fitness – Page 3 – Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Happy Monday! I wanted to share my favorite anti-inflammatory green smoothie recipe that leaves me feeling detoxed, replenished, and energized; what better way to start your week?!

What I love most about this smoothie is that it does not deprive you of any nutrients or calories; it is a complete meal with both protein and healthy fats to keep you full and feeling great. The recipe calls for turmeric, a spice which contains a compound called, curcumin, which is the most powerful anti-inflammatory compound in the world! Studies have shown that turmeric has properties for fighting all sorts of medical issues even better than some prescription drugs. Adding turmeric into your diet is easy to do and a huge win!

greensmoothie_2

Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Ingredients :
2-3 handfuls of kale/spinach
1 cup of almond milk
1 banana
1/2 cup mango
1/2 avocado (optional)*
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp maca powder (optional)*
Protein choices:
1-2 scoops of all natural plant protein powder (recommend vanilla/vanilla chai flavor)
2-3 tbs of hemp seeds, flax seeds or chia seeds (or a combination of two)

*two optional ingredients that have GREAT health benefits:
Avocado: is a great addition to your morning smoothie because of its nutrients and healthy fat content. Dr Lipman suggests having 1/2 avocado daily with breakfast for sustained energy and fullness. It adds an amazing creamy texture to your smoothie as well!
Maca Powder: is a great superfood that is known to boost energy, libido, improve skin & hair and even balance hormones. It adds a great strong flavor that compliments the ginger and turmeric as well.

Directions:

Fill up your blender with all of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
Portion into a glass and enjoy! 🙂

Btone Fitness Row Class

Last weekend I finally pushed myself to go try the relatively new row class now offered at some of the Btone Fitness locations. I had been putting this class off because I thought I wouldn’t enjoy a full class dedicated to rowing, but I was wrong. The class itself is only 45 minutes so it flies by; plus the instructor designs the class so that you hop on and off the rower to allow for some strength training on the side!

The class format is somewhat HIIT inspired on the rower; lots of short sprints or pyramid style timed rowing (i.e. row for 2 minutes, break, row for 4 minutes, break, row for 8 minutes, break then go back down to 4, 2, etc.). The class is individual in nature but is empowering to do in a group with high energy! The workout is low impact and great for those who are looking to get a good cardio workout with lots of muscle building and toning at the same time!

I highly recommend checking this class out! It is offered at multiple Btone studios in and outside of the Boston area; check out their site here: http://www.btonefitness.com/

4 Easy Accountability Ideas to Get Back on Track

Have you already gone astray from those healthy new years resolutions?

Here are four easy ways to get back on track:

Food Journal – sometimes having to actually write down what you ate might provide you some more clarity on the decisions you make and even give you some will power to avoid certain foods.
Workout Calendar – plan your workouts in advance as if they were important dates or appointments, this will make you more less likely to cancel.
Friendly Support – get your friends and family on board! Inform them of your healthy changes and encourage them to join in on the fun; schedule workouts with them or plan to make a healthy meal or share a good recipe.
Prioritize Meal Prep – take a few hours out of your Sunday afternoon to cook some healthy foods that you can easily grab throughout the week. This helps to prevent you from making spur of the moment bad decisions when you are in a rush.

BEETS & all their benefits (+ a recipe)

Beets are not only delicious but also one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Beets come in two different colors; red and yellow. Each color has a slightly different flavor (the yellow is milder). Beets can be cooked and served in so many ways, making it super easy to incorporate into your diet. Here are just some of the MANY health benefits of beets,

HIGH in many Vitamins & Minerals including, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber, vitamins A, B & C, beta – carotene and folic acid, just to name a few! The high amount of vitamins and minerals in beets helps reduce cholesterol, promote skin health, and can help to treat indigestion, constipation and anemia.
- Note: Beets are extremely beneficial to women who are pregnant since they contain high levels of B Vitamin Folate which helps the development of the child.
Natural CLEANSER & DETOXIFIER! Beets are a natural tonic for the liver, purifier for the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer. Beets contain properties that fight blood clotting and plague formation which could ultimately lead to heart disease, stroke or a pulmonary embolism.
Source of ENERGY. Beets are very low in calories and high in good carbohydrates and natural sugar. This type of sugar releases very slowly (as opposed to the bad sugars), which combined with the carbohydrates, regulates energy levels for longer.

…and now, of course, a recipe to make using beets (which happens to be my all time favorite way to cook them).

Rosemary Roasted Beets
(regular or spiralized)

Ingredients:
Beets
Garlic Powder
Rosemary
Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a baking tray with tin foil and spray with coconut oil or olive oil.
3. Cut beets into small squares and/or wedges and line them up on the baking sheet. You can also spiralize your beets if you have a spiralizer.
4. Drizzle the beets with coconut oil or olive oil and then sprinkle garlic powder, rosemary and sea salt on the top.
5. Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. Serve over greens with crumbled goat cheese and pistachios for an amazing salad or just eat them as is for a perfect side dish 🙂