Last weekend I did something that I’ve always wanted to try… to teach Chair Yoga to a group of older women who ranged in age from 65 to 85. When the woman who was 85 started bragging about how she was the oldest one in the group, I knew I was in for a good time, as were they! Chair Yoga is literally for everyone and every BODY. Whether you are disabled, overweight, stuck behind a desk all day or in a nursing home, you can easily sit in a chair and stretch! After just a short half hour of light stretching and deep breathing, the ladies were commenting on how much less stiff they felt and how their mind’s were clearer. This is always yoga’s true aim and I’m just glad I got to be the person to introduce them to this easy and fun method. Not a frown in the room!

 

I was introduced to these ladies by my friend Patti who goes to the gym I work at. She and her husband Dick are there at least three times a week and they are an inspiration to me and I’m sure, a lot of other people around them. The couple that works out together stays together eh? Both in their seventies, Patti and Dick make me smile every time I see them and she’s asked me to teach her group regularly at her church, yippee! I’m currently filming my own Chair Yoga sequence to share with you all, in hopes that you’ll pass it on to people who really need it, like your Grandma! At the end of class, I had the ladies stretch their feet and they were giggling and absolutely loved it… I time-lapsed the video for you (cause it’s funny) but all you have to do is insert your fingers in between your toes and get moving! Try….

Stretch Your Feet! from niccola nelson on Vimeo.

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Oh! Exciting stuff! I taught my very first TRX class today for my friend and teacher Carol who was away for the day… it was such a great experience and the girls were moaning and groaning… just the way I like it! If you’ve never taken a TRX class before, it’s a total body workout. You can grab these straps with your hands and feet, and you can increase and decrease angles to make an exercise harder or easier. The workout is what you make of it and I love that. I’ve been going to Club Cardio since January and I’m subbing TRX when I can, as of now! I have some more exciting news having to do with Club Cardio to share with you but I’m going to wait until next week to do so!

PLANK-ing from niccola nelson on Vimeo.

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Let’s get on with it here and let me give you a recipe! I have tomatoes coming out of my ears right now in my garden but not so much zucchini… thankfully my friends all have tons and I’m coming up with new ideas daily. My favorite ways to use zucchini are to makes Boats and Brownies. If you haven’t tried these recipes yet, you will love them because they’re easy peesy, fast and clean meals to make/eat! And if you don’t eat meat, you can easily stuff your zucchini with fresh veggies like onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, artichokes and I could go on but I won’t!

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Zucchini and Carrot Paleo Scotch Brownies- makes 12

Ingredients:

-1 large zucchini

-4 large carrot sticks

-1 cup almond butter

-1 egg

-1/4 cup honey

-1 tsp vanilla

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp nutmeg

-1/2 cup of butterscotch chips (I used Nestle Tollhouse)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9×9 baking dish and set aside.

2. Chop the zucchini and carrots up finely and combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Add the chips last and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes up clean. Enjoy!

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Zucchini Boats- serves two 

Ingredients:

-2 zucchini squash

-1 lb ground turkey (I used Jenny O’s Lean variety)

-1 red pepper

-4 cloves garlic

-1 red onion

-cilantro

-1 T taco seasoning

-salt and pepper

-olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Cut the zucchini length wide and scoop out the insides of it. Place the insides into a large bowl.

 

3. Drizzle some olive oil on the squash and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until they are browning and soft.

4. Chop up all of the veggies and place them, and the ground turkey into the bowl with the insides of the zucchini. Mix well.

5. In a sauté plan, drizzle some olive oil and add the mixture. Cover on medium-high and sir occasionally.

 

6. When the zucchini is done, scoop the mixture into it and sprinkle some cilantro on top! Healthy and ready in less than 30!

 

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Don’t forget I’m teaching a FREE yoga class tomorrow from 4-5 pm. at Baileyana Winery in Edna Valley! If you like food trucks, live music and lululemon athletica, then it’s not to miss! Get all the details here!