Jared worked SO hard to plate last night’s dinner.  I’m so proud of him.

He made chicken and butternut squash risotto along with a salad with spinach, cucumbers, carrots, and orange peppers.  Mmm!

Moving on to this morning’s breakfast, I had an English muffin with peanut butter and jelly before heading to work.  And to work out!

Today’s job training started with Body Defined.  I’m a huge fan of Body Pump, but I’ve never tried Body Defined before.  I was a little nervous to for a brand new strength training workout.

Eden started our tough workout with killer crunches for the first 10-15 minutes of class.  I was cursing her at the time, but I know my abs will thank her later.  Body Defined used hand weights, a step, a mat, and a ball.  Much lighter weights than anything I used during Body Pump, but my muscles were still tired.  There weren’t any breaks between tracks to take a breather.

I liked the energy and different exercises that were part of Body Defined.  I might have to incorporate this class into my workout schedule. 

I had part of the Garbage Plate leftovers for lunch.  A burger, sweet potatoes, macaroni salad, and cucumbers.

Delicious close up!

The pseudo Garbage Plate kept me full through dinner time.  I decided to have a Green Monster in place of a meal.

I was determined to make a Green Monster that was actually green.  My smoothies usually end up pink or brown.

Success = the cheesiest smile ever!

Thirsty?  My Green Monster contained:

• 2 huge handfuls of spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Bright summery green.

It tasted great.  (And matched the new color scheme in my bathroom!)

A liquid dinner wasn’t going to cut it so I ate my final Homemade Granola bar with some PB on top and 1 peanut butter cookie.

Miles is ready for bed and it won’t be long before I join him.

But first…

Here’s some information and a fun product.

Healthy Joints and Bones

Hours of exercise can take its toll on your body.  Especially on your joints!  When your knees ache, even daily activities are difficult.

“Joints are made up of bone, cartilage, and synovial fluid. Cartilage acts as a cushion where one bone meets another, and is surrounded by synovial fluid. This fluid is a thick substance whose purpose is to nourish cartilage and to absorb friction, making movement smooth and easy. Without cartilage and synovial fluid, even the smallest movement would be excruciating.”

Elations contacted me to try their Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement.

How Glucosamine Works

“Glucosamine thickens the synovial fluid in your joints so that it can absorb more friction and cushion the joints, meaning more lubrication and less discomfort. Over time, the amount of Glucosamine in your body decreases to the point where the amount your body synthesizes is far less than the amount it needs for joint health.”

Glucosamine/Chondroitin Highlights

“Research indicates that taking 1,500 mg of glucosamine and 1,200 mg of chondroitin daily can help improve joint function and give joints what they need to stay healthy. Each bottle and powder stick of Elations contains these levels of glucosamine and chondroitin. Elations is also more absorbable than pills.” -info from the Elations website

Glucosamine is a dietary supplement that is not approved by the FDA.  However clinical studies have found that Glucosamine is safe.

I added a packet of Raspberry White Grape Elations mix into an 8 oz. bottle of water.  I’ve never had joint pain and I’m sure 1 packet wasn’t enough to do make a difference.  But it tasted good and might’ve been doing my body a bit of good too.  Elations seems like a great product, but I’d definitely discuss it with my doctor before consuming it regularly.

I’m still on the fence about dietary supplements.  I think it’s always good to research what’s out there and stay well informed.

So whether you take supplements or not, just make sure that you’re taking care of your joints!  Cartilage’s cushion between bones is so important when exercising and living an active and healthy lifestyle.