As the temperatures begin to warm up and many of us take our exercising outdoors, the need for proper hydration increases. Drinking water is one of the most basic concepts yet missed or displaced by the most educated of us all. Many times when you encounter a headache, shakiness/dizziness or constipation, its dehydration. If you are thirsty, chances are you are not drinking enough water. The color of your urine is another indication of whether or not you are staying hydrated. Your urine should not be yellow or rusty/amber in color. It should be relatively clear and light with certain supplements altering this of course.

Water carries oxygen and nutrients to your cells as well as lubricates your joints– paramount to your performance. Staying hydrated helps your muscles work more efficiently and allows the heart to pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles with greater ease. As we sweat, we of course experience water loss which needs to be replaced, but what some might not realize, is even in dry temperatures and climates such as the desert, just because you are not sweating doesn’t mean you don’t need to hydrate. Dry temperatures are very dehydrating, so be sure and take water with you and ingest water as you go about your day.

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How do you get in the habit of drinking more water? I tell the majority of my clients to carry around liter bottles (BPA free) of water to keep refilling until they create a habit of consistently drinking enough. Filtered water is essential as you cannot depend on tap water to provide you with “clean” water. By having the bottle as a reminder and to see how much you have consumed throughout the day really does help. The other option that works is setting the alarm on your phone calendar to “drink water” and really drink it! I have some of my clients set this for every hour-two hours throughout the day until… it becomes a habit!  Adding chia seeds, lemon slices or your favorite sliced fruit is also another way to enjoy more water and further hydrate.

How much water should you be drinking? The old adage of 8 glasses of water a day isn’t necessarily true and usually requires much more than that for the majority of us! Most recommend taking your body weight and dividing it in half to get the number of ounces you should drink. If you are active/exercising, sunbathing, traveling or in an environment as mentioned above, you should be drinking more. Also, if you are on certain medications, they can also cause dehydration. Get to know what works for you and most of all listen to your body, the signals and symptoms it is sending you and check the color of your urine. These are all easy ways to help your body operate at its best and it’s depending on YOU!!  Happy Hydrating xx, a-m

p.s. prepare for glowing skin as another benefit of increased water consumption…you can thank me later!  😉

I have been hooked on this amazing, versatile superfood for quite some time,  but for those new to what it is or even how to pronounce it- let me drop some healthful (ha ha) knowledge!

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) not only tastes great, but is packed with healthy benefits, quick to make and easy to mix into or substitute in some of your favorite recipes!

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Benefits:

Gluten Free/GMO Free

High digestibility/low allergy making it great for those with food allergies and for children/toddlers

High in Fiber

High in Protein and great for vegans/plant-based diets or those looking to change things up from animal proteins

Great source of essential amino acids, antioxidents and manganese

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Easy to Prepare:

Quinoa can be ready to eat in as little as 15-20 minutes:

Rinse quinoa and drain

Put 2 cups of filtered water into a pot

Add 1 cup of organic, raw quinoa

Bring to a boil

Stir, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until all water is absorbed into the superfood)

Variety is the spice of life!

Quinoa is so versatile you can get creative and give your tastebuds some fun!

  • Add nuts and fruits to cooked quinoa for a hearty breakfast
  • Sprinkle over/toss into your favorite salads
  • Create a quinoa bowl with steamed green vegetables and sweet potato
  • Add quinoa to your favorite vegetable soups
  • Use when making gluten free cookies or grind into a powder for muffins
  • Swap out the rice with quinoa when making sushi
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As you can see, this superfood is for sure Ah-mazing!! Have some recipes or ways in which you love to incorporate quinoa into your healthy routine? (a few of  mine are in the pics here) Let me know as sharing is caring on this beautiful journey of wellbeing! Now time for some milk (almond milk of course) and quinoa chocolate chip cookies 🙂  xx, a-m

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As race season officially started up again last weekend for one of my favorite “sparkplugs” Para-triathlete Mary Kate Callahan, I wanted to circle back with her since our last conversation and see how she was preparing to take on the season and prepare for Rio 2016! (sidenote, she was just mentioned yesterday in the Team USA article “para-triathletes to watch in 2015).

I asked Mary Kate to elaborate on some of her essentials/must have treasures for happiness. About the importance of surrounding oneself with likeminded, positive people and for fun… what this girly-girl at heart has in her training travel and workout bag!

MK: I always become more aware of my surroundings and especially all of the people in my life that have helped me get to where I am today. I think surrounding myself with so many GREAT people is a huge reason I am where I am today. These are the people that keep me calm, quiet, excited, focused and loving life on a day to day basis. Since I’m also in school while training, these are the people that help me keep a balanced lifestyle. I think if you get caught up in one part of life… you’ll miss out on so many other aspects of life.

I like to use other people’s energy to help fuel myself, whether it’s in training or racing it’s pretty amazing what can happen when you surround yourself with positive people.

If you know me, you know I have my schedule planned out for 2-3 weeks in advance just because the more organized I am, the more I am able to concentrate on the important things in life. I can spend the extra time going over my training schedules and data from various training sessions instead of hustling and trying to get the next day organized. When I stay organized, it helps me keep out all that extra anxiety in my head. The variety of the lifestyle I have is what keeps life FUN! I think having a balanced lifestyle is one of the huge reasons I ENJOY what I’m doing so much. Whether its intervals in a run workout, training with various groups of people throughout the week, exploring new training areas- all of this always keeps me on the tip of my toes when it comes to training.

I know you need to love what you’re doing in order to be:

  1. Happy in life 2. Be able to succeed in whatever you’re doing.

Since I am the biggest girly girl when it comes to triathlon, my workout bag might make some people laugh. It also includes a little of everything since I swim, bike, and run ( I actually have multiple workout bags- one for swim, one for bike, and one for running) – A few of my favorite things from each include; a funky pattern swimsuit, cap, & goggles. I always carry suntan lotion, lotion (chlorine eats away my skin) bandaids, and chapstick in every bag. I also carry pink and black athletic tape with me at ALL times.  I’m a huge fan of headbands so I usually have multiple headbands in each bag. I have gotten better but I haven’t always been the greatest with tools BUT this multi-tool has become my BFF- anything that needs to be fixed on either of my bikes – this multi-tool will fix! My pink Rudy sunglasses are a must for when I’m biking or running and I always carry a change of workout clothes.

Never, Never, Never Give Up…MK

Always a pleasure and inspiration with MK and join me in cheering her on this season and onward to Rio 2016!! xx, a-m

You can refer to mine and MK’s conversation from July here: http://www.amfit.guru/turn-down-for-what/

Thrilled to see U.S. Women’s Field Hockey National Team athlete Lauren Pfeiffer enjoying my Blueberry-Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe post-workout. She understands the importance of post-workout nutrition and it’s inspiring to me, seeing how dedicated these ladies are to their sport and how they fuel their bodies and minds! I am honored to be a part of their “team” and share my passion of health, nutrition and fitness with such a like-minded group!

“It is important to refuel your body after a workout with carbohydrates and protein in order to recover properly. Smoothies are an easy way to get your post-workout nutritional needs (and they taste good too!).” ~Lauren Pfeiffer

A-M Fit Blueberry-Chocolate Protein Smoothie:

1 scoop vegan chocolate protein powder (or you can use whey)

1- 1 1/2 cups almond milk

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1/2 cup organic frozen blueberries (or blackberries)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 ice cubes

Place in a Nutribullet or blender of your choice and blend/pulse for a few minutes.

Result- a delicious, nutritious protein smoothie full of antioxidants, healthy protein, fats and fiber.

Cheers to your health and fueling your body to perform at its best both mentally and physically! xx, a-m

 

One of the main “spokes” as I like to refer to them as, that completes the wheel, your “Wheel of Wellness” is positive nourishment. I’m not referring to food but rather attitude, spirit, ambition, passion…your light. When working with clients, we tap into these various spokes on the wheel of wellness because they all tie together and complete you. Even if a client comes to me saying they need to lose weight but feel “stuck”, it’s never just the food and fitness we explore but rather all of the spokes that create a healthy, functioning body, mind and spirit that is you!

One of my favorite quotes pictured below,  is one I often reflect on often and in times when even I feel someone or something may be trying to dim my light. At the end of the day, we are responsible for how we react, for our feelings, for the direction our path in life takes. The beauty of the light, your light, is that it can shine as bright as you want! I encourage you to shine on– bright as can be and without worry of it hurting anyone’s eyes :). The healthier you are on the inside (remember happiness is an inside job), the more you will shine on the outside. Now this… This is where your fuel– mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and yes the food-fuel all ties together in your wellness wheel. You didn’t miss your destiny because you had a detour. NOW is the perfect time to “tune up” your wheels as your journey into the New Year begins! I look forward to seeing the shining light you’re going to bring forth. Shine on wellness warriors! xx, a-m

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