No Meat Monday - Wind Wednesday - Fun Friday - Stamina Sunday
Weekly Challenges
No Meat Monday
Consuming a diet with less meat is beneficial to everyone. It gives us a chance to explore new ways of getting our daily nutritional needs (ie: protein, calcium, iron) into our diets without weighing down our digestive track and causing our PH balance to be acidic. Meats (such as: beef, pork, poultry and shellfish), dairy (such as: cream, butter, cheese and milk) and even soy products are highly acid forming. I have four levels to my challenge. Pick the level that is best for you!
Level 1 - No Chicken, beef, turkey, pork... if it once walked, it is off the menu for the day.
(In level one you can still have dairy, eggs and fish)
Level 2 - No breathers or swimmers. You can still have dairy and/or eggs.
Level 3 - No meat, fish, eggs, dairy or soy.
Level 4 - All plant-based and raw.
My normal everyday diet is a level 2 diet so on No Meat Mondays, I eat a vegan diet and stay away from all animal products. You may be wondering why I excluded soy from level 3. This is because of the processing soy products go through. They may have high protein and fortified with all the nutrients we need but they are not natural or wholesome. The point of this challenge is not only limit our meat but to have a healthier diet and explore new foods such as: lentils, quinoa, seeds, nuts, beans, chickpeas, hemp, flax, sprouts... You'd be surprised at how many great tasting foods are out there and will discover recipes that you'll want to eat during the rest of the week.
Level 1 - No Chicken, beef, turkey, pork... if it once walked, it is off the menu for the day.
(In level one you can still have dairy, eggs and fish)
Level 2 - No breathers or swimmers. You can still have dairy and/or eggs.
Level 3 - No meat, fish, eggs, dairy or soy.
Level 4 - All plant-based and raw.
My normal everyday diet is a level 2 diet so on No Meat Mondays, I eat a vegan diet and stay away from all animal products. You may be wondering why I excluded soy from level 3. This is because of the processing soy products go through. They may have high protein and fortified with all the nutrients we need but they are not natural or wholesome. The point of this challenge is not only limit our meat but to have a healthier diet and explore new foods such as: lentils, quinoa, seeds, nuts, beans, chickpeas, hemp, flax, sprouts... You'd be surprised at how many great tasting foods are out there and will discover recipes that you'll want to eat during the rest of the week.
Run (or walk) like the Wind Wednesday
You do not have to be a runner to add speed to your routine!! One of my pet peeves is when I hear people say that they do not want to run, walk, bike, elipiticle, hike, swim or rollarblade faster. Do you not want to see what your are capable of? As human beings we are results driven and everyone has a little bit of a competitive side to them. Getting a PR (Personal Record) is one of the best feelings in the World! Not only is it an ego boost but it boosts your metabolism, your strength and keeps your workout from getting boring. The good thing about speed workouts is that you will get results from doing it once or twice a week. If you are just starting to add speed to your routine, I recommend that you stick to one day a week. Your muscles adjust to a new routine fast but your bones, joints and tendons need time to adjust.
Some of my favorite speed drills are:
Tempo Runs
Intervals
Fartleks
3/1
Hills
400 meter repeats
Some of my favorite speed drills are:
Tempo Runs
Intervals
Fartleks
3/1
Hills
400 meter repeats
Fun Friday
To keep our mind, body and soul stress free we need to make time to have fun, relax and reward ourselves. Let this be the day you have your dessert and eat it too. It does not have to be food related but it can be - it is whatever makes you happy and refreshed! You could reward yourself with: a new outfit, a relaxing bath, a nice dinner at a restaurant, a cocktail or two, a movie, a massage... the options are endless!
The key to Fun Friday is not only rest and reward but it's a time to reflect too. Reflect on the week that has just passed and set small future goals/steps for the upcoming week. Ask yourself "What accomplishments am I most proud of this week?" and "What can I improve on next week?" I recommend starting a journal where you can write your goals and accomplishments so you are able to keep track of your progress, adjust your goals and stay motivated.
The key to Fun Friday is not only rest and reward but it's a time to reflect too. Reflect on the week that has just passed and set small future goals/steps for the upcoming week. Ask yourself "What accomplishments am I most proud of this week?" and "What can I improve on next week?" I recommend starting a journal where you can write your goals and accomplishments so you are able to keep track of your progress, adjust your goals and stay motivated.
Stamina Sunday
It is endurance training time! Make this the longest workout of the week... think slow and steady. It can be a day where you do your long training run, bike ride, swim and/or focus on muscle endurance during your strength training. When I am training for an endurance event, this is the day of the week that I go for my long run. If I am not training for an event, I may use this day to have an action packed family day where we do things such as; trail running, kayaking, rollerblading, paddle boarding, playing golf or go for a day long hike in the everglades. Basically we spend most of the day being active and having fun and I encourage you to do the same. Building stamina in your exercise routine makes everyday life easier because you training your body to conserve energy the same time you are using it.