Monthly Archives: October 2014

Halloween Soup

With Halloween coming up tomorrow, you want to make sure you and others around you are well-fed! Whether you are trick or treating, partying, giving out candy, or just enjoying yourself, a good meal is essential. That’s why Hungry and I have come up with the ultimate Halloween Soup. It’s really not as spooky as it sounds–well it is terrifyingly good, I suppose. Aaaand it doesn’t photograph well nor is it pretty at all, but remember LOOKS don’t matter when it comes to deliciousness. It’s a very simple recipe, but yields terrific results. It’s perfect for the autumn weather–will bring you warm, happy feelings as you slurp it down.

That's one fine pumpkin

That’s one fine pumpkin

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Halloween Soup
A delicious, healthy soup to keep your Halloween alive
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 small pumpkin
  2. 3 ears corn
  3. Lots of water
  4. 1 small shallot
  5. 4 cloves garlic
  6. 2 oz ginger
  7. 1 cup Silk Coconutmilk
  8. 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
  9. 1/3 tbsp salt
  10. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  11. 1/4 tsp cumin
  12. 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  13. 1/3 tsp curry powder
  14. 1/3 tsp ground ginger
  15. 1/3 tsp garam masala
  16. 3 cardamom seeds
Instructions
  1. Cube the pumpkin
  2. Fill a large pot with water and put pumpkin in. Bring to a boil then let simmer until tender
  3. Fill another pot and boil corn for 8 minutes
  4. Let corn cool and slice it off the cob
  5. Chop up garlic, ginger, and shallots. Put into a blender/food processor along with corn and pumpkin and blend until smooth
  6. Transfer mixture into pot and put on and simmer
  7. Add spices into mixture, stirring occasionally
hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/
This Halloween Soup is perfect for that scary, brisk day. It is a crowd-pleaser and a family-pleaser. Did we mention how important it is to have a full stomach for festivities? Especially for your little ones for trick or treating! We used Silk Coconutmilk to make sure there was no soy or dairy milk in order to accommodate our friends! It also brings out that richness that goes well with a Fall soup, but leaves out the immense calories! We definitely appreciate that. If you want more recipes like ours, check out Silk’s Facebook page. There are tons of amazing recipes and also general life tips that keep you healthy day to day. Also, sign up for Silk’s newsletter to have the chance to win a year’s supply of Silk! Don’t mind if I do!

Enjoy this Halloween with friends, family, and beyond. Remember to be safe, don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your little ones out without a full belly! No one likes hangry children (yes I said hangry)…or adults for that matter. So fill yourself with goodness and have a very Happy Halloween. And as always… stay hungry and fit!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all ours.

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Do This Before You Go to Bed!

We all complain that we simply don’t have enough time. Does that sound familiar? I say it too. We all use it as an excuse–whether that’s in order to not do the dishes, not brush your teeth, or not exercise! Well I say bollocks! You do have time. You just need to realize it. Even though it’s easy to say you don’t have time to workout, you do. It doesn’t need to be an hour workout. It can even be six minutes! Something is better than nothing so do this before you go to bed!

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30 seconds each

  • Crunches
  • Side crunches (right)
  • Side crunches (left)
  • Reverse crunches
  • Fast bicycles
  • Slow bicycles
  • In n outs (rows)
  • Scissors
  • Crossed leg crunches
  • Ankle touches

1 minute

  • Plank (you can side plank for a break)

beforebed

The above workout is six minutes. SIX MINUTES! You can do that. Do yourself a favor and even if you “don’t have any time,” I promise you can squeeze this in. Not only is it good for your health and sculpting your core, it will make you feel better about yourself. You will feel that you have accomplished something, even if it’s a short workout. This is a greathealthy thing to do before bed. Make it a habit and do it every other day! Believe in yourself! This will give you power! Please leave any comments or questions in the comment section. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

meow

meow

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Kick-Butt Morning Smoothie

Some days, it’s tough to get out of bed. It’s even tougher to pretend like you’re bright and shiny as you proceed throughout your day. I know when I wake up sluggish, it’s going to be rough. So, yesterday, I whipped up a concoction that I knew would make me feel better. I know that I have limited time in the morning with giving Noke a walk, feeding everyone, and getting myself ready so I can’t make a four-course breakfast during the week. My breakfasts need to be quick–but enjoyable! Luckily for me, we have  a blender. This kick-butt morning smoothie will awaken, energize, and leave you feeling light and airy for the day. There’s no heaviness to it–very simple and delicious.

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Kick-Butt Morning Smoothie
Yields 1
A great, fast way to get good nutrients in order to start the day out right
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Total Time
2 min
Total Time
2 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup mixed berries (I use frozen)
  2. 1/2 cup water
  3. 1/2 cup cranberry juice
  4. 1/2 banana
  5. 1 scoop unflavored protein powder
  6. 1 tbsp olive oil (for good digestion--not obligatory)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Blend to your liking--the longer you blend, the smoother and thinner it will be
hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/
 An easy, healthy, quick way to start the day–and in the morning, all those three qualities are necessary. This recipe by no means has any border or boundaries. Use what’s in the fridge and what you know sustains you for the better part of the morning. This is my tool to kick butt, and I hope it will help you as well in the battle against sleepy mornings! Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What’s your favorite smoothie?

BONUS PUPPY PIC

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K-Town Festival in Pictures

 It was 7pm Sunday night and Hungry saw that a bunch of streets were closed off for some festival. We did some investigating and it was the K-Town Halloween Festival! It included food vendors, clothing vendors, and more. It was loads of fun, a perfect way to spend Sunday night. What a fun neighborhood we live in! 

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First stop... Ramen Burger!

First stop… Ramen Burger!

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Yum

Yum

Obviously had to play games

Obviously had to play games

So much Boba

So much Boba

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AMPY: A Charger Worth Running For

Recently, I learned about a new gadget in the fitness industry and I am quite excited about it. I have not tried it yet, but I thought I would share the news with you because I’m excited for it! I found it through a fitness newsletter I receive and learned more about it on Kickstarter. It’s called AMPY. It was created by a few PhD students from Northwestern who met together in a class. They had a great idea and ran with it. Do you know about those flashlights that turn on after you shake them? It uses kinetic energy. And guess what? So does AMPY.

You’re probably wanting the specifics. So I will give them to you! AMPY is a device charger that uses energy from motion. How freaking cool is that! Kinetic energy–pure and simple. This personal, clean energy, folks! You might be asking, “HOW?!” Well, AMPY is a wearable device in many different formats. You can strap it to your arm while you run, you can put it in your pocket as you walk, or around your leg while you bike! AMPY will literally generate energy while you bustle your way around town. Once you get to your destination, you can take it off yourself and charge whatever needs charging–anything with a USB port. I seriously can’t get over what a creative and useful idea this is. 

 

 

Besides being totally awesome and useful by generating clean energy for our personal use, AMPY also comes with a pretty neat app. It will tell you how much energy you’ve generated, how many calories you’ve burned, and your carbon footprint offset! You can then share the daily info with friends on social media. Although the app isn’t necessary for the device to work, it still looks pretty cool to use. 

This is the perfect tool to have on you (literally) at all times because we know what a bummer it is to have a device run out of juice when you really need it. With AMPY, you can just plug in easy, peasy. Now remember, I have not used it yet as it’s not out to the public. I am simply bringing the knowledge that I have learned researching this product. It’s something I want to back–it’s only on Kickstarter for a few more weeks now. I’m always interested about the newest fitness gadget and I am absolutely thrilled when they are creative like this. I am looking forward to trying it out! You should take a peek at it and see if it’s worth your money. And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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*Question of the Day: Are you interested in AMPY?

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Pack a Sandwich!

A short post that is to the point! You need to eat! Whether you are trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight, eating consistently is important. You have to continue to provide your body with the proper macro and micronutrients. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc. Those substances help you live a healthy life with body systems that function properly! Now, if you don’t have a specific goal or program, keep reading because this is for the people who just want some general guidance in their eating. Since I am telling you that you need to eat, now I will tell you how to construct a simple sandwich that will help you get through the day. 

Yes, that is a sandwich.

Yes, that is a sandwich.

Step 1: Bread

Try to steer clear of anything that has your typical “bad” ingredients. The less ingredients, generally, the better. (Remember that) Stick to breads that have a lot of whole grains to regulate your digestion. Look for whole wheat and nuts or seeds if you can tolerate them.

Hungry’s Choice: Rudy’s Honey Sweet Whole Wheat

Step 2: Condiments

I love mayo, but mustard is a much friendlier option for your body. It should really only have mustard seed and vinegar, too much more and it’s a bit over-processed. Again, look for whole grains for some texture and don’t be afraid to try something spicy. Remember, nutritionists say that spicy foods actually help you burn calories because of their heat-bearing properties. 

Hungry’s Choice: Inglehoffer Stone Ground Mustard

Step 3: Cheese

My favorite! Please don’t be afraid to eat some cheese. It may not be a primary source of protein, but good cheeses contain some healthy-ish fats. And we need fat. Cheese will be the main source of fat on your sandwich, so don’t feel too bad about it! If you’re not on a super tight budget, try to splurge on a higher quality cheese… it’s less processed and the proteins haven’t been denatured as much, often.

Hungry’s Choice: Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese

Step 4: Meat

Who doesn’t love bologna, taylor ham, salami, or any other fatty meat? I certainly do, and while a slice or two may find its way onto the sandwich for some extra calories… we all know that lean meats should be your primary protein source. I’m looking at you turkey and chicken breast. (Or tuna for the fish eaters. Or big mushrooms for the veggies. Or Morningstar products for whoever wants those!

Hungry’s Choice: Columbus Cracked Peppered Turkey Breast

Hungry’s Spurge: Hormel Di Lusso Genoa Salami

Step 5: Vegetables

Yes, pickles count as vegetables! But you should have some more nutritious ones as well. Darker leafy greens are a good source of iron and help add that fresh taste. Spinach is a front-runner but arugula gives you that bitter bite. Also, consider using kale since it’s just so popular now!

Hungry’s Choice: Organic Baby Spinach

Hungry’s Splurge: Bubbie’s Bread & Butter Chips

OH, and here is my game changer to the sandwich game. I only put mustard on one slice of bread. On the other, I put HUMMUS. TAKE THAT! Whatever it may be, make your sandwich something you want to eat in order to keep that fuel tank running! Make sure to use whole grains when you can and make it healthy! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

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How to Workout at Disneyland

As you saw, we went to Disneyland over the weekend. It was a blast–no doubts there. However, when you’re at Disneyland for 13 hours, it’s hard to fit a workout in at the gym. How do we remedy this situation? Workout at Disneyland! What?! It’s possible, I promise. Despite the churros, the popcorn, and the beignets, you can also fit in some good workouts. After all, you do spend a considerable amount of time waiting in line. Instead of wasting time being bored or on your smart phone, but that time to good use! Work it!

disneyworkout

Some of these are self-explanatory, but others I will delve into. 

  • When I say incline push-ups, you might be thinking where. I say incline, because you don’t want to put your hands on the gross Disneyland ground. So there are usually poles forming the lines, or huge flower bed holders and so forth. Find one of those in line, move your body in the correct place, and start doing push-ups! It’ll give you a rush and a pump and get you even more excited for the ride!
  • When I say partner shoulder raises or biceps curls, you obviously need a partner. Now, you can do loads of partner exercises, but there were only so much room on my thing. For example, with shoulder raises you would have someone press on your straight arms, while you try to raise them. There are so many options for this, you can really get creative. 

It’s actually easy to fit in a workout at Disneyland or any other theme park because you spend some time waiting in line! Pair that with the thousands of steps you will walk and you’ve done a great workout for the day! Did you know that we took 30,000 steps (13.4mi) when we were at Disneyland? That could’ve been my highest ever. So instead of waiting in line doing nothing at a theme park, spice it up and exercise! Have fun and workout! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Wet dog wet dog!

Wet dog wet dog!

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Our Trip to Disneyland in Pics

With Hungry’s brother in town, we decided to go to Disneyland! It was Hungry’s first time and Fit hadn’t gone in almost ten years. What a blast!

Splash Mountain nice and early!

Splash Mountain nice and early!

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Trying to pull the Sword in the Stone!

Trying to pull the Sword in the Stone!

Beignets for breakfast

Beignets for breakfast

Nomz

Nomz

Disneyland has the BEST churros

Disneyland has the BEST churros

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Parades

Parades

I was exhausted by 3pm...

I was exhausted by 3pm…

Having fun in Toon Town

Having fun in Toon Town

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Halloweeeeen

Halloweeeeen

Beautiful gift shop stuff

Beautiful gift shop stuff

Lots of pretty lights

Lots of pretty lights

Rides at night!

Rides at night!

More yums

More yums

Matterhorn

Matterhorn

Fireworks!

Fireworks!

Disney 1 Disney 2 Disney 3 Disney 4

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Flex Belt Review

There are a lot of interesting products out there. Some of them are bogus, some of them are legit. It’s hard to determine what really works and what’s just a scam. As we were being sent the Flex Belt, we felt a little wary, because it had the “get fit quick” feel that we aren’t huge fans of. However, as my mum says, try everything once! You never know about something (truly) until you try it. So, we went ahead and agreed to review the product. You never know! And we can do what’s right for others and let them know if it actually works or not. Let’s get to it. 

This has been tried by about four members of the “family.” We all have our different views, but it also shows more than one person’s experience with the product which is helpful in deciding for yourself. Let’s get to the how it works part of this review. First off, read the manual to make sure you do the steps properly. Basically you attach gel pads to a belt and wrap it around your stomach. Connected to a device, the belt uses electricity to stimulate your muscles. The gel sticks on your belly button and each of your obliques in attempts to get a large area of the abdominal. It feels like you’re wearing a bomb strapped to your torso, which is slightly alarming, but you get used to it. You can easily put a shirt over the belt. The belt stimulates your muscles in contractions. It will stimulate, then rest, stimulate, then rest, over and over until time is up. The higher the intensity level, the longer it will contract and the more intense it will be. 

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Does it work? I can’t honestly say yes or no. I could definitely feel my muscles contract on level 70 (it goes from 1-150) and I could definitely see Chris’ abs dramatically pulling as he put it on level 150. We’ve done it a few times throughout a few weeks. Sophie’s abs were sore the next day. Although mine weren’t, I could still feel the muscles pulling. So we know it works the muscles in some form, but does it chisel them? Does it make the muscles stronger? We aren’t sure. But I know that I will continue to put the belt on from time to time just because it’s kind of fun. It’s also good to stimulate your muscles in that way. Ever hear of stims? It’s an important part of muscle recovery. So we will be using it at the minimum for that.

Should you try it? Why not? Give it a try because it might work for you. Everybody’s body is different. If we could feel our muscles contracting, maybe it does work in a way. We will leave it up to you. At least check it out–you can just click here to learn more. Be open-minded, be critical, let your body try it for about 2 weeks before you make a solid decision. We are obviously in the middle of the road. It’s always fun to try new products! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

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Get Back Up

With this big move and transition including everything and above, Hungry and I are struggling to create a routine. I’m using the train to get to work, he’s driving, he has weird hours, I like to be home before sundown if I’m walking by myself. What am I getting at? It’s tough for us to make a solid fitness routine. We haven’t been on our A-game (Hungry has been much much more than I), we haven’t been Hungry and Fit. I’ve been seriously struggling with setting a routine. There were times where I wouldn’t workout for a week! What! That’s crazy for us, but it happens. Sometimes you can’t always be a power machine because life enjoys throwing curve balls. But you can always get back on your feet and start again. Always.

Recent trip to the gym

Recent trip to the gym

Despite our bumpy road of transition–finding gyms, finding time for the gym, starting new jobs, juggling the animals, etc.–we are starting to get back on our feet. Hungry has been really good about finding time and pushing himself, me not so much. However, I miss having sore muscles and callused hands. I miss that feeling of desperate fatigue, of power, of strength, of a knowing calm. Although I am a bit sad and disappointed with how much strength I have lost, I know that I can get it back. I know I can get my bench press and squats back up to even beyond what they once were. 

It’s all about perspective. If you sink yourself into the little hole that you feel you are in, you are going to drown. However, if you step back and put into 6 month, a year, or even 5 year perspective, is it really going to put that big of a dent in your life? The answer is no. The answer is that you’ve fallen on your butt before, and somehow you’ve gotten up again. So even though I’m not on my feet, I have the mindset and knowledge that I will stand back up. I’m pulling myself up now and I know I will be hitting the iron on a regular routine. Try not to get down on yourself (because that just makes things worse) and know that you can get back up. As always, stay hungry and fit!

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