Surviving the New Hampshire Winters

Outside only because I had to : )

Living in New Hampshire in the winter has its perks, mountains for skiing, frozen lakes for hockey and trails for snowshoeing. But when you don’t like the cold, winter can be a little rough on your body and soul. If you are not a tundra lover like me don’t despair. You don't need to hibernate under your blanket for a few months (although once in a while with a good book is fine : ). Here are a few tips to survive the dark days ahead.

Exercise - Every day for at least 30 minutes. Not only does it warm you up but it gets the happy endorphins going. You don’t even have to leave your house. Try out some video workouts, use your steps or get creative with your own dance moves.

Drink Warm  -Warm lemon or apple cider vinegar water and herbal teas can warm you up. You may also enjoy a cup or two of good for you bone broth.

Eat Good Food - Now is the time to get creative with soups, stews and comfort food. Just load it up with healthy veggies and proteins. Make the crockpot your best friend and discover some new in season tastes like roasted root vegetables.

Embrace the Stillness - Not ever day has to be crazy busy and scheduled from morning to night. Take advantage of snowed in days to clean the clutter, spend time with your family or just be still. 

Fitness Adventure #2: Body Combat

Off to go punch people! Although Body Combat is held at your typical gym setting I heard great things and wanted to give it a try. It is a Les Mills class so like Beachbody Live classes so they are choreographed to modern music. I was attending the launch of another session which just means everyone is learning it for the first time too.

Drove to the gym, signed my waiver and get started right away. The class reminded me a lot of typical kickboxing classes. A lot of punching and kicking with some push-ups mixed in. The moves were pretty simple, easy to follow along to,  so we could focus on kicking higher and punching stronger. I consider myself in pretty good shape so I wasn't dying but I know I got a good workout with the number of Fitbit steps I raked up and my Heart Rate (HR) numbers. I also know I will be doing my muscle recovery shake tonight.

As far as adventure goes I wouldn't put it in a top 10 list but just trying new things can be an adventure itself. On a side note the gym that hosted it Best Fitness in Nashua looks amazing and the room was huge which is a giant plus when doing these types of classes. 

My schedule got a little mixed up this week so I am still working on scheduling my next adventure. Stay tuned!

New Year Fitness Adventure - Stop One: TRX

Part of my four part New Year Resolution this year (what can I say I am an over achiever) is to add a little more Mojo into my life. You know adventure, travel outside my comfort zone, just do new things so I can be inspired. What better way to do this then to follow a passion of mine, a fitness adventure! Over the next 7 weeks I will be trying out some workouts that I have been wanting to do or that friends have been raving about. So grab your water bottle and come along!

First stop is something called TRX Suspension training. I have to admit I had no idea what this was and had to google it when my friend Michelle mentioned straps. Looked a little intimidating but you never know until you try something right??????

We traveled over to the place she has been going called Underground Cycling in Hudson, I signed the death waiver and then met the super friendly and super buff instructor and owner.  You do have to sign up a head of time here because the small room only had 10-12 suspension hooks. We got setup, went over some basics of changing around the strap based on the exercises we were going to do and then got started with a warm-up.

The interesting thing about this exercise is I felt like the rep times were super short but you were working REALLY HARD that whole time. Each exercise had you doing strength moves that requires balance and core work too. It was a whole body workout as we started with back, biceps, triceps and chest, moved down to the floor for legs and then ended with core including planks. At the end I wasn't sweaty but my muscles felt the workout. It is day 3 now and I am still feeling the burn.

I would like to try this again combining it with cardio to balance it out. Have you tried TRX? Love or Hate it?

Next up on the Adventure is Body Combat. I really hope I get to take someone out : )

Holiday Baking Survival Tips

If you don’t want to walk around this holiday season like Santa, wearing stretch pants and supporting a large belly you need to be mindful of your holiday baking. Here are a few tips to enjoy the season of cookies, pies and more without going overboard.

Keep it Simple
Decide on one thing that you want to bake so you don’t have a lot of choices to tempt you. You can also choose to order out and have someone else do the baking so you are not tempted with taste testing beyond what you should.

Find healthy substitutes
There are so many yummy recipes out there to help lower fat or sugar in recipes. Focus on baked goods that offer healthy ingredients like nuts or coconut vs butter and flour. Try using key words like Paleo or Whole30 for new recipes.

Bake only what you need
If you are baking cookies, only bake what you need from the batch and freeze leftover dough in round balls. That way you can always make more later for just the amount you need.

Get Rid of It
If you have baked goods sitting around longer than 2 days share it with others or just throw it away. Save your splurges for things you really enjoy, not the 3 day old cookie that you just want to get rid of.

Overall it is important to find a balance of enjoying holiday traditions yet honoring your fitness goals. Enjoy what you want most, forget about the rest and focus on other activities of the season not related to food.

Rainbow Curry Recipe

Wow, so many LIKES on my Curry Dish I just had to share the recipe. Although it isn't much to share it is that EASY! I am also including the 21 Day Fix portions to make it even easier.

Makes 2 servings
Veggies - 2 cups (2 GREENS) of what you have on hand. I used purple onions & red, orange and yellow peppers.
Coconut Oil - 1 teaspoon
1/2 can Coconut milk (2 BLUES)
1 1/2 Cup (2 REDS) precooked protein of choice. I like grilled chicken or white fish.
2 teaspoon Curry powder
Optional: Spinach - 2 Handfuls

Heat skillet to medium with coconut oil. Add veggies and cook until tender about 2-5 minutes. Add protein to warm. Add coconut milk and curry powder. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. If adding spinach add right before serving and cook until wilted.

You can also add more with a serving a couscous or rice (1 YELLOW) or rice cauliflower (1 GREEN).

ENJOY!

Feel Unstuffed during the Holidays

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we all know what that means; time to get out the stretchy pants. Many people pack on at least a pound (some gain more) during the holidays -- and most have a hard time taking it back off. But with a few tips you can survive Thanksgiving dinner and still enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast.

Get Active

Since you know you will probably be eating more than normal over a few days take the time to put in some workout time adding 5-10 minutes to your regular workout. Plan to attend a local run/walk event or create your own in the neighborhood. After dinner resist the urge to nap and gather the family for a walk or laps at the local mall.

Choose Wisely

Not all the food served on Thanksgiving will be worth the calories. Chose one or 2 favorites you wouldn’t normally eat and fill up the rest with lean turkey or vegetables. Take a small portion and only go back for seconds after waiting 15-20 minutes to feel you really want it. If you are in charge of the menu plan some healthier choices or bring a great healthy dish to a dinner you are invited to (Roasted root vegetables are easy and delicious).

Focus on Being Thankful

Thanksgiving foods are nice but gathering together as family and friends is where the focus should be. Start new traditions of sharing thoughts of gratitude or work together on a service project to kick start the winter holidays.

Overall it is important to honor the balance of enjoying traditions yet honoring your fitness goals. Having a plan and sticking to it will help you to not end up feeling just as stuffed as the turkey.

Fitness Coach Sarah Ward is a full time mom to two very active boys. She is passionate about helping others find what they need in their lives to achieve the best life they can with clean eating and daily movement. You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @LifestyleForward or connect with her at sarah@lifestyleforward.com.

Summer CSA Review

So my last pick up for my Summer CSA is over and I didn't sign up for the Fall/Winter version. While I think it is a great concept here is why it doesn't work for our family (but first you must always start with the positive : )

What I liked:

1. Right from the farm veggies are delicious and sometimes the grocery I shop at lacks in the organic section.



2. Pick up was easy. We picked a place that either my husband or I could get to.



3. I got to try some veggies I wouldn't normally try like bok Choy, cabbage and some weird alien broccoli/Cauliflower mashup.



4. It did force me to eat more veggies in the summer and be a little creative with the menu.



5. You are forced to eat seasonal which is good for you.

Things I didn't like

1. SO MANY VEGGIES. Even doing a half share and getting to swap out things we liked better each week we had so many that I felt like I had to eat all the time to use them up. I should have had a better plan of sharing, freezing or giving stuff away each week.



2. Cost of $20 was very reasonable for the amount we got but I have to see if I will save some money just buying what I will eat per week.



3. I missed some veggies that I didn't get enough of or they just don't grow. Mushrooms for omelets and celery to munch on. I never thought I would say that!

If you haven't checked it out here are some recipes I made with what I got.

Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Spinach & Zucchini