8am – Pretend you’re in Greece while you complete a morning workout!

I’m in dying need of a travel break! Whether it’s to a major city or a European escapade, count this girl in. Although working full-time doesn’t permit much time for travel, I admit to planning my own Royal Caribbean Mediterranean Cruise and bookmarking stops along the California Coast on my travel Pinterest boards (hey, it could happen one day).

For those of you daydreamers who keep on saving for your next venture, you’ll love this workout series I just found!

It’s called Tone it Up and these girls do the best they can to make you feel like you’re NOT working out in the middle of a living room! With workouts ranging from 5 minutes to full-on cardio sessions, it’s easy to squeeze into a busy schedule. 

 (Source)

Workouts are provided on a weekly basis. Although I have to admit, I haven’t followed their full workout regimen, adding a few of these workouts into my morning routine was quite simple. For example, try this quick Santorini Bikini workout before work to boost your metabolism and torch calories throughout the day – or wake-up with the Sunkissed Abs workout.

Although the Tone It Up series may be sub-par to my typical workout intensity, I’ve learned that adding it into my workout routine has an awakening effect! It’s easy to feel rejuvenated and refreshed after a quick workout. 

Will this series increase my muscle tone and change the way I look? Not quite sure, but it will change the way I feel. Let me know if you’re interested in hearing more about this series. I’d be more than happy to share! Otherwise simply visit http://toneitup.com

 

6pm – Plan a Gluten-Free, Family-Friendly Sneak Attack (recipe provided)

My younger brothers and sisters had no clue what going “gluten free” meant, and neither did my father – but little did they know, they were getting a delicious taste of what it meant to eat gluten-free when I came home for a weekend visit. I like to think of it as a gluten-free sneak attack – and it’s fairly simple to pull off as long as your dinner entree is savory with a zesty kick. 

Am I a gluten-free eater? No. Have I considered going gluten-free? Yes. From research, I learned that going gluten free may help those with thyroid disorders, celiac disease or sensitive stomachs. However rather than cutting out gluten-filled foods, I learned that I can still reap the benefits simply by limiting my gluten intake and making easy substitutions. 

This lemon chicken, red bean and quinoa recipe is one of those substitutions. I knew my pasta-loving family would enjoy. 

You’ll need:

• Chicken breast cutlets (I used about 2 lbs)
• 2 tbs Olive oil
• Lemon (1)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried mint 
• Sea Salt (As much as you like)
• Pepper (A pinch)
• 2 tbsp Cumin 
• 1 tsp paprika
• Quinoa (I bought a box of rice/quinoa mix at Publix)
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 can red pinto beans – salt free preferred

 

Cook quinoa according to box directions. 

To prepare chicken – Pat the chicken with cumin, mint, paprika, sea salt and pepper. Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to skillet and add chicken. Squeeze lemon over chicken and cook over medium heat (about 5 min each side). Set aside when chicken is cooked completely. 

Remove chicken from pan and add more olive oil. Cook the red onion with the garlic until it has a nice brown color.

 

 Add the pinto beans and quinoa into the mixture when ready. 

 

When you have a colorful mixture, add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to add some extra flavor. Pair mixture with chicken and dinner is served! 

I tend to eyeball ingredients when I cook, but if you have any questions on how this was prepared feel free to ask and I’ll give you some tips. I hope you and your family enjoy this delicious gluten-free recipe. 

Jordana

 

6:30pm: Is your workout like your relationship? Get ON IT (Fat burning workout provided)

We see it all over the news – divorce, split-ups, general  frustrations. Once you get into a rut, the magic is lost.  Workouts work the same way. By repeating the same elliptical workout and the same 5-mile run – the weight loss magic is lost. The purpose of intervals is to confuse our bodies by mixing high-intensity movement and a much slower, easy-going pace. Aside from interval training, there are many ways to confuse your muscles, which will in turn result in more fat-loss and more muscle tone.

This workout circuit will take your workout to new heights!

Warm Up (Repeat two times)

High Knees (:30)

Butt Kicks (:30)

Squat Jumps (:30)

Set  1 (Repeat 2x for a total of four minutes)

Frog Jumps (1 min)

Alternating Lateral Lunge (1 min)

(Run laps OR Run on treadmill)

Set 2 (Repeat 2x for a total of four minutes)

Pushups off a box or bench (alternate: pushup to left side, pushup to middle, pushup to right side) (1  minute)

Jump Squats with weights (1 minute)

(Run laps or run on treadmill)

Set 3 (Repeat 2x for a  total of four minutes)

Ab leg climb (1 minute)

Russian twist (1 minute)

Set 4 (Repeat 2x for a total of four minutes)

Travel burpees (1 minute)

180 twists (1 minute)

Finish It Off:

50 Sit Ups

50 Mountain Climbers

50 Plyo Lunges

And you’re done!

Have a great day guys. I’d appreciate comments and suggestions 🙂