Shark Diving

Yea, the one in the black and yellow wetsuit, that's me...

I know, I know. I have been doing quite a few "Lifestyle" posts instead of fitness or food posts. But there is just so much going on right now that I want to share. One of the most fun, and most recent, things is shark diving in the Bahamas. We went through Stuart's Cove and had an incredible experience. There were two dives, both in the same location- a sunken ship about 20-minutes off the coast of Nassau.

It was crazy. I so wish I had pictures from before we got into the water on the first dive, but fins, wet suits, and a giant tank do limit picture mobility a bit. If I had gotten a picture, you would see sharks circling our boat while we were jumping in. As I said, crazy.

One of the coolest experiences ever was the beginning of the second dive. We were on the bottom, waiting for the shark feeder to come down and I was able to look up towards the surface. When I did, all I saw was about 10-15 sharks circling about 20-feet above me. It was incredible. Those experiences that bring such calm when they should bring fear are some of the best experiences ever!  

All the sharks were reef sharks between 6-10 feet. The first dive had a couple, but the second dive is where they really came out. This totally makes sense considering that the sharks got fed during the second dive. We were able to take our GoPro's with us, so there will be some videos on the blog sometime in August (hopefully). Until then, Enjoy these pics!  

Workout Round-Up

We are currently staying in Michigan for a few more weeks this summer. So far, it has been true Michigan weather this summer with spurts of super warm and super cold weather... This week is one of those warm ones. 

One of my favorite parts about summers in Michigan is the night yoga we get to do. Yoga outside under the massive starry sky is incredible. If you have a chance to do some stargazing yoga, I highly recommend it! For last night's yoga we did a Casey Ho warm-up followed by a newer Yogamazing yoga flow. This total workout was great. Each workout was about ten to fifteen minutes long and beginner level. Whether you are a beginner or not, you will get something out of these.

The Casey Ho workout is about six months old and ten minutes long. This Bubble Butt workout obviously focuses on the butt. Casey says that these exercises will help lift and tone the bum. The moves are super simple, but you will be feeling it. I recommend doing this first as your pre-yoga warm-up.  

Next, we did one of the newer Yogamazing yoga flows. This EZ flow is simple and beginner oriented, but also has a lot of moves the focus on the legs and lower back. Again, beginners to advanced fitness gurus can enjoy this workout. The flow is simple and relaxing but will do a number to those muscles. Try to have a star gazing Savasana at the end. It is so relaxing to look up at those infinite little lights... Enjoy!  

Meat Free Mondays: Vegetarian Grilling

I come from a grilling family. For real. You will find any member of my family on a grill during the summer, fall, spring, and winter... But especially the summer. Being a vegetarian does put me in a unique place for grilling; the usual burgers, pork chops, and brats just won't cut it. That is the sole reason I have gone on a meat-free grilling search.

It may have started for completely selfish grilling reasons, but this search has led me to some fantastic recipes that I cannot help but share! Here are some of my new must-try veggie only recipes... The burgers and desserts will be coming later this weekl!

Veggies

Grilled Brussels Sprouts  

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I absolutely love Brussels sprouts. In fact, this sweet chili recipe is still made almost weekly in our house. Since the hubs may form a revolt at some point, having a new Brussels sprouts recipe up my sleeve is not a bad idea. This one uses lemon zest, salt, and pepper as the main ingredients. There are some other spices mixed in, but it looks incredible easy and delicious!

Grilled Cabbage Wedges

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These look incredible! Cabbages are high in fiber, have cholesterol lowing qualities, and help with healthy digestion. Add that to how beautiful they look on a plate and you've got a winning combo! These cabbages are simply cut into wedges prepped for the grill, and grilled. Add the slightly spicy, fresh cilantro lime dressing for a wonderfully refreshing summer dish.

Cilantro-Lime Veggie Kabobs

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Grilling is not grilling without a kabob. Usually, we keep ours simple with some sea salt and olive oil. But, I am willing to mix it up a bit for this yummy looking sweet and tangy marinade! These kabobs are beautiful alone, or can be placed atop the barley and kale salad shown here as well.

Shape Magazine Review: Bikini Body Month Three

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We are on the final month of Jillian Michaels' three-month Bikini Body fitness plan. I have loved these workouts the whole way through and have been counting down to July for this final workout. This month, Shape Magazine is pulling out all the stops and has made Jillian Michaels their cover girl. Although her interview is interesting, I think we are all a bit more excited about the workout...

This workout looks intense. There are a total of seven moves done in order for 60-seconds. This is repeated three times, total, with a 60-second break between each circuit. Out of the seven moves, there are about five that include some form of jumping. Get ready for your legs to feel some major toning after this guy!  

Like the Maria Menounos workout, this one takes dumbells.  

The Workout

This workout is intense. I think the only magazine workout that could compare to this one is the Amanda Russell 15 Minute Tone at Home from way back. The Amanda Russell workout was way shorter than this one too. There is no doubt that this is the final installment of Jillian Michaels' three-month bikini body workout plan.

I completed this workout in 27-minutes after jogging about two-miles at an incline. Needless to say, I am pooped. The workout was very simple to understand but makes up for the simplicity in intensity. I must admit, there were times I cheated. The workout calls for tons of jumps and weight exercises. There were a few times where I did the easier, non-jumping, option instead of the full-on Jillian Michaels rendition. If you are not quite sure about this workout or your knees, try the non-jumping variation for your first circuit. You will still get a major workout, but it will not be quite as intense.

The workout takes about 27-minutes, total. There are three one-minute breaks evenly spread throughout the circuits. If you prefer, Jillian says you can take less than the total minute. I took it all. No matter if you take the full rest time or not, you are pretty much guaranteed to burn at least 300 calories in this quick 27-minute workout. Jillian created this workout for some massive calorie burn and she delivers. My calorie burn was closer to 400 by the end of my third circuit. 

Although I loved the Maria Menounos workout, this workout feels more results driven and takes about the same amount of time. I will be doing this workout again this week, minus the two-mile pre-workout warm-up. Hopefully, I will be able to lift my arms afterwards this next time around!