Friday, September 20, 2013

3 day juicing cleanse

 While doing a little kitchen deep cleaning, in the back of the cabinet I came across my juicer. Currently I am dealing with a shoulder injury that needs some rest so I decided to take 3 days off the gym and do a juicing cleanse. I am not usually a person to "detox" or "diet" I just try to eat healthy and enjoy treats here and there.... but this seemed like a fun challenge.

 So I got in the car and drove to the local farmers market and picked up the following:
-Kale stalks
-Celery
-Spinach
-Iceberg
-Green peppers
-Cucumber
-Apples
-Pears
-Lime
-Lemon
-Juicing carrots
-Pineapple
-Oranges

 For the next 3 days I consumed nothing but juice and lemon/lime water or a green tea before bed. I did not go to the gym at all because I was not consuming enough calories for the types of workouts that I tend to do. I continued to drink lots and lots of water as well. In the next few days I lost 5 lbs, any stomach bloat that I had, had flattened itself out, I found that my skin was looking more clear, and I was feeling fantastic. The 4th day I still had leftover produce so I had 2 juices along with a protein shake, some raw almonds, and a 1/2 cup oats, that way I could go back to the gym.

 They say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber . Make only as much juice as you can drink ...at one time because fresh squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria. And when juicing, try to keep some of the pulp. Not only does it have healthy fiber, but it can help fill you up. Note that each ½ cup of fruit has about 60 calories. Juicing 4 to 5 cups of fruit comes out to 480 to 600 calories in one serving. If you’re trying to lose weight while juicing, portions still matter. It is best to use lots of greens such as kale and spinach, and veggies over fruits with sugar. (avocado is good too I just can't stand it so I opt for other options)

 I just made my own creations, here were my top 3 for flavor



 
 
2 kale stalks, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 pear, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 peeled lime, handful spinach, and handful pineapple. This one was more light with a sweet hint to it.
 
 
 
 
 
2 kale stalks,handful spinach, handful iceberg, 2celery stalks, 1/2green pepper, 1/2cucumber, and one carrot for color. This one was thicker and more hearty. the celery kind of over powered it but I found if I made it ice cold I didn't mind so much.
 
 
 
 

3 kale stalks, 1/2 pear, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 apple, a handful pineapple chunks, a handful of spinach, and one small orange. This one was the best taste wise in my opinion. I chose to have this for breakfast.
 
 
2 kale stalks, 4 juicing carrots,1 cucumber, 1 cup iceberg, and 4 celery stalks. I find that the carrot taste can be over powering as well. I tried to mix most carrot base juices with oranges and apples so it would blend nicely.


 So not only do I feel better, I got some use out of my expensive juicer that I basically forgot I owned, I fit into my pants a bit better, and I did not catch my boyfriends cold when normally I could just look at someone who is sick and catch whatever it is they have. I recommend everyone give it a try at some point. Note that cleanup is a bit much though, and ALWAYS remember to put the pulp tray on before you start or else...............




 


Saturday, September 14, 2013

A night off of my double life for fun....

 So of course I enjoy writing about helpful hints to being a great Showgirl, but of course I have got to share my night out on the town last night!  I was lucky to score some tickets to the Honda Civic Tour featuring Kelly Clarkson and Maroon5.  Maroon5 just so happens to be my favorite band around (unless of course *Nsync makes a come back) ;) .

 So what is to say? Besides the running late, sitting in traffic, avoiding a trip to jail while en route to the show (ahem, accidentally blocking a lane of traffic, with police lights and sirens to follow), only to be escorted to the front the line in which I was already attempting to cut everyone off in, some quick tail gating in the parking lot to save 12$ a beer and take the edge off of the almost bad police encounter, having the sky clear up to give us beautiful weather and sunshine, and making it to our seats JUST in the nick of time to see Kelly hit the stage!


 After a great set, some belting it out, and catching my date singing along it was time to stand in line for 45 minutes to pee out all the beers from the parking lot and run back to my seat in time to catch Maroon5 start their show! Again we made it just in time with 2 minutes to spare. The set was great, a lot of the older songs of theirs mixed in with a few of the favorites from their newest Album "Overexposed".  Watching Adam give a fan in the front row a chance to be given his guitar from the show if she should answer two Triva Questions from the show correctly, which she did and it was really amazing to see that. I was very excited for her. All while again having a wonderful jam sesh with some great dance moves included, and again catching my date singing along with most every song which was pure greatness, the show came to an end!

 
 
 
 
If you would like to see a clip from the show (Daylight) that I took you can click here.......
 
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Monday, September 9, 2013

Tattoo coverup with makeup

 A showgirl problem I did not think through before making it permanent..... Tattoos! In shows you can not have tats all over your body for the audience to see. Over the years I have tried several different methods of tattoo cover ups from make shift flesh colored patches to put in my fishnets, to bandages. The most natural looking way to do it if your tattoo is on an area of your body that can be seen, would be with makeup.


The pictured tattoo is on my hipbone, which means I could just wear tights under my fishnets, and problem solved. But sometimes it becomes to hot for so many layers.

What you will need:
1. Makeup brushes
2. MAC Studio finish concealer
3. A mineral powder concealer ( I use bare minerals)
4. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs





Step 1. With your finger dip into the concealer pot and dab onto the tattoo until it is completely covered. This may become thick at first...

 

 


 
 
Step 2. With your flat brush gently blend the edges of the area into the surrounding area. Next you will take your larger powder brush and apply the powder products. I use a concealer and a matte finish just to set all the makeup together. Start applying in a dabbing motion so that you do not uncover the already covered area, once it is saturated you can then blend with your strokes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Step 3. For the most part my tattoo is currently invisible. My next concern is having the makeup smudge onto my costumes or not blend enough with the surrounding skin. Here is my trick..... Once the area is completely covered and blended as best as possible I take Sally Hanson's "Airbrush Legs" product and do a very light mist over the area ( holding the can about 6-7 inches away from my body so it does not get to thick, this will take about 4-5 minutes to dry).  Keep in mind that there are different shades so that you can find one that blends best with your skin tone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Once applied properly it should all set and be good to go, smudge free. To remove just take a warm soapy paper towel and wipe the area until clean.
 
 

 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

My eggcellent Breakfast

 As Showgirls we need to stay healthy and in shape to fit into those barely there costumes. I personally like to have a more muscular build rather than a thin build, so in addition to my gym time I try to eat according to my needs. Eggs provide a great source of protein, and protein is an extremely powerful component of any fat-loss or muscle building diet. Today I will share with you my protein powder scrambled egg recipe that keeps me full for hours and gives my body just what it needs

What you will need:
-4 eggs
-1/4 cup 2% milk
-1/2 scoop flavorless protein powder
-Nonstick sauté pan
-Whisk
-Small bowl
-rubber spatula

Note: I like to use organic eggs. Organic eggs are laid from hens that may be kept in any kind of caging system, but generally are cage free. Eating organic eggs is a good way to minimize risk of exposure to antibiotics, or synthetic hormones and pesticides while obtaining a healthy dose of nutrients.




Step 1:
Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. I coat the pan with spray cooking butter
Step 2:
Add the milk to the eggs and protein powder in a small bowl (season to taste with salt and pepper if desired). Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here as you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.



Step 3:
When the butter in the pan is hot pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left. Turn off the heat and continue gently stirring and turning the egg until all the uncooked parts become firm. Try to keep the curds as large as possible



Step 4:
Transfer to a plate when the eggs are set but still moist and soft. Eggs are delicate, so they'll continue to cook for a few moments after they're on the plate. Now you can enjoy. I add ketchup, because I personally am not  big fan of eggs... I just know that they are good for me so I make it happen anyways.

 I don't need to accompany my eggs with anything else because 4 eggs on their own fills me up in the morning. I do however always start my day with a large glass of water and my daily vitamins.