GRANITE BAY KAIA FIT FITNESS BLOG

This could NOT come at a better time, when the holidays are upon us, and warming dishes are all the rage! Plus, mushrooms are high in antioxidants, help boost our immune function, are high in iron and Vitamin D, while also being a rich source of Vitamins B2 & B3...what's not to love?!

Everywhere you go, fitness is as trendy as the girl in front of you at the coffee shop with her multi-color yoga pants on. But while we know we need to get fit and healthy, sometimes even the cutest yoga pants, or the greatest of intentions when trying to eat better, don’t always cut it.

But rather than drowning in your lack of motivation, pull yourself up out of that Debbie Downer mood and download one (or more), of our top five favorite fitness motivation apps!

While the holidays are a fabulous time to be with family, relive traditions and be merry, they can also create extra stress in our lives. From mid-November to the New Year we are often rushing, eating and trying to do too much. With the financial stress, nutritional stress (eating things that are hard on our bodies) and dealing with extra emotions that can be stirred up, it is the most important time of the year to stay grounded, workout and take care of our selves. Below we’ve given you a few tools to not just survive the holidays but also really enjoy them.

Halloween is often a time when truck loads of Halloween candy magically appears in your houshold and sometimes even haunts you from the freezer weeks later. But this year is going to be all about finding a better balance between healthy bites and sweet treats! Kick your fall off on a healthy note by getting friends and family into the kitchen for these Halloween-inspired recipes!

1. Squash Soup in Pumpkin Bowls 

foodnetwork.com
As the leaves start to tumble, a flavorful fall soup is just what you need to get into the season! This yummy soup is just what the fam needs to warm your insides, make your taste buds dance, and get a healthy dose of vitamin C and A, fiber, potassium, and folate!

2. Darkly Delicious Apples 

everydayhealth.com
What’s Halloween without a little chocolate? Make your candied apples healthier this year by dipping them in antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Not only will you save the kids a few empty calories, they’ll be a sweet treat you can make together!

3. Ghoulish Skeleton Quesadilla for Halloween

babble.com
As kids run in and out of the house all day, it can be hard to get them to sit down even for a snack! Luckily this fun recipe only has three ingredients and takes less than five minutes to make! Swap flour tortillas for spinach or sprout tortillas for an even healthier variation!

4. Saucy Spider with Hairy Leg Sticks

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year...sunshine, fresh air, tank tops, hiking, [you get the picture]. But it's also full of BBQ's, travel, kids, and less routine, which can make it easy to 'fall off the wagon.' 

As we all know, your overall health and fitness lifestyle starts and ends with nutrition – we can exercise to the max, but if we don’t stick to a healthy diet full of nutrient dense whole foods then we’re really not doing our body much good. Did you know that your family can act as your accountability partner outside of BRIK? You can include your family in your healthy habits without scaring them away by starting with some yummy recipes and exercise (Bike riding is a great option to get some fresh air, increased heart rate, and quality family time). To get your family started with healthy habits, here are 3 delicious AND healthy clean eating recipes (Inspired by our Kaia Cookbook) that your family, kids and all, will love and beg for! Remember that it’s okay to customize your dinner by substituting other healthy and nutrient dense foods to make it kid-friendly. Make it work for you and your family!

Siesta Taco Soup (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 fresh jalapenos
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced into large pieces
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. Braggs soy sauce
• 2 ½ tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. oregano
• ¼ cup Daiya vegan cheddar, shredded
• black olives, sliced
• fresh cilantro, diced
• ½ cup quinoa (optional)
• lean meat, chicken breast (optional)
• hot sau