1. Yes, I still read the Wonder Woman comic every now and then, I just want to see what she is up to now.
2. I still scan Nancy Drew mysteries when I’m at the book store, because her investigative skills seem relatable.
3. And, I have seen the Rockys, Karate Kids, Kickboxer, Enter the Dragon, Vision Quest and Conan movies more times as an adult than I did as a child.

This youtube independent short speaks to me on so many levels.  Watch it, enjoy and go get your best workout in!

After two high-intensity classes, Boxing and POW! Training, at POW! MMA today, I knew I could have a great big nutritious and delicious dinner; I decided to try something new.  I made sweet potato gnocchi with a spinach salad on the side.  The meal was ready in an hour and five minutes, a little longer than normal, but it was worth every minute of the wait for this healthy option.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit, clean and bake your 2 large sweet potatoes for approximately 30 minutes.  You want the sweet potatoes to be soft to touch, once they are finished take them out to cool.  Once cool, peel and mash them. Blend the sweet potato, 1 clove of pressed garlic, ½ a teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1 egg together.  Once mixed, use your arm strength from working out at POW! MMA to slowly mix in your 2 cups of flour little by little until you have a soft dough, note you may not need all the flour to get to this point.

Once you have your dough made begin to boil a pot of water.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, you will make the actual gnocchi pieces.  Roll out the dough into several long snakes and cut them into 1-inch sections, make sure you have a well-floured surface to prevent sticking.  Drop the pieces of gnocchi into the boiling water.  They will be finished cooking when the cut pieces float up to the top of the water.  Take the pieces out with a slotted spoon and keep them warm in a serving dish.  You can serve them with butter or a cream sauce, and I would recommend a little bit of cinnamon if your really looking for a little extra spice in your life after your classes.  The recipe makes 4 servings and each serving with be 350 calories.  Bon Appetit!

Here are a few ways to cope with your stress. First, begin to identify the activities that trigger stress, and do your very best to reduce these triggers in your life.  Second, acknowledge your feelings about stress and manage them as best as possible.  Not everyday is going to be the “best day ever,” but if you allow yourself to feel upset you will be able to cope with the stress, then get over it faster.

Last but certainly not least, make time for exercise!  Exercise reduces the risks associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, respiratory issues, and a whole host of other chronic diseases.  Exercise also gets you in shape.  People seem to forget that when you have a more positive self-image of yourself, you look and feel better because you carry yourself better.  Exercise also alters our brain chemicals that get out of whack when we are stressed.  A quick ten minute jog or core session during your lunch break can do wonders. Make it fun; if your favorite store is having a sale and is a reasonable distance from work, power walk there. As long as you start sweating the stress away, you will be okay!

I have always been extremely active; however, I recently started taking Boxing and Krav Maga classes at POW! MMA. My normally high-stress over programmed life has become more manageable as a result of my training.  It’s a great 45-minute work-out that not only teaches self-defense, but also allows me to get out all my frustrations built up from the day.  Training at POW! MMA is my new stress reliever.

So what are you waiting for? Do something good for your body, try something new today, and get rid of that stress!

Written By: Christy Ghiselli, POW! MMA Intern

Today’s recipe is savory vegetable beef soup.  It is a quick and easy recipe that yields 10 servings, so you can have it for dinner today, lunch tomorrow, and freeze the rest for a different day a month down the road.  The meal is nutritious, delicious, and allows you to cover all the main food groups in a single cup of soup.

Here is a list of everything you need.

4 large peeled, then cubed potatoes
2 cups water
3 large carrots, sliced
1 large onion chopped
4 cups fresh or frozen cut green beans
4 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 pounds ground beed, cooked and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves

Once your meat and vegetable prep is complete, get a large pot and combine the carrots, onions, potatoes, water, and some salt and pepper, then bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and allow to swimmer for 25 minutes.  This simmer allows the vegetables to become tender.  Once tender, throw all the other ingredients into the pot.  At this point, you will cover and continue to simmer until everything is completely heated through,  this should be approximately 30 minutes.  It is recommended that you stir often, and once heated, discard the bay leaves.

Feel free to add other vegetables or cooked noodles for a slightly more filling option, especially if you had an intense boxing class or sparring class at POW! MMA.  This vegetable beef soup is a very comforting, and delicious option in the winter months when it is so cold out.
This soup is perfect for a crock pot. If you don’t have one yet, they can be found at a good price.

 

So POW! really began because of  traditional martial arts and its tournaments.  As a childhood competitor, I was envious of everyone else’s style.  Because my favorite style changed with my mood, I decided that I would train in all of them, (in theory) as soon as I was old enough to drive myself.  So fast forward and BAM!, POW! was opened 11 years ago (this March).

This past Friday, I went to the AKA Grand Nationals to watch my 11 year old cousin compete.  So naturally, I took it as an opportunity to feature this amazing competitive arena that has launched so many of my colleagues into careers in the martial arts industry.  Without the opportunity to compete in traditional martial arts (vs MMA fighting) forms, weapons, musical forms and even point fighting, many of us would have never been inspired to make a living doing martial arts.

• Gia Spencer Wilson, Owner of  www.Superkickskungfu.com
• Ho Sung Pak, Martial Arts Actor Drunken Master II, Teenage Ninja Turtles
• Tony Marquez, Owner www.Extremekungfu.com, Martial Arts Stunts & Acting
• Teri Lee, Owner  Of a West Coast Ernie Reyes School (www.erniereyes.com)

Here is a look at some of the competitors from Friday night’s competition.  I hope you appreciate how amazing the sport is and the athletic ability required.

First, make sure that you stretch, not only does it feel good and burn more calories than sitting, but it helps to prevent injury too.  As we age, our muscles and tendons start to lose their natural stretch and elasticity, this increasing tension then creates more of a pull on other body parts, which is more likely to cause injury.  Thus, a way to combat this stress is through stretching and always working on improving your flexibility!

The second thing you can do is  treat your feet right.  Have proper footwear for your body, make sure you wear shoes that are supportive and comfortable for your feet.  Over time, the integrity of your shoes deteriorates and it creates the possibility of foot up issues and injuries.  This lack of foot support, could affect your ankle, all the way up to your hip, resulting in major injuries.  It is recommended to replace your shoes right around 300 miles or 6 months of use, especially if you wear them on a daily basis or you run in them.  I would recommend that you go to a store like fleet feet at least once to have shoes fitted for you.

By Christy Ghiselli, POW! MMA Intern