Fitness, San Francisco

Interview with Jillian Michaels!

April 15, 2015

AHH! Let me just start off with saying that Jillian Michaels is such a fitness icon for me; I started doing her workout, 30 Day Shred, when I was just 15 years old and have been a fan ever since. She is the best and her workouts (of which many more were released after the success of the 30 Day Shred) are no joke. I can only imagine how hard her new Bodyshred workout is!

Needless to say, I was bouncing around the walls with excitement when I received the opportunity to interview her! In case you are not quite as familiar with Jillian Michaels  as I am, let me give you a quick intro before I give her the chance to: Jillian Michaels shot to fame after starring as one of the trainers on the Biggest Loser and has since graced countless magazine covers, created incredible at-home workout DVDs and engages in philanthropic efforts (my kinda lady).

I am so excited to give you, Jillian Michaels!

JM interview time

HF: Hi Jillian! Please tell us about your amazing new program and what we can expect from it. 

JM: Weā€™re granting opportunities to fitness professionals all over the country to become trained and certified in the Jillian Michaels BODYSHREDā„¢ Program so they can offer the 30-minute group class at their respective fitness facilities (more details on jillianmichaelsbodyshred.com). Jillian Michaels BODYSHREDā„¢ is a 30-minute group exercise class that is essentially a hybrid of the most progressive fitness philosophies integrated into one comprehensive system. I designed BODYSHRED to target every muscle in the body and maximize athletic performance and metabolic potential.

 HF: What inspired you to create BODYSHRED and what sets it apart from other fitness programs? 

JM: BODYSHRED classes are comprised of four circuits utilizing what I like to call my ā€œ3-2-1ā€ interval format approach: 3 minutes of strength with 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of core work for 30 minutes of intense conditioning. I was inspired to develop BODYSHRED as a way to combine the most effective forms of HIIT in an efficient 30-minute session. This workout will produce results for someone who is already athletic, as well as someone who is just getting involved in an exercise regimen. With my Certification Workshops, Iā€™m hoping to share with local fitness professionals the training techniques and philosophies I personally use to transform the lives of millions of people!  

HF: Is BODYSHRED based off of any workout program you previously created or is it completely new? 

JM: BODYSHRED represents essentially every workout I have ever created in that it is the amalgamation of my 21 years in fitness.  I took all the aspects of my work that have been the most effective and successful and built them into the BODYSHRED program as a training modality.  From a format perspective, I took the 3,2,1 30-minute approach from my programs ā€œ30 Day Shredā€ and ā€œRipped in 30ā€ – which have been my most successful DVD programs to date, selling over 15 million copies. I wanted to take those programs and all the aspects that people love and bring them to life in order to co-opt the talent of other great fitness professionals and touch more lives. 

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HF: Can anyone do BODYSHRED or is it just for people with an intermediate to advanced level of fitness? 

JM: I designed the program specifically to cater to people of every fitness level. No matter how you slice it, BODYSHRED is not an ā€œeasyā€ workout, but it is doable for anyone and everyone through the programā€™s modifications and progressions.  So, no matter who you are or where you are starting from, BODYSHRED will get you in the best shape of your life – safely and quickly.  

HF: I see you were in San Francisco recently for a BODYSHRED workshop! Could you tell us a little more about that? 

JM: Yes! My amazing BODYSHRED Master Trainers were at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco on March 29th for a Certification Workshop for local trainers looking to become certified in BODYSHRED. This 9-hour course prepared trainers to teach a group class in this method, introducing them to new concepts, teaching tools and motivational delivery style that will set them apart from others and expand their growth. From there, certified trainers can get the class on the schedules at their respective gyms and the people of San Francisco will be able to experience it for themselves in no time! Weā€™re hosting another local Certification Workshop for trainers in the Bay Area on Sunday, April 19th at KB Fitness in San Jose. 

HF: A lot of people intend to start exercising more and eating healthily, but it can be difficult at first. What advice would you give to a beginner? 

JM: My first piece of advice would be to identify the reason why you want to ditch your unhealthy habits and get on the right track. Whatā€™s been holding you back? When you define exactly why you want to get fit and healthy, it will help you to develop an emotional connection to your goals (HF: <— incredible advice!). Referring back to that goal can be a very powerful motivator!

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HF: And for more advanced people, how can we get your incredible abs?! 

JM: Incredible abs require a combo approach of metabolic conditioning with a core centric focus and clean eating! You need to keep track of your daily caloric intake and eat clean foods. Period. 

HF: As a busy and working mother, how do you make time to stay active and eat healthily? 

JM: Having little ones running around certainly makes it more challenging to find the time to work out, but I tell myself no matter what I can find 30 minutes at some point in my day, 4-5 times a week, to make it happen.

Exclusive Discount

Jillian Michaels has been kind enough to offer  a 25% discount off of her upcoming local trainer Certification Workshop for Jillian Michaels BODYSHRED on April 19th at KB Fitness in San Jose, CA. If you are a local Bay Area fitness trainer then I highly encourage you to take advantage of this generous offer. Plus, you will get the interview leaders of the program and other BODYSHRED certified trainers!

What Are Your Thoughts?

What did you think of the interview? I hope you enjoyed it and found her advice helpful and relevant. Keep up with Jillian Michaels by following her Facebook page, and check with your local gym to see if they offer her BODYSHRED class. And let me know if you try out a class. I would love to know what you think of it šŸ™‚

 Honestly yours,
Alice

Thank you for always supporting me! For more Honestly Fitness, check out my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest and don’t forget to subscribe!

Health, San Francisco, Travel

Artisan Mochas and Vegan Mexican Food

April 10, 2015

 As someone getting their master’s degree (and graduating in May, YAY), I won’t lie; my social life has taken a huge beating. My workload has considerably lessened with the end of my final exam last week and I am making an effort to see more of my friends and to explore more of San Francisco. I can’t believe I have just over a month before I graduate and move to Salt Lake City. Where has the time gone?!

Mission (1 of 8)

I met up with my friend Sheri to explore the Mission district. Our first stop was this cute chocolate factory, called Dandelion Chocolate, which serves artisan chocolate products. As you can see, they offer a variety of drinks which left my friend and I ‘umm-ing’ and ‘aah-ing’ for a good 5 minutes haha.

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  I finally decided on the house mocha, which came with a yummy little biscuit. Although mochas do contain chocolate and thus added sugar, this was a rather bitter and rich chocolate so I didn’t feel quite so bad in ordering it. And hey, when in San Francisco right (let’s ignore the fact that I live here haha)?! The atmosphere was really cool, and they have a bar area where you can sit and watch the people working there make chocolate!

Mission (3 of 8)

 After our coffee stop, we walked over to Dolores Park and spent a couple of hours just hanging out and catching up there. It was such a gorgeous and sunny day in San Francisco; San Francisco is notorious for being chilly and foggy. Which most of the time is true lol! I was ecstatic to finally be able to wear a dress, get some sun on my legs (gasp!) and break out this gorgeous necklace I got from my latest Rocksbox set. If any of you are interested in learning more about Rocksbox, feel free to read my review about it and click here to get your first box (the code alicexoxo will get you your first month free). Also, I don’t know why this photo came out so purple haha!

Mission (5 of 8)

 A few hours later, our tummies started rumbling and we headed back towards the Mission District to try out Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican food restaurant. I had heard about it but had yet to try it so I was pretty happy my friend wanted to check it out as well. My husband absolutely will not try out vegan or raw food places so I always have to find a willing friend to go with me!

Mission (6 of 8)

 We got the ‘totopos’ to share as our starter, which are house made tortilla chips tossed in creamy chipotle salsa roja topped with cashew crema and cilantro. I thought the tortillas were a littleeee too thick, but the sauce was delicious.

Mission (7 of 8)

Mission (8 of 8)

 For our main course, I ordered the tacos filled with mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli topped with cashew cheese and served with black beans. My friend got spicy mole enchiladas topped with mushrooms and cashew cheese, served with sauteed greens and beans. I was really impressed with how flavorful my tacos were and the bite that I stole off my friend’s plate was also delicious! Although I admit that I like the heartiness of a beefy enchilada, I think that Gracias Madre have made a flavorful and pleasing vegan alternative. NOT an easy feat in my opinion, especially because I have had some pretty bad vegan food a few months ago and was still a little bitter from that.

Where have you had great vegan food?

Great weekend, and so excited for the rest of this month. I have some exciting posts in store for the rest of April that I cannot wait to share with you all šŸ™‚

Honestly yours,
Alice

Thank you for always supporting me! For more Honestly Fitness, check out my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest and don’t forget to subscribe!

Health, Products I love

The Best Foods And Drinks If You Are Sick

April 6, 2015

Before I launch into this post, I just want to put out a little disclaimer: the following foods and drinks are what I have personally found to work best in helping me bounce back to my healthy self again. I am not a medical doctor and these are just recommendations based on my opinion and experience šŸ™‚

The Best Foods And Drinks If You Are Sick

Therefore, let’s dive into what I think are the best foods and drinks if you are sick!

Best Foods

these are The Best Foods And Drinks If You Are Sick

1. Chicken noodle soup is an oldie but a goodie. The broth is said to contain anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent the side effects of a cold.

2. Bananas are really calming for your stomach if you have a stomach virus or are feeling sick and nauseous. 

3. Oatmeal; I find oatmeal to be really soothing and comforting if I am confined to my bed and feeling horrid. Plus, oatmeal has plenty of complex carbohydrates which will keep your energy levels high.

4. Avocado is said to be really good if you are experiencing lots of aches and pains because it contains magnesium. It is also an easy to eat food if you are having trouble getting down any solid foods.

5. High fiber crackers are great for if you are constipated (come on, it happens to the best of us), but avoid them if you have an illness which makes it hard for you to digest foods.

6. Dates; when I am sick, I struggle to eat enough foods for fear of throwing up or making my stomach feel worse. I love having dates because they are really sweet and provide a lot of energy.

Best Drinks

these are The Best Foods And Drinks If You Are Sick

1. Green tea with honey and lemon. Green tea has so many health benefits (click here and here to learn more), as do honey and lemon. Honey is anti-bacterial and calming if you have a sore throat, and lemon helps to calm down an upset stomach and also contains vitamin C.

2. Freshly squeezed orange juice with ginger. I don’t know why (could be placebo effect), but this combination always makes me feel better. Could be because of the strong taste of ginger … I really don’t know but it works for me!

3. Green juice, because it is easy to digest (great for a body desperately using all it’s energy to fight off a sickness) and is full of vitamins and minerals.

4. Any herbal tea with honey and lemon (same as #1).

5. Kombucha; kombucha can be great for helping an upset tummy. When I was younger, I would drink coke or sprite when my tummy felt unsettled because the carbonation helped a lot. Kombucha is a much better and lower in sugar alternative which also contains probiotics.

6. WATER! This will always be the king of liquids and nothing beats it. Drink tons of water to flush out anything nasty that is in your system and to keep you hydrated.

… And A Tip

If you feel the start of a cold coming on, you might want to invest in zinc lozenges. This systematic review states that there is strong evidence that zinc can shorten how long you have a cold for. Worth a try, right?! Also, I always tend to reach for chocolate when I am sick hehe (not recommended, but oh so good).

What foods or drinks do you gravitate towards when you are feeling sick?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Thank you for always supporting me! For more Honestly Fitness, check out my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest and don’t forget to subscribe!