Author: coachelda

coacheldahttps://texashouseofstrength.wordpress.comHi, I’m Elda! Personal Trainer, Powerlifting Coach, Full-Time Psychology Student...when my head is not in books, I will use this blog to share my love of exercise, exploring positive mental health practices, and other favorites with you.
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SS Yoke Squat Bar

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Today I trained with my new Safety Squat Yoke Bar that I got from EliteFTS. This bar is extremely beneficial for those who have shoulder issues and lack the mobility of extending their shoulders under a normal squat bar.  It is also a great bar to be able to squat heavier than normal, overloading. Incorporating overloading sets will assist in boosting your squat PR or getting through plateaus.

Unracking this bar is very different from a squat bar.  Do make sure you are upright with the handles lifted point forward as you unrack.  Otherwise you’ll be unracking with your back and not your legs. This bar really forces you to keep an upright torso and turns your abs on. They were on fire after each set!

I really like this bar and I’m looking forward to getting heavier when I’ve gotten the hang of using this bar once again =)

Organic Hot Cocoa w/Star Anise & Cinnamon

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It’s a hot cocoa kinda night! I fell in love when I first created this lightly sweetened cup of chocolate heaven.

This recipe calls for organic ingredients and is dairy free.  It’s honey sweetened but can be substituted for 1 to drops of liquid glycerin Stevia.

Yields 2 cups

  • 2 cups of Almond Milk, vanilla, unsweetened
  • 2tbsp of Organic Cocoa Powder
  • 1tbsp of Raw Unfiltered Honey (or substitute w/1 to 2 drops of liquid Stevia)
  • 1tsp of Organic Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4tsp of Organic Cinnamon
  • 1/4tsp of Pink Himalayan Salt
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks

Place milk & Star Anise into a pot and warm milk over medium heat for about 5 to 7min.

Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, honey and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix to a thick paste.

When milk is warm and a little bubbly, add the cocoa mixture to the pot and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Turn off the heat and serve with one star anise & one cinnamon stick in each cup.

Enjoy!

Morning after cocktails

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Because I had a couple of cocktails last night I wanted to make sure I replenished with lots of water and a big breakfast meal.

I sauteed raw baby spinach then mixed in 1 cup of egg whites. Topped it with homemade tomatillo salsa, avocado and beet & cabbage sauerkraut. I’m also having rolled oats with almond milk, PB powder and honey as well as 1/2c of blueberries.

This meal is loaded with:
🐔Protein

🍃Spinach nutrients like Vit A & E, zinc & iron

😊Fermented beets & cabbage by @wildbrine provide probiotics, nitrates and immune boosting benefits

🥑Avocado provides Omega-3 fatty acids, lutein & beta-carotene

✳Blueberry nutrients like potassium, folate, & Vit C as well as flavonoids with potent antioxidant capacity

🍯Raw Unfiltered Honey is also loaded with antioxidants as well as riboflavin, manganese, and calcium

Happy Sunday ✌🏼
#breakfast #sundaymorning #fermentedfoods #nutrientdense #recovery #rehydrate #healthyfats #antioxidants

Rock your Curls

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Get bitchin’ curls with my curly-q tips!

I worked with in an AVEDA concept salon for 13 years and learned just how perfect my curls.  If you don’t have curly hair and have some waves, these tips will work just as well and might even give you some curls =)

  1. Curls NEED MOISTURE. Make sure you are using a highly moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.  A smoothing shampoo and conditioner works nicely too.  My AVEDA favorite is Smooth Infusion, actually I love the entire line.  Another favorite that is budget friendly is the Seaweed Bath Company smoothing shampoo & conditioner.
  2. After washing your hair, don’t towel dry very much.  You want your hair to be pretty damp. So don’t let it sit wrapped up in a towel for very long at all.
  3.  DO NOT brush your hair.
  4. Applying product:
    1. First use a smoothing lotion, like AVEDA’s Stlye Prep Smoother or Andalou’s Styling Cream.  Depending on length, apply a nickle to a quarter size into palm of hand and spread it all over your hands.  Starting from the root, with your fingers “shake” the product into your hair, to the ends. Do this all throughout your hair.
    2. Next, use a gel.  My absolute favorite is the AVEDA Confixor.  I’ve been using it for YEARS and love it’s aroma. People know me for it and it’s not crunchy at all! Next best is John Masters Protein Styling Gel.  Apply the same way you did your lotion.
    3. No SCRUNCHING! Doing so will just break up your curls into a frizzy mess!
  5. Use a diffuser attachment to blow dry.  Flip your hair upside down and begin to blow dry your hair in sections, holding for a few seconds and working your way all around.  Again, NO SCRUNCHING.
  6. Blow dry until it’s about 80% dry.
  7. Apply a smoothing serum to really add shine and softness.  A tiny amount, pea size or less, of AVEDA’s Light Elements Smoothing Fluid is the BEST.  Since your hair isn’t fully dry be gentle when apply this product so you don’t disturb the curls too much. “Shake” it into your hair, focusing on the ends.
  8. Set it with some hairspray if you like!

In about 30 to 45 minutes, your hair should be about fully dry.  That is when you can really SHAKE IT UP to pump up the volume!

Side note: the more often you diffuse your hair, the MORE curly it will get!

Again, NO brushing and NO scrunching.

Let me know in the comments if you tried my tips! I KNOW it’ll work for you.

I’m taking my curls to headbang to Machine Head tonight. See ya’ll!

Get rid of your plastics

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FYI! Natural Grocers has Hydro Flasks on sale until November 30th 2018. I got this 40oz flask for $31.86!

Just because your plastics say it’s BPA FREE doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain other plastic chemicals that when heated (or even cooled) may leach into your water and food!

These chemicals coming from ingredients of the plastic material, byproducts of manufacturing and chemicals adsorbed from the environment have been shown to cause reproductive challenges in laboratory animals.  Another study showed that BPA can actually accumulate in reproductive organs and act as an endocrine disruptor owing to its structural similarity to estrogen. YIKES.

In our body, they are known as Xenoestrogens (or foreign).  They are synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen and may wreck havoc hormone balancing.  This mineral water study concluded first evidence for a broad contamination of mineral water with xenoestrogens and stated that “it is probable that this estrogenic contamination originates from plastic food packaging materials because mineral water bottled in PET is more estrogenic than water bottled in glass.”

Our environment can also contribute to xeno exposure but there are things you can do to “ditch the plastics”.

  • NEVER heat up food in plastic or Styrofoam containers
  • Consider switching to glass containers
  • Eat fewer canned goods
  • Buy BPA canned good or AT LEAST rinse your canned food
  • Buy foods in glass jars
  • Reconsider your plastic coffee maker
  • Choose to use glass or stainless steel water bottles
  • Buy non-toxic toys
  • Use the “good china” instead of plastic ware
  • Apparently BPA is also known to found in baby formula, researchers recommend switching to powdered formula instead of liquid

Other ways to reduce toxic chemicals:

  • Eat organic always -> Strawberries, spinach, nectarines, grapes, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, sweet bell peppers, apples, pears, cherries, peaches -> Dirty Dozen, the top fruits and veggies that have the most pesticides.
  • Read body care product labels – look for phthalates and paraben free
  • WORKOUT
  • Cut out conventionally raised animal meats and dairy because toxins are stored in animal fats – choose organic and grass fed
  • Switch to “Green” cleaners
  • Clean your air with salt lamps
  • Drink plenty of water

Post Workout Eats

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So you just finished crushing a workout, guess what?! Time to refuel!

Eat PROTEIN and CARBS within 30-45min after training, this is the precious time-frame that leads to the best recovery.  The primary goal post-workout should be to provide your body with an immediate fuel source to prevent it from breaking down muscle tissue for energy.  We want to replenish our glycogen stores with fast digesting carbs so that our precious muscles can refuel for our next training session.  We want this happen quick so ditch the fats because fats will slow digestion.  Consuming protein will help repair muscle and encourage muscle growth.

I always have a scoop of Amazing Grass Protein Powder or Garden Of Life Whey in a shaker bottle in my gym bag. So all I’ve got to do is add water and kick it back.  I also have a container of my favorite cereal (because I LOVE cereal) in a container and snack on that as I make my way out of the gym.  My favorite cereal right now is Nature’s Path Honey’d Flakes, it yields 48 total grams of carbs for just one cup. So I have two to help meet my total carbs for the day.  Plan to consume your highest yielding carbs pre and post workout for best carb timing.  Carbs for the rest of the day should be fibrous carbs from fruits and veggies.

Get an Immune Boost

inCollage_20181114_063308609Elderberry is a very popular go to supplement to strengthen the immune system during the winter and flu season as well as recover from flu-like symptoms in rapid time.  I recommend incorporating Elderberry as soon as October hits. It’s now mid-November but its not too late!

Researchers have found that people who have taken elderberries have higher levels of antibodies against the influenza virus, showing that not only may the berry be able to treat flu symptoms, it may also be able to prevent influenza infection.

Elderberries contain hemagglutinin protein. This protein has been shown to stop a virus’ capability to replicate by inhibiting its ability to penetrate the cell wall, thereby preventing the virus from causing infection if taken before exposed. If elderberries are taken after infection, that keeps the virus from spreading, which reduces the duration of influenza symptoms.

Elderberry also contains a compound called Flavonoid which gives it its beautiful rich purple color. Flavanoids are high in antioxidants that may protect your cells from damaged caused by free radicals (oxidative stress).

Elderberry is generally safe for the entire family. You may purchase it at any health foods store or online.  It can consumed in syrup form, capsules, gummies and the whole berry to make yourself.

Here’s a recipe by Wellness Mama for Homemade Elderberry Syrup:

How to Make Elderberry Syrup to Avoid the Flu
prep 5 mins – cook 1 hour – inactive 15 mins – total 1 hour, 20 min

yield 4 cups

A simple elderberry syrup recipe made with dried elderberries, honey and herbs for an immune boosting and delicious syrup. Can be used medicinally or on homemade pancakes or waffles.

Ingredients
2/3 cup dried black elderberries, or 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen
3½ cups water
2 TBSP fresh or dried ginger root
1 tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp cloves or clove powder
1 cup raw honey

Instructions
Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half.
Remove from heat and let cool until it is cool enough to be handled.
Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil.
Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
Discard the elderberries and let the liquid cool to lukewarm.
When it is no longer hot, add the honey and stir well.
When the honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a quart sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.

 

Natural Bodycare Products to Love

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It’s officially cold in Austin which means our skin starts to become drier than usual.  Quit being so ashy with a safe application of bodycare products this season!

What do I mean by safe?

There are specific ingredients found in lots of skin care and hair care products intended for the entire family, even our fur babies, that can do harm.  Thankfully we have amazing research studies that have found these ingredients to be the culprit of skin issues, hormone imbalances as well as further agitate auto-immune diseases.  These are a few:

*Parabens: They are synthetic preservatives that allow skin care products to survive for months or even years on your shelf.  The biggest way they negatively affect us is that parabens can mimic hormones in the body and disrupt functions of the endocrine system.  Endocrine system, think hormones!  They are commonly found in moisturizers, deodorants, shampoos as well as food and pharma drugs.  Common parabens include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.  Guess how they get into our body? Through our largest organ, our skin!  Think about how much lotion we lather on our skin, especially during the winter!  According to one study, the body can absorb as much as five pounds of cosmetic chemicals every year.  Yikes.

*Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): other types of sulfates including Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Ammonium Laurel Sulfate (ALS).  These are the guys that make our soaps and shampoo lather up. So much fun but guess what, they may be doing more harm than just giving us a good time in the bath tub.  SLS is known to be a skin irritant.  It can strip the skin of its natural oils which can cause dry skin, irritation and reactions.  Have itchy skin and scalp? Eczema? Dermatitis? Seriously consider switching to SLS free products.  TIP: If you find a SLS-free shampoo that you like but it just isn’t lathering as much as you’d like, simply add more water ; )

*Aluminum in deodorants: First off, know that a deodorant is simply made to curb body odor, and antiperspirant is meant to curb sweat by plugging your pores so you don’t sweat as much.  Aside from the cancer causing factor, a concern is that aluminum keeps the body from sweating out toxins that need to be released.  Sweating is a normal body function and essential to not only regulating the body temperature, but ridding the body of toxins and working to keep the body healthy.  That fact alone, is convincing enough for me! My aluminum free deodorants work. Just ask my gym friends, I don’t stink!

I worked as the BodyCare Manager at Natural Grocers for almost 3 years and literally tired everything in the market of body care.  Before you do a skin care overhaul and wonder if what you’re considering buying works, check out these babies.  These are my favs!

*EO or Everyone Lotion:  I love Everyone brand because it’s not only cost effective but it seriously moisturizes my skin with just one application after a shower.  I literally only need 5 pumps for my entire body.  It soaks right in and doesn’t ever feel like it’s just “sitting” on your skin.  I love the “Citrus + Mint” aroma because it’s not synthetic, so it’s just a subtle refreshing aroma. A 32oz pump bottle is 9 bucks and change at Natural Grocers.

*Fractionated Coconut Oil by Life-Flo:  Fractionated means that “it’s a fraction of the whole oil in which certain chains of the fatty acids are separated, refined, clarified, and deodorized while maintaining the integrity of the emollients and moisturizing benefits of the oil.” This make it a superior carrier oil for homemade skin care products like moisturizers and body scrubs.  I use it to make my own body scrub using brown sugar and essential oils.  On days my skin is looking ashy, haha, I’ll add it to my Everyone Lotion.

Schmidt’s and Nubian Heritage Natural Deodorants:  A natural deodorant that works is hard to find!! I’ve tried them all and THESE TWO WORK!  I prefer the Nubian Heritage over the Schmidt’s because personally I find my skin may become irritated with a deodorant that has baking soda in its ingredient list.  Nubian Heritage does not contain baking soda.  Again, both truly work but Nubian Heritage has a wet feel to it upon initial application that personally bothers me, but doesn’t cause any skin irritations.  Schmidt’s is the complete opposite with it’s thick and gritty feel that easily smooths out after it’s been rubbed in.  I tend to use Nubian Heritage more often because I don’t want to chance a possible skin irritation.  Worth mentioning that Primal Pit Paste is also really great, while Tom’s does not work.

We do so much to take care of our body by exercising and eating well, do more by taking care of the beautiful skin we were given =)