Category Archives: health & fitness

Be Seven Women Working out in Minus Seven

I have been fortunate to play on many teams, work with many colleagues and be involved with many groups.

As my mom as my standard, I have met some exceptional women.

This morning’s working out with Krista K as our leader and five other women in minus seven degrees weather beside the still lake, was truly exceptional.

The quality of heart, friendliness and athletic determination of these women is always inspiring. IMG_7034.JPGIMG_7033.JPGAll ages and stages of life are represented by these women, and no matter the weather or season of life they take time to take care of themselves.

Daily.

Intentionally.

With kindness.

Our leader and guide is what brings us together and the reason we choose to exercise in minus seven degree weather. I don’t think I have know a better trainer with an eye for how different bodies should move properly as well as knowing when I am trying to slack off. “Shoulders down Joanna. Squat down farther.”

Krista K, our detailed-oriented, friendly leader not only creates incredible workouts, but manages to jump in to help children that have been brought along.

IMG_7036.JPG

IMG_7037.JPGHere is Krista rolling a soccer ball up a slide to my son.

And if anyone can tell me how it is possible that I haven’t done the same workout TWICE in the SEVEN months I have been going to Krista’s classes, I would like to know!

Here is my three year old OC and I working out together: I am doing triceps, he’s on the playground.

IMG_7035.JPG

Extraordinary women.

Incredible morning.

Amazing Trainer.

There are no better adjectives to describe this morning of seven women working out in minus seven!

Be a Boot Camper

I am in a season of beginnings.  

Living daily with loss.

A time of rebirth.

Renewal. 

Playing on the teeter-totter, bars and with rubber balls.

I am going to boot camp with Krista King! 

Where’s Joanna? I am the lady in blue!  

IMG_4353 IMG_4352 Thank you Krista for taking and sharing these pictures.   IMG_4358IMG_4351IMG_4355   IMG_4357

A new KCity friend invited me to go to boot camp with her back in April.

I was intrigued because it was outside either at a beach or in a park.  I had heard through the grapevine that the instructor, Krista King, was a pilates-trained instructor with a heart for health and exercise.  

When I first tried boot camp, I would describe my body as a marshmallow.   After packing, moving, loving my mom through cancer, watching her die and living through profound grief, I had gained a momentous forty pounds on my six foot frame.  I was embarrassed at what I had allowed my athletic body to go through.   I was in the obese section for my height.

The first day of boot camp, I didn’t know if I would be able to run.  I knew that I couldn’t do a sit-up.  I wondered how sore I would be. 

I was pleasantly surprised.  I worked hard, but at my own pace.  I tried everything, but knew that there was no pressure to do so.  Krista King created an environment that was positive, athletically challenging for every body and it was fun to move my body in a variety of ways.  I had difficulty walking up stairs two days later, but it was well worth it and just reminded me to stretch.  

Now, three months later, I am fifteen pounds lighter and feeling like I can do anything.  I continue going to boot camp once or twice per week as well as riding my bike and doing Jillian Michaels DVD’s to help me recover and get ready for the next boot camp.    

Boot camp.

Butt kick.

Into gear,

Moving.

Shaking.

Energized.

Encouraged.

Inspired by the right instructor for me.

Finding my feet.

Firmly placed.

With God’s guidance.

 It is only the beginning.  

 

Be Having a Trophy Husband

As I sell Green Tea Hawaii in ECity, Sexy Neck is at home with our wee boys. 20140720-011757-4677094.jpg

20140720-011757-4677572.jpg

20140720-011757-4677353.jpg

This is the first time in five years (since CC was born!) that I have done any type of paid work and the first time I have ever sold any product in my life. I am completely out of my comfort zone, humbled, confused at people’s purchasing choices and having a great time. I have met incredible people.

A Tibetan monk who is giving insight into the health of the Green Tea Hawaii owner.

A wonderful woman selling deep sea lotions and body scrubs.

A mom selling tights for her daughter’s new company.

Kind.

Authentic.

People.

Try to sell their wares.

Thirty year veterans of the fair.

Newbies like me!

Sexy Neck, my trophy husband, has been holding down the home front.

Here is the text I got about their day today:
Tried to get haircuts,
costco,
ate cones,
built a pulley system for the fort, worked a wee bit on the side yard, cleaned blown done branches,
swam,
couple movies,
dinner,
magic show, books,
power outage…

I wonder if all these wonderful activities caused the power to go out?

Doesn’t that sound like a fun day?

Side note: Praying for safety for everyone fighting the forest fires to the west of our city.

Be Sharing Green Tea Hawaii Love

My story with Green Tea Hawaii started even before I knew that Green Tea Hawaii existed. green tea logo In the summer of 2013, my mom was in profound pain. She had a distended stomach. We thought it was a bladder infection. It was cancer. She journeyed through six months with cancer, living in tremendous pain. We shared many moments shaving her head, watching the boys, cutting her toenails, living each moment. Very unexpectantly the cancer continued to multiply and mom became an angel in heaven on Boxing Day 2013.

Back in mid-October, Mom went to see a Physician at an Integrative Cancer Clinic that supports each patient’s emotional, physical and spiritual health. At this appointment, they doctor covered many topics from eating, exercise, supplements, meditation and encouraged mom on her overall cancer journey. One moment that made her laugh, was when he suggested that she drink ten cups of green tea per day. It has shown that drinking green tea slows down and even stops cancer cell’s from multiplying. My mom was barely eating nor drinking at this point, so the thought of drinking ten cups of green tea made us giggle. If I only knew…

Fast forward now to March, where our family had been given a great gift from a University friend and teammate, their house for ten days in Hawaii. We were also given free access to this amazing product that they own called Green Tea Hawaii. They had samples all over their kitchen counter and we helped ourselves.  Green Tea Hawaii changed our lives.

Everyone I know that has tried Green Tea Hawaii talks about the benefit of the extra energy. I now ride my bike at 6:00am, just because I want to and can. (And I ain’t no morning person!) I enjoy doing Jillian Michaels DVD’s in the afternoon and evenings because I have the energy to. Plus I still have lots left in me to be a present and loving mom to my three boys under seven. Before Green Tea Hawaii, I was struggling.

I love the L-theanine in the Green Tea Hawaii as it gives me a great sense of peace. The combination of the Noni and green tea is absolutely delicious. This is a sweet tea, but contains less than one gram of stevia and sugar. (One teaspoon of sugar is about four to five grams for those visual people.)

Hot or cold.

Shaken not stirred.

Mixed with about a cup of pure water

I have finally found my drink!

The health benefits of the Green Tea Hawaii take me back to the appointment with my mom. Each sleeve of the Green Tea Hawaii equal around 45 cups of Green Tea. Yup, you read that correctly. My mom could have drank just one sleeve and had more than the benefits of the 10 cups of tea that were recommended. satchet

 

The other benefit of Green Tea Hawaii is weight loss. This is an added bonus for me as I already love the health benefits of this product. If you take one sleeve fifteen minutes before breakfast and again before lunch, it revs up your metabolism. I am not entirely sure how this works, but as of today, I have lost fifteen pounds. But nothing compares to the taste, cancer fighting and energy that Green Tea Hawaii brings me.

My dad now uses Green Tea Hawaii to help with his arthritis from his hockey playing days. My husband doesn’t drink pop or energy drinks anymore and he has more energy than before. In one weekend, he planted twenty-two cedars and fifteen HUNDRED square feet of new grass. He had a Green Tea Hawaii in the afternoon and early evening which gave him what he needed to work hard. IMG_4165IMG_4172 Lastly, I have to tell you that after I discovered Green Tea Hawaii, I went to my Naturopathic Physician. Anything that I eat or drink on a daily basis, I like to check out with her. She looked at the ingredients and loved the product for me. She only cautioned the caffeine in Green Tea can disrupt your sleep cycle, so don’t have it after five o’clock in the evening. One sleeve of Green Tea Hawaii is the same amount of caffeine in one cup of Java. She loved the calming affect of the L-theanine as well as the health benefits of the high quality Green Tea from Japan and the Noni from the Polynesian Island. I am very excited and full of gratitude that I can share this product with anyone that would like to try it. Can you tell? IMG_4654IMG_4664
Off to ECity to learn more about Green Tea Hawaii.

Full of gratitude.

Full of energy.

Full of cancer fighting Green Tea.

Feeling the Hawaiian Noni love.

Sweet and cool on a hot day.

Warm and comforting on a cold day.

Healthy.

Green Tea Hawaii.

Love!

 

Sidenote: You can leave me a comment,  text or call me if you are interested in trying a sample.  I have had many people ask since this post.

 

Be Having Our First Ski of the Season 2013

We had an absolutely stellar morning on Sunday. It is incredible to be skiing together as a family. JC leading the way. CC skiing on his own and being pulled behind the Chariot. OC enjoy his snacks and watching his brothers under his blankies wearing a pair of snow boots he wasn’t too sure about.

20131124-140333.jpg
Spontaneous pictures before we started off:

20131124-140341.jpg

20131124-140350.jpg
Zipping down the hills:

20131124-140400.jpg

20131124-140411.jpg
Going down the Jungle Trail. CC’s first time. He was wondering if the tiger was real. Nope they are all painted cardboard sweetie!

20131124-140417.jpg

20131124-140423.jpg
JC and I even ventured through the fresh powder to hit the animal trails. We even saw some tracks. Does this look like rabbit?

20131124-140428.jpg
One last look at the ski:

20131124-140433.jpg

20131124-140438.jpg
After the ski, we went to visit mom and dad. Here’s what I wrote after visiting them.

Life is about sun and darkness, health and illness, and living life with every privilege, challenge and blessing we are given.

Be Turning Chili into Quesadillas

Today with Taco Tuesday!

Instead of the usual hard tacos, I decided to get some rice wraps and try quesadillas.

It was so simple: cast iron frying pan, throw down a rice wrap, cheese, leftover chili and wrap on low heat and voila dinner was on the table. (Here is the chili recipe I made yesterday in the slow cooker.)

To add to the quesadillas while they were heating up, I cut up two avocados and added a bit of salt, paprika and garlic powder and mashed it all together. We also had some sour cream kicking around in the fridge to add on top of the avocado.

We got home from gymnastics at 5:20 and dinner was on the table fifteen minutes later. And it tasted GOOD!

Bon Appetit.

20131105-181920.jpg

And keep in mind, I ain’t no foodie. Just check out this blog for a real foodie!

Be Having Chili Monday

How often do you try a new recipe? How about a new recipe without an accompanying photo or taste test?

I must admit that I will almost never try a new recipe where I can’t see a picture of the finished product or I haven’t eaten it. Another look into my perfectionist ways!

Today, I took a recipe from my foodie friend and blogger and I am giving it a go! I have seen photos so I am confident my family will be eating a home cooked meal for dinner rather than takeout pizza.

Chili Monday could become a tradition. This was the easiest slow cooker recipe ever. I made it before we took JC to school at 8:15am so that tells you how easy it is.

Here’s this beautiful chili this morning:

20131104-134407.jpg
Checkout my foodie friend’s recipe and blog