It's been a long time...

So much has happened and so many wonderful things have taken place since the last time I posted anything. Hubby graduated from the Univ Of FL with his MBA in December! Yay!!  We also purchased some land and had a new home built... we surprised the kids with our new home in January 2014 and they are thrilled beyond words! We couldn't be more blessed! My girls are still going hard with soccer. My eldest was invited to play in a huge soccer tournament in Richmond Virginia (Jefferson Cup) and they won the entire tournament by beating teams from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Ohio and came home with the JEFFERSON CUP!!!  That Championship landed her and her team in our local newspaper! We were just over the top with happiness for her. My son has been on fire in the classroom by achieving HIGH Honors for both 1st and 2nd quarters. He is also on the Speech & Debate team and winning all of his debates! Football season is around the corner for him as well as golf & swimming camp this summer. Both of my daughters will be attending a wonderful soccer camp this summer as well. I have been quite busy running around with the kids, working on my fitness and getting the home in order. We've celebrated 3 birthdays so far this year and have had sleep overs and lot's of kids over in the past few months. 2014 is just flying by....

I will do my best to post as often as I can.  Spring break is next week so I will hopefully have some time to recover and get back to posting and making more videos. I am going to add pictures from the events I mentioned above and also share one of my delicious, nutritious smoothies with you!  I'll be back, soon!!!

Wow, 32oz of yummy deliciousness for breakfast this morning! Here's what's in it:

Almond Milk & Fruit Smoothie
-1 medium ripe banana
-1/4 cup of frozen blueberries
-1/4 cup of frozen strawberries
-1/4 cup of frozen pineapples or mangos
-2 cups of chilled unsweetened almond milk
-handful of organic baby spinach
-2 tbsp of Forti-Flex (Organic Vegan Cold Milled Ground Flaxseeds)

This was not only delicious but nutritious! Flax seeds are high in Omega-3 essential fatty acids, Lignans & Fiber-- not to mention all of the vitamins and minerals they provide. They also reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes which are prominant diseases in my family. This alone is the reason why I add them daily . You can sprinkle them over your yogurt, cereal, muffin, salad and smoothies to ensure you get them in. Give this smoothie a try and start to incorporate more fruits in veggies in your diet. You will see the difference and your body will thank you ‪#‎healthyfoodhealthybody‬ ‪#‎treatyourbodyright‬

Just a quick update... Back to school, 10k race and etc...

Hi all.... just stopping by to share a few updated pics of LIFE.  The kids went back to school about 3 weeks ago, soccer & football season is in full swing and LIFE is on the gooooo!  So far, so good as far as school is concerned.  The kids are all settled into their classroom routines just nicely and homework is at an all time high for my 4th grader.  We're making progress with it all and managing to keep smiles on our faces in the process.

 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to run my first 10k (6.20 miles) race with Black Girls Run!   I did absolutely NO training 2 weeks prior to running the race so I was unsure about how I was going to complete it.  I did GREAT and had to dig deep to find  some inner strength to get me through that race.  The weather was perfect and we took over the streets downtown with 3000+ runners.  It was a beautiful site to see.  I'm sooooooooo glad it's over, though :-).  I had hopes of signing up for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in the coming weeks but I have yet to register for it.  We'll see.  Here are a few pics from race day:

 That's me running in those colorful tights.  The pics were courtesy of my hubby :-)

 Well, that's all for now.  I have a BIRTHDAY coming up on October 1st so I may snap a picture of my celebration on that day.  It's just a blessing to be alive, healthy and well. 

Kale based smoothie...

The kids and I have been loving our Kale based smoothies throughout the past week.  I now make them a nutrient packed smoothie (with or without protein) before their soccer & football games.  They have endless hours of energy and are not feeling heavy and weighed down as a result. This morning's smoothie consisted of 2 1/2 cups of kale, a handful of blueberries, strawberries, peaches, 2 tbsp of flax seed, pumpkin seed and granola.

Kale is being called “the new beef”, “the queen of greens” and “a nutritional powerhouse.” Here are ten great benefits of adding more kale to your diet:

1. Kale is low in calorie, high in fiber and has zero fat. One cup of kale has only 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat. It is great for aiding in digestion and elimination with its great fiber content. It’s also filled with so many nutrients, vitamins, folate and magnesium as well as those listed below.

2. Kale is high in iron. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef. Iron is essential for good health, such as the formation of hemoglobin and enzymes, transporting oxygen to various parts of the body, cell growth, proper liver function and more.

3. Kale is high in Vitamin K. Eating a diet high in Vitamin K can help protect against various cancers. It is also necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions including normal bone health and the prevention of blood clotting. Also increased levels of vitamin K can help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Kale is filled with powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants, such as carotenoids and flavonoids help protect against various cancers.

5. Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help, fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders.

6. Kale is great for cardiovascular support. Eating more kale can help lower cholesterol levels.

7. Kale is high in Vitamin A.Vitamin A is great for your vision, your skin as well as helping to prevent lung and oral cavity cancers.

8. Kale is high in Vitamin C. This is very helpful for your immune system, your metabolism and your hydration.

9. Kale is high in calcium. Per calorie, kale has more calcium than milk, which aids in preventing bone loss, preventing osteoporosis and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Vitamin C is also helpful to maintain cartilage and joint flexibility

10. Kale is a great detox food. Kale is filled with fiber and sulfur, both great for detoxifying your body and keeping your liver healthy. 

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4408/Top-10-Health-Benefits-of-Eating-Kale.html

Get creative and go get some kale (or any other green leafy vegetables) and incorporate them into your diet TODAY!!!

Yummy Smoothies!!!

Well, I'm back with a quick post to share 2 smoothie recipes with you all.  I apologize for being so sporadic with my posts/updates but life has me on the GO these days.  We just returned from a weekend trip to Florida and hit the ground running as soon as we returned!  While in FL the kids and I spent time at the pool, shopping and relaxing.  Here is some footage from our pool time; Check out my daughter with the "come from behind" victory! and take a look at some pool acrobats.  Ohhhhh what fun!  On our way back home we stopped and purchased some yummy Georgia Peaches!!!!  I couldn't wait to make a smoothie with them (as well as a few other treats) once we got home.

Upon arriving home (at 7pm), I noticed that my grass had grown quite a bit!  It really stood out because my neighbors (on both sides) had recently mowed their lawns which made mine look a hotttttt mess!!!  So, I quickly changed, gassed up my lawn mower and edger and went to work on my lawn with an hour of daylight remaining.  I managed to complete one side of my yard and the front before darkness hit. I woke up the next morning and completed the back lawn and the other side of my house.  It was quite labor intensive mowing the lawn in excrutiating temps (90 degrees), moving a huge trampoline, lifting heavy equipment and trimming the bushes.  The end result was well worth it!!! 

After completing this out door "cardio" session, I pulled out my Nutribullet and made a super delicious smoothie with those yummy Georgia Peaches!! Here it is:

INGREDIENTS/RECIPE: One LARGE peach, 1/2 cup of low fat milk (you can use almond milk or coconut milk if you'd like), 1/2 spoonful of vanilla protein powder, pumpkin seeds/flax seeds/granola (Nature's Path Organic Cereal), crushed ice and water. 

It was the peeeerfect drink I needed to replenish myself as I still had a long day ahead of me that included soccer practice!  Yes, SOCCER PRACTICE!!!!  It's back and in full swing!  I just knew I would be tired, sore and sluggish the next morning from my intense yard work session so I hit the grocery store before heading home.  I grabbed some veggies and fresh fruit along with the essentials and rushed home to relax for the night.  This morning, I awakened feeling alive and refreshed!  I rushed downstairs to make another delicious smoothie with the fresh veggies and fruit I had purchased last night.  Here's what I came up with:

INGREDIENTS/RECIPE: Kale, strawberries (4), banana (1), frozen blueberries (handful), pumpkin seeds/flax seeds/granola (Nature's Path Organic Cereal), crushed ice and water. 

This smoothie made 2-8oz glasses and I drank every last drop of it!!!  Give it a try!

Morning Breakfast

Hi All.... my life is on the go, go, Gooooo but I wanted to take a minute to post a pic of my morning breakfast.  It's quick, simple and delicious!!!  I wanted a change from my normal smoothie :-)

2 egg Veggie Omelet (spinach, zucchini, onions, peppers, fat free cheese, salsa), 2 strips of turkey bacon and a nice warm cup of Orange Passion Fruit Jasmine Green Tea.

 After cleaning and chopping my veggies, I seasoned them (a little salt/pepper) and sauteed them with extra virgin olive oil.  I left my baby spinach raw because I wanted a little crunchiness/texture in my omelet. I sprinkled in a little fat free cheese as I folded the omelet over during the cooking/assembly process. I  topped it with a little salsa and paired it with 2 strips of turkey bacon.  My baby daughter and I indulged!!!  It was delish!!!