Free Workout: Shoulders

Shoulders are the easiest muscle to develop because they are small muscle group. As your shoulder muscles become more pronounce, it gives your waist the illusion of being smaller than what it is. Plus, a good set up developed shoulders also helps to lift heavier during chest exercises.  

Image Credits: www.building-muscle101.com

Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 sets - 4 sets

• Lean Out: 12 - 15 reps
• Muscle Mass: 6 - 10 reps

Alternating Dumbbell Upright Rows

Image Credits: www.womenshealthmag.com

Reverse Dumbbell Fly

Chicken Scaloppine With Pecans And Onions

Chicken Scaloppine With Pecans And Onions

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray bottle
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 chicken (or turkey) cutlets (about 3-4 oz each)
1 package of brown gravy (made as dictated on package)
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1 med. onion, sliced



Directions:
Step 1: Heat a medium size skillet on medium-high heat. With your olive oil spray bottle, add some oil to the skillet. Add the garlic to the skillet and saute for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add the chicken and cook each side for 5 minutes. Set the chicken to the side and saute the onions for 2 minutes. Next, add the pecans and the prepared brown gravy. Place the chicken back into the skillet and cook each side for 7-10 minutes on each side on low-medium heat.

Nutrition Facts Chicken Scaloppine With Pecans And Onions Serving Size 5 oz. Amount Per Serving Calories 206.76 Calories from Fat  140 % Daily Value Total Fat 15.52g 24%    Saturated Fat 1.65g 8%    Trans Fat 0g   Cholesterol 11.46mg 4% Sodium 59.46mg  2% Total Carbohydrate 7.6g 3%    Dietary Fiber 1.63g 7%    Sugars 0.83g   Protein 9.16g  18% Vitamin A (IU) 10.32 0% Vitamin C 0.44mg 1% Calcium 20.58mg 2% Iron 0.87mg 5%

Shoulders: Dumbbell Upright Rows

Dumbbell Upright Rows

Directions:
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and grasp a dumbbell in each hand and hang the dumbbells down in front of your thighs with the palms of your hands facing in toward your body. Concurrently raise the dumbbells up to just under your chin. You will do this by picking your elbows up and out. Hold for a one second at the top if the movement and then return to the start position and repeat.

4 Really Bad Things About Fast Food

I just read an article on Yahoo Health by David Zincenko, author of Eat This, Not That. This article is about the the nasty stuff your beloved fast-food item are made up of. I knew the Chicken McNugget was made up of things other than chicken, but I really had no idea. Check out the article for yourself. Click here.

I have browsed over Zincenko's book, it is pretty helpful. It teaches you how to choose the right options if you really have to eat at any fast-food or chain restaurant. He also has similar books for kids, the supermarket, best and worst foods in America, restaurant survival guide, and for 2010. The links are provided. These books are a must for you all that are trying to learn how to eat right, but still enjoy the spoils of dining out and name brand products.

Want A Natural Way To Detox? Eat These 10 Awesome Foods!

Image Credits: www.planetearthdiversified.com

Watercress

• It is a natural diuretic
• Cleans the colon
• Energizes cleansing enzymes in your liver and relieves hangovers (1 large bag)
• Keeps free radicals far away from you cells
• Improves the function of the thyroid gland

Image Credits: www.mealsonwheelspeople.org

Dark Leafy Greens                                             

• It helps to rid your body of environmental toxins (herbicides and smog)
• Stabilizes your bodys acid/base balance 
• It helps raise chlorophyll levels in digestive tract 

Image Credits: www.paleospirit.com

Cabbage

• It is a good liver cleanser
• Eliminates harmful toxins and hormones
• Cleanses the digestive system and mucus membranes

Image Credits: www.phbodybalance.com

Lemon Water                                             

• Lemons have vitamin C which detoxes and burns fat               
• Alkalizes the body and helps with digestion
• Prevents heartburn
• Cleanses your urinary tract
• Flushes out impurities and harmful organism

Image Credits: www.fooddlve.com

Fresh Fruit

• Has vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber
• Cleanses your system of harmful toxins
• Cleanses instestinal wall

Image Credits: www.loghouseplants.com

Beets                                                                  

• Contains high fiber in which boosts production of antioxidant enzymes in the liver. 
• This helps the liver and gallbladder dispose of bile and other toxic substances
• Effective against battling acidosis
• Normalizes blood pressure
• Relieves constipation
• Reduces Gout

Artichokes

• Promotes healthy gallbladder and liver functions
• Contains cynarin = boosts bile production, stimulates digestion, and prevents indigestion
• Anti-bacterial and anti-toxic
• Increases blood flow and oxygen to the liver
• Helps balance hormones

Image Credits: www.healthline.com

Whole Grains                      

• They are full of nutrients, high insoluble fiber, and antioxidants for regulation
• Fiber binds to toxins and excretes them.                                                                     

Image Credits: www.daniellachace.com

Ginger and Garlic

• They get rid of free radicals your body
• They are natural blood thinners (safer than using aspirin)
• Garlic
• Reduces oxidation of blood cholesterol
• Reduces build up of plaque in arteries
• Rids body of blood toxins
• Ginger
• Reduces heartburn, indigestion, naseau and vomiting
• Reduces gout, osteoarthritis, rheumatiod arthritis
• Reduces morning sickeness

Image Credits: www.noliesradio.org

Green Tea                                                                            

• High in catechins (flavonoid), green tea speeds up liver activity and increases production of detoxification enzymes

My Progress: Slideshow

Here is a slide show I made of my progress since the beginning.

This is what I used to look like before I started workout seriously. Top pictures were taken of me by my husband in Febuary 2005 when we went to South Padre Island. The second and third level pictures were taken Febuary 2010. I did not start working out seriously until Febuary 2009 when I re-joined a gym.

All it takes is dedication and education to a healthy lifestyle. Remember, take baby steps so that you do not get overwhelmed

My Garden!

Marigold

Here some pictures of my garden as of January 31, 2010. Above is my marigold. Can not wait until it blooms!

Fuji Apple Seedlings

These are my Fuji apple seedlings. It is funny how I got them. When you start reading gardening books, they warn you to take out all the seeds out of fruits or veggies you are going to put in the compost. Well, I did not pull out the apple seeds. So, out of the many that have sprung up in my garden, I decided to keep three and see how they grow. To avoid unwanted seedlings, make sure to take out the seeds!

Broccoli

These are two broccoli plants I have in my raised garden. One of them have a flower head already coming out. Below is my compost.

Flower Head of Broccoli

I am so excited, this is my first broccoli flower head. Making a journal really made the difference in my gardening. In addition, reading the All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! book and other gardening books.

Here is my compost. Every since I read the All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! I found out that I had been doing my compost wrong all along. So, I took it out of the container I had it in and now turn it in a corner of a fence. I turn it every day to have it ready in two weeks.

Cauliflower

Also in the raised garden, I have two cauliflower plants. They have not yet sprouted a flower head, but I will make sure to take a lot of pictures of the progress in my garden.

Garlic

These garlic plants will be done once the leaves turn yellow.

Cabbage

Thyme

My progress

Here is some more pictures of my own progress. My husband made me flex, lol. I have already gotten to the point that I can not drink sodas anymore. It is not because of the high calories. It is because the amount of sugar in the sodas make me feel sick and dizzy after two gulps. One of my in-laws asked me if I wanted a soda and I politely declined and asked for water. However, she got offended ( I do not know why? ) and gave me the soda anyways. I drank two gulps, felt my stomach turn, and felt whoosy. I told her I am not trying to be rude, I really can not stand this stuff, lol. Here is the back shot below:

All I drink is coffee ( black ), tea ( black, green, and white ), and water. I eat chicken, pork, and fish weekly. I eat red meat only twice a week. Once you start understanding the way exercise, eating clean, supplements, and nutrients work together, it will become second - nature. Just take baby steps and educate yourself!

My Garden!

    This is my semi - homemade greenhouse. I bought the shelves at Wal-Mart for about $20 and just simply wrapped it with left over plastic I had from plastic bags and some tape to secure it.

    I am experimenting with starting seedlings in regular potting soil or in vermiculite. So far, I planted cabbage, leeks, nicotiana, calendula, crooked neck yellow squash, and Texas yellow grano onion in the vermiculite. The cabbage and the onions sprouted in just 5 days. The leeks and squash took about 8 days.

    I planted some dill, banana and jalapeno peppers in potting soil on January 6th. Only 1 dill seedling has sprouted and it took 2 weeks. I am still waiting for the rest to sprout. I got the vermiculite idea from the "All New Square Foot Gardening," by: Mel Bartholomew.

    This is a picture of the second shelf containing the squash, avocado, cabbage, and oregano seedlings.
The oregano seedling was actually found growing next to my only dill sprout. I think it was a seed that did not sprout last growing season.

    To make more room for my plants, I decided to make an earth box. I found directions on the internet. If you have power tools, this can be an easy weekend task to take up. I made mine out of a storage box, yogurt containers, plastic ties. The tools I used were a hand power saw, hand saw, a drill, and a vise. This is what it looks like below.

    According to the directions, you need to use potting mix and not potting soil. I made the mistake of putting potting soil in the earth box yesterday. So, I will just shovel it out and put in the recommended mix. The potting mix itself was somewhat expensive. 2 1 cubic foot bags were about $7.00 each. It is a mixture of peat moss, compost, perlite, and dolomite. The instructions provide a mix you can make for yourself in the question and answer part. I am thinking about planting some All Star strawberry plants in my earth box. I should be able to grow 10 of them in this self-watering container.

I will make sure to talk about my garden at least once a week. I have also made a journal for my garden this season and it is making a difference. If you do not want to make you own earth box, you can just click on the links below. Every thing just takes time and patience!

Square Foot Gardening by: Mel Bartholomew

   I have had a green thumb every since I was a child, but just with ornamental plants. Then, I moved on to growing herbs. Those required some attention, but it was until I tried my hand at vegetables, I really began to understand I needed to educate myself in gardening techniques.

   I had heard of Square Foot Gardening techniques from the Garden Girl, Patti Moreno ( bottom right ). From her website, I learned how to make my raised garden, but it was until I had finally bought Mr. Bartholomew's book began to understand my mistakes.

    The "All New Square Foot Gardening," book helped me with my composting, separating plants, spacing plants, starting seedlings in vermiculite, and mixing the perfect soil for gardening. I had tried to grow vegetables for 2 seasons with little success.  I am very exited to see what differences in production I will see with these new techniques. 

    Mel Bartholomew's book is very readable and easy. It will not bore you out. It is actually very interesting and I really enjoyed reading this book. It only took me about 12 days to go through it.  

If you want to get into gardening, this is book can teach you the easy way to make it happen without a lot of hard, back breaking work! I highly recommend it, click on the link below!

by Mr. Mel Bartholomew (Author) All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! (Paperback)

Free Workout: Biceps

Training your arms not only gets them nice and toned to show off in your favorite top, but it also helps gives you strength to train your parts of your body such has chest, back, and legs. In addition, having strong biceps helps with daily tasks, for example: lifting grocery bags, furniture, and kids!

Barbell Curls

• 3 - 4 sets
• 8 -12 reps for Muscle Building
• 15 -20 reps for Leaning Out

Alternating Hammer Curls

Alternating Dumbbell Curls