Monthly Archives: December 2014

Dec122014

Grounding Yoga Poses

Recently, I’ve been trying to get more into Yoga. My body feels stiff and I can’t even touch my toes anymore. I knew it was time to get back into the practice that has given me so many benefits in the past. So, with GaiamTV, I’ve been getting back into it. I try to practice at least once a week. I can feel the monumental difference when I do it. Not just body-wise (though my hips are so very happy), but mentally as well. Yoga and meditation are wonderful tools for getting through life and learning to roll with the punches. It’s good to just breathe. After stressful work days or crazy weekends, I find it incredibly helpful and soothing to practice grounding yoga poses. These are yoga poses that will help ground you into the earth and away from your stress and chaotic energy. Though the entire list would take many posts to explain, I chose three that I find fundamentally grounding.

1. Pigeon pose. This is an incredible hip opener. It’s a very slow pose and it should be taken gentle, though it may feel intense. Start on all fours. Bend one knee and drape the leg in front of your body and stretch the other leg behind you. Slowly move down towards the mat, eventually resting your forehead on the mat when you can. Remember to take this slow and gently, as it can be very intense in your hips. Angle your leg as needed to compensate for flexibility or sore areas. Hold for as long as comfortable and switch sides.

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2. Dragon pose. This one is newer to me, but as soon as I started practicing it, I fell in love with it. It is such a wonderful opener for the hips, legs, glutes, and more. It’s like the body drinks up the benefits its reaping from this pose. For this one, start in a lunge position with one leg next to your hands on the mat, and the other leg back, knee down. If you’re able, go down to your forearms. If that’s too much for now, stay on your hands. Hold for as long as comfortable and switch sides.

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3. Reclining hero pose. This one is a wonderful stretch deep in your quads. Everyone will be at a different level here. Start by kneeling. If this is hard on your knees, try putting a blanket under them, or it simply may not be right for you. Drape your arms behind you and slowly start laying backwards, with your knees folded below you. Go as low as you’d like, whether that’s a few inches or all the way to the floor. Stay as long as is comfortable. This is another slow, gentle pose.

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Those are some of our favorite grounding yoga poses. Do this when you feel the need for grounding and calm. Remember to breathe deeply through each of these poses. Don’t rush them, take your time. Try to feel every part of your body as you ease into these poses. Treat your body and let it flourish! Remember to be sensitive to any ailments your body may be under at the time–sore knees, hips, and so forth. You never want to hurt yourself by pushing too far or doing something poorly for your body. Use these poses to help ground yourself and give your hips what they deserve! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Dec112014

Who is Team Botan? Cafe Go-Go App Review

The last thing the world needs is one more app like every other. How many times have you heard yourself saying “if I get one more Candy Crush invite I swear I’m going to…” Nevertheless, we can’t help but check the app store, see what’s new, what’s cool, and what’s fun. Today, there is a new kid on the block that is looking to make its own unique impact on the market. It’s bringing back the enjoyment factor, but instead of telling you about it from our point of view… here’s one of the founding members and a Producer of Team Botan, Scott Polhemus (part of our video game brain trust), in an EXCLUSIVE Hungry & Fit interview!

First, a brief word about the game. Cafe Go-Go is a brand new app/game where the user plays as a worker taking orders at a cafe. As the orders come in, the barista must press the corresponding pictures for the items in the proper order. The faster you put a complete and accurate order in, the more points you get. It’s a game that is all about reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and focusing.

Hungry: We downloaded Cafe Go-Go and played it for a bit. It’s a fun game that’s easy to pick up and play. What were you trying to achieve by creating this app?

Scott: Our hope was to produce an original game based on the classic, coin-op arcade games we grew up loving. We wanted it to have a charming, retro look — and for the gameplay to be simple & accessible so anyone could pick up and play while on-the-go (or killing time on a train or in line).

Hungry: What exactly makes Cafe Go-Go different from the million others apps on the market?

Scott: Well, for starters, we didn’t build it to fulfill some sort of licensing gimmick or “sequelitis” sort of situation. Simply, three of us came together and felt it’d be cool if we could put a game together. After a few months of crazed development, we actually succeeded and released Cafe Go-Go.

So, what makes it different? Well, sure, we want it to sell, because it would be amazing if we could do this full-time (we all work day jobs, and this was sort of a moonlit labor of love)…but, we weren’t too keen on the philosophy of “pump-out-n-profit” that a significant number of apps these days adhere to. So, we tried our best to create a game with a charming atmosphere, and a healthy dose of challenge tossed in.

It’s our take on an age-old gaming concept, the ol’ time-based puzzler. We believe its worth & value are immediately apparent from its careful sprite-work to the featured SFX and music produced by our friend, Jack Vanoudenaren (better known as ABSRDST). Simply, that it’s a labor of love from three friends — and we hope the rest of the world shares in the fun.

Hungry: As Hungry & Fit, we’re always focused on the health benefits of activities. What does Cafe Go-Go contribute to a healthier lifestyle?

Scott: If you boot up a quick round of Cafe Go-Go right after waking, it’s a sure-fire way to get your brain going. Of course, no game can compete with the health benefits of going for a run outside, but if you can keep a round of Cafe Go-Go going for over 15 minutes, you’re sure to challenge your mental stamina, as well as your heart rate. Granted, I might just be an out-of-shape fatboy, but, I’ve played a couple rounds that lasted over an hour, and I’d managed to work up a sweat and profound thirst. That was probably the nerdiest sentence I’ve ever said.

Hungry: It seems like a good way to pass time while on a piece of cardio equipment. How much mental stimulation does it offer?

Scott: When you really start rolling, and string orders together in rapid succession, you can feel your concentration reaching higher levels, and before long your fingers work in tandem with the order commands your eyes perceive. Throw in the tip & time bonuses that float across the screen every so often, and you add a whole new layer of concentration and adaptability that challenges the mind.

Hungry: What can we expect next from the company that brought us Cafe Go-Go?

Scott: We’ve got a few projects in the tank currently. One won’t see the light of day until we (hopefully) secure serious funding. The other two, well, it’ll come down to what Team Botan’s brainchild (and programmer extraordinaire), Anthony Delia, feels like tackling first. He’s been storyboarding an idea recently, which I already believe should be our next baby.

Frankly, we just hope to make games with a fine blend of challenge & charm.

The kind of games that’ll have you sometimes gritting your teeth, but always smiling.

Hungry: If Hungry & Fit decided to make an app, would Team Botan be up for the challenge?

Scott: Of course! But, you better find your way to the top of our Leader Boards for Cafe Go-Go!

Right now, the score to beat is: 32,242,000

Think you can beat it?

And there you have it! Team Botan is to the point and looking to bring something new without breaking your bank account! No tricks, no schemes… just fun from some guys that obviously do this out of a love for gaming, not profiting. Still, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind making some money to help fund their newest projects in development that Scott gave us a heads up into! You can check them out on Twitter or purchase the Cafe Go-Go app in the app store!

And let us know what kind of app you’d want to see from Hungry & Fit? Exercise routines for different populations? Nutritional plans? Comment below! And as always..stay hungry and fit!

Dec102014

Our December Goals

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… and the end of the year! 2015 is right around the corner and even though you might be working on those New Year Resolutions, we all need to realize we have three more weeks of quality time that shouldn’t be wasted! So let’s brainstorm… think of five REALISTIC goals for December. These will help keep you focused during the frenzy of the holiday season. They will also get the ball rolling so you have some momentum moving into January. It’s hard to go full throttle the first of the year, so build some steam in December by creating and achieving these reasonable goals.

Hungry’s Goals

1. Train every day! For what? Life! I don’t have any fitness related goals right now but after skipping the last six days of November, I’ve trained every day of December. Let’s keep it going since consistency is key for progress.

2. Perfect work attendance! Since starting at my new Y in October, I haven’t missed a shift. I want to stay healthy, or tough, enough to keep those paychecks flowing and build other’s trust in my abilities at my new workplace.

3. Bring all meals to work! Every time I forget to pack lunch or go grocery shopping, I end up spending an average of $10 on a meal. I can eat healthier and save crucial money by preparing simple meals once a week.

4. Continuing Education Rush! I did a TRX GSTC on Sunday and have loads of YMCA training courses lined up for December. Still, let’s push the envelope and finish one more I didn’t plan to do! I have some ideas so stay posted.

5. Celebrate Christmas! I love Christmas. I love presents. I love the holidays, the decorations, the music, the meals with the family. And if I’ve done 1-4, you better believe I’ll be celebrating such a great month and year.

Fit’s Goals

1. Train six days a week. This means either lifting, cardio, yoga, OR all three! There’s always room for something. I’m letting myself have one day off, but I’ll always be doing with my walks with Noke at the very least.

2. Bake once a week. This was my jam every week back in Boulder, where everything was simpler and easier. I’ve baked only a few times since living here in LA, whether due to lack of time, lack of ingredients, or just laziness or tiredness. No more! Getting back on that baking…plus it’s great therapy.

3. Cook legit meals at least three times a week. This doesn’t mean I’m eating out the other times, but Hungry and I have what we call “lazy meals” which we’ve been thriving on lately. This means quick microwaving, or fridge food. I want to get creative and into cooking more and come up and try out new recipes! My work provides my lunch so I just have to cover breakfast and dinner!

4. Meditate every day. Oh this horse I have fallen so far off of! Yesterday, I was thinking how badly I need to get into meditation. It creates such a healthy impact on my life and I crave it especially during these stressful times.

5. Go through my emails every day. Boring one? Most certainly, but for me–necessary. I used to be good at keeping up, categorizing, etc with every single email, but during these hectic times, I just throw my hands up. Every day, I want to have my inbox organized by the end of the day. This doesn’t mean every email is taken care of, but at least it’s starred or in the proper folder. Even though it’s slightly more work, it will alleviate stress in the long-term.

For December, there be our goals. I’m excited for us to start this tradition every month. It’s always good to set goals. It keeps you motivated, it keeps you focused, it keeps you grounded while you dream. Remember to make them (or at least most of them) realistic so that you can reach it! It’s good to set standards high, but you want them completable so that you can feel good about yourself at the end of the month. Encourage yourself and those around you to create at least 3 monthly goals. It should help keep you in line ;). Make goals to stay hungry and fit!

Dec092014

How to Make Cream

This may be the simplest recipe you will ever see coming from us. But when it’s done, right, boy is it sooo good. Most Americans will usually pick out the whipped cream out of a can, but that’s a no go for Kiwis. Plus, once you go real cream, you can never really go back. I’m drooling just thinking of it. Thick, barely sweet cream good atop anything you can picture up. Plus, there’s no excuse not to make your own cream because it is so darn easy! So you want to know how to make cream? Let’s go over the incredibly difficult recipe.

Homemade Cream

2014-12-08 23:01:46

An easy way to make your own cream

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Total Time

2 min

Total Time

2 min

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Put ingredients into bowl
Beat them until it turns into whipped cream

Notes

The higher quality heavy whipping cream, the better your cream will come out

By Hungry and Fit

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

I know you’re lying to me if you tell me this doesn’t look good

Remember, the better quality heavy whipped cream you start out with will dictate how good your final product will be. You can use this cream for anything: pie, hot chocolate, coffee, fruit–the list never ends. I will make a big bowl when I make scones and then savor the rest of it for decadent hot chocolate nights in winter time. Can’t get better than that, huh? I swear, once you go homemade, you’ll never buy a can again! As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: What’s your favorite thing to put whipped cream on?

BONUS ANIMAL PIC

Can you spot all three critters?

Dec082014

Our Weekend in Pics

Our weekend involved food (what’s new)

Workouts

Work get-togethers

Fitness training courses

Happiness

Kitties

My favorite pic 2014

Dec042014

Exciting, Big News!

From our last post (which oddly appeared to have upside down pictures for some people), we promised big news to be revealed today. We always like to share big news with you guys, so here we go. Well, it’s very exciting for us. Hungry and Fit are (is?!) engaged! Yup. It was a big weekend for us. We are very happy. Although we are far from gushy romantic people, we thought we would share the story.

As you saw in our previous post, we flew east for Thanksgiving vacation. First to New Jersey, then to Philadelphia, then to Lake Placid, New York. Lake Placid holds a very special place for Hungry as him and his family have been traveling up there since he was young. Lake Placid is a beautiful small town filled with gorgeous views and delicious food. We were lucky enough to book an awesome little cabin/cottage with its own fireplace, beautiful wooden furniture and an indoor hot tub! It was absolutely amazing. I can’t underline enough how our time up there let us truly unwind and just relax and be happy. It was a phenomenal time together.

Once we returned from Lake Placid to New Jersey, we had the day to relax until we flew out that night. It was the December 1st, the beginning of Hungry’s favorite month. After working out and hanging out most of the day, we went to Abma’s Farm to snack on some fresh donuts and pet the goats–one of our favorite spots. After this, we headed to the Wildlife Conservatory we always visit when we’re in town. It’s basically a mostly open space of forest and woods where animals like wild turkeys and deer roam around. They also rehabilitate animals like hawks and foxes. Our favorite thing is to be surrounded by animals and nature–no doubts there. The weather was brisk and we took a walk through the woods. It was silent save for the trickling of a creek and the scampering of squirrels. After walking a good ways around the woods and to make a long story short, I turn around and find him close with a ring around my finger, proposing, on one knee. I kind of wanted to throw up…in a good way. I said “Is this real?” “You’re serious?” a good number of times to make him properly nervous before the decency to say yes. I’m still in shock! It was a wonderful surprise.

Panorama of the surroundings

That’s the short version, but we’ve been floating on Cloud Nine ever since. We aren’t gushy, lovey-dovey people so it’s hard to describe things romantically. Definitely feels weird to have a ring on that finger, but it makes me smile every time I look at it so I guess it’s a good thing. We wanted to share the news with you all. If you want the long version, you know our emails or feel free to call us if you actually know us! We are very excited. We haven’t gotten any further than just enjoying it, however, no dates or anything like that have been set. Thank you for reading 🙂

The ring

BONUS ANIMAL PIC

Dec032014

Our Thanksgiving Vacation in Pictures

We went out east for our Thanksgiving Vacation (we apologize for the lack of posts). We hit New Jersey, Philadelphia, and then Lake Placid! It was an amazing trip. Please enjoy the pictures…and we have some exciting news to share NEXT post!