Top ‘o the Mornin’ to ya Bloggies! :) Happy 1st Day of Summer! 8-)
I don’t know about you, but I was ready to get my day started bright and early with a workout. Unfortunately, my time was strictly limited to 30 minutes this morning, so I had to make the most of it — and that meant some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise. Because it involves briefly pushing yourself beyond the upper end of your aerobic exercise zone, it offers you several advantages that traditional steady exercise can’t provide.
My HIIT looked like this:
Warm Up – 5 mins
Sprint @ 9.0 – 20 seconds
Walk @ 4.5 – 40 seconds
Repeat sprint/walk intervals for 20 minutes
Cool Down – 5 mins
It was quick but INTENSE. I really enjoy doing the HIIT workouts, and I was definitely feelin’ the burn (not to mention the sweat!)
After sitting for about 10 minutes to try to cool down, (so I wouldn’t sweat throughout my whole shower) I showered up, got ready, and headed into the kitchen for some breakfast.
I present to you, one of the best oatmeal bowls I’ve had in a LONG time:
Craisin’ Raisin Oats!
In the mix:
-1/3 cup oats
-1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
-1/3 cup water
-1/2 smashed banana
-golden raisins
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-sprinkle of cinnamon
As usual, it was the toppings that stole the show with this bowl — a sprinkle of granola, a small spoonful of Skippy Natural Super Chunk PB, AND a new guest appearance:
A CranBran VitaTop
Last week, the company sent me a fabulous sampler pack with 13 different varieties of VitaTops to test out. How fun, right? Thanks Vitalicious! :)
According to the website:
The VitaTop, a “one-hand” satisfying snack food with the portability of a bar, is easy to eat anywhere, anytime. At your desk or on the road, these handy muffin tops fit conveniently into a purse, briefcase, work out bag, backpack and lunchbox.
Finally, a healthy low-calorie, low-fat, all natural product that actually delivers what it promises:
- Taste – winner of the “Award of Excellence” from the American Tasting Institute
- Nutrients – contains 15 vitamins, minerals, soy and oat bran
- Control – only 100 calories per 2-oz serving
- Health – high in fiber (5-6g per serving)… and they are kosher
- Satisfaction – leaves you feeling full because fiber-rich foods take longer to digest
- Peace of mind – all natural muffin tops with no artificial additives or preservatives
My honest review of the CranBran:
I took it out of the freezer last night to defrost so it would be ready for the morning. On its own, it tasted a little bit dry, but still had good flavor. However, when it was crumbled on top of my oats, it gave the oatmeal a fabulous texture and flavor that totally melded with the cranberries in my oats. So overall, as an oatmeal topper, these are definitely a WINNER! I’d be interested to try them toasted too…? I can’t wait to try some of the other varities. :-D
Along with my super creamy, absolutely delicious oats, I enjoyed a mug of iced coffee (with skim milk and PureVia) that Jay brewed up last night (he’s so good!) ;)
In honor of the First Day of Summer, I thought I’d share a fun little idea with you all – A Summer Acrostic Poem! To me, Summer is:
Soft serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles :-P
Umbrella drinks
Many barbecues with friends and family
Mosquitoes — YUCK :shock:
Excellent selections of produce! (hello tomatoes & corn on the cob!) :-P
Relaxing by the pool 8)
What would YOUR Summer acrostic poem look like? Feel free to copy and paste yours into a comment – this should be fun! :)
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
Awesome HIIT workout. Love ’em!
S un
U mbrellas
M ore grilling
M ajor relaxing
E njoying pool time
R eading
peanutbutterfingers says
AHHH LOVE your acrostic poem! i would always do these for my parents for mother’s/father’s day! :) too funny. you’re adorable.
oh & i totally feel ya on sweatin’ through a shower. gotta take that extra time to COOL off!
peanutbutterfingers says
oh & here’s my poem:
Sandy beaches
Ultimate BBQs w/ all the fixins
Men w/o shirts on ;)
Melons (as in watermelon)
Exciting vacations
Reading beach books
lisaou11 says
Im a big fan of the vitatops that arent chocolate flavored! YUM!
hmm…
S
U
M
M
E
R
ahh hell, I dont feel like being creative this mornign! Yours was great :)
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life says
LOL! :-D
Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices says
YAYYY for VitaTops :D
The CranBran is my favorite fruit one- I loved it! & they are better if you heat them up for liek 20- 30 seconds…not as dry.
Cute poem for summer!!!
TheKetchupDiaries says
Sam Summer Beer :smile:
Unwinding
Margaritas!
Memories with Friends
Every second is busy!!
Running outside (Finally!)
Shanna, like Banana says
My brain can’t think of a Summer poem because I’m too curious how you scored Vitatops!