The best part of my day any day!

I used to sleep long hours and I used to dread early morning swims/workouts. But the years have changed me. Now, I love waking up at the crack of dawn, or even earlier. One day I woke up early enough to drive to the beach and see the sunrise, and from that day on I decided daylight needs to be taken advantage of to the fullest. 

That doesn't mean I don't loooooove my sleep. I do very much. But I rather start my day early enough to have time to do everything I need to do and don't waste my day sleeping and procrastinating my daily activities. So, it's been a while (I don't actually remember exactly when it started) that I begin my day early and I do my "morning routine" - Coffee, protein and  fruit smoothie, TV morning news (I love Good Morning America) and my computer. I do all these before my swim and weight lifting workout.

After my swim practice I come back home for breakfast and continue my work. I can't begin to tell you how efficient that schedule is for me and how much I do even before noon comes around. It is just great! So the main thing I want to share with you today is how important is to schedule and plan your day - start your day waking up early and planning your day with everything that comes with it, responsibilities and recreation - and by that I mean work, food and exercise. There's no point to work your butt off when you forget about your body and your health. Create a plan that fits all the areas in your life without slacking in any of them - They all deserve your attention because they all make what and who you are. 

And above all - Love yourself.

Powerful Pilates

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One of the tricky things about maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to keep things exciting and staying motivated. Aside from my usual workout routine that includes swimming and weight training, I try to include different activities whenever possible. One of my best discoveries (if you can call it that) is pilates! I LOVE IT! Pilates gives you the right amount of exercise with the right amount of effort in the right amount of time. Nothing less, nothing more. It is focuses on creating strength and power that helps tone problem areas like your abs, gluts, arms and legs. Pretty much the entire body. The best part is that you will be able to see the results instantly as your abs and gluts will feel more toned even as you walk out of class. If you’re like me and don’t have a lot much of free time, try making it to a class at least once a week. You won’t regret it! So, what are you waiting for?

Flan de Queso

I know I have a sweet tooth and can definitely admit to that! I think many Hispanics struggle with their ability to control their sugar intake whether it be a pastry for breakfast, too much cafecito through out the day, or desert after an already plentiful meal. However, I found a great recipe that cuts calories on one of my favorite deserts: Flan de Queso! This creamy, caramel covered desert is staple at restaurants and family gatherings and I was happy to find a recipe that was both a delicious and lower in sugar and calories.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 8 large eggs
• 1 14-ounce can nonfat or low-fat sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce can nonfat or low-fat evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Pour water and sugar into a saucepan. Stir very gently over medium-high heat. When the mixture is a golden brown (this should take 5-7 minutes) pour the mix into a 9 inch round metal cake pan. If it starts to become solid before you’ve had a chance to cover the pan, place the pan in the oven momentarily and again stir very gently.
3. Use a mixer (set to medium-high) to beat the cream cheese in a large bowl. Add in eggs one at a time, until everything is evenly combined. Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla. Continue to mix until evenly combined. Pour the custard mixture into the pan with the caramel mixture, make sure to do this gently.
4. Pour an inch of hot water into a separate, larger pan. Place the cake pan in the larger pan with the hot water. Bake for about 1 hour. It should appear golden brown. Edges should be set and firm but the middle will remain soft. However, insert a knife which should come out clean.
5. Let the cake pan cool to room temperature for about an hour. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to serve, pass a knife around the edge and flip the flan over and onto a plate.

Drink it up!

One of my go to drinks when watching my weight is a vodka and club soda with a lime wedge. I discovered this drink precisely because I was searching for something low in calories to enjoy during happy hour. However, it can get a bit boring and being that I like to switch it up, I put together a list of the best drinks for the diet conscious for each spirit. Hope this helps you out, let me know!

Cognac – Sidecar – 190 calories

Gin – Gimlet – 90 calories

Rum – Plain Daiquiri (avoid fruit flavored slush, go traditional with lime and simple syrup) – 125 calories

Tequila – Paloma – 150 calories

Whiskey – Old Fashioned – 160 calories

Vodka – Martini – 120 calories

Let’s talk vitamins!

The human diet consists of macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and fats, whereas the micronutrients include all the vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for the metabolism and breaking down of the carbohydrates, proteins and fats for energy production. Athletic performance can be compromised in the absence or insufficiency of micronutrients. But this does not mean that an excess of vitamins and minerals will alter athletic performance without an increased need for them due to physical activity.

    A balanced diet suggests that the human body’s needs of macronutrients and micronutrients are satisfied. However, in the real world, people do not have perfect diets and therefore supplementation is necessary. For athletes it is imperative that an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is being met in a daily basis. Therefore, for an athlete that does not have a perfect diet (who does anyways?), it is recommended that they take a high-quality multivitamin to ensure the consumption of all the necessary micronutrients. 

    From all the vitamins, vitamin E and C are recommended for athletes to enhance recovery due to their antioxidant properties reducing oxidant-induced muscle damage. The recommended daily intake for a vitamin C is: 25 mg/day for children 4-8, 45 mg/day for children 9-13, and 75 mg/day for adolescents 14-18. For vitamin E the recommended intake is: 7 mg/day for children 4-8, 11 mg/day for children 9-13, and 15 mg/day for those older than 14 years. Finally, iron is the most affected mineral during physical activity, therefore an adequate intake of iron is recommended through supplementation and diet.    

Make sure you buy vitamins and minerals supplements from trusted brands and never forget to thrive for a perfect diet!

Plan, plan, plan

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5:30 am I wake up, 7:00 am I’m at work, 4:00 pm I hit the gym, 5:00 pm I swim… and repeat. Every time I go to bed I do a recount of what my day was like and what I have planned for the next day. I know my main responsibilities are work and training so I make sure I plan my day accordingly to be able to do both things to the best of my abilities. Does it always work perfectly? Absolutely not. 

My work requires me to be in meetings at least a couple of days a week, so my schedule has to be flexible. Some days I have to workout early in the morning. The only way to accomplish everything is to plan ahead. For me, a planner is my best tool when mapping out my week. The idea is to sit down and plan, making sure you cover everything you need to do during the week and give yourself ample time and be sure to prioritize.

When my friends come to me and ask me how I do it to workout everyday, I tell them that even if I need to get up at 5:30 am to workout, I just do it. There is not better feeling that knowing that you are covering all the bases of your life including a social life, which is also very important! So, don’t make excuses and get to it. If you really want it… just do it!