FIT QUICKIES both of these exercises you challenge six muscle areas all at once - triceps, shoulders, chest (pectorals), biceps, gluteals AND abdominals. What’s not to love?
If You Think You Already Know How to do a Push-Up or Plank, Think Again These might appear to be two of the most basic of exercises, but both are often done incorrectly. The key to success with these moves is correct form. Let’s start there. Correct setup and form tips are detailed on the video I’ve included for you with this article. Here, I’ve underscored some of the important elements as a checklist for you.
Fit Quickies Push-Ups 101 Start in a quadruped position on the floor. Think
“on all fours” — with hands beneath shoulders — and you’re there. Keep all of the muscles of the abdomen engaged and gluteals gripped as you walk your hands forward, creating a straight line from ears through shoulders through hips and knees. This anchors your body, putting you into a safe, back-protective position with all of your critical core muscles fired up. Keep the shoulders dropped down from your ears, shoulder blades anchored over the ribcage in back. If your strength — and shoulder stability — are up to the task, extend one leg then the other and anchor your toes onto the floor for straight-leg pushups. This will step up the demands on your core stabilization — you’ll need to dig in even deeper with abdominal and gluteal muscle contraction. Lower your chest toward the floor, staying mind-
Push-ups and planks are two of the top body building exercises of all time because they challenge your upper body, abs, and booty muscles all at once. Even the Ancient Greeks did them to stay strong.
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FIT QUICKIES
The key to getting the most from a plank or push-up is starting - and staying - in proper form.
ful of maintaining form throughout. Lower yourself only as far as you can while holding good position through the rest of your body (you don’t have to lower yourself all the way to the ground to be effective). Beginners: Get started doing plank exercises on your elbows and work up to your hands.
Work your way up to 15 repetitions, rest 15 seconds, and repeat. You can complete fewer or more repetitions. Let the degree of challenge, while maintaining good form, be your guide. If push-ups are too much of a strength reach for now, or shoulder issues are a concern, you can start with planks and work your way up.
Fit Quickies Planks 101
Beginners: Get started doing push-ups on your knees and work up to your toes.
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Start on the elbows and work your way up. Also, as with push-ups, develop solid exercise form on the knees and then increase the challenge by extending your legs to straight, as shown in the video. Correct form makes the challenge deeper. Once in position, there should be a straight line from your knees to shoulders with the abdominals all fired up.
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GREEN APPLE SALAD
GREEN APPLE
SALAD
MAKES 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS
Unlike traditional Waldorf or apple salads, which use dairy-rich sauces as a binder, this living cuisine option relies on avocado and coconut to create a thick creamy sauce. A beautiful accompaniment to soups and a great topping for a basic green salad, it can also be used as a filling in wraps or as a snack on crackers. It’s that versatile!
Organic Ingredients for the sauce: • 1 mid-size Hass avocado • 1 cup young Thai coconut flesh or 2 tablespoons coconut butter • 1/3 cup water • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 tablespoons raw honey or 2 drops stevia • 1 teaspoon sea salt
Organic Ingredients for the salad: • 4 Granny Smith apples • ½ cup goji berries, soaked • ¼ cup hemp seeds (optional for additional protein)
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Procedure: 1. To make the sauce, in a blender, combine the avocado, Thai coconut flesh (or coconut butter), water, lemon juice, raw honey (or stevia), and sea salt; blend well. 2. Grate the Granny Smith apples into a mid-sized mixing bowl; toss with goji berries and hemp seeds (optional) in the sauce. 3. Chill for about an hour before serving. Note: Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.
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WALNUT BUTTER DESSERT BARS
WALNUT BUTTER
DESSERT BARS by Jenny Ross
MAKES 6 BARS
Organic Ingredients for the walnut butter:
Like other desserts, these bars can double as snacks or even breakfast options. Fresh walnuts in the butter add protein and flavor.
Procedure:
• 2 cups walnuts 1. In a food processor with the S-blade attachment in place, process the walnuts, sea salt, and stevia until rich and creamy; scrape the sides of the processor.
• 1 dash sea salt • 1 drop stevia
Organic Ingredients for the bar: • 2 cups steel cut oats or raw buckwheat flour • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2. Add the steel cut oats or buckwheat flour, cinnamon and ginger and pulse the mixture until a dry dough has formed. 3. Press the mixture into a glass baking dish to a 1-inch thickness. Garnish the bars with banana flakes or top with fresh fruit as you enjoy each bar.
• Banana flakes as a garnish
About the Author Jenny Ross, the owner and executive chef of the living-foods restaurant 118 Degrees in Costa Mesa, California, has been a pioneering spirit of the raw-foods movement since 2000, beginning with her first Los Angeles café. As a chef, her unique creations have captivated customers nationwide, and her product line is available in health-food stores throughout the country. Jenny works with clients of all backgrounds, motivating them toward more vibrant health while teaching them about the healing power of living foods. Her award-winning cuisine has drawn a celebrity clientele to her restaurant and has been a positive catalyst for changing many lives. Jenny’s books “Raw Basics”, “The Art of Raw Living Food”and “Simply Dehydrated” are available at www.jennyrosslivingfoods.com. Tap here to have a look now.
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PICK OF THE MONTH
PICK OF THE MONTH:
O
ur pick of the month is the paradigm-shifting vegan/ raw vegan growing restaurant chain Cafe Gratitude. Cafe Gratitude is a collection of five 100% organic vegan restaurants specializing in gourmet vegan cuisines. They create a menu and environment that supports health and sustainability for both the surrounding communities and the planet. Cafe Gratitude practices a business through a term they call “Sacred Commerce,” where they work to provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives.
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PICK OF THE MONTH
Cafe Gratitude first opened in the Mission District of San Francisco, California in March of 2004. The restaurant became well-known for its inviting atmosphere (the sign stating the restaurant’s hours reads “I am open”) and the affirmations on the menu. Dishes have names such as “I am awesome,” “I am pure” and “I am generous,” and the staff of friendly waiters repeat these affirmations when a customer orders and upon service. Even the water bottles bear labels reading “love,” “familia,” and “abundance.” The fresh organic food and inviting environment at the San Francisco location soon became too crowded to get a seat and the expansion began. The chain has expanded to include four additional locations in California, including Venice, Santa Cruz, Berkeley and Los Angeles. There is also a fifth location in Kansas City, Missouri.
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