Fryman Canyon Hike

A few Saturdays ago Anthony and I woke up after a very enjoyable Friday night. One of those Friday nights when you got a little too caught up in the romance and exciting conversation and slightly overindulged on the Happy Hour Skinny Margaritas. Yes it happens to us too.

Some rules follow after a night like this. Rule number 1, keep loud noises to a minimum. Rule number 2, drink TONS of water. Rule number 3, get outside and move that butt for at least an hour (sweat it out!). Rule number 4, do not I repeat DO NOT forget the sunglasses!

After a quick google search we found our challenge, Fryman Canyon. Just enough to get the metabolism going and to break a good steady sweat but not overwhelming enough to make us sick.

Fryman Canyon is a short 3 miles loop in the Hollywood hills off Laurel Canyon Blvd. Parking is only a buck and worth the donation to the park.

The trail is a slight climb to start and has several side roads to explore. The trail is well maintained and has just the right balance of hikers. It is not nearly as crowded as Runyon! The views from Fryman are spectacular. Views that make you remember why you love to live in California!

Towards the top of the loop you will find a pretty neat educational center. This hike is great for the youngins! The Tree People have done a really good job with this community center. We enjoyed meandering around all the exhibits. (http://www.treepeople.org/)

As you make your way down the mountain and you will pop out into a residential area, a cul-de-sac at the end of Iredell Lane. And if you are like us you will enjoy a bit of the neat house browsing! Or you can backtrack your steps and repeat the trail.

To take the residential route take a right at Iredell Street and then a left to Fryman Road to return to the parking lot. We loved it so much we returned to the car and went for a soothing drive through the fancy houses!

To finish off such a wonderful refreshing hike we headed to Encino’s Nuts & Berries to fill up on healthy greens and fresh squeezed juice! I recommend the Green Machine and Ahh-Raw-Sh Salad.

By 3pm we were cured from the Friday night Happy Hour Damage.

Cinco de May (Drinko) is this Saturday .... if you partake you better get your booty out on Fryman!

Quick and Easy Vegan Fajitas

What's for dinner? It's Thursday almost the end of the week! I am usually zapped by the evening and cooking isn't really something I would truly like to do. This recipe is one of my ultimate go tos...simple, quick, full of flavor, packed with essential vitamins and minerals, and does not require any pre planning of meat.

Serves: 4 (Great for lunch the next day!)

Time: 20-30mins

Ingredients:

• 1 sliced red bell pepper
• 1 sliced green bell pepper
• 1 1/2 c chopped mushrooms
• 1 chopped shallot
• 1/2 c lentils (I recommend the Trader Joe's pre-cooked)
• 1 can black beans (I recommend the Trader Joe's Cajun/Cuban style black beans)
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1-2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp freeze dried cilantro
• 1/2 c salsa
• 1 avocado
• 4 Ezekiel, brown rice, or whole grain tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat garlic, grape seed oil, and shallots on medium high for 3-5 minutes until shallots have cooked down.
2. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms, cook for 5-10 minutes until veggies have cooked down a bit.
3. Add the black beans, lentils, red chili pepper, cilantro, and salsa. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
4. Load up tortilla top with salsa, avocado, cilantro &/or hot sauce.
5. Enjoy!

Hotel California....

So the gym has been going great...finally getting into that routine...and then you go on a work trip or even a vacation...and the workouts come to a halt. The key to weight loss, muscle gain, and staying in shape is consistency. Often when our flow is interrupted it not only disrupts this consistency but makes it even more difficult to get back into the swing of things.

We understand that most of these work trips involve a very busy schedule and sometimes lack of a gym that's why we are staying true to our "find a way, everyday" motto and have brought you this awesome hotel workout!

The following videos will take you through a warm up, the meat, and a cool down...now this is my first time acting so no making fun!

Warm Up:

1. Elbow Curls- 25
2. Arm Circles- 40 ea direction
3. Cats & Dogs (Cat/Cow)- 10
4. Airbench- 1-2mins

The Meat; repeat the full circuit 3-4 times through with 30 sec rest between each exercise

1. Plank hold 4 directions- 30 sec hold
2. Bridges- 20 reps
3. Prisoner Squat- 20reps
4. Push ups- 20reps
5. Alternating lunges- 20reps
6. Scissor Kicks- 30 secs
7. Jumping Jacks- 40 reps

Cool Down

1. Airbench- 1-2 mins
2. Kneeling Groin Stretch- 60 sec per leg
3. Doorway Strech- 60 sec per arm

Enjoy!!



Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

What’s the affordable secret to a gorgeous reflection?

Now come on guys I know you also want to know the secret to a healthy young complexion and shinny strong hair. You don’t have to drop crazy amounts of money at the beauty salon…the affordable secrets actually are right in your kitchen. Below you will find my favorite face and hair mask! What’s so great about using food rather than fancy-schmacy bank draining products? They don’t contain alcohol. If you check out the ingredients listed on most face and hair masks (other than organic products) you will find alcohol. Yes alcohol is a great antibacterial but it is extremely drying…umm isn’t the purpose of these masks to hydrate the body?

Face Mask:

Simple organic unprocessed honey spread thinly over a clean face not only provides lasting hydration but also acts as a natural antibacterial. Now you can make this a little more fancy by adding some crushed almonds which act as a natural exfoliant. Leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes. Remove with warm water and feel how amazingly soft your skin is!

Best Honey- Raw Manuka Honey; $18-$40/ jar

More Affordable and still pretty good- Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Honey; $5.99/jar

Hair Mask:

Combine 1 avocado, 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of one lemon, and 1 tbsp organic honey. Okay so this green goop is a little hard to stomach at first. But trust me putting this chunky mixture on your head will leave your hair silky smooth! I suggest performing this messy task over the sink with a towel wrapped around your shoulders and one to save your floor from green stains! Generously lather your hair with this yummy concoction and allow it to rest for a good 20 minutes. Shower it off and continue with your normal shampoo/conditioner regime!

Another great reason to make your own face and hair products….less environmental toxins and overall less packaging waste! Take care of your body as you take care of the Earth!

And remember to keep up the healthy diet, your clean and balanced energy fuel source also provides the body with necessary vitamin, minerals and protein to keep you lookin good!

SMR? Foam Roll?

Have you walked into a gym or physcal therapy office to see people rolling on this piece of foam? Or are you one that has joined the fad? If so, why?


Self Myo-Fascial Release, SMR, is a flexibility technique used to release overactive muscles. The external pressure of The Foam Roll stimulates receptors located in your muscle tissue to relax. After a difficult work out, sitting for a long period of time, or even sleeping in a strange position can put your muscles in this tight/protective position. SMR helps to let the body know it is okay to let go and relax. Michael Boyle speaks of foam rolling as, "the poor man's massage therapist, soft tissue work for the masses" in his book,  Advances in Functional Training.


What's the correct way to foam roll?


Think of your muscle as long band with a knot in it, also known as a trigger point.  Use your body weight to apply pressure to the muscle knot, it allows the muscle to lenghten and stretch.  Usually about ten slow rolls in each position will suffice, or roll until it feels good.


Tight hamstrings are common for many people and foam rolling can help.  Sit on the floor and place the foam roller behind your thighs.  Putting your hands on the floor and lifting your hips, begin rolling from the top of your thigh to just above the back of your knee.

Next, sitting on top of the foam roller and tilting to one side, continue rolling forward and back, this will hit the glute maximus.  Then cross the effected leg onto the other and this will work the hip rotator muscles.

Finish by placing the roller behind your mid back, put your hands behind your head and roll from the top of your shoulders to you to just below your rib cage.  Be careful not to go to far down as the low back can be a very sensitive area.

Foam rolling is great before exercise as a warmup and afterward it can help with the recovery process, along with static stretching.  It's a simple way to take care of your muscles and get the most out of them.  Everyone's body is different, so if you find some tight spots be sure to give them a little more love.

Buffalo Burgers!

Spring is in the air, the evenings are brighter longer, and the air is fresh and crisp. Dust off that winter-stored BBQ and get grillin'! BBQin is a great way to infuse meat and veggies with deliciousness and to allow fat to drip off the meat.

My new favorite protein source is the buffalo burger. Buffalo is very lean and high in protein! 4oz of buffalo weighs in at 126 calories, 19 calories from fat and 24.5 grams of protein!! Buffalo meat is also a great source of B12, B6, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium. I get my grass fed and hormone free buffalo at Whole Foods; $10 for 16 oz, that's 4 burgers!

Here's my recipe for these yummy treats-

Serves: 4

Time: 15-20mins

Ingredients:

• 1 package of grass fed hormone free ground buffalo (16 oz)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Directions:

1. Heat up the grill or if your grill-less like me a fry pan on the hot plate to medium high (if using the pan coat with a bit of olive oil).
2. In a mixing bowl combine the meat, bell pepper, red onion, and garlic.
3. Cook the burgers completely (about 5 mins per side). You don't want any rare burgers...ground beef is different than a steak, burger meat comes into contact with metal...metal that can carry bacteria!
4. Serve the burger on a healthy bed of mixed greens, top with tomato avocado and ketchup...or if you need the man burger place between two slices of whole grain bread, a bun, or gluten free options.

Anthony and I decided to make this into a romantic evening. I mean why not it looks and tastes like fine dining! I served our burgers with a fresh beet walnut salad, Trader Joe's sweet potato fries and a nice bottle of wine. A really nice evening created in less than an hour and much more affordable than a night on the town!

Park Performance!

This week is the first week of Spring! Take your workouts outside and enjoy the fresh air and cooler temperatures. Pretty busy this weekend? No time for exercise? This workout is perfect! All you need is a pretty neighborhood and a bench.

Begin with a full body warm up and progress into a 15 minute speed walk or jog. End your jog at a local park (no parks nearby; jump in the car drive to the closest park and start the workout there).

Complete the follow circuit of exercises three sets:

1. Alternating step ups to balance (10/leg)

2. Plank w alt overhead reaches (10/arm)

3. Plank w alt leg extensions (10/leg)

4. Push-ups (10)- elevated as shown in the picture or on the ground for more of a challenge

5. Sit to stands w hands on head (10)- hands on head and shoulders pulled back keeps you from compensating by rounding your shoulders forward

6. Dips (10)

Finish off by repeating your initial warm up jog/walk this time, same distance but book it!

And there you have it, a quick way to get some efficient and effective cardio circuit training!