Take-In Thursday ~ Ginger-Citrus Cabbage Salad

Brighten up your day with this crisp, fresh, juicy salad. We think it is delicious! We hope you will feel the same way once you try it.

Ginger-Citrus Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:
3.5 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage

1/2 cup grated carrot

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 T. finely chopped onion

2 naval oranges, peeled and diced

1 T. grated ginger root
2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper.

Directions:
1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. 
2. Combine juice and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Drizzle juice mixture over cabbage mixture; toss well to combine.
4. Cover and chill 15 minutes.

*For a nice variety, we suggest trying different flavored olive oils. Our favorites are garlic-infused and chili pepper-infused oils.

Get Fit For Citrus,
D & K

Photos from:
http://culinarycory.com/2009/06/09/citrus-ginger-broccoli-slaw/

Get Fit For Fridays ~ Re-Energize yourself!

It's Friday (insert sigh here)! For many of us, today marks the end of the work week and the ability to rest and rejuvenate for the next couple days. We hope everyone takes advantage and makes time for themselves so they can recover. Drew and I are at a fitness conference learning exciting new ways to improve Get Fit For It's trainings and services. We hope to bring back many great new ideas to share with you all.

Before you get too excited for the weekend, we have our weekly challenge for you. This week we thought we would create a combo to push you to find that strength to lift your spirit up and the clarity to free your mind of unnecessary thoughts.

#ChallengeOfTheWeek 

First - Find 10 minutes in your day and force yourself to lie down, clear your mind and try to meditate. Letting go of thoughts as they come and go. This will help calm our minds and clear out the fluff we do not need anymore. In addition, it will help energize us.

#TrainingOpportunity

Second - Find 10 opportunities throughout the day to do a 1-minute plank. If one minute is too much for you, do 20 sets of 30 seconds. Play around with it and do timed intervals that will challenge you and make you stronger! Don't make it easy for yourself but heat up that core and as you contract your muscles squeeze out all the stress inside so after you complete each set, you are left feeling invigorated and ready for anything.

                         

Articles you may want to read this weekend:

Hard-wired to hate exercise?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324432004578304250252788528.html

Compost to green up the kitchen
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20130219/LIFE/302190001/Compost-green-up-kitchen?nclick_check=1

Desk jobs are more dangerous for our health than many thinkhttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/256575.php

Get Fit For Friday's Challenge,

D & K

Photos from:

http://www.wellnessandpeace.com/category/mental-health/

http://www.menshealth.com/celebrity-fitness/exercise-detail.php?87

http://fitbie.msn.com/exercise/plank-exercises-your-core



Workout Wednesday ~ Climb your way up!

Workout Wednesday is finally here!

Hopefully everyone is looking for a great strength and core workout! Lift your knees, jump high and keep climbing!

Wednesday Workout

Warm up: Repeat 2 to 3 times

            3 minutes of stair climb (up and down a set of stairs)

10 jumping jacks

Set # 1: 3 Rounds x 30s (Burpee breakdown)

Squats

Thrusters

push ups

squat jump

Set # 2: 45s Holds - on the mat
             Boat Pose
             Superman
             Plank with alt knee to outside of elbow
             Bridge

Set #3: 2 rounds of 45 seconds  

Left leg squat (hops)

            Mountain climbers

**Burpees -30s

Right leg squat (hops)

Mt Climbers (foot to outside of elbow)

**Burpees  for 30s

Set # 4: 3 x 30s

Crunch

Leg lifts

Plank

Reverse crunch (knee out, in, up, down)

            Heel Taps
            flutterkick
            Bicycle
            Shins Parallel crunch


Remember to take each workout at your own level and modify as needed. If you are looking for an easy way to keep to your intervals, we reccomend Gym Boss Interval Timers. If you need more inspiration to get going and hit the stairs, watch our Hall Of Fame Video we showcased in a previous Motivation Monday post.

Get Fit For Wednesday Workouts,

D & K

Tunes Tuesday ~ Kacie's Picks

To follow this week's theme I chose the following song selections to lift you up and make you stronger. Take a breath and enjoy listening to these tunes.

1. Stronger by Britney Spears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJWtLf4-WWs

2. Stronger by Kell Clarkson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn676-fLq7I

3. Catch my Breath by Kelly Clarson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS0zMzjAB9A

4. Breathe by Michelle Branch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF5sRTVuUFU

5. I Get Knocked Down by Chumbawumba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzuw9ErEM0

Get Fit For It,

D & K

photos from:

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/kelly-clarkson/images/25141790/title/stronger-album-cover-photo

http://www.amazon.com/Chumbawamba-Tubthumper-Chumbawamba/dp/B000005B08

http://www.theboot.com/2012/04/02/michelle-branch-live-from-the-million-dollar-cowboy-bar/

Motivational Monday ~ Getting back up

Hitting Rock Bottom

Self worth is a very important part of our lives impacting us emotionally, mentally and behaviorally. Depending on the value we place on ourselves, we approach life a certain way. As our opinion of our importance in the world changes we may make decisions differently. Keeping this in mind, we are able to reflect upon who we are at this moment and who we want to be in the future. As we think about our self worth, we ask ourselves many questions. Who am I? Where do I fit in this world? Am I a just one of many in society? Do I contribute anything of value to the world? We ask you to consider how you come up with your own value? What are the deciding factors? Who and/or what influences your perception?

Often times we find that as we struggle with the hardships in life, we catch ourselves falling fast and even hitting rock bottom. At every challenging turn, we convince ourselves it is only getting worse and continue down the path of destruction and despair. Instead of bringing ourselves down and giving up on the world, we must develop a strategy to lift ourselves back up and pull us out of this pool of negativity and lost hope. There will always be difficulties we must face in life, it is up to each individual to decide how each will act during these times. The strong ones will accept what has happened, keep their heads high and have a strategy to push forward knowing things will eventually turn around. Continuing toward your goals is the quickest way out of these bouts of frustration and despair. Remember, when you feel you cannot do anything and nothing is going right, tell yourself you CAN do it! Each step forward brings you one step more in the right direction and closer to making your ultimate dream a reality! 

This week, we challenge you to think about what you tell yourself when you fall into this funk and how you behave. Write it down and throughout the week, think about a plan you can develop for yourself to stay strong and lift yourself up and carry on.

Get Fit For Rock Bottom,

D & K

  
Photos from:
http://mastermanifesting.com/2012/03/25/why-hitting-rock-bottom-rocks/
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-12653608-muscular-man-lifting-up-rock.php

Get Fit For Friday ~ Who doesn't love push ups??

Happy Friday!

Some people may think that push ups are the devil and are promoted  more than they should be...others can't wait for the next opportunity to do another set. No matter where your thoughts fall on this spectrum, challenge yourself today to do a set of quality push ups (don't focus too much on the number) every hour you are awake today. Don't stress if you can't do them on your toes, knee push ups are completely acceptable. As you grow stronger, switch between toe and knee push ups and eventually you will get to the point where you do them all on your toes! Stick with it :)

#ChallengeAccepted

As you think about the challenge and your workouts, we want to remind you that practice makes permanent! If you want something to be done or performed a certain way, you must practice it exactly how you want it to be :) Stay motivated and persist through the weekend!

Articles we suggest for you to skim if you have time this weekend:

Workout Booster and A lawsuit - Be Careful!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/business/death-after-use-of-jack3d-shows-gap-in-regulation.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

Classes celebrating National Nutrition Month
http://www.yourdailyjournal.com/view/full_story/21695850/article-Classes-celebrate-National-Nutrition-Month?instance=popular

Don't use supplements when exercise and a balanced Diet can do the trick
http://www.sj-r.com/seniors/x930798392/Use-supplements-sparingly-Balanced-diet-exercise-come-first

Get Fit For #TrainingOpportunity,

D & K

Photos from:

http://pumpjunkies.com/articles/benefits-of-push-ups/

http://www.zazzle.com/permanent+bumperstickers

Take-In Thursday ~ One of Abe Lincoln's Favorites

This week's recipe is in honor of one of our favorite presidents, Abe Lincoln. It has been said that he enjoyed the recipe, Chicken Fricassee. As we celebrate the presidents of the United States this week, we thought it would only be fitting to do a favorite recipe. We hope you like our spin on the the recipe.

Chicken Fricassee
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 ½ cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Greek plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup 1% milk
½ cup chicken broth, low sodium
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons dry sherry


Directions:

1.      In a skillet, cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, then flip over and cook until fully cooked.

2.      Remove chicken from heat and set aside.

3.      Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to skillet. Cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes until liquid is evaporated. Then set aside for the time being.

4.      In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, flour, salt and pepper.

5.      Add the yogurt-flour mixture, milk and broth to mushroom mixture.

6.      Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add basil, oregano and lemon juice and cook for an additional minute. Add chicken and sherry and finish heating.

Serve immediately

Get Fit For Recipes,
D & K


photos from: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.phpdocid=26295

Workout Wednesday ~ Get It Done!

You know what Wednesdays mean - halfway through the work week and time for a fun, exciting workout! We have a mixed bag workout broken down into three main sets. We want everyone to focus on their core as they do each exercise. Maintain proper form and alignment the whole time and modify according to your fitness level. Remember to have fun and push yourself to be the best you can be!

Wednesday Workout:

Warm up: 3 rounds of 30 seconds
-Seal Jack
-Squats
-jump rope
-Skate Jump

Set #1: Two-exercise sets - 2 x 30s/30s
-Burpees
-Wood Chop

-Lunge Jumps
-Push ups

-Mt Climber - foot to outside elbow
-Crunch- feet to ceiling

Set #2: Table Top Series (30s/ex per side)
-Donkey Kick
-Back St.leg lift
-Side St.leg lift
-Swing to nose

Set #3: 3 rounds of 30s intervals  
-Crunch w/ MB overhead
-Reverse Crunch
-Flutterkicks
-Oblique twists

Get Fit For Wednesday Workouts,

D & K

photos from:

http://www.ultimatebodypress.com/donkey-kick.html

http://www.amazon.com/Redmon-Rene-Bidaud-Instructional-Jump/dp/B002CQTT66

Tunes Tuesday ~ Drew's Picks

It's Tuesday- here are my five picks for the week! Enjoy!

1. Kiss You - One Direction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4cdfRohhcg

2. I love it (I don't care) - Icona Pop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxxajLWwzqY

3. Knock Knock - Mac Miller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bMmhKz6KXg

4. Through my own eyes - Aaron Carter and Kayla Hinkle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umiqTzn859c

5. Stand Out - Tevin Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eWGeOxlqeY

Pictures from:
www.seventeen.com
www.songkick.com

Motivational Monday ~ Presidents Day!

Inspiration comes in many forms, from many people and through many situations. In honor of presidents day, we want to remind you of some of the inspiration our leaders have brought to our nation. 

"We must ever mandate the principle that the people of this continent alone have the right to decide their own destiny."
James Knox Polk, 1845-1849

"I do the very best I know how, the very best I can and I mean to keep doing so until the end."
Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865

Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever."
Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869

"He serves his party best who serves his country best."
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877-1881

"We want no war of conquest... War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed."
William McKinley, 1897-1901

"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing" "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing." 
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909

"I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help -- and God's."
Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963-1969

"You must never give up. You must remember that you have to take risks in order to achieve anything and sometimes you will suffer defeat. But the mark of any individual is to recover from defeat and disappointment and go on and give it his best shot."
Richard M. Nixon, 1969-1974

"Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you'll still 'beat the pack.'"
Gerald R. Ford, 1974-1977

"I would hope that the nations of the world might say that we had built a lasting peace, built not on weapons of war but on international policies which reflect our own most precious values."
James E. Carter, Jr., 1977-1981

Get Fit For Leadership

D & K 



photos from:

http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/presidents-of-the-united-states-3.jpg

Get Fit For Friday ~ Inversions

Get Fit For Friday's Challenge of the Week ~ Inversions

We spend almost 100% of our time using our lower body (and core) to hold ourselves up every day. To follow with the week's focus on switching things up, we challenge you to incorporate 3 sets of an inversion of your choice throughout today allowing your upper body to take over for a change. We know everyone is at a different fitness level and have different inversion practices. We caution everyone to take this challenge with a grain of salt and modify as needed. If you know you cannot do a freestanding handstand, please do not make today the day you try it. Work at your level and if you enjoy inversions, start to work your way up to advanced poses.

Example inversion variations: Hand stand, head stand, shoulder stand, forearm stand (any of these can be done  with feet against the wall) or L-position  against the wall.

#TrainingOpportunity

Here are some articles for you to skim over this weekend

~Pay particular attention to the first one. It is related to this week's theme explaining the effects of switching hands and feet.

Turn the other cheek? Try using your other hand.
http://newsletter.dole.com/2013/turn-the-other-cheek-try-using-the-other-hand/

Need Protein? Eat "real foods" rather than powders and barshttp://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2013/02/05/16853549-if-you-want-protein-eat-real-food-not-a-bar-experts-say?lite

Tips to becoming a better runnerhttp://www.active.com/running/Articles/Become-the-Runner-You-Want-to-Be-in-2013-January.htm?cmp=291&memberid=114071127&lyrisid=38094300

Should you run more miles?  http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Should-You-Run-More-Miles.htm?cmp=291&memberid=114071127&lyrisid=38094300

Get Fit For The Weekend,

D & K

Photos from:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/01/handstand-how-to-get-it-up-jenni-rawlings/

http://eddiebaran.com/cc-gh.html

Take-In Thursday ~ Asparagus Soup

This week we have a roasted asparagus soup with cashew butter. We thought it would make a nice easy dinner for a cold, wintry night. If you leave some of the broth out, it makes for a great hot vegetable dip too. We hope you enjoy it!

Roasted Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium      

1 tsp dried thyme                                          

2 # asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces                          

1/4 tsp  salt                                                      

2 Tbs cashew butter                                  

1 tsp  ground black pepper

6 oz yukon potato, peeled & cubed          

1/2 tsp dried parsley                                       

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced                       

2 Tbs olive oil                                        

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced     

1 Tbs lemon zest                                 

1 small onion, sliced                                                                      

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450F. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Toss with the cubed potatoes, olive oil, dried thyme, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Place on a greased sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, place broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering. Lower heat and hold.

3.Take out the sheet pan and add the sliced onions, shallots and garlic. Mix together and place back into the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cooked.

4.Once the vegetables are roasted, pour half the broth into the blender and add half the vegetables. Puree the mixture until it is smooth, add the cashew butter, lemon zest and the rest of the vegetables and liquid. Blend again until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.

Get Fit For Soups,

D & K