Motivational Monday

"The past cannot be changed.
The future is yet in your power. "

-Unknown

Link

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• Which is more beneficial, Foam Rolling or Stretching?  Well, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.  But Foam Rolling is more beneficial during pre-workout compared to stretching alone.  Static stretching before a workout can actually decrease power and performance.  Foam Rolling relieves muscle tension and increases blood flow which can help increase exercise performance and decrease the risk of injury.
• Now there are two kinds of stretching exercises, dynamic and static.  Dynamic stretching is most ideal for pre-workout because it increases your heart rate, blood flow and takes your joints and muscles through a full range of motion, making you warmed up for your workout.  Static stretching does the opposite and is proven to decrease muscle strength, muscle endurance and decrease speed performing pre-workout.  Here is a link that explains the difference between stretching and foam rolling, the benefits and disadvantages!

Smoothie Recipe of the Week:

• Kale-Ginger Smoothie
• 1 cup roughly torn lacinato kale
• 1 medium-size frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/2 teaspoon sliced peeled fresh ginger

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Vegetarian Chickpea Sandwich Filling
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Zucchini with Chickpea and Mushroom Stuffing
• 4 zucchini, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to tastes
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Sea salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe
               

Exercise of the Week:

Lunge Jumps (3 sets of 30 seconds):

Stretch of the Week:

   Foam Rolling Quad Stretch (15-30 second hold):