health

Emerald 12k Across the Bay

03.22.2013

We had an absolute blast this past weekend at the Emerald Across the Bay 12k. Celebrating St. Patty’s with beautiful weather, gorgeous views and an 8 mile run is pure bliss. Being its 30th year running and with over 4,000 participants, I would have to say this is my favorite race I have been a part of. Starting off in Sausalito, running across the Golden Gate bridge and ending in San Francisco’s Aquatic Park, made up for the nasty 250 foot climb in the first 2 miles. I was barely prepared for the run, but the excitement took over.

(most photos c/o Gene Cohn Photography)

It was my pleasure to be put in charge of our sponsorship events for Diamond Foods (Emerald) and this was my first event of many. I think I have a new passion for event planning…especially when it’s in the fitness realm.

To sign up for next year’s Emerald Across the Bay 12k visit: rhodyco.com

Thanks for reading!! xo

Fit Gal: Jessica!

02.28.2013

Periodically featuring amazing women on a quest for health and fitness is my favorite part of Fitness & the City. I have met some amazing gals through blogging, and Jessica is one of them. She is an excellent writer, is absolutely hilarious, and just so happens to be a health and fitness enthusiast as well. All of which can be found on her blog: Wonder Whats Next. So allow me to introduce her to you, Fit Gal Jessica.

Tell us about yourself and your fitness lifestyle.
I’m a 20-something post-grad trying to figure out how to be a “grown up” and everything that comes along with that. I grew up being very active. I was part of the “go play outside” generation, so I did! I also played sports and cheered in high school. I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Pizza at midnight? You bet. After going to college I was no longer obligated to stay in shape and I let that fall by the wayside. However, I continued eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted! One day it just clicked with me that my weight and my health had gotten completely out of hand and it was time to take control of it. I slowly began working toward living a healthier lifestyle and I haven’t looked back.

What are your fitness goals and how are you working towards them?
Originally, my goal was to lose about 20 pounds. Well, I did that and then some and now I’m working to maintain that by setting new goals. I want to lean out and someday I want abs! I’m a sucker for cardio, but I’ve recently began to incorporate more weight training. Because of that I haven’t seen the number on the scale go down very much, but I have noticed areas of my body looking more toned and my clothes fitting a little looser. 🙂

Do you “eat clean”?
I eat as clean as I can. I’m a girl on a budget, so sometimes that’s tough. I try to keep the processed stuff out of my diet and always read my labels. If I’m not sure what it’s my food it, I won’t eat it or I’ll put in the research to find out what it is. I incorporate as many fruits and vegetables and lean proteins as I can! I’m also a distributor for a health and fitness supplement company, so I have a lot of shakes and things of that nature to keep me on track when life gets busy.

In what ways do you stay active?
I love group fitness! Turbo Kick, R.I.P.P.E.D., Body Pump, I love it all! There’s something about having a room full of people that silently motivates me and always pushes me to do better. I always find myself competing with the person next to me. One of my goals is to run a half marathon, so I’m trying to incorporate more running to help me reach that goal.

What inspires you to live this lifestyle?
My family! There have been a lot of health related changes over recent years and that was a wake-up call for me. This is the only body I’m ever going to have and I need to take care of it so I can be around for my family now and the family of my own I will (hopefully!) have someday. Aside from my family as a whole, my mom is a huge inspiration for me. We have taken this journey together for the most part and we are always motivating each other to do better. I’m also doing this for myself. By losing weight and getting stronger I gained so much confidence. I don’t ever want to lose that, so every day I get out there and bust my butt and try to be better than I was the day before.

Thank you Jessica for your inspiration!

Be sure to head over to her blog: wonderwhatsnextblog.blogspot.com

Lots of love to you all, Jenna

pomegranate benefits

02.25.2013

Lately I’ve had a newfound obsession with pomegranates! Although they are messy and tedious to eat, you can also buy just the seeds in a convenient container. I have been finding myself going back for more every time I am at the market, so I decided to do a little research in lieu of my fascination. Here’s some interesting findings:

Pomegranate is the most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits
Lowers risk of cancer, especially prostate and breast
Lowers cholesterol and risk of heart disease
Lowers blood pressure
Helps control your weight
May have benefits to relieve or protect against depression and osteoporosis

As an original native of Persia, Persians believed Eve actually ate a pomegranate instead of an apple in the Garden of Eden. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life. It is also believed to be a symbol of good luck according to Greeks and Chinese. Sorry to get “historical” on you, but I find all of this so interesting!

Many studies show that pomegranate is one of the most powerful, nutrient dense foods for overall good health. These findings clearly show a correlation between pomegranates and their positive effect on both human and animal cardiovascular, nervous, and skeletal health. This is one fruit that you can’t afford to exclude from your diet! Eat up peeps!

Try this nutritious smoothie and let me know what you think:

Have a great week and thanks for reading!

(sources: drfuhrman.com, Global Healing Center)

Clean Eating: put simply

02.22.2013

I have been getting a ton of questions regarding the basics. “What is clean eating?” “How can I eat clean?” I know I use that phrase a lot, so lets back it up a bit and get down to the basics.

So what’s the hype around “eating clean?” I am no expert, but I have done my fair share of research and experimentation with this subject. My body is a constant experiment and what you put in it is SO important to your health and well-being. So, put simply, clean eating is just a way to talk about what you are eating. This is not a diet or a short-term thing, but more of a lifestyle. This way of eating incorporates un-processed foods, with no chemicals. Food that is at it’s natural state, without going through a factory. This means eating your fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean proteins rather than pre-packaged, processed or fast foods. In all reality, there are no fitness goals that can be achieved without it. Without a clean diet, exercise can be mostly ineffective. (eek!)

There are so many benefits to eating clean, as I have said a million times I’m sure. But I am so passionate about this stuff and can’t stress the importance enough. I have been an avid gym-goer for quite some time, but I wasnt putting the right things into my body, therefore I saw no results. I was “working out to eat”, I guess you could say. To see results, you MUST eat clean, energize your body with the right foods, which will in turn set you up for success. Sorry if this is information you are already aware of, but many are unaware, as was I a year or so ago. Set yourself up for success and eat clean!

“It’s not about finding the right diet, but adopting the right lifestyle.”

To get you started here are some basic foods groups which play a big act in this lifestyle:

Protein Sources: chicken, turkey, fish, egg whites, greek yogurt, protein powder
Whole Grains– whole grain breads, ezekial bread, whole grain oats, brown rice, quinoa
Veggies– brocoli, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, pretty much any plants!
Fruits– visit this site to learn more about what fruits are low in sugar
Healthy Fats– nut butters, avocado, almonds
Sugar– Have you heard that saying “eat less sugar, you’re sweet enough already”? Enough said. 🙂

Food is a big ticket to health. If you eat like garbage you will feel like garbage. Does this seem a bit overwhelming? There is a lot of information out there and I’m sure it’s a lot to take in. But keep it simple. Take baby steps. Don’t go from one extreme to the other. This is a learning process for everyone, including fitness models and competitors! I am still learning a ton of different things on a daily basis. However, it so is important to know, that one thing may work for some, but not for others. Each of us is different, and you should find the right thing for you. It’s a constant journey and we are in this together! Most importantly, have fun with it! (Can you tell via my Facebook and IG that I am having a ball experimenting with new foods?)

Here are some tips to get you started:

To read more visit my favorite site for information: bodybuilding.com

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading! xo

Easy Protein Ball Recipe

02.09.2013

This is the easiest no bake “baking” ever! So delicious and the perfect snack! Thank you Megan Trafton – I heart muscle for sharing this recipe! So here you have it… PROTEIN BALLS:

Ingredients:

whey protein (I used both vanilla and chocolate)
oats
water

Yep……thats it! Um, can you say easy? Oh, and not to mention, the fewer the ingredients the fewer the calories. Perfecto!

Step one: Blend the oats and protein in a blender to get a fine consistency. I used a 50/50 ratio and that seemed to taste great.

Step two: put the blended oats and protein in a bowl and dribble a little water into the bowl. It is tough to get the right amount of water, but be sure to start off with only a drip and add more as you need. The purpose of the water is to get the mixture to stick in a ball, but if you use too much water it will be a sticky mess! Trust me, it is hard to get the right consistency so start with very little water.

Step three: roll the dough in a circular motion with your hands to form a ball. I then rolled it in more protein powder to stop them from sticking to each other. This takes patience, but the results are worth it.

Step four: Refrigerate and enjoy!

And that’s all there is to it! I love bringing these to work to munch on every so often. They are the perfect protein snack and often curve my craving for sweets.

Be sure to check out Fit & Fierce on Facebook for more recipes, motivation and fitness tips!

Another great Facebook page for some fitness inspiration, is Megan Trafton-I heart muscle. Go check her out!

Have a great weekend! -Jenna

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