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.
Fall Roasted Veggies
Chop:
- Yellow onion
- Sweet Potato
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Brussels Sprouts
(Use as many vegetables as you’d like. Lie chopped veggies in a baking dish.)
Drizzle:
3 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables
Add:
Sea salt, pepper, and thyme
Bake:
At 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Mix:
Enjoy the veggies on their own or combine with brown rice or quinoa.
Enjoy!
Substitution of the Week:
Coffee drinker? No problem. Coffee is high in antioxidants, which has many benefits for your body and brain. Make your morning brew healthier by swapping out traditional creamer with a coconut milk creamer.
Calorie Burner of the Week:
Ys, Ts and Ws: This is a great, multi-part exercise that targets the muscles of your upper back that stabilize your shoulder blades (trapezius and rhomboids). It also strengthens your rotator cuff and all of muscles essential for good posture.
How to do it:
- Grab a set of dumbbells (3-5 lbs) and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Draw your shoulder blades down and back and keep them there during the entire movement. Raise your arms up into a Y position, keeping them straight the whole time. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
- To move on to T raises, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees as you shift forward at your hips. Keep your back parallel with the ground and your abs engaged. Raise your arms out to shoulder height in a T position, palms facing forward. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
- Finally, for W raises, start in the same bent-over position as you were in for T raises. Bend your elbows more than 90 degrees and raise your arms up to shoulder height, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you lift. At the top of the movement, your arms should form a W. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
Green Reason of the Week:
“Producing 1 pound of beef consumes 7 pounds of grain. Why is this significant? 1 in 7 people in the world do not get enough to eat to enable them to be healthy and live an active life, according to the UN’s World Food Program. Yet the wealthier a nation becomes, the more meat its citizens demand. More land is cleared to plant more grain which is consumed by livestock used to satisfy the increased demand for meat, instead of the grain being used to feed the world’s poorest citizens.”
-Yahoo News
Motivation of the Week:
“ The days are long but the years are short.”
-Gretchen Rubin
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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