Green Tea, Banana Berry Smoothie, Swing

Tip of the Day: Green Tea

Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., author of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever, says that green tea "is the closest thing to a metabolism potion". Drinking 2-4 cups a day can actually help burn an extra 50 calories! It contains a compound called ECGC that helps burn fat. Get the full effects and let your tea steep for 3 minutes before drinking it hot. I've also read that there was a 12 week study where everyone drank 3-5 cups of green tea a day and lowered their body fat percentage by 4.6%!


Healthy Recipe: Banana Berry Smoothie

135 calories and this makes 3 servings. This is a great breakfast, but can be a great dessert also!

• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• 1 ripe medium banana, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
• 1/2 cup silken tofu
• 2 ice cubes, crushed (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon sugar, (optional)

Combine orange juice, banana, berries, tofu and crushed ice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth and frothy. Sweeten with sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.

Exercise: Swing

Grab a kettlebell with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Then immediately stand back up, swinging the kettlebell out and up until it's at shoulder height. As the kettlebell begins to arc back down, bend your knees and squat, swinging the kettlebell between your legs. That's 1 rep; continue swinging for 10. (use a 6-10 pound kettle bell)