How to Plank

Plank is one of the most common exercises during a workout, yet so many of us are still doing it incorrectly.

It is one of the best exercises for core strength and shoulder strength. I have used plank with my training clients and yoga students alike. Almost everyone can perform this exercise when given the correct cues.

If you do not use proper alignment and technique when planking it can lead to injuries in the low back and the shoulders. In the video below I review proper form and technique so you can safely plank!

Guiding the Next Generation

I am honored to have been nominated for the “Guiding the Next Generation” article with Ebella Magazine.

Ebella Magazine is a national magazine that focuses on empowering and inspiring women. I feel very connected to their mission.

The work I do with teen girls is some of my favorite work of my entire career. I feel privileged to have an opportunity to inspire, motivate and bond with them the way I have. 

Thank you to Ebella Magazine for this incredible opportunity and beautiful two page spread. Click here to read the full article.

Jennifer Khosla, founder of Lean and Green Body® as photographed by Ebella Magazine

Lean and Green Body® Vinyasa Flow

Ready to take Jen’s signature vinyasa flow class??

No need to even leave the house! Just unroll your mat and press play!

Lean and Green Body® Signature Vinyasa Flow

Model: Cindy Wilcox

Photography: Nik Wilcox

In need of some yoga??

Are you in need of some yoga, but have “no time” to actually practice.

Check out our newest 20 minute powerful vinyasa class on You Tube

This class is sure to help your get your sweat on, work your core, and completely zen out all in 20 minutes.

Our 20 minute powerful vinyasa class is perfect for the busy mom or over scheduled entrepreneur.

We could all use a little more zen in our lives.

A new You Tube video release every Thursday! Subscribe to the Lean and Green Body® You Tube channel so you never miss one!

Smoothie Questions Answered!

How good is your smoothie game?

I recently shared a picture on social media of my blender full of my favorite smoothie ingredients and asked if any of you had questions about how you could improve your smoothie game.

….let’s just say there were crickets…lol

So instead I am going to answer some of my most frequently asked questions about smoothies!

Do you know how to keep your cravings at bay?

Do you know what to add to keep your blood sugars level?

How do you stay full for hours?

Eating the appropriate amount of fiber, healthy fat and protein at each meal will help to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range, and also help you to burn more fat throughout the day. 

Fiber is going to keep your full. It is also the ultimate detoxer and helps our body remove waste and toxins on a daily basis. If your smoothie is only holding you over for an hour or two add more fiber to the mix.

Perhaps increase your spinach or kale from 1 handful to 2 handfuls per smoothie, or add more chia seeds to the mix!

Healthy fats are going to help you burn fat. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. 

FAT burns FAT… mind blowing, especially if you are new to the nutrition world. 

With that being said, not all fat is created equal. Think about using high quality, mono and poly  unsaturated fats in your smoothie… pure nut butters and coconut oil are both great options. 

When using healthy fats in your smoothie they will slow the digestion of your entire smoothie- thus keeping you full longer! Burn more fat and stay full for hours… sounds like a win-win to me!

Protein is essential for our bodies, and is especially useful for repairing and rebuilding our muscles and wound care…however, many Americans consume over 2x more protein than they actually need. This begins to tax the kidneys and the liver, since they can only filter out so much protein each day. The “extra” protein that you consume and do not utilize that day will be stored as fat. 

Is it just me or does this seem counter intuitive? Why consume more protein than your body requires if it is just going to be stored as fat? 

Choose a healthy protein powder that works for you and your specific needs. There are excellent vegan and whey based protein powders available. 

A highly nutritious smoothie should be able to hold you over for nearly 4 hours. Making it the perfect breakfast for the busy Mom or entrepreneur. 

If you find yourself becoming hangry or if your blood sugar levels are out of wack - you need to make some adjustments to your smoothie.

Did you enjoy this post? Would you like me to go more into the science of the WHY behind each ingredient? Comment below and let me know!

Keep Your Home Workouts On Track With These 4 Cardio Boosting Moves

COVID-19 has many of us working out at home for the foreseeable future. Even when the gyms reopen I’m not sure I’ll be running to get in line any time soon.

So I thought it would be fun to share 4 cardio boosting moves you can do anywhere!

Cardio is a super important part of your workout…

keeps your heart healthy

detoxes the body

increases lung capacity

helps to burn fat

and so much more!

Burpees

not a crowd favorite but highly effective and efficient in boosting the heart rate

Aim for 10 

Jumping Jacks

 A classic and still a great way to get your cardio in!

Aim for 25

Jump Rope

Another oldie but goodie

Aim for 60 seconds

High Knees

This is a great one for everyone from athletes to weekend warriors. It will loosen up your low back while boosting your cardio endurance.

Aim for 30 seconds

These are all excellent ways to squeeze your cardio in at home … perhaps even between conference calls. Once life resumes to “normal” these will be great cardio boosting moves to use when you travel!

I love to workout when we travel, and these are definite go-to’s for me because 3 out of 4 don’t require any equipment. It’s easy to throw your jumprope in your suitcase - or keep it in your office- for a midday cardio break. 

Once you feel comfortable with each exercise begin to increase the number of sets you do- with a goal of 3 sets per exercise in mind. Once you are comfortable performing 3 sets of each exercise you can begin to increase the number of reps or the time duration of each exercise.

You can add these in as part of your weight training workout too!

Comment below and let me know how you are boosting your cardio during this quarantine.

How to Select a Healthy Cocktail!

Cocktails tend to be a taboo topic in nutrition, but I’m realistic. 

I personally love a good cocktail and believe in moderation. 

My go-to cocktail has been a vodka soda with extra lemon for years now. I love the simplicity of the drink, it’s light, fresh, low in calories, low in sugar…and it’s gluten free!

The danger in most cocktails is not the alcohol itself, but the mixers. Most drink mixers are full of sugar, empty carbohydrates, and calories. In fact, it’s actually the mixers that can give you the worst hangovers (not to mention a super high spike in blood sugar). 

Here are my top 3 Lean and Green Body® rules for a healthy cocktail…

1. Pick your liquor wisely.

Vodka has 96 calories per 1.5 ounces 

Tequila has 64 calories per 1.5 ounces

Rum has 97 calories per 1.5 ounces

Gin has 110 calories per 1.5 ounces

Vodka, tequila, rum and gin are all low in calories, have zero carbohydrates and no sugar (due to the distilling process). When you begin to add flavors or ‘spices’ to these liquors that is when the calories, carbohydrates and sugars increase dramatically.

2. To mix or not to mix?

As I mentioned above mixers are where the empty calories hide …and often lead to weight gain.

There are 3 mixers I love…and will always be Lean and Green Body® approved.

1.Club soda….no calories, no sugar (no blood sugar spikes), and no empty carbohydrates.

2. Ice…yes, I’m considering ice a mixer because sipping tequila (or your liquor of course) on the rocks is actually a drink. By adding ice to your drink it will actually take you longer to sip, and will slowly dilute the alcohol, thus taking longer for your body to process.

3. Real fruit. You can either choose to add fresh or frozen fruit to your cocktails adding some flavor (without the chemicals and added sugars found in most mixers) OR you can soak your liquor in fruit for days and then utilize the now freshly flavor liquor that way. 

3. Beware of the garnish.

I love a beautiful garnish in my cocktail, especially an umbrella or a beautiful straw. They can create a serious moment of “WOW” when your drink arrives, without harming your health or throwing your diet totally out of whack. 

Many drinks come with a salty or sugary rim…loaded with sugar! Did you know that many bars dip the glass in liquid sugar and then into the salt or sugar for the rim? That’s extra sugar going into your body, ultimately spiking your blood sugar and sending your hormones out of whack. If you love a good rim, try to do just a half rim next time!

Fruit in cocktails can be a great option especially when used as part of your mixer {see to mix or not to mix above}. However, when the fruit has been soaked for days…or dare I say weeks…in a sugar syrup or in alcohol…then we need to be cognizant of what else (besides the fruit) we are putting in our bodies.

Say you are having an old fashion, and you have a whisky soaked cherry in the bottom of your drink. The cherry may complete the look and you may get a real IG moment there when your drink arrives, but what’s in the cherry? We certainly can’t pick fresh cherries out at the store that look like that. These cherries are typically soaked in a sugary syrup for months at a time (super shelf stable), removed from the syrup and either added to your drink or soaked in liquor for days at a time before being added to your drink. 

Does this mean that your days of fighting with the ice to score the cherry at the bottom of your drink are over, no! I am simply here to educate you on the nutritional facts, what you choose to put in your body is your choice…ultimately you are the gate keeper. 

I believe if we nourish our bodies perfect (for us) 80% of the time, we have 20% to play with. So eat the cherry, just make sure you are eating enough alkalizing foods to balance it out. In the end that’s what it all comes down to, balance. 

So although cocktails, and alcohol in general, are considered a taboo topic in nutrition and wellness I believe in balance. I am realistic nutritionist, and can appreciate the joy of a glass of celebratory champagne, or ending your week with a vodka soda at sunset, or even a glass of wine with your S/O in northern California. The point is understand what is in your drinks and how it will ultimately impact your body, so that when you make that toast your family at Sunday dinner or cheers your best friend at her wedding you can feel really good about your choice!

Cheers! xx

Healthy Ideas for Memorial Day!!

Memorial Day is typically thought of as the start of summer. In my home that weekend is filled with bike rides, beach walks, barbecues and sunsets. 

This year is going to look very different since we are dealing with a world wide pandemic. However, we are determined to make it fun, be outside and soak in the start of summer!

Here are some ways that you can soak in the magic of this long weekend at home. 

Go for a morning bike ride!

Make a fun summer salad, here’s one of my favorites!

Grill out! Take your favorite proteins or veggies and grill them outside in the sunshine. No grill, no problem. You can easily do this stovetop with a grill pan.

If your state/county allows go to the park….keep the recommended 6 ft distance…and soak in the outdoors. Bring your favorite book or play frisbee with a friend. 

Cut up some watermelon…and maybe even enjoy some fresh seasonal fruit!

Here is the list of Florida’s seasonal produc

Watch sunset {ideally at the beach} but watching it from your home with your loved ones is just as special. 

Enjoy a refreshing summer cocktail! Here is my favorite Lean and Green Body® approved cocktail

VODKA SODA

Ingredients:

1 glass with ice 

1 oz Tito’s Vodka

Juice from 1 whole lemon

4 oz of club soda

Directions:

Stir and Enjoy! Happy Memorial Day!

As someone with a long line of military heroes in my family, I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all who have served past and present. This country would not be what it is today without you, thank you for all you continue to do for us. 

Partner Core Workout

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to grab your partner or your bestie for a serious core workout!

Working out with a partner is much more fun!

You encourage and motivate one another, you sweat together, and hold each other accountable for showing up.

Here is my favorite partner core workout!

Seated Core Rotations

Sit back to back with your partner (spine long, core engaged) - pass a weighted ball back and forth to each other (making sure the ball goes around the full 360 degrees) - pass the ball 10 times each direction.

Partner Crunches

Laying supine, hook your ankles with your partner.

With knees bent, extend arms overhead. One partner will start with a ball in their hands - both partners will sit up, pass the ball, and lower back down.

Continue moving this way, crunching all the way up and passing the ball, then lowering all the way back down.

Pass the ball 20 times.

Core Ladder Drills

Come into a high plank with both hands inside the ladder, facing your partner.

High five your partner (right hand to right hand, then left hand to left hand) then walk laterally to the next box and repeat.

Walk the entire distance of the ladder and back.

Option to add a theraband around the legs for additional resistance for the legs (working the abductors).

Partner Planks

Come into a plank position on your forearms facing your partner.

Both partners will bring right arm up and gently touch partners right forearm, hold for a count of 10, then bring arms come back down. Switch to left side, hold for a count of 10 then lower and switch.

Repeat 2-3 times.