Five Gluten-Free Ways to Lower Cholesterol

I know a lot of my followers are health-conscious - and I bet a bunch of you are on a special diet. Raise your hand (well, or leave a comment since I can't see you) if you are living gluten-free! See, I knew it! Gluten-free is one of the most popular food trends that can shift your dietary plan greatly. It's a diet that excludes the protein gluten and can thereby help manage celiac disease.

Mostly, for everyone who is gluten-sensitive or gluten-intolerant and eating foods that contain gluten, your body will have higher cholesterol levels, endangering your overall health. Adjusting your diet may not only help with your cholesterol but your overall health.

James Price, CEO for Cholesterade, is showing us five ways to lower cholesterol on a gluten-free diet.

Recipe: Grains Zucchini Bowl

Today I want to share one of my go-to summer recipes (besides the "Cool Cucumber Soup"): A "Grains Zucchini Bowl"!
I love the Minute® Brown Red Wild Quinoa Multi-Grain Medley! It only takes about 30 mins to prep it, and it tastes delicious warm or cold. It's quick, fresh, healthy & vegan/vegetarian.

If I feel like having some more protein with it, I grill some fish, or half an avocado with an egg inside. Sure, chicken breast works, too. The bowl can easily be your main dish, but it works great as a side dish.

Find the printable recipe below, and don't forget to Pin & share.

Guten Appetit! :)

print recipe

Grains Zucchini Bowl

by www.grapefruitprincess.com August-15-2017

For the grains I usually use "Minute® Brown Red Wild Quinoa Multi-Grain Medley", but you can use plain rice or quinoa, too. Just get creative!

Ingredients

• 2 bags Grains
• 1 medium sized, shredded Zucchini
• 1 15oz can, drained and rinsed Beans (Black or Pinto)
• 1 15oz can, drained Whole Kernel Corn
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 1/2 cup, chopped Fresh Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Butter (unsalted)
• to taste Salt & Pepper

Instructions

In a large saucepan of 1 3/4 cups water, cook the grains according to package instructions.Remove from heat and stir in black beans, corn, zucchini, butter, lime juice and cilantro.
Serve immediately.Cover and let stand 5 minutes.Fluff everything with a fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Servings

Weekend Workouts // NaBloPoMp

I really didn't do much this weekend besides a little blog-work, sleeping, Starbucks, and working out. Oh and a little surgery today, but nothing serious.

So I thought I'd share the workout I did Saturday with you today. Let me tell you: I'm sore as hell.
Here we go.

As a "warm up" I did 60 minutes on the elliptical (I only wanted to do 20 minutes, but ended up thinking about several things, kinda meditating... and bam, 60 minutes)

After that I started this set:

1. 15 pull-ups
2. 20 standing side crunches
3. 20 plank jacks on a flipped over bosu ball.

I did this twice without a break, then 1 minute break, and then repeated this 6 times!

Today I ran a 5k, and then it was leg day. I just did boring machines... But at least I finished it!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

You deserve a Massage! And Abs. // Foam Rolling

(This post was endorsed by Live Infinity. I received a product in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. Full Disclosure) 

If you google "foam rolling", this comes up:

Self-myofascial release is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. This method can be performed with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, Theracane, or your own hands.

I remember a couple of years ago, only professional athletes, coaches, and therapists were familiar with this mysterious technique. Nowadays you can find a whole bunch of foam rollers in almost every gym all across the country. Basically, a foam roller is an affordable way to give yourself a deep tissue massage. You can buy one for only a few bucks.

Attention: It's always recommended to consult with your physician or physical therapist for therapeutic/sharp pain and receive approval before starting foam rolling. I'm pretty sure you will be cleared immediately and your doctor will even encourage the practice.

So why foam rolling? First of all, foam rolling can have a wide range of benefits for everyday gym-goers (or every other day gym-goers) like me and you. Some of the basic, most obvious benefits is the increased blood flow throughout the body, better movement and an increased range of motion. These benefits can lower the chance of injury and decrease recovery time after a workout. Means: more training sessions per week/month are possible, and results will show quicker. Increased circulation is huge for recovery and greater range of motion means you'll get to work muscles more thoroughly on lifting days.

There are several exercises to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles as well. Check out YouTube channels and other blogs! You will love the foam roller. I promise.

Working at a gym and regularly working out, I sure have some experience with several different rollers. And let me tell you, there are significant differences.

"Live Infinitely" sent me their 17" x 5" foam roller for testing purposes, and I will gladly share my opinion with you!

You can order this specific foam roller on Amazon. It costs $23.99, and it comes in 4 different colors: Black, Blue, Purple, and Green. I just checked, and realized Blue and Black are currently out of stock, but make sure to check back. I picked the purple one.

My favorite part right away: Unique Live Infinitely Spinal Channel! Having lower back issues, this feature is just awesome.

   

Here are all the features:

✧Forward Thinking- We are the first to introduce a completely redesigned, ultra functional muscle roller. Every expert knows to not push direct on your spine, so we tested and developed the Unique Live Infinitely Spinal Channel. Cradle your spine while still being able to target your sore muscles!

✧Large & Practical- At 17” wide and 5” tall, this foam roller is one of the largest gym bag friendly trigger point style rollers available. The standard 13” rollers are entirely too small and do not allow for you to massage both legs or a full back all at once!

✧Beyond Gym Quality- We spared no expense to provide the best product possible. We started with a Schedule 40 BPA Free ABS Plastic Core and Wrapped it in a custom designed & molded EVA High Density Foam. The roller can support 500Lbs and not think twice!

✧Find You Happy Place- With the Dual Pressure zones you can release your IT bands, break down lactic acid build ups and recover in half the time. All this with out a professional masseur or ever leaving your house! Perfect for all around stretching, pre/post workout recovery and even balance exercises. Every roller purchase gains you access to Live Infinitely’s exclusive online downloadable massage guides and videos!

✧Reliable Customer Service- Every purchase is backed with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If your not thrilled, simply contact our reliable customer service team and know you will receive unmatched personal assistance

And now for the obvious disclaimer: "I received this foam roller complimentary from Live Infinitely for testing purposes." Yep. Free stuff for me to try and then review... because I'm Green Arrow.  

Running and Setbacks // Injuries

If you follow my Instagram, you know I am an avid runner, and I am even part of this HUGE local running group called the "South Arkansas Hustlers". When they say "running is cheaper than therapy" - they are right. Running helps me to clear my mind, to find solutions for issues, and to zone out for a little bit. A few weeks ago I broke my 5k PR by 3 minutes! I was super happy! My next goal is running a mile in under 8 minutes again. I want that 7 back!!!

Best number by the way... :oD

The story of my life: I do excellent for a while, but then shit happens. Like a bacterial infection I was fighting by taking antibiotics 3x a day for 10 days. Or a knee injury that one of my friends caused (he turned around looking for me while lifting a barbell.. which ended up hitting my knee... yea... not my friend anymore...).

Setbacks. I hate it. 

The knee issue was bothering me a lot. So I was happy when VIVE Health sent me a care package, that included:

Compression Knee Sleeves 

Patella Knee Straps

And they added a Shoulder Support (rotator cuff brace) for my friend as well! 

My favorite item for sure are the compression sleeves! Oh what a difference they make! My legs feel way less heavy during and after the run. Especially while running longer distances.

By the way - the picture above shows another thing that's driving me nuts: The Fitbit GPS tracking. I have the Surge, which was $254. We run pre-mapped routes, so I definitely know when I hit 3 miles. So above you see the time my Fitbit tracked - and below the time my friend's running app had, which was on point mileage wise, so I know Fitbit is very very very off. We were running the same pace, right next to each other. The app said we hit 3 miles, and I had to keep running so the Fitbit hits the 3 miles as well. Ridiculous!! They really have to fix this! It's such an expensive device, and I'm having way too many issues with it.

Do you run? What gadgets, apps, etc, do you use? 

Leave a link to your Instagram below, so we can follow back!

An InLinkz Link-up

 

"For Every Victory" - High-fashion Performance Sportswear by H&M

With the technical high-fashion sports collection For Every Victory, H&M celebrates the power of personal victories. The collection has been developed in collaboration with the Swedish Olympic team, and the campaign is fronted by inspirational personalities who have all achieved their own victories, whether in sport or through life experiences. The collection will launch together with the campaign in stores and online at hm.com on 21st July 2016.

Tight on Money Tuesday // Workout Gear SALE

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive commission.

After "Meal Planning Monday" sure comes "Tight on Money Tuesday" this week! Don't ask me why - I just came up with this idea, and we will all suffer through a week of funky post titles! Wordless Wednesday is sure coming up tomorrow. You ready? But first of all, I'm going to help you to save some big bucks. Here we go!

Recipe Week, Day 4: Chocolate Protein Bars

It's Thursday - Recipe Week is still going strong!

Who's ready for a looooong weekend? I know I am! Today's recipe might be part of your dessert on Memorial Day - it's a "healthier" option: Chocolate Protein Bars!

Pin! Pin! Pin!

 

Brooks Running Shoes // My Ghost 8 suck... but GREAT Customer Service

Remember, a couple of months ago I finally gave in and bought some new running shoes, after my Mizunos were overdue to retire.

After treadmill analysis at a running store in Monroe, LA, I went for the Brooks Ghost 8. I really didn't care for the look (heck, by Mizunos were super ugly, but GREAT for running!), but I liked the design of the shoe, and the way it felt while running.

A few weeks after that, I got sick and wasn't allowed to run, or work out, at all. So basically, out of 7 months owning the Ghost 8 I actually wore them 3 months, and maybe ran in them about 70 -100 miles. I bet knowing this, and the fact I paid $130 for them makes you understand my bad mood when THIS started to happen:

While the rest of the shoe still looks almost brand new, the part underneath the ankles started to rip and tear open. How? No idea. There is no way those parts can rub against each other to cause this.

While browsing through the Brooks Facebook page, I found out I am not the only one with this problem:

I've always been a huge supporter of Brooks and the quality of support your shoes provide. I recently purchased these...
Posted by Rebecca Oates on Tuesday, March 8, 2016

I sure posted my picture on there as well, describing the issue I have with the shoe. 2 days later, I got a reply from Brooks giving me a number to call. That's what I did. A VERY nice guy took care of my case, explained to me how to get to the "Defective Review Form" on the website, and promised me to be on the lookout for my case to come in.

Basically, when you go to that site, you describe what's wrong with your product, and decide if you want it replaced (if possible) with the same model, or another Brooks model. Since I didn't feel like getting another pair of Ghost 8, and risking to end up with the same issue again, I decided to pick another model. After some research and reading tons of reviews, I decided to give the Launch 3 a try. This time I DID pick a color I love though: Pink & Grey. Pure love. So I put this model on my form, just in case I would get my other shoes replaced.

One day after filling out the form, I got an e-mail, telling me:

Hi Anni,

Thank you for contacting Brooks Running. We are sorry about this issue with our product. We have gone ahead and placed a onetime courtesy replacement pair. Your internal order confirmation is #xxxxxxxx. Tracking confirmation will be available after 24 hours to allow time for shipping processing. You should receive your replacement order within 5-7 business days. Please use the order number mentioned as your reference and let us knows if we can help you in any other way.

Kind Regards,
Brooks Running

And today, 7 days later, my shoes already arrived!

I honestly was really pissed my Ghost 8s were not what I was hoping, quality wise. And I sure hope the Launch 3 will be a better running companion. But I truly am impressed by the awesome customer service Brooks Running provided!

Thanks again, Brooks, and I'll keep you guys in the loop!

 Check out my amazing sponsor:

Back in the Gloves // My Martial Arts Workout

While everything else isn't exactly going the way I want it to, (well, besides my job) my workouts are going GREAT lately. If you follow me on Instagram, you are pretty much up to date. If you don"t follow me: Follow. Thanks.

My 2 mile run time is back on track, I do some more lifting, and I am trying to include more and more boxing / kickboxing workouts as well. Boxing is such an awesome cardio (check out this article on shape.com), and it helps me getting rid of stress.

I wish I had someone to do sparring with, but so far I haven't really found anyone. Especially since I've got attacked (read all about it HERE and HERE), I am doing more research on martial arts. It never hurts to be able to defend yourself. This time I was able to fight my attacker off... who knows what would happen next time? If the attacker is stronger?

So I really want to and should go back into martial arts. I loved doing kickboxing back in Germany, but I am ready for something new - another challenge. I was thinking about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which looks like it’s going to be a big fitness trend this year. Have you heard of it? Have you tried it?

Here's what my "martial arts" workout usually looks like

Warmup

5 Minutes Jumping Rope
1 Minute Rest
100 Jumping Jacks
1 Minute Rest
20 Walking Lunges
Static Stretching

Shadow Boxing

2 minutes on, 30 second break, 2 minutes on

Heavy Bag

Our gym doesn't have a heavy bag, but of there's one around, I do 10 minutes (jabs and kicks). I really hope this will be one of our next purchases though...

Strength

30 Bodyweight Squats
20 Push-Ups
20 Bicycles
20 Burpees
20 Russian Twists

After that I'm usually dead. If I still have energy, I do some more weight work after that, or go for a jog.

What's your workout routine? Are you into martial arts as well? Let me know!!

 

Review: C9 Champion® Women's Power Shape Sports Bra

Thanks to Influenster & Target I was lucky enough to grab one of the C9 Champion® Women's Power Shape Sports Bras.
I went Target on University Ave in Little Rock.

Rant: Let me tell you this - I am a huge fan of Target. But the workout clothes section in this one was one big mess. It took me forever to find the sports bra I was looking for. If the hanger said "M", the label on the bra said "XL". A MESS! I hate spending too much time looking for something, when organizing would have solved the problem.

After a while I found the C9 Champion® Women's Power Shape Sports Bra in "M", and took all available colors with me into the changing room.

Blonde cliche - but sure I picked the pink one in the end. I might go back and get the other colors as well though, because I'm pretty happy with the bra.

  

It might not be a good choice for running and rope skipping, since it's just giving your boobs a medium support. But for moderate workouts, like elliptical and weights, this bra is perfect. What I like about it is, that it doesn't squeeze and flatten your boobs to a stage of being almost breastless.

  

It creates a great shape, and the little patented concealing petals prevent show through.

Overall the C9 Champion® Women's Power Shape Sports Bra is a GREAT bra in its price range! Right now you can get it for $15.00 (reg: $22.99 - save (35%)) on SALE. Head to Target.com to grab yours!

  

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

How to make Money using your Activity Tracker

Besides all the syncing issues I'm having with my Fitbit Surge lately, I still wear it every day. I'm just hoping one fine day all the notifications and the syncing will go back to normal.

Anyhow... A couple of weeks ago I've discovered a way to make your steps count TWICE - fitness AND money wise. Today I want to share HOW:

Walgreens is my go to pharmacy round here, and I sure buy most of my cosmetics and stuff over there, too. I've installed the Walgreens app to manage my prescriptions, and played with it for a little bit to check out all the features. I've discovered the "Healthy Choices" section. You can connect your Fitbit device (any!), and turn your steps into Balance Rewards - means cash to spend at Walgreens!

It works with a whole bunch of activity trackers and apps, like:

• Jawbone
• RunKeeper
• WebMD
• My Fitness Pal

On your app, under "Prescriptions & Health" there's currently a button saying "Getting healthy in 2016? We'll reward you for it!". When you click on this, you will be sent to another page, showing all the possible ways to earn Bonus Reward points. If you choose Fitbit, it might not show the Surge. I just selected another model (Flex) and it works perfectly fine. Keep scrolling to find your tracking device.

If you start using other options, like quit smoking (click HERE if you want to know how), or tracking your other activities, you can earn even more points.

5000 Points turn into $5. Keep walking/running, and your next spa day at home will be free - and well deserved ;o)

So far I'm just rolling with the Fitbit connection, and it works well for me!

This is NOT a sponsored post and (unfortunately) I am not affiliated with Walgreens nor Fitbit. I just want to share this awesome feature!

Well HELLO Size 8! I've missed you!

Sorry - I just realized I didn't really update you guys about all my weight-loss journey in a long long time! So here we go:

It's still work in progress, but my workouts are going great, my running improves continuously, and I started lifting a few months ago as well.

I picked up boxing again, thinking about going back to kickboxing at one point. But this depends on how well my lower back will works with me - or against me. I work out boxing-wise with one of our trainers who is a MMA fighter (his first pro fight will be Sept 19th!), or do shadow boxing and some nigtmare-ish cardio routine alone. I never thought I was capable of punishing myself the way I do lately when it comes to rope skipping, sit-ups, and push-ups!

Running: My average time on the 2 mile run is currently 18 minutes. The heat was killing me all throughout summer. Today we are still in the mid 90F. Right now I'm hoping for some cooler weather to come to South Arkansas soon, so I can start working on my long distance runs.

I've kicked out 70% of my wardrobe during the past months, since most of it wouldn't really fit well anymore. So yesterday I went to H&M in Shreveport, looking for some daisy dukes... I found some I really liked, and gave a size 8 a try...

I'd say they fit! Guess who did the happy dance right there and then, in the H&M changing rooms? So yes, overall my journey is going very well!

 

Recipe: Chocolate Protein Bars

 

Review: Jillian Michaels Detox & Cleanse

I really believe there are so many benefits in doing a good detox program about twice a year. The crap that's building up inside your system, has to get kicked out of your body. Since my major issue is my lower belly (bloating etc.), I thought I might give my friend Jillian Michael and her "Thin Care Jillian Michaels Detox & Cleanse MetaCaps" a try. I purchased it for the sole purpose of detoxing.

FYI: This is not a sponsored post and I am by no means affiliated with Jillian Michaels and/or this product!
I just want to share my experience with you.

The product description is as follows: 

Thin Care Jillian Michaels Detox and Cleanse MetaCaps will help reduce belly bloat, reduce body waste buildup, support your colon and digestive system, help support the liver’s natural detoxification process, and help you feel lighter and more energized.


It really sound like a perfect fit to my needs. The set contains 28 MetaCaps for Detox & Cleanse, and 7 Probiotic MetaCaps. You start your detox taking 2 of the "Detox & Cleanse" in the morning, and 2 in the early evening. After the 7 days of detoxing, you start taking 1 Probiotic MetaCap a day. These supplements work to reduce body waste buildup, support the liver’s detoxification processes, and aid digestive health with probiotics.

I didn't really feel the detoxing effect right away. Around the 4th day though I felt way better! Definitely less bloated and more energized. During the first 2-3 days of the detox, I did experience a few cramps in my lower belly. I was about to quit to be honest. But now after finishing the 14 days, I am very glad I made it! It was definitely worth it!

_-_-_-_-_-_-__-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

I got my "Thin Care Jillian Michaels Detox & Cleanse MetaCaps" on Groupon, but I saw some good deals on Amazon.com as well.

Jillian Michaels Detox and Cleanse Kit with Probiotic Replenishment

• Total body cleanse kit designed to help dieters feel light and energized
• Works without chemical laxatives or fasting
• May reduce belly bloat
• Designed to reduce body waste buildup
• Probiotics made to support colon and digestive system
• Formulated to aid liver’s natural detoxification process
• 14 servings of Detox & Cleanse supplements
• 7 servings of Probiotic Replenishment supplements

  Check out my amazing sponsor: