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Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad

Yahoo!!!  Friday is here 🙂

I love to have Nichole from Pure Clean Fitness comes to hang out with us on Fridays! This week Nichole has awesome Kettlebells Training Tips … a Healthy Recipe from me + Fitness Tips from Nichole= a healthy, happy, balanced life!

Nichole’s Pregnancy Fitness Tips…

These days I love Fridays! Why? Well, Fit Fridays are top on the list but also because it means another week is coming to an end which brings me one week closer to having this baby girl out of me and in the world. Right now I am in the mode where the end of April can’t come soon enough. I am done being uncomfortable and would like to breath a little easier.

This pregnancy has definitely slowed me down, but it hasn’t stopped me. I get asked regularly about working out pregnant these days so I wanted to share a few tips I have learned through my own experience and what my reading/research told me.

First and foremost you have to understand that I have talked to my doctor about everything I do. The only big no I got was to biking outside, so I have stuck to my indoor cycle classes.  Here is what my journey has taught me:

1) Listen to your body. In order to do this correctly you have to know your body. You have to know when your body is telling you to back off or not do a specific activity. I have days where my back is killing me, those are the days when I go for a nice walk and do some stretching or slow easy lifting. For instance, this morning I walked 3 miles and mixed in some single leg deadlifts (I focus a lot on balance work not only with myself but all my pregnant clients), pigeon stretches, and downward dog.

2) Now is not the time to start something new. Just because one of your other pregnant friends can still do pullups does not mean this is the time for you to start.

3) Respect the belly, it will change things. One of the biggest things I had to give in on was understanding how much my center of gravity was changing. This lesson took two falls while out running, but lesson is now learned and I am learning to enjoy the treadmill for every single one of my runs. The belly also changed my lifting. I know some women that were ok doing power lifting throughout their pregnancy, but I found my belly getting in the way too much and making the moves awkward. I adjusted by switching to dumbbells and going lighter. I could still go through the motion of the moves but the bar and belly were no longer getting the way of each other.

4) Stay out of third gear. My doctor told me not to worry so much about heart rate, instead pay attention to exertion level. “Second gear is just fine, but don’t go into third gear.” Another way to say this is, no sprinting levels of exertion. That means that you should be able to talk to someone while working out. This has affected my lifting and running. I am obviously not pushing the paces like I was running. But I am also moving slower through my weights and giving myself plenty of opportunities to catch my breath.

5) Take care of yourself. This means to make sure you are eating a well balanced and healthy diet. You may need to add an extra snack on work out days. I have learned to eat something RIGHT after I workout or else my heart burn will be horrible for the rest of the day. I am also still running 5-7 miles three days a week. I know that on those days I will be a more tired and definitely need a nap.

These are just a few of the things that I have learned over the last few months. Always refer to your doctor! I am sure my doctor must think I am crazy. At my last appointment I was double checking that handstands and pullups were indeed ok still, probably not the normal questions. But I also have to say that both are fun to do when I work out late in the morning, all the little old ladies look at me in horror as I go through various moves.

Above all take care of yourself and your little one.

 

 

 

 

 

Ruthie’s Healthy Recipe…

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing! 

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!

I love the flavor and texture combinations of this salad… crunchy and creamy with a hint of sweet citrus and slight bitters of the beets make a beautiful balance.  Then, the gorgonzola cheese just takes it right over the top!  You’ll be in heaven with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!

I love to grab a fresh baguette at the grocery store to go with salads.  I especially love the whole grain varieties if I can find them, since not all stores carry them I’ve been able to find them at Trader Joes and Walmart.

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!

Yield: 4

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mixed lettuce greens
  • 4 petite persian cucumbers, sliced on diagonal
  • 4 precooked beets, cut 1/4 inch slices
  • 4 clementine oranges, peeled and segmented
  • 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  • coarse sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for serving

Instructions

  1. Divide salad greens onto 4 serving plates.
  2. Place beets in a circular shape in the center of each salad.
  3. Place a slice of orange and cucumber in a circular pattern around beets.
  4. Divide gorgonzola cheese between plates.
  5. Top with sea salt and fresh pepper.
  6. Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  7. Enjoy!

 

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad on www.cookingwithruthie.com is a flavorful blend that will make your tastebuds sing!

Beet, Orange, and Gorgonzola Salad is a flavor adventure and sure to make it on your favorites list!

Happy Fit Friday!

 

Much Love and Peace~

Nicole and Ruthie

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