Mini squats challenge - 1000 squats in 5 days

How are you going?

Just a quick post to let you know my legs feel like jelly and sore?!!! Doesn't even come close. Day 4 today so I have 200 scheduled today.

It's great leg awareness. I have been a little slack with my exercise regime, nevertheless I am still breaking up my squats throughout the day 25 reps whilst brushing my teeth, 25 reps while I am folding our washing etc... You can fit in fitness wherever as long as you make the time.

Dani Stevens drop it like a squat

Instructions for "good-form" squats

1. Stand up straight with your feet firmly planted on the ground approximately shoulder width apart. To help maintain a straight back as you perform the exercise, it's a good idea to focus on an object directly ahead of you at eye level.

2. Contract your abdominal muscles as you bend your legs at the knees. Either stretch your arms out ahead of you, lightly position your hands behind your ears or hold your arms at your side as you slowly lower yourself into a squatting position. Lower your body to a position where your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Important: Proper technique is critical, otherwise serious injuries or gradual injury over a period of time can occur. The back must maintain its natural curvature and not "round out" otherwise excess strain can be placed on the spine and cause serious injury.

Also, to avoid undue stress on the knee joint, do not allow your buttocks to drop lower than your knees as you lower your body towards the ground.

SOURCE: http://www.twohundredsquats.com/what.html

Remember, the main aim of the two hundred squats per day program is to get you motivated and moving. Also to improve your leg strength, fitness and general health. The program is all about making progress and constantly challenging yourself. Give the 5-day program a chance and you'll be amazed at your new found strength. Please do not attempt these as a regular exercise regime as you need your body to repair and have rest days. So I simply recommend incorporating them in your normal fitness regime x3 per week.

Dani Stevens no more excuses

Last night on Instagram I posted the above quote. I always find some excuse not to do something. I mentioned I was going to pull the pin with the 200 squats but with everyone cheering me along, I couldn't let you down. You ALL inspire me so much!! Thank you.

Who inspires you?

FOOD

Our #standfullyraw 80/20 challenge is going great guns! Kids are enjoying their jam packed fruit lunch boxes. For my local readers please head over to Peachs on Eastwood St in Ballarat for your exclusive 10% discount when you mention my blog. I really would love to encourage more fruit and vegetables in your day so please feel free to share with your friends and family.

There is also a 180 Nutrition giveaway on Facebook and Instagram. Please head over if you haven't already liked my page and share the post with your friends for your chance to win a 1.5kg bag of either chocolate or coconut protein powder. Leave your fave smoothie recipe on my wall post and I'll announce a random winner at the end of the month.

For those that can't wait, you can simply order directly at www.180Nutrition.com.au and please use the promo code 264464 at check out for your exclusive 10% discount.

I'm all about sharing the love! Happy Thursday everyone.

XxDani

80/20 Fully Raw revised diet plan PLUS a 5 day mini squats challenge YOU IN?

This would be one of the hardest things I've done. So what I did this past week was turn our #standfully rawesome challenge into 80/20. Which means we eat 80% raw foods and 20% animal products eg: yogurt, meat etc... I am feeling a lot better. I was experiencing a lot of fatigue, dizziness and faint type symptoms AND I was always hungry!!! Which made me convert to 80/20 until I get the hang of things.

So my meals have looked like this;

Breakfast
HUGE bowls of mixed fruit salads

Watermelon fruit salad bowl

Snacks
Green juices and/or smoothies

Green berry smoothie

Ingredients
150g spinach
1 cup of frozen blue/raspberries
2 bananas
1 pear
1 scoop of 180 Nutrition Protein powder
1tbs chia seeds
Splash of water 

Simply use your preferred blender (I have a Kenwood and Scheffield/Magic bullet style blenders) and watch these vitamins, minerals and protein turn into one jam packed and powerful meal!!! Approx. 500 calories

NB: please ensure you use my 10% promo code 264464 exclusively for all my readers, should you wish to order any 180 Nutrition products. They are amazing!

Lunches
HUGE plate full of raw vegetables

Fully raw vegetable salads

Dinners
Fruit salads and raw/cooked vegetables with chicken, beef and fish dishes

Silver beet and coconut chicken

This was our dinner tonight. All I had in the fridge was chicken, silver beet, coconut milk, garlic and tarragon herbs. So this is what I whipped up.

Ingredients

500g chicken thighs (cut in bite sizes) seasoned with S&P and
1tsp of tarragon (use whatever herbs you like)
bunch of chopped up silver beet (you can use spinach)
3 gloves of crushed garlic
1 can coconut milk

Method
1. Simply heat sauté pan (I use Chefs toolbox proudly sponsored by Janet Smith) 
2. Cook chicken with crushed garlic until golden brown. Set aside. 
3. Add chopped silver beet and sauté with chicken juices until soft
4. Pour coconut milk and cook until slightly boiled. 
5. Mix chicken through for a few minutes to absorb all the delish flavours and voila! 

Super quick, super tasty and so yummy with crusty bread if I was eating it!!! ha ha Otherwise with brown rice or quinoa this would be amazing!!!  

What's new?


What's been happening with you? Fill me in with how this challenge has changed your view on your eating, cooking habits and whether you have incorporated at least one raw meal per day?

Things in my world have been go! go! go! Soooo much to fill you in with so I'll try and give you a snapshot;

- Kitchen has been a mess with all the prep work required eating fully raw
- Our kids have been amazing embracing raw foods 
- House is not so home beautiful as I am starting to get real busy with my site and migrating across to Wordpress 
- Lost my iPhone at IKEA on Thursday 
- Flat tyre on my way to Melbourne for a 1stAvailable.com.au drinks and dinner sesh 
- SURPRISE photo shoot (more info COMING SOON)

This weeks mini challenge


So you know how I titled this months challenge as STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME with the beautiful Kristina from Fully Raw, well you have all been doing such an amazing job tagging your food pics BUT I 'aint seeing your sexy leg workouts. So I'm ramping things up and my challenge to you all is 1000 squats over 5 days. You can choose whatever 5 days you want, I'm starting tomorrow Monday 15th to Friday 19th April. 

www.facebook.com/kmaefit

I am so excited to be collaborating with the sensational Krissy @kmaecags on Instagram who came up with this sensational idea!!! I have been following Krissy since I actively started using Instagram as Fitness Food And Style 7 months ago. She is an amazing athlete and I absolutely adore her ink work!!!! Check out her sexy legs!!!

Are you in? 


This photo shoot was taken last night (I have some very exciting news to share with you VERY SOON). Special thanks goes out to the wonderful Lorna Jane team and our local Ballarat store for kitting me out in their sensational LJ active gear!!! How cool do I look? ha!

So please join us for 5 days to get our legs and butts into gear for this months challenge AND LETS DO THIS!!!! Use #squats1000kin5 so we can see your pics on Instagram. 

A huge thank you goes out to @fightforfit for sharing this challenge with her 507k followers!! Amanda you are amazing and have been such a wonderful support to me as I share my fitness journey across the globe! Your Instagram page is amazing and I am so proud of you!!! Half a million people are following you! YOU GO GIRL!!! xx

Lorna Jane sexy new active wear - 1000 SQUAT CHALLENGE

5 DAY SQUATS PROGRAM #squats1000kin5

Monday            150 squats        25 squats x 6 sets
Tuesday            200 squats        25 squats x 8 sets
Wednesday       250 squats        25 squats x 10 sets
Thursday          200 squats        25 squats x 8 sets
Friday               200 squats        25 squats x 8 sets

Please feel free to use what ever squat combination you wish. You can either spread it out throughout your day or incorporate as part of your fitness routine.

What do you think??

♥ Dani 

Fully Raw - My 7 days of going fully raw or semi 80/20

Here's a quick snap shot of my week, it's been tough but I am slowly learning how to fuel my body with plant based foods.

Day 1 My first day ever to eat purely 100% plant based foods! Had a huge bowl of apples (6 in fact) sprinkled cinnamon for breakfast and funny enough, felt very satisfied. I need to ensure I eat a least 2,000 calories today so breaky was 400!

Fully raw apple cereal with cinnamon

Day 2 Making heaps of green juices and even the kids are loving all the cleaning and preparation of fresh foods. The only drama is, sometimes this process is taking up too much of my time as typically I'd only have to clean a handful of veggies and then throw some meat in the mix.
Starting to feel hungry, tired and light headed. No caffeine will do this to you too!

Baby green smoothies

Day 3 Loving our Peachs fruit and vegetable boxes. It makes me realise how much we need to incorporate more raw food in our lifestyle. Mind you there are those vegetables we don't eat raw, so I make those for the rest of the family eg: baked potatoes 
Still feeling a little up and then down today as I had a really late night. Many catch ups over the school holidays, so kids are keeping me very busy. I need to drink MORE water to flush out whatever is going on here!

Peachs Fruit and Vegetable fruit boxes. ORDER YOURS NOW!!! 

Day 4 Loads and loads of fruit today, also handful of walnuts. Then a plate full of these gorgeous veggies. Slowly getting into the swing of things but still so very hungry, so I am working out how much my body needs to feel full. Kids are also topping up their meals with crackers and dips, meats, yogurt so they are filling a lot more full.

Fully raw salad

Day 5 Starting to feel less fatigued and starting to incorporate more animal products. A little bit of yogurt, quinoa and meats. Majority of my food is plant based and I am simply loving the colours of some of these juices. Here is our watermelon, apple and pear juice! Simply divine! Kids loved the fact the bee was in this picture.

Watermelon, apple and pear juice

Day 6 Starting to feel a bit better not 100% but I also know this is due to lack of sleep. I also don't drink coffee every day so I am kinda sabotaging myself with getting slight headaches due to the caffeine withdrawal. I need to cut it 100% to make this work. Starting to add seafood in my diet along with other meats.

Prawn salad

Day 7 Oscar has been regular since we started our 80/20 lifestyle. No longer taking Osmolax which was a daily dosage to soften his stool. If we missed a day or 2 he would be bound for 2-3 days. So he's been one very happy camper this week!

Fully raw kids breakfast fruit platter

Here's what our kids have found challenging, eating raw over the past 7 days

Noah 7 years old "it is hard to just eat the one fruit each meal time, every day"
Oscar 5 years old "I still like eating my fruits and vegetables but sometimes it doesn't fill me up. I just want to eat something more that's good for you. Like chicken and avocado sandwiches."
Mietta 3 years old "I love strawberries but not canteloupe"
Zali 1 year old no comment


180 Nutrition

Thank goodness my all natural protein powder provides additional calories in my day. I simply place a scoop in my smoothies and bump up it at least 200-300 calories. They also have a VEGAN range using pea protein isolate. Once again it's all 100% natural with no hidden surprises. I blend mine as a smoothie as one daily serve of 180 provides;

• a healthy meal replacement
• provide increased energy levels
• assist lean muscle growth
• help regulate your body weight
• improve digestion (gluten free)

Make sure you use my 10% PROMO CODE 264464 at check out if you want to purchase some. I swear by it!

Fitness

This week I did squats up against a wall with my fitness ball as I am experiencing a little lower back pain. I'm not getting enough sleep which I notice impacts on me.

So with my Fit Yummy Mummy routine, I incorporated my squat interval training. Here is a picture of my modified squats for those that also may experience low back pain but are still safe to exercise.

How was your first week of being fully raw? Did you buckle like me and shift to the 80/20? I hope most of you are at least trying to eat one fully raw meal per day. 

Peachs fruit and vegetables on Eastwood St

Please extend this invitation to whoever you know that lives in the Ballarat area. Mention my blog to receive a 10% discount off fruit & vegetable purchases at Peachs on Eastwood St, Ballarat. 

What's your favourite raw dish?

♥ Dani 

JETSTAR come fly with me, come fly let's fly away.....or maybe not?

I love Frank Sinatra

I especially love flying, anything to do with the airport I AM THERE!! There is just something about that place that grabs me. I love seeing people welcome loved ones in their open arms, all that hugging and kissing, the farewell tears and see you soon waves, the chauffeur gentlemen holding up their passengers names (one day that will be me, not the chauffeur but the passenger being driven by the chauffeur!) and just the hustle and bustle of it all. Growing up I ALWAYS wanted to be a Flight Attendant AKA trolley dolly but the boys/men in my life never allowed me to be that high up in the sky and away on trips for too longer periods. Hmmmm...I wonder why??

Having said that, I haven't had the best experience with our friends at Jetstar recently. I had two back to back shockers!!! Waaaa? I hear you say. I didn't tell you this? Well I did tweet it!

Let me fill you in when I was away at the DP Conference in Sydney a couple of weeks ago..... 

I'll try and keep it short and sweet. Both arrival and departure times were delayed. Real bad. Especially when you need to get home to your beautiful 4 babes and gorgeous man of a husband. BUT!!! Because I LOVE the airport so much it didn't phase me, seriously I know there are some of you that loathe that place and just want to fly in and out! I get that, but I love THE AIRPORT!!! You know what the airport reminds me of???

Twitterland. Yes, mingling and chatting to random strangers across the globe! I love it!

So back to my airport saga which really wasn't a big saga to me because it made me so passionate to want to create a healthier food bar than this one.....

Sydney airport, anyone fancy a healthy treat?

Seriously? What's going on there? Don't get me wrong back in the day I would've loaded up on a couple of bags but now, I just roll my eyes and think convenience makes people more money and that's how the business world works! Hence me not wanting to work in the business world, instead for people to help them, especially when it comes to their health and their families wellbeing.

Anyways, here's my delayed flight snapshot, flight was meant to leave Sydney at 12:55pm however it decided to go at 14:30pm instead....so people are sitting around, waiting, waiting....

What to do at Sydney airport when your JetStar flight is delayed SHOPPING OF COURSE

So what did I do? I much preferred to go window shopping during that time and find some things for the kids. Oh yes, and try a little black leather/denim dress (which I didn't buy, too short!).

Anyways to top things off I find out over our DP Gala Dinner, while speaking to one of the major sponsors, Klaus who is the Exec Chairman of 1stAvailable.com.au (a new company that has been set up to make our lives so much easier so you can find and book all your healthcare appointments, from one place on your mobile or PC and even after hours! How cool is that?) telling me something about Jetstars $8.50 credit card surcharge (the funny thing is, I didn't check all these fees when I booked my flight, I just wanted to fly away....) 

But when I did the math if we were ALL going.....

That means every time I book online with Jetstar and pay by credit card (which is the only way I roll these days) I get zapped with a $8.50 surcharge per passenger per flight; 

x6 (Adrian, Dani, Noah, Oscar, Mietta & Zali) 
x 2 (return trips) 
= $102 WTH?

Jetstar are saying thank you very much to the Stevens family, for choosing to fly with us!!! Can you imagine to the rest of the Australians? That's my leather/denim dress up there that I could get with that money Jetstar. Where's the love?

Here is the love......

Jetstar drop the $8.50 credit card surcharge on our airfares in line with the new Reserve Bank ruling!

SIGN THIS PETITION OVER AT CHANGE.ORG  and let's get some spending money in our pockets while we travel huh? That's criminal that they want to charge this amount, in fact the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) recently stated "these charges are just not acceptable and should be dropped". AMEN. So sign away my friends and lets help Klaus make a stand against Jetstar. There are already 35,682 signatures which mind you the CEO is ignoring but if we reach another 14,000 signatures then Jayne Hrdlicka will have to respond to this petition. So let's make this count and forward onto your friends and family.

Come over and leave them a message on their Jetstar Facebook page here's mine!

NB: Jetstar will claim the $8.50 is not a credit card surcharge but their "service and booking" fee. Whatevs! Like that is service? We all know the drill, so let's put a stop to this. 

Fitness

3 days of exercising for me this week, 90 minutes MAX! Combined both my resistance training and leg interval workout. I'll take some pics of some of my moves to exactly show you what I've been up to. How about you? Have you been following the stand up and be rawesome leg workout programs on my blog or using your own? You can check it out here or come follow the Fit Yummy Mummy workouts I do. It's never too late to start.

Food 

It's been a tough week and to be honest I think I buckled after Day 2 or 3 with being 100% fully raw? It's like asking a smoker to quit cigarettes for 30 days. I know it's doable (all this cold turkey stuff) but some people are different and I am one of these people.

I was constantly tired and felt light headed, dizzy and just lacked energy. Mind you I didn't prep myself or YOU enough, to get our meals prepared and that is what I have found most challenging with going fully raw. There is a lot  more fruit and veg prep work than my ordinary way of cooking and if I don't prepare the night before the kids really can't wait for their juice or salad if I have to peel it, wash it, cut it, serve it etc.....right then and there. They want their food NOW!!!!!

Anyways this morning was a breeze as I was more prepared. So I took my morning snack with me, a large bowl of watermelon (approx. 300 calories). I am slowly learning and adapting. However I am incorporating my meat products along the way. Not too much, maybe 20% of the time. More on that on another post. Happy Saturday!!! Gotta fly.....

Watermelon snack

What are you finding most difficult throughout our STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME challenge?

XxDani

Fresh fruit and vegetable exclusive 10% offer at Peach's Fruit Market

I have some fabulous news for my local readers here in Ballarat.


Mention Fitness Food And Style for your exclusive 10% discount off all your produce next time you go and shop at Peach's on Eastwood St! I am so overwhelmed and so thrilled that owner Vicki wanted to collaborate with me for this months STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME challenge.

Why is this so important to me? 

It will be so nice to know that Ballarat families have specifically gone to Peachs on Eastwood St, and are putting fresh fruit and vegetables on their dinner table!! It's all about encouraging their kids to eat more produce too!!!

My aim is to improve families awareness of healthy eating and help children feel confident about preparing vegetables and fruit. Our kids love prepping food, seeing it in the juicer or blender and then drinking it. Nothing is more powerful than watching your kids eat those vegetables that so many parents struggle to get their kids to eat. That is why I want to help in some way! 

It also helps when your kids can help you peel, grate and cut the vegetables rather than going through a drive through or relying on convenience foods. There are hardly ever any vegetables when you get take away foods and that is why I ran last months challenge, PUSH UP YOUR GREENS and followed this month on by eating fruit and vegetables RAW for our STAND UP AND BE RAWESOME challenge.

So please share the love and come "LIKE" their Facebook page;

www.facebook.com/pages/Peaches-Fruit-and-Veg-Eastwood 
(drop them a message saying you have come from Fitness Food And Style) 

You can also visit them online (which is currently being refurbished) SO WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

www.peachs.com.au

Juicing with kids is so much fun

Above is our weekly supply of fruit and vegetables which our kids washed, peeled (where necessary) and chopped to make their designer juices!! As you can see by the jar, they left me some to try! Gee thanks guys...

It was a bit tough today, Day 2 of our fully raw challenge which by the way, I am so grateful our kids are participating also (2nd level not fully raw). I just didn't realise how much food we all needed as we were pretty hungry after each meal which I didn't calculate properly, per person. That is why I got my hands on The Raw Food Diet Plan which saved me soooo much time. It is jam packed with a starter kit, meal planner, shopping list, recipes and much MUCH more! For $29 (that's only $1 per day over our 30 day challenge) it will be such a terrific resource for me now and any future raw challenges/detox's we want to do.

I will be posting weekly recipes courtesy of Peach's and sharing it on their Facebook page as well, so please make sure you come and "LIKE" their page and posts.

If you live in Ballarat (or know anyone that does) would you take up this offer and share it with your family and friends?

Xx Dani