doesn't require your stove or microwave!  Below are the main ingredients.  My personal favorite, pictured above, is Pumpkin Spice. 

Overnight Oats Basic Ingredients

1/2 cup Quick Oats

1/2 cup Almond, Soy, Skim or Coconut Milk

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Stevia for extra sweetness, if you prefer!

I used a small ex-tomato sauce jar which was the perfect size, but a Tupperware container would work just fine.  All you do is add all of these ingredients together in the jar, mix it up well, seal it up, & put in the refrigerator overnight.  The oats soak up all of the flavor and moisture, making the consistency deliciously perfect!

Here are some flavor add-in ideas that I'm in love with!

1/2 cup pumpkin puree + 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice

1 Mashed Banana + 1 tbsp peanut butter

A Handful of Raisins, 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract, some extra cinnamon

1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder + 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Other add-in's to boost the nutritional value-

Chia Seeds

Flax Seeds or Ground Flax

Chopped Walnuts

Dried Cranberries

Strawberries

Perfect Fit Protein Powder

Let me know if you have any other Go-To flavor combos or add-ins for your Overnight Oats. I'm confident I'd love them all and that you'll all love the ones above.  Breakfast is such a treat, especially when it has nourishing benefits.  Do your body a HUGE favor and get this meal in every single day.  Your body & mind will thank you!

Hurricane Recovery

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2013 is already set to begin sparking up the blog on a regular basis. The lifestyle and nutrition plan I follow has so many inspiring women with blogs sharing their workouts, recipes, and more. So why should I wait until 2013, right? This is really the most exciting time of the year, especially to share snacks and tricks and traditions on getting through and getting the most out of the most wonderful time of the year!

As we begin to push through the last 2 months of 2012, us East coasters have faced some very trying times dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. I feel very fortunate that all of my friends and loved ones are safe with minimal damage. I have been without power since Monday afternoon (now Friday) and we're lucky to have family with restored power to take us in! My heart goes out to everyone who has to begin to rebuild their lives.  I'm continuously amazed at how generous people are- lending electricity to charge a phone, making hot meals for total strangers, generator parties to share the luxury of power, lending a warm couch to crash on. It's kind of bizarre that something this devastating brings out the humble side of everyone.

While my power is still out, I'm continuing to stay hopeful that my lights will be back on tomorrow. I've been so hopeful all week.  It is very tough to be off your normal weekly schedule for this long without an outlook on when you'll see "normalcy" again.  I'm dying to get back to my apartment, eat what I always eat, cook what I always cook, not live out of a bag, and workout as usual.  The uncertainty of when that will happen is the worst! But I also know that things could be 1000 times more unbearable.

Here's a great link to find some ways to help those rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Sandy Donate/Help Hurricane Sandy Relief. Do what you can, everything is appreciated!

What has kept me sane throughout all of this is my wonderful boyfriend Harris and my drive to keep active everyday.  Everyday we've tried to get outside and go for a run or a long walk. After sitting inside for a while, it feels so great to get outside and breath fresh air.  I finally did a DVD yesterday and felt so great and fortunate! The benefits of just moving around for 30 minutes to an hour out of the 24 hour day does wonders for your mental state. Getting up and taking a quick walk, getting the blood flowing may be one of the best options when your cooped up inside without electricity. It means the world that I've had someone by my side for the week sleeping on couches, working by candlelight, searching for water & ice, and passing the time waiting for word that I'll eventually get back to my Manhattan apartment.

With all that's happening around us East coasters, I'm really looking forward to this coming Monday. The lifestyle/nutrition plan ToneItUp!  I follow is doing a two week challenge to kick up the motivation in high gear before the holidays are here with all events, parties, & get-togethers that come with.  I want this holiday season to be a great one and, for me, that means feeling healthy, energetic, and on top of it! I'm feeling the need to re-focus and re-set and I'm so very grateful to have Tone It Up to push me to my goals with daily tips, workouts, recipes during the next two weeks. It really is exactly what I need to gain back some positivity and light.

I guess this first blog back isn't the most uplifting but the most important thing I wanted to do here is encourage everyone to do what they can to help.  To those feeling the effects, please take care of yourselves and know that we will rise above this and get through it.  There are brighter days ahead.

Commit to YourSELF

Lately, I've been realizing that I really need more of the things I LOVE and enjoy in my everyday life.  For me, this includes FOOD, FRIENDS, RUNNING, SNUGGLING, MAKING PLANS, and WINE.  We often get so swept up in our everyday schedules and commitments  that we don't realize how much we're putting aside the stuff we really want to be doing.  It could be because there's not enough hours in the day, lack of motivation, no one to do them with, etc.  But these things are more important than you may realize.

In the spririt of the new online trend of "Pinterest", I wanted to make my own Vision/Inspiration board. The diet/exercise plan I follow religiously these days had suggested something like this when I joined the program back in January, but I thought it was silly.  I mean really...what would I do with a bulletin board or collage filled of clippings and pictures?  It would be like college.  I always hung stuff like that in my college dorm or apartments.  Pictures of friends and dance and parties.  I didn't think a 28 year old needed to have something like that hanging around.

But low and behold, I completed an art project today:-) And it was fun!  I haven't been in the city on a Sunday, by myself, in weeks!  So I soaked up every second of it!  After I did my 4 mile run, grocery shopping, visit to the vitamin shop, and washed all my bedding (and there is something so incredibly great about fresh, clean linens), I sat down and completed my little project.  Not only did I want this to be full of things I love and things that inspire me, but I wanted it to be a daily reminder that would remind me to respect myself, love myself, believe in myself, and have FUN!

Ultimately, we all need to grab on to the fact that we are in charge of how we spend our days and weeks. We have to believe that we are in control of our health and happiness.  Our bodies need nutricious food, our hearts deserve to beat fast, our skin loves a good sweat, and our muscles crave to push their limits.  Isn't that what our bodies were built for? Getting in the mindset not to give up and keep a positive outlook on things can be extremely hard to maintain at times.  If willpower is taking a beating, vow to yourself to refocus and trust that you have a unique inner strength. 

No matter what may be coming your way and throwing you off, COMMIT to being an incredible version of yourSELF!