The Almighty Chia Seed

Chia seeds have sort of come onto the scene as a new trendy healthy option to add into your diet. Well, these little seeds aren't new. In fact, they've been around for hundreds of years. But it's great that they are gaining popularity because they pack a lot of nutritional benefits. If you don't already use them, consider stopping at a health food store and picking some up. Check out their awesome benefits and tips for using them below.

Benefits:

• High in omega-3 fatty acids which helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Good source of protein. They contain all 8 essential amino acids. 
• Have a higher concentration of omega-3s than flax seeds.
• Rich in antioxidants which helps protect and repair cells from free radical damage.
• High in fiber which helps cleanse our intestines, makes us feel full and helps slow the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.
• High in calcium, magnesium, copper, niacin, zinc, manganese, iron and molybdenum -- all nutrients that help our bodies function optimally.

Uses:

• Add to smoothies and shakes.
• Take advantage that they become gel-like when in contact with liquid and make pudding. 
• Add to homemade baked goods. 
• Sprinkle on salads.
• Sprout them and add to salads or sandwiches. 
• Use as a thickener for meatballs or meatloafs.
• Mix into spreads like hummus.

Resources:

Dr. Weil, WebMD, University of Maryland

Workout Video: 5 Minute Shoulder Blast Circuit

Are you short on time, but want to hit your shoulders hard? Great, this workout is perfect for you. This circuit hits all three heads of the deltoid: anterior, medial and posterior. This gives you a complete shoulder workout. Since all exercises are done back to back, it's a great way to challenge your muscles in a different way.

 Give it a try!

 3 sets, 15 reps for each exercise.

Overhead press
Upright rows
Bent-arm laterals
Reverse flyes

Don't Let a Good Lemon Go Bad

Thanks to our awesome neighbors, we recently came into an overabundance of citrus. You see, they have lemon and grapefruit trees and they gave us a huge box of each. Sweet!

Breakfast started to consist of grapefruit, lots of it -- and it made its way to the juicer and into green smoothies.

But after a few days the lemons weren't moving as quickly and I thought, "wow, there is no way we'll get through all of these before they go bad." Even after giving some away, we still had so many. So, I decided to freeze the lemon juice.

This is a great way to save lemons. If you have some lemons that are about to go bad or if you end up like me with a huge box full of them, juice the lemons and freeze the juice in ice trays. Store the cubes in a  large zip lock bag in the freezer. Then you'll have access to fresh lemon juice for all sorts of things -- lemon water, hot water with lemon, salad dressings, marinades, lemonade, use it in homemade guacamole instead of lime, anything that requires lemon juice.

Check it out!

Each cube yields 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 

January Outfit from PV Body

If you've read my post reviewing PV Body, you're aware that I'm really excited about this monthly workout clothes subscription service. I just received my January outfit. I thought I'd open it and share it with you. Check it out!