Since the city is under a severe thunderstorm warning, my sister and I decided to FAFL out and 'bake'. Just one thing though, you don't actually have to bake what we're making! May I present to you the smart and efficient No Bake Energy Bites.
This recipe was perfect for the stormy weather that the GTA faced today. Record downpour created flash floods that stalled the city with blackouts. Although my area was unaffected by the power outages, I'm keeping this in my back pocket for future reference. These balls are easy to make by only mixing all the ingredients into a bowl, chilling for 30 minutes in the fridge then rolling them into small ball shapes. Apart from being a quick and easy blackout day snack, they're packed with ingredients that boost your energy. So I'm set for my work weeks snack. What you'll need: -1 cup of oatmeal -2/3 cup of coconut flakes -1/2 cup of peanut -1/2 cup of wheat germ -1/2 cup of chocolate chips (optional or can be subbed for raisins) -1/3 cup of honey or agave syrup -1 tbsp of chia or sesame seeds -1 tbsp of vanilla extract Makes about 20-25 bites.
The most intense
workout songs are ones with high beats per minute.
A good workout playlist keeps your cardio on track.
It is springtime, well, at least the calendar says it is.
Even though the weather in Southern Ontario is temporarily flip-flopping from
day to day, that does not mean outdoor workouts should be affected.
The popular New Years resolution to stay fit may have failed
but with the new season sprouts a new opportunity.
Jessica Martinez, a Goodlife
Fitness trainer, says apart from January, spring brings in the second wave
of new gym memberships.
“People are inspired by the beautiful weather after being
kept inside all winter,” says Martinez. “It’s also a wake-up call that reminds
people summer and bathing suit weather is near. They want to look good so they
exercise to get a body they’re happy with at the beach.”
One of the most successful ways to burn fat and to maintain
good health is to conduct regular cardiovascular (cardio) exercises. But just
like with homework, cleaning, and all things good for you, exercising may need
an extra boost of motivation in the form of music.
Cardio workouts exercise the heart and other muscles of the
body. At the beginning of a run or any cardio routine, the body is filled with
energy to burn, but near the end it is common to feel tired.
The solution to pushing through until the end of the workout
is a great music playlist.
A great cardio workout requires fast paced songs because the
body will move according to the beats of the music.
That is where the magic of beats per minute helps. BPM is
used by DJs to find out how many beats there are in a minute of a song. This helps
them with mixing songs without clashing.
In exercising, songs with high BPM will help maintain fast paced
routines, which lead to a good heart workout.
For the average 20-year-old the targeted heart rate zone is
100-170 BPM. Targeted heart rate depends on the health of the individual so
this average is just a guideline and may not be suitable for everyone in his or
her early 20s.
To calculate BPM, count the number of beats within 15
seconds of a song then multiply by four to get the count for 60 seconds.
Here are a variety of mathematically perfect cardio songs:
·Hey Ya – Outkast (132 BPM)
·Panama – Van Halen (152 BPM)
·Nice Guys Finish Last – Green Day (187 BPM)
·C’mon (Catch ‘Em By Surprise) – Tiëst vs. Diplo
(136 BPM)
·The New Workout Plan – Kanye West (118 BPM)
·Getting’ Over You – David Guetta, Chris Willis,
and Fergie (136 BPM)
·Levels – Avicii (128 BPM)
·A City in Florida – Deadmau5 (128 BPM)
·212 – Azealia Banks (126 BPM)
·Express Yourself – Diplo ft. Nicky Da B (108
BPM)
For faster remixes of multiple songs try any of DJ Bl3nd’s
mixes. The young Los Angeles DJ makes music that guarantees sweat to drip off
your body, along with any extra clothing.
Finally, for that extra push to finish the last three and a
half minutes of a cardio workout, the best-paced song is Sandstorm by Darude
(136 BPM). At around 1:26 minutes into the intense beats, the song has an
appropriate one minute break down which can be used to catch your breath and
prepare yourself for the next minute of intense physical cardio. Good luck my urbs! -Ashley
This summer is half way done but that doesn't mean the style has to stop!
Looking through my closet I found this interesting robe. I bought it from H&M last winter from their organic section at a pretty cheap price. This robe almost looks like a kimono with its designs and shape. It is also very light making the muggiest summer days bearable for layering. I now regret NOT wearing this earlier in the summer but robes like this are really the perfect summer backyard wear.
Season Inspirations: - bold bright colours - ethnic spices to your wardrobe - elegance
Some people are scared of aging; I am one of those people.
Age is something everyone cannot escape; everyone except for the guys in the
Red Hot Chili Peppers. These men are pushing 50 years old but are still rocking
out as if they were the young fresh faced boys from the late 80’s.
On Friday night I
attended their first of two sold out shows at the Air Canada Centre. These men
have been touring the world and making kick ass music for over thirty years so
the crowd at the show was a mix of everyone of all ages and different
backgrounds.
Their opening act was the dance-punk dou Sleigh Bells. We’ve
all heard that song of theirs on MTV Live called Infinity Guitars. Their sound
isn’t for everyone which is probably the reason why less than one quarter of
the entire audience showed up for the opening. I would have enjoyed their set
if I could actually hear the lead singer’s voice because other than that, the
overwhelming eardrum popping crash of the bass for 30 minutes left me with a
headache that turned me off from beer for the night.
Finally at around 9:15pm the Chilis took to the stage with
the sold out crowd eagerly waiting. The energy from the crowd was a vibe that
infected everyone. If the aisles weren’t as packed as a Japanese subway then I
would have showcased my incredible air drum and air guitar skills with no
shame. Anthony, Flea, Chad and newest member Josh performed an incredible show
that made my six year wait for a concert worth every second. The men who could technically
be my fathers, easily jumped around moshing and performing at studio calibre for
an hour and a half. Whatever is in their water, I need some!
They performed new and old songs, crowd pleasers and
nostalgic tunes. The set list is as follows:
·Monarchy of Roses
·Can’t Stop
·Dani California
·Otherside
·Look Around
·Throw Away Your Television
·Hard to Concentrate
·The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
·Right On Time
·You Have To Ask
·Factory of Faith
·Under the Bridge
·Higher Ground
·Californication
·By the Way
·Around the World
·Meet Me At the Corner
·Give it Away
Some quick concert observation shout outs: the couple
grinding on each other all concert; the drunk couple pretty much re-enacting a
scene from the Notebook while blocking the stairway (YOLO); the drunk 15 year
old girls chatting up older men in exchange for alcohol; the guy who came to
the concert alone sat beside me quietly all show and then moshed the fuck out
during Give It Away; all the people who provided the joints being passed
around; and the guy wearing pants inspired by Flea in Higher Ground.
It is safe to say that I have consumed several pounds of raw flour via spoonfuls of raw cookie dough since I started living at home again. Although my insane late night baking sessions have curtailed since I started working night shifts, I still manage to sneak in a few recipes now and then. What can I say? I'm obsessed.
Then there was my attempt to mimic the ridiculously amazing shortbread cookies from Mary Macleod's which were far from a knockout but nonetheless good.
mmmm. Then I got a little crazy. To be more specific I started making cookies. Lots of cookies. First I made Thomas Keller's chocolate chip cookies. Which involved a lot of butter....and sugar...and more sugar.
Adding to the gluttony I bought this insane block of Callebaut chocolate. I didn't want to let it go to waste...so I made some more cookies...and started stuffing them. What I learned from this experience.
