Tag Archives: healthy foods

Fitness Vacation Recap 1: PREP-WEEKEND

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Last week I hosted my first Health and Fitness Vacation!  
I took a group to St Augustine, FL for the week.  Can I just say that it was awesome???  Well, it was!  
This week I will recap our experience, 
so be sure to check back in each day to get a look at some of 

the EXERCISE

 the FOOD

&  the FUN   

that happened on this 
Fitness Vacation.

the WEEKEND PREP

Saturday – 5:00 AM! – I pulled out of my driveway and headed towards the beach!  My car was LOADED with exercise mats, stability balls, bands, rings, a kettle bell, skateboards, and plenty of dumbbells.
It was early, but I love driving at that time of day. 
 From where I live, the drive took 8ish hours.  
Since I homeschool, I was able to bring my son, Iver, along.  
It was “bring your son to work” week.  LOL.  
And I have to say he LOVES my work!!! 
I’m so thankful he is such a good kid.  I loved having him there.


Thanks to Siri, my iPhone got us to the house with no problem.  This house was so much more amazing than the pictures showed online.  We first took some time to explore the house.  Actually, that took a while because it is HUGE!  

the HOUSE
The second floor is the living space WITH A VIEW!

Off of the living space is the most beautiful balcony overlooking the ocean.  We kept those doors open most of the time.

On the other side is the KITCHEN.

Out the kitchen doors is the pool.
 the BASEMENT  
There is one bedroom and a bathroom down there.  It also has an Xbox 360- which my son was excited about- and a ping pong table.  There are double doors that led out to a water front patio.


the 3RD FLOOR
There are 5 bedrooms on this floor.

the MASTER SUITE



These stairs lead up to the ROOF TOP balcony.  
This was by far one of my favorite spaces!
 Oh Yes!  
This is where the workouts can happen!


SUNDAY:  I woke up early to the sound of crashing waves!  Great way to start the week!  
 I enjoyed breakfast with my little man on the balcony. 
*SMOOTHIE*

 We watched the SURFERS enjoy the bigger than usual waves, thanks to hurricane Sandy.
I spent some time getting focused on the workouts and meals for the week… 
while enjoying my ADVOCARE SPARK :)))  
Oh, and we ended up down at the beach for a while!

 I prepared quiche for the week.  I made 8 pies for an optional breakfast for my crew.  
I sautéed the garlic, onion and vegetables I got from 
MELISSA’S PRODUCE 
in coconut oil from 
TROPICAL TRADITIONS
and have to say they turned out great!



That evening my group arrived at the HOUSE.  I loved seeing their reaction to our home for the week!

Here is a video tour I made… Check this out!


St Augustine house from Ashley Benson on Vimeo.

We got to know earchother over food and lounging that evening.  We definitely went to bed excited about the fun week ahead.


Check back in tomorrow to find out what what our
 MONDAY was like………………………

WHAT DOES THE SHAPE OF OUR FOOD TELL US?

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Ok, so think about this…
  • TOMATO  :: Like our heart it has 4 chambers and is the color red.  It also contains lycopene which nourishes the heart and blood.
  • KIDNEY BEANs ::    are shaped like our kidneys.  They heal and maintain kidney function.
  • ONIONS ::   The appearance resembles cells in the body.  They clean out waste material from all cells, i.e. detoxification.
 
  • SWEET POTATOES ::   They look like the pancreas.   They release sugars gradually into the bloodstream, which is easy on the organ, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.  They are high in antioxidants (beta-carotene) that protects all tissue in the body- including the pancreas- from cancer and aging.

 

  • CELERY.  RHUBARB.  BOK-CHOY::   These look like bones.  They specifically target bone strength.  Bones are thought to be 23% sodium… these foods contain 23% sodium!  If you become sodium deficient, your body will pull sodium from the bones!

 

 
  • CARROTS ::    sliced they look like our eye.  Carrots enhance blood flow to the eyes. The beta-carotene in carrots reduce the risk of developing cataracts & protects against macular degeneration
  • WALNUTS ::    look like the brain.  Scientists claim they help development of over 3 dozen neurotransmitters in the brain… this aids in brain function.  They help ward off dementia and break down plaque associated with Alzheimer’s

 

  • GRAPES ::     look like the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen is passed into the blood.  Grapes are found to reduce the risk of lung cancer & emphysema.  The chemical – proanthocyanidin – in grapes is thought to reduce severity of allergy induces asthma
 
  • GINGER ::   looks like our stomach.  Helps digest food; calms the stomach; cures nausea and motion sickness.  It also slows down the growth rate of bowel tumors
 
Involved in reproductive health:
  • AVOCADO ::     looks like the uterus, improves health & function of the uterus.  Helps balance hormones and is thought to prevent cervical cancer.  FACT:  It takes avocados 9 months to grow into maturity.  Sound familiar?
  • FIGS ::   are  full of seeds and hang in twos. They resemble testicles – studies have shown that figs increase the motility of sperm & increase sperm count
 
I think this is kinda cool to think about. 
 I am not saying that these are the ONLY benefits these foods provide. 

If anything, I hope it opens our minds to the fact we have the power to grow, strengthen and promote healing in our body by selecting real foods. 

So feed your body, not your cravings!
  
Know that you are making improvements to your body EVERY TIME you choose HEALTHY foods!


EAT. FOR. YOUR. HEALTH.