“I Love Lists Friday”: CYS #TGIF Weekly Favorites

Just because its Friday… and who doesn’t love a short, to the point, list of things to think about, try, check out, or discover!

California Yoga Sport’s

Friday List

1. Check out Oakley Women’s Brands newest Spring 2012 Swimsuit line! Get excited about the warm weather just a few (fingers crossed) months away & start picking out your activewear suits to hit the surf with!

2. Make an Oh She Glows Kale Salad, Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad, or one of our other delicious recipes we’ve posted about before!

3. Go on a hike! This weekend we’re heading to Point Reyes to hike Alamere Falls! Get back in touch with nature.. and since its chilly outside remember to wear layers!!!

4. Shop at the Farmers Market. Get out of your routine of shopping down an aisle & hit up the fresh farmers & vendors at your local farmers market.

5. Listen to ‘Gotye‘ Pandora Radio Station. Will definitely be a nice change of pace from your usual musical tastes.

6. Read the Newspaper. Step away from the computer & grab that traditional pile of journalism at your local coffee shop & indulge in some black & white reading.

7. Write down your goals. Yes, we all have laundry lists in our heads, but the act of writing it down puts a new pressure on considering your goals & how you will achieve them. Come up with an action plan to help get started & maintain the struggle towards your goals when the going gets tough. You can skip figuring out the exit strategy because you won’t need it 😉

8. Do the one exercise you least enjoy. Whether you dislike running & prefer to sit on a bike for hours, get off the saddle & go for a run. Resisting the urge to go to your comfort zone in training is the best way to jazz up and spike your training performance. Don’t ask questions, don’t talk yourself out of it, just do the one thing you want to do the least.

9. Don’t watch the clock. Allow your weekend to be schedule free as possible. Your work week can be busy & planned out, but give your mind & body a break from following a schedule for two full days.

10. Indulge in some Spring Cleaning. Yes, its only February, but who doesn’t like getting a jump start on things. Clean out that closet of old sneakers, mix matched socks, and collect all of those old magazines that have been piling up on your coffee table. Keep your personal space and home clutter free allowing more space for your mind to focus on other important things such as your training schedule, personal life, or taxes-ahhh!! Grab the broom & get to it!

Enjoy your healthy & active weekend! #TGIF

Grocery Shopping: A Peak Inside CA YogaSport’s Kitchen Cabinets

Grocery Shopping with California Yoga Sport

Getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. Pushing your fitness limits & hitting thresholds. Dynamic training schedules. Stretching. Resting. Listening to your body. These are all important factors when training as an performance athlete, however one major part of this balanced equation is nutrition. Unless you have the unique luxury of working solely as a sponsored performance athlete, you most likely run into the dilemma of maintaining a consistent & balanced diet amidst a chaotic work schedule. Whether instructing 4 back-to-back heated core power yoga classes in one day or sitting at a desk from 9-5, it can be a challenge to maintain that athletic mindset when it comes to diet & nutrition even in the workplace. Which leads us to the question.. What are the must-have grocery tips & items for athletes?

That question is not so easy after all. We each have very different tastes in foods & snacks that keep us powered through the day, but we definitely know what works for us! Therefore we decided to take a peak into our own kitchen cupboards to discover what items in our pantry are absolutely necessary for our performance & training. Check out below what we cook up & use daily to keep our bodies fueled!

 

 

CYS Tips to Grocery Shopping for Performance

CYS Shopping Cart

1. Stock & buy only what you need for up to 3 days at home. Loading up on fresh healthy fruits and vegetables isn’t just altruistic, it truly does make a difference to your cooking palate & encourages you to eat seasonally! Grab just a few of everything so you don’t waste food if it spoils. Be sure to avoid overly processed foods or any items with preservatives.

2. Keep it colorful. As pictured above in our shopping cart we have a range of colors. Keeping your dishes colorful will ensure that you are getting a mix of many vitamins & minerals which helps your meals stay nutritionally dense. Kale, avocado, bell peppers, and eggplant usually help knock out some of the Roy G. Biv rainbow we were going for.

3. Bring one reusable grocery bag. Keep it eco friendly & bring your own grocery bags. Another plus to this tactic is if you only bring one bag it will help limit your purchases to fewer items. This will encourage you to frequent your grocer more often & will empower you to avoid those bulk & unnecessary purchases of processed or overly packaged foods.

CYS Kitchen Cupboard

4. Purchase raw & unprocessed foods. Raw nuts, raw unblanched organic almond or peanut butter, Lara bars, and dried fruit are some of our must haves at the store. The whole ‘Rawvolution‘ has some pretty big takeaways as far as diet & nutrition are concerned for athletes & non-athletes alike. In a society full of quick & easy goods prepackaged to our liking the more processed a product has become the less nutrients it contains. Going back to our ancient ways of eating raw food allows our digestive system to naturally process & gain the most from those items such as nuts & vegetables.

5. Add Wheat Grass Drink Powder to the shopping list. This powder is vegan, gluten free, & raw. No excuses not to add this powder into your morning smoothies. Wheat Grass powder provides a natural balanced source of phytonutrients and carotenoids, 2x more dietary fiber than an 8 gram serving of oat bran, 2x more iron than a 30 gram serving of fresh spinach, and an excellent source of folic acid, beta carotene and vitamin C. So much good stuff wrapped up in a powder that can be virtually added to any juice, smoothie, or recipe you choose.

6. Pick up some Apple Cider Vinegar. If our fellow yoga extraordinaire, Kathryn Budig, swears by it and we do too than we had to add it to our list. If your sweet tooth craving is coming on post dinner grab a spoonful of this to help curb the urge for reaching for something sweet. After pounding this stuff it will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels & has also proven benefits to  help with allergies, flu, diabetes, heartburn & high cholesterol.

7. Maca Root. Don’t ask questions, just know that this Incan root will soon be replacing your morning cup of coffee & is the ultimate CYS secret superfood!

Happy Grocery Shopping!

We hope that you find these tips helpful! Feel free to send us your personal favorite grocery items that fuel your body! Always room to add more to this list above!

Homemade Snack Foods: CYS Granola Bar Recipe

Ever have that craving for a quick snack …but not just any snack.. You desire something so fresh, pure, & organic that you were able to make it in your very own kitchen from scratch?! Yes..just like Mom used to do.

After the Yoga Journal Conference this past weekend, while amidst a 4 class series with only 30-minute breaks in between sessions it was tough to keep up with our bodies hunger and we only had access to quick fixes like Luna Bars. Therefore as Monday rolled around, to get back on track we were determine to seek out an alternative recipe that worked for our taste buds, schedules & lifestyle when it came to a quick snack bar. We figured if we can find a way to put a little extra effort & TLC into the things we eat on-the-go that snack foods didn’t need to be such a processed & packaged product. Say goodbye to overly processed snack foods after you try this recipe below. A definite new California Yoga Sport favorite!

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

What You’ll Need:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup roasted soy nuts

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 hemp seeds (CYS fav!!!)

1/4 chia seeds

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tbsp orange zest

1 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped or raisins

*Option to add raw dark chocolate chips for that sweet tooth craving.. or for the ultimate healthy alternative make sure its organic dark chocolate with at least 60% raw cacao if we want to get specific 😉

*Feel free to add or substitute any of your favorite nuts to suit your personal tastes!

Steps To Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13″x9″ baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a food processor, pulse soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, & hemp seeds until roughly chopped, about 30 seconds.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped nut mixture, oats, dry milk, brown sugar, salt,  & cinnamon.

4.In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yogurt, & orange zest.

5. Pour wet mixture into large bowl containing dry ingredients. Add cherries or raisins. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Pour into prepared baking dish & smooth with knife until batter is evenly distributed.

6. Bake for 25 minutes. Do a crossfit challenge 😉 or meditate. Remove from oven & allow to cool completely before cutting into 15 equal-size (3″x2″) bars. Per bar its approx. 170 cals packed with loads of protein & fiber! Be sure to wrap the bars individually in saran wrap for on-the-go convenience. Enjoy!

CYS Homemade Granola Bars

Have any recipes of your own for quick & easy ways to eat healthy in rush?! Please share & contact us by commenting below or email us here!

Find the Perfect Gift, Fight the Holiday Food Bulge, & Look for Merriment in Your Holiday

Happy Holidays from California Yoga Sport!!! Hopefully you beat the rush to find the perfect gift for your loved ones this holiday season, but if not, here are some of our ideas in case a belated present won’t get Santa into too much trouble! 😉

As you gear up for those New Years Resolutions we understand post holiday eating guilt can factor into your optimism or heavy goal setting in 2012! Have no fear because there are tricks to fighting the one-too-many-Christmas-cookie caloric intake in the meantime. Check back soon to see the events CYS plan on participating in for 2012!

Also, its your last chance to sign up for Lindsea & Lacey’s Holiday Special Offering for a 50 minute heath consultation & 60 minute private individual yoga session! Don’t miss this opportunity to get on track & expand your practice through special hands on coaching & follow up!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Namaste

Cooking with Kale: 3 Easy Recipes To Eat Green

Kale. Everyone says you should eat it, but honestly who grabs a batch of kale when they are doing their weekly grocery shopping trip?.. If it isn’t you, than it should be after this post!

Kale is one of the most nutrient dense leafy green vegetables out in the market today. It’s rich in fiber and potassium as well as has beneficial bonuses of calcium, vitamins C, K, & A, iron, manganese and more!

How does one start incorporating kale into their daily diet without letting it go to waste in the fridge? Try three of our favorite recipes here at California Yoga Sport & taste for yourself the surprisingly delicious flavors this leafy green vegetable has to offer!

Health Coach Diana’s Favorite:

Sautéed Kale

Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a pan.

Add 4 or 5 handfuls of Kale (de-stemmed )

Saute in pan for a  few minutes until the kale turns bright green. That’s how you will know when it’s done. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. *Bonus: For a healthy ‘cheesy’ option – top with several spoonfuls of nutritional yeast. It will taste like mac n’ cheese!

Oakley Ambassador, Francesca Lollini’s personal Favorite:

Homemade Kale Chips:

Take 8-10 leaves of kale (with or without the stems) & cut each leaf into about 4-5 pieces. Toss chopped leaves into a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil along with an optional pinch of sea salt (the recipe really is best without the salt!) . Mix leaves with oil until they are lightly coated.

Set oven to 425 degrees and place a layer of tin foil across a regular baking sheet. Lay kale pieces on the tin foil and let the leaves bake for approx 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them since some people might like their chips crunchier than others. Once you see the edges of the kale become crisp then remove chips from the oven. The kale will have a light & crunchy texture that easily replaces any craving for regular potato chips. After you try this healthy snack there will be no going back to any prepackaged goods!

And if you want to get really adventurous & go all out with your new leafy green BFF then try one of our favorite recipes from a food blog we LOVE to follow!

Our favorite kale recipe from Lunchbox.com:

Fully Loaded Kale Salad
vegan, served 2-3 entree portions

1 large bunch of kale (any variety) – remove thick stems/shred leaves by hand

Toppings (as shown – but you can add your faves):
2-3 Tbsp hemp seeds
2-3 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup apple, sliced
1/2 avocado, diced/tossed in lemon juice
handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup juice-packed mandarin oranges
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
fine black pepper

Dressing:
2 1/2 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp healthy oil (I used macadamia nut oil – grape seed oil also nice)
1 tsp grade B maple syrup (optional – if you need extra sweetness to balance the bitterness of tahini)

To make:

1.Wash your kale, dry well. Pull tender leaves from thick lower stems. Shred leaves by hand. Add to large mixing bowl. Discard thick stems.
2. Briskly mix together the dressing ingredients. Do a taste test and adjust as desired for your tastes. You can always add in more maple syrup if your tahini is too bitter. I also like to add in an extra splash of apple cider vinegar when I’m craving a very zesty salad.
3. Toss your kale salad in your dressing. I use salad tongs instead of my hands (some will massage the kale) I actually like my kale a tad al dente (not overly marinated with dressing) so I simply toss with tongs until the dressing is evenly distributed.
4. Fold in the hemp seeds and sunflower seeds.
5. Add the remaining toppings in a lovely pattern on top.
Serve!

We here at CYS always try to keep things simple so that amidst our busy lives we still maintain a healthy diet without all the fuss! Try all three recipes and see how just a drop of olive oil can change the way you taste kale forever!
Need more ideas or have a kale recipe of your own that you’d like to share?! Let us know! We are always looking to add new yummy recipes to our list!

Almond Butter: Is it really the better butter?

Yoga Journal. Runners Magazine. Shape. Women’s Health. You can’t read a fitness magazine without stumbling upon a mention of the new “healthy snack” suggestion that sings the praises of Almond Butter. Everyone I know is tossing in their Skippy and Jiffy for some good ol’ Prunis dulcis.

Is this a fad or fabulous?!

We asked our Health Coach & Nutritionist Diana to shed some light on this nutty situation.

Diana’s Response:

When I first embarked upon my new health journey the almond butter switch was definitely one of the first suggestions I received towards improving my healthy eating choices. Before I ditched the Peanut for an Almond upgrade in my diet I made sure I had all of the facts. Clearly the food community — largely amongst raw foodies, vegans, & vegetarians — this was easily embraced as a must have grocery list item. Almond butter offered that great source of protein, fiber, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids without the use of transfat oils that are used in the preparation of regular peanut butter. Peanuts are considered to be a “dirty” nut due their high concentration of mold! Ew! When one chooses to eat mold it feeds the bad bacteria in your intestines and for women that means feeding bad yeast = yeast infections 😦

Almonds are definitely considered a much “cleaner” nut of the two, however everything including your nutty obsession are best in moderation! A handful of raw almonds or some almond butter on a rice cake or apple slices is always a great snack, but be mindful that almonds aren’t the easiest food for our bodies to digest. This is due to the enzyme inhibiting substance on the brown coating of the nut that makes it difficult for us to retrieve all of the nutrient value in the nut. A great solution to that is soaking raw almonds.

Follow this process to optimize your almonds’ nutritional value:

Soak the almonds in cool water and drain the soaked water after 20-40 minutes. Add fresh water and continue the soaking for another 8-12 hours.

Be sure the water covers all the almonds.  Cover the bowl with something breathable like a cloth towel and leave the bowl in a warm place (room temperature).  In the morning you can drain the water and eat them.

*I particularly love to include almond butter in my morning smoothies or raw desserts to add that extra bit of protein and healthy fat into my daily diet. I highly recommend this as a healthy alternative to that mold..opps.. I meant peanut butter, sitting in your cabinet.

Food. Love. & Happiness.

-D-Rod

CYS goes to the Farmer’s Market!

Salads and smoothies are essential fuel for athletes.  This past weekend, we went on a search to find organic, seasonal and local fruit and veggies.  We hit up the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market  Saturday morning and thought we’d share some advice with you:

 

 Make sure to Bring:

•   Reusable bags in all different sizes
•   Cash
•  Dirty Dozen list:  These are the foods that contain  pesticides, so make sure to buy these organic.   If you don’t have one print here

  Here’s what we took home:

  *Bunches of Kale

   *Sugar snap peas (eat these raw, such a great snack and perfect for the athlete on the go!)

  *Stone fruit! We loved pluots! What’s a pluot?  It’s a plum  + apricot.

 *Eggplant (Lacey is obsessed and its super easy to bake with)

 We encourage you to try out your local farmers market this weekend.  Scout it out, pack your bags and enjoy a home cooked meal.

Find your local farmer’s market:        

   http://www.localharvest.org/