Bidding Adieu to the Blog
Well it has been a minute….
Sir blog has gotten the shaft with work getting cray cray, writing my newsletter and discovering my love affair with instagram. As a result, I have decided that it is time for Mr. Blog and moi to part ways. However, fear not, you cannot get rid of me that easy. Here’s why:
- I post daily food porn and occasional skin nuggets on instagram, so if you NEED to see what I am putting in my yapper then I invite you to follow skinspot on instagram. You will be tickled that you did so- maybe.
- I am in the process of creating a new website and on this gem of a site there will be a portion delegated to recipes and nutrition tidbits, so my culinary skills will still be a part of your life. Lucky you!
- And finally, I am saving my very best content (you know the mind blowing, life changing stuff) and all sort of deals for for my newsletters. If you want to get on this phenomenal train of information then I invite you to sign up for skinspot’s letter of news here.
On another note, I want to thank anybody who has taken time out of their day to read my ramblings. This blog was started to scratch my itch for my adoration of food, exercise, skin care and emotional wellbeing and boy did it scratch said itch, as it has allowed me turn my passions into my career. I think I owe Mr. Blog hug. A. Very. Large. Hug.
I hope to hear from any/all of you on da ‘gram, via email, or if you are feeling old school, give me a ring. All contact info can be found here.
With oodles love, I am signing out.
So is Burt
slooooow saturday
Good Morning! Man I am having a hard time getting my engine moving today. I woke up starving and cranky. Good times for all involved. In hopes of giving my extra hungry belly some love, I took a break from the Perfect Food Bars and had a Greek yogurt delight for breakfast this AM.
In the mix:
- Whole Milk Greek Yogurt (approx 2/3c)
- 1/2 banana
- 1T natural peanut butter
- a small handful of Nature’s Path Organic Heritage O’s
This is a good combo, but it apparently didn’t scratch my breakfast itch because I went back for another handful of cereal, a handful of unreal chocolate candy shell peanuts, and a (very tiny) handful of dark chocolate chips. And I am currently chugging a vat of coffee in hopes of waking my lethargic fanny up. So far, not so good. I am thinking my slow-ness is lieu of my new fascination with weight lifting. I have been a cardio junkie for years and have recently been inspired by a series of blogs in which the ladies are making weight lifting look rather enjoyable. The more research I do the more it is apparent that my love of cardio is not serving me, so I have been loosely following Brittany Tacy’s training plan to help guide me through the wide world of weight lifting. As a result, my body is dealing with a new type of fatigue, but I kinda like it. Weird.? Speaking of workouts… here is a workout I did at home this week that is not on Miss Brittany’s plan, but it got me good and sweaty. I used Lance as my cardio machine of choice, but this could easily be one on any spin bike, treadmill or even a rowing machine.
I present to you the All-Over-The-Place-Cardio Workout:
This workout is perfect to do when you are short on time, but craving a good sweat session.
In other exciting news, I made a health-ified cole slaw yesterday morning and had it marinating all day, so I wouldn’t have to cook when I got home from work last night. This Salad is heavily inspired by Abby’s Carrot and Edamame Salad. Abby has the best recipes for quick and healthy eats.
Here are the changes I made:
- I doubled the recipe
- I used coleslaw instead of carrots
- I added 3-4 cups of dino kale (de-stemmed and torn)
- I added 2/3c cooked chickpeas
- I added 1/2 of a large avocado to massage the kale with
- Raw honey instead of agave
This salad is superb. I will be adding this to my arsenal of go-to recipes.
Alrighty I am off to take a serious stab at being productive. Say a prayer.
Happy Saturday!
How To Get Glowing Skin
This post is an oldie, but a goodie. Lately I have been hearing this question more, so I decided to bring this post out from the archives in case anybody needed a refresher and didn’t want to go digging for it. Without further adieu, I bring you how to get glowing skin…
Gimme ‘dat glow!
- glycolic acid- derived from sugar and the most potent and popular because it has the tiniest molecular size, meaning your skin absorbs it extremely well. Great for acne prone, oily, dry, and combination skin.
- Lactic acid- derived from milk, less aggressive than its brother glycolic, lightening and very hydrating. Great for dry, sensitive and pigmented skin.
- Malic acid- derived from apples also less aggressive than glycolic. Good for all skin types and conditions.
- Tartaric acid- derived from grapes. Again, less aggressive than glycolic and good for all skin types and conditions.
- Citric acid- derived from, you guessed it, citrus fruits. Still less aggressive than glycolic, but I would not use on extremely sensitive skin. Citric acid, like its sister lactic acid, is very lightening and brightening.
- Last, but not not least, Acetic acid- derived from vinegar and least aggressive of the acids. Great for all skin types and can be especially beneficial on acneic skin conditions.
Juice Plus
I wrote a post a few months back on what supplements I think are the most important. However, that post occurred before I was introduced to Juice Plus by a fellow IINer.
Juice Plus is a whole food based supplement. According to Juice Plus their product contains juice powders from 17 fruits, vegetables and grains, and therefore provides a far greater variety of naturally occurring vitamins, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients – even some of the fiber – found in the fruits and vegetables themselves. Juice Plus is not intended to replace eating your fruits and veggies, but instead fill in the gaps where some nutrients may be lacking. It is sort of like your fruit & veggie insurance. I have been taking these gems for a little over 5 months and I haven’t noticed all of the changes they say will occur, but I was eating a good amount of fruits and veg prior to taking the supplements, so the difference in overall well being is not going to be as drastic. I will say that I have not been sick once while taking JP, my hair and nails will not stop growing, and my skin definitely has more a glow. These are not bad results. Here are just some of the benefits of JP backed by clinical research:
- Juice Plus+ delivers key antioxidants and other phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body.
- Juice Plus+ reduces oxidative stress.
- Juice Plus+ reduces key biomarkers of systemic inflammation.
- Juice Plus+ supports a healthy immune system.
- Juice Plus+ helps protect DNA.
- Juice Plus+ supports cardiovascular wellness.
- Juice Plus+ supports healthy skin.
- Juice Plus+ supports healthy gums.
They also have these amazing gummies that taste like candy (sorta), but they are packed with good-for-you nutrients. These are great for the kiddos.
If you are at all interested in purchasing these delights contact me and I can put you in contact with the rep I purchased them from.
And with that, I am off to the gym to sprint and lift a few heavy things.
Happy Friday!
weekend-o-fun
I honored my month of fun pact with a weekend of fun. This is one pact I have very little trouble sticking to.
here are a few pics from the weekend-o-fun:
Pedicure was had
as was a mani
one superb green monkey ( I think that’s what they called it) was consumed
Dinner and drinks with oodles of friends at Pambiche on Friday night. I was too busy chatting to bust out the camera. Such a fun night!
Saturday breakfast with the honey at Slappy Cakes
Peanut butter, blueberry pancakes. Oh dear!
Saturday Grillin’
oats & protein powder concoction breakfast. Not overly thrilling, but so dang tasty
Sunday lunch & afternoon margarita with a pal at Por Que No- a superb way to round out the weekend.
I also discovered the amazing blog: can you stay for dinner. I adore this bloggers philosophy on food,fitness & life. She is an amazing writer too. I highly suggest stopping by her blog.
In other news, there are some extremely exciting changes happening at skinspot, so stay tuned. Will the fun never cease?
Have a fun week!
Happy Monday!
holiday weekend = detox
I am not a big fan of of over indulging then feeling the need to detox, but I have over, over indulged this weekend, so I am looking forward to healthier fare. My brother-in-law and his lovely fiance were in town this weekend. We did a day trip to Seattle and I tried a famous crab roll and chowder while there. They were pretty dang awesome. Side note: these are not both mine- I shared.
Group Shot:
Somehow those were the only eats I managed to photograph until Monday later in the day. Something tells me I was too caught up in the actual consuming of said eats to stop and capture the moment.
On Monday, after family left, the husband, pug and I took a drive out to Hagg lake.
This picture cracks me up. Burt the co-pilot.
Upon our return, we decided that we were not ready to be healthy, so pizza was ordered:
a tiny amount of veggies were also consumed
and several bites of hemp milk ice cream were devoured (no photo).
I usually have Greek yogurt in some form everyday. However, he did not make an appearance in my eats for three whole days! The horror! I was craving the Greek this AM.
Fage 2% Greek yogurt + canned pumpkin+ground flax seed+ stevia+ homemade granola = one helluva breakfast
And with that, I am off.
Happy Tuesday!
the sun has arrived
Spring is taking its time in coming to Portland, but I think it has arrived (at least for now). It was 70 and Sunny on Saturday, 87 and sunny on Sunday and they are claiming 80′s and sunny today. This is big news. This kind of weather does not usually grace Portland with its presence until July, so I am finding the need to be that person who feels the need to discuss the weather.
A lot of good eats and sunshine were consumed this weekend.
Here are a few captions from the weekend:
And with that, I am off to begin my sunny Monday.
my secret weapon
I love working out. Scratch that, I love the feeling I have after a workout. Sometimes (most of the time) I struggle to get my fanny in action. However, I discovered the power of Flo Rida. This is magic.
Side note: I am fully aware that my secret weapon is not so “secret.”
That’s all I’ve got.
Happy Saturday!
discover your sweetspot…
For the past six or seven years I have had my nose in one nutrition book or another. My love of nutrition, began as a quest to lose extra weight and achieve radiant skin; however, this love has turned into a full-on obsession with achieving ultimate health and wellness. In October, I decided to put a credential behind all of my years of research and experimentation, so I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a certified holistic health coach. This certification has lead to my latest chapter of my career, sweetspot: a spot four nourishment, vitality and weight loss.
In sports, sweet spot is often referred to the place where your are the most effective with the greatest amount of ease. In running, when you hit your “sweet spot” you feel like you could run for days and you are more than happy to do so. In tennis, it is that perfect spot on your racquet where the most amazing shots occur. In health and wellness, it is the spot where you are eating the foods that fuel your mind, body and spirit without the nagging feelings of guilt and deprivation. It is a spot where you find the most befitting amount and type of movement for your body. It is also a spot where the spirit gets to shine through. No two sweet spots are a like, so allow us to help you discover your sweetspot.
If you are itching to…
- lose that extra weight without feeling like you are being punished
- develop a healthy relationship with food
- determine the triggers behind your Oreo cookie binge
- understand ingredient declarations
- navigate a grocery store like a savvy, nutrition guru
- achieve the flawless complexion you never thought possible
- learn how to cook easy, healthy recipes that are easy on your wallet and your digestive system
- learn what foods fuel you and what foods deplete you
- learn how to love exercise- I swear its possible
- learn what makes you tick
then stop by www.sweetspotpdx.net to learn about the services offered to help you achieve attainable, enjoyable health & wellness.
I’ll leave you with this guy:
adore him
side note: if you are itching for skin tips (because Friday’s are usually reserved for them) do not forget to check out the look page on this blog.
Happy Friday!
a revolutionary gym and spring cleaning
Helllooooo. I have meant to post about this gym that I had the pleasure of touring last Monday. If you live in Portland, you MUST check out Aleda Fitness. Aleda is a new women’s gym that opened in NW Portland on my favorite street (Thurman) in the city. These facts alone are not what makes Aleda, it is, indeed, their approach to fitness. First and foremost, you will notice that there is something noticeably absent at Aleda; there are only three pieces of cardio equipment in the joint. And these are not your run-of-the-mill cardio beasts, they are all designed to ensure you stay ergonomically correct. This was the first indicator in Aleda’s approach to holistic fitness. They are also no weight machines in sight. There are; however, several kettle bells and TRX bands, as well as a wide open space, stairs and giant ropes. Please do not be fooled, this is not a cross fit gym. They use some cross fit moves, but only if they are the right moves for you. Furthermore, they endorse working out no more than four days a week. So here is a gym that does not require oodles of time with cardio equipment and weight machines and still boasts results?! How can such a thing be possible? It is more than possible and I have sneaking suspicion they are on the cutting edge of where fitness is heading. They are revolutionary because they study your body, then create a workout routine that addresses any physical ailments and weakness without straining or taxing the body, they understand the importance in rest in the muscle development process. Aleda also honors the detrimental effect of chronic cardio and a big box, one-workout-fits-all approach. This is just half of why Aleda is amazing. Aleda also realizes that the transformation process does not only reside in the physical body, but also in the mental clutter that so many of us have that inhibits our success. If you live in Portland and you are a lady looking to change your noggin’, physique and/or alleviate pain, Aleda is your diamond in the rough.
I also have the honor working with them for their spring cleaning workshop. Please see details here. If you live in Portland, I would LOVE to see you there!
From time to time, you might just see a blog post by yours truly on Aleda’s blog. Check out today’s post on how to work with a craving.
One last thing: health coaches in the news. I loved this article in the Wall Street Journal!
And with that, I am off to look at another house with the husband. We are trying to buy a house, but everybody else in Portland wants to buy one too, so say a prayer…
Happy Monday!
