Workout Wednesday

Can I just tell you how sore I am? Muscle awareness BIG time. This Freelectics Aphrodite workout is totally cool. I am really enjoying it. So happy for those that have joined me, it's so cool having access to all your times and being able to connect with all the Free Athletes out in the world wide web.

For those that want to grab their free Aphrodite guide please register with Freeletics. Make sure you keep tagging your pictures to #ffs_fitness for our challenge this week.

Yoga tree pose wearing Electric Yoga top from Stylerunner and Onzie leggings

Today is a day of rest. So I got into my yoga gear (don't forget to include your ffs_friends 10% discount code when shopping with Onzie) and attempted a tree pose. I purposely do it over our pool to concentrate on my balance and to challenge me. I especially enjoy the look out as I try to get a little "me time" during the school holidays in Australia. 

I also announced our $100 Stylerunner gift box on Instagram today. So a huge congratulations to Robyn Sharpe for all your pictures and for participating in our #ffs_style challenge last week. Your gift pack will be coming your way and I look forward to seeing more of your pics in your Stylerunner gear!!!

Did you manage a work out or is it a rest day for you as well today?

Happy Wednesday! 

xxDani

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Yoga Challenge with Grow Soul Beautiful - June 2013

Welcome to the June Yoga Instagram Challenge. I am so happy to be partnering with Grow Soul Beautiful as I did their challenge back in October 2012 and simply adore Yoga!

For your chance to win a Yoga Bible book and $10 iTunes gift card please leave a comment below with the way Yoga makes you feel. 

How you can join:

• Follow @GrowSoulBeautiful on Instagram -  They will be posting a daily reminder photo of each pose on Instagram as well as all the photos on Facebook.
• Save the graphic above to your phone or computer for easy access- Grab a quick photo with your phone or right-click on the photo to save to your computer
• Each day, snap a photo of yourself in the asana - Use an app with a timer to make it a self-portrait or grab a buddy to double the fun
• Tag them in your caption!  Tag @GrowSoulBeautiful and add the hashtag #YogaADay
• Connect with others- search for the #YogaaDay hashtag to find others having fun with yoga photography
• This year, they are adding their #YearOfYoga poses to their Instagram challenges! To learn more about Year of Yoga, go here.

Close ups of the daily challenge graphics are posted here so you can plan ahead.

Proudly sponsored by 1stAvailable.com

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Day 10 - no added sugar challenge

Did someone just say 10? WOWZA! Well done everyone, what a superb team we are. I am so happy to read all your comments and glad we have each other for support. Another 4 days to go!! We can do this!!!

Today was a fun filled day with the kids and Adrian. We try to do as many kids activities together as a family over the weekend as during the week we are pretty time poor as it gets late in the evening when Adrian arrives home and it's time for the kids bed routine.

Another sun shining day and I took this picture to showcase how I utilise my time whilst supervising and having fun with the kids, along with blogging and working on my weekly planner.

Today was my day of rest but managed to do a little practise with my headstand (you may remember my handstand pose last month). I am really loving my yoga stretches pre and post workouts. I do want to take it to the next level and actually go to a class. Until then I practise and self teach myself at home.....

Headstand (Shirshasana) yoga pose

Headstand (Shirshasana) is often referred to as the king of all yoga poses. Here are some reasons why headstand should be practiced everyday. 

1. Improved circulation occurs with a headstand practice. Because the heart constantly has to pump blood upward to the brain, the headstand gives the heart a rest and reduces unnecessary strain. In addition, while in headstand de-oxygenated blood is able to flow more easily from the extremities to the heart.

2. A headstand simulates a “face lift” by letting your skin hang in the opposite direction (which is always a good thing!) By reversing the flow of gravity, the inverted position of a headstand also flushes fresh nutrients and oxygen to the face, creating a glowing effect on the skin. We all love beautiful fresh and youthful looking skin :-)

3. Some yogis say that it will even convert grey hair back to its natural color! So I'm doing these every day since I have no colour pigmentation in my hair! Headstands increase nutrients and blood flow to the scalp, decreasing onset of grey hair.

4. Increases your sexual hormones, so you can expect better sex with a consistent headstand practice. Headstands stimulate and provide refreshed blood to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. These glands are vital to our wellbeing, and are considered the master glands that regulate all other glands in the body (thyroid, pineal, and adrenals). 

5. When the adrenal glands are flushed and detoxified with headstands, we create more positive thought. Depression will decrease, as going upside down will almost always put a smile on your face. 

6. Once you have perfected these you can do a headstand at the next party you attend. Your friends will be extremely impressed!

7. Strengthen deep core muscles. To hold a straight headstand for an extended period of time, the practitioner must engage the obliques, the rectus abdominus and the transverse abdominus. To really engage and strengthen the core, pike the legs by lifting and/or lowering both legs at the same time when coming in and out of the pose.

 

Please ensure you learn a headstand from a qualified teacher, these should be avoided if you have neck injuries, extremely high blood pressure, ear and eye problems, if you are menstruating, or have acid reflux.

Our food today;

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs with bacon, feta and spinach

Clean eating scrambled eggs

Ingredients:

8 eggs (serves 6 people)

5 slices of rindless bacon

1/2 cup of feta cubes

splash of milk

minced garlic

spinach leaves to serve

Method:

Cook bacon with garlic until golden. In the meantime whisk eggs, add milk, feta in a bowl and pour into frypan on a gentle heat. Swirl and stir until cooked to your liking. We served ours on a bed of spinach and sundried tomato pesto. Real quick, kids had a second serve.

Morning snack

180 Nutrition chocolate protein drink

1 banana

1/2 cup berries

250ml milk

NB: please take up the exclusive 10% offer when ordering your next 180 Nutrition protein powder and bars. Simply quote promo code 264464 at checkout.

Lunch

Chickpea and 3 mix bean vegetable salad

Afternoon snack

Corn thins with laughing cow cheese

Vegetable sticks and cherry tomatoes 

Dinner

Prawn salad with tartar sauce

Clean eating tartar sauce with prawns

Tartar sauce

1/3 cup of plain yogurt

1-2 tbsp of dijon mustard

3 diced baby pickles 

5-6 diced capers

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of lemon juice

Mix all these together and enjoy a guilt free dipping sauce!

Dessert

Watermelon with ricotta cheese

I hope you had a sensational weekend and are looking forward to finishing off strong this week with the no added sugar challenge. Have you found the Sarah Wilson I QUIT SUGAR ebook helpful, do you think you will kick the habit after 14 days as well? Let's see how we go. I would like to try and perhaps incorporate some indulgences throughout our week so we don't go out and binge. But hey! That's just me.  

Any plans for Valentines Day?

♥ Dani 

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Home made pizza's and Chefs Toolbox sensation

How was your week?

We had a great one as it just flew..............it's now the weekend!!! YIPPEE!!!!

Not much happening our end, having said that Oscar's 5th birthday is coming up so I am prepping for that. It falls on Remembrance Day 11/11 so he's asked for an M&M's cake. Great. Shouldn't be too difficult, I hope!?

WHO LOVES HOME MADE PIZZA's?????

You'll see my new companion that helped achieve this crusty, super tasting pizza!!!!


Breakfast
Pear fruit salad porridge with cinnamon

Remember this post when I attended my first Chefs Toolbox party (with girlfriend Janet) and I fell in love with the cooking style these wonderful products proclaim? Guess who made it's way into our kitchen this week???

Ta da!!!!

This is any cooks best friend, whether you are a busy Mum like me, a novice in the kitchen or someone who likes to challenge themselves with the gourmet. The Chefs Toolbox Como Advanced Sauté pan is the most versatile piece of cookware available on the market!

This beauty can be used on the stove top or in the oven, I've used it for sautéing, baking, stewing, braising and even frying. I can't wait to do a roast in it and one of the slow cooking recipes found on their website.

It also has an extensive 10 year warranty, comprising the latest in non-stick technology, it makes for very healthy cooking with only the smallest amount of oil (if any) required. Now that's what I call value for money. 

Diameter: 28cm

Height: 7.6cm

Length: 40cm

Volume: 4L

Thickness: 5mm base; 5mm sides

Anyways, the reason why I love it so much is pictured below....the first picture is my Jamie Oliver saucepan (which I use to do my stove top porridges every morning). Last week I accidentally didn't stir it for a few minutes and this is what happened to the bottom of the pan. I had to scrub and scrub until all that burnt porridge was removed.....

Picture 2 is the porridge cooking in the CHEFS toolbox ALL BY ITSELF!!! I didn't have to stir it, I just placed the lid on it and went about my normal morning duties. What a life saver!!!

Picture 3 when I scraped all the porridge out and picture number 4 is the effortless washing up I had to do. Now that's my kinda of cookware!!!!



Movement
I have been doing my yoga moves and FYM workouts however have modified them a little for my neck and lower back issues of late. Here are some pics of my yoga moves.....

Morning snack
yogurt with fruit

Lunch
Mixed platter of focaccia bread, dips, crackers, strawberries

We went to a play centre with Oscar's Kinda group today and managed to stay warm and out of the wet and cold day we had today. Disaster! Sunny and warm days last week and now punishing us again with our cold, wet and wintery days.

Afternoon snack
180 Nutrition coconut protein drink smoothie (added a banana)

CHEFS toolbox cont.....

Back to the amazing CHEFS toolbox sautee pan, it's cooked most of our meals this week. Here are our tuna burgers, which I typically shallow fry or oven bake. In this instance, I used the non stick surface power and placed the burgers directly inside the pan and gave them a quick browning, then placed the lid on and they cooked on top of the stove for 10 minutes! Easy peasy lemon squeezey!!!

Tuna Burgers
1 tin of tuna in brine or olive oil (reserve oil to cook burgers)
1 small onion
1 grated carrot
2 garlic cloves
1 cup cooked quinoa (or use rice, breadcrumbs etc...)
1/2 cup mashed potato (or try sweet potato)
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
S&P to taste

Method
Mix all ingredients together and shape into 12 rissoles (you can use flour or breadcrumbs to lightly coat). I typically let them set in the fridge for 30 minutes if not you can cook the rissoles in your preferred oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve with a fresh salad or vegetables.


Dinner
Ham and pineapple home made pizza's

I simply followed my other pizza recipe found here.

Go like Janet's Facebook page and check out Janet's website here and any further info you may need about this amazing product! I love it, so I don't need to sell it you! I've got it and have cooked all of our meals in it this week. Super practical and so easy to clean. I love my Jamie Oliver cookware but I have moved on.....

Have a sensational weekend until we meet again.


Xx Dani

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Fit Yummy Mummy Challenge - Week 6

Hello everyone, I hope you are all travelling beautifully and have had a fabulous week.

I have been blown away with yoga lately. I have never been to a class, sure I have stretched in some kind of yoga movement before but I am really getting into this October Yoga Challenge on Instagram and the kids are loving it too. I would highly recommend those on Instagram to come participate as it's been such a wonderful experience for all of us here. Click on my Instagram + ME link on the right side of this page and check out growsoulbeautiful.

This is called the tree pose and I was fortunate to practise first thing in the morning and late afternoon. I love the fact that our 7 year old, Noah was such a fabulous photographer who suggested I do these poses outside in our backyard!

Workouts
I have done my Fit Yummy Mummy exercises from the Transformation Kit this week in conjunction with these yoga poses as stretches or warms up before my actual workouts. I have still been very slack with increasing my weights so when I was doing my DB swings I knew it wasn't challenging me. So I really need to make these next couple of weeks count if I want to increase more strength and muscle definition. I can't believe week 6 is nearly ending and we only have another 3 weeks until the challenge finishes!!!

For those interested in following me and the workouts, the offer I have on my blog is a 50% discount to the FYM ebook which also includes a 30 day free trial at Clubfym. So click on the links and come check it out!

Breakfast
Strawberry pear porridge

I make this type of porridge most mornings as it's super quick (under 10mins) and I typically have the staple ingredients in the pantry ready to go!

Ingredients
1 can of pears (no added sugar)
10 fresh strawberries slice
oats
cinnamon
vanilla essence
milk

Method
Pour all juices and pears into a saucepan
Add strawberries and oats
Pour milk
Add cinnamon and vanilla essence
Stir frequently and....
Cook until creamy and fluffy

Morning snack
PWOS 180 Nutrition coconut protein drink
Yogurt granola

Here is the fabulous recipe I based my granola bars on the other day. Please note that I just used what was in my pantry here and didn't specifically buy the ingredients to make this granola. I also didn't use any sugar.

The beautiful people at Kamalaya Koh Samui were kind enough to give me the recipe (which they posted on Facebook) to their granola bar. Thankfully YOU HAVE the measurements for those that know I still DO NOT measure anything. I hope you enjoy them!!!

Lunch
Tuna salad

Afternoon snack
Hummus dip with wholemeal crackers, veggie sticks and 2 hard boiled eggs

Dinner
Burgers served with salad, eggs and wholemeal bread

Ingredients
500gms of both beef and pork mince
1 clove of garlic minced (I usually add an onion but I was out!)
grated carrots & celery (or whatever vegetables I have in the fridge)
a handful of fresh parsley and oregano herbs chopped
wholemeal bread soaked in milk
sprinkle of curry powder
2 eggs
S&P


Method
Mix all ingredients into a bowl and shape into burgers. In this case I simply placed them in my casserole dish with a layer of baking paper (parchment paper) even though my dish is a fantastic non stick one, it still helps with the washing up process :-)

Well I do hope you all enjoy the next few days and have a fabulous weekend. I look forward to seeing you again real soon.

Xx Dani

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