Tighten Your Tummy Workout + My Personal Favorite Ab Exercises

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

After having three kids (who are all teens now), I never thought I’d see my abs again. Well, actually, even though I’ve been at a reasonable weight my whole life and a more-or-less competitive runner since my mid-twenties, I’m not sure if I had EVER seen the elusive abdominal muscles. No wonder, my lower back and lower stomach would be the sorest places on my body after racing a marathon – all the strain of having to hold myself upright!

Fierce, fit and fabulous forty-something moms (well, okay the mama in the middle may not be in the club yet but she’s still a great role model of fitness).

Oh, I’d do some sit-ups here and there, but really only as a rare afterthought to a running workout. It wasn’t until my 40s that I decided I needed to get stronger to keep up pace with younger runners. Core strength was one of the priority areas! Happy to say that after some initial suffering, I got stronger – no longer does my back hurt when I run or carry around heavy stuff.

Now that I’ve got my six-pack (BAM!) it’s just a little bit of maintenance to keep in tip-top shape – I probably work core for no more than 15 minutes, 3 times per week. Anyone can fit that into their schedule! I’m also an advocate of full-body, functional workouts that also strengthen the muscles of a problem “middle.”

So, where to start? I found this basic workout on P&Geveryday™ – 5 Best Moves to Flatten Your Tummy. By the way, I’ve been surfing all over Proctor & Gamble’s online platform, especially the workouts, recipes and product reviews for living well. P&Geveryday™ shares practical ideas, resourceful tips and all-around good advice that that makes it easier to enjoy life – I know my crazy-busy, hectic life can use all the help it can get! You really need to check P&Geveryday™ out along with the P&G Facebook site that shares the same philosophy

Back to their advice on the 5 Best Moves to Flatten Your Tummy.. –you can do these simple exercises at home or at the gym to strengthen your abs and build a foundation for fitness. If you need more challenge, you can always add a weight element of if you are struggling, simple reduce the number of reps in each set. Keep it up though and soon you will be chopping down trees with your newly ripped abs!

A plank in some form or another is always in my core workout.

I also want to share with you two ab and core exercises I personally swear by. The first is a plank – you can’t beat the all-around core strengthening that a plank provides. Some days I do simple planks, other days I mix it up with variations like this plank on a stability ball – after holding the plan I would roll the ball up with my knees moving toward my face in a plank position. If you are new to planks, start slow and keep good form. Your middle and butt as tight as possible and hold a clean line –start with 15 seconds and week-by-week move up in 15 second intervals.

Another favorite tummy-tightener of mine — rumor is Spartan soldiers did these centuries ago. Now I feel really tough!

Another favorite tummy-tightening exercise in my core workout routine is a Floor Sweeper. Lie on your back and hold a moderately weighted bar over your head for stability. Keeping legs straight and together, lift heels off the ground and slowly move your legs like a pendulum, with toes going back and forth to each side of the bar. I do 3 sets of 50 reps, but you may want to start out with 15 or 20 reps.

Do you have a favorite exercise for your abs, back or all-over core? Please share in the comments as I am always looking for new inspiration!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Mojito Mint Iced Tea & Pure Via Giveaway

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Another holiday to report — did you know June is National Iced Tea Month! Oh how I love to sun brew a big container of tea and flavor it with ginger and lemon – or sometimes I’ll mix my pitcher of refreshment with a fruit puree. Or, how about a tall glass of Mojito Mint Iced Tea, that’s what I have for you today! Sit back on the porch and enjoy, y’all!

Mojito Mint Iced Tea Recipe

2 quarts water
4 – 6 black tea bags (depending on strength preference)
2 limes
1 bunch of mint
Liquid stevia to taste

Directions: Pour water into a large glass container with lid. Add tea bags and hang tags over rim. Zest limes into tea container, taking care not to zest bitter white pith. Reserve limes, for use later. Massage and twist mint with hands to activate oils; immerse into container. Top with lid and set in sunny part of yard for 4 – 5 hours. Take tea bags out of jar and pour tea through strainer to remove zest and mint leaves. Squeeze flesh of zested limes into tea, add liquid stevia to taste – -stir and enjoy!

Remain calm, this is just a Stevia plant!

I’ll be first to come clean that I have a major sweet tooth and can’t drink my iced tea plain – yet that sweet tea that’s served down here in the south is way to sugary. My compromise is to use stevia, a natural and zero-calorie extract derived from the leaves of the Stevia plant. I still get the satisfaction of “sweet” without the calories, carbs or that sickly saccharine taste that comes with many other sugar substitutes.

I’ve tried many brands of stevia and I really like Pure Via®, the company has a wide range of products including non-GMO stevia packets that can be sprinkled in beverages and used in recipes along with liquid stevia that comes in a handy little squirt bottle that fits in my purse – I love to sweeten my on-the-go coffees and smoothies with the vanilla – the sweetness of stevia is very concentrated, so just a few drops will do ya!

If you like to cook, bake or mix up drinks with stevia, check out Pure Via’s collection of yummy recipes. I can’t wait to make this Blackberry Lemonade – as I’ve mentioned before, blackberry is totally the hipster berry of the year!

Win this Pure Via Summer Fit Kit!

One of you lovely readers will soon be even sweeter — that’s because I’m giving away a Pure Via® Summer Fit Kit that includes:

Box of Pure Via® non-GMO packets
Bottle of Pure Via® stevia liquid
Bottle of Pure Via® vanilla stevia liquid
Container of instant iced tea
Pure Via mason jar & straw
Pure Via pedometer (get in your 10,000 steps!)
Pure Via SPF 15 lip balm

To enter the giveaway, please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter app – also, please note that this review and giveaway is sponsored by Pure Via®, however the opinions are my own. Entrants must be limited to the U.S. only and only one winner per household (eg: you can’t win the same prize from another blog.

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Grate Expectations – Seared Steak Thai Salad – #GrillIt #WinIt

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

There’s something special about summer grilling – relaxing in the great outdoors, keeping the grill master company with good conversation and a cold beer, and enjoying the season’s bounty sizzling off the grates. It’s the perfect way to wind down after a long day, except for when it isn’t. When the thermometer is hovering over 100 degrees, the mosquitos are as big as dragonflies, and dirty barbeque smoke is making your eyes water, it’s time to head back indoors!

Dean on grill duty, getting a little smoke in his eyes!

But, how can you get that that grilled outside flavor from the cool comfort and convenience of your kitchen? Well, I have had some luck with a grill pan that sits right on your stove top, but even better is the Searing Grill from Hamilton Beach – it heats to a really high temperature to lock in the natural juices in the lean protein or produce you are grilling. The grate marks it makes are gorgeous, food looks like it has been flipped around by Bobby Flay. Clean up is easy, the grates can go in the dishwasher and slide-out drip pan washes easily in the sink – no more standing out in the backyard with your grill disassembled and for a spray nozzle hose blasting.

I’ve tested a few of my favorite grilling recipes on this awesome indoor grill –- from my Tuscan Grilled Eggplant to Mojo Chicken Breast with Citrus pictured above.

I also created a delicious recipe for Seared Beef & Mango Thai Noodle Salad Recipe for Hamilton Beach’s blog, EverydayGoodThinking.com. This easy recipe keeps things cool, the lean beef and mango sear quickly on the grill while the rest of the veggies don’t need any cooking – even the thread-thin noodles only need to soak it hot water from the sink. Head over to EverydayGoodThinking.com right now to get the recipe and more!

So, yay! Thanks to Hamilton Beach, I get to give away one of these Searing Grills so you can #GrillIt ! Enter via the Rafflecopter app below and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you are the winner!

Oh and speaking of grilling, it’s not too late to register for my “Live Well, Grill Well” class at the downtown Whole Foods in Austin, Texas. I would love to have a packed house!

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Fit Family | Workouts & Getting Saturday Strong On!

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Flexing as we leave the gym (okay, the boys took a shower and I didn’t — something’s wrong here)!

School’s out and that means I’ve got my kids back into the gym routine – on Saturdays, the whole family heads up to the gym to exercise, stay fit and have some family bonding time. Then it’s out to lunch, but we earned it! This is the third summer that we’ve been able to take the kids with us to the gym (they are now 11, 14 and 17) and I it’s cool to see how much more confident they’ve become in the setting. No longer intimidated by the equipment, my guys know what to do and enjoy the challenge (okay, they do sometimes complain). My husband and I keep adding new skills to their base and teach them how to perform every move safely – oh, and also proper gym etiquette!

Our gym has all sorts of equipment – my family’s favorite may just be the gymnastic rings. At first the kids were drawn to the rings because they could swing around like monkeys circus stars, but now they know quite a few moves that engage the upper body and / or core – pull ups (the youngest can knock out 8), dips, rows, toes-to-rings and fun tricks like “Skin the Cat.” If you like working out on the rings, this “Ring of Fire” workout I made for CorePower.com will have you burning in a hurts-so-good way. Guys, if the WOD is too easy (ha!) put on a weight vest!

Look at all the goodies in my Summer POPSUGAR Must Have Box!

In addition to a good workout, I love good mail days – those days when the box is filled up with NO bills, my favorite magazines, event invitations, paychecks and new samples to try. This should be the only kind of mail allowed! What an unexpected treat to find a POPSUGAR Must Have Box waiting for me at the door yesterday. With the holding-breath kind of anticipation, I opened the package to find my surprise treats – a new novel (perfect for beach reading), citrus body lotion, a beautiful and light beach towel that doubles as a wrap, lemon wet wipes (refreshing!), fancy hair ties (that make really neat bracelets), Hawaiian bbq potato chips (take me away!) and a $15 gift card to an online site peddling geek gadgetry (my boys are fighting over this).

All items in a POPSUGAR Must Have Box are typically themed (mine was the Summer Box) and include items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness and food that have been hand-selected by editors in the know. If you are interested in, you can save $10 on a 3 month subscription by using the code JUNESELECT10 at checkout (ends June 30, 2014).

POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

16 Summer Smoothies to Get Your Motor Running

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Ready, get set, blend! I have 16 special smoothies to keep you cool as a cucumber (or frozen banana) through this warm weather season. Whether you’re slurping one up for breakfast, as pool side refreshment or refueling post-workout or run, these healthy frozen beverages will keep you hydrated and help you beat the heat. Plus, smoothies are an easy way to help you meet your daily fruit and vegetable intake goals, so start pureeing your produce, my friends!

Simple Green Smoothie – Avocado gives this straight-up spinach and almond milk smoothie a creamy, dreamy richness.

Mint Melon Smoothie – The fresh mint in this cantaloupe smoothie will give your health and mood a lift!

Cherry Crisp Smoothie – Nature’s sweetest cherries and oats will have you reminiscing about Grandma’s famous desserts a la mode!

Sweet Beet Smoothie – Beet juice, red berries and cherries make this smoothie perfect for improving athletic performance and recovering afterward.

Pineapple Express Smoothie – The caffeinated tea in this tropical smoothie gives your morning jump start, mon!

Tomato Strawberry Smoothie A tomato is a super nutritious fruit, after all! It’s about time it found its way in a smoothie.

Layer Spring Smoothie – Three layers of yumminess make this smoothie three times the fun – banana, spinach and strawberry!

Blackberry Lemon Smoothie – The blackberry is the trendiest fruit for 2014 and gives this smoothie a hip vibe.

Apple Cider Cinnamon Smoothie – Even in the heat of summer, this sweet and healthy smoothie will have you dreaming of a fall harvest. It’s a bushel of all the best, whirled up in a glass.

Peaches ‘n Cream Smoothie – Sometimes simple things are the best and this straightforward smoothie makes the summer’s best peaches shine bright!

Skinny Elvis Smoothie – Don’t leave the room without this awesome banana, chocolate peanut butter smoothie! Recipe in the photo.

Chocolate Orange Smoothie – Citrus and dark chocolate come together beautifully; this smoothie might remind you of those chocolate oranges popular at Christmas!

Caramel Pumpkin Pie Smoothie – Instead of a slice, take a slurp of this holiday-inspired smoothie that is worth celebrating year round!

South of the Border Chocolate Smoothie – A hint of cinnamon and cayenne pepper make this rich but healthy chocolate smoothie practically shout out “Ole!” Recipe in the photo.

Apricot Almond Smoothie – Use fresh apricots or dried ones that have been soaked overnight – a super smoothie that is surprisingly rich in iron.

Creamy Watermelon Protein Smoothie – So refreshing, so hydrating! This sweet smoothie is the perfect post-workout reward. Recipe in the photo.

If these aren’t enough smoothie ideas for you, then check out the extravaganza of healthy smoothie recipes from Cooking Light – there are 26 different varieties!

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Author Archives: Jennifer FIsher

Tighten Your Tummy Workout + My Personal Favorite Ab Exercises

Mojito Mint Iced Tea & Pure Via Giveaway

Grate Expectations – Seared Steak Thai Salad – #GrillIt #WinIt

Fit Family | Workouts & Getting Saturday Strong On!

16 Summer Smoothies to Get Your Motor Running