Stylish Blogger Award

Thank you so much Michelle at lovinlivinvegan for the this super fun award. It is a great way to find out some new fun things about other blogger friends out there.

The rules for this award are:

1. Make a post & link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

Here are my 7 random things.

1. I secretly want to learn the martial arts called Wing Chun because I love the movie 'IP Man' and the history behind the art.

2. I love action movies.

3. I went to college to become a radio DJ/news reporter and ended up in marketing because it paid more and the hours were more "normal".

4. Would love to retire and move to Prince Edward Island, Canada.  This is where we went on our honeymoon and Anne of Green Gables book/movie is based there (love those movies/books).

5. Addicted to air popped popcorn.

6. Just started to text on my phone for the first time last month and am now addicted.  I get why it is so popular now.  Yep, I can be a little slow on some technology :)

7. I love to bake, especially breads.

 

Here are 10 blogs that I have started following recently. And the next Awards go to!

 

Busy Vegan Mama 

The Style MD

Vegan in the Dairyland

Almost Vegan...and raw, too!

Your Mom's A Vegan

Midwest Vegan

Veganizing

Sneaky Vegan

Little House on the Vegan Prairie

My Vegan Weight Loss Journey

Plant Powered Workouts

Stemming off from last weeks post, I wanted to let you know about vegan athletic trainers.  The most popular vegan trainer in this time is Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser television show.  But there is another vegan trainer that is just as impressive if not more and his name is John Hinds.  He is the founder and owner of a local gym, Monkey Bar Gym.

The Monkey Bar Gym is a no machine, no mirror, old school gym that focuses on movements, not muscles.  I think the best part yet is that he posts a workout each day on his website for free.  Click here to check out the workouts.  So you can have your own personal vegan trainer in your own home helping you out along the way.

I love when you can find quality workouts online if you are needing a change or want to focus on certain areas.  Also like the fact that he is vegan!  The website is super impressive as is his blog.

 

Vegan Athlete Inspiration

There are amazing vegan athletes out there that are so inspiring and successful it makes it hard not to be inspired to keep going everyday towards my goal.  The best part is that not everyone came out of the womb born a vegan, so they all too had to take the steps to make the transition over.

Rich Roll, Brendan Brazier, Robert Cheeke, Mac Danzig, Scott Jurek, Carl Lewis, and the list goes on of just a few of the famous vegan athlete names that come to my mind.  The funny thing is, where are all the women vegan athletes?  There are very few and far between the male.  I have read that it may be due to the lack of iron women get compared to men and other vitamins or is that just an excuse that they can't perform at that level?  Or is it the fact that men still get more attention in the athletic world than women so they are not well known yet?  Either way, they are all vegan and successful vegan athletes that prove by eating plants can make you just as strong and even stronger than the carnivores.

It would be just an honor to be listed amongst the names above and hence being a female at that.  I know I have a long way to go, but it is possible.  Take the story of ultra endurance athlete, Rich Roll, who just four years ago was a 40 year old couch potato dad of four kids looking for a change in his life.  He went vegan and started working out and now look at him.  Just last year Men's Fitness magazine named him one of the "25 Fittest Guys in the World" and he made PETA's list of "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities."  Now tell me that isn't inspirational!?!?!

Sick and Tired

Yep, the title says it all.  I am sick and tired lately which is due to the lack of posts.  The cold/flu season has hit our household the past few weeks and keeps getting passed back and forth between everyone in the family.  What I thought was a cold went away to only come back as a sinus infection that is exhausting me while trying to keep up to the daily household grind.  So, the exercise is officially being put in hold for a few days until I can get the energy back.  Stay healthy everyone as we all know being sick is no fun!

Vega Breakfast Smoothie

I caved and bought a canister of the Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer, natural flavor, at Whole Foods this past weekend.  What pulled me in was the satisfaction of getting 100% daily vitamins and minerals in a smoothie and it is vegan.  Yes it is pricey, but if it provides me the energy needed without taking numerous supplements and food, I will take it.  Being a very busy mom of two young and energetic boys, it is worth the price over my time.

A's Vegan Vega Breakfast Smoothie:

• 1 to 2 scoops Vega Whole Foods Health Optimizer (flavor of your choice)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon agave nectar

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, then enjoy.  This is a very filling smoothie that keeps me full for 3 to 4 hours and is perfect after my Insanity workout.

I am not going to lie, the natural flavor is not the greatest, but if it continues to give me the energy I keep feeling after taking it, it is worth it to me.  There were no other flavor options available at the store, so I bought what they had.  Went online last night and ordered other flavors in hopes of a better tasting smoothie and will keep you posted on my future taste tests with them all.