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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/lifestyle/how-to-find-your-happy-place/

How to Find Your Happy Place

What do you do when you get overwhelmed? Freak out? Cry? Snap at anyone who dares to speak to you? Everyone feels overwhelmed and stressed from time to time. Its unavoidable. The key is to know how to react when you feel that way. Here are a few ways to center yourself and find your happy place.

1. Pray

    Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed I don’t feel like praying, but I do it anyway. I always feel better afterward. Try this – next time you’re stressed don’t go to God and pray a ‘woe is me’ prayer. Tell him one thing you’re grateful for. Just one. I know this is super cliche but I’m sure you could find a line of people in other parts of the world that would trade their problems for your problems in a heartbeat. Think about it.

2. Meditate

Getting a few minutes of alone time to quietly reflect on your circumstances is all you need to get some perspective. I started my meditation practice about nine months ago and it has transformed my life. I’m calmer under pressure and I have less anxiety about life in general. Meditation is one of those things that seems deceptively simple. Sitting in a quiet place, alone with your thoughts is literally the hardest thing you can do. Learn more about quick meditations and mantras that have the power to change your life today.

3. Picture your ideal life

If you don’t have enough time to meditate, close your eyes for 30 seconds and picture your ideal life. What would make you the happiest person in the world? Visualize it. How does it feel? Make it real in your mind. Once you’ve done that, tell yourself that it’s possible to have that life. Whatever it is. Next, decide on one small step you can take today to move towards that life and do it.

When things get nuts, just remember that everything in life has a way of working itself out. Try your best to keep a positive attitude and stay open to possibilities.

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/uncategorized/sporty-afros-is-hiring/

Sporty Afros is Hiring

We’re looking for a social media intern who can start immediately.

We need a high-energy social media junkie with a flair for fashion. You must be personable, organized and motivated.

Responsibilities will include:

Monitoring our social media accounts daily

Growing our social media following

Looking for new ways to utilize social media to engage our audience

  This internship is ideal for students or recent graduates ( a Dallas-area resident is preferred but not essential). The hours are flexible and you can work from home.

We’re offering a competitive wage or class credit.

Apply below

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Tell us in 140 characters or less why you want to work for Sporty Afros

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/nutrition/healthy-low-carb-burrito-reicpe/

Healthy Low Carb Burrito Reicpe

  If you follow me on IG, you know I went to Chef Ahki’s electric foods cooking class a few weeks ago. We made her raw indigenous burrito. It was amazing.

So amazing that I wanted to make it for lunch the next week but the thought of all that food prep stopped me in my tracks. I used to be the complicated food prep queen, but between my busy job, planning my wedding and running a side hustle, I’ve got zero time. Out of the blue last week, inspiration hit me! Here’s how I make a variation of Chef Ahki’s raw indigenous burrito in 10 minutes. The version I made is vegetarian but you can easily make this vegan or add a little meat if you choose.

I’m calling this the Sporty Afros Healthy Low Carb Burrito. 

1. Semi homemade

Instead of buying all of the ingredients to prep the wild rice, fresh mango salsa, guacamole I bought all of that from Chipotle. You read that right. I paid $7 and got a bean and rice bowl (you can opt for just rice, but I LOVE beans). Then, I asked the lady behind the counter to put the pico de gallo in two, 2-oz containers, corn salsa in 2 oz container and guacamole in a 2 oz container on the side. That’s the majority of the food prep right there. Yes, you could by all of the ingredients from the store and prep everything yourself to save a few $, but you can’t beat that convenience.

2. Get your fresh ingredients 

I went to the store and got my collard green leaves, cashews (I had all of the seasoning at home) and chipotle mayo.

3. Make your cashew “taco meat”

If you’re making a vegetarian or vegan burrito you’ll need to prep your meat substitute. Take your cashews and place them in a high powered blender, next add your seasoning, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil and a bit of water and mix. Taste it to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking, then place it in some tupperware.

4. Put it all together 

All I did was wash 5 collard green leaves, cut off the stalk and shave down the middle vein to make it more pliable. Then, I stored them in a big plastic bag with a paper towel in-between each. Next, I placed my beans and rice in tupperware along with my containers of pico, corn salsa, guacamole, cashew ‘taco meat’, bag of spring mix and chipotle mayo.

That’s it! At lunch time, I take out all of my ingredients and assemble.

Boom. An easy, healthy, low-carb burrito in 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chipotle brown rice

1 cup Chipotle black and pinto beans

2, two-ounce containers of Chipotle pico de gallo

1, two-ounce container of Chipotle corn salsa

1, two ounce container of Chipotle guacamole

1 bunch or organic collard greens leaves

1 bag of spring mix lettuce

2 oz of chipotle mayo (I used Sir Kensington’s from Whole Foods)

1 cup cashews

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayanne

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp  garlic powder

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup water

Instructions 

1. First make your cashew “taco meat”. Add your cashews to the blender along with your sun dried tomatoes, seasoning and olive oil. Blend until the mixture stops moving. Next, open the top of the blender, and push the mixture towards the bottom and add your water. After the mixture stops moving again, it should be ready.  Don’t over blend and turn it into a paste.

You’re going for the constancy of ground beef.

2. Next, prep your collard green leaves. These will act as your tortillas. Wash off your collard green leaves with a mixture of vinegar and water and pat dry. Trim off the stalk that hangs outside of the leaf . Flip your leaf face down and shave down the thickness of the middle vein to make it easier to roll.

3. Assemble your burrito. Place your collard green leaf face-down on a plate. Add a small handful of your spring salad mix, 2 tablespoons of your Chipotle beans and rice, 1 -2 tablespoons of the cashew “taco” meat, and a 1/2 teaspoon of the pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole and chipotle mayo. You only want about a fist sized- ball of ingredients inside your burrito or else you won’t be able to roll it. Next, top with a few more leaves of spring mix and roll your collard green leaf like a burrito. Be sure to tuck in the ends as you roll.

Voila!

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/workouts/get-fit-in-4-minutes/

Tabata: Get Fit in 4 Minutes

Wanna get fit or maintain your fitness in the minimum amount of time per day? Find out what Tabata is all about.

https://youtu.be/YTJ7aXUXjhQ

Here are some links to my FAV tabata workouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zidu879yhzc

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VYgMk2HgbM

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r64dSMUijIM

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/workouts/is-crossfit-for-me/

Is CrossFit For Me?

I know tons of people have been talking about CrossFit and the people who do it, but how do you know if it’s for you? Check out my short explanation and my thoughts on doing CrossFit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwPjczCBm4

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/workouts/1-way-to-achieve-your-fitness-goal/

#1 Way To Achieve Your Fitness Goal

Everyone wants to know what the secret is to achieving your fitness goals. The secret is… there is no secret. Sucks, right? If there’s no secret, then why haven’t you achieved yours yet? Personally, I think the secret or lack there of is simple.

Don’t aim for a vanity goal. 

Don’t just focus on getting abs, or losing 20lbs or fitting into an old pair of jeans. Although these can be what initially motivated you to start your healthy journey, those goals are too topical. In my opinion, you need to aim for something bigger like running a marathon, becoming the strongest version on yourself, learning to swim at age XX, etc. and grow from there. I find when you stop focusing on the vanity aspect of your fitness goals and focus on your overall strength or breaking down the mental barriers to achieve a specific goal, that motivation lasts long term. Let’s face it, most if our fitness goals won’t take just 30 days, they’ll take months or even years so it has to be about something more.

Figure out your long-term motivation and layout a plan to help yourself get there. Remember, you will never fail if you don’t quit!

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/nutrition/beyonces-22-day-revolution-plan-pros-and-cons/

Beyonce's 22-Day Revolution Plan | PROS & CONS

Recently Beyoncé made a big announcement on Good Morning America. She opened up about her vegan/ plant based diet and her partnership with the 22-Day Revolution. The 22-day Revolution focuses on the notion that you can make or break a habit within a three-week time span. The Revolution focuses on a plant based diet,  30 minutes of exercise and additionally offers Vegan nutrition options and delivery service.

  While earlier this year, Beyonce announced her partnership with nutritionist and exercise physiologist Marco Borges, the focus of her GMA interview was discussing her struggle with her weight, the benefits of Veganism and  how this program was responsible for her weight loss, tighter skin and overall being.

If your considering joining the 22-Day Revolutions, you might want to look at the Pros and Cons. Registered Dieting for Selvera.com , offers a few pros and cons of the 22-Day revolution.

PROS & CONS |Beyonce’s 22-Day Revolution Plan

PROS:

Eating Targeted Food Groups. As a rule of thumb, avoiding processed foods and increasing plant-based foods in your diet has been shown to improve a variety of health issues such as cholesterol levels and reduce risk of developing chronic diseases.

Easily Available.The meal delivery option takes all the work out of it for the client. This makes it easy if you don’t have the time or knowledge to figure out exactly what you should be eating every day.

Healthy Balance of Foods.Includes a healthy balance of unrefined carbs, plant based protein and heart healthy fats.

Motivational. Following a very structured diet for 22 days could serve as a great kick starter to motivate those who want to change their eating habits.

  CONS:

Expensive! To stick with their meals and products exclusively is going to require some cash, as it is quite expensive.

Long Term Commitment. In terms of kick starting healthy eating habits, this sometimes takes several months of commitment and/or  additional support of an expert.

Lack of Personalized Treatment. Meeting nutrition needs on a vegan diet is possible, but takes work. As a dietitian, when a client informs me they are vegan, I immediately inquire about certain essential nutrients that plants may not be adequate in providing, like B12 and iron. This often times warrants a supplement. Unless you are working 1-on-1 with an expert or have the time and resources to research on your own, how do you know what and how much to supplement?

If you’re ready to take going the 22-Day revolution, you can check out the website and also some of our Vegan recipes on the site. Don’t want to jump into the 22-day plan? Check out our 30-day Veg challenge we did last year for tips, ideas and motivation.

Beyonce’s Announcement on Good Morning America – Vegan and 22-Day Revolution 

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/workouts/two-rules-for-flat-abs/

Two Rules For Flat Abs

What’s the secret to getting flat abs like Ciara’s?

<> on February 27, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

or Janet’s?

  I’ve been trying for years, but I’ve failed time and time again. Let me be clear about one thing, it’s a total vanity issue. Let me repeat, trying to achieve the flat abs is a vanity fitness goal. Abs or the lack there of are not an accurate barometer of health. I’m perfectly healthy and pretty fit. I thank God for that because there are some people that wish they could workout, but a health issue or a disability prohibits them.

*Steps down off soap box*

Anywho, back to the issue at hand. Abs. I’ve finally found the perfect motivation to get my ish together. My impending wedding on the beach. I want to be at my physical best that day. I’ve been training and sticking to a diet for 30 days and I think I’ve finally craked the code. The two rules to getting abs are so ridiculously simple, it’s infuriating.

1. Consistency 

When I say consistency, I don’t mean eating a handful of healthy meals a week or working out just once a week. You’ve got to surpass the 70/30 rule (eating healthy 70% of the time and eating what you want 30% of the time) and go for it. If you eat a total of 21 meals a week, you need to eat 21 meals that help you meet your goals. Seriously. You can be lax from time to time (like once or twice a month) but that’s it. In the past 30 days, I’ve had ONE true cheat meal. Consistency means eating right and going extra hard every time you’re at the gym. We all want someone to tell us the secret or layout a step by step plan for us. The truth is it doesn’t matter what anyone tells you or what plan you follow. It’s all about your motivation and what works for your body. Do you have the strength to turn away the pizza at the office luncheon? Can you turn down the margarita on margarita Monday? We all know what to do, but most of us (my past self included) simply don’t do it. We make excuses. Point blank. The end. 

Want abs? Start being consistent. Now.

It’s really hard. It’s supposed to be. Which is why most of us don’t have abs.

2. Patience 

We live in an instant gratification culture with a multi-billion dollar a year fitness industry promising results in a little as 3, 5, 7, 21, 30 days! The majority of fitness and diet programs out there are complete crap. Complete and total crap. They might have a few nuggets of truth buried in there, but it’s hard to pick them out. The truth is, what worked for one person might not work for you. Case and point, do you know someone who got in shape using P90x? Me too. Did it work for you? Me neither. Part of the reason is goes back to my first point, but the other reason is that we’re not patient. It takes months, some times years for people to lose the weight, gain musicale and achieve their dream bodies. None of this happens overnight. If you think you can get abs in 30 days, you’re probably fooling yourself. I’m only 30 days in and I’m just starting to see a teeny tiny bit of progress. Usually, this is the point when I give up. I make an excuse and go back to my old habits (which aren’t bad, but don’t set me up to achieve my goal). This time, I’m hitting it hard for 5 months. I wanted to give myself 12 months to get it right, but I wasnt in the right mental space to make it happen so 5 is all I’ve got left. Patience is the key.

  Some progress is better than no progress and remember, don’t live and die by the scale. She’s a lying bitch. If you’re doing everything right and the scale isn’t moving down, don’t get discouraged. Look at how your clothes are fitting. Take measurements. Measure your body fat percentage. Measure progress by weeks, not days. Sometimes it looks like nothing is changing. Keep at it. You only fail if you stop trying.

Photo credits 1,2,3.

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New Post has been published on http://sportyafros.com/nutrition/modmarket-preston-hollow-review/

ModMarket Preston Hollow Review

Whether you’re just starting on your healthy eating lifestyle or you’re an old pro, you know how hard it can be to eat whole (minimally processed) foods at restaurants. I decided to review a restaurant that combines fresh, real foods for an affordable price – ModMarket.

ModMarket was started because the owners wanted food that was:

Yummy

Made from scratch using simple, farm fresh, whole ingredients

Fairly quick

Not too expensive

Could be eaten everyday and sustain your health, and the environment’s too

Outside of a few exceptions like Chipotle or Whole Foods, it’s difficult finding places that met these goals.

  I met up with one of my friends from high school at Modmarket and we decided to try a variety of items and split everything.

Every item on the menu is made from scratch from simple, whole ingredients. The menu changes throughout the year to take advantage of seasonal items. If you check their menu online, each recipe lists all of the ingredients along with the calorie breakdown. How cool is that?

  SEASONAL SALAD – FARMERS

   The salads are offered in entree´ and half size sizes. It’s a nice size portion and everything is fresh. We split the Farmers Salad, which consisted of Mixed Greens, Roasted Chicken, Feta, Almonds,Corn, Red Grapes, Champagne Vinaigrette.

Calories 730 | Fat 40g | Protein 45g | Carbs 39g | Fiber 6g | Sodium 740mg

*Note, I omitted the chicken.

BRICKOVEN PIZZA – CRIMINI KALE

    Modmarket makes its pizza dough from scratch each day and cooks it a brick oven. They also offer gluten free and half size sizes. We split the Crimini Kale, which included Roasted Shiitake and Crimini Mushrooms, Kale, Red Onions, Organic Red Sauce. We added cheese on one side and trust me it’s good both ways but we both liked it better with the cheese.

Calories 487 | Fat 10g | Protein 19g | Carbs 90g | Fiber 14g | Sodium 312mg

   SOUP – BROCCOLI CHEDDAR

We tried the Broccoli cheddar soup, which is from scratch, gluten free, and amazing! They also offer a vegan option of each soup and complimentary slice of multigrain bread.

Calories 354 | Fat 19g | Protein 13g | Carbs 37g | Fiber 6g | Sodium 790mg

  WINE ON TAP

  I was surprised to find that ModMarket offered wine and beer. You can drink for as little as $2 a glass. For my frugal healthy folks, Thursday’s during happy hour they have a fantastic pizza and wine special for $12.

Image Source: Modmarket

Summary: From the patio to the modern decor, Modmarket is a great healthy eating spot here in Dallas. They have several more locations opening around the country like in Southlake, Texas in a few weeks. One of the things I absolutely love are the receipts, which show you calories, protein, fat and all details of each item! This is a perfect place for a date night or catchup with an old friend and it won’t break the bank as for a dinner of two can easily be under $15 with alcohol. 

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Praising God! I am so humbled. To God be the glory! #Repost @runnersrevelations ・・・ Getting emails like this makes my heart sing. I just love how my clients have the opportunity to meeting experts in various fitness and wellness genres through the Sole Patrol 5K Training Program. Our Partnership with @concorddallas and sponsorship from the National Black Marathoners Association makes providing affordable high quality training programs possible. I'm so humbled and feel soooooo blessed to be used in this capacity! Thanks @alexandriawill for providing your sports nutrition expertise during our last Sole Patrol 2015: Full Experience Workshop. Households and eventually our community will be all the better because of it. #Fitness #Running #Runnin4Him #CommunityPartnerships #HealthyCommunities #Wellness #Nutrition

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Zoe's + Sunray= Selfie. (at Zoes Kitchen)

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I'm looking for the silver lining - The silver lining - and I don't know where, but I'm hoping I'll find it. - @jsullivanmusic #heavyrotation #jazminesullivan #yesibuyactualcds

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Does anyone want to do something to this hair for me....... 😕

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Tonight was such a great night as I got a chance to share the Word of God through nutriton and fitness. Thank you @concordchurch for the amazing Sole Patrol program and @runnersrevelations for allowing me to be your special speaker. (at Concord Church)

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Mood. Happy Tuesday. Let's make it a great day!

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It's tea time. 😊 (at Coffee House Café)

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Took out my crochet braids and now time to hydrate and style with some of my favorite products. @lovinmytextures @tginatural @4naturals #traderjoes #teamnatural_ #sportyafros