Heated Yoga

I have been attending yoga classes for a few years now at my gym. I find that after a long week of work and life yoga seems to recharge me unlike any other workout. It is the only time that I actually turn off my brain and just focus on balance and strength.

I have been wanting to try heated yoga for some time now so when my friend invited me to come to her yoga studio for FREE I was definitely in.

We went to Core Power Yoga in Portland and I was hooked the minute I walked in the door. You take off your shoes right when you walk in the door and there is hot tea waiting for you. The atmosphere justs asks for you to be calm and relaxed.

It is cold here in Portland right now so walking into the heated yoga classroom was a pleasure in itself.

The class we attended was not quite as crowded as the above picture because we attended the 7:30pm class on a Wednesday. I was thankful that the class wasn't very full as it was less intimidating. Although I have been practicing yoga about once a week this class was tough.

I am in pretty good shape and I found myself dripping with sweat within about 15 minutes. If you decide to try heated yoga I definitely recommend buying a yoga towel that goes on top of your mat to keep it drip free.

I loved heated yoga and cannot wait until I can afford a membership at a yoga studio (for now I will just purchase a few classes at a time). I encourage you to go out and try a heated yoga class though, many studios offer free classes or discounted first-timer rates. You will love it!

The Color of 2011

The votes are in and it is being predicted that the most popular color for 2011 will be................

Honeysuckle

So start shopping for a honeysuckle dress to pair with tights and boots or maybe a honeysuckle workout tank. If you aren't THAT into pink you could always use this as your go to nail polish shade for the new year.

More Breakfast

Ok, here is another delicious breakfast that can be prepared in 5 minutes!

Oatmeal with Blueberries and Walnuts

So easy. Put 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats and a few walnuts in a bowl and put enough water in the bowl to barely cover the oats. Microwave for about 1min 45sec. Top with blueberries (the ones I used were frozen so I had to defrost those first). Done!

Breakfast in 5 Minutes

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and sets the tone for the rest of your day. I have exactly 5 minutes each morning to make my breakfast and pack it with me to work. I know many people who skip breakfast because they don't think they have time. My next few posts will be focused on nutritious breakfast ideas that can be prepared in 5 minutes or less!

PB & Banana Toasted Sandwich

To make this sandwich simply toast a Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin (only 100 calories-I use these for everything!) and spread about a tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter on both sides (about 100 calories).

Slice up a half of a banana (about 85 calories) to place on one side.

Then place the other side on top to make a sandwich and you are out the door! Yum!

Roasted Corn Soup

When cold weather approaches I immediately crave a hot bowl of soup. I tried out the below corn soup recipe not expecting it to be anything special. Wow! The flavor of the onions. celery, and the tomato garnish really popped. Try this corn soup and you will love it!

Roasted Corn Soup
4 Ears of Corn
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion (Chopped)
4 Ribs of Celery (Chopped)
3 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes (Diced)
4 Cups of Vegetable or Chicken Stock
1 Cup Non-Fat Milk or Soy Milk
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 Large Tomatoes (Diced)

1. Roast corn ears on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees F (this adds so much flavor to the soup-do not skip!)

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the copped onion and celery and cook until softened.

3. Add the potato and stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover for about 25 minutes. During this 25 minutes you can cut the kernels from the corn cobs.

4. Add the corn and cook soup for another 15 minutes or so. Remove from the heat. Ladle 2 cups of the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Pour the puree back into the soup, add milk and salt and pepper. I added some grilled chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne for protein but this would be delicious without meat as well.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the diced tomato and more salt and pepper if you like.

Enjoy!

Sunny Day in November

I woke up this morning still a little bitter about the election coverage taking over Biggest Loser last night. Tuesday night is the only night that I will re-arrange my schedule to make sure I will be near a TV. It's quite pathetic actually but I love Biggest Loser!
Once I got out of my warm bed this morning I realized that today was going to be a gorgeous day! It has been a rainy end of summer and beginning of fall here which starts to take a toll on your mood. I was so excited to see the sun and couldn't wait to get off work so I could go for a run!

I mapped out my run on MapMyRun before I left work so I would be ready to go as soon as I got changed.
MapMyRun is a great website to use when planning a run. You can draw a path through your neighborhood until you reach the distance that you need. No more driving around in your car to map out a run! I try to minimize distractions when planning to workout in the evening after work. Once I sit down to do something else it's easy to decide to put off the workout until tomorrow.

Although the run was not as easy as I had expected, I finished the 3 mile loop that I had set out on. Months of running on the treadmill at the gym made me forget how different running outside really is! I had to continuously chant "don't quit" and "think how good you will feel when you finish" to get through the last half of the run. But it worked! It's amazing what some excercise and a little sunshine can do for your mood.