#19 HOT OVER 40! PLAN B for BLUE COLLAR BABES 3/15/12

OK SO YOU ARE AN INJURED HOTTIE -

NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?

PLAN A   That's for the highly blessed, the super rich, or those who have great publicity agents and personal trainers. 

PLAN B  -  that's for our special group: BLUE COLLAR BABES. I used to bemoan this, however, I have learned that when life throws us curves, if we love them on our bodies, then we love them anywhere else, too.

WHEN PLAN A GOES ARRAY

I was injured recently while intensely training for a 1/2 Marathon.  Damn!  What to do? What to do?  All my fitness goals for the new year de-railed.  Doctors orders. After bemoaning my fate, I came up with some alternative exercise options even though I did have to give up the marathon in April.  

Plan A ---   running 5-6 miles 5x a week, gradually adding 2 miles a week

                    until I achieved 12 miles with ease.

My fave Brazil Buttlift classes 3x a week for 2 hours each

                   time; along with free weight training on alternating days.

                   Trampoline 2x a week just when watching TV. And anything

                    else I could come up with.  Eating for intense training.

then re-opened old injuries on elbow, shoulder, bicep, neck, and hip.

SOOOOOO ~~~

PLAN B - BE A BLUE COLLAR BABE HOTTIE EVEN WHEN INJURED

Plan B  ---  water aerobics 1x week,  elliptic 30 min. 3x (no arms) on
                   a low incline and effort (Level 5-9 not  12-15), lower body

                   weight machine training 2x a week. Stairs (19 floors) also very long, hilly 2-4 mile walks.  Eating Heaps of steamed broccolli and stringbeans.

Goal -- Healing... then....getting ripped bikini season of course! 

A Blue Collar Babe Over 40,50 or even 60 (Helen Mirren is an icon!) - wears bikini's proudly.  

You can do it. Transforming is a specialty of mine.  I believe in you.

(Don't worry we will be in touch for that - failure is not an option)

I saw this card in the store and had to pick it up -- it encapsulates this philosophy:

Life is all about how you handle plan B.

by Suzy Toronto

#20 HOT OVER 40! THE SACREDNESS OF STRINGBEANS 4/1/12

 A Joanna Dinner. Notice the Italian Lemon Juice.
Pictures by Joanna Bonaro 

STRINGBEANS - SENSATIONAL,  LOW CALORIE AND WHEN SEASONED ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND.     

What can I say about stringbeans?  I wax poetic.  These have taken me from thick to thin and anything in-between. They are crunchy when raw, so that I satisfy my chewing fetish.  They let me absent mindedly munch when I am reading a book.  (A habit left-over from my 12-19thc English Lit and Acting double major college days - then it was corn muffins, but post 40 means adjustments must be made) 

When micro-waved, (yes I buy STEAMERS microwaveable bags, so that any cleaning up before or after is obliterated.  I believe in less work not more)  and seasoned with  Lemon Juice, garlic, 2 TBLspoons white wine, some H2O, and either curry or red pepper, they make a terrific dinner -- alone or with broiled sole, chicken or salmon.  Sublime!    Low Calorie -- guilt free -- finger food - no fork necessary, mindless, chewy, and tasty!  

Who could ask for anything more?  you live green to save the earth, why not eat green to save your body and your sanity?

When I am healthy and driven, or injured and held back, I rely on them.  When I go ballistic and I need to eat, eat, eat!!!!! and just pig out!!!!!!! - well it doesn't have to be so self-destructive.  It can be green and filling.  Then if I still need a Baci, well, my stomach is full, and the chocolate fix can be sated without eating a whole bar.  Stringbean's bring it back to "what am I doing to myself?" "Do I really want to do this?" (meaning the chocolate cookies or box, for that matter.) And, the next morning, "I am soooo veryyyyy proud of myself! Hurrah!"

So when my girlfriends who are over 40 and trying to lose 5,10, or even 20 pounds and ask "how did you DO it?" , "how do you KEEP IT OFF?", I tell them, hard work, Brazil Buttlift, constant activity, making magnificent food choices, and STRINGBEANS!

Just please don't use oil. If you must -- literally -- a teaspoon will do.  Salt, a smidgen, again, only if absolutely necessary.  Don't ruin the magic by fattening it up.  You will come to look at it as your saviour savory.   It will work for you if you work with it.  Add jalapenos, cumin, curry, oregano, sage, onion powder -- any spice will do.  Whatever works for you for additional taste.  I still prefer lemon overall.   Even if ultimately you give in to weakness, your stomach will still have been filled up by a nutritious, healthy substance, so you will STILL BE CONSUMING LESS.

If stringbeans don't ring your bell, then I suggest, asparagus, broccoli (VERY FILLING), spinach or lettuce.  Learn to love green!!!!!!

Yup! Opened and used. 2 for a filling dinner. So low calorie, quantity is not an issue.
pictures by Joanna Bonaro

JOANNA'S TASTY STRINGBEAN RECIPE:
2 Greenbean Steamers
1/4 cup part water and white wine
Garlic powder
Onion flakes
Red pepper powder or flakes
2 tblspn Lemon Juice or fresh squeezed lemon
Mix and enjoy!

If you are still hungry, 2-3 WASA crackers, with Weight Watchers Swiss Cheese - 2 wedges and even a glass of red or white wine.  Filling, healthy and low cal. 




My cancer fitness journey --
blogs 1,2,3,6,8,10 & 14

#13 HOT OVER 40! HAPPY HEALTHY HOT NEW YOU! 1/1/12

 TO DO LIST FOR A 2012 HAPPY, HEALTHY, HOT YOU!






 Celebrate yourself with a glass of champagne...







 Try something new just for the heck of it...





Say, "I love you" often...
Call your mother and compliment her...
Tell dad your proud of him...


 Eat really tasty food, you deserve the good stuff...
 

Take lots of long, long meandering walks...
Tell someone an unexpected truth that makes them smile...



Be especially kind to animals, children and the elderly...


Laugh as much as possible, as often as possible, and spend time with the ones who you care about the most...

Travel... explore... excite your mind...exercise your body.  LIVE!

#11 HOTOVER 40! AN ITALIAN XMAS - BUON NATALE 12/25/11

BUON NATALE!
My Italian Christmas centers around   L’albero di Natale e Il pranzo di Natale
My mother started this tradition when we were little girls. Every year we would wake up very early and dress in a special outfit, usually red, to hop onto the express bus that deposited us right in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  There we would climb the steps in anticipation, buy a button and then skip behind the grand staircase, into the Medieval hallways that opened majestically into the cavernous room that displayed the Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Creche.  Every year I was awestruck with a vision of splendor. Being Napoleatano it had and has special meaning. I continue this annual pilgrimage still.

Picking out our own tree was an annual sojourn.  Finding the perfect tree was critical.  To this day my trees have to be tall, chubby and full.  The lights (luci dell’albero di natale) always multi-colored, the ornaments (palline dell’albero di natale) varied and sentimental with silver tinsel as the final dressing. Our own Nativity creche (presepio)  nestled below in an undulating sea of red velvet and pine needles.  An Angel always set atop to look over us and keep us safe and warm.  Annual viewings of "White Christmas" (hence, my ongoing love affair with songs sung by Rosemary Clooney) were mandatory.  Today decorating the tree is a festive occasion of Medieval and Renaissance holiday songs and red wine. 

A Classic Italian canzone di Natale-     www.youtube.com/user/CoccoleSonore

 Our Italian Christmas was focused around food and family.
Xmas Eve (la vigilia di Natale) was dedicated to fish: shrimp appetizers, baked clams, bacala, broiled cod, drowned broccoli rabe better known as Christmas broccoli  and i dolci -chocolate biscotti and cartellate and the tall cupola-shaped panettone. Midnight Mass (la messa di mezzanotte) with friends or at home watching Il Papa in Rome, and then, opening gli regali, the presents.

At last, Christmas Day and Il pranzo di Natale (the Christmas day meal). It started with our own traditional antipasti of soppressatta, sharp provolone, roasted red peppers, olives, artichokes, mozzarella and bread sticks. Then a broth consisting of pasta, cappelletti in brodo, little hats stuffed with chopped meats.  Next, most people have turkey but our house was reserved for the Christmas lasagna stuffed with over 100 tiny meatballs, accompanied by hand rolled braesola.  To this day, friends, neighbors and family clamor for my mother's recipe as it has been handed down to me. (A guarded family secret)

Again, demitasse coffee and i dolci ---
 struffoli (Neapolitan honey pastry); cenci (fried pastry ribbons sprinkled with powered sugar); dried figs, candied almonds, and chestnuts.

Being also Calabrese, my father would recite the following children's rhyme from when he was a boy in the mountains of Serrapedace.

La filastrocca di Natale
Babbo Natale viene di notte,
              Father Christmas comes at night;
viene in silenzio a mezzanotte.           He comes in silence at midnight
Dormono tutti i bimbi buoni
              All the good children are sleeping
e nei lettini sognano i doni.               In their beds they dream of gifts.
Babbo Natale vien fra la neve           Father Christmas comes in the snow
porta i suoi doni là dove deve.
          He carries the gifts where they must go. 
Non sbaglia certo:                             He never makes a mistake.
conosce i nomi
 di tutti                       He knows all the names
quanti i bimbi buoni.                         Of all the good children.

un Natale pieno di amore,
pace e felicità

and don't forget a 5 mile run to work it all off.

More info at: www.imdb.me/joannabonaro

and

www.joannabonaro.com

Sojourn for your eyes and soul:
*The Metropolitan Museum of Art displays 18th-century Neapolitan crèche figures collected by Loretta Hines Howard and gifted to the museum with a Christmas Tree - until January 8, 2012. Lighting ceremonies on Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Sat. at 4:30pm and Frid. & Sun. at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30pm   www.mma.org