Here is a great ab workout. Do it 3 times a week and you are sure to have "killer abs". Make sure you do the whole thing and work your way up to holding the plank for the full minute. The plank will be tough, but it is the best thing for you (and your love handles!)
Do each of the following exercises with NO rest in between. Repeat this 3 times with a one minute rest between sets. (So, you are doing a total of 3 five minute sets.)
1) Bicycle (keep your straight leg as close to the ground as possible)http://www.ehow.com/video_2351933_bicycle-crunch-exercises-abs.html
2) Flutter Kick (Flutter kick is the first exercise in this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C7ZNKHHh1k
3) Plank (work your way up to doing this on your toes for the full minute)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ar2iRusnnc
4) Side plank (each side for 30 seconds), pulse for the last ten seconds on each side
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqzrb67Dwf8
5) Reverse Crunch (do not use your legs for momentum)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ98m_XEgLA
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-KT
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Ambitious Home Cook
People are always talking about that new restaurant that offers really delicious, healthy menu choices or uses fresh ingredients from their garden behind the restaurant. It is great that we have places like that to eat out, I want that at home! There is nothing better then preparing a meal for your family and knowing what you are eating has nutritional value and tastes delicious!
If you thought making healthy choices at restaurants was hard, imagine how difficult it can be to make good choices when you fix a meal for your family. Luckily, there is hope for those of you who are Ambitious Home Cook's like myself!
Have you ever really paid attention to how you cook at home? There is the meat you choose, the sides you pick, olive oil or butter, and the little ingredients you add that make a big difference. I am currently trying to master the art of 'cooking at home' as well as the art of 'healthy cooking'. It's quite a difficult task! We all lead very busy lives and good cooking, regardless if it is healthy or not, takes time and planning. I really envy those of you who can pull off healthy, tasteful meals for your families night after night. I am constantly searching recipes online and in magazines, trying to find new dinners to cook for my husband and I. I am going to share some of my favorites with you periodically on Live. We want Live. to be a place where we can share trials and tribulations of our healthy cooking experiences.
As the ambitious home cook that I am, I have started to notice ingredients more and more in my recipes and I have been tweeking them where I can to make them a little more figure friendly. Doing this and keeping that flavor can be challenging at times, so I turn to the professionals.
I have discovered the website and magazine, Cookng Light. They provide countless recipes that have had 'makeovers', which means that they have taken all those dishes that are histroically known for being on the unhealthy side and they have replaced some of the ingredients to make them a little better for you. They actually show you the Nutrirional Information for the 'old way' and the 'new way'! I think you will find it really interesting and they make it seem easy!
Here is an example of a delicious Crab Cake recipe that has had a pretty good makeover!
http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/recipe-makeovers/healthy-crab-cakes-recipes-00412000067330/
When you get a minute check out the website www.cookinglight.com and pick out your recipe for tonight!
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Jessi
If you thought making healthy choices at restaurants was hard, imagine how difficult it can be to make good choices when you fix a meal for your family. Luckily, there is hope for those of you who are Ambitious Home Cook's like myself!
Have you ever really paid attention to how you cook at home? There is the meat you choose, the sides you pick, olive oil or butter, and the little ingredients you add that make a big difference. I am currently trying to master the art of 'cooking at home' as well as the art of 'healthy cooking'. It's quite a difficult task! We all lead very busy lives and good cooking, regardless if it is healthy or not, takes time and planning. I really envy those of you who can pull off healthy, tasteful meals for your families night after night. I am constantly searching recipes online and in magazines, trying to find new dinners to cook for my husband and I. I am going to share some of my favorites with you periodically on Live. We want Live. to be a place where we can share trials and tribulations of our healthy cooking experiences.
As the ambitious home cook that I am, I have started to notice ingredients more and more in my recipes and I have been tweeking them where I can to make them a little more figure friendly. Doing this and keeping that flavor can be challenging at times, so I turn to the professionals.
I have discovered the website and magazine, Cookng Light. They provide countless recipes that have had 'makeovers', which means that they have taken all those dishes that are histroically known for being on the unhealthy side and they have replaced some of the ingredients to make them a little better for you. They actually show you the Nutrirional Information for the 'old way' and the 'new way'! I think you will find it really interesting and they make it seem easy!
Here is an example of a delicious Crab Cake recipe that has had a pretty good makeover!
http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/recipe-makeovers/healthy-crab-cakes-recipes-00412000067330/
When you get a minute check out the website www.cookinglight.com and pick out your recipe for tonight!
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Jessi
Friday, July 23, 2010
t'afia
Since the weekend is finally here, I figured I would put the workout talk aside and discuss something a little more fun.....Food! I have been a stalker of Houston restaurants for a little over a year now and T'afia has always been my numero uno!
If you are looking for something to do early Saturday morning, you are in for a treat. Monica Pope, owner of T'afia, teaches a FREE (yes, free!) cooking class at 9:30 am every Saturday Morning. There is a small farmers market in and around her Restaurant until noon and she uses the fresh ingredients of the day to create artistic and delicious dishes for the audience. The best and possibly most important part is you get to sample everything. So, my suggestion to all of you this weekend is to get up early on Saturday, go for a nice long run and then head to T'afia to wander around the farmers market, have breakfast in the restaurant and then learn something new from one of the best chefs in town. Trust me, you will feel amazing afterward!
I am an avid believer in learning about your food. Some people (especially my pastrami loving coworker) will disagree, but I find it interesting. And it helps me to appreciate my food rather than gorge myself without even stopping to appreciate the creativity and thought that went into it. So, I will give you a tiny bit of info on the beloved T’afia…
T’afia comes from the word ratafia which is a fortified wine made with seasonal fruit. The word T’afia is also used as a toast and has two meanings: “to your health” and “the deal is done”. Monica Pope has helped Houston become a large supporter of local ingredients and her success in astounding. She is, well, awesome! Needless to say, you will be sure to find some unique and delicious cocktails. And here’s the best part…. Monday – Thursday you get two free appetizers with every cocktail you order. And this “happy hour” lasts until closing! Hope you all try out this local Houston favorite and if you do, let me know what you think!!
http://www.tafia.com/index.html
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Kati
If you are looking for something to do early Saturday morning, you are in for a treat. Monica Pope, owner of T'afia, teaches a FREE (yes, free!) cooking class at 9:30 am every Saturday Morning. There is a small farmers market in and around her Restaurant until noon and she uses the fresh ingredients of the day to create artistic and delicious dishes for the audience. The best and possibly most important part is you get to sample everything. So, my suggestion to all of you this weekend is to get up early on Saturday, go for a nice long run and then head to T'afia to wander around the farmers market, have breakfast in the restaurant and then learn something new from one of the best chefs in town. Trust me, you will feel amazing afterward!
I am an avid believer in learning about your food. Some people (especially my pastrami loving coworker) will disagree, but I find it interesting. And it helps me to appreciate my food rather than gorge myself without even stopping to appreciate the creativity and thought that went into it. So, I will give you a tiny bit of info on the beloved T’afia…
T’afia comes from the word ratafia which is a fortified wine made with seasonal fruit. The word T’afia is also used as a toast and has two meanings: “to your health” and “the deal is done”. Monica Pope has helped Houston become a large supporter of local ingredients and her success in astounding. She is, well, awesome! Needless to say, you will be sure to find some unique and delicious cocktails. And here’s the best part…. Monday – Thursday you get two free appetizers with every cocktail you order. And this “happy hour” lasts until closing! Hope you all try out this local Houston favorite and if you do, let me know what you think!!
http://www.tafia.com/index.html
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Kati
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Introducing Live.
We are two sisters who, for years, have been searching and discovering ways to stay fit, healthy and happy. Of course, we all have our ups and downs but for the most part, we think we do a pretty good job! So, we want to share our workouts, healthy tricks, and other crazy ideas with anyone that is interested!
Live. is meant to be a place that will promote conversation about how to live and be fit, healthy and happy. The things we eat and the physical activities we take part in are intertwined closely with our happiness. Our philosophy has three parts: live fit, live healthy and live happy. This seems like such a simple idea but it is easy to lose balance. When our fitness and diet are not up to par, everything else seems to fall apart with it.
Living FIT. The idea of living fit is you workout to live, not live to workout. What is the point of all the hard work if you can't have some fun along with it. We have been dying to have a workout where people are there because they truly enjoy breaking a sweat and pushing it to the limit. A place that doesn't make you feel pressured, but instead motivated to work out as hard as you possibly can. Well, we couldn't find such a place so we decided to create one.
Living HEALTHY. This is the good part! Healthy eating doesn't have to be such a burden. If you put effort into learning about ingredients, good and bad, you will want to make the right decision. When you savor and appreciate your food, you are less likely to stuff your face. We do think there is always room for a cookie or that occasional margarita and that is what the workouts are for! Check in for occasional updates on healthy eating and crazy, unconventional foods that will keep you feeling your best.
Living HAPPY. This is the part where it all comes together. Living happy is about balance. It is possible to do it all…workout, eat well, rest, have fun, have a career, build relationships and enjoy life! You just have to have the motivation and the tools to balance it all out. Hopefully, we can help ya with that.
OK, so that is just a little preview of what's to come on the blog. We may throw in some travel ideas, book recommendations, and you can definitely expect to see restaurant tips since Kati is an official stalker of Houston restaurants! If you have any questions comments or ideas of your own, please feel free to share.
Until next time,
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Kati and Jessi
Live. is meant to be a place that will promote conversation about how to live and be fit, healthy and happy. The things we eat and the physical activities we take part in are intertwined closely with our happiness. Our philosophy has three parts: live fit, live healthy and live happy. This seems like such a simple idea but it is easy to lose balance. When our fitness and diet are not up to par, everything else seems to fall apart with it.
Living FIT. The idea of living fit is you workout to live, not live to workout. What is the point of all the hard work if you can't have some fun along with it. We have been dying to have a workout where people are there because they truly enjoy breaking a sweat and pushing it to the limit. A place that doesn't make you feel pressured, but instead motivated to work out as hard as you possibly can. Well, we couldn't find such a place so we decided to create one.
Living HEALTHY. This is the good part! Healthy eating doesn't have to be such a burden. If you put effort into learning about ingredients, good and bad, you will want to make the right decision. When you savor and appreciate your food, you are less likely to stuff your face. We do think there is always room for a cookie or that occasional margarita and that is what the workouts are for! Check in for occasional updates on healthy eating and crazy, unconventional foods that will keep you feeling your best.
Living HAPPY. This is the part where it all comes together. Living happy is about balance. It is possible to do it all…workout, eat well, rest, have fun, have a career, build relationships and enjoy life! You just have to have the motivation and the tools to balance it all out. Hopefully, we can help ya with that.
OK, so that is just a little preview of what's to come on the blog. We may throw in some travel ideas, book recommendations, and you can definitely expect to see restaurant tips since Kati is an official stalker of Houston restaurants! If you have any questions comments or ideas of your own, please feel free to share.
Until next time,
live fit. live healthy. live happy.
-Kati and Jessi
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