 SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!
Happy March! Uh-oh…the first official day of spring is a few short weeks away, and that means no more camouflaging behind big ole winter clothing. WAIT….WHAT?!? Spring has almost sprung, you say? Yeppers! Spring always brings about the awakening of fresh blooms on the trees, the newness of the flowers revealing themselves to us, and an opportunity for us to spring clean our bodies from the holidays, winter comfort foods, and yes, those doggone Girl Scout cookies. You know you think one box equals one serving just like I do. LOL Is your body ready to spring out of those bulky sweaters and boots or are you shocked it’s almost here already and need some inspiration to get restarted? You know I’ve got you covered, right? Message me so we can get you in on our spring cleaning fitness support group. Not on Facebook? That’s okay, our support group is also on the My Challenge Tracker App. Told ya…I’ve got you covered. Remember, nobody’s perfect. Don’t allow past failures to derail your future success. We deserve to be healthier.
I want to highlight a few things from this month’s newsletter. GREAT NEWS!! The Annual All Access On Demand Pass plus Shakeology bundle is here to stay, and the $199 price is staying, too! YES, that’s less than a dollar per day for unlimited On Demand access to over $6,000 worth of fitness programs!! It has blessed me beyond words, especially lately since I recently hurt my back. Instead of having a setback, the All Access Pass has enabled me to swap out my scheduled workout for one that is helping my back to heal. Enough about me. I get regular requests for homemade salad dressings, so one is included below in this month’s newsletter. I can’t wait to hear your feedback on it.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being your Coach. It is an honor that I shall never take for granted. Have you ever thought about inspiring others to get healthier while you continue on your own fitness journey? If your answer is yes, let’s talk to see if Beachbody Coaching is a good fit for you and your financial fitness. Have a blessed and healthy day!
Ingrid M. Hughes
Independent Team Beachbody Coach
Contact me at: www.IngridInPA.com
|
|
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Tips to Spring Clean Your Eating
- 8 Ways to Give Your Workout a Spring Makeover
- The Best Deal in Fitness: BOD All Access Challenge Pack
- New on BOD: Yoga Workouts to Pair with the Ultimate Reset
- Recipe: Spinach and Berry Salad With Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Recipe: Fresh Start Smoothie
|
|
|
 Tips to Spring Clean Your Eating: What to Toss and What to Buy
It’s time to say goodbye to winter comfort foods and welcome spring by cleaning up your eating habits and enjoying a fresh take on food! Here are some tips to “spring clean” your diet:
Out with the old…
All cleaning starts with tossing out the junk, and now it's time to get rid of foods that sabotage your diet. Making room in your fridge and pantry for fresh and healthy ingredients is key to developing better eating habits.
 1. Purge your cupboards and fridge
Toss out expired and processed foods and start fresh. Think about the Rule of Five - check the labels on sauces and snack items, and if there are more than five grams of fat per serving, it’s a good package to toss. Restock with bowls of fruit, pre-cut veggies, plain yogurt, and lighter salad dressings.
2. Slash the sugar
The latest dietary guidelines stress minimizing added sugar to 10 percent or less of daily calories. Even if you're careful, you may be eating much more sugar than you think because it is hidden in processed foods. Too much sugar is linked with diabetes and risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. Try reducing or eliminating sugar in your coffee and tea, choose plain yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit, drink water instead of sugary drinks, and check food labels for hidden sugars.
3. Cut the salt
On average, we eat about 1,000 mg more sodium every day than we should. Cutting that much out of your daily diet will lower your risk of heart disease by up to 9 percent, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Restaurant foods and processed foods both tend to be very high in sodium, so cook more at home using fresh ingredients instead. Boost flavor with herbs and spices rather than salt.
4. Minimize alcohol
Fortunately or unfortunately, alcohol is not essential to your diet. Every serving of alcohol adds around 100 to 150 calories, not counting any mix-ins for cocktails. Although several studies have shown that moderate amounts of alcohol (1 drink per day for women, 2 for men) can have some health benefits, alcohol also takes a toll on your liver, the major organ of your body devoted to detoxing your system. It also acts as a diuretic, making it harder to stay hydrated. Stick to the suggested limit and try club soda with a splash of juice at cocktail hour.
5. Avoid refined grains
Refined grains like white flour and white rice are stripped of beneficial fiber, vitamins and minerals. So while they add calories, they’re not really providing much in the way of nutrients, and since they’re low in fiber, they’re less satisfying than whole grains. Check the ingredient list and make sure the word “whole” describes the grains in the product; if it just says “wheat flour,” for example, that’s not whole-wheat, so make another choice.
…In with the new
1. Eat your colors
Are you tired of apples, bananas and root vegetables? Celebrate spring’s seasonal bounty with foods like asparagus, bok choy, mushrooms and berries. The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins and minerals it has. Bulk up on the good stuff! Add vegetables to sandwiches or omelets and make veggies the main focus of lunch and dinner, and then decide what protein or starch would go well with them.
 2. Pulse up
Pulses are a food category that includes peas, lentils, and legumes such as black, fava, kidney, lima and garbanzo beans. These foods are high in protein, fiber, and healthy unsaturated fat. Add lentils to salads, make a bean dip for veggies, or try roasted chickpeas. Remember to choose reduced sodium varieties when using canned beans.
3. Go lean
Opt for chicken, turkey breast, fresh fish, and lean red meat. Skip the deli section.
4. Snack smarter
Vegetables and fruits are the best snack choices, but raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pistachios are good for you in small doses, and plain microwave popcorn is another guilt-free option.
5. Drink more water
It’s tempting to choose other beverages, but water really is the best thing to drink. Water is vital for the function of every organ system, helping to circulate oxygen and whisk away toxins. Stay hydrated all day by carrying a refillable water bottle, and make water your main beverage at and between meals. Try jazzing it up with a spritz of lemon or lime, cucumber slices, mint, or berries.
Cleaning up your diet does not have to be difficult and is not about deprivation. Spend a little more time on meal planning before you shop so that healthy choices are on hand. Strive to eat things with one ingredient - the food itself. Broccoli. Spinach. Berries. Keep fruit and snackable veggies in the fridge; buy them precut if you’re pressed for time. Focus on an abundance of flavorful, natural foods and enjoy your spring cleaned diet.
|
|
8 Ways to Give Your Workout a Spring Makeover
 Ready to say goodbye to winter doldrums and hello to spring? As the snow begins to melt, the sun begins to shine and flowers begin to bloom, it's time to spring ahead with your activity level. Spring means new beginnings, a fresh start, outdoor exercise, warm weather activities and the impending arrival of sleeveless days. Revitalize your routine with these tips:
1. Change your scenery
Do you spend most of your time indoors? Change up your scenery - even if it's just an open window with fresh air when you drift off to sleep. Take a lunch break outside, or an after-dinner walk. Stepping outside into springtime weather can quickly switch our minds to all the possibilities of a new season.
2. Ramp up your exercise routine
People often regret the comfort food of winter and feel blue about it through the spring and into the summer. Don't let that be you. Think spring into fitness. Step up your exercise routine. Add more time or more intensity to your exercise plans. Try a new workout for this new season. Do a hard push into a new routine. Get yourself hooked on exercising more frequently, before you overthink your plans. Come summer, you'll be smiling at your progress.
3. Sign up for a race
Spring is the time when races are everywhere you look. Check your local newspaper for a 5k or other race you can join.
4. Get active as a family
Involve your kids with house work, yard work and gardening, but put your whole body into it. Be vigorous about it and use all of your muscle groups. Want to shake up your family activity? Plan a fitness vacation. There are tons of great vacations that are more active than the traditional sit-on-the-beach vacation. Sign up for walking tours, rafting trips or zip-lining adventures. Walk around your favorite city or discover a new one. The opportunities are endless.
5. Go old school
Be creative and get the whole family moving. What are some old favorite activities to do outside? Break out those jump ropes, hula hoops and basketballs. Try to think of it as active family play time instead of workout time.
6. Find a path
Whether it’s a track, trail or walking path, grab your pair of gym shoes and head out with your whole family. You can take a penny hike, where you flip a coin at each corner to determine which direction you'll head. Kids love finding out the mystery of which way you will go.
7. Move more
To be healthy and full of vitality this spring, move more throughout the day. Stand up more. Walk instead of taking the car. Grab your bike and go. Take the stairs. Stretch. Aim to sit less, and find creative ways to get more movement into your days.
8. Take your workout with you
Remember with a membership to Beachbody on Demand, you can stream any workout, anytime, anywhere! Take your phone or tablet outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air.
I hope you will greet spring with a new perspective on your activity level. What you put out comes back to you, so extend some energy into these ideas and enjoy the energy increase you will feel! Happy spring!
|
|
|
 Have You Grabbed the Greatest Deal in Fitness?!
The Annual All-Access Beachbody on Demand and Shakeology Challenge Pack bundle is the best deal around, and now it's permanently available for the great price of $199!
This Challenge Pack bundle is the TOTAL SOLUTION: Fitness + Nutrition + Coach Support, so you can maximize your results while you stream your ideal workout anytime, anywhere!
What's included with this Challenge Pack bundle?
- A 30-day supply of Shakeology delivered on Home Direct
- Access to every program on Beachbody On Demand for an entire year, including all of our premium programs like 21 Day Fix, CORE DE FORCE and Country Heat. Plus exclusive access to ALL new programs that launch during your 12-month membership!
- The Portion Fix system, our revolutionary container system that makes portion control simple.
- 10% off all Team Beachbody purchases during the year
It's everything you need for a full year of healthy results. This is FULL ACCESS to over $6,000 worth of workouts for $199 for the entire year with no monthly fee! You also get me as your coach to help make sure you are getting the results that you want. Stream your workout anytime and anywhere - from your home, to a hotel room, to outside in the spring sunshine! You really can't beat this level of super-trainer workouts, flexibility and value. |
|
|
New on Beachbody on Demand: Yoga Workouts to Pair with the Ultimate Reset
Three gentle workou ts designed to complement the three phases of Beachbody's Ultimate Reset program are now available for FREE in the B.O.D. Yoga Studio. Click here to check them out, and message me if you need a subscription to Beachbody on Demand.
 Try the Ultimate Reset to Tune Up Your Body from the Inside Out!
If you're feeling tired and sluggish, give yourself a comprehensive inner-body tune-up. In just 21 days, the Ultimate Reset can help you gently restore your body to its optimal "factory settings," to help you feel energized, enjoy better digestion, lose weight, and reclaim your overall health
The Beachbody Ultimate Reset includes six essential supplements that are uniquely formulated to help support your body. You'll eat three healthy, filling meals every day, while the supplements work together gradually to gently shift your body's internal settings. This picture is an example of a day of meals on the Reset.
Try the Ultimate Reset to experience improved energy, lose weight, and get back on track to better health in just 21 days!
|
|
|
 Spinach and Berry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Topped with fresh berries, and dressed with a tangy homemade vinaigrette, this salad is a winner! Yield: 4 servings
8 cups fresh baby spinach
1 medium orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup slivered almonds
8 Tbsp. Strawberry Vinaigrette
1. Combine spinach, bell pepper, blueberries, strawberries, and almonds in a large serving bowl; toss gently to blend.
2. Drizzle salad evenly with Strawberry Vinaigrette; toss gently to blend.
3. Serve immediately.
 Strawberry Vinaigrette
This sweet vinaigrette made with fresh strawberries will add gourmet flair to your salads. It can also be made with unsweetened thawed frozen strawberries.
Yield: 4 servings
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ tsp. sea salt (I only use pink Himalayan salt for cooking)
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1⅓ cups sliced fresh strawberries
Place vinegar, oil, honey, salt, pepper, and strawberries in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth. |
|
|
 Fresh Start Smoothie
Whether you find it challenging to eat your veggies, or you love them so much that you want veggies with every meal, adding them to this Shakeology smoothie is a perfect way to sneak in an extra serving and get a healthy start to your day. We blended a whole cup of kale into this high-fiber green smoothie, but you can substitute spinach or any other green you like. The mellow creaminess of coconut and banana and the zing of freshly grated lime zest and chopped fresh ginger mask any vegetable flavor.
Vanilla Shakeology lets the flavors of the other ingredients shine, while adding just the right amount of sweetness, but this smoothie also works well with Chocolate and Greenberry Shakeology.
1 cup coconut water
1 cup ice
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
1 cup chopped kale
¼ large banana, cut into chunks
1 tsp. finely chopped lime peel (lime zest)
1 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh ginger
Place coconut water, ice, Shakeology, kale, banana, lime peel, and ginger in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. |
|
|
|
|
Have you ever wanted to change a life? Contact me for information on becoming a Beachbody Coach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
