ALL HAIL KALE

1/4 a cup of oj (I usually freshly squeeze mine, tastes better and is better for you)
1/2 of lime (juiced)

Doesn't it look delicious?! ;-)

** PLEASE NOTE **
RAW Kale can be particularly 'hard' on the digestive system, meaning it can cause bloating or gas if you aren't usually used to it. If you try the smoothie and realise you're feeling a bit bloated, don't be alarmed! Simply swap your raw kale for cooked kale :-)

Be happy, be healthy xx

Kale has become one of those 'superfoods' that has become increasingly popular for health fiends worldwide. I'm always reluctant to try these types of foods as I'm never sure if they really are as super as the critics say, and feel as if is just a label placed on certain products which allows grocers everywhere to raise their prices.

HOWEVER in desperate need of a detox, I did my research and we all really should 'hail kale'...here's why!

• Kale has NO fat 
• Kale is rich in FIBRE (=great for detoxing and keeping your liver happy_
• Kale is full of vitamin A (skin health) v
• Kale has more vitamin C than oranges do (great for immunity and metabolic health)
• Kale has more CALCIUM than milk! - I was jumping out of my skin when I discovered this as I am lactose intolerant 
• Kale is low in calories

Now that you've joined me in my appreciation for this infamous green leafy veggie, I'm going to share my most favourite Kale rich, green smoothie recipe with you all! This recipe is relatively sour for a smoothie as I love myself a bit of zing, but there are many sweeter recipes you can check out if that's what tickles your fancy.

1 tsp of ginger 

1/2 granny smith apple
1 cup of spinach

1 cup of kale

1/2 lemon

Rewind!

I've decided to rewind back to my exercising habits from pre-year 12/the holidays. I'm extremely surprised that I've somehow managed to maintain my appearance with only doing one third of the exercise, but nevertheless, I've made this decision not because of my appearance but because I'm worried of getting sick, feeling run down and having no energy again (exactly how I felt before I started training!) I need that energy boost again!
SO I've decided to make an exercise plan for myself, just to assist in me getting back into it and also making sure my exercise and weight training is balanced, not just impulsive.

Monday - LEGS DAY 
Bike at a high grade/incline - 20 mins
Stepper - 70 steps per minute for 10 minutes
Leg press - 5 sets of 8 (on 100 kg at the moment)


TUESDAY - CARDIO & CHEST DAY Cross trainer - 12 minutes
Bike - 200 cals in 10 minutes
Chest press - 6 sets of 8 (30 kg at the moment - don't laugh :( )
Treadmill at a high incline and medium speed - just to warm down

WEDNESDAY - REST DAY

THURSDAY - TRIS, BIS & BACK DAY (Ideally, I'd like to split this day up a bit more and I definitely will as soon as Nov the 6th hits - last exam)
Cross trainer at a high level - 10 minutes
Triceps pull down - 6 sets of 10 (only 30 kg but I'm getting there!)
Barbell curls (for biceps) - 6 sets of 10 (only 23 kg at the moment, again - getting there!)
Back row - 5 sets of 8 (32 kg)
Treadmill at a high incline and medium speed - just to warm down

CORE TRAINING - all completed at home before bed
Leg raises
Knee up crunches
Plank
SQUATS - also to be completely at home after gym


That's it for now, I'm excited! Starting today...

Be happy, be motivated xxx

Boozin'

I acknowledge that most people viewing my blog are probably young adults (who know me personally) and are going through that stage in life of booze booze booze. Although some people assume I am, I'm not straight edge or anything like that. I do have a drink or four on the rare occasion, but it's important to know that you can still enjoy yourself on the weekend with a couple of friends and drinks without seriously damaging your body and more importantly, without reversing all of your hard work. I'm not saying cut out alcohol because I've always said never cut out the things or love or enjoy completely, I just want to express that there ARE tons of healthier alternatives alcohol wise.

Before I reveal these healthier drinking habits to you...here are some things about alcohol dietary wise that you may not be aware of...

• The calories that come out of alcohol are empty calories. Empty calories mean that they have no nutritional value whatsoever, so have no benefits. (apart from the exception of red wine and it's antioxidants - in moderation of course) 
• When you consume alcohol your body will work hard to get rid of it as it can't store it. This causes all the other processes (such as burning fat and absorbing nutrients) to be interrupted and delayed. 
• Alcohol contains 7 calories a gram which is almost the same as pure fat
• One lolly drink (eg. Cruisers and those other popular pre-mixed drinks) can take up to 4 hours of cardio to burn off 
• One drink of ciber is equivalent to eating one sugary, fat filled donut. 
• Fat gain in those who drink excessively has largely got to do with the poor dietary behaviours that being intoxicated brings...basically it's all the junk that people eat in conjunction with drinking that is a massive reason for weight gain. 
• Alcohol is obviously extremely calorie and energy dense. If you're going to binge, be prepared to work it off and pay for it the next day. Although, no exercise can work of the internal damage excessive consumption of alcohol does to your body.
• Before you go for those sugary, girly, fruity alcoholic drinks...just check the kilojoules on them first. You'll be shocked. Sometimes, I assure you you're probably better of having a meal or two at a fast food place rather than having a night out on lolly drinks. 

IN A LIGHTER NOTE...now for those alternatives I promised.Firstly, I'll tell you a bit about my drinking habits. I already do not drink very often because I don't particularly enjoy it all that much and often find I have a better time in the absence of alcohol. When I do drink, it's probably once every one or two months, and if so it's not very much. At a party, you'll always see me walking around with a bottle of straight vodka. I drink straight vodka because it basically has zero carbs, thus extremely low in calories compared to other choices. I also, surprisingly enjoy it! I usually mix it with lime soda water/plain soda water with a slice of lemon and ice...or if I'm feeling cheeky I'll mix it with some OJ or iced tea. Yes, ice tea is full of sugar but if it's homemade it's far better for you AND still better than most other drinks.

• Other alcoholic drinks that contain zero carbs are your straight gins, rum, scotch, whiskey and tequila.  STRAIGHT is always the way to go if you're training and don't want to consume something high in calories. If you can't stand it though, as said earlier mixing it will soda water or any other low-calorie mixers is the way to go.  They're refreshing and still do the job.
• I have also read in numerous places that some wines are the better calorie friendly choice as they lack cholesterol and fat. I suggest to still steer clear from the fortified, sweet wines if you have intention on binging as they're much higher in calories. 
• LIGHT beers will drop your calorie intake without dropping much flavour as one light beer will typically have 108 calories per serving whereas ale or lager will have up to 216 calories per serving 

ALWAYS REMEMBER, dehydration is a major factor in causing that nasty hangover the day after. Always drink a whole lot of water either during or after drinking as alcohol causes insane dehydration and water retention (causing that blotting look and feel)

I really hoped this helps in one way or another. Be happy, be healthy! xx

I'm back baby!

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, energised and sickness free. I celebrated having fought off a cold that hadn't even arrived yet with rewarding my body with a nutritious and well deserved morning snack filled with vitamins, particularly vitamin C (so the sickness does come back) AND a boxing and skipping session at home which was well overdue.

I grilled and also steamed some fresh veggies (pumpkin and zucchini) accompanied with a bit of feta, 8 almonds, some corn and two cruskits with vegemite. I was so full but to finish it off I had a cup of this new green tea I'm trying with lemon and lemongrass - it's definitely becoming a new favourite.
                                                                           

Well balanced meal and great for you!

I'll get my protein in tonight

Straight after I filled myself with some well deserved energy I went into my garage, put on my ridiculously old boxing gloves and went at the bad for about 15 minutes, which absolutely killed me seeing as I haven't been to the gym in a week! I realised how much I missed boxing, it's honestly one of the best feelings and is the only sport I've been passionate about. Kickboxing also works absolutely everything, core, arms, legs, chest! I'll make a separate post about the benefits of kickboxing within the next week

I also then skipped for about 8 minutes straight at a fairly fast pace to make sure my heart rate was staying moderately high. Skipping is definitely my favourite cardio workout!

                                                                               

This was the result...me dead, on the floor of my garage. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

KEEP MOTIVATED! xx

                   
                                                                                       

Myth bustin'!

1. There is NO such thing as spot reduction, meaning you cannot and will never be able to lose weight off certain areas of your body eg. doing sit ups will not help you loose weight in the abdominal region - only cardio and a healthy diet will do this. You can't pick and choose the areas where you want to loose fat 
2. Doing weights doesn't burn as many calories as cardio - FALSE. Weight training can burn up to as many and in my case usually even more calories than doing cardio. I say this because my cardio exercises are usually no where near as intense as when I'm weight lifting. After you've done weights you're still using energy and thus burning calories at rest, whereas as soon as you stop doing cardio, your heart rate slows down and you stop burning calories. You burn calories at rest after weights because your body is working hard to repair any tissue it has damaged, essentially building muscle. Metabolism increases in your bod after cardio only last from about 30-60 minutes, whereas post weight training metabolism increases for up to 48 hours!
3. You should always stretch before a work out? - No, not necessarily. Surprisingly enough it's been scientifically proven that stretching before a workout can weaken the muscle by 30% and this reduced tension could potentially increase the risk of injury. Warm up before an intense workout eg. going for a walk before cardio or light weights before intense training and then stretch after the workout. Never have I stretched before a work out and I've never been injured either!
4. You'll work out better or burn more fat on an empty stomach - Far from true. Working out on an empty stomach burns more muscle and who wants that?! Also, if you're working out before breakfast or on an empty stomach you don't have sufficient nutrients in your bod which won't allow you to perform your best during a work out.
5. Protein shakes will make me a rig - NAY. I'm sorry to break it to ya lads, but according to the Better Health Channel, people taking supplementary protein while weight training add no more muscle than those not taking protein supplements. I see why this is a common myth though, because from a biological point of view, protein is broken down through digestion into amino acids which are used for making specific structures  such as muscle. But, excess protein intake can actually put strain on your kidneys and liver which obviously, in the long run, is not a positive thing. A healthy, well balanced diet is all you need. 
6. Chocolate is bad for your skin - FALSE (and what a lovely myth this is). There's never been any scientific proof that chocolate causes pimples or acne. Your genetics determine the skin you're born with and how it functions as well as the hormones in your body. Hormones are predominately testosterone which makes your skin increase it's oil production thus potentially making your pores more blocked causing pimples - not chocolate! (credit to Sez)
7. MYTHS ABOUT CARBS - dedicating a whole section to this because it grinds my gears when I hear of people depriving themselves of carbs when it should be an essential part of any diet.
   - A carb free diet will help you loose weight and keep it off: Yes, you'll initially loose weight after cutting out carbs, but when you bring them back into your diet (even if it's only a little) you'll gain it all back on and more. If you deprive yourself of carbs your body will call out to you and you'll crave them - they are your main source of energy. If you want to cut carbs out of your diet, make it a life time commitment or else you'll just chuck the weight all back on.
   - Eating carbs at night or in the evening will cause weight gain: I see why people think this is true because if we don't use the energy we get from carbs, yes it will be stored as fat BUT it does not convert over night. Weight gain is all about energy intake and out take, there has been no evidence that this is in any way dependent on the time of the day. Our bodies are smarter than that, whether it's the first thing in the morning or last thing at night our bodies will process, digest and store carbs in the same way.
   - All carbohydrates are bad: False...there are 'healthy carbohydrates' including whole grain breads and pastas, beans, spinach, broccoli, legumes and greens.
   - Less carbs is better for me: Nope. A lack of carbohydrates can cause constipation, dizziness, headaches fainting, muscle aches and fatigue - making it even more challenging to work out.
   - Moderate to high carb diets = fat: The Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the whole world, they are also typically slim, slender and lean AND their diets are extremely high in carbs. Eat up! 
8. Cold weather makes you sick - MYTH 
9. Vegetarians don't get enough protein in their diets - MYTH, not all protein is found in meat products. A lot of people who are vegetarian will get their protein from legumes, soy products eg. tofu, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds etc. 
10. MYTHS JUST FOR THE LADIES
    - Lifting weights causes bulky muscles: No, don't worry you won't gain a body builders physique, turn into a butch or look manly if you start lifting weights. Truth is, females don't have enough testosterone to increase muscle size the way that men do as well as naturally having much smaller muscle fibres than men do.
    - Weight loss requires more cardio and less strength training: When it comes to weight loss, cardio and strength training are both essential. Balance is the key
    
    
    
    Any questions please message me on http://www.facebook.com/elpithaa, I'm always more than happy to help - doesn't matter who you are. xxxx
    
    
    
    
    
    

Motiv8tion

I often have a lot of people asking me how I manage to keep myself motivated and keep up with the gym - especially with the stresses of year 12. I always find it hard to answer this question because I don't really know myself - although I had a think about it and here are a couple of things that motivate me :)

1. My Dad - my dad is my gym buddy. As a former personal trainer, personal trainer for body builders and
 body builder himself he's obviously extremely knowledgeable about health and fitness, teaching me almost everything I know, especially the muscle/weights part of it.  He motivates me as if I'm being lazy and not going to the gym he'll unintentionally make me feel guilty (in a positive way) so I'll get off my ass and go. Also if he sees me slacking off between reps at the gym, all it takes is a look and I'm straight back into it. I'm so lucky and it's extremely helpful to have a role model who knows exactly what they're talking about who is always there to assist you. All I have to do is say what I want to achieve or improve, and he tells me exactly what I have to do and how I have to do it. I motivate him too though, as I try to influence him to do more cardio and make him feel guilty if he polishes off a whole tub of ice cream without me, so it works both ways!

 *Photo - How many dads do you know that look like that?!

2. Family - having a supportive family who are also passionate about health, fitness and have similar interests 

is also motivating. This includes my aunties, brother, cousins and uncles!

3. Compliments - As if people noticing your progress isn't kind enough, having them go out of their way to make you feel better about yourself is incredibly lovely. The other day a lovely lass at school came up to me and told me after reading my blog she was inspired/motivated, got up and went for a run - this was one of the best compliments to receive. Being seen as a role model, motivator or simply helping others is definitely motivating in itself, just as the compliments of others are. Kindness is powerful!

4. Hate - or better yet, I'd like to label it as 'constructive criticism'. Instead of letting the criticisms from others affect you in a negative way or being upset about them, use them to your advantage. Strangely enough, I find nasty comments extremely motivating because success is usually the best revenge. Negative comments can make you work harder, not to prove anything to the person who said them, but to prove to yourself that they are wrong in what they say, that you are beautiful and that you are strong!

5. Progress - Over these past couple of months progress has definitely been a significant factor in keeping motivated at the gym. Although it may take months for you to notice any changes (and a couple of months 

    after that for anyone else to notice), when you do realise your progress it is so so worth it. Looking back on photos and seeing how far I've come just motivates me to not only maintain my changes but to improve them further. My advice is, don't use your progress as a cue to give up because you've achieved what you wanted, because chances are you'll fall back into your old ways. Keep going, keep trying to maintain what you worked so hard for.

*Photo - Me around September 2011

Substitute for squats

Earlier this evening I had someone on Tumblr ask me what I recommend for achieving that 'toned ass', without doing squats.
There's a couple of exercises that I do to substitute squats because I like to change it up a little and don't really enjoy them much myself!

- Hip raises

Hip raises are my one of my favourite exercises to do at home while listening to music, they're easy and relaxing. Hip raises work to tone and strengthen the muscles in your lower back as well as your abdominals, glute (for that toned bum) and hamstrings (can help get rid of that upper thigh cellulite).
Once you've mastered hip raises, try holding each count for longer and raising one leg up out straight.

 

- Toe taps

Toe taps will help work the lower part of you bum, usually where the skin is softer/looser. I guarantee you'll feel it right away, and not only that - but it's a great work out for you abs as well as the muscles between your things / hips.

- Single leg front raises Single leg front raises are particularly effective for working the thighs, giving you ass that higher and perkier look. I find this exercise harder than most because I'm generally have pretty poor balance, but the challenge is always great! I'd suggest to watch a video of how to do these online if you're unsure, photos don't really help!

- Leg press
Leg press is by far my most favourite thing to do at the gym. Not only does it work your glutes but it also works your quads, hamstrings and calves. So, if you're wanting more toned legs or to get rid of that cellulite  leg press is perfect. At the moment I've been leg pressing about 109kgs and generally do 8 reps and 4-5 sets. When it comes to leg press, don't go too easy on yourself. If you feel as if you're not pushing yourself or if they weight is a bit too low, crank it up! Make sure you can barely walk or bend over the next day - then you'll know you're actually achieving something. 

---- I wrote this from my couch while putting up with people crying on the Biggest Loser, just to perve on Michelle Bridges' sexy arms...so envious mmm. (Jillian is still hotter) ----