A glimpse into my kitchen...

Ahhh yes I know where have I been?? Taking care of sick children and then myself getting sick did not help my already- terrible- at- time -management self. Excuses, I know we all have them right? ;) Well last night I was skyping with my mom and sister, and she asked me about a few things that had me thinking. So today I want to invite you into my kitchen! Ok, kind of at least. I want to show you guys what I keep stocked at all times in my fridge and cabinets for some healthy eating references and thennnn I am going to share some great updated news I have found out on cardio versus weight training :)

Ok first and foremost always remember protein and fiber are key to eating. All calories are not created equally, meaning you want to get the most out of your calories! The more fiber and protien something contains the longer you will stay fuller, and the more complex the carbohydrates the longer it will take your body to process it meaning you will be less likely to over eat and also more calorie burn from your body as it digests the food.

These are a few of my favorite carbo-licious snacks. Chocolate mini wheats are A delicous and B very good for you if you look at the ingrediants andprotein and fiber versus fat content. Kashi has a variety of amazing cereal Island Vanilla is just my current fav. Fiber one bars are also a great snack for one of your six small meals.

This is a peek into my fridge. my fat free half and half for my coffee is obviously a very important ingrediant haha. Love my light and fit yogurts mixed with my fat free cottage cheese. I will sometimes use this as a snack or before bed. Cottage cheese has the same kind of casein protein found in the shakes. Skim milk, I use in cereal to drink by itself, in recipes, in shakes and really just all the time. my left overs back there are a mixture of left over healthy chicken enchilladas, left over tuna, steaks and rice. Redline is a calorie free energy drink that has a great amount of vitamins, caffiene, and BCAA's this is great if used in place of a pre supplement. Kefir is that pink bottle at the top. A great probiotic to clean out waste in your digestive system with a great source of protein also.

Whole wheat pastas, rice, canned chicken and canned tuna are all very common in our diet at the Rivera house hold also. And of course you got to season your food! haha.

 This is my obsession, it is an all natural peanut butter with flax seed and extra protein in it. I eat it on apples, bananas, pretzels, whole wheat bread, and anything else I can come up with an excuse to eat it on haha.

So there it is a glimpse into my favorites a few other staples that I didn't have today are sweet potatoes, avocados, edamame, peanuts, almonds, and oatmeal. All great ways to stay full and burn fat at the same time.

I was reading a great article on Women's fitness this morning about the advantages of cardio versus weight training. and while you burn 10-12 calories a minute doing cardo and only 8-10 doing weight training, it has been found that after you finish using weights your body continues to burn the calories for 25% longer. Meaning you will actually have longer lasting results with weight training. Fat takes up 18% more room than muscle, so that being said always remember your scale may not show you what your measuring tape will. I can attest to that. My scale says I have gained four pounds in the past two weeks, so out of sheer freak out I measured myself and had actually lost 2.5 more inches since last time I measured.

Another important reminder is that it is not always about timing. You my torch more calories in a 20 minute work out if you know you are giving it your all and busting your butt versus doing a 40 minute work out where you aren't giving it 110%. Stay motivated and keep on pushing. I know its terribly hot and awful out these days this is why I always keep my favorite playlist on hand for runs and try to stay twice as hydrated as usual. My time tends to slow in this humidity but thats ok because training in harder conditions burns more calories and makes you stronger and faster for idea weather :) Focus on what you can do not what you can't :) Happy healthy eating and happy working out until next time yall!