Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 9

November 30, 2014

Happy Sunday night to those in California! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving for all those who celebrated. I had such a wonderful couple of days and I am sad that they are over but thankful that they happened. My lovely boyfriend flew in from Salt Lake City on Wednesday night and we drove down to the Central Valley and spend the next few days visiting his family (mine are all in Thailand) and generally having a good time. We did some shopping, saw the new Hunger Games movie and ate lots of good food. I made my first pecan pie last night and it turned out really well although the top was a bit too brown.

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 9

So, Kayla Itsines really kicks it up a notch with the workouts for week 9 of the bikini body guide. Like, it was kind of ridiculous and I only managed about 1 to 1 and a half round of the arms and legs workouts. The ab workout was comparatively easy and I managed 2 rounds of those exercises. What did I personally find hardest about the workouts? Definitely the crazy amount of plyometric moves in the leg workout and all of the push ups and mountain climber AND push up combos in the arm workout. Basically sobbed my way through the arm and leg workouts haha.

Did a 15 minute sprint HIIT workout in addition to some fast walking and was absolutely dripping in sweat. I am happy to report that although my foot was a little sore afterwards, it seems to have completely healed now. Woo hoo!

Feeling much more confident and strong 🙂

Nutrition

Hehe, sooooo Thanksgiving isn’t really a conducive environment for the most stellar nutrition. The first half of the week was fine but I definitely indulged a lot from Thursday to Sunday. But I do not mind; as you all know, my mantra is about being balanced and happy. I know that for the most part that I eat very well and mindfully so a few indulgent dinners will not hurt. All of the desserts were so good. For Thanksgiving dinner, we went to a very fancy restaurant and I had a huge lamb dish and shared some appetizers and dessert with my boyfriend and his dad. The next day we had a huge sushi dinner and the following night we had a huge Thai meal. Ahh, food coma heaven 😉

For some examples of what I have been loving to eat, click here and here 🙂

Being Happy and Balanced is what counts

That’s all from me, a short and sweet post. Love you all and thank you again for reading and caring about Honestly Fitness 🙂

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

Honestly yours,
Alice

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram page 🙂

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Harmless Harvest Coconut Water + Giveaway!

November 7, 2014

Let’s talk coconut water

Harmless Harvest is the best commercially sold coconut water I have tasted. Bold statement, isn’t it? And for those of you who have been long-time followers of Honestly Fitness, you know my philosophy is to let you make your own decision based on the facts that I provide for you. But being someone who is a bit of a coconut water snob (come on, I grew up in Thailand after all!), I can happily say that Harmless Harvest is one of the best coconut waters on the market that I have tasted so far. Most commercial coconut waters have a weird and unflavorful taste which just makes me sad. I hate to think that people will get a negative image over coconut water from trying some of the unpleasant coconut waters that are on the market.

I wanted to hold this giveaway so that I could let two lucky people experience for themselves why this is the best coconut water on the market [details at the end of the post].

Who are Harmless Harvest?

Not only do they make the best tasting (raw and organic) coconut water out there, but Harmless Harvest have an ecosystem based business model. What does this mean? This means that Harmless Harvest “respects each person and community contributing to the creation and purchase of a product”. They are committed to sustainable farming, environmental conservation, supporting research and development for better foods and sourcing, and the community at large. They are a unique company and one that I fully support for their ethical efforts and their incredible coconut water.

You can read more about them by visiting their website: http://www.harmlessharvest.com

What makes the coconut water so great?

Most coconut waters are from concentrate, whereas Harmless Harvest coconut waters are raw and undergo high pressure processing. Harmless Harvest coconut waters undergo high pressure processing to protect the flavor and extend their shelf life. A really quirky aspect of their coconut waters which made me a little hesitant at first was the fact that some are pink! Yeah, you heard right. My first pink coconut water was met with a “Uhh, I’ve never cracked open a coconut to see pink water before …”. But never fear; Harmless Harvest explain that some coconut waters are pink because “some bottles turn pink with time due to varying levels of antioxidants, or phenols, interacting with light”. Does that make sense? Coconut waters in a coconut cannot go pink because they are never exposed to the sun. These coconut waters are stored in a clear bottle which can expose them to sunlight. They are still completely safe to drink and actually rather pretty!

Furthermore, coconut water is extremely healthy for you. They contain many vitamins and minerals including high levels of potassium which is crucial for the proper function of your cells, tissues and organs. It is also low in calories and naturally fat and cholesterol free. I love having coconut water as a sweet and healthy alternative to drinks high in sugar such as soda.

How do I win some Harmless Harvest coconut water?

Oh, it is so easy! Follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter box below to see how to gain entries. It is mandatory to leave a blog post comment, and then there are lots of other options to help you gain more entries such as following Harmless Harvest on their Twitter and Instagram, and liking them on Facebook.

There will be two winners. Each winner will receive 3 coupons which will allow them to buy Harmless Harvest coconut waters 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to you all. I can’t wait for you to try this delicious coconut water!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation to write this post. I was given coupons to review Harmless Harvest. Reviews always remain my own and unbiased opinions. I made my own opinions on Harmless Harvest months before I was given the coupons to review.

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5 Healthy Foods I am Loving!

October 15, 2014

For the record, in this post I am not telling you that you NEED to be eating these foods. I am simply sharing what 5 foods I like and always seem to be eating, as a way to share their nutritional benefits with you and to inspire you to include these into your diet. Some of you may already know and eat all of these, but I am sure there are a few out there who haven’t tried them or do not eat them regularly. And here at Honestly Fitness, I want to help everyone 🙂

1. Brown rice

Brown rice is such a powerhouse of a grain. I like eating it because it has more texture than white rice, is a good source of fiber (de-bloating, ahoy!) and is a complex carbohydrate. As such, it helps to keep you fuller for longer. It is also full of vitamins and minerals such as iron (important for the ladies), vitamin B-6, and magnesium.

2. Strawberries

Okay so I truly hope all of you reading this post have tried strawberries before! Strawberries are such tasty gems of a fruit, and very healthy for you too. They are also full of vitamins and minerals, are low in calories, and has a lower sugar content than many other fruits.

3. Oatmeal

Mmm, this was most certainly an everyday staple during the winter when I lived in England and still something I eat at least twice a week. Not only are they a comforting and heath breakfast, they are also high in iron, high in fiber, and low in sugar. I normally have rolled oats with some skimmed milk and berries when I do have it for breakfast, and it honestly keeps me full and satisfied for hours.

And yes, the oats in the photo on the left are the ones I use to make my oatmeal 🙂

4. Asparagus

Hehe, okay so my love affair with asparagus took a while, but now I am madly in love with it! I found that baking asparagus with a small amount of olive oil, pink himalayan salt and black pepper created a mouthwatering dish. Like most vegetables, they are low in calories, but they are also high in fiber (seeing a connection here?) and have a variety of minerals and vitamins including potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and more. I dare you to not like asparagus after making it the way I like it 😉

5. Coconut water

Having lived in Asia my whole life, I was surrounded by fresh coconuts and enjoyed their delicious flesh and coconut water almost daily. Since moving first to England, and then to the US, I have been pretty disappointed in many of the commercial brands of coconut water … they do not taste like fresh coconut juice! I always order a coconut if I see it on a restaurant menu. Finally after endless searching, I found a bottled coconut water that has my seal of approval; Harmless Harvest coconut water! It tastes JUST like the real thing. Some of their waters are pink, which I would love some more explanation about, as I have never had a fresh coconut with pink coconut water … Anyway, coconut water is fabulous because it has a bunch of vitamins and minerals, and is great to have if you are craving something sweet. Have it in moderation though, as it is fairly high in sugar.

[Tweet “5 Healthy Foods I am Loving! Have you tried them?”]

Let’s see, today I have had 3 out of the 5 foods I just posted, haha! Oh, I truly am a creature of habit. I love my healthy lifestyle, and I love these healthy foods. What are your favorite 5 healthy foods?

Honestly yours,
Alice xx

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