Mango Banana Green Smoothie

It's been a while.......but I'm baaaaaack ;-)

Of course I got this from my favorite health recipe website skinnytaste.com. It's a delicious morning smoothie that I highly recommend all of you to try. Here is the recipe and instructions. Guaranteed to give you a boost to start your day right!

Ingredients:

1 Frozen Banana
1 Packed Cup of Baby Spinach
2/3 Cup of fresh Mango (Diced)
2 Tbsp Raw Hemp Seeds (Shelled)
1 3/4 Cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Cup Ice
Sweetener to Taste (I personally prefer not to add sweetener but you can do so)

Directions: Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Add Sweetener to taste.

-Markesha xoxo

Fiesta Bean Salad

As I was browsing through SkinnyTaste.com, I came across a dish that I have tried before; however, I loved it. I am a huge fan of Bean Salad and Beans are one of the most important foods that boosts your metabolism. You can eat it alone as part of a meatless lunch or a side dish. Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
3 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp Cumin
Pinch of Crush Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp of Salt
15 oz Can of Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 Cup of Canned Chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1/4 Cup of minced Red Onion (finely diced)
1/4 Cup Cilantro (chopped)
1 Medium Avocado (diced)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the Garlic, Lime Juice, Olive Oil, Cumin, Crushed Red Pepper and Salt. Add the Black Beans, Chickpeas, Tomato, Onion and Cilantro; mix well. When ready to eat, mix in Avocado and eat right away. Makes 4  1/3 Cups

-Markesha xoxo

My Fitness Pal

Hey everybody!

I've been using this app for a year and a half and I find it to be very helpful when keeping track of my calorie count. It's called My Fitness Pal. It's a free app that you can use to keep track of your daily calorie count and it has the largest food database. Whatever you eat, I bet My Fitness Pal can locate the brand then apply it to your daily count.

Your calorie count is determined by your weight and age. My Fitness Pal gave me 1200 calories to have per day. Whatever I eat, I add it to my diary and the calories I ate gets deducted from the total I was given. The app also tells you if you have went way over or under your calorie count and what could happen if that continues. When you work out, you can add it to your diary and that tells you how many calories you have burned and also gives you more calories to your total of the day. Thousands of people have joined My Fitness Pal so you can add friends to your page for encouragement and to read their fitness diaries. The app also keeps track of your weight and will compare your weight from the past few months to see if their has been some progress.

I have lost a lot of weight thanks to My Fitness Pal. If you need help trying to lose weight, I highly suggest that you get this app. It's for iPhone and Android users. Don't want to use the app? Don't worry, My Fitness Pal has a website www.myfitnesspal.com.

Share your experience with me. Let me know how you liked or disliked My Fitness Pal. I have spoken to a few people and so far, I have not heard any complaints :-)

-Markesha xoxo

30 Day Abs Challenge

As I was surfing through the Internet looking for some fitness ideas, I came across an article called the 30 Day Abs Challenge. As the weather gets warmer, the less clothes some of us tend to wear and a lot of us want to look good as we roll through Spring and eventually get to summer. Here is a challenge that I think we all should try to get fit. Please consult a doctor first before trying any of these moves. While you are doing the challenge, make sure you are eating clean and doing the following:

• Drink 2.5 Liters of water a day
• Give up ALL sodas, fast food and junk food (Yes, even diet soda)
• Eat clean by eating whole foods instead of processed foods
• Toss the refined sugar or try to avoid any added sugar or sweeteners for the next 30 days
• Eat Smaller Portions (I prefer to eat from saucer plates)

Here is a routine that I found from http://skinnyms.com/fabulous-abs-in-30-days-challenge/ . You can work on your abs any way you want to, but for those who do not know what to do, here are some ideas:

Perform 4 circuits of the following routine; rest 15 seconds between exercises; rest 15 seconds after each circuit is completed. If you don't know what any of these routines are, please visit YouTube or the link above for instructions.

Leg Lifts – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds
Scissors Kicks – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds
Plank – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds
Flutter Kicks – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds
Reverse Crunches – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds
Mason Twist – 20 seconds
Rest – 15 seconds

If you have any questions in regards to this challenge, please feel free to leave your question or comment in the comment section below. I will be posting before and after pictures ;-). Good luck!!

-Markesha xoxo

Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Hello healthy eaters,

Here is another recipe that I found on skinnytaste.com that I will be trying sometime this week. This is the perfect spring/summer dish that you can try! It's called Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes. Feel free to leave a comment if you have tried this dish before. I would love to hear some feedback!

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini (Julienne or cut into ribbons)
4 cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 Shallots (Diced)
3 Tomatoes (Diced)
4 tsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper flakes to taste
8 oz Angel Hair Pasta (I prefer to use whole grain angel hair pasta)
2 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley
1/4 cup low sodium fat free Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Directions:

In a large pot of salted boiling water (I use Sea Salt), cook pasta according to instructions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat pan on medium-high flame, add oil when pan is hot. Add garlic and shallots to the pan and saute about 1 minute. Add Zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, chicken broth and adjust salt and pepper. Stir for another minute. Remove from flame.

Drain pasta when done reserving some of the water and toss pasta well with Zucchini. Add pasta water if needed and serve with Parmesan (Optional).

Enjoy friends!

-Markesha xoxo

Want a flat belly? Lose the carbs!

Hello Lovers,

So many of us want a flat stomach like Beyonce, Rihanna, Brittany Spears and other celebs. Here's a tip that is really obvious, yet we try to ignore.......IGNORE THE CARBS! I'm not saying to get rid of carbs forever, but at least for 30 to 90 days. Instead of eating a Burger with bread, try eating a Turkey Burger with Lettuce to substitute the bread. Add a little Swiss Cheese, a teaspoon of Avocado and a Tomato. You can also make Lettuce Wraps instead of using a Tortilla. Sure, there are whole wheat breads like Pita, Dinner Rolls, whole wheat Tortillas and Flat Breads but try to start by not having any at all. Also, a good exercise like crunches is another way to get those abs forming. Here is a list of carbs to avoid:

Regular Soft Drinks
Commercial Candy (Like Jellybeans & Gummies)
Pancake Syrup
Sweet Pickles, Sauces and Salad Dressings (Replace Salad Dressing with Cottage Cheese)
Flour, Cakes and Cookies
Pizza
Low Fat Crackers, Rice Cakes and Potato Chips
Dried Fruits like Apples, Prunes and Dates
Sugary Cereals
Fructose and Granulated Sugar
Potatoes (Hashbrowns and Fries)

My favorite food is Pizza.....sad!! But if I have to go without it for a while, that is a sacrifice I have to make in order to be healthy. Good Luck!!

-Markesha xoxo

Exercises You Can Do At Work

There are times when we get so busy, we don't have time to go to the gym or work out at home. Did you know that you can do some excersises at work too? Here are a few exercises you can do so you can keep active. These tips will definitely help those who work in an office setting. I work in an office so doing these really helps!

Hips: While Sitting in your chair, lift your right foot a few inches off the ground. Keep your knee bent at an 90 degree angle and hold the position as long as you can.

Cardio: Walk the hallway as fast as you can without running.

Arms: Pump both of your arms over your head for 30 seconds (I do this about 30-40 times)

Buttocks: Tense up the muscles of your rear and hold for a count of 10.

Full Body: For chair squats, lift your rear end off your seat and hold for a few seconds

Neck: Drop your chin and roll your neck. Raise your chin up and bend your neck to each side.

I hope these tips help! Happy Fitness :-)

-Last Slice Radio