Post Workout Drink

Everyone who lifts, knows protein is the best thing for your muscles to repair and grow.  This is true, so I always try to have a protein shake with in 30 minutes after my workout. However, July is here, which means hot and steamy, air smothering days.  And although, I have found a new passion for weight lifting, my love is for running, that is where my heart is and always will be.

Week 1 of Marathon training is over. I am officially in marathon training mode. And training in this hot July weather, has made me craving something a little more refreshing then my traditional protein shake. Protein shakes are great ways to refuel, but after a run outside in the heat, my body needs hydration.

Well after flipping through the pages of my favorite cook book, Super Natural Every Day, I found the perfect drink to hydrate me post run.

Cucumber Cooler

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cucumber
  • A couple cucumber peels
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 3 cups of ice
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 lime juiced
  • mint leaves or you can garnish with a cucumber slice or lime wedge.

DIRECTIONS

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender until slushy like consistency.
  • Pour into class and Enjoy!
  • Garnish with mint, cucumber slice, or lime wedge. (Your choice)
  • Store in a pitcher in the refrigerator for up to a day or freeze as popsicles.

Cucumber is a Super food. It is a good source of silica, which helps promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. It is also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. Cucumbers are also 95% water, but always remember to chose ones that are organic because pesticides can be hard to remove from skins.

*This would also be a wonderful drink after Bikram Yoga!

Questions for You…

  1. What is your favorite post workout drink?
  2. How do you hydrate and prepare for the heat?
  3. Do you like cucumber flavored drinks?

© 2013 sweatdaily

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When do you workout? Morning or Night?

Livefit update…

Today, I completed Day 36 of the Livefit trainer. J and I hit the gym in the morning and today we focused mainly on back, although, we squeezed in some leg exercises too. I also got a little bit of cardio in.

Through this new fitness challenge, the Livefit trainer, I am not only seeing a difference in my fitness level, but I am learning a lot about myself.

Do you workout in the morning or at night?

I have definitely realized that by doing the Livefit trainer, I have my best workout sessions, early in the morning before work. It just feels really good waking up early, getting a great work out/run in, and then have my whole day ahead of me free to do whatever…

I find if I don’t get my morning work out/run in, I end up worrying about it the whole day, desperately wondering when I am going to fit it in. I also feel that if I don’t get a chance to lift and then find time to hit the weights at night, I end up being too tired to lift at my fullest potential. However, I can run or do bikram either in the am or pm.

Running or doing birkam in the morning, before work gives me energy for the rest of the day… it must be all of those endorphins, creating my runner’s high. When I run or do bikram at night, I feel like I relieve the stresses from the day. I find myself winding down, feeling relaxed, but refreshed.

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But when I have the choice to choose morning running/bikram or night, I will always choose morning.

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Getting my workouts in, in the morning also gives me the opportunity to do a double if I want to. Sometimes after work, at night, I feel  like it is necessary to blow off some stress, and although, I already worked out, another sweat session is in order.

Well whether, you run…

do yoga…

lift weights…

whether you are an early bird…

or a night owl…

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Questions for YOU?

  1. Do you workout in the morning or at night?
  2. Do you prefer running in the am or pm?

© 2013 sweatdaily

 

Breakthrough NOT Breakdown.

OMG I am so terribly sorry… I hope you can understand…

I HAD to push my writing to the back burner, because of the crazy busy holiday season. But things are starting to slow down a bit so I am going to, as my yoga instructor would put it, breath deeply… slow down, cherish this time… because life will get crazy busy again, before you even have the chance to blink your eye.

And now that I have started to write, I have realized I have so much good knowledge to share with you, but I will break that knowledge up in to a couple different posts, and keep this one short and sweet.

For the last three days I have been, sweating, breathing, detoxifying, stretching, and strengthening my body in Bikram’s torture chamber. That means I have been going to Bikram yoga.

It has been really interesting though, because I have had a different instructor each day. Although, the 26 postures and the 2 breathing techniques are the same,  the classes have been so very different.

Wednesday, 12/26/12, Cameron taught my bikram class. The room was the hottest. The yoga was continuous, holding the poses, resting briefly, and then moving on to the next pose. This made the yoga more cardiovascular.  I had to take a knee for a minute or two, half way through class, but I got up and continued on finishing strong.

Thursday, 12/27/12, Jamie was my instructor. There were tons of newbies in the room. Because of this the class was much more slower moving. It actually ended 15 minutes late. However, Jamie really focussed on form, and corrected several people in the class, including me. He pushed me on Standing Head to Knee/
Dandayamana-Janushirasana. And got me to understand how to do Toe Stand/ Padangustasana.  Also on Locus/ Salabhassana my feet were always pointing out, which he corrected. I though this class was great, because it was a smaller class and the instructor really got to work one on one with us. I have been practicing for five years, and although, I know I am no where near perfect on these poses, when class sizes are two large it is hard for the instructor to catch ever small little incorrect thing. But these small changes make a HUGE difference. I am proof… because today…

I had a breakthrough….

Friday, 12/28/12, I woke up this morning thinking I may skip class, and go running instead. But I received a text from my friend K, and she was excited to go. So I got dressed, grabbed my mat/towel/ice water… and headed over. Shelly was teaching class. The room was pretty packed today, but I felt good and strong, and more flexible than I have been in a very long time.  All the running makes my body so stiff. The warm up poses went well, and then it was time for Standing Head to Knee/Dandayamana-Janushirasana. Breakthrough! Finally after 5 years of practice, I can completely straighten my left leg, and as for my right leg, it is almost there. I know it has taken a very long time but I am not very flexible, so this is big for me. I just continued to kick my leg out. I breathed into the pain and tension and boom I was there. I finished the rest of the class strong. I left totally drenched with sweat.  It felt good pushing my body to its ultimate limit.
Plus I was in great company. Thanks for coming with me, K!

I don’t have any pictures of yoga class today, but I do want to share with you a yoga bag I hand knitted.

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You can find more photos and details on how I made this yoga bag, on Cashmere&Silk.

© 2012 sweatdaily

Blogger Award… this may get personal.

I was nominated for the Liebster Blog, by Katie from the blog, fitness, food and photography. I want to apologize for responding to this post so late, but better late than never. I also want to thank Katie for being so sweet to nominate me.

So here it goes… 11 facts about myself.

1) I try to eat everything organic. I don’t label myself as vegan or vegetarian but I eat meat in moderation.

2) The last two years I have become passionate in growing my own food. Although, I live in the city, the older I get the more I develop a longing to have some sort of farm.

3) I am a knitter. As a child, my mom taught me how to knit, but it wasn’t until last September that I really began to think of knitting as a form of art. Now I have become a “yarn snob,” guilty of having an obsession with high quality yarn. I love natural fibers such as merino wool, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, angora, silk, cotton, and linen. I also have a knitting blog on tumblr. If you are interested in checking out any of my projects you can find them at my tumblr blog,  Cashmere and Silk.

My latest Chunky Knit! Hand knit by me.

4) I am a hairstylist. In many ways, I find knitting and hairstyling similar. Both, satisfies my passion, for texture and color, it allows me to build a shape.

Me doing hair for photo shoots.

5) I was born with copper hair, as I aged it turned blonde. I started coloring my hair when I was 18 and have been every shade of blonde. Two years ago, I changed my platinum pixie hair, to red. And I love it!

6) I am an artist. Charcoal is my favorite medium. I like to draw people.

7) I love to travel. Barcelona is one of my favorite places in the world.

8) I am a marathon runner. I much rather run far, than run fast.

9) I have been practicing Bikram yoga for 5 years.

10) I drink a Chai Latte almost everyday.

11) I have two dogs. Sometimes I think puppies are cuter than babies.

Here are the Questions My Nominee wanted me to Answer:

1)  How much time do you spend Blogging every day?

Oh I don’t know… It is not consistent. 

2)  What is the one song that get stuck in your head all day after you hear it?

I dunno, it changes all the time! I am always trying to discover new music. 

3)  What TV shows are on your DVR right now?

Homeland and Dexter

4)  What is your favorite season and why?

I love Fall. The crisp cool clean air makes running so refreshing and enjoyable. Oh and nothing is better than being wrapped up in a chunky knit. I also love fall flavors, such as Chai and Pumpkin.

5)  What is your favorite brand of jeans?

I would have to say AG, but to be totally honest I live in my black Lululemon leggings. 

6)  Last movie you watched?

I actually watch a ton of movies. Last night I was at a friend’s house, and we watched The Fighter. It is amazing how much weight Christian Bale lost in order to play the role of Dicky- the older brother crack addict. The movie, based on a true story, takes place in Lowell, Massachusetts. This really touches my heart because I have ton of family in Mass and the accents in the movie are amazing. I mean Christian Bale is from Wales, but you would never know. The costumes are really good too.  Immediately you know this movie is set in the late 80s, early 90s, just because of the costumes. But in the end, my favorite part is the relationship the two brothers have, Dicky and Micky. I have two sisters, and I am really close with my family. I could totally relate to this brotherhood bond Dicky and Micky sure. In life, your sister, is the one person, you can be totally honest with, and who will push you to your fullest potential (especially in sports.)

I also love documentaries. The other night, I watched one called The Elephant in the Living Room. This is based on Exotic Animals kept as pets. It makes me sick that people are so selfish to keep Lions or any other exotic animal in a cage when they belong in the wild. 

7)  If you could be any cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I love red hair. I love the water. I love the beach. I was actually her for halloween. 

8)  Name one talent that you wish you had.

I love to Dance, but I wish I could dance at a professional level.

9)  What is your best feature/ favorite body part?

My booty! 

10)  What did you eat for dinner last night?

Indian Food.

11)  Favorite childhood game?

Truth or Dare

These are the blogs I nominate are…

1) Running in Mommyland

2) Sweat Every Day

3) Super Foodie Adventure

4) The Dancing Runner

5) Midlife Makeover blog

6) super generic girl

7) The Barefoot Monologues

8) Knitting Is Awesome 

9) Katie at Fox Flat

10) I heart Vegtables

11) Vedgedout

For those who I nominated you don’t have to answer any questions from me. Just write 11 interesting facts about yourself and then nominate 11 other blogs.  Thank you!

Backbends

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Now that’s a backbend!
This morning I woke up with stiff shoulders and a sore back! Can you remember the last time you did a backbend? Backbends are so healing, and we don’t do enough of them. Make sure you get your backbends in daily. Christy Turlington does her backbends in a dress.

108 beads.

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From an early age I was always drawn to prayer beads. I found them beautiful, and comforting. However, the rosary was the type I was most familiar with. I grew up attending Catholic school, with a rosary always wrapped around my wrist.

My first encounter of Mala beads was in 2008, when I was traveling through, Greece and Turkey, but at the time I had no idea that these strands of beads were Mala beads. However, along with the evil eye and pashminas, the Mala beads were at every street vendor cart.

A year or two later, I began to read the ever so popular book, Eat Pray Love. The author Elizabeth Gilbert, wrote this book in order to find balance and discover her ultimate identity. She wrote the book in the creative form of a strand of Mala beads.

In her introduction she explains everything. The traditional Malas has 108 beads. 108 is the perfect three digit number multiple by three. Adding up to nine, which 3 x 3 = 9. And for anyone who ever studied the Holy Trinity, three is the number representing balance. So therefore, Elizabeth Gilbert told 108 tales divided into 3 sections, Italy, India, and Indonesia. (I highly recommend this book.)

The point of the beads is to keep the attention of the person during prayer. One bead is touched for each Mantra. It helps one stay focussed during meditation. Mala beads have been used for centuries and actually helped inspire the creation of of the Holy Rosary.

Although, I am Catholic, and still have a passion for praying the Rosary, I also love practicing Yoga. I have been practicing Bikram yoga for four years now. Bikram yoga is hatha yoga practiced in a room that is 105 degrees. Yoga for me started out as an intense detoxifying workout.  However, now I also enjoy the restorative spiritual side of yoga as well.

Being Catholic, I have always found the Holy Rosary beautiful, but it is for prayer and not a fashion statement. It actually is sacrilegious to wear around the neck. However, Elizabeth Gilbert, says in her book, that when she traveled through India especially through holy sites or Ashrams she saw a lot of people wearing Mala beads around their necks.  I like the idea of wearing these beads around my neck. I also like the idea of protection and the energy each strand of beads can give, depending on their color or what they are made out of.

With that said, I pray on my Rosary, but I wear my Mala. And I wanted to share with you this company I fell in love with. Last year I discovered, Tiny Devotions, and they make the most beautiful Mala beads.

The founder of Tiny Devotions, Diana Charabin, has an interesting story. She was introduced to Mala beads at her first yoga class.  Soon after she too read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat Pray Love.  After finishing Law School, she had this deep desire to be in Bali, so that is where she went, leaving behind everything in Australia. When she arrived to Bali she participated in yoga teacher training. After she completed her training she found herself longing to be creative. She began to collect the rudraksha seeds of Bali and began to make Mala beads.

Later she headed back to Canada to continue her career in Law. But still wanting to follow her calling to inspire others she decided to yet again leave Law, and start Tiny Devotions, her company where she can make and sell her Mala beads and other yoga inspired jewelry.

One of my favorite parts about Diana’s beautiful Mala beads from Tiny Devotions, is that along with the sacred rudraksha seeds she also includes a crystal stone, or semi precious gems of some sort. This gives each strand of beads a unique personality and an energetic quality.  Watch Diana Charabin tell her Story here.

I own three different strands of Mala beads from Tiny Devotions. Today I wore my Marathon Mala to work.

At work.

Marathon Mala, by Tiny Devotions.

Even some celebrities like Megan Fox, are wearing these beautiful Mala’s.

Photo found on Capricious Yogi.

Bottom line- Tiny Devotions has the most beautiful Mala beads. This company is awesome, beautiful, creative, and inspiring.

© 2012