Ditch Bloating, Tortellini en Brodo, Full Plank

Tip of the Day: Ditch Bloating

It's the worst feeling ever to feel puffy and fat! I talked about sodium in an earlier post, but there's actually more you can do to avoid that bloating feeling.

-Drink more water! It sounds counterintuitive, but drinking enough water (not too much!) will actually help you to not retain a lot of it.

-Veggies. You need to pay attention to which ones you eat though! Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage will actually cause bloating. So, stay away from those, and go for asparagus, spinach, zucchini and squash.

-Natural teas and flavors. Some of these things like green tea, apple-cider vinegar, lemon juice and parsley can help you get rid of some unwanted fluid.

-Stay away from excess sodium. Just like I said in my previous post. Sodium is everywhere, just make sure you pay attention and don't put excess into your body unless you want to turn into a balloon!

-Space out your meals. Make sure you're eating every 3-5 hours. This will make sure your not overloading your belly before it's able to process your last meal. Be nice to your belly!

Some info learned from Weight Watchers

Healthy Recipe: Tortellinin en Brodo

I love tortellini! This soup is only 205 calories a serving!

1 (32 oz) carton low-sodium chicken broth
2 (2 1/2-inch) strips lemon zest (you can use a vegetable peeler, or just use a cheese grater)

1 (9 oz) package refrigerated three-cheese tortellini

1 1/2 C frozen baby peas

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper (use a little less if you don't have coarsley ground pepper)

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring broth and lemon zest to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in tortellini, cover, and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, 8 minutes. Stir in peas, salt, and pepper; simmer, uncovered until tortellini is tender and peas are heated through, about 2 minutes. Dsicard lemon zest. Serve sprinkled w/ Parmesan and parsley.

Exercise: Full Plank

After you've done the "Running for Beginners" workout I posted a few days back, you can start sculpting your abs! Here is a great exercise just for that. I will be posting even more the next few days that you can combine into one workout and do every other day in the comfort of your own home.

Plank: Start in push-up position, keeping abs lifted so body forms a straight line. Life left leg, bend knee and pull it toward left elbow, then return it to floor. Do this 8 times, holding your foot up in the air for a count of 8 on the last rep. Repeat w/ right leg.