« January 2009 »
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
My Links
*
*
*
*
|
Day 5 of my online food and exercise journal!!!
Today was my day off but I definitely did quite a lot! I woke up at 7:30 so I could make sure to get a lite breakfast in before my first workout with Roxy "Balboa" Richardson (a fellow trainer). Yes, trainers need trainers too!  She is a hardcore, professional, world champion Muay Thai fighter and she will soon be competing in mixed martial arts. She is also one of my really good friends and SO lovely! Check out her site: www.roxyfit.com!!! I've taken one kickboxing class at a studio before, but it had been at least 8 or 9 years since then. I wanted to mix up my own workouts a bit so Roxy and I picked a day to train. I was excited and a little scared at the same time (because I've watched her fight and she kicked the other girl's A$$!!!).
8 am: I only had egg whites because I knew I would be doing a new kind of exercise in about an hour. I didn't want to feel my food while I was throwing punches.
9 am: Roxy wrapped my hands and threw gloves on me after I jumped rope for about 5 minutes. She taught me the basic fundamentals of how to step, move, kick, and punch. She makes it look so easy and graceful (and hardcore at the same time!). Within 10 minutes she had me punching and kicking a pad that she was holding. What a workout! She trained me at a private gym in Culver City and it was so much fun! The studio is called PKG (punch * kick * grapple) and their website is: www.PKGLA.com!!! I can't wait to go back!
11 am: I was already in Culver City so I HAD to go to my favorite restaurant in all of LA!!! M CAFE, of course! I ordered the Vegan Benedict (scrambled tofu, steamed kale, tomato slices, and hollandaise sauce on top of two small slices of whole grain baguette bread). I also got the kale salad with peanut sauce and the lentil salad (with walnuts, onions, and soy "goat's" cheese) to go. I rushed out the door to drive to Santa Monica to complete the final stages of FULLY FIXING my computer at the Apple store!
2:15 pm: After a successful visit with the genius on the 3rd street Promenade, I rushed over to the Sports Club LA on Sepulveda to make it to my gym date with Agent Possible Paige by 2:30. In my purse, I had a meal replacement bar that I needed to eat because I was feeling hungry. I don't like eating right before I exercise, but I knew that my workout wouldn't be strenuous so I ate that as I drove. The bar is called Think Thin and it is sugar free. That's great, but they use a lot of malitol to replace the lack of sugar. Malitol doesn't always agree with my stomach as it is known for being harsh on the intestines. I thought I would give it a try anyway. I ate the Brownie Crunch flavor and didn't love the taste but it carried me through my workout.
2:40 pm: We did about 20 minutes on the treadmill and about 30 minutes of core and stretching.
5:30 pm: After the gym, I ran a couple errands and finally came home. I ate some chicken, carrots, and hummus. I waited a little bit and wanted to have a treat of some kind so I had a sugar free pudding snack that I bought from Trader Joe's. The brand is called KOZY SHACK and each one only has 90 calories. With 5 grams of fiber, it's my kind of snack. I added a tablespoon of whole flax seeds into the container to give it a little crunch. Yummy! Then I was out the door to run some errands.
8:30 pm: After running around all day I really wanted to relax and wasn't in the mood to cook. I opened my fridge and pulled out the kale and lentil salads that I bought from M CAFE. I ate all of the lentil salad (a small container) and about half of a small container of the kale salad because the lentils filled me up! I then brewed a cup of hot tea to continue winding down after my nonstop day. |
Posted: 9:20 PM, Monday, January 5, 2009 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Day 4 of my online food and exercise journal!!!
I am blogging from my iPhone. My iMac decided to take a break so I am a fish out of water until the genius at the Apple store can fix it! I will give a short version of my eating and workout schedule for today until I can elegantly elaborate more comfortably on my main computer (hopefully by tomorrow!).
9:00 am: my signature Isagenix shake! I forgot to add the bee pollen but it was still so yummy!
10:00 am: Mission Possible™ began and we covered a lot of road today! We did a few sets of stairs to warm up, then we went down to the grass on ocean ave to do some killer core exercises. We also did a lot of upper body strengthening with holding and sliding plank and some intensely modified pushups that are a mission possible secret! Then we ran down to the beach and did dry sand running and hopping squats. We also did jumping jacks in the sand. Holy canoli those are hard!
12 pm: I had a lunch meeting at Le Pain Quotidien. 2 days in a row at one of my favorite restaurants in LA is a fabulous thing! They now print the total calories for each of the items on their menus! That is so fabulous!!! I ordered the Omega-3 oatmeal again, of course. :) I also had a small decaf soy cafe au lait.
3 pm: I had the rest of the curry chicken salad in my fridge, about 6 oz. and a couple squares of dark chocolate. I had 8 oz. of unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk and decided to take a nap. I intended to sleep for only an hour or so but woke up 4 hours later! I guess MP kicked my butt today!!!
8 pm: I made spontaneous plans with Agent Jeni (a fellow Leo) to have dinner at Katsuya in Brentwood. It was then that I decided today was going to be my cheat day for the week! She brought over an amazing bottle of zinfandel from Paso Robles and we each had a glass before we went to dinner. Once we got to Katsuya I ordered the following for us to share: rock shrimp tempura (ridiculously delicious), Japanese stuffed eggplant with albacore, miso glaze, and sliced almonds (my favorite dish on the menu), crispy rice with spicy tuna on top, shishito peppers, and a mini cucumber salad. Everything we split was an appetizer size so it was a good balance of food. I also ordered salmon sashimi for myself and Jeni got a fried rice ball. She ordered a watermelon mojito and I ordered a glass of merlot. I only finished half of it because I was comfortably full from dinner and didn't want to get UNcomfortable. After dinner we walked to Whole Foods and did some late night shopping.
10 pm: I had a shot of Mona Vie juice (I love that it has glucosamine in it!) and 2 squares of dark chocolate.
I worked out hard today and got a generous amount of rest. I feel fully balanced! I can tell it's time for a massage though! The moral of the story from today is that you have to allow yourself some chocolate and extravagant sushi from time to time. Drinking is not a bad thing (especially if it's red wine in moderation!!!). You just have to know when to stop. Don't eat until you are full. It takes the body about 20 more minutes to realize how full it is.
Have you ever eaten until you were full and then kept feeling more and more full (even though you'd finally called it quits)? Pay attention to your body's limits and comfort zones. Don't deprive yourself, but be mindful of how you feel (emotionally and physically) while you indulge. If you aren't fully enjoying yourself, it's not worth it.
|
Posted: 11:42 PM, Sunday, January 4, 2009 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Day 3 of my online food and exercise journal!!!
Today was an amazing day! I trained a client at 8:30 and hosted a beautiful Mission™ at 10 am. It was the perfect kind of weather for an outdoor excursion! After the Mission™, I went to Le Pain Quotidien for a healthy post-workout meal with 3 MP™ Agents. My next destination was at the lululemon store in Brentwood to see how the crew was doing. It's fun to see my picture in there! :) Then I went to Redondo Beach to do an Isagenix demonstration at a salon and then headed to the Apple store in Santa Monica to save my iMac (because it totally crashed!). Needless to say, I was on the run all day and eating well balanced meals was quite the challenge. I made sure to not skip meals, but I was eating on the run most of the day. At any given moment, we are always doing our best. What a nice thought that is...
8:00 am: I had a small single serving container of plain goat's milk yogurt and added 10 dry roasted almonds, flaxseed meal, one packet of stevia, and a few dashes of cinnamon. I grabbed a plastic spoon and ate it in the car on the way to train my client.
9:30 am: As I drove to Mission Possible™, I had a few Energy Nuggets to carry me through Mission Possible™.
10:00 am: The beginner's Mission™ began in Santa Monica. We did a few flights of stairs, some light jogging, power walking with handweights, tons of core work, and lots of stretching at the end. It was a perfect day to train outside!!! We were all sweating!
12:15 pm: Agents Jennifer, Laura, and Michelle all joined me for a healthy lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in Brentwood. I ordered my favorite item on the menu: the Omega-3 berry oatmeal! Yummy! I also tried to order a side of scrambled egg whites but they said they only had full orders available (which means it comes with 2 HUGE slices of bread and a pinch of mixed greens). The oatmeal was already very filling so I passed on the bread and only ate the egg whites and the 2 bites of greens they put on the plate. Haha!
3:00 pm: Before I left my apartment to go to lululemon, I ate 10 more dry roasted almonds and had a few bites of chocolate flavored whey protein frozen yogurt (only 32 calories per serving!!!!)
5:45: I stopped at my FAVORITE Whole Foods store (located in El Segundo, it's HUUUGE and it has everything and then some!) and I went straight to the deli because I only had a few minutes before my appointment with the genius at the Apple store all the way in Santa Monica. I have 3 vices (corn bread, curry chicken salad from Whole Foods, and dark chocolate) and I picked the one that was readily available to me: the curry chicken salad of course! I also got a container of their sesame kale salad (which I did not taste before I bought it) and a container of their hummus for at home meals. On my way to the register, a beautiful display of SYNERGY kombucha drinks caught my eye so I grabbed the TRILOGY flavor and made my purchases. IN THE CAR WHILE I DROVE (gasp!): I ate about 8 oz. of the curry chicken salad. I then tried the sesame kale salad (which was sooooo salty I had to add hummus to balance it out). I only had a few more bites before I gave up on it. I washed it all down with my SYNERGY drink and made it to my appointment one full minute early.
9:00 pm: For some comfort food after my long day, I ate a delicious bowl of soup (lite, dairy free celery root with some potato and a dollop of creme fraiche and micro greens on top), and a slice of toasted whole grain Squaw bread with whipped Earth Balance. The slice of bread had 4 grams of fiber so I loved every bite of it. For a treat, I had 2 squares of extra dark chocolate (88% cocoa content).
|
Posted: 10:54 PM, Saturday, January 3, 2009 |
Comments (2) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Day 2 of my online food and exercise journal!!!
Fridays are always intense because I train 3 private clients, host Mission Possible™ and teach a Spin class. I do my best to prepare for the rushing around all day. I don't like to eat more than one meal replacement bar in the same day. Sometimes I have to result to that if I only have minutes between each appointment, because the LAST thing I want to do is skip meals. I keep up a constant calorie consumption all throughout the day, especially when I have back to back workouts.
6:15 am: As I headed out the door to train my first client of the day, I ate a few Energy Nuggets (made by Sun Ridge Farms). I wasn't working out until about 9:15 so I wanted to get some food in my system before my second meal (which I already knew would be an Isagenix shake). I love Energy Nuggets because they are made of only 9 ingredients (honey, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, carob powder, cashews, almond butter, and pumpkin seeds) and they really sustain my body, even during a workout. They are jam packed with nutrients, fiber, protein, and good fats.
8:15 am: I try not to eat within an hour of working out so I can be sure that my food is properly digested and that all of the nutrients are fully absorbed in my body. Just in time before Mission Possible™ I made my signature Isagenix shake. In a blender, I added two scoops of the protein powder, 8 oz. of water, a tray of ice cubes, two tablespoons of bee pollen, about 5 dashes of cinnamon, 4 packets of stevia, 4 oz. of Mona Vie juice, and two tablespoons of whole flaxseeds.
9:15 am: Mission Possible™ began and it felt so good to kick off 2009 with my dedicated team! We did sprints, climbed only a few sets of stairs, ran a couple miles, worked the core, and tricked the heart rate by making it go up and down for 75 minutes. We did deep stretching at the end and everyone felt so energized! Agent Possible Paige joined me en route to my house so I could grab a quick snack before I taught Spinning at 12.
11:00 am: While we composed a playlist together for my supercharged Spin class, I ate a high protein JAY BAR. It was the fudge brownie flavor and actually tasted pretty good. 220 calories, 9 grams of healthy fats, 23 grams of carbs (6 of which are fiber, so only 17 total grams of carbs), 10 grams of sugar (agave nectar syrup), and 14 grams of soy-free protein. It is also sweetened with 5 grams of xylitol (a sugar alcohol which is actually good for you) so there were only 5 grams of actual glucose altering sugar.
12 noon: I taught one of the most intense and challenging Spin classes of my fitness career! I was so pumped because there was such an amazing turnout (with everyone's New Year's resolutions in overdrive) and tons of energy in the room. I was DRENCHED by the time the class was over and was soooo hungry. Agent Possible Paige also took my Spin class (after a Mission™!) and we decided to grab lunch together at an organic restaurant that was new for me. It's called KREATION and it's located on Montana in Santa Monica.
2:00 pm: We ordered hummus and baba ganoush with super thin flat bread and celery sticks for an appetizer. Then we each ordered a salad for our entree. I ordered the Chopped Salad (organic baby spinach topped with fresh tomato, julienne carrots, diced Persian cucumber, chopped red onions and bell peppers, garbanzo beans, shaved fennel and celery, and chopped bacon, dressed in their lite house vinaigrette). I ate about 3/4 of my salad because I already had about 1/2 of the appetizer. We split the remaining appetizer and took the rest to go with us for our mid-afternoon snack. I took the baba ganoush and Agent Possible Paige took the hummus.
5:30 pm: I finished my to-go appetizer and it was the perfect amount of food. 3 tablespoons of baba ganoush, 8 celery sticks, and 4 small pieces of the super thin flatbread. Both Paige and I took 3 units of insulin at lunch and right around this time her blood sugar was 106 and mine was 111! The double workout today really supercharged our metabolisms!!!
8:30 pm: I wasn't super hungry around dinner time so I just kept it lite. I had about 6 oz. of chicken breast cooked in lemon juice and olive oil. I also had a mini salad with jicama, marinated eggplant, black beans, lentils, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. I dressed it in fig balsamic vinegar, but left out the olive oil because I already cooked the chicken with a couple tablespoons. I felt satiated and nowhere near being too full! What a day!!!
|
Posted: 11:20 PM, Friday, January 2, 2009 |
Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Day 1 of my online food and exercise journal!
Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2009 because I know that so many wonderful changes for Mission Possible™ are about to take place. Some of them are top secret but will soon be revealed once they are in full development. What I CAN tell you is that I have recently given Mission Possible™ a face lift. We have been training more on the Santa Monica beach and keeping the Santa Monica stairs an occasional visit. It's been getting really crowded and the city is thinking about closing them to the public!!! I have found a PERFECT replacement (more like an upgrade) staircase but I won't tell you where it is! Trying to keep it somewhat of a secret... If you want to experience this top secret location you will have to join us for a Mission! Stay tuned for more exciting developments!
Below is DAY 1 of my ONLINE FOOD AND EXERCISE JOURNAL. I will be adding to the blog throughout the day.
8:00 am: I naturally woke up and eased into my morning on the first day of 2009 with a cup of white tea with a splash of unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk. I scrambled some egg whites and made a cup of oatmeal. In my oatmeal, I added a teaspoon of whipped Earth Balance, 2 packets of stevia, a few dashes of cinnamon, and one teaspoon of flax seed meal)
9:30 am: I went on a 5 mile run and listened to some of my favorite jams on my iPod to stay motivated
11:29 am: I made an Isagenix vanilla flavored shake (in a blender, I added two scoops of the protein powder, 8 oz. of water, a tray of ice cubes, two tablespoons of bee pollen, about 5 dashes of cinnamon, 4 packets of stevia, 4 oz. of Mona Vie juice, and two tablespoons of whole flaxseeds). I have to say that my shakes taste WAY better than Jamba Juice!!!
2:36 pm: for a mid afternoon meal, I had a cup of plain goat's milk yogurt with cinnamon and stevia to give it a burst of flavor. I also added 10 dry, roasted almonds and a few blueberries for the good fats and antioxidants. I added 1/4 cup of this great cereal called HERITAGE heirloom whole grains from Nature's Path. It's made with spelt, quinoa, kamut, oats, whole wheat, barley, & millet. One serving (3/4 cup) has 6 grams of fiber!
5:33 pm: I sauteed spinach in olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled sesame seeds and squeezed juice from a lemon on top while the spinach was still in the pan. I put that on a plate and added raw carrots, jicama slices, and pieces of half of a red bell pepper on top of the bed of warm spinach. I added 2 tablespoons of oil free hummus on the neat pile of veggies and dressed the plate with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Very lite and yummy!
8:30 pm: before dinner, on an empty stomach, I had a mint chocolate Attune bar. It's very small, has 3 grams of fiber, and is filled with probiotics (about 5x the amount of live cultures in yogurt). With only 100 calories, it's a great thing to munch on! It promotes digestive health AND it tastes yummy! You can find these in the yogurt section of Whole Foods. For dinner, I had about 6 oz. of the curry chicken salad from the Whole Foods deli case. I also had a delicious salad with dark, leafy greens, harricotverts, yellow wax beans, squash, raddichio, roasted corn, celery root, radish sprouts, a slice of one-year-aged manchego cheese, and one mandarin orange slice all dressed in a fig balsamic vinaigrette with a splash of smoked tomato dressing. Whew! Sounds like a lot of food but I kept my portion to a moderate size. The trick? I used a smaller plate!  |
Posted: 9:44 PM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 |
Comments (3) | Add Comment | Link |
|
HELPING YOU JUMPSTART YOUR RESOLUTIONS WITH A JANUARY CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!
Happy almost New Year! It's CRAZY that 2008 is coming to a close. It's an understatement to say that it has been rewarding and inspiring to train with all of you. I have enjoyed watching your bodies and minds get stronger. Your determination is contagious and, for that, we all encourage each other! Everyone's endurance has taken leaps of improvement so it is only natural that I offer you a challenge (and an incentive for getting back on track!) for the month of January! After 2 months of consuming food that isn't normally in your diet, it's time to be good to your body again! Below is the incentive, followed by the challenge...
If you sign up for the monthly unlimited ($199) for January 2009 by 01/07/09, you will get one FREE hour of personal training with me (a $150 value). This can be a nutrition mentoring session involving me taking you to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and working with you on how to shop smart. I will teach you how to be a food detective! I'll give you a grocery list and meal plan to follow. If you want to train with me one-on-one, we can do exercises that will ENHANCE your body and core strength. I will then create a fitness program for YOUR body's individual needs that you can do on your own. If you purchase a package of 10 Missions ($210) by January 7th, I will comp you 2 extra Missions (a $50 value).
I want to give you a goal to work for while you jump start your New Year's resolutions. I will be conditioning everyone's core and stabilizing muscles even more this year and I will be prepping you all for a SUPER Mission that will take place on the 31st of January. My personal record for climbing the Santa Monica stairs is 25 times and I want to beat it with you! I had a SUPER Mission last year and our goal was to climb the stairs 20 times. Once a few of us got to 20, we decided to keep going and we completed 25 flights of stairs (that's up and down 25 times!). Everyone who participated did their absolute best (some did 15 flights, some did 18, some did 22). The idea is to beat your own personal goal. This is NOT a group competition!
My own personal Mission is to keep you all in shape! If you aren't feeling your absolute best right now, you owe it to yourself to get you to a place of feeling FABULOUS! Take care of your body now and it will thank you later! Make the choice to make the change and get ready for only AMAZING things to happen!  |
Posted: 12:28 PM, Friday, December 26, 2008 |
Comments (3) | Add Comment | Link |
|
My online holidays card to all of you!!!!
This is one of my most favorite times of the year and I want to acknowledge all of you who have been such a huge part of the Mission Possible™ community. Thank you so much for blogging and showing up to Missions to sweat it out with me! All of you motivate me to keep pursuing my own Mission in life (overcoming diabetes and spreading the word about living holistically).
It has been an incredible year and Mission Possible™ wouldn't be so successful without all of your encouraging emails, devoted attendance, sincere appreciation, and unconditional support. I hope you all have a warm and fuzzy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas! When January 1st rolls around, I'll be here to get you back on track with new fitness tips and sample meal plans!
If you live close enough to Mission Possible™, make it a New Year's resolution to kick off 2009 with a fun fitness regimen. All you have to do is show up and leave the motivation up to me! Have a happy, healthy and safe New Year's! Be well, enjoy your food, and love life!!!
 |
Posted: 3:17 PM, Tuesday, December 23, 2008 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
The results are in!
I always make sure to NEVER skip meals. With my hectic schedule that can sometimes be a challenge. I am determined to prevent a mid afternoon blood sugar crash. It's not a fun place to be! So I have been testing out different meal replacement bars and have finally found a couple that I really like. Some of the ones I tested were more like designer candy bars packaged to look like healthy treats. When, in fact, sneaky words for sugar were used to trick the consumer: evaporated cane juice, molasses, dextrose, etc... Some of them tasted like cardboard and some of them tasted like dessert. I found a couple that were perfectly in the middle: HEALTHY WITHOUT TASTING TOO HEALTHY! Below are my test results:
WILD BAR Mountain Mint flavor:
A raw superfood bar claiming to support sustained energy and stamina. It's rich in antioxidants (more than dark chocolate and blueberries), B12 & Omega 3s. It's sweetened with organic agave nectar and very high in fiber. The company states that this bar will actually enhance your mood. The ingredients are whole foods, mostly organic and super pure. The main ingredients are raw cacao and wild blue green algae. I really liked this bar because it only has 185 calories, 9.5 grams of fat (of which 7.5 are good fats), 19 grams of carbohydrates with FOURTEEN grams of fiber (so that means only 5 grams of net carbs), and 5.5 grams of protein. It tasted great but it's $5.39 for just one bar. I found others that I liked better for less $$$!
COMFORT BAR Itlalian Chocolate Vanilla Almond flavor:
With 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, this bar is a great pre-workout snack. It only has 180 calories, but 13 grams of the total 23 grams of carbohydrates are sugar. The FIRST ingredient is organic brown rice syrup (a fancy word for sugar). The list of mostly organic ingredients is more like a paragraph than a sentence. It tastes really good but it was too sugary for me. It's priced at $2.39 per bar.
OMEGA SMART BAR soy-free Pumpkin Spice flavor:
On the front alone it claims: An Excellent Source of ALA Omega 3 Fatty Acids! Gluten-Free, Vegan, Non-GMO, Whole Food Antioxidants, Sweetened with Low-Glycemic Agave Nectar, Made with Organic Flax and Figs! I like the short list of ingredients and the fact that it had 8 grams of fiber, but I really didn't love the taste. It was very similar to cardboard with a hint of pumpkin 
YOTTA BAR Natural Apple Cinnamon flavor:
This bar boasts: Sneak more VEGGIES into your diet! One serving of VEGGIES & fruits per chewy granola bar! This bar only has 2 grams of fiber and 11 grams of sugar. It tasted so-so, but I could REALLY taste the sugar! FOUR different kinds! It only has 120 calories but I didn't feel satiated after I ate it.
GNU FOODS FLAVOR AND FIBER BAR Peanut Butter flavor:
There's a picture of a little birdie on the front that says: "It works!" making reference to the high fiber count of 12 grams for regularity and heart health. I liked this one because it was very low in fat and had more fiber than sugar. The sugar count was 9 grams but it comes from fruit juices and plums. No fancy schmancy words trying to trick the consumer! It tastes good, but it's not too sugary. With only 150 calories, this is a perfect mid-afternoon snack. It's only $1.69!
OMEGA 3 CHIA GREENS ENERGY BAR Chocolate flavor:
Yummy! I loved the chia seeds in this! It tasted more like a dessert, so there is defintiely a generous amount of "natural" sugar in it: 21 grams!!! It has 6 grams of fiber and 8 grams of healthy fats. With a calorie count of 250, this is more like a small meal. It has tons of organic ingredients, no PROCESSED sugar, salt, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, synthetic sweeteners, preservatives or genetically modified foods of any kind. Even though there aren't any fancy words for sugar in this, it still had quite an effect on my blood sugar. This is not a bar that I can eat in the morning before I get my metabolism going for the day. This one is best as a post-workout snack or meal replacement for me. This bar is $2.99
AMAZING GRASS™ ORGANIC GREEN SUPERFOOD BAR Chocolate flavor:
SO YUMMY! Strangely, even though the sugar content is HIGHER in this one than ANY of the other bars (27 grams), it doesn't spike my blood sugar. With 6.5 grams of healthy fats, 4 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein, this 230 calorie bar is quite the meal replacement. I don't have to take very much insulin with it and I'm really surprised about that. Every ingredient is organic and whole. The only time sugar is mentioned in the ingredients is in the organic dark chocolate coating. I will sometimes eat one before a workout and it really sustains me without getting a stomach cramp. I can taste the little pieces of fruit in the bar but it's not overpowering. This bar costs $2.99
PERFECT FOODS BAR Peanuts & Carob Chip flavor:
Ok, so this bar is out of control! This is probably the YUMMIEST of all the bars, but it has almost 300 calories. The ingredients list is rather impressive and extensive. They are all complete and nutritious. The fat content is on the steep side: 15 grams, but 13 of them are polyunstaurated (essential) fats. Wih 26 total carbohydrates, only 3 of them are fiber, and 17 of them are sugars (all from fruit). There is a whopping total of 18 grams of protein! The company's slogan is: STAMINA, ENDURANCE, ENERGY... A very valid claim. But seriously, eat this thing with caution! This bar is sooooo good and it's easy to eat one everyday. Eat in moderation per the high fat content and calories. This one is about $2.89.
So, who wins? All things considered, my body feels best with the AMAZING GRASS™ ORGANIC GREEN SUPERFOOD BAR. I don't need tons of insulin when I eat it and that's huge for me. I feel good when I eat one: I don't glare at the fat content, and the 230 calories are just enough (but not too much) to get me through the afternoon or a hardcore workout. I almost ALWAYS have one in my purse or gym bag so I don't crash in the middle of the day. It's important to arm yourself with healthy ammunition for busy days. We ALL have them!
 |
Posted: 9:57 PM, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 |
Comments (5) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Fun ways to promote your company! Print your logo on ANYTHING!
So, it's almost that time again! I will soon be re-vamping my logo and printing more workout apparel! I might even get some Mission Possible™ yoga mats made! Last year, I printed my logo on some black tanks and they were a total hit! Some of my most dedicated Agents on a Mission still wear them!
If you want to pump up your business, check out Pump House Promotions! My friend Marie Librizzi is the proud owner and President of this super cool company! She helped me get set up with my order and made it so simple and affordable. Based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin PHP is a WBE certified ad specialty company and their focus is to partner with companies in their efforts to promote themselves through creative promotional and premium items. Marie is a branding maniac! She really knows her stuff and makes sure that the company carries only the best products available! Check out their site and see what they have to offer! Her logo is soooooo cool! Copy and paste this link into your browser:
www.pumphousepromotions.com
To contact Marie directly, here is her info:
Marie Librizzi
Pump House Promotions
5900 N. Shoreland Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53217
A Certified Woman Owned Business (I LOOOOVE THAT!)
Direct: (414) 324-1962
Phone: 888-834-0320 ext 701
Fax: 888-834-0320
marie@phpromo.com
|
Posted: 11:10 PM, Sunday, December 14, 2008 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
THE wedding planner!
Is anyone getting married soon? That big day is a very important moment in your life, and everything (from the dress and tuxes to the napkin holders) is meant to be perfect. If you need to be in the best shape of your life for that day you know that Mission Possible™ is the perfect remedy for looking lithe and fabulous! If you are looking for someone to do ALL the thinking and planning for you, I recommend Lindsay Longacre of LVL Events. Lindsay says, "LVL Events is a Girl's Best Friend!"
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming process. Selecting reliable vendors, creating an aesthetic, calculating an appropriate budget, and coordinating the day or weekend of the event is stressful and time-consuming. This is where Lindsay Longacre, owner of LVL Events, steps in. Lindsay helps make this process one of ease, not stress, by working closely with her clients to make sure their vision is put to life.
LVL Events is a full service wedding and event planning company based out of Orange County serving all of Southern California; including Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. LVL Events offers a variety of planning services and customizes each event package to fit the clients' needs because let's face it... no event is alike!
If you book Lindsay before 2009 you get a 10% discount! Saving money rocks! :) Below is her contact info:
Lindsay Val Longacre
Wedding & Event Consultant
LVL Events
Ph: 714-718-3122
lvlevents@gmail.com
www.lvlevents.com |
Posted: 8:04 PM, Friday, December 12, 2008 |
Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link |
|
KISS stands for: KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE!
How do you cut through the hype and bolgna that many manufacturers use to confuse consumers? The easiest way to do that is: KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE! Always check the label of a food item before you toss it into your shopping cart. The front of every package is well thought out and can, at times, be verrrrrrrry trricky. Just because the front of a bag says: "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!" it doesn't mean that it is sugar free. Even though there are arguably better sugars than others, sugar is sugar is sugar.
I checked out the ingredients on a plastic bag enclosing a loaf of bread that had a lot of consumer appeal. It claimed: "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!" but there were THREE other kinds of sugar in the ingredients: brown sugar, molasses, and dextrose! There were 7 grams of sugar and only 1 gram of fiber. Jeez! I glanced over at the label of my favorite kind of bread (Ezekiel) and there were 0 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber. Love it! Keep it simple everyone. The less ingredients, the better. And, remember, if you cannot pronounce an ingredient your body probably won't like it.
Here are some things to search for when looking at labels:
- more fiber than sugar (fiber is a negligible carbohydrate! Gotta LOVE that!)
- 10 ingredients or LESS! (if the list of ingredients looks more like a paragraph instead of a sentence, move on to something else!)
- servings per container (the nutrition facts are for ONE serving only, pay attention to that!)
- check out the fat content and search for items that are generous in mono- and polyunsaturated fats vs. saturated fats (almonds, avocados, flax seeds, sunflower seed butter, etc.)
- make sure that there is a nice balance between the total grams of fat, carbs, and protein (an imbalance would look something like this: Total fat: 1 gram, Total carbs: 42 grams, Total fiber: 1 gram, Total protein: 4 grams. Instead, look for more of a balance like this: Total fat: 5 grams, Total carbs: 22 grams, Total fiber: 6 grams, Total protein: 10 grams)
|
Posted: 4:08 PM, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Have you been sluggish??? Sugar may be that anchor you're feeling...
Aaaaah, it's that wonderful time of year again. Hibernating, stressing, rushing, and all those yummy scents and fuzzy feelings of Christmas that seem to make all of the prior worth it. But is it? We, as humans, tend to justify things and actions with time and location. Having seconds or thirds and THEN dessert at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is all too familiar for most. The recovery time after meals like these are usually a few days if not at least a week. Everyone I've spoken with about his or her Thanksgiving has said these words: "You wouldn't BELIEVE what I ate!!!"
Well, I have to admit that I said the exact same sentence myself. I ate a lot more sugar than I normally do in an entire month in the time span of 3 days in a row. While I enjoyed every second of it, (as I ate my second brownie and chocolate covered strawberries after dinner and gluten free, not sugar free, cake after lunch the next day, and sugary cereal for breakfast the day after that) it took my body almost a week to bounce back. Today was the first day since Turkey Day that my glucose levels were perfectly back to normal and I stopped craving sugar.
For those of you who do not have to monitor glucose levels, the harsh effects of sugar are less noticeable on the body. Sugar is one of the most ADDICTING DRUGS ON THE PLANET and we, as a society, have been hooked on it since we were barely old enough to walk. Parents use it to pacify and reward their kids all too often.
I am reading the book called "Sugar Shock" and Dr. Nicholas Perricone says: "Foods that we eat can be either proinflammatory (provoking an inflammatory response) or anti-inflammatory (they suppress the inflammatory response). The chief culprits in the proinflammatory arena are SUGAR and foods that quickly convert to sugar in the body. These include cakes, cookies, desserts, potatoes, most packaged breakfast cereals, some breads, pastries, baked goods, juice, soda, chips, and rice cakes. Proinflammatory foods will exacerbate acne lesions, cause us to pack on the pounds, make us old before out time, and place us at serious risk for... diseases and degenerative conditions..."
If you are having a hard time kicking your SUGAR ADDICTION, I would suggest doing a cleanse and quitting the sugar ingesting cold turkey. I am doing the 30 day Isagenix cleanse (day 2 today) and it is really helping my body to regenerate and rejuvenate from the Turkey Day shenanigans! |
Posted: 8:57 PM, Wednesday, December 3, 2008 |
Comments (3) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Need some HOLIDAY beauty tips?
I came across this cool website called MAKEUPKITTY.COM. It has tons of cool beauty tips and features the most en vogue makeup lines on the market! Makeup artist Courtney Corvan started The Makeup Kitty blog to share her experience, tips and tricks with readers to offer a one of a kind glimpse into the life of a Hollywood makeup artist. Some of her clients include ABC, NBC, MTV, Fox TV, E! Entertainment Television, Style Channel, A & E, Marie Claire Magazine, and the list goes on and on! Check it out! I love being a girl!  |
Posted: 7:57 PM, Tuesday, December 2, 2008 |
Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link |
|
DETOX AND PREVENT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN!
Did you know that the average American gains 8-15 lbs. between Thanksgiving and New Year's?! YIKES!  It all starts with Halloween sugar, is interlaced with stuffing yourself on Thanksgiving and the multiple meals around Christmas, and continues on to the drunkenness of New Year's. The holidays are typically full of calories, gluttony, lack of exercise, and a hefty amount of stress. Sounds like a perfect recipe for a much needed New Year's resolution. If you want to make a huge shift in your overall health and well being, give the 30 day Isagenix cleanse a shot (I lost 2 inches around my waist in the first 12 days and my energy levels doubled). It's not a diet at all, but more like a nutrient flush for your body. I did my first 30 day cleanse in November of last year and it helped me to keep my weight gain to only 1 pound over the holidays!!! Just email me at 57@jennaphillips.com and I can answer any and ALL questions you may have. You basically have nothing to lose except inches and pounds!!!  |
Posted: 12:06 AM, Wednesday, November 26, 2008 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
The VI Peel is also available at the Vitality Institute in Beverly Hills!
I blogged about Dr. Moy's office a couple weeks ago and mentioned some of their great services and procedures. It's in Manhattan Beach so for some of you in may be a bit of a drive (the drive is totally worth it to me!). Some of you have asked me if I knew of a place closer to the Santa Monica/Beverly Hills area that also had awesome stuff. Ask and it is given!!! I actually found the VI Peel at the Vitality Institute in Beverly Hills. This peel is available at tons of beauty spas and dermatologist offices, but they actually invented it!
The nurse practitioner, Lovely Israel, runs the Vitality Institute and was the one who did the procedure on me. She put it on my face and my upper back to help with the post-workout blemishes and the red spots from past breakouts. WOW! What a difference! My face started to peel after 3 days and my back/shoulders started to peel after a week. Lovely really knows her stuff! I found out that she's worked in cosmetic dermatology for the last 5 years and has her residency in alternative and Eastern medicine (I love that!!!). She also works at an Endocrinology practice part time and is developing a new Vitality Institute weight loss program. I asked Lovely to tell me more about the Peel and how it was developed:
"The Vi Peel was developed by my associate, Dr. Abdala Kalil. Dr. Kalil was searching for a treatment for his 15 year old daughter who was suffering from acne. The peel is a synergistic blend of Retin-A, Salicylic Acid, TCA, Vitamin C and Phenol and is designed to treat acne, discoloration, fine lines, and sun damage. The most unique component of the peel is the fact that the patient has a rapid recovery time with dramatic results. We go to the dentist for cavity prevention so we should visit Vitality Institute for skin damage prevention. I tell my patients that regardless of age, the peel should be done every 3-4 months for maintenance and prevention of premature aging and skin cancer (especially because we live in Southern California). Prevention is key; dermal filler injections and botox also assist in the anti-aging process by preventing wrinkles from forming. With current technology we can practically halt the aging process by practicing these preventative measures."
Below is her info so you can call to make an appointment for any of your beauty needs!
Lovely Israel
Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner
Vitality Institute, Beverly Hills
www.vitalityinstitute.com
310.278.2122 |
Posted: 11:14 PM, Tuesday, November 25, 2008 |
Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link |
|
Want to boost your immune system, improve your regularity, and clean up your GI tract and skin?
It seems that we are always looking for a secret magic pill to undo all the damage post years of unintentional bodily harm. It is very hard to protect ourselves from environmental toxins and all of the yucky "ingredients" that manufacturers hide in our food. After decades of this stuff, our bodies start to cry out for help. Why do you think we get "sick"? Our body is trying to tell us something. I am always fine tuning my immune system and I have recently discovered something SPECTACULAR! Have you ever heard of COLOSTRUM?
Colostrum is the milk produced by a mother for the first few days after giving birth. It is rich in immune components (including antibodies and lactoferrin) as well as growth factors (including insulin-like growth factor, IGF, and transforming growth factor, TGF). Colostrum has been actively researched and marketed for decades as a replacement food in veterinary markets because animals deprived of their first colostrum are at significant risk of life-threatening infections and death. Companies make it available to everyone as a derivative from cow's milk.
I just started taking it twice a day to boost my immune system, clear up my acne breakouts, improve my digestion and regularity and speed up my metabolism. I FEEL AMAZING AFTER JUST 5 DAYS AND HAVE GOTTEN MY MISSION POSSIBLE AGENTS JUST AS EXCITED ABOUT IT! You can take it in powder form or capsules. I bought it in powder form at Whole Foods. This stuff ROCKS my world! Below are some links that you can click on to learn more about the dis-eases and conditions studies have shown COLOSTRUM can improve:
|
Posted: 5:57 PM, Monday, November 24, 2008 |
Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link |
|
GUILT FREE DESSERT!!!
Agent Melissa has turned me on to a fabulous new discovery. Can you imagine eating a whole PINT of ice cream or frozen yogurt and only consuming 128 calories?! WHAT?! Yes, you just read that correctly. It's called ARCTIC ZERO and it's a rich and creamy ice cream replacement designed for those who love dessert but don't want the avalanche of calories and saturated fat. It's mainly a whey protein concentrate and only has about 9 ingredients! Gotta love that! It has a nice amount of protein and fiber but no fat at all! The blend of natural sugars used to sweeten this delightful treat makes Arctic Zero low on the glycemic index so it's extra diabetic friendly! Check out their website: www.myarcticzero.com so you can find out where to buy all of their yummy flavors!  |
Posted: 9:57 PM, Sunday, November 23, 2008 |
Comments (1) | Add Comment | Link |
|
|
