Gym Bag Basics

Tired of lugging a suitcase worth of stuff with you to the gym?
Here are my necessities:

Lightweight Bag
Make sure it's big enough to fit everything you need, but also able to fit in a locker. Also, compartments make it easier to keep your items organized!

Combination Lock
Just to be on the safe side, but it's always comforting to know your personal items are secure!

Sugar-free Gum
Chewing gum keeps me focused and on track!

Magazine
Health & Fitness magazines have awesome "how-to's" to try! Read them cover-cover and before you know it you'll already have an hour of cardio down!

Water Bottle 
Hydration is an essential part of your workout. Finish it & fill it up again!

iPod
Constantly keep your workout playlist updated! My #1 motivator at the gym is good music :)

Makeup Kit
Always on the go? Make it easy on yourself and get ready for your next appointment at the gym! Carry a few of your must-haves with you to be prepared and on schedule.

Extra Hair-Ties 

There is NOTHING worse than forgetting a hair-tie! Solution? Keep a whole pack with you to avoid that problem! *The "Ouchless" are less likely to break :)

Shampoo/Body Wash 
I love Philosophy's all in one formulas. They smell amazing and will save you space in your bag!

Flip-Flops
There's nothing better than a sauna visit post-workout. Change out of your sneakers and slip into flip-flops to avoid splinters from the wood :)

Towel/Shammy
These ulta-absorbant towels are great! Swimmers on my High School team used them to soak up water. They are extremely durable and machine washable.

Snack
Re-fuel after your intense workout with something easy and transportable! Especially for "always-on-the-go" types, keep your energy level up with packing nourishing items.







Hope these things amp up your next gym visit! :)
-Brooke L

100% Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

Having a hard time thinking up new healthy dinner options? Try this! It's fast, easy, and delicious! It'll definitely be your new favorite thing to make :)


Start with: 
Pre-made 100% whole wheat dough for your base
Low moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Non-stick cooking spray
Your favorite veggies (I used: red onions, yellow peppers, baby spinach, shredded carrots, tomato slices, artichoke heart layers)

First, gather all of your ingredients on a clean surface with plenty of space to work.

Then take note of any veggies that need to be dried, and simply press gently 

with paper-towels to absorb any excess moisture.

Take your 100% whole wheat dough and drizzle with olive oil, 

and then spread with minced garlic. Be sure to leave enough room around 

the edges for a crust.

Now cover the surface where you put the oil and garlic with the low moisture 

part-skim mozzarella cheese.

Strategically place your assorted veggies over the cheese. Remember 

not to create too many layers, because it will make it harder to cook. (Look at all those colors!)

Make sure your oven is pre-heated to 400 degrees. 

Carefully place your pizza on a non-stick pan that has been lightly-coated 

with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and remove.

Create another thin layer of cheese to cover the veggies, 

and put back in the oven until melted.

Let cool for 5 minutes. 

Use sharpened pizza-cutter and divide in slices, plate, and serve. Voila! 

Hope you enjoy! :)

-Brooke L

Healthy Essentials

Need a go-to list for your next grocery shopping trip? 

Try these staple items:

Winter Blues: Your Workout's Biggest Buzzkill

Finding it hard to stay motivated this winter?
Seeing as we're in the midst of a blizzard with a predicted 18+ inches getting your daily workout in can seem like the least appealing thing to do. Here's my top 5 ways to get your butt to the gym!

1. Update your playlist!
Find songs proven to pump you up! New music keeps your workout routine from getting dull, and will hopefully prevent you from cutting it short.

2. Buy some new workout clothes
For me, this is the ultimate motivator! I love Under Armour Women's performance collection. I get excited to get dressed for the gym when I have a cute new outfit-- it also makes you want to stay looking good in it!

3. Schedule it into your day
Treat your workout the same as any other appointment you have to keep! You wouldn't cancel a meeting for work, so why cancel your meeting with the treadmill?

4. Go with a Purpose
Have a plan before you arrive, so you don't walk around aimlessly. Instead, know what your workout will consist of, so you'll know how much time to allow yourself. Why not try something new? Changing things up always helps to prevent boredom.

5. Guilt-Free your lifestyle
Life can't be all work and no play! Make your indulgences guilt-free by making your fitness a priority! This way you can establish a sense of balance, and not feel pressured to skip certain things (within moderation).

A few of my favorite things for 1/8

Hi everyone! 
Sorry I've been so busy with my winter courses that I haven't had time to post in a few days. I thought I'd just make a little list of some of my favorite things :)

Nike Women's Air-Max Trainers
These are my favorite sneakers ever! They're absolutely amazing to workout with, and are much cuter than other brand's training shoes- don't you think?








Women's Health Magazine
This magazine is absolutely amazing! I'm always anticipating their next month's issue. It has the best articles and information. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!

FUZE
What could be better? A post workout drink that actually tastes good and has ingredients proven to "slenderize" you? Too good to be true :) The tropical punch has 0g of sugar!

Toning Ball
This is one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment you can get. It's lightweight, but has dramatic effects on your body! You can use it while toning your abs, arms, or obliques.






-Brooke L

Easy Tips!

Hi guys! Just thought I'd share with you some easy tips to follow in order to achieve your desired HeaLthNut lifestyle :)

-Chew sugar-free peppermint gum or brush your teeth when you first develop a craving.

-Use smaller plates to help regulate how much food you're having- stick to saucer size for your main dishes & only put servings that will fit in the space allowed.

-Until you're able to eyeball correct portion sizes use measuring cups.

-Lots of H2O! This does wonders for your complexion as well as waistline ;)

-Eat small frequent healthy meals around 3-4 hour time spans, otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and actually stores fat!

-Don't limit your workout to just the gym! Try doing crunches while watching TV (do them on the commercials until your program comes back on).

-Have a goal! Whether it's toning up to wear a bikini or fitting in a pair of jeans, keep your motivation level high to get better results!

Hope these help! :)

-Brooke L

Sample Dishes for 12/3

Hi guys! I told you I'd upload some pictures of what my diet consists of on a typical day :)

I try to eat 6 times a day with small healthy foods
(even if I'm out running errands for the day I make sure to pack little plastic baggies with apple slices, almonds, baby carrots, etc). This maintains my energy level and keeps my metabolism up throughout the day, as opposed to eating three larger meals.

Remember to keep hydrated!
I drink so much more water when I have the Crystal Light packs that I can add to water bottles. I'm also a Green Tea addict (make sure it's diet so you're not consuming added sugar!).

After my breakfast of cereal & fruit:
   I had one medium sized Gala Apple cut into slices with a handful of Natural Almonds (non-salted)
 

Then a couple hours later for lunch:

I had a Strawberry Light&Fit yogurt and a Pink Grapefruit

Post workout: Veggie& Hummus plate-
Celery, Baby Carrots, Pico de Gallo, Classic Hummus, Organic Blue Corn Chips (non-salted)

Dinner: Salad- 
Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Yellow&Red Bell Peppers, Oinions, Cucumbers, with Italian Spritzer Dressing (1 calorie per spray!)






A few hours before bed I had a small apple cut into slices with a tbs of natural peanut butter.. my favorite :)

-Brooke L

Kicking off the 1st Monday of 2011!

Can't even believe 2010 has already come and gone!
Quite possibly the fastest year ever, but I'd also like to think the best. Now I have a new mission: to make 2011 even better than the last! I gave myself a couple days to regroup after NYE, but starting this morning (bright & early @7:00am) was my Rise&Grind schedule.



This morning I started my day with:
-1 cup of Multigrain Cheerios with sliced Green Grapes, Banana, and Skim
-Glass of Diet Green Tea with Lemon
                                                              

Don't forget about vitamins! I've had great luck with Centrum Chewables.
During the winter months when my immune system is lower, I also take Spring Valley's Brand of Vitamin C and Super B-Complex.

I'm going to do some work at home until this afternoon when I'll get my workout in. Usually I love nothing more than to wake up early and get my gym session out of the way for the day, but part of my 2011 resolution is maintaining balance and trying to be more flexible (physically as well!).

Today's workout will include:
50 minutes of Cardio broken up into five segments
-10 min on Treadmill 6.5- 8.0 level on a 0% incline
-10 min on Ellyptical (5 min forward then 5 min backward) with maintaining level 4
-10 min on Stationary Bike on level 4
-10 min on StairMaster (5 min on level 10 then 5 min on level 12)
-10 min on Treadmill with 13.5% incline at level 4.5 then moving up to 15% incline last 2 minutes

200 Crunches at an incline (alternating side to side)
200 Standing Leg Lifts (100 each leg)

Strength Training
Seated Leg Press: 55 lbs- 6 sets of 25 reps
Leg Extension: 15 lbs 4 sets of 20
Leg Curl: 15 lbs 4 sets of 20

Toning Ball:
Side bends- 4 sets of 100 reps (2 on each side)

Hope everyone has a great morning!
Remember to have a positive attitude & it'll project throughout your day :)
I'll try to post more later!

-Brooke L