Bikini-Ready Tropical Chia Smoothie + Workout

 There's something about summer that always makes me crave pina coladas. Then there's that other little thing about summer that is at odds with the pina colada... the *gulp* bikini. Most pina coladas are made with loads of sugar, but that's just not necessary for a delicious tropical frozen drink - fruit alone is sweet enough.

Both coconut milk and chia seeds are great for slimming down or mainaining a  healthy weight. They help us feel full and are packed with nutrition. This smoothie is thick, creamy, and sweet. It tastes like ice cream, but has no added sugar.

I'm not going to pretend to be perfect all the time... My girlfriends and I kicked off beach season by indulging in the real thing from the Bacara Resort pool that's just off the beach. It was good. Really  good. Worth the calories? Yep - but just once. From now on I''m sticking to my bikini ready version.

*Chia facts source

The high Omega-3s make Chia great for kids' brain and eye health. Interesting chicken-rearing fact: adding Chia seeds to chicken food produces eggs with Omega-3 fatty acids.

Tropical Chia Smoothie
printer friendly recipe 

Serves 2

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the beverage next to the soy milk, not the canned kind)
1 cup frozen mango pieces
1 cup frozen pineapple pieces
1 banana
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Pour coconut milk into a blender. Add mango, pineapple, and banana. Blend until smooth. Blend in chia seeds quickly. Enjoy right away, as chia seeds become gelatinous once they are wet.



 Okay, now I'm so excited to share this great bikini ready workout with you straight from Studio Delcorpo in Chicago. Studio Delcorpo is Bespoke Fitness. I love this idea - custom fitness - as we all have different workout needs based on our unique bodies and exercise likes/dislikes. I asked Cheryl, the owner of this fabulous new gym, to share a bikini ready workout for those of us who are busy and can't always get to the gym. My girlfriends and I were just complaining that with preschoolers it seems like someone is always sick and unable to attend preschool or the gym childcare... so working out just slips by. This is a workout we can do during nap time, while the kids are playing, or after they have gone to bed.

Bikini Ready Workout from Studio Delcorpo
If you're in Chicago check it out and report back, okay? 

In this workout you will alternate between lower body and upper body exercises to keep the heart rate up and to maximize calorie burn! (if you are brand new to exercise, make sure to get your doctor's o.k. before starting this, or any exercise program.) A bikini-ready body tip that my clients are doing right now...a glass of warm water with fresh lemon to increase metabolism and keep the body alkaline.

Printer Friendly Workout - Print it and leave it on your coffee table so you don't forget :)




Warm up with any kind of movement for 5 minutes then,
1.  Speed Squats 30 seconds
 2. Plank on forearms and toes, belly in, then crawl front, crawl back 30 seconds
3. Abdominal "windshield" wipers. Flat on back, arms and legs to the sky, reach arms and legs
  Away from each other, in opposite direction towards the floor, belly pulls in tight, 30 seconds
REPEAT all three

1. Step back lunge, and kick front. Same leg repeats for 30 seconds. Switch legs.
2.  Table top reverse plank. Sit on bum, knees bent hands on floor with fingertips facing you. Squeeze glutes and push hips up to ceiling, so your body is flat like a table. Tuck your chin, pelvis to the sky. Hold 15 seconds, repeat for 15 more seconds.
3. Russian twist. Stay seated on bum, lift legs, squeeze inner thighs and rotate shoulders and arms side to side while balancing on your bum. 30 seconds
REPEAT all three

1. Single leg squat and hop. Stand on one leg, bend knee and hip like sitting in a chair, hold down, then explode up and jump. 20 seconds each leg
2. Rotating plank. Start in pushup position on hands and toes, rotate entire body onto one arm and balance, alternate sides rotating for 30 seconds.
3.  Superman swimmers. Face down, arms overhead. Lift arms, legs and chest like you are Superman flying, paddle arms and legs like you are swimming 20 seconds, rest and repeat.
REPEAT all three

Be sure to cool down (with a slow walk, or other activity) and stretch for about 5 minutes to eliminate sore muscles.