Push ups challenge and eat more greens

If this doesn't get your body moving, I don't know what will.....Check this out!

Double click ----> PUSH UP 

Push Up Freestylers

One of my ALL time fave songs and don't even mention the clip, it's crazy and I LOVE IT!!!! So watch this space for some Dani action and her push ups video clip!!!! 

So here we go!!

4 week push up program 1-31st March

I am going to keep it simple so please adjust accordingly to your fitness level and reduce or increase your push up reps. Choose your preferred days. 

Week 1 

Day 1 

3
4
4

__

11

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 2 

4
4
5

__

13

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 3 

5
6
6

__

17

NB: Allow 2 minutes rest between sets

Total push ups for Week 1 = 41

Week 2

Day 1

7
7
7

__

21

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 2

7
8
8

__

23

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 3

8
8
9

__

25

NB: Allow 2 minutes rest between sets

Total push ups for Week 2 = 69

Week 3

Day 1

8
9
10

__

27

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 2

10
11
12

__

33

NB: Allow 2 minutes rest between sets

Day 3

11
12
12

__

35

NB: Allow 2 minutes rest between sets

Total push ups for Week 3 = 95

Week 4

Day 1

12
13
13

__

38

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets 

Day 2

13
14
13

__

40

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Day 3

15
15
17

__

47

NB: Allow 90 seconds rest between sets

Total push ups for Week 4 = 125

Grand total push ups in 4 weeks = 330

Even the green man himself The Incredible Hulk is asking ARE YOU READY? I know this program may seem a bit light for those that are used to push ups and are doing them in their regular fitness regime but I am totally hopeless, I am never consistent and I want to try and get more than 5 mens style push ups in a row by the end of the month. I know there are many of you too that cannot do proper push ups so we can do this together. Progress not perfection. I will be starting on the kitchen bench incline style, incorporating female push ups on my knees and then trying mens style. It's all about challenging ourselves.

I might also add that this is in conjunction with your usual fitness program. In no way will this push up challenge make you lose weight, its simply a fun fitness challenge that we can all do together and build our upper body strength at the same time. In fact doing push ups does give you a complete body workout so I look forward to my results and hearing about yours. 

Guidelines and FAQ's

What is a push up?

You can peruse various push ups on YouTube in fact the first push up video that came up was this. I also came across Scott Colby the 6 pack abs expert who has this sensational push ups technique with a twist. 

Can I do different styles/variation of push ups?

Sure thing! By the way this YouTube clip will blow your mind so please feel free to do mens style, womens style on bended knees, inclined, decline push ups etc.... Whatever. 

What if I want to do less push ups?

We really want you to try and push up regularly throughout the week to build strength and endurance. So go at your own pace and increase your number each time you do your push ups. Also for those that just want a shorter challenge, I highly recommend you to check out SkinnyMs 7 day push up challenge

What if I want to increase my push ups?

I say GO FOR IT! The more the merrier and as my husband says BIGGER CANNONS!! So please increase your push ups to fit with your current fitness regime and challenge yourself by increasing them by 5 each time.

Can I do push ups 3 days in a row?

Freehand exercises such as push ups are great however it can lead to over training of the specific muscles being used, so there is an increased possibility of injury. Having said that since it is a relatively safe exercise, there is not too much danger but please take care if you happen to miss one day of your push up days and need to play catch up. Also technique is paramount. Like our #planksjan2013 challenge in January, it's all about posture so make sure you are doing them correctly and see yourself in a reflection to ensure you are doing them properly. 

Will I lose weight doing this 4 week push up program?

No. This isn't a weightless program, it's to assist with toning muscle definition. In order to lose unwanted body fat you must eat healthy and regularly exercise. For the 90 minutes per week fitness program I follow CLICK HERE.

I was given great advice by a personal trainer who reviewed my program and she fully supports a permanent lifestyle change. So consistency is the key to see results. Thank you JC x

INCREASE YOUR GREENS

Photo courtesy of Loni Jane

As part of this challenge we will also be including one serve of greens per day. I mean ANYTHING that is green!!!! What is a serve?

Vegetables

One serve of vegetables is 75 grams or:

• ½ cup cooked vegetables
• 1 medium potato
• 1 cup salad vegetables
• ½ cup cooked legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils)

For more information you can Read more here

I look forward to sharing creative recipes from green smoothies (see Loni Janes fabulous Instagram page) to juices, steamed veggies, eating them fully raw etc...the options are endless. So please share your recipes here and tag them to your social media plug ins and use #pushupsgreens on your pictures. So please come join me and @tonedtannedandfit for another sensational challenge.

I would love your feedback so please leave me your comments below.

♥ Dani 

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How To Avoid Hitting A Martial Arts Plateau

Martial Artists are no different from other athletes and if you're not careful you can easily hit a plateau. Plateaus must be avoided because it means your martial arts skill and fitness levels aren't improving. Here's The Shaolin Temple's Five Steps to avoid hitting a plateau.

1) Change Your Martial Arts Routine

Our bodies are efficient machines which adapt to whatever we throw at it including our workout. When you first start to train you'll make gains in your training but after a few months these gains will level off because your body has learnt to adapt. To avoid hitting a plateau you need to change your martial arts workout every couple of weeks.  Combining  my Workout, Bootcamp and newly released Circuit Training DVDs will give your body the constant change  it needs so it never reaches a plateau.

2) Do High Intensity Circuit Training

If you're fit and you can run 5k without any problem then you're ready to do circuit training. Though not suitable for everyone, this is the best way to torch fat, build lean muscle and boost your metabolism. Fighting Fit is a saying which we all know means optimal fitness. Fighters need to combine circuit training with cardio runs and if you're serious about your martial arts, alongside training with my DVDs you also need to run.

3) Mind Body Connection

Shaolin is all about the mind body connection. It's the way that Shaolin Monks understand Zen. You may have no desire to understand Zen but do you have desire to be more focused? Centered? At peace with yourself? If you're following Shaolin correctly then this is what you'll gain.

4) Make A Plan

It's not enough to put the time in, you need  a plan and a destination. After you've done your martial art's workout , take a pen and write down how you did. Tracking your progress can help  keep you motivated. Plan ahead as to what DVDs  you'll be working out to on what days. Give your training the respect it deserves.

5) Train the Yin as well as the Yang

Rest is an important factor in our martial arts so you don't burn out. As well as taking one or two days of a week from your training, you also need to do Qigong to regenerate your body from the inside out. And it's important to get a good nights sleep. Research is showing just how important sleep is for the body to regenerate itself.  If you find it hard to sleep then do some of the movement from Qigong Volume 2 before you go to bed at night.

The beauty of Shaolin is that we can shape it around our fitness level, energy levels and lifestyle by constantly adapting the workouts. Listen to your body and work with it.

For more information on Shifu's DVDs please click here. 

Fully Raw. Could you do it? Interview with Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram

How are you? We are doing all great thank you and loving life to the fullest. We have a jam packed week and this summer weather has just been sensational. We have been out beside the pool deck often and even when I need to write to you, I take you with me wherever I go.....

Let's talk about raw foodism

What is it exactly?

Raw foodism (or rawism) is a diet consisting of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods or wild foods.

Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).^[1]

Many raw foodist are also vegan or vegetarian and are sometimes called "raw vegans" or "raw vegetarians"


Could you go completely raw for health reasons and just for your general well being? This does look pretty amazing huh? Check out Kristina's Youtube V8 juice with no added preservatives, salt or fillers. Just complete natural goodness. These simple ingredients make an amazing juice, bouncing with all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

Simply juice;

Tomatoes (this should be your main ingredient)
Spinach
Beetroot
Carrots
Celery
Parsley

Fully raw V8 juice

I am super intrigued, so much so that I am willing to go raw for one of our challenges this year, do you think you could do it with me as well? There is just something about it that draws me to trying to eat just fruit and vegetables including fish (I love sushi) along with nuts etc.... as I love them so much AND you know how much I love to experiment with food and recipes. I also know I would find it extremely fun trying all these superb new recipes. Having said that I primarily use raw or blanched style vegetable with our mains so I really don't see it being a big deal for me. Or am I kidding myself?


Here is the person that has me intrigued. Her name is Kristina Carrilo-Bucaram from #fullyraw, she is a young, beautiful and sun shining 26 year old from Texas, USA with a Equador and Lebanese background. I think what grabbed me was her zest for life, her genuine kindness and love of raw food. Not to mention how beautiful she is and simply bounces off my screen every time I YouTube her channel!!!

Kristina ~ Founder of the largest raw, organic produce co-operative in the U.S

I had heard about raw people before when I started my healthy journey a few years ago but didn't think much of it as there is NO WAY I could give up my palacinke AKA Serbian Croatian crepes/pancakes or all the dairy, variety of cooked seafood, meats and poultry we typically have in our diet. But as I stated above, there is something that has got me intrigued. I would like to try it! I want to see the health benefits Kristina so passionately professes.

Why Kristina went raw is outlined in her video as she suffered from Hyperglycemia all her 18 years and constantly felt drained, nauseous, had shocking migraines and very underweight for her height. Until 8 years ago........one day a man crossed her path in a whole foods store and asked her while she was going through the packs of granola whether she was a raw girl? This took her by surprise as she had no clue as to what he was referring to? Anyways for more on Kristina's amazing story please view her video here.

I on the other hand have had the wonderful opportunity to do a personal interview with my raw goddess sister herself and here are some questions I asked her;

1). When you discovered you were hyperglycemic and you went down the raw food path. Did your body have any symptoms with the fruits eg: peaches you were just eating for the first week and then the vegetable and leafy produce thereafter??? 

When I first started eating raw, I literally ate nothing but peaches for two weeks straight. This is called mono-mealing. This is very cleansing and healing for the body for three reasons: 1) Eating one thing at a time is much easier for our bodies to digest. 2) Increases elimination because the body only has only one thing to process and eliminate. Things are easily "brushed through." 3) It is more natural to eat a smaller selection of fruits because that is how they are found in nature. It is rare that we find a grocery store selection in nature. When we find one fruit tree with ripe fruit, we LOVE to eat as much ripe fruit that we have off that tree until we are full, then move on to the next tree. Because I was very sick before I went raw, my body had a very positive reaction to eating more fruits. These simple sugars gave me energy, the fibers cleansed my body, and the vitamins fueled me! I was excited to cleanse and detox. For the first time in my life, my body felt ALIVE. 

2). I know you suffered from severe migraines as a cause of your illness, do you know of any other fully raw people that suffered from migraines and no longer do due to this lifestyle change?

Absolutely! I have personally coached people through migraines, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression, etc. The list goes ON. I truly believe that any sickness can be reversed through a pure, FullyRaw lifestyle.   

3). Are you okay with other people eating whole foods and meat? 

It is the choice of a person whether or not to eat a vegan diet. There are always more ways to incorporate more FullyRaw fruits and veggies in the diet without going totally raw. If someone follows the principles of proper food combining, they can also get great results regardless. This depends on the person and their beliefs about food. I went raw vegan initially for health reasons, but that has evolved over time.

4). How would you help people convert to just raw foods. Is there a step by step plan or just bite the bullet and eat fruit & vegetables. 

There are many ways to convert to eating FullyRaw. I know people who have jumped in over-night and I know people who have taken 7 years to finally commit. There is no wrong way to transition. You must feel comfortable, you must feel safe, and you must feel inspired. You want to feel confident in your journey so that you will succeed! I converted over-night, and for me this was easier because I made the commitment, and I found that I wasn't as easily tempted by other foods or confused about "acceptable" choices. However, this is rare. What I recommend to individuals who want to transition is to first start off with a juice or smoothie in the morning (32 oz.). After this step is complete, step two is to always have a humongous plate of fruit for lunch (about 1000 calories worth.) Once this is complete, step three is to always have fruit with a large rainbow salad. Then, if you want to have other things like meat or grains, to eat them after/with your dinner. Start in the beginning to reduce or eliminate dairy and meat products. This will create an enormous change in your health. Fruits and vegetables are high vibrational foods that will keep you properly fuelled, naturally thin, and internally clean.  

5). Do you ever slip up and have a piece of cake or ever crave the "other" non raw foods?

I have not eaten cooked foods in almost 8 years. I completely reversed my hyperglycemia (onset of type 2 diabetes) by eating raw. I LOVE every bit of my life SO much now that I have never had the desire to go back!  

6). What is the difference between a vegetarian, vegan and raw food person?

Vegetarians do not consume meats or fish. 

Vegans do not consume any animal products or animal by-products. This includes things like meat and dairy.

Raw vegans eat food only nature's foods, uncooked, unprocessed, in their natural state. This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, typically fresh, ripe, and whole/organic. By not heating the foods, you eat them when they have all of their life-force and maintain their enzymes. 

A bit of fun stuff about Kristina

7). What are some fun things you like doing on your own? With friends and family?

I am ALWAYS active! Eating healthy gives me the energy to do everything I want to do! I LOVE to run, salsa/ belly dance dance, practice acro-yoga, sing (jazz and blues), sculpt ceramics, lay in the sun, hug trees, hug everyone, read, connect with friends via social media, have juice parties, invite friends over for dinner, spend time with my ridiculously large family, co-operate at Rawfully Organic, meditate, and eat! Is there anything that I don't like to do!? ;) 

8). What are some exercises/sports you normally do?

I am an avid runner! When I was sick before, I never had energy to run, so it has become a privilege for me that I will never take for granted!  I also love to practice acro-yoga or couples yoga with my "other half," swim, salsa dance, belly dance, rock climb, and lift produce boxes. Carrying 40 pound banana boxes is a great workout! ;)  

9). What's your favourite perfume? 

I use only pure grade essential oils like Young Living and DoTerra. I love anything with patchouli, citrus, lavender, sandalwood, peppermint, or fresh spices.   

a. What's your favourite gem stone and why?

 How did you know?! :) Those who see me will always ask me about my bracelet collection! I literally have an entire ceramic bowl filled with original pieces/healing stones from friends that I have collected or personally crafted. My favorite is aquamarine because it is my birthstone. 

10). Link your favourite green juice, breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner meal  

My favorite foods change as the seasons change, as I love to appeciate what nature gives me at every given moment. At the moment,  my favorite juice is my SoulShine juice! It makes my skin glow, my energy high, and my belly flat! That juice is usually my breakfast! My lunch lately has been a HUGE bowl of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas! For dinner, I am famous for eating citrus with ridiculously large rainbow salads! I make my own salad dressings, typically oil free and very savory using fresh herbs. 


There you have it!!! I hope this gives you a bit of an insight on raw foodism especially from the guru herself! Kristina is amazing and I found it unreal that people have completed healed themselves from various illnesses and disease by going on a fully raw diet/lifestyle. I need to get my Mum onto this as some of you may know she suffers from severe rheumatoid and osteo arthritis. 

Until we meet again, love and friendship

♥ Dani 

Hot date with the Tooth Fairy

It's been a busy week for our Tooth Fairy as not only did Noah lose his first tooth on Wednesday! but he lost his second on Thursday! Ka-Ching a ding ding!  

Noah was one of the last ones in his class and now he feels like a big Grade 2 kid. He really wanted to try the string around the tooth and door handle trick (NB: the tooth was on its last thread! I reckon if I blew it, it would've fallen out!) but nevertheless he was persistent and super brave and whalla! The tooth came out!!! He now feels a part of our childhood as Adrian and I used to do that with our baby teeth. 

Tooth fairy and the pepper trick

PS: my little entrepreneur placed a sprinkle of pepper in the glass to make his tooth fairy sneeze and accidentally drop some extra coins!!! Cheeky little monkey. He made sure he didn't do it on Thursday. We told him fairies don't like to sneeze so they won't be coming back to his glass if it had pepper in it.

We had a sensational weekend, loads of family fun down the beach. We also hope you had a happy weekend with your loved ones.

Food

Now back to some glorious food. For those that follow my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages you would've seen this amazing pizza!!!!

Healthy pizza's in 10 minutes

This is by far the quickest and in my eyes the most healthiest home made pizza I have EVER made!!!

Typically I get my blender with the blade (I am yet to try this in my KitchenAid with the dough mixer) and I pour;

Ingredients: 

1). 2 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour (those that are GF feel free to use your preferred flour) 

2). sprinkle of S&P 

3). 1tsp chia seeds

4). crushed garlic 

5). sprinkle of rosemary & oregano (or use whatever herbs you prefer)

6). 1/2 or 1 cup of warm water

7). drizzle of olive oil 

Method:

Whizz the above ingredients until it's all incorporated. Then as the blender is whizzing, slowly pour warm/tepid water with a drizzle of olive oil until the dough forms. This whole process seriously takes only 2 mins!!! I can't wait to make a video for you guys, as I want to make your meals simply fast and easy and so mouth watering!!! Let me know your thoughts?

Anyways back to the pizza.... Separate 2-3 quantities and roll out into thin pizza crust. Place in heated (lightly sprayed with olive oil) frying pan and start putting your toppings on. We use;

- Tomato passata (crushed garlic, herbs, fresh basil, S&P) or buy a store bought pizza tomato base

- Freshly sliced tomatoes

- Smoked ham

- Spinach & Basil

- Marinated Feta

- Olives

- Mozzarella/parmesan cheese (pls omit this for a super healthy pizza version)

You have to believe me when I tell you, YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO BUY TAKE AWAY PIZZA. EVER. I guarantee it!!!!

This recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver's self raising flour pizza version (simply use 2 cups of SR flour) however I prefer the ultra thin and crusty base without the rising agent.

March Challenge

You also know I am currently prepping up for our March PUSH UPS & GREENS CHALLENGE and super excited what this month has in store for us all. Not only toned arms, shoulders and back but a luscious array of beautiful greens filled with all the vitamins and nutrients we need to clean out the bad stuff in our body and replace it with all that green goodness!! I can't wait!!! 

Here's a simple colour wheel to ensure we are getting all the vibrant colours of rainbow fruit & veg in our healthy bodies on a daily basis!!!! 

Rainbow fruit and vegetables

How good are you with your fruit and vegetable intake? How many serves would you have throughout the day? Do you try and have them fresh, raw, frozen, steamed, boiled, grilled or oven baked??? 

I'm loving them fully raw and in their pure form as much as possible. In fact I remember blanching them as I love the crispness in beans, brocolli etc...and my husband queried why I hadn't cooked the vegetables one night. So now I just cook them for the rest of the fam while I try and eat them in their rawest form. 

Fitness

I am super lucky that I get to workout for 15 minutes per day as I find my time very limited managing a house hold of 6 people. So I managed to do my resistance training today and sheesh! did I break out into the biggest sweat! Lucky we have cool water to refresh ourselves into!  

To check out my workout program, simply click here to receive your 50% discount off the ebook and 30 days free trial at a place that offers you 24x7 support with amazing like minded women who are on the same journey and such helpful resources, forums with all sorts of questions you may be asking. Updated monthly workouts so you are never bored with the same 15 minute workout. 
Everything you can find is there. If not, you simply start up a discussion and whalla! So go check it out here if you're not seeing the results you're getting at the gym, running, bootcamp whatever!!! It's worked for me these past 5 1/2 years. I love it! And.......

You know what????

Workout and feel amazing

How much more energised do you feel after a workout?  I know it lifts my mood and I feel so alive!!! 

Until we meet again my beautiful friends. May the workout be with you!!!! ;-)

♥ Dani 

SIMPLE IS HEALTHY

Balance of Life, part 3

When it comes to Simple is Healthy, I have come to appreciate a balance of work, rest, play and pray.  I used to be a “YES” person with A1 personality type that first, could not say “NO” and second, the “busier the better”.  Always seeming to not be good enough, never satisfied, and always striving for that something that often times I did not understand “WHY”.  Can you relate to that?  I think it stems from feeling unappreciated in my early years, or just not feeling accomplished...going “Darla Deep” here.  Fast forwarding to the Darla of today that has shed that ugly skin…YEAH!!!!

Life’s journey has definitely taught me to love myself in every way and to accept that life is about enjoying it.  Think about that concept…I ENJOY MY LIFE.   I definitely do not want to breathe my last breathe with any regrets, and missing out on the important stuff in life, the real meaningful things that money just does not buy.   This is not to say that I am not goal oriented, strive to be the BEST me at what I do and provide that for my family and clients…I would be a hypocrite if I did or said that…this girl is definitely not lazy.   I am letting you know that my life has come full circle to finding that peace and balance with everything and I no longer run around like a chicken with my head cut off with a go-go-go , do- do- do mentality, and to the point of being so exhausted that my eyes are burning.  It is really OK NOT to be busy all the time, to enjoy some time to be still, to appreciate life and think about all the things in my life that are so wonderful.  Older, wiser, better…I stole that from my hubby and it is so true with my life at this point.  

Contentment is a GREAT word to describe where I am in life.  I love that quote that says “I may not have the best of everything but I make the BEST of everything that I have” and that is really true for me.  I am a no frills kind of gal who does not need to keep up with the Jones’, wear designer clothes or be concerned about that, I enjoy a bargain, getting my hands dirty in the garden, and in the kitchen.  I try to live life with gusto and appreciate the moment…something I took for granted years ago…being so busy being busy and going through the motions that the meaning of the moment was missed.  The “Older, Wiser, Better” Darla of today inhales every moment of every minute and I know that I smile and laugh a lot.  What a fabulous simple healthy difference living life with balance makes and provides such peace and happiness most of the time. 

Maintaining a balanced life with my workouts, nutrition, rest, play and pray is the secret to having a healthy lifestyle for me.  I am no longer hard on myself if I miss a workout or get off track once in awhile on my nutrition plan.  Life has a way of showing me exactly where I need to be, and what I need to be doing and sometimes, my body says…Darla the workout is not happening today…but that nap you need…go for it.  I am a more relaxed person who is very in tune to my body, and listens carefully to my energy levels, any aggravations and responds accordingly.   I can recall feeling guilty taking a nap years ago, like I needed to be doing something all the time and I am so glad that I do not have that mindset anymore. I have nothing to prove to anyone, and maintaining a healthy ME is what matters and of course loving God, hubby, family, friends and taking care of my fabulous clients.  Living life with balance of everything allows for deep breathing, relaxation, and really a release of all the stress and worry that we often bring on ourselves.  Exercise is my “cheap man’s” therapy, and so, yes I have a session at least 5 days per week for a good hour.  Moving on to my passion for cooking which is not only therapeutic for me but also provides my daily “REAL FOOD” intake that keeps me healthy.  Rest is also a big part of my balanced life and I try to get a good night sleep in addition to the occasional nap.  Lastly, my time with self, God and family rounds out the rest of ME that keeps me healthy and living simply. 

In Your Face MOTIVATIONS

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

Stay Healthy~ Darla

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