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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 83 of the 100 Day Challenge! Variety is the spice of life, and this mantra is no exception when it comes to getting your body moving! In the spirit of changing things up, here’s a new exercise for many of you. Think push ups… add hip mobility, coordination and single side strengthening… and you’ve got Kick Thru’s!  Enjoy! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Pecan Crusted Whitefish. Pecans and Whitefish? A delicious, uncanny combination! We’ve also thrown in some parsley, garlic and coconut oil for the best supper you’ve had in a long time! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.

 ~ Victor Hugo

Essential Element: As CJ Mertz says, “Before you master your life, you must first master your day. Before you master your day, you must first master your morning. Before you master your morning, you must first master yourself”  [click here to read Spark Insight: Morning Rituals].

Journal:  In your journal, divide your day into thirds: Morning, Work, Evening. Next to each – write down a theme for each of these days segments. I.e. Morning: Refresh and Prepare – Work: Engage and Produce – Evening: Renew and Connect. Whatever it is that is most important for you to achieve during these sections of the day, write them out. Each day this week, use these as a guideline in the morning for choosing your top three priorities for each segment of your day. [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 82 of the 100 Day Challenge! Row, row, row your Tabata today with Renegade Rows! This is one of those exercises you’ll be talking about all day… and feeling all week!  A terrific, full body challenge. Good Luck!  [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Dough-y bread and wheat-filled tortillas won’t slow down your afternoon! Our simple Lettuce Wraps are satisfying and nutritious. [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it. 

~ Richard Whately

Essential Element: Enjoy something that you’ve been missing because you “don’t have the time”. Create the time. Do something that connects you with your bigger purpose [click here to read Spark Insight: Morning Rituals].

 Journal:  Often our morning hours can be some of the most precious. However,  such time doesn’t simply become beautiful on its own. It takes some intentionality to make  our mornings meaningful. Make the first hour of your morning count by  consider what your most important elements of each day are. Then make a mini-morning plan – scheduling a few of these valuable events in an early morning hour. Journal your response to the effect of early morning productivity on your day. [Click here for additional Journal exercises] 

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 81 of the 100 Day Challenge! Turkish Get Up! Be sure to follow correct form during your Tabata today, and always always keep your eye on the kettlebell (or dumbbell). This is a terrific core workout and shoulder strengthener!  [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Cool Fruit Cocktail. Adding a little mint and slivered almonds to your fruit combo will balance out your snack/dessert as well as beautify your presentation options! Bonfire cooks never underestimate the power of a pretty presentation! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.

~ Og Mandino

Essential Element:  Get into a groove. It is time to get up earlier and create your morning ritual. Create a compelling reason to get out of bed  [click here to read Spark Insight: Morning Rituals].

Journal: Maybe you’ve received the official label: NOT-A-Morning Person. Maybe you’ve assumed yourself as such and therefore never considered what an enjoyable morning might look like. Take a few minutes and consider this: If you were indeed a morning person, what might your first hour look like? Would you go for a run? Hit the gym? Read a chapter? Dream a little – and write down. At the end of the week, re-read your dream entry a few times – and next week, take Sunday morning and give it a shot. [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 79 of the 100 Day Challenge! Dr. Franson starts the day with a High Knees Tabata! And his kiddos aren’t far behind! Get your family involved in your workout today. Its a great healthy habit to start at any age!  [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Poached Eggs with Avocado and Green Smoothie. An amazingly energizing and balanced breakfast! It might not seem intuitive to have so much ‘green’ on your plate first thing in the morning, but it’s time to re-program! These green nutrients will revolutionize your morning! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: America’s number one energy crisis is Monday morning. ~ Unknown

Essential Element: Get out of your rut. If your morning routine looks more like survival of the fittest and a race against the clock, it is time to take back your morning [click here to read Spark Insight: Morning Rituals].

Journal: What does a typical Monday morning look like for you? Is it a race to get out the door, coordinating the week in your head as you speed to work? A morning ritual that stays consistent seven days a week does magic for our Monday mornings – and each morning in general!  Write out in your journal three components to your ideal morning –– then take this week to implement those three elements into each days start. [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 78 of the 100 Day Challenge! Dr. Franson joins an enthusiastic group at Reebok Crossfit 1 for some Tabata Sit Ups! An exciting work out on so many levels, as Reebok is a partner in our 100 day challenge! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Finding new ways to cook and season simple vegetable side dishes is always a challenge, but not with our Steamed Squash with Italian Herbs!  Steaming is quick, easy and it preserves nutrients, so enjoy! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: When you arise in the morning,
think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. ~ Marcus Aurelius

Essential Element: Every day you get to decide if you will start rushed, anxious and stressed or relaxed, connected and inspired [click here to read Spark Insight: Morning Rituals].

Journal: In your journal – write down the top three typical thoughts you have upon waking. Are they rushed cluster of days plans? Rehashing of events from the day before? Gratitude for the day that’s ahead? After jotting down the usual – consider what it might look like to wake a few minutes earlier and give life a few moments to itself. Think – pray – give thanks – refocus on your purpose. Consider including this as a part of each morning this week. [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 77 of the 100 Day Challenge! Side Planks. A classic core strengthener that takes a lot of inner discipline! Push yourself today and stretch your physical limits! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Coconut Shrimp and Broccoli Slaw. Try this favorite that you normally reserve for ordering out! And don’t forget the slaw! This combination will have your eating in from now on! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: Don’t fight with the pillow, but lay down your head, and kick every worriment out of the bed. ~ Edmund Vance Cooke

Essential Element: Practice an eFast (no electronics) 30 minutes before bed – in fact, keep the TV, Blackberry and computer out of the bedroom all together. Journal, pray or visualize a better tomorrow and be grateful for today [click here to read Spark Insight: Restorative Sleep].

Journal: A great way to ‘kick every worriment out of the bed’ is to kick every worry out of your head before getting into bed. Use five minutes of time before bed this week to jot down your thoughts on paper. Anxious thoughts –  gratitudes from the day – things you are looking forward to tomorrow –put them all on paper. Free your mind and watch you body follow suit…    [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 76 of the 100 Day Challenge! Overhead Plate Squats. Although the classic squat is one of our favorite and foundational movements, we’re kicking it up a notch today and adding some weight! “Enjoy” feeling your arm and core muscles get involved with today’s full body Tabata! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Watermelon Gazpacho! Summer’s end is fast approaching! Make sure you get in all your warm weather recipes before its too late! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day:  “It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” ~ John Steinbeck

Essential Element: REST allows for the vital repair of your body  – and the crucial recharge of your brain [click here to read Spark Insight: Restorative Sleep].

Journal: Sometimes the smartest thing we can do it hit the sack! When stress is high, temptations are higher – and night-time is typically when everything comes to life. Evening is when our bodies are coming down off of their ‘fight-or-flight’ responses from the day – allowing our brains to think about what just happened! Typically – this is when most people go to their fix. Television, alcohol, sugar, etc. The list is long- easily accessible- and deadly.  What’s yours? Journal about it. Why do you do it? When did it start? Is it moving you towards the life you want to create?   [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 75 of the 100 Day Challenge! Kettlebell Farmer’s Carry Tabatas! Choose the appropriate weight for your training, and just start walking! Sounds simple enough (almost too simple), but trust us… you’ll be feeling these tomorrow! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Chicken Sausage with Sliced Apples. A perfect breakfast or midday snack! This protein boost will give you the satisfying energy you’re looking for! [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. ~Thomas Dekker

Essential Element: In order to ensure maximal complete sleep cycles, humans thrive best when we follow the Circadian Rhythm that is coiled deep inside your DNA.  Dictated by the light of the sun, this rhythm is a physiological set point that has promoted early to bed, early to rise, for millennia [click here to read Spark Insight: Restorative Sleep].

Journal: What was life like before the light-bulb? Clearly life by candle-light was a bit more romantic – but think about the rhythms created when the sun was our sole source of illumination. We woke with the sun; we went to bed when it went down; seasonal rhythms shifted in our bodies as they did with the earth. Things were in tune with each other – and hormones were happy. IN your journal, just consider what it would look like to tune your life to the sun’s rhythms.  What would you do with those sweet morning hours? What would you gain by going to bed when the sun did?   [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 74 of the 100 Day Challenge! Make your morning truly ‘good’ and productive with a Weighted Good Morning Tabata! Exercising first thing in the morning does wonders to wake up your body AND mind! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Bonfire Fiesta Salad. The Bonfire diet style is “plant-driven” (no, that doesn’t mean vegetarian; it means plant centric). This means regularly eating large vegetable salads – they are essential to being healthy, and should be eaten with lunch AND dinner. [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: That we are not much sicker and much madder than we are is due exclusively to that most blessed and blessing of all natural graces, sleep.  ~ Aldous Huxley

Essential Element: Our body uses sleep to rest and repair our tissues.  Our brain requires sleep to process the information from the day.  Critical sleep cycles involve hormone balancing that affects everything from your energy and moods to your metabolism and ability to regulate your body weight.  Sleep deprivation is actually a predictor of obesity [click here to read Spark Insight: Restorative Sleep].

Journal:  Sleep is a common cure-all. We don’t realize the amount of stress, disease and overwhelm we are preventing simply by hitting the pillow each and every night. How do you behave when you aren’t getting enough rest? Can your family tell just by how you communicate or don’t’ communicate with them? Answer these: “Those around me know I’m sleep deprived when….” and “I can feel myself getting restless when …”  [Click here for additional Journal exercises]

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IGNITE YOUR DAY

by MJ

AIR  ~  Movement of the Day:
Day 73 of the 100 Day Challenge!  Wall Ball Cleans. There’s more to this movement than meets the eye. It’s a full body, demanding Tabata, no question about it! [Click here for additional Workouts]

FUEL  ~  Dish of the Day:
Broccoli, Bacon & Cashew Salad. A delicious, balanced combination that’s perfect for any barbeque or potluck. Great for an everyday lunch too!  [Click here for additional Recipes]

 

SPARK  ~  Thought of the Day:
Quote of the Day: True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. ~ William Penn

Essential Element:  And, lo and behold, the afternoon nap turns out to be one of the most effective and productive methods for increasing energy and improving cognitive skills and focus, while mitigating the adverse effects of chronic stress by lowering circulating stress hormones like cortisol [click here to read Spark Insight: Restorative Sleep].

Journal:  Think about how productive you might be if, right in the middle of your crazy work day, you set aside time for you body’s ‘nourishment and refreshment’. I’m not talking about lunch – I’m talking about sleep! But lunch is a perfect time to do it. Consider taking 10 minutes out of your lunch break and putting your head down. Turn on your phone and close your eyes right there at your desk, or in your car – wherever you can find quiet. Later today, journal the thoughts and brainstorms that come to you in that ‘never-never land’ you go to before sleep … They may be some of your most creative thoughts all day!   [Click here for additional Journal exercises]