An easy to follow, (no fasting allowed) plan for attaining a fabulous body,
inside and out.
WHAT IS THE FIT VEGAN CHALLENGE?
- Make one meal each day a healthy, vegan one.
- Incorporate the “calorie burner of the week” into your fitness regime.
WHY VEGAN?
A few benefits of plant-based foods:
- Speed Weight Loss
“A plant-based diet revs your metabolism, causing you to burn calories up to 16% faster that you would on a non plant-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.” – New York Times Bestselling author, Kathy Freston - Boost Energy & Brighten Complexion
The wide array of antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients in plants provide an array of benefits including overall increased energy and the repairing and protecting of cells to reveal glowing, clear skin. – USDA - Contribute to a Lifetime of Optimum Health
Those who eat generous amounts of plant-based foods are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke. cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. – USDA (choosemyplate.gov)
Vegan Meal of the Week:
Make lunch or dinner a DELICIOUS, healthy vegan meal (unrefined grains, beans, legumes, veggies, fruit, non GMO tofu, tempeh). No meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. Each week I’ll provide one vegan meal option and one substitution or healthy addition to incorporate into your daily menu to help you feel satisfied and never deprived.
This recipe comes from Backyard Bowls, a local restaurant in Santa Barbara that is committed to using local and organic ingredients.
Recipe: Protein Power Bowl
Blend: Frozen acai, banana, strawberries, hemp protein, peanut butter, and hemp milk.
Pour: blended mixture into a bowl.
Top: mixture with flax granola, sliced banana, and hempseed.
ENJOY!
Substitution of the Week:
For a lower calorie option, swap your juice for this sparkling beverage (high in antioxidants):
- Sparkling water
- Splash of pure cranberry or cherry juice
- Lime
- 6 drops of stevia
Calorie Burner of the Week:
Jump Squats. This high-intensity exercise raises metabolic rate, meaning you’ll keep burning fat for hours after your workout is over. The movement targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat (in preparation to leap).
- Explosively jump as high as you can. Land softly, and then immediately squat down to jump again.
- Do 10 reps total. Imagine that you’re pushing the floor away from you as you leap. You can use your arms to help you jump higher.
Green Reason of the Week:
Shifting toward a plant-based diet keeps unwanted antibiotics out of your system.
“About 80 percent of antibiotics in the United States go to farm animals — leading to the risk of more antibiotic-resistant microbes, which already cause infections that kill some 100,000 Americans annually.”
– New York Times Columnist, Nicholas D. Kristof
Motivation of the Week:
“Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity.”
–Albert Einstein
For more recipes, fitness tips, and workouts visit www.noratobin.com and follow me on Twitter @NoraTobin.
Click here for previous Fit Vegan Challenge posts.
Nora Tobin grew up in the High Sierra’s on Lake Tahoe, where she spent most of her childhood outdoors- hiking, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, rock climbing, and white water rafting.
Nora is a GNC Brand Ambassador and a weekly contributor to SHAPE. She is a NASM certified personal trainer and currently working towards certification as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist.
Nora is the creator of a unique fitness program that incorporates yoga, weight training, stand up paddle, beach boot camps, hiking, running, sports specific training, as well as nutrition information and meal plans, for ages ranging from 5 to 70. She is writing a fitness book currently slated for publication that will serve as a manual for a knockout body, peaceful mind, and better planet. Nora has competed on the AVP, CBVA, Corona Wide Open, and GAV beach volleyball tours.
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