Quick and Healthy Snacks & Workout Music

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend - just because it's cold that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a brisk walk with a friend or a jog to the gym!

One thing I find that really helps motivate me to "get up and go" or ensure I have a great workout is upbeat music. I know everyone has different music tastes (I do even within my everyday activities: I listen to country while I clean, classical while I study, and hip-hop/EDM while I workout) but sometimes there's that song or two that really revs you up... right now, mine is "Spaceman" by Hardwell.

The song doesn't have any lyrics but it was in my Boston Marathon playlist and it came on at mile 13.. when I was REALLY struggling and needed the extra push to keep going. 

[Side note: As some of you may know, 13 miles is just around the half marathon point. Boston 2014 was my third full marathon, but before I'd ever even thought of running a full, I would finish a half and think, "how does anyone run twice this distance?!" I didn't even feel like it would be possible for my legs to run another mile. And this is where the importance of the mental aspect of running becomes just as apparent as the physical aspect. Let's say you head out today for a 5 mile run: when you hit that 4 mile mark, all your mind can think about is, "oh thank goodness, only one more mile to go and I'm done." But then, let's say, next week, you're aiming for 7 miles -- and you start out the run knowing that's your goal. At mile 4, your mind knows you have 3 miles left and is able to push your body those last three miles. By mentally preparing yourself throughout training to push BOTH your mind and body further, you can push through all the way to 26.2 miles. This is why it's critical to set goals and routines before you get to gym, so your mind doesn't convince your body to quit early.] Sorry... got off on a tangent there!

Question for you: What type of music do you all listen to when you workout?

On the nutritional front, I wanted to provide some ideas for quick and healthy snacks, especially for those "on the go" who might not have time to cook or prep. 

• Quest bars: 21g of protein, 1g of sugar - to make it a true "snack" you can eat it with some almonds and an apple to get the good carbs and fat to help digest the protein. My favorite flavor is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and you can buy it on Amazon for $25!
• Fruit Smoothies: easy to make -> just add one banana, whey protein powder (I use the CVS Vanilla brand), frozen fruit, and almond milk... blend, and success!

• Healthy salads from the grocery store (most places have these) are great meals since you can pick and choose your toppings and the vegetables and meats are fresh!

Finally, a WORKOUT!

This one is for time... and it's a LADDER workout (meaning you climb up the ladder, and descend all the way back down)

10-20-30-40-50-40-30-20-10

Burpees, Squats, Kettlebell (KB) swings, Sit ups

 (So you'll do 10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 KB swings, and 10 sit ups, and then 20 of each, and so on)