That's one of the most motivational workout quotes I've ever seen. It's the perfect nudge needed to get out of bed for that 5:45am exercise class, when it's 10 degrees out and way-dark.
It beats waiting until the birds start their early morning chirping near the beginning of spring to get motivated (or freaked out enough) to get that butt into gear.
Because if you're already pumped and primed in the dead of winter, you'll be all set when bikini season rolls around. One more reason to rejoice that spring and summer are back :D
I also move my body because it feels goooood!
Ok, maybe it doesn't always feel good while I’m doing it (!), but afterwards my skin glows and my brain feels buzzy (it doesn’t get better than that).
Which makes sense… it's been found that exercise makes us smarter too (woohoo!...check out Grain Brain for more on this).
You don't even need to hit the gym… even brisk walking for at least 20 minutes, 5 days a week exercises your brain. (I always knew I was taking the dog for a walk more for me than her ;)…)
So what's a good way to treat yourself for all that hard work?
Healthy food, of course :)
And, as always, I advocate making it delicious. What better way to ensure that you'll eat this way for the rest of your life? :)
Let's go a little further and get a little funky too.
How about a jacked up dish that tastes decadent but is actually made up of functional foods (which means food that delivers more than just nutrition)??
This recipe might seem intimidating, but it's EASY, especially if you're already used to making super-simple milk kefir.
You're frying up dulse (a seaweed that's chock full of minerals—10 to 20 times more than land plants—and is used by women to help their skin stay wrinkle-free and their hair keep it's color) just until it's crispy and crunches like a chip (yum) and smearing it with kefir cheese (a whole food probiotic that helps increase good gut bacteria and lets your face glow).
Add a crack of sea salt to the top (maybe even some applewood smoked sea salt).
The more your taste buds are engaged and loving what they're experiencing, the less likely you'll want to eat something that'll throw that hard body off track ;)
So sit back and savor :)
Xoxo,
Lauren
Fried Dulse "Chips" With Kefir Cheese
Ingredients
-1/4 cup dulse, separated into cracker-sized pieces
-1 to 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
-1 batch of kefir cheese (recipe below)
-Sea salt (I use Celtic sea salt)
Directions
1. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter.
2. Add the pieces of dulse to the pan and coat them in the butter and then take a spatula and press the pieces into the pan to flatten them.
3. Flip each piece once the dulse starts to change color. It should take about 3 minutes for the pieces to cook.
4. Remove from the pan, plate and spread some kefir cheese on each piece. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Milk Kefir
Ingredients
-4 cups whole milk, pasture-raised (also called grass-fed) or raw
-1 packet kefir starter (I use Body Ecology)
-1 scoop prebiotic, to feed the kefir starter (I use EcoBloom by Body Ecology)
Optional Equipment
-1/2 gallon mason jar
-Canning funnel
Directions
1. Add the starter packet and prebiotic to the mason jar.
2. Heat the milk in a pan until it reaches 90 degrees.
3. Pour milk into the jar and whisk so that it combines with the starter + prebiotic.
4. Cover and let ferment for 12 to 24 hours (depending on how warm the room is).
5. It will be thick and smell like yogurt when it's ready.
Kefir Cheese
Directions
1. Once the milk is fermented (see above), place a large fine mesh strainer (or colander) over a large glass bowl.
2. Put a nut milk bag (you could also use cheesecloth or larger coffee filter) in the strainer and pour the kefir into the nut milk bag; the glass bowl will catch the liquid (whey) and the solids will remain in the nut milk bag.
3. Cover and let the bowl sit overnight in the fridge. The next day you'll have a soft cheese in the bag—place it in a different bowl for storage. You can keep the whey to use as liquid in smoothies or as a culture starter for other fermented food recipes.