Anyway, we had tried a new type of fish, and he turned up his little pink nose at it, and started screaming incessantly.  And his favorite trick is to climb up on my pillow and walk around in my hair.  That is a BIG pet peeve of mine–I cannot STAND for my hair to be caught or pulled.  I can’t even lay my head on it–it has to be out from under me or I go nuts.   HOW does he know this?????  I think for the first time in my life, I really got angry with him.  I dumped him off the bed several times.  But then I felt horrible for hurting his feelings, and I couldn’t go back to sleep even without his relentless crying and walking in my hair.  Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.

So yesterday, I was worthless.  I slept half the afternoon.  My eyes were burning and my head felt dizzy and detached.  I did manage to get some important real estate stuff done, but thank God I didn’t have to go see anyone.  I wouldn’t have made it.  The only thing I did outside the house, was head to the Kroger to get some tuna for Juke, to stop the howling.  Once he got that, all was quiet in the Seguin household again.  Furry little fiend.

More about the fabulous Bombshell Camp.  I stayed in the Casa Del Bombshell, which is a beach house just north of Daytona Beach, FL, that the Deys own and make available at a wonderful price to the girls staying at the camp.  It was like a big slumber party!  So funny to have all these women in one house who are all on these extreme diets and workouts.  I was so impressed by the caliber of the women.  I wondered before I went if most of the campers would be little young bimbos, but that was not the case at ALL!  The ladies were mostly in their 30’s, and there was only one a little older than me.  One girl was 21, but she was so fun and mature that she fit right in with all of us.  And the ladies were all professional career women—nurses, pharmaceutical reps, technological software reps, retail merchandising pros, etc—and most have at least one child.  They are really wonderful examples of living a healthy lifestyle and juggling the crazy competition preparation with career, family, etc.

Friday night we had an orientation that lasted for a couple of hours, followed by a Cardio Boot Camp session.  They took us outside and made us do all this on the sidewalk of a busy street.  Of course, all the guys going by in cars were hooting and hollering at all the sweaty hot ladies.  At first I felt silly, but once the workout got going, it was so intense it wouldn’t have mattered where I was.  I could only focus on getting through the exercises.  I was proud of one thing–at one point, they had us do short sprints.  Now that is my specialty!  I kicked butt on that.  But I have always been fortunate to be blessed with great speed.  Very few times in my life have I lost a race.   I felt great after those.

Saturday—WOW!  We started at 8am.  Imagine working one body part as hard as you can for about 45 minutes, nonstop in a circuit-style.  Now multiply that by SIX!   Yes, we did six really intense workouts in one day.   We did get some rest in between, and had a couple longer breaks where they lectured us on contest preparation, how to present ourselves, etc.  We also did a LOT of work on posing for stage.  That is so much more involved than most would imagine.  And standing for l-o-o-o-o-n-g periods of time with all your muscles flexed, in an unnatural pose with your back cranked around hurts really bad after a while.  Especially the lower back, and of course the feet.  We have to wear five-inch clear ‘hooker heels’.   I am used to heels and mine are pretty comfortable, but after a while, there’s no such thing as comfortable five-inch heels!

We finished up mid-afternoon and had some time to go shopping or do what we wanted.  Nobody shopped at all!  We were all back at Casa Del Bombshell crashed out on our beds!  We stayed there until time to go to dinner.  Shannon hosted us at her beautiful home with a ‘cheat’ meal.  Yes, I ate pizza–regular pizza, not raw, although I did stick to veggie pizza with no meat.   I know, Bad Christy.  But here’s why.  First of all, it was part of the camp and I felt like refusing the food they provided us would have been really rude.  Plus one cheat meal a week when on such a strict diet is very important.  The body plateaus, and the cheat meal kick-starts your metabolism.   My body responds really well to cheat meals.  On my former diet, I used to eat a pizza and a small grocery-store birthday cake for my cheat meal.  Notice I did not say ‘part of’ the pizza and cake–I ate the whole thing!  No kidding–it always grossed Michael out.    And then I would drop a couple of pounds of bodyfat two days later.  Never failed.  And it happened this time too!  I could totally tell yesterday that I had lost at least an inch on my waist and was much leaner.  Especially after those workouts!

For my cheat meals going forward, I will probably make a raw pie or cake or something.   Definitely Spirulina Pie!  Or maybe my decadent Goji Chocolate Bliss.   I know I won’t be able to have much fruit on my diet either, so I will probably go in for some fruit.  Yum.

Sunday we did a really brutal cardio session.  Their idea of cardio is not spending an hour on the treadmill or elliptical going at a moderate pace like you see everyone in the gyms doing.  It is intense intervals that build muscular endurance and send the heart rate through the roof.  Fortunately, that is how I have always felt too, so I was well-prepared for the sessions and many of the exercises were things I had already been doing.  Didn’t make it any easier!  But at least I knew what to do.

The Cardio Bombshells! L-R--Me, Debra Plennert and Angela Firkins.

Then we had another posing session, and a mock figure show.  We acted like we were really on stage, and we did the callouts, lineups, individual poses, everything.   I feel that my posing is really, really horrible, and I made great progress in just two days.  Their methods are different than what I had been taught before, and really are simpler.  I will have to practice, practice, practice.  This is definitely a weak spot in my repertoire.  And that is not good!  What a shame to work so hard to develop an excellent physique, and then not be able to showcase it properly on stage.  That would indeed be tragic.  They pay such attention to minute details as well.  I love it.  Every little advantage counts when you are standing amongst 30 other incredibly fit and beautiful women!

Then we wrapped up camp and said goodbyes.  Michael wanted me to get a chart of the waterways in that area, so I had to go all the way into Daytona to find a marina.  It was really nice!   I will probably be going back for more sessions, possibly private training, so we thought it would be a lot of fun to take Soul Mate and stay on her in the marina.  

Then I packed up my two HUGE coolers full of food, and headed for home.  Easy drive–it’s interstate all the way.  But it was long, and when I had to stop for gas, getting my stiff body out of the car was a challenge.   Funny how driving totally stiffens you up, especially when you are already sore.

So that was my amazing, wonderful experience.  I have never had a trainer before, so this is just a thrill for me.   I was making so many mistakes, and would never have thought of the things I was taught this weekend on my own.  Shannon is a judge, so her inside knowledge is invaluable.  I am looking forward to competing, possibly this fall.  We will see how my progress goes.

I received my first month of workouts today.  Definitely intense, but certainly doable.  I plan to give 110% and really dig deep to make every one of them count.  I will start tomorrow.  Shannon insisted I take two days off from working out at all, and boy has that been hard.  I am absolutely itching to get back in the gym and put my newfound knowledge to work!  NOT working out is hard for me.  I need my workouts. 

Blessings, love and light to you all.  I will keep you abreast of how this is going.  I am really excited and eager for this journey.   We will see to what destinations it leads me.

Be Defiant!

Christy

___________

I am fortunate that I found a compatriot on YouTube—RawVeganBodybuilder, aka Giacomo Marchese.  His videos are great and he’s a super guy.  I asked for his advice since he has been competing as a raw vegan already.  And coincidentally, we have contests on the same day!   How cool–two raw vegan bodybuilders competing on the same day, on different coasts, as his contest is in Oregon and mine in Georgia.  Good luck Giacomo!

Today, I practiced posing and basketball drills.  I can’t do any cardio this week, because that would cause me to retain water under my skin.  Normally I hate doing cardio but naturally I don’t think I am lean enough, so I am dying to work out!  I had an orange when I first woke up, then a big salad with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and celeriac root, with a few Brazil nuts and some of my homemade salad dressing–just a little bit.  It has sodium in it, so that will have to go later in the week.   Around lunch, I had a spirulina superfood smoothie made with fresh raw almond ‘mylk’, chocolate Sun Warrior protein, spirulina, Elements for Life Blue Green Algae, stevia, and a tablespoon of UDO’s oil.  Pre-workout, I made my delicious chocolate ‘Muscle Mousse’ of avocado, chocolate Sun Warrior protein, water and a dash of Celtic salt.    Yum! 

The workouts are totally different this week.  Since I am trying to deplete my muscle glycogen in the carb-depletion phase, I am supposed to change to a high-rep workout without going to failure.   The goal is just to work the glycogen out of the muscles so they will be depleted and hungry for carbs later in the week.  Hopefully, they will just soak up the carbs when I ingest them again, and will fill out nicely and be full of water, drawing the water out from under the skin into the muscles.  This is what causes that really ‘dry’ hard muscular look you see in competitors.  It’s not a normal look, and can usually only be achieved for one day.  The trick is to make that day the same day as the contest.  It’s easy to ‘miss’ and look better the day before, or even more commonly, the day AFTER the competition.  Many competitors will come in flat and smooth, and after they lose, go out and eat in frustration–and then wake up the next day looking like a winner.  The human body is difficult to predict and manipulate!

After my workout, I had another big salad, some Spicy Lime Cilantro Soup, and Vanilla Sun Warrior mixed with water & 5 grams L-Glutamine.

I was talking with a fellow competitor at the gym tonight, and we were discussing how easily we could shed bodyfat, water, etc.  just by manipulating our macronutrient (carb, protein and fat) intake, cardio, and weight training.   That led us to wonder how people have such a hard time losing weight and just seem to not have any idea what to do.  It reminded me of something I read yesterday, that the most dangerous ‘disease’ is IGNORANCE.  Most people just don’t understand how their body works or how profoundly food affects their bodies.  I can see my body change after each meal!  Any bodybuilder can.  A single food–even a single nutrient like sodium–can mean the difference between winning and losing.  The only cure for this ‘disease’ is education.  We aren’t born with an owners’ manual.  We have to SEEK the knowledge and make it a priority in our life.  Health is our only true wealth!

I am really happy I am doing this.  I am definitely learning alot about how raw foods affect the body, in detail under the microscope of competition.  It’s a great learning experience.  I did it the conventional way before, and I always felt so awful!  I was ravenous, desperate for sugar, exhausted, fighting uncontrollable cravings, headaches, cramps, etc.  This time, I feel great!  I have so much energy tonight, with no cravings or detrimental effects so far.  (I have a feeling the sodium depletion later this week will kill me, though.   I love my Celtic salt and Nama Shoyu!)  I do miss my fruit, and can’t wait to get back to my green smoothies.  But it’s not a bad ‘craving’ feeling, though.  I just wish I could have my smoothies.  I can make it for a few days without them, but I will be blending like a mad woman on Sunday!

I am watching the National Championship Basketball Game between UNC & Michigan State.  What a disappointment!  I was hoping MSU would really make this a good game, but they are getting blown out of the arena.  Bore-ring!

I will update you on how things are going.   Right now I feel great, with good energy and excitement.  I am looking forward tomorrow to having a critique of my posing, with great advice and instruction by a master.  I need this, and am eager to learn.   I am sure he will pick me apart, but that’s the only way to improve.   I also need to pick up a few final things to get ready with.

This weekend, I will have wireless internet access in our hotel room, so I will update you from the show too!

Until next time, stay Defiant!  Fight for your health.  Defeat ignorance, and learn about your wondrous body.  Every cell in your body is more complicated and sophisticated than a city of a million people!  We are an amazing creation, and we have an innate infinite wisdom that is constantly leading us to better health, if we will just let it–and not fight our own inner physician!  Fight the conventional medical doctors–not your Infinite Intelligence inside your own body!

BE DEFIANT!

Christy

_________________________

Today, I started with a Spirulina Smoothie made from 8 oz coconut water, the meat from one Thai coconut, handful of spinach, 1 tbs coconut butter (Artisana–yum!), 1.5 Tbs Spirulina, 1 Tbs raw carob, 1 tsp Elements for Life Blue Green Algae, 1/2 tsp Elements for Life Cordyceps, 1/2 tsp Elements for Life RevitaPhi, and stevia to taste (I used 2 packets), and blended it all up.  Not too bad, but definitely not as tasty as my normal addictive spirulina treats.  Can you tell this is a major superfood smoothie?    I figure I need the superfoods to preserve muscle while cutting the calories, sodium and sugar.

Lunch was broccoli, coconut water and a little pineapple blended into a smoothie.  It was OK, even though I was wishing I could use more pineapple and a banana.  Then it would have been really tasty.  I got really hungry in the afternoon, and ate a LifeForce Cacao bar, which is delicious and fairly low fat, sugar, and sodium.   Next week I won’t be able to do that, though.  I also had a tablespoon of UDO’s oil for pre-workout energy.  I am taking a tablespoon of that every day now.  They did a study where the athletes lost bodyfat and gained muscle by using the oil so that sounds good to me, and the body still needs SOME fats no matter what.

I worked out with intervals tonight, alternating shoulders with high rep leg intervals, like lunges, step-ups and leg extensions.   After the workout, I made a ’savory’ smoothie, which is really more like a soup.  I used a few cherry tomatoes, a few baby carrots, spinach, lovely fresh basil, 1/3 of a red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 large celery stalks, 1/2 lemon peeled and tossed in whole, and water.  It was pretty good, actually, but would have been a lot better with some Celtic salt or Nama Shoyu!   

My assessment of my condition is that I am definitely improving in definition.  I can see more abs, and more veins are coming out.   Practicing posing last night, I felt I could definitely see more cuts.   It’s hard to tell, as the lighting differs so much from one place to another.  

Next week, I plan to carb deplete Sunday through Wednesday while drinking a lot of water to flush my body of any water-retaining substances, and then slowly carb load until the contest.  This protocol is supposed to shed the water from under the skin which obscures muscle definition, and force the muscles to ’suck up’ the water to make them nicely full and pumped.  I have been studying material from several books and former competitors, and I am attempting to take their suggestions and adapt them to a raw foods protocol.  For example, where they cut carbs by eating a lot of chicken, I plan to eat a lot of leafy greens, spirulina, superfoods, and Sun Warrior protein.   I feel nuts would have too much fat, plus my body doesn’t do well on too many nuts.   I will most likely be a salad-eating fool next week!  (And the savory green smoothies of course.)  For carbs, I plan to sprout some grains like barley and quinoa and use those to carb-load.   On Friday night,  I will eat a special meal to try to get the muscles as full as possible.  The suggested meal is a steak with Heinz 57 sauce for some sodium, so I am thinking I will make my Living burgers, which are kind of like a hamburger and have Nama Shoyu in them, which would do what the 57 would do.   My biggest fear is coming in flat, and retaining too much water. 

I plan to eat a lot of celery and asparagus, as those foods are awesome for diuretic effects.   This is just what I am thinking.  Again, this is an experiment.  If I see something not working, I may call an audible and change the protocol.   And I may find that in the future, I may want to add some nuts and that the ‘good’ fats in nuts don’t react in the body like what we normally ingest as fats.  But, knowing how I have reacted to nuts in the past, I will most likely be avoiding them like the plague for the next week.   But I plan to eat the heck out of a nut-based dessert on Easter Sunday when this contest is over!  I may eat the whole thing–with lots of dates, nuts, fruits, etc.  Maybe I will make my White Chocolate Cheezecake, maybe a Pecan Pie Cheezecake, or maybe something chocolate–who knows?

I have to share these two videos with you.  They were sent to me by a Facebook friend, and they are powerful.  The journalists didn’t pull any punches and they definitely called out some big brand names who are knowingly exposing our most vulnerable babies and toddlers to very harmful chemicals.  And all in the name of a germ-free, clean house……

Part One

Part Two

__________________

DEFY these chemicals and toxins.  Buy holistic, chemical-free cleaners.  And not from big name brand companies, either.  Do not support them in their efforts to ‘look green’ when they are still just profit-crazed toxin-mongers.  Look for the truly organic cleaners from companies who truly care about your children and the earth, while still creating products that clean.  Many of the ones I use actually work a LOT better than the toxic stuff. 

More updates to come!

Be Defiant!

Christy

_____________

Now I don’t know what he weighs and I don’t know if he does either.  The gym we used to go to had one of those doctor’s scales (with the little slide bar) right at the front entrance.  You couldn’t keep him (or anyone else) off that stupid thing.  It seemed that people were drawn there like a  moth to a flame.  Not me.  He had to make me get on it.  I couldn’t care less what a scale says.  All it measures is the pull of gravity.  It doesn’t know if gravity is pulling on fat, muscle, bone, or heavy cross-trainer shoes.  

Pivotal has scales somewhere, but they are the small kind that looks like a bathroom scale.  So now he doesn’t jump on it every day.  And he is making such great progress!   I have never forced him into being totally raw like I am, but he has gravitated more and more to it, and now is really into it.  And it shows!  He is very, very lean.  His little love handles are totally gone, and he has definitely put on muscle.  I am completely biased and have always thought he was totally hot anyway, but he is definitely getting hotter! 

But I digress….back to the shoulder workout.   I will outline the whole thing in a minute, but have to tell you about ‘crybabies’.   A couple BIG guys at the gym were telling me about a great delt developer which is basically an isometric (meaning static, or just holding a weight in one position) exercise.  You stand up with a heavy dumbbell in each hand, and then with arms straight, lift the bells out to the side just about 1/3 of the way up to shoulder level—and hold them in that position for 30 seconds.   That may be the longest 30 seconds ever!   We did 3 of those to burn out at the end of the workout.  I know why they call them ‘crybabies’.  We were crying for the 30 seconds to be over with!

Tonight’s Shoulder Blast:

• Warmup on recumbent bike
• Hammer Strength press, 4 sets, 1 warmup, 3 working sets.  I got 45’s on my last two sets, for 10 & 8 reps.  Yay!
• Smith Machine front presses, 3 sets, 50-60-&60 lbs. with the last set dropping to 50 for a burnout
• Superset of lateral dumbbell raises and Overhead ‘pulses’, 3 sets with 15 lb bells.  The pulses are a limited range of motion press that really keeps the pressure on the lateral deltoid
• Arnold presses, 3 sets, 20 lb bells
• Superset front raises with a 25 lb plate and upright rows with 40-lb bar, 3 sets, 10 reps  both exercises.
• ‘Crybabies’ 3 sets with 25 lb bells.   Ouch!

Simple post workout smoothie tonight was spinach, banana, kiwi, pineapple, L-glutamine, & Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein.

I made a heavenly superfood smoothie for lunch today.  I believe this would be served as breakfast in Nirvana!  1 & 1/2 Tbs Spirulina (of course!), 1 young Thai coconut flesh and water, 2 bananas, 1 tbs carob, 1 tbs raw cacao, 1/2 tsp Cordyceps, 1/2 tsp Blue Green algae, 2 droppers of vanilla liquid stevia–blend until a creamy concoction of pure bliss!

My breakfast green smoothie was awesome as well—-mango-strawberry!   Yum!  With dandelion & laciniato kale, & fresh aloe vera.

I can definitely tell I have dropped some bodyfat.  I can see it in my lower back, particularly.   I have seriously cut back on nuts and fats.  I am not in full precontest deprivation mode yet, and I may not go too drastic.  I am feeling my way through.  If I feel I need to drastically change before the contest then I will change my diet even more.  The contest is April 11th, so I am about 3 weeks out now.  I have upped the cardio a lot too.

I hope you have an awesome day.  Make it a great day!  You can choose to be happy, no matter what, and you will attract good things.  Make a difference in someone’s life today.  Ask yourself, “How can I make a difference today?” and it will change your focus completely, and new opportunities will open for you.  

Be Defiant!

Christy

__________________

I just got back in from visiting my parents in Georgia today, amid the worst winter storm we have seen here in balmy South Carolina in a long time.  My mother had to have a preventive measure done to help protect her heart.  She had an ICD installed, which is a combo defibrillator/pacemaker.   As most of you know, she suffered a massive heart attack 3 years ago, and is a walking miracle today.  She is doing so well, but the doctors felt her heart had weakened and wanted to install the ICD as a pre-emptive strike if she were to experience an arrythmia.   Her energy is so good and she just works out in the garden and on the farm as much as she wants to, so it’s hard to believe that she is operating on only 30% of her heart capacity.   Hopefully the electrical stimulation from the device will jump-start some of the inactive tissue.

I took a few days to go stay with my parents and help them out, and to be there for the surgery.  The doctors kept saying that it was ‘nothing’ and very simple procedure, but with my mom’s miraculous history and delicate health, there is no such thing as a simple procedure!  The incision was bigger than we thought and it certainly isn’t just ‘nothing’.  The anesthesia was just local but it still really knocked her for a loop.  She was still really groggy and out of it until the evening.  And she slept a lot the last couple of days, but she needed it so that was great!

I had the opportunity to prepare food for us to eat for the entire weekend, so I loved that!  When I arrived on Thursday evening, I immediately took over the kitchen and made lots of delicious food.  All raw vegan Living Cuisine, of course.  I brought my entire kitchen over to Georgia with me.    I made Mom’s favorite Broccoli Salad, Sweet Potato Soup, Avocado Salad Dressing, a yummy Apple Cobbler, and the hit of the weekend—Living Ice Cream made from coconut, cashews and bananas.  The ice cream turned out incredibly awesome!  Mom tasted it Thursday night, and at first I wasn’t sure of the reaction because she really rolled her eyes, but she turned to me and said that it was delicious and that the coconut and banana was right up her alley!  I was so excited that she loved it!

I got even more excited the next day.  My father and I came back home mid-afternoon after the surgery on Friday, because he still needed to check on the cows and put out hay on one of the farms.  We hadn’t had lunch, and much to my surprise he tried the Sweet Potato Soup and really liked it!  And then we had the Apple Cobbler topped with the ice cream for dessert, and Daddy went wild over that.  He just kept raving.  And when Mom came home, she did too.  I had to make a second batch of the ice cream!

I was so happy that they really loved the Living Foods.  That’s an awfully tough audience to please. I still don’t know if I can get them to actually make some for themselves, but I am working on it.   But I told them, I was raised with my mom’s delicious down-home cooking, and I loved it too.  However, that diet is the reason we have had the health struggles that we have.  I like good food, and I don’t make bad-tasting food!   I have the same cravings and struggles as anyone else.  I have to fight it too.  Defying cravings is part of my life, just like anyone else’s.   The best way I have found to fight cravings is with awesomely-delicious Living Foods that are so satisfying that it’s fairly easy to overcome the cravings.

That ice cream would certainly go a long way toward helping overcome a craving.  And the best part is, there is no dairy, sugar, or harmful ingredients in this ice cream.  I used the recipe from Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney, except I just made it plain vanilla, with no additional flavors.  I definitely want to try making chocolate ice cream now.  I have never been much of an ice cream person at all, but one I have always loved is Rocky Road, so that is next on my agenda as well.  The nut cream and young Thai coconut meat creams up and freezes to almost exactly the same texture as dairy ice cream.  That was what amazed my father, and he kept commenting about that.  It’s not as pure of a white color, though.  It’s a bit off-white because of the nuts.   But if it had chocolate or other flavorings, the color wouldn’t matter at all.

On the last batch of ice cream, I split a bit off and added spirulina and cacao powder to it.  Yum!  You know I had to get in my spirulina fix!  I didn’t even offer it to my parents.  I don’t want to completely freak them out and deep green ice cream might just push them over the edge–haha!   And the other success I had was how much my father loves my green smoothies.  He was really raving about those too.  And Mom even liked the one I made this morning.  I am chipping away!!!

As you know, my parents don’t have any internet access, so I couldn’t post while I was there.  I really miss not having the internet, but honestly it was nice to have a true break, away from all things work-related, and to truly enjoy spending the precious time with my parents.  I don’t know how much time we have left together, so I want to make the most of it while I can.  It’s such a different life on the farm, slower-paced and calmer.  The animals require a lot of care, and we had some excitement when a couple of calves broke through a fence and escaped, but otherwise, it’s a really nice tranquil retreat.  I really want to simplify my life, and spending a few calm days just reinforced that with me.

I am getting excited about my competition!  It’s only about a month away, now.  I did get a workout on Saturday, just bodyweight interval exercises, but I worked hard and really got a good sweat going.  I did the ‘variety of pushups’ workout I like so much, interspersed with cardio leg exercises like jump squats, jump lunges, step ups, one-legged squats, etc.  It felt good to move around.  The weather was so bad with constant pouring rain, so I couldn’t get outside and shoot some hoop, ride the horses, or do anything in the garden.   I don’t like being cooped up inside when I am there, when there is so much to do and enjoy.

But I am glad to be back home.  I missed Michael and Jukebox very much.  And I am so grateful that my mother is doing so well.  She is a blessing, an inspiration, a miracle, and a testament to the power of nutrition.

Blessings to you all.  Please take the time to tell the ones you love how much you love them.  Things can happen so fast, and our loved ones can be taken away from us in an instant.  Treasure the moments you spend with them, and truly be there in the moment for them.   And above all, be grateful for the loved ones in your life, and for the love and joy they bring you. 

Be Defiant!

Christy

_______________

Ingredients:

Flesh of 1 Young Thai Coconut

1 cup Young Thai Coconut Water

3 Tablespoons Spirulina

2 Tablespoons Raw Carob

2 Tablespoons Coconut Butter (optional)

1 tsp Blue Green Algae

6 dates

1 Tablespoon Yacon syrup (optional)

pinch of Celtic salt (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and thick. The Blue-Green Algae lends a nice subtle saltiness that beautifully balances the sweetness of the dates and syrup, plus adds even more awesome superfood nutrition. Use a little more salt to your taste if you wish. If the mixture is too thin, you can toss in a handful of cashews and blend, if you don’t mind having nuts in the recipe. Refrigerate until thickened and pudding-y. Try to control yourself!

Variations:

For a high-protein muscle-building treat, substitute Chocolate Sun Warrior Protein for the carob.

Leave out the Blue Green Algae.

Add a tablespoon of maca, mesquite or lucuma powder.

Be Defiant!

Christy

___________________

Today was more of the same, but we finally got our C.O.–certificate of occupancy which means we passed the final inspection.  Yay!  Now all we have left is all the cosmetic stuff, like painting, trim work, etc.  And of course, lots of cleaning!  With all the rain the site is a muddy mess.

I will be working in the Living Well Cafe tomorrow morning and late afternoon.  If you are in the Columbia area, come by and see me.  We can share a wonderful Sun Warrior Smoothie together!  Living Well Cafe is located inside of Pivotal Fitness on St. Andrews Road. 

Tomorrow evening, I am going to a Cookie Swap Party.  I know, I know….very uncharacteristic for me.  But this party is hosted by one of my dearest friends, so I am going for her, not for the cookies.   But for my cookies, I made 3 different living foods cookies, and I hope they will hold their own against all the regular cookies.  We will see!  I created a delicious cookie recipe tonight.  Look for it on the Defiant Recipes! page.  I got the idea from another RAWsome living foods chef, Kristen Suzanne, who has a recipe for the best cherry cobbler in the whole wide world.   No kidding!  Check it out here:   http://www.kristensraw.blogspot.com/. 

I have also come up with a Spirulina Pudding recipe which is rich, creamy, and delicious but doesn’t use nuts like the pie does, so it is much lower in fat content.  And it is more appropriate for those who are either avoiding or limiting nuts in their diet.  I posted that on the recipe page as well.  I eat some of it about 4 times a day when it’s in my refrigerator.  The addiction is still raging! 

I took a day off from working out yesterday.  Both Michael and I were nice and sore!  Michael did get out and clean up the yard and take care of the leaves, and he was really stiff after all that.  Today I was very pushed for time, so I did a quick 30-minute Cardio Kickbox Class that is very intense, along with some pullups with different hand grips.  Not really a full back workout, but I did bust out quite a few pullups.  I was using the one-rep technique where you rest for about 3 to 6 seconds between reps.  It’s a great way to build strength and muscle quickly.  I did some with a wide overhand grip, a narrow neutral grip, and an underhand grip so my biceps would get some work too.

Then I came home and made about six dozen Living Cookies.  I will let you know how the party goes tomorrow night!

Be Defiant!

Christy

It’s hard for me to get sore now, because my antioxidant intake is so high that my recovery is immediate and soreness generally doesn’t set in.   If I get sore, I know I really killed it in my workout!  If you take in Mona Vie, for example, which is crazy high in antioxidants, after your workout, it neutralizes the free radicals, oxidation and lactic acid created by the workout and the soreness is dramatically lessened.

That’s a big topic—post-workout nutrition.  I won’t go into it too deep now, but I will address it fully later.  Basically, you have about 30 minutes after you finish your workout where your body is looking to uptake nutrients to repair the muscle tissue damage that the workout created.  In this window of time is where you can really make quantum leaps in your fitness progress.  You need a mix of carbs, protein and good fats.  The carbs and protein should be very quickly and easily absorbed.  My favorites are the Sun Warrior protein, of course, and raw unfiltered honey & bananas for the carbs.  And the fats should be from a source like UDO’s oil or raw unrefined coconut oil, which is a medium chain triglyceride and helps you to burn body fat!

For example, my post-workout shake tonight was: 12 ounces almond milk (I make my own), 1 scoop chocolate Sun Warrior protein, 1 banana, 1 tbsp raw carob powder, 1 tbsp UDO’s, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp raw tahini, 2 tbsp raw honey, and a dash of cayenne pepper.  I know–that sounds weird, but it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate, plus it helps with circulation and fat-burning.  Yum!  It was delicious.  And it was well-balanced for what my body needs to build muscle after a tough workout.

Tonight was a light leg routine.  Meaning I did lower weights and higher reps, instead of really heavy.   Bear in mind, I want my legs to GROW!  So I am trying to gain muscle.  This routine I did tonight would be just as appropriate for someone wanting to slim their legs down.  Remember, it’s not the workout that ’slims’ you down–that’s 90% diet.  The workouts help you burn off bodyfat and build solid muscle, that is a living tissue that burns lots of calories.  All the leg presses in the world won’t help unless your nutrition is working for you, leading you to better health and helping your body release the excess fat.

Notice I never say ‘lose weight’?  I don’t want to ‘lose’ anything.  That’s a negative term, and implies that you just ‘found’ the weight to begin with.  What you want to do is release the burden of the excess fat that your body is carrying.   As you nurture your cells with excellent nutrition, your body will release the fat because it no longer needs it to store the toxins from the processed food and junk that most people eat.   The goal is to get as much nutrition per calorie as possible.  That way, you take in the appropriate caloric load and get the optimal nutrition you need.

Tonight’s leg routine was:

• Warmup on recumbent bike
• 3 sets of 20 leg presses, really deep–knees almost touching shoulders.  (tough!)
• 3 sets of 12 stiff-legged deadlifts with 95 lbs on bar
• 3 sets of 15 kettlebell squats with overhead swing, 25 lb bell
• Ab work with medicine ball between kettlebell sets
• Step-ups on high bench, 3 sets of 15 per leg, 25 lb dumbbell in each hand, supersetted with hamstring bridge on exercise ball

I was ready for the post-workout shake after that routine!  I moved quickly with little rest between sets (or another exercise between sets) so I would get a cardio workout at the same time.

I am continuing the spirulina addiction.  I made the BEST smoothie this afternoon.  It was almond milk, several dates, 1 tbsp spirulina, 1/4 tsp blue-green algae, 1 banana, 1 tbsp honey, and 2 tbsp coconut oil.   Wow!  I tried to make that one last and savor every sip. 

I swear that the spirulina has really helped my skin.  I had been suffering from crazy breakouts on my face for a while now.  I mean bad ones, like a teenager’s nightmare.  I figured I was going through another detox phase and was patiently working through it.  Detoxing from over 30 years of eating cooked, processed food takes some time, and isn’t always pleasant.  I had read where the marine algaes could really help with detoxing, as they help remove toxins and heavy metals like lead and mercury from the body, and provide intense nutritional support.  It must be true.   My face has completely cleared up, and I noticed the difference within a couple of days of starting the spirulina.  And it has just kept getting better and better.  I am not saying that spirulina heals or cures anything, and it may not have that effect on someone else, but I sure am happy about it!

I think that’s why I immediately went into this incredible spirulina addiction.  My body needed something that is in that spirulina and is telling me to send it more and more.  I have a feeling the intense craving will subside as the need is fulfilled.  That’s why vitamins just aren’t the answer.  Every body is different, and your body will pull what it needs from the whole foods that you eat.  There’s no way I could figure out which mineral or vitamin or phytonutrient in the spirulina was what my body needed.  And why would I?  Why not give your body the whole food?  Your infinitely intelligent body will glean what it needs from the food, and customize it to your situation.  Why try to guess by sending only woefully inadequate singular vitamins?  

Defy nutritional deficiencies!  Eat whole foods, in their natural raw state, and incorporate some superfoods like spirulina into your nutritional program.  Defy the reliance on vitamins for nutrition.  You can’t pop a pill and expect it to be as good as a whole food!

Be Defiant!

Christy