Amour Alert!

Things I'm loving right now!

As I grow with my blog, I'm trying to settle in to certain rituals with it to help me keep my posting on track.  I think weekly/monthly or periodically at random I'm going to have an Amour Alert! list.  This will be things I've come across that are fitness/health/nutrition, etc. related that I think are so amazing that I must share them with all of you fine readers.  If you ever see/experience something that you think is worthy, let me know!! 

SOOOO, without further ado, here is the first list...drumroll please...

1.)  Jawbone's Up Band- This is a wristband that tracks your movement and sleep.  There are many products like this on the market right now, but this one seems to be the most user friendly.  There is an App that coincides with the band that tracks your sleep cycle, calories burned, you can input what you've eaten in order to track calories and you can even log your mood (which is a great way to recognize how certain foods and behaviors make you feel).  The price is about $129.99.  You can get it on Jawbone's website, from Amazon, or at the Apple Store.

Diane sports the teal band to represent Cervical Cancer awareness.  

2.)  Summer Squash/Zucchini- It's that time of year again!  Zucchini is in season and available on the cheap.  If you aren't growing some yourself, hopefully you have a neighbor or co-worker with needs to unload some of their crop.  If you don't have a zucchini/squash hook-up, never fear...it's darn cheap this time of year.  To get the creative squash juices flowing, check out this article with 75 recipes that incorporate this versatile crop.

I loaded this plate at the Whole Foods in Upper Arlington.  The top, right compartment has a ratatouille dish with zucchini chunks and the rosemary skewer has lots of great summer veggies including squash, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and portobello mushroom.

3.) Arbonne Vegan Protein-  I am currently loving this protein blend.  It's a vegan protein that contains NO soy protein (which is awesome, because isolate soy protein has been getting a bad rap for the way it's processed and how out bodies metabolize it).  Instead, to make it a complete protein, it's a blend of pea, cranberry and rice protein.  This blend contains 20 grams of protein, 20 vitamins and minerals and it tastes phenomenal.  It's blends so smooth and creamy, you will think you are drinking a milkshake.  I usually just blend it with a cup of unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk and a cup of frozen spinach, but sometimes I get crazy and add berries or a banana or a spoon of almond or cashew butter.  Just depends on my mood and whether I'm having it post workout or for a meal.

They come in good sized bags.  The chocolate is my favorite right now, but the vanilla is great too and works well if you are adding fruit or using it to add some protein to your baked goods.

4.) Outdoor conditioning-  I love early mornings in the summer.  This is a killer workout that you can do right when you wake up.  Lace up your shoes and get outside to burn some calories before you hit the shower in the morning.  No equipment needed except for a patio chair or bench for the dips:

Those are just a few things that come to mind that I'm into right now.  Anything calling to you this time of year?  I'd love to hear about it!

3.)