Amaze Fitness

This year’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen:

EWG Releases 2018 “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” Lists Here are the most contaminated — and cleanest — fruits and veggies.

GREAT article by one of the best in the business!

6 Reasons To Drink More Water Written By Nicole Wilkins It's no secret that most of us are in the midst of one of the hottest …

🥦KEEP IT SIMPLE!!! 🥦
Steamed vegetables — this is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get vegetables onto our plates. It's something we can do without needing to think about it too much or make too much effort. All you need are frozen (or fresh) veggies, a saucepan, and a steamer basket. 🔵How Long to Steam Vegetables🔵
Spinach and Arugula: 3 minutes
Peas: 3 minutes
Broccoli Florets, Cauliflower Florets, Green Beans: 5 to 7 minutes
Carrots, Potatoes, Turnips, Squash: 8 to 20 minutes
Kale and Collards: 10 minutes
Add some salt, pepper, garlic, crushed red pepper, herbs, spices, salsa, hot sauce, mustard, etc. to each meal to mix it up. Enjoy!

If you're someone who likes their coffee or tea creamy - this is the best alternative I've ever tried. There's 0g sugar & carbs, so if you're then you can enjoy in your morning java as well! You're welcome! 👍🏼 APPROVED! Thrive Market
http://thrv.me/WendyBenedict

‼️YUM‼️ TraderJoes with another 🏆🥗
We’ve been adding one packet to our dinner salad every night and it adds just that little something we didn’t know was missing! With ingredients & , , and a spicy kick, I am in love! Enjoy!

Simple yet SO effective!!

8 Powerful Health Tips That Are Essentially Free - The Chalkboard Are you living that superfood life on a budget? Make sure you're using these super powerful (and basically free) health tips...

GREAT article - highly recommend taking a few minutes to read! Although my meals later in the day tend to be larger than my earlier ones - I believe that giving the body more time in your day to do other things rather than digest food is optimal for our health and well being. Time restricted eating is something I've been experimenting with for a little while now and I absolutely believe it's worth a try.

When We Eat, or Don’t Eat, May Be Critical for Health A growing body of research suggests that our bodies function optimally when we align our eating patterns with our circadian rhythms.

What does this nutritionist’s fridge look like on a weekly basis?
1️⃣ I always have prepped protein, carb, and veggies
2️⃣ I always have a tub of fresh greens and a big bag of kale for my smoothies
3️⃣ I always have fresh raw veggies ready to chop up
4️⃣ I ALWAYS have copious amounts of lemons for my morning water as well as various recipes
5️⃣ Lots of seltzer water (I love bubbles!)
6️⃣ Ground Flaxseed
7️⃣ At least 1 or 2 fresh fruit options
8️⃣ At least 1 ‘clean treat’ for when I need it most (this week we have Made In Nature Figgy Pops Nutter & Jelly)
Things you can’t see: our nut butter collection, some Primal Kitchen salad dressing (faves are Goddess and Greek), and unsweetened Almond Milk.
It’s so important to have GOOD food ready to grab when you need it. Just a little preparation goes along way. We love to use Costco, it has everything we need and supplies us for at least one whole week at a time. Of course you know my other go-to is Thrive Market (use http://thrv.me/WendyBenedict for a discount!). You can’t just expect success, you have to prepare for it!!

🥩Delicious and easy marinade 🥩
We had 1lb of (THANK YOU Walden Local Meat Co. for the best meat‼️) so adjust the measurements accordingly!
You will need:
🔴1lb strip steak (or any other cut of steak)
🔴1/2 to 1 lemon
🔴1/4 cup coconut aminos (get it at - see my link in bio for discount!)
🔴2 Tbsp rice vinegar
🔴2 Tbsp avocado or melted coconut oil
🔴1/4 yellow onion
🔴garlic (I like a lot)
🔴pinch of fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
🔵juice lemon into a medium bowl, then zest the rind of one lemon half
🔵chop onion and garlic, and then add them to bowl with the remaining ingredients
🔵pour 1/2 of this mixture into a large ziplock bag and save the other half for topping and dipping
🔵add steak to the bag and shake shake shake! Marinate for at least 3-5 hours (best overnight)
🔵bring steak to room temperature before cooking (I take mine out about an hour before)
🔵heat grill or cast iron pan over medium heat, add steak, and cook 3 min per side (flipping back and forth) until desired temperature
🔵allow steak to rest once cooked for at least 10 min and then ENJOY!!!

6 Exercise Tips for Busy People!

It takes time and effort to take care of your body. No argument here! But it’s incredibly important to find time to exercise. The benefits of exercise are too important to ignore.

Yet most of us are too busy to even make time for what we WANT to do, let alone find time to create new, healthy habits. It’s not exactly relaxing to start a new exercise routine when you’re already exhausted from work.

Thankfully, there are lots of ways to fit exercise in without having to go to the gym every single day. Doing the same thing day in and day out can get boring, and habits we find boring aren’t habits we’re likely to keep up forever.

Here are six great ways to sneak exercise into your daily routine. Each tip is tested for sustainability, and will make exercise a lot more fun than those one-size-fits-all routines you’ve probably tried in the past.

1. Rethink your seating. At your workplace, do you sit in a normal office chair? If so, consider shifting to a standing desk, which exercises your leg muscles much more actively than you would while sitting passively. Even sitting on an exercise ball forces your core muscles to activate, helping your body exercise to keep itself stable. It may not seem like much, but those efforts stack up to greater muscular strength over time.

2. Rethink your commute. If you’re in a position where you can walk or bike to work, that can be a start to your day that’s both active and relaxing. You’ll walk into the office centered from the movement and time spent listening to your own thoughts. Even doing exercises based around sitting can add up. Some shoulder flexion action during the morning traffic jam can go a long way toward preventing stiffness and tightness in the body.

3. Do what you’re a fan of. Love watching Dancing With The Stars? Take up ballroom dancing or even Zumba. Building your dream team during spring training? Try a few drills that the players are doing next time you’re at the field. By building upon what you already love, you’re setting the stage to have a lot more fun than doing exercise you “have” to do.

4. Recruit your friends. Ever hear the saying, “The more, the merrier?” It applies to fitness, too! Grab a friend or two for a hike, jog, bike ride, or leisurely stroll. You’ll find that the time flies – and you might even find yourself looking forward to your next excursion!

5. Don’t punish yourself for low activity. The body adapts to activity levels, but it also loves resting. Even if you just stretch your body during commercial breaks, keeping your body from growing sedentary is a very good thing. So keep it going to see benefits! You’ll never regret exercising, even if it feels like “not enough.”

6. Join a competition. Do you consider yourself to be a competitive person? Then joining a competition could be the perfect option for you! Even if you don’t have the skills to compete in a league for your activity of choice, you can still challenge your friends or yourself to up your game.

How do you make sure you get enough exercise? How do you make your exercise work in your routine? Share your experience in the comments!

The Produce You MUST Buy Organic:

When it comes to eating healthy, the emphasis goes beyond just carbs, fat, protein, and calories. It even goes beyond food groups!

When you make the conscious decision to start eating healthier foods, it’s important to pay attention to what’s in your food.

Did you know that the nutritional value of most our produce has decreased over the last few decades? The food we eat no longer gives us the nourishment it used to, requiring us to seek other sources of vital nutrients.

This is due to the increasingly more common use of pesticides and genetically modified foods (GMOs).

By consuming organic food as often as possible and choosing foods that are locally grown, you can minimize the effect of pesticides and GMOs in your diet!
Beware These Foods: The Dirty Dozen

These foods have been named as the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides. If you’re on a budget, these are the foods you want to prioritize buying organic.

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes (Imported from elsewhere)
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes
Safer Bets: The Clean Fifteen

These foods are the least likely to contain pesticides, according to the President’s Cancer Panel. Because of their many layers and rough outer skin, these foods are less likely to be toxic when bought conventional.

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Sweet peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi fruit
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet potatoes (also known as yams)
15. Sweet onions
Guidelines for Staying Safe When Buying Food

Most foods are much better for your body, on multiple levels, when purchased organic. They’re closer to the earth and more care has been taken to ensure that they’re raised in a natural setting.

If you’re not able to purchase organic at a grocery store, farmer’s markets are a great alternative. Local farmers aren’t subjected to the same large-scale requirements of a corporate or a farm subsidized by the government. They’re usually more likely to use fewer pesticides and more natural methods when growing foods. Often, these small farmers carry organic produce, even if the label itself doesn't say “organic.”

It’s also easier to buy foods that are in season if you have local sources. Farmers want to ensure that their stock doesn’t go bad before the next crop comes to flower. Eating seasonally is also statistically the best way to avoid food that has been genetically altered to remain fresh longer.
Where do you buy food in your neighborhood? Do you typically buy organic food? Tell us why or why not in the comments!