Water Fit Moms - aquaBelly®

March for Babies!

3/7/2014

At aquaBelly® one of our core values is to "Promote Fitness From the Very Start™". As one of our community partners, the mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Teamed with March of Dimes® we are "working together for stronger, healthier babies". The March of Dimes funds lifesaving research and programs and works to end premature birth, birth defects, and fatality. Every baby deserves a healthy chance.

We're getting ready to walk in March for Babies! It promises to be a fun day out with people who share our passion for improving the health of babies. There'll be family teams, company teams and people walking with friends - it's a great feeling knowing we're all helping real families. Join our event and walk with us to raise money for babies right here in our community!

Please support our walk and Team aquaBelly®. Just click on "I'm raising money to help babies" to join aquaBelly® Co-Founders Kristy & Samantha at their local walk or to donate to our team.

Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!

Palm Beach County
Raised to date $44,996
Help us reach our goal: $571,000.00

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2014
Start time: 9:00 AM
Registration time: 7:00AM
City Place
700 S Rosemary Avenue,
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

(561) 684-0102 | FL617@marchofdimes.com

Family Dinner Time

2/12/2014

How often do you eat as a family? Breakfast is likely on the run, lunch is with everyone in a different place, but what about dinner? Does your family have at least one meal together each day? If not, here’s why you should make every effort to change that.

Eating together as a family lowers the risk of your child dealing with serious issues. Research shows that children that eat together with their families have less incidences with drugs, bad grades, depression, and eating disorders as they get older.
Portions can be controlled. You choose the size of the plate, dish it up, and be sure they get the right serving of each food group instead of “super-sizing” it through the drive through.
Your dinner table may be the only chance you get to catch up on their day. This is the time to “unplug” and get to know what’s going on it your child’s life.
You can encourage healthier choices. Do not provide options such as chicken nuggets as a back up if your child doesn’t care for salmon, you just might get him to try it to see that he actually does like it. This also helps with providing variety and identifying the healthy foods you may want to offer more frequently. If you offer an option, be sure its equally as healthy as what you planned.
A healthy attitude towards food and having a nice variety at the dinner table will set the stage for later in life when they have to choose what to buy when they grocery shop for the first time as a college freshman.
Dinner together doesn’t have to be home-cooked. If you cannot eat at home, consider dinner out as a family, but keep your choices a good example for your children. This could influence their future choices as well.
Consider letting your children help in creating a menu for the week. This will allow them to experiment with new flavors and be more willing to try foods they “worked hard” to make. Again, this can lead to more healthy choices and get them excited about new foods. The more foods a child enjoys, the easier to plan, the easier to keep the family healthy and avoid obesity.
A happier family eats together! Those that eat together experience less stress and anxiety and are more willing to talk about the daily and big problems.

Hopefully these 8 reasons can help you to set a goal to aim to eat together for dinner at least a few times per week. Family dinners should be held as sacred time together to build on your family unit to set a healthy foundation for years to come.

3 Bean Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb ground lean turkey (prefer 93/7%)
1 can organic kidney beans (dark is the best)
1 can organic black beans
1 can organic garbanzo beans
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
1 packet Chili seasoning or make your own
1 jar or tomato sauce (Newman's Own is yummy)

Recipe:

Cook the turkey in a large sautee pan (large enough to fit the remaining ingredients), drain the fat. Add the seasoning packet and give a good stir. Then add the full jar of sauce, cans of the drained beans, corn if you desire (still frozen), and let simmer for 20 minutes on low.
I top it with low fat shredded cheese (about a tablespoon), low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt (a teaspoon), and sweet/hot peppers or some Siracha..
Serve it with blue corn tortilla chips to add the color and crunch that kids like!

6 Sweet-Craving Substitutes

2/4/2014

Frozen Yogurt Drops vs
Chocolate Dipped Fruit
Combine 1 C nonfat Greek yogurt with frozen berries & mix up to even consistency. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & plop on little drops of the mix. Freeze for a few hours until solid & store for a snack in plastic baggies. Yum!

Peanut Butter Crispies vs
Chocolate Peanut Cups
Combine 1/2 C all natural peanut butter, 1/4 C whole quick oats, 1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes, pinch of cinnamon, 1/4 C all natural apple cider, 1/2 Tbs maple syrup, 1/4 C carob chips (optional). Roll into small round balls. Coat balls in 1/4 C brown rice cereal. Refrigerate left over snacks. Smile & enjoy!

Baked Apples vs
Apple Pie A la Mode
Core a few apples & stuff with toasted oats, nuts & just a little bit of honey or maple syrup. Bake at 375 until tender. Top apples with vanilla sorbet for a special healthy treat!

Vegan Brownie Bites vs
Fudge Brownies
Mix raw almonds, unsweetened cacao powder, dates, Tbs honey, Roll into a large ball & flatten. Use a mini heart cookie cutter to make super sweet shaped cookies!

Chickpea Cookie Bites vs
Chocolate Chip Cookies
You will LOVE these guilt-free, gluten-free "cookie dough" bites. Check out the recipe here...

Mexican Hot Cacao vs
Hot Chocolate
1 C soy or almond milk, 2 Tbs cacao powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt, pinch of cinnamon, pinch or 2 of cayenne. Heat up for a spicy sweet sip!

Sweetest Shape Challenge

2/3/2014

Now that you made it through January don't forget about those New Year's resolutions. Do you have a vice or bad habit that you want to kick for good this year? Get it started with our 14 day "Sweetest Shape" Challenge on the aB™ Fit Club Facebook page. This is a closed group for women just like you looking for motivation & support to look and feel your very best. The challenge is easy - each day we will post an "assignment". You earn "high fives" each day by following the assignment and posting photos & videos of your workouts. The winners will be rewarded sweetly!

Get in Your "Sweetest Shape" Challenge Rules:

This month's aB Fit Club challenge is only 14 days.
Each day an assignment will be posted on the aB Fit Club page. It's your job to read each daily assignment.
You will be awarded daily "High 5's" for your comment on the daily post. High 5's for pinning the post & commenting.
Bonus High 5's for a tagged video post about the daily assignment.
High 5's awarded daily for a 30+ minute exercise (1 per day only).
Bonus High 5's for sharing your daily assignment & workout on Twitter, Instagram, Four Square & Pinterest: use #sweetestshapechallenge to receive credit

*Remember the goal of this challenge is to motivate & inspire. Keep it positive! Good Luck!

6 Super Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

1/31/2014

White Bean Dip
Ingredients: Cannellini beans, Artichoke hearts, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs

Mash the beans to a creamy consistency & mix together with all ingredients. A great healthy version of your typical dip.

Crunchy Chick Pea Bites
Ingredients: can of chick peas, chipotle powder, olive oil, salt & pepper

Drain, rinse, dry chick peas. Toss chick peas in olive oil. Add spices & coat throughly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 400 deg for 40-50 min.

Baked Zucchini Fries
Ingredients: zucchinis, whole wheat bread crumbs, eggs, almond milk, parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients except zucchinis. Cut zucchinis into sticks & coat in mixture. Bake for 20 min. Dip in homemade marinara sauce.

Sweet Pea Crostini
Ingredients: blanched sweet peas, cumin, garlic, lime juice, Pecorino cheese, olive oil, toasted chia seeds, salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Spread over your favorite toasted healthy bread slices.

3 Bean Veggie Chili
Ingredients: can crushed tomatoes, can navy beans, can Northern white beans, split peas, diced bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, sliced avocado, salt & pepper, water

Combine all ingredients except for avocado in a crock pot & simmer for 6 hours. Top with sliced avocado.

Mini Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients: Quinoa, diced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, green olives, salt & pepper

Cook Quinoa. Hollow out tomatoes. Combine all ingredients & stuff into tomatoes. Roast & drizzle with each olive oil.

How To Throw a Super Bowl Scramble

1/31/2014

Excited for the big game this weekend? Don't let the players be the only ones that get a workout this Super Bowl Sunday! Here's a fun, fitness spin on college "drinking games". Invite your best football fan friends & family over for some healthy snacks & get them engaged with a fitness "Super Bowl Scramble". You can even tempt them to join in the fun with gluten-free beer or champagne (less calories!). Just make sure to drink plenty of water too since you will all work up a sweat! Here are the rules of the game ...

To get it started... The Coin Toss!

The losing team has to do 10 push ups (Yuuuup, we're getting into it fast!)

For every...

1st Down - the opposing team has to do a Burpee OR Downward Dog Salutation
Interception - opposing team has to do 10 jumping jacks
Turnover - opposing team has to do 5 180 degree squats
Penalty - opposing team has to do 5 squats
Time Out - EVERYONE has to to do sit ups length of time out
Field Goal - opposing team has to do high knee jog for 10 sec
Touchdown! - opposing team does 5 laps around

Half-time...

Throw a dance off competition!

And the WINNER is...

The losing team has to do 3 laps around the house/party location!

Good Luck & Have Fun!

Tailgate Tortilla Soup - Keep it RAW!

1/21/2014

You made it through the holidays eating clean & staying fit. Super Bowl is not the time to break your good behavior & gorge yourself on ribs & chips! You will WOW your fellow football fans with this yummy Tailgate Tortilla Soup. You can keep it RAW for even more health benefits!

Ingredients

2 large stalks of celery
3 tomatoes
1 C chopped squash or pumpkin
2 red or yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 avocado
1/4 C lime or lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili pepper flakes

Instructions

For WOW factor hollow out the inside of a pumpkin or large squash. Reserve vegetable meat for soup & toast the seeds.
Combine all ingredients, except avocado, in a blender on high speed.
Once combined add avocado and blend until smooth.
You can serve this raw for full nutrients or you can heat to warm up your chilly Superbowl Day.
Top with corn, avocado slices, tortilla strips, or raw onion bread. Enjoy!

Have Fun Workouts - Better Than Botox!

1/16/2014

It's the New Year and time for a change in your fitness routine. Have more fun working out... in fact take the "Work" out of workout! Mental health, like physical health, depends on being in balance, with each component part working harmoniously together. If you always exercise the same way maybe it's time to try something new. What's your favorite, fun way to exercise?

Top 5 - Have Fun Fitness Routines

Hula Hoop -Smile, instead of your boring old step aerobics routine try Hula Hooping to some Hip Hop. Studies from the American Council on Exercise have shown that intermediate level hula-hooping can burn as many calories per minute as boot camp style classes, power walking, or aerobics. In addition to toning your arms, getting your swivel on can increase flexibility & improve balance. Grab some hand weights or even a weighted hula hoop to get a full body workout!
Super Hero Run - Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. if you're an avid runner, the typical marathon can start to get mundane. Ready to bring out your inner thrill seeker? Why not sign-up for a Warrior Dash or Super Hero Run? It might be the hardest thing you've ever done while having a blast!
Pool Olympics - Laugh with your friends & family. Water provides 12 times the resistance of air. Let's face it though, laps in the pool leave little to smile about. Set up a competition of shooting hoops, diving contests, speed swimming & running races... you can even incorporate olympic lifting with heavy weights. You will be sure to Get Fit without the Sweat!
Hiking - Fresh air can lift your mood and make you feel invigorated. Tired of weight lifting inside at the gym? Working out with weights does increase muscle mass, increase bone density & boost metabolism. Pumping iron inside can get old fast. Try hiking with a heavy backpack or toss your little one on your back for the afternoon. If you don't have rough terrain and mountain tops try walking up a hilly city street or along the dunes on the beach. The fresh air is sure to brighten your day!
Stand-Up Paddle - Have Fun! Scratch the sit-ups, even the pilates. If you want to have fun grab a SUP, get outside and soak in the rays. When you paddle board all the core muscles come into play just to keep you standing. The best part is that you will work so hard engaging your core to maintain your balance just so you don't topple in & get your hair wet. Your arms, arms, shoulders & back also get a terrific workout as you propel yourself through the water.

No Time for Exercise?

12/30/2013

Ever struggle to just find the time to workout? I’m not saying the “I don’t want to, so I’ll find something else to do to fill that time” sort of no time to workout. I mean the “I really need to workout to get me out of this funk, but where is the time to do it” kind of struggle.

Well, this happens to me often. As a busy, most of the time “working out of the home Mom” of 3 kiddos (ages 8, 5, 13 months), this is a daily struggle. It comes to a head at this time of year as the two older kids are home from school for the holidays, the baby doesn’t want to nap because the big kids are far too entertaining, and I still have the house turned upside down from all of the Christmas presents that need to find homes. When I don’t workout, I honestly feel like garbage. I have a low thyroid condition that screws with my metabolism, my digestion, my energy, and so forth and without some daily moving, I get cranky...very cranky. So, what can I do to get my workout in? In the past week I've found these options super helpful!

Top 5 - No Time for Exercise Workouts

Take the Kids to the Pool! Yes, I realize it’s December and this won’t work for many people, but the point is that all 3 of them can go with me. I can do a few crunches while sitting at the steps with the baby, some walking lunges using her as my resistance, and play sharks and minnows with the big kids getting my “run” on in the water, which provides 12 times the resistance of air. So when I cannot get to an aquaBelly Baby™, this is a great alternative.
At Home Workout with the Kids: Since kids are so impressionable, I can use this to my advantage. Once I've convinced them to exercise with me I give them each a set of 1 pound weights or start a push up contest, and voila, instant family workout.
Go for a Run: Strap the baby in the stroller & get the big kids to take turns being my running partner while the other sits on the front of the stroller with the baby. This adds resistance for me carrying an extra 45 pounds to the already 18 pounds of baby normally in the stroller. So while I'm not going fast, the "running" child can keep up but I get my booty kicked by pushing the extra weight & getting my jog on simultaneously.
Wake up Early: I like to get my butt up early before the kids are up (this is my usual plan), even though this week I could have slept in without having to get them ready for school. This way I get my run in at the gym or doing an at-home workout alone. Since it’s still dark out at this time, this must be something done indoors or with a partner, if say, I were running outside.
Enlist Friends: My family & neighbors are in the same boat as me with having the kids at home. We love to get together for kid and adult friendly active games. Whether it's a snow ball fight (ahhh a Florida girl can only wish) or a game of tag, all the running around is a fantastic cardio workout. Really... who needs the gym?!

So while I’m not completely a workout fiend, I can become a fiend without one. If you are ever struggling to find the time, man, I’ve been there! Join me on the aB Fit Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/aBFitClub/ with some other time-pressed ladies to get some more ideas and motivation to get you to your “best body ever.”

TOP 10 WiN LIST - 2013

12/27/2013

As we approach the New Year, now is the perfect time to reflect back on your awesome year of accomplishments. One of the best ways to kick start a bright tomorrow is to think about the victories you experienced this year, no matter how big or small. Positive thinking fosters success in so many ways. It can be easy to recognize our failures as a way to improve but spending more time focusing on what went RIGHT is far better for our self-esteem and personal well-being. As a way to ring in your best year yet, we challenge you to create the "Story of your Success" for 2013. It's easy all you have to do is create your Top 10 Win List of all the wins that made this year a success. We want to wish you the very best New Year & give your our list to help get you started...
XO,
Kristy & Samantha

TOP 10 WIN LIST - 2013

Launched 3 brand new class programs - aquaBelly Baby™, aquaBooty™, aquaGrand™
Added an aquaBelly® Instructor in California - Hollywood here we come!
Broke 600 "likes" on Facebook - High Five
Taught our first International aquaBooty™ class in the Bahamas ocean!
Completed the ACE Fitness Personal Trainers Conference
Created the aB™ Fit Club
Ran our first Groupon (we're finally big enough to be considered)
Partnered with "Best for Babes" a National Breastfeeding advocacy organization
Started the 1st aB™ Fit Club Challenge - "Your Best December Ever" with 20% participation
Raised the percentage of moms returning to class post-delivery classes, from 25% to 50%

Now it's your turn! Submit your TOP 10 WIN LIST for a chance to win "Be Your Best in 2014" - an online guide to making winning choices for your mind, body & spirit this coming year. Deadline 12/31/2013.

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