all about New Years, the NOOCH, & back workout!

January 2, 2013 -
17 comments, add yours

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a nice new years!

I spent New Years Eve with the boy and his family at a local spot

where we listened to an awesome band play all night; as well as danced the night away!

IMG_9985

It was so nice to spend time with his brothers;

IMG_9964

& Michelle (his sister-in-law) and future sister-in-law Jessie!

Please excuse the picture quality – obviously the boys were taking these.

IMG_9971

Oh yes, this one is a beaut.

IMG_9969 

Oh well, so we look like we have no eyes but at least we tried!

IMG_9970 

These two lovely ladies got me the most adorable gifts for Christmas!

IMG_9986

Jessie got me an adorable Under Armour infinity scarf & Michelle got me a mason jar

for my baking essentials which she engraved with POWERCAKES!

I told her she needs to start selling custom orders, so let me know if you’d be at all interested!

The next morning, after sleeping in, I woke up to find that

I was voted top 5 in the InstagramFitness Fit Foodie’s of 2012 contest!

If you see letter “C” – that would be one of my powerbowls!

IMG_9976

I am so thankful for this &  everything else from

2012!
I cannot wait to see what 2013 brings and share everything with you all!

After the exciting news. the boy & I had a nice big breakfast before heading to the gym!

It felt so great to get back into a kick butt workout after taking some days off from working out.

For a while I was used to getting up and working out right away; without really eating much beforehand.
See, I’m not a fan of actually burping up things while doing burpees.

BUT yesterday, after waiting at least 2 hours to let my food digest – I had so much energy for our workout!
This got me thinking that I think I need to switch up my routine so this can happen more often.

We did an awesome back & bicep workout that I posted on Instagram!

IMG_0015

*please check that cheeeeeese face in number 1 & no it was not snowing
(as to why the boyfriend is wearing a beanie)
He claims that from all of his years wrestling and wearing head gear,
he feels comfortable with something on his head..

hey, BE TRUE TO YOU, right!?

No better way to kick it off than with a #FitFluential back & bicep day!

one of our supersets was

4 sets of 12-15 reps

✔cable hammer curls

✔Bent over wide grip row

10 seconds rest between each exercise!

Great way to get the heart rate up!

Pick a challenging weight and try to increase it with each set.

Make sure your form is ON POINT and each movement is clean.

Squeeeeeeze at the top and release slowly – Challenge those muscles!!

We also did :

4 sets of 12-15 reps

✔wide grip pull downs

✔Dead lifts

✔Low back extensions

✔Bicep curls

✔Pull ups

(assisted for me) & @cbrownie133 did sets with his new weighted vest he got for Christmas.

IMG_9987

I like to call him super man.

IMG_9988

✔Finished with some jump roping intervals!

✖15 minutes total

✖30 sec on/10 sec rest

It was a great workout!

Came home & had an awesome post workout POWERMEAL which consisted of

Clean Carbs & Protein to refuel those muscles!

IMG_0012

black bean burger (less than 5 ingredients! recipe coming soon!)

Kabocha squash (my obsession), roasted turnip slices, & roasted cauliflower
all sprinkled with NUTRITIONAL YEAST!

Speaking of nutritional yeast, my girl Kelly Olexa just bought some for the first time

& was asking for some advice on using it!

Let’s just say – I put it on everythinggggggggg.

Here are some facts about the NOOCH that I’ve posted before!

photo (2)

If you search on my blog under “Nutritional Yeast” you’ll find all of the way I use it!

Some of my favorites are;

Creamy Tahini Nooch Sauce

Pumpkin Vegan Alfredo

Savory Cheesy Tuna Oats

Creamy Kabocha Squash Collard Wraps

5 Ingredient Lentil Loaf

Mexican Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

Felicia’s Green Kale Pesto

Super Simple Pasta Sauce

& in all of my POWERBOWLS

This stuff is just TOO LEGIT on everything!

You can also add it into smoothies, sauces, dips, hummus, dressings, or just sprinkle over anything.

It has a cheesy taste & I honestly crave it daily!
Which it is something you can feel good about eating daily due to it’s nutritional properties!

Like I’ve said here;
nooch facts

Nutritional Yeast is a powerhouse of nutrients
and can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle;
especially for those who are vegan or vegetarian.

It is one of the few non-animal sources of B-12,
is rich in folic acid and many other nutrients and amino acids.
This is not your typical yeast and is free of the Candida Albicans strain,
making it safe for those concerned with candida.

It is grown on beet sugar and molasses, fermented,
and dried so it is gluten free and non-yeast forming in the body.
[
source]

It’s loaded with :

Protein
One ounce of nutritional yeast contains 14 grams of protein and 79 calories.
Nutritional yeast is a fabulous alternative to animal-based protein.

High Fiber

Nutritional yeast contains a high amount of fiber, containing more than seven grams per ounce.

B Vitamins

Nutritional yeast’s yellow color comes from the B vitamin riboflavin.
Nutritional yeast is rich in B-complex vitamins,
making it a vital supplement for those who are not receiving their B vitamins from other sources.
Many brands of nutritional yeast also contain vitamin B12, which is essential for red blood cell production.

[source]

I buy mine on www.iherb.comcoupon code XUG228 as always!

That will get you a discount on the website – $5 off any first time order under $40 and $10 off any order over $40!

so there you have it  – reasons why I love the nooch;

I hope you’ll try it out and reap the benefits!!

Enjoy your day!

#beTRUEtoYOU

Have you ever tried nutritional yeast??

what is your favorite recipe using it?