Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is topped with hearty sweet potatoes. They’re a superfood high in beta-carotene, potassium, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds add extra crunch!

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

Sweet Potato Salad

Total Time: 1 hour 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano or parsley) (to taste; optional)
1 medium baked sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium green apple, diced
½ medium red bell pepper, diced
1 stalk green onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups fresh arugula
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (or chopped raw walnuts)

Preparation:
1. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and herbs (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
Set aside.
2. Combine sweet potato, apple, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Drizzle dressing over sweet potato mixture; toss gently to blend.
4. Place even amounts of arugula on two serving plates; top each with sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Tip: Bake fork-pierced sweet potato at 450° F for 30 to 40 minutes or until just tender. Do not over bake; cool.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 236
Total Fat: 11 g
Total Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 5 g

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Save Yourself from Shin Splints

If I asked you to pound your entire body weight onto your hands, repeatedly, for an hour a day, six days a week, you’d probably tell me to get lost. Yet, if you’re reading this, you probably do the exact same thing to your feet everyday when you work out, jog, or shoot hoops—and if you’re not careful about it, your feet will let you know they aren’t too happy about it, via your shins. Doctors and physical therapists call this message Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. Everyday people, like myself, call it shin splints. Shin splints refer to pain in your tibia, or shinbone, and they are caused by overloading the bone and the connective tissue that attaches your muscles to the bone. There are a few reasons this happens.

How to prevent shin splints

The most likely cause is stressed muscles that become swollen and irritated from overuse. If this is the case, it’s a simple fix and we’ll discuss some solutions below.

A second cause might be that you have flat feet, meaning your arches collapse, again stressing muscles. It’s fairly obvious if you have flat feet (because, um, your feet are flat), and if this is the case, orthotics or arch supports can help. If you have access to custom orthotics from an orthopedist . . . great. If not, there are plenty of over-the-counter insoles and arch supports that might help (I highly suggest these by Dr. Scholl’s; they have been a lifesaver!). Just because one doesn’t work, don’t give up. It might take buying a few different kinds to find something comfortable for you.

A third and more serious cause of shin splints is stress fractures—small, hairline cracks in your lower leg bones. If this is the case, the pain tends to be sharper and more localized, with tenderness a few inches below the knee. If you suspect a stress fracture, talk to your doctor.

Regardless of the cause, the first step in shin splint management is a few days’ rest and some ice. While you’re resting, if your shins keep hurting, go see a doctor. If you start exercising again and the pain increases, go see a doctor. If your shin starts swelling, go see a doctor. But if none of these things happen, then home remedies will most likely solve the problem. So I’ve come up with a little something called the Four S’s of Saving Your Shins from Splints…

1. Surface.

Each time your foot hits the ground, your musculoskeletal system absorbs a shockwave. The softer the surface, the smaller the shockwave. If you run, look for a good track that gives little resistance or consider running on grass or off-road. Whatever you do, stay off the pavement. If you work out at home, exercise on carpeted flooring or get yourself a small rug to stand on. Better still, a floor or plyometrics mat works perfectly.

2. Shoes.

A good pair of sneakers can also absorb that shockwave. Jogging shoes tend to be ideal for this. If you’re active, count on replacing footwear at least a couple of times a year. Your shoes may not look worn out after six months, but the internal support structure and shock absorbency have probably broken down.

3. Stretch.

Before you work out, warm up the muscles that support your shins. A great stretch for this is to push against a wall with your hands. As you do this, straighten one leg, bending your other leg at the knee, keeping both feet flat on the ground. You should feel a stretch in the calf of your straight leg. Repeat, switching legs. There’s also the tibialis anterior muscle stretch. Squat really low in front of a bar or something else you can grip. Lean back and pull yourself forward while keeping your feet flat. You’ll feel the stretch under your shin.

4. Strength.

Strong shins can take more punishment. One super shin strengthener is toe raises, which train your tibialis anterior muscle. To do these, stand with your back against a wall and feet in front of you, about a foot from the wall, shoulder-width apart. Keeping your heels on the floor, raise your toes and lower them. Repeat 40 times.

Another strengthening exercise is calf raises. Stand on a stair or a stool so that your heels hang off the edge. Slowly rise up on your toes and the balls of your feet, and then slowly lower down again. Do three sets of ten. Once this gets easy, do it while holding weights. You can also do these with your toes pointed in and your toes pointed out.

The four S’s are not only the ideal way to manage most shin splints, they’re the ideal way to prevent them, too. So don’t wait for the shockwave to overtake you before you start doing them. Remember, your shins have been good to you for years, it’s about time you gave back.

Disclaimer: FitByWhit is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. please note this is at NO additional cost to you, the buyer. Not all my links are affiliate links because I only link to products that I use and fully recommend!

5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy

As hard as it is to fight your junk food urges, if you have kiddo, you probably know that getting Junior to make smart food choices is triple the challenge. It’d be excellent if you could just yell, “Hey, you! Eat your spinach!” But you can’t. As is the case when dealing with most aspects of a child’s life, it takes commitment, patience, and some serious cunning to steer them down the right path. Here are 5 tips to help you in your family’s healthy eating journey!

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5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy

1. Portion control.

Digging into the entire box of goldfish crackers, or any other kid’s snack, is a bad idea. So it’s a good idea to empty out that box into smaller ziplock bags, for better portion control. Do this the moment the treats are pulled from the grocery store bags! This helps children understand what a healthy portion looks like. Meals and portion sizes have increased nearly 40 percent over the last decade. As parents, you have the opportunity to teach children that smaller portions are not deprivation—it’s proper nutrition.

2. Sneak in the whole grains.

Use whole-grain pasta and brown rice, but don’t tell your kids. They’ll never know the difference. No one, especially children, likes change when it comes to food. I like to use the “stealth” approach for any change, i.e., fly low under the radar! When first switching kids from regular pasta to whole-grain, whole wheat pasta, try it in stages. First, add just a 1/4 cup of the healthier noodles. Each time add more, until eventually they are eating the whole-grain stuff and have no idea! The key is making the changes gradually and not making a big deal about them.

3. Lead by example.

If you’re giving your kids apples but you’re eating Snickers, it’s never going to work. Following a healthy diet needs to be part of the commitment of good parenting. Never use the “D” [“Diet”] word in front of children. When you do, and they see you eating healthily, they assume that healthy food is something you’re forced to eat as a punishment. Lead by example. Say, “Mommy is eating this for more energy and to be stronger.” Use positive comments about healthy food without reference to weight. Try, “I feel so much stronger when I eat fruit for a snack!”

4. Make food fun.

Taste is something that changes over time. Our taste buds actually change as we age; this explains why some children will eat broccoli and green beans and others find the smell and taste worse than starvation! Continually introduce healthy food and find unique ways to introduce the food in stages. For example, your children might try a small amount of broccoli mixed in with their mac and cheese. Once you’ve gotten them to accept that as a regular staple, transition to broccoli with a creamy cheese soup. Eventually, your children may acquire a taste for steamed broccoli! Can you imagine the day? But starting right out of the gates with a big plate of steamed broccoli in front of a child who doesn’t eat green things is asking for a battle! Baby steps!

5. Don’t pressure kids to eat.

Present the food, but don’t force kids to eat it. Making demands will just polarize your kids, while letting them eat healthy foods on their own terms leads to healthy habits. If your first attempt doesn’t work, don’t take it personally or assume that this is a life-or-death situation. Take a deep breath, let it go, and try it again another day—try serving those healthy foods prepared in new ways. It often takes several times before your child will decide to try something new. Oh, and I’ve heard my parent friends mention that their children will often try new food with their grandparents or at their friends’ houses, foods that they won’t try with them! Ask what new foods they tried and then offer to prepare them, and get excited about their willingness to try new foods.

Oatmeal with Cardamom and Cranberries

The spicy-sweet flavor and aroma of cardamom pairs perfectly with tart cranberries in this oatmeal. Raw honey and almond milk add even more rich flavor.

Oatmeal with Cardamom and Cranberries Healthy Breakfast Recipe

Oatmeal with Cardamom & Cranberries Recipe

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 5 min.
Yield: 4 servings, about ½ cup each

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. unsweetened dried cranberries
¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ tsp. ground cardamom (or ground cinnamon)
1 tsp. raw honey (optional)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Preparation:
1. Bring water, cranberries, and salt to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add oats; cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add cardamom; mix well. Let oatmeal stand 1 minute before serving.
4. Divide evenly between two serving bowls; top each evenly with honey (if desired) and milk.

Nutrition Info (per Serving):
Calories: 104
Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g (Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 4 g)
Protein: 3 g

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8 Tips to Get Your Kids Active — Plus $50,000 Giveaway to the School Program of Your Choice

Helping kiddos get active is crucial for good health and development. Regular exercise helps children to avoid illnesses like heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, improves mood, reduces stress and can even help children to do well at school.

8 Tips to Get Your Kids Active

1. Get Interested

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Show an interest in any activities your child likes and encourage them to try out new physical activities. If your kid loves ballet, it’s time to suck up any personal reservations you might have and get behind your child!

2. Don’t Drive so Much

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We can all be more active as part of our daily lives. Walk rather than drive and encourage your kids to cycle and walk where possible.

If you pick your kids up at the bus stop, why not get have them get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way home together? Being active throughout daily life by walking and cycling is a great way for your children to achieve their daily 60 minutes of activity.

3. Help Kids to be Sporty

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Playing sport is a great way for children to be active. If your kids don’t like traditional sports,  there are lots of alternatives: mountain biking, skateboarding, BMX, mountain climbing & surfing are all excellent and are becoming more widely available.

Schools can help children to be more active by offering alternative sports and activities such as hip-hop dance, tae-kwon-do, step aerobics, zumba etc.

It’s important that children should have access to activities that interest them. If you find that your child is not interested in taking part in PE at school, find out what else if offered and encourage the school to provide alternative physical activities… you can even try out our at-home exercise program so that you can bring fitness into the home for the kiddos! We have partner workouts, dance and hip hop workouts, self defence workouts, body and free weight workouts, and more!

4. Shall We Dance?

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Not all kids are into sports, but there are lots of other ways to be active. Hobbies such as dance are excellent ways to get kids moving. Dance is an excellent way to develop fitness, agility, balance and coordination. Hip hop dance, street dance, salsa, tap, ballet & Irish dancing are great ways to keep your kids active. There are also at-home workout options like Cize, Turbo Jam, YouV2, and Country Heat!

5. Take Control of the TV

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A recent study found that kids in the US spend on average 5 hours per day in front of a screen: watching TV, surfing the web and playing computer games. This amount of screen time makes it really hard for kids to have an active healthy life.

Take control of the TV, and ration their screen-time! This goes for phones and iPads too! Need help?… “Bargain” with them – have them finish one of the at-home workouts in the living room and for every minute of exercise, they can earn 15 seconds of TV or game time! So a 40 minute workout converts to an earned 10 minutes of screen time throughout the week!

6. Get Active Yourself!

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You are your child’s most important role model – so if you are a couch potato, don’t expect your kids to be active! Get yourself active – the habit will rub off on your kids. — Our “Double Time” workout is designed for parents and kids to do together with just a simple ball that comes with the workouts and nutrition package!

7. Be Active Together

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Why not bond with the kids by doing some physical activity together? It’s important that you set a good example – you are your child’s most important role model – and the activity will improve your own health as well!

  • Go for walks or play active games together
  • Play a game of ball together
  • Try the “Double Time” workout together and feel free to give me your feedback on all of it! You’ll be the first to go through it!
  • Join an exercise class together
  • Play physical games with family and friends (tag, frisbee, catch, hide and seek)
  • Plan a nightly jog or walk — you jog and the kiddo can ride the bike if they can’t keep up!
  • Go golfing as a family
  • Play a game of one-on-one basketball or soccer with family

8. Play Every Day and Tie in the Nutrition!

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When your child has been active, don’t undo all the good work by giving them junk food afterwards! Test out the Daily Sunshine smoothie that comes with your donations into the School Charity! They are all soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and packed with all natural superfoods and amazingness!

Show the kids how getting out and about each day can be fun and how the body starts to crave the movement and the activity, especially as we tie in great clean kid-approved recipes to the mix! Be the example in every sense of the word and your kids will follow suit.

Interested in getting active with your kiddos & Helping Your School Win $50,000?!?

I am spending this month diving into helping kids be more active with their parents and kicking off a challenge group focused on just that! I am giving parents & kids partner exercises to do together that are fun and easy. Plus, pairing it with a healthy meal plan full of kid-approved recipes!!! Not to mention, the plan includes a healthy kids smoothie for those of you who have kids who won’t go near a fruit or veggie with a 10 foot pole!

Best part?!?! For every parent and kiddo team (or kid sibling team) who jumps in with us in November, I’ll be donating $20 to the school charity of your choice! And for every parent/kiddo duo that I help this month, the community as a whole becomes more eligible for the HUGE giveaway where Beachbody is going to donate $50,000 to the school program or charity of our choice!!!

So I need your help…. Please jump into the group with us and together we can better help our kids get healthy and fit in a fun way and earn some big money for the school as well! It’s a WIN-WIN!

Fill in the form below to get more information on how you can donate to this amazing cause just by purchasing the kiddo/parent workouts and kid-friendly meal plan and recipes! (All proceeds go to the school program of your choice!)

 

To London & Back! What a Month!

London Airport

What an incredible journey and month it has been! I spent the last couple weeks in London with one of my fellow coaches where we were on the ground floor of launching the Beachbody coaching business in the U.K. We met some of the most incredible people while we there, and dove into the fitness culture, going to bootcamps in the park, Adidas running groups throughout the city, and trying out as many gyms as possible to get a sense of what the idea around fitness and nutrition is and how we can help people get started on living a healthier life.

It was incredible to see how many people were waiting for the Beachbody coaching opportunity to finally come to the UK and how excited they were to get started with the process of helping their friends and family with health and fitness. Definitely did not know a soul before going over there, and coming home now I have a whole new extension of the FitFam! We got 10 new women started with their own at-home business, so now they can help people in their communities start living healthier each and every day! The tentative plan is to head back at the end of the month as well and help 20 more men and women launch their businesses.

Arrived home late on the 23rd and headed up to Redding to be with my dad while he recovers from his should replacement surgery. I think one of the things I love most about this career path I chose is being able to be there for the people I love the most when they need me. One of my friends messaged me the other day and said, “Where are you off to now? Do you ever work?” And to that, I just smiled and said, “I can work from anywhere! And I designed it that way.”

It was always so important to me to have a career where I wouldn’t be shackled to a cubicle or a physical location, or the demands of a boss and his/her hours. I always wanted FREEDOM to travel, to be there for my family, to work from a coffee shop in any part of the world, and to really just LIVE EVERY MOMENT of this life to its fullest.

Fresh out of college, I experienced two years of building someone else’s dream (aka working for someone else), and it was the most draining and disheartening experience to not feel like I had a purpose or a choice in my own day.

So now… with the launch of my team in the U.K., Canada, and obviously here in the U.S., I get to teach other people how to live that dream of following their passions and living a life of purpose. I get to help them start their own business from home or from wherever they want to be. I hope to pass this gift on to hundreds more people throughout this year and next year and show anyone who wants my mentorship and guidance, that they absolutely can turn their passions into their career… and spend as many precious moments as they can with the ones they love.

As we end the month, it will be so fun to go back to SLO and see Paul and Brodie for a few days and then out to Las Vegas for our annual Leadership Retreat where Beachbody spoils us with incredible training from keynote speakers and authors, workouts and lessons from the world’s best personal trainers, and a week of amazing knowledge of how to help more people all over the world.

November will also be birthday celebrations for the BIG 2-8!!!! I’m now just a couple years away from 3 decades old! Where does the time go?!?! I told Paul… IDEAL birthday celebration is something having to do with doggies, exercise, a small group of friends, dinner, and board games after!!! (I love keeping it simple and fun!) Can’t wait for another great year ahead!

7 Ways to Avoid Eating Leftover Halloween Candy

Let’s be honest: We all say Halloween candy is for kids, but it’s hard not to reach for a piece — or seven — once it’s in your house. While I can’t come to your house and physically prevent you from housing the whole bag at once, I can offer you some tried-and-true tips to keep your candy binge in check.

How to Avoid Eating Leftover Halloween Candy

7 Ways to Avoid Eating leftover Halloween Candy

1. Hold Off On Buying Candy

Buy candy for trick-or-treaters as close to Halloween night as you can. Less temptation leading up to Halloween, and you are less likely to make a run to go buy more.

2. Buy Less Candy, Give Out More

Buy less than you think you will need. This will help you avoid having leftovers hanging around the house. It’s better for you to run out of treats than to be left eating them yourself. If you find that your Halloween candy bowl is still full as the night goes on, start handing out more candy to each costumed kiddo that rings your doorbell. They’ll be thrilled, and you’ll be saved.

3. Buy the Stuff You Like the Least

One simple way to prevent yourself from eating leftover candy is to buy stuff you don’t like, whether that’s candy corn, atomic fireballs, or Good & Plenty. Buying what you don’t like will make you less likely to indulge and reduce the urge you have to sample treats as you hand them out on Halloween.

It’s not that I want to be cruel to others by feeding them waxy candy corn. Some kids love it. I just know I won’t eat a single piece.

4. Eat Well

Sugar cravings can strike when you’re hungry and haven’t consumed enough fuel to keep your blood sugar in balance. Eat protein and fiber-rich meals in the days before and after Halloween. It’ll make you feel less tempted to create a dinner out of mini candy bars.

5. Savor a Single Treat

Mindless eating is a good way to eat way more than you mean to — whether that’s nuts, chips, or candy. Rather than sitting in from of your TV munching your way through a bag of chocolate, try mindful eating.

Select the one piece of candy that you most want to eat. Tune out all other distractions and focus on savoring the experience of eating it. Chew slowly, let it melt in your mouth, enjoy the sweetness, and notice how it makes you feel. Cutting that piece of candy into smaller pieces will make the experience last longer, and according to research may even make you feel like you’re eating more. Make your piece of candy go even further by chopping it into tiny pieces and sprinkling the bits on top of plain Greek yogurt.

6. Keep Your Mouth Minty Fresh

When you get the urge to unwrap handfuls of Halloween loot, give your pearly whites a quick brushing and see if that curbs it. Brushing your teeth can be a successful deterrent  — especially the chewy, sticky stuff like caramels and gummy bears.

7. Just Chuck It

This will likely put you in the running for Worst Parent Ever, but ask your kids to choose their favorite treats and then donate or throw away the rest. The longer treats stay in the house uneaten, the more likely you are to give in to temptation.

6 Healthy Halloween Treats

Candy corn, chocolate bars, caramel apples, and so many other sugary treats are front-and-center at Halloween, even before the trick-or-treating begins! If you want to get into the holiday spirit in a healthier way, here are some easy-to-make Halloween snacks we found that kids (and kids at heart) will love!

Healthy Halloween Treats

6 Healthy Halloween Treats

Jack-o’-Lantern Fruit Cups

Add color and fun to your Halloween with these smiling jack-o’-lantern faces carved into navel oranges. Slice off the tops of the oranges, scoop out the pulp, use a paring knife to cut out jack-o’-lantern faces, and fill with grapes and/or mixed berries.

Healthy Halloween Treats - Jack-o’-Lantern Fruit Cups

 

Slithering Snake Dip

Eek! What is lurking in your hummus? A slithering snake made from black olives! Just carve beady eyes from string cheese and add a carrot tongue. Even those who hate serpents will love this little guy.

Healthy Halloween Treats - Kids Hummus Dip

 

Mummified Apples

Googly eyes and gauze tape turn green apples into mummies that are almost too cute to bite into.

Healthy Halloween Treats - Kids Mummified Apples

Monster Pie

Kids will love this Monsters, Inc. tart because it’s so darn cute, and well, because it’s dessert! Visit Creative and Healthy Fun Food to get this recipe that’s got a filling made from avocado, banana, and almond milk!

Healthy Halloween Treats - Monster Fruit Pie

Spooky Spider Eggs

Deviled eggs (like these) get extra creepy-crawly when they’re topped with spiders. To make eight scary spider eggs, cut 12 black olives in half vertically. Place one half in the center of each egg to form the body, then slice each remaining olive half into four sections to create legs. Shiver.

Healthy Halloween Treats - Spider Deviled Eggs

Eyeball Pasta

Start off a night of trick-or-treating with this clever eyeball pasta! Visit Spend with Pennies to see how she used string cheese, black olives, and a straw to create eyeballs of different sizes that stare out of ghoulishly green spinach pasta.

Healthy Halloween Treats - Eyeball Party Pasta

4 Fun Pumpkin Exercises

A Halloween workout? Well, it doesn’t take a mad scientist (or a person dressed as one) to realize that a pumpkin can be used as a weight. The pumpkins grown for carving typically range from two pounds to 25 pounds… though the biggest pumpkin ever weighed in at a monstrous 2,323 pounds!!!

But enough pumpkin trivia. We are here to sweat.

Halloween Pumpkin Workout Exercise Routine

Two types of pumpkins are needed for this routine… For the push-up, use a flatter, heavier pumpkin so you don’t lose your balance and take a nosedive into the squash. You’re going to have to be a little careful which actually makes you work a bit harder for balance and stability. For the other exercises, choose a second, lighter pumpkin.

Here are weighted pumpkin exercises to ensure that you’re a fit gypsy, a limber ghost, or just a downward-dogging little devil in the pumpkin patch this year. Aim for 15–20 reps per move.

 

Halloween Workout - Staggered Hand Push Up Exercise

Pumpkin Staggered-Hand Offset Push-Up

Target Muscles: Chest

Assume a push-up position (feet together, body straight from head to heels, arms straight, hands in line with and slightly wider than your shoulders) with a pumpkin three inches in front of your right hand. Place your right hand on the middle of the pumpkin, squeezing your glutes and bracing your core to keep your body rigid (and your hips from sagging). This is the starting position. Keeping your elbows tucked, lower your chest until it almost touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position. Switch sides for each set.

 

Halloween Workout - Overhead Press Exercise

Pumpkin Pick Up and Press

Target Muscles: Glutes, quads, shoulders

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and turned out 15-degrees with the smaller pumpkin between them. Keeping your back flat, straight, and core braced, lower your body and grab the pumpkin with both hands. This is the starting position. Straighten your legs as you lift the pumpkin to chest level. Now press it overhead until your arms are straight. Pause, and then reverse the movement, lowering the pumpkin to the floor. That’s one rep.

 

Halloween Workout - Weighted Lunge Exercise

Pumpkin Loaded Lunge

Target Muscles: Quads, glutes, shoulders, core

Stand tall holding the smaller pumpkin straight overhead with both hands. Keeping your back flat, straight, and core braced, take a large step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (don’t let your left knee touch the ground). Pause, and then push back up to the starting position. Do equal reps with both legs.

 

Halloween Workout - Seated Twist Exercise

Seated Pumpkin Twist

Target Muscles: Core

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, holding the smaller pumpkin in front of your chest with both hands. Lean back slightly. Keeping your back straight and core braced, rotate your torso as far to the right as you can, and then as far to the left as you can. That’s one rep. Not challenging enough? Hold the pumpkin farther away from your chest.

 

Halloween Pumpkin Workout Exercise Routine

Candy Corn Protein Shake

Whether you love it or run screaming from it, candy corn is symbolic of Halloween. But, there are plenty of healthier ways to celebrate this spooky holiday than loading up on candy. This year, how about whipping up a festive Candy Corn Protein Smoothie instead? It’s like a costume for your smoothie! The three layers get their colors from wholesome ingredients such as carrot juice, pineapple, and turmeric, which taste surprisingly good when mixed with Vanilla Shakeology (or sub your favorite protein powder) and coconut milk.

Candy Corn Halloween Protein Shake Recipe

The novelty of this multi-layered shake does require a bit of extra effort and freezer time. If Halloween is your favorite holiday, then you’ll agree that every step is worth it. If you want to skip straight to the enjoyment part, you can blend all of the ingredients together at once.

Candy Corn Protein Shake Recipe

Total Time: 45 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 smoothie

Ingredients:
For Bottom Layer:
½ cup fresh carrot juice
¼ cup reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
½ cup ice

For Middle Layer:
½ cup water
½ cup ice
½ scoop Vanilla Shakeology (or protein powder)
¼ cup canned pineapple, in juice, drained
½ tsp. ground turmeric

For Top Layer:
½ cup coconut milk beverage
½ cup ice
½ scoop Vanilla Shakeology (or protein powder)

Instructions:
For Bottom Layer:
1. Place carrot juice, yogurt, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into large serving glass. Place glass in freezer for 15 minutes.

For Middle Layer:
1. Place water, ice, Shakeology, pineapple, and turmeric in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
2. Slowly pour into serving glass over bottom layer. Place glass in freezer for 15 minutes.

For Top Layer:
1. Place coconut milk, ice, and Shakeology in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
2. Slowly pour into serving glass over middle layer; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 255
Total Fat: 5 g
Total Carbohydrates: 29 g (Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 20 g)
Protein: 23 g

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