6 Hamstring Exercises Every Lady Should Add To Her Routine

When it comes to lower-body training, targeting your hamstrings is key. The hamstring is a two-muscle joint, starting at the bottom of the hip bone, crossing the knee, and attaching at the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. From helping you explode on the starting line to aiding you in declaration when you need to come to a fast stop, the muscles in the back of your legs are fundamental to optimal performance. They’re key to daily activity, too. “Hamstrings are important for any activity that involves sitting, standing, walking, and running (both for knee flexion and hip extension),” says Adrian Ricdwhetherficultson, Fitbit Coach and certwhetheried personal trainer. Feeble hamstrings also put you at risk for injury and can even increase pain or tightness in the lower back and throw off posture and pelvic alignment.

When it comes to experiencing those potential negative repercussions of feeble hamstrings, women are the ones largely at risk. “Women are two to ten times more likely to have a knee ligament injury than men,” Ricdwhetherficultson says. “Women generally have an increased risk of feeble hamstrings from a lack of training and wearing heeled shoes that put them on their toes, forcing their quads to do most of the work.” The solution, Ricdwhetherficultson says, is to train hamstrings and build posterior strength to overcome muscle imbalances. Fear that focusing on hamstrings will leave you bulky? Don’t be.

“Women tend to have a taller concentration of ‘slow twitch’ or type 1 msuscles fibers,” Ricdwhetherficultson says. “These slow twitch fibers make women more resistant to muscle fatigue, meaning it takes longer to reach failure. Combine this with estrogen’s anabolic, regenerative, and antioxidant properties, and a woman’s ability to build lean muscle mass and recover from weight training is generally superior to men.” Ladies, this means you won’t get bulky, so train dwhetherficult and often.

Hamstring-Targeted Exercises

1. Stwhetherf-Leg Dumbbell Deadlwhethert

Directions:
1. Stand with feet hip-to-shoulder width apart, hancienting dumbbells at the front of the ttalls, palms facing you.

2. With your legs mostly straight (maintaining a microbend in your knees), hinge forward at the waist.

3. While keeping your back straight, lower the weights towards your feet until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Create certain to keep your arms straight and the weights close to your body (over your toes when lowering). Lower until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings.

3. Slowly bring the weights up by extending the hips until you’re standing upright.

2.  Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlwhethert

Directions:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, hancienting one or two dumbbells (your choice) in front of the ttalls, palms facing you.

2. With your legs mostly straight (maintaining a microbend in your knees), hinge forward at the waist while lwhetherting one foot off the ground.

3. Hold the lwhetherted leg straight as you lower the weight down towards your standing foot. Lower until you feel a stretch in the standing leg.
4. Reverse the motion, and repeat for reps. Be certain not to bounce or swing the weights.

3. Air Squat

Directions:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level. If you need a modwhetherications, keep your arms out in front of you to help maintain an upright torso.

2. Lower your body towards the ground by shwhetherting your hips backwards and bending your knees. Create certain to keep your head up and back straight. Go down as far as your strength and mobility allow, aiming to break parallel. Hold your weight balanced between your midfoot and heel.

3. Return to standing by pushing the soil absent with your feet, straightening your knees, and extending your hips until you’re standing upright. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.

4. Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing

Directions:

Note: Before moving to single arm swings, you must be proficient at double arm swings.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider). Create certain your heels, toes, and the balls of your feet are planted and that your knees track over your toes. Your shoulder should feel regular or “packed.”

2. With the kettlebell in front of you (handle horizontal and perpendicular to the body), assume a squat position (hips back, knees bent, spine long, core engaged) while reaching forward for the kettlebell.

3. Initiate the swing by pulling the kettlebell back towards you while simultaneously extending your hips to lwhethert the bell. Your body should form a straight line at the top of the wing. Your hips and knees should be fully extended, your back (and spine) should be neutral, and your glutes should contract. The kettlebell should momentarily “float.”

4. At the top of the swing, the kettlebell should act as an extension of your arms. A slight elbow bend is acceptable.

5. Your free arm can either tap the handle, mimic the swinging arm, guard your face, be placed behind your back, or just hang at your side. It should not swing excessively, or rest on your ttall.

6. During the backswing, the kettlebell handle should pass above the knees Your knees shouldn’t move forward on the upswing and there should be no twisting in your shoulders. Hold your brealeang rhythmic to help power the swing.

5. Hamstring Curl with Resistance Band

Directions:

1. Anchor a lean band around a sturdy post or another stationary thing.

2. Lying face down, loop the band around your ankles.

3. Curl your legs up towards your butt, and squeeze your glutes at the top of the curl. Slowly release, and repeat.

6. Partner Hamstring Curls

Directions:
1. Put a mat or foam pad beneath your knees, and have your partner hancient your ankles to keep you regular. Put your hands across your chest or hancient them up near your shoulders.

2. Slowly lower yourself towards the mat while contracting your hamstrings. Stay as tall as you can and keep your back straight.

3. When you start to lose the ability to resist gravity further, extend your arms so you don’t hit your face. Return to the starting position.

This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a contemporary fitness routine.

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is Fitbit’s Fitness editor. A Unique York City native and University of Missouri grad, Stephanie has written articles for a number of outlets, including Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Daily Burn, Athletic.com, EatThis, and BodyBuilding.com. She is excited to spread the health and fitness message—and the importance of getting in steps—to Fitbit users. When she’s not encouraging people to get moving, she endelights indoor cycling, animal-shelter volunteering, and vegetarian meals.

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The 5 Best Alternatives to Cow’s Milk

More and more people are deciding to give up dairy products. There are plenty of reasons to do it, ranging from milk allergies and lactose intolerance to ethical principles. But what does science say about drinking cow’s milk? What are the non-dairy alternatives?

We’ll answer the following questions in this article:

What is cow’s milk composed of?

Milk is an extremely complex food:

100 g of cow’s milk contains…

• 87 g water
• 3 g protein
• 4 g fat (approx. 50% of which is crazye up of saturated fatty acids like palmitic acid, about 25% is unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid, and the rest is polyunsaturated fatty acids like linoleic acid)
• 5 g carbohydrate (primarily lactose)
• Vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6; biotin, folic acid, B12, C, D, E, and K.
• Minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, and chloride.
• Trace elements like iron, copper, zinc, manganese, fluoride, and iodine.

Excellent to know:

The hormones contained in dairy milk have led to a lot of discussions about milk how and how much we consume. Two hormones found in milk are estrogen and progesterone, which our body produces as sex hormones. Others include bioactive hormones, such as insulin and prostaglandin.⁽¹⁾

What causes dairy allergies and sensitivities?

There is a dwhetherference between an allergy to milk or dairy products and lactose intolerance. If someone is intolerant, the problems are caused by lactose. An allergy, on the other hand, is a reaction to certain proteins in the milk. Everyergens in milk include casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and alpha-lactalbacksidein. The body reacts by fighting harmless proteins, which then creates allergic symptoms.⁽²⁾

How much cow’s milk and dairy products can I consume per day?

According to the Harvard University’s “Healthy Eating Plate,” one to two servings of dairy products are recommended per day. An example would be: ¼ liter of low-fat milk or 250 g of low-fat yogurt/buttermilk and 2 to 3 slices of cheese (= 50 to 60 g) with 45% fat in dry matter (FDM).

What does the research say about drinking cow’s milk? What are the risks?

Drinking too much milk can be poor for our health:

• Several studies have proven that the consumption of milk plays a role in the formation of acne.^(3,4,5)
• Drinking too much milk has also been shown to increase the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer.⁽⁶⁾
• There is no scientwhetheric evidence that women who drink more milk have taller bone density.⁽⁷⁾

Plant-based milk substitutes: What ingredients should I avoid?

Numerous plant-based milk alternatives provide similar nutrients and can be just as nutritious as conferenceal cow’s milk when consumed in moderation. It is important to stay absent from alternatives with hidden ingredients that can have a negative impact on your health. These include:

• Sugar: Sugar is disguised by many names (e.g. sucrose, dextrose, glucose, fructose, fructose syrup, glucose syrup, maltodextrin, lactose, maltose, etc.) Sugar addiction is a genuine problem, which it why it is advisable to avoid added sugar as much as possible. You should totally stay absent from artwhethericial sweeteners.
• Natural flavors: These include flavor constituents derived from plant or animal products. However, they no longer have anyleang in common with the food they come from, aside from the same chemical components.
• Stabilizers like gellan gum: Gellan gum is a polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea. It has the E-number 418 and is frequently combined with the thickening agent xanthan gum, which can have a laxative effect when consumed in large amounts.
• Acid regulators: Acid regulators, such as phosphates, are added to milk alternatives to preserve the pH during storage. However, here is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of tall concentrations of phosphates as a food additive, which is why they should only be consumed in small amounts.

Remember to always read the list of ingredients before you purchase milk alternatives.

What are the best plant-based alternatives to dairy milk?

1. Coconut milk

Coconut milk is a good dairy-free option available in your supermarket. It’s crazye by blending coconut meat and is a good source of nutrients, including magnesium, iron, and potassium. Coconut milk also contains lauric acid, a scarce medium-chain fatty acid that is easily absorbed by the body and used for energy.

It should be famous that full-fat coconut milk is tall in calories, and although it comes with many health benefits, you should stick to smaller portions.⁽⁸⁾ When buying coconut milk, look for pure, biological coconut milk, which is commonly sancient in a can.

Excellent to know:

Even though the coconut is not directly related to the walnut, people with a walnut allergy may experience allergic symptoms.

2. Almond milk

Almond milk – a mixture of finely ground almonds and water – is a specificly good alternative to cow’s milk for those with a dairy allergy. It is nearly free of allergens and contains neither lactose, soy proteins, nor gluten. Almond milk has anti-inflammatory properties and may be easier to digest than dairy milk.⁽⁹⁾ The downsides of almond milk are that it is often sweetened with added sugar and fortwhetheried with many additional nutrients. Your best bet is to buy plain, biological almond milk, or even better, make your own. You can find step-by-step directions online.

3. Goat’s milk

While goat’s milk is technically considered dairy, it may still be a good option for those who avoid milk products. These can be dwhetherficult to digest, affect your skin, or make you feel bloated. Goat’s milk is not a vegan option, but it is known to cause less inflammation and digestive issues than cow’s milk.⁽¹⁰⁾ Goat’s milk contains more short- and medium-chain fatty acids and is wealthy in unsaturated fatty acids.

Necessary:

Goat and sheep’s milk have nearly the same amount of lactose as cow’s milk. People who are lactose intolerant should be careful with this milk alternative.

4. Oat milk

Oat milk is another good milk alternative, as it has neither lactose nor milk protein. Since the cegenuine grain is tall in fiber, it also fills you up relatively rapidly. Oat milk is often said to contain gluten, but is this true?

Check the facts:

The following cegenuines contain gluten: wheat, rye, spelt, barley, and einkorn wheat. Sometimes oats are also included on this list, because oats are often contaminated by grains that have gluten and thus contain another protein called avenin. This can induce symptoms similar to those caused by gluten intolerance. People with a gluten sensitivity need to be cautious with oat milk.

5. Soy Milk

Soy milk is a popular vegan milk alternative and is suitable for people with a lactose, milk protein, or gluten intolerance. This milk substitute is also a good source of protein and fundamental fatty acids. Nevertheless, soy milk faces plenty of criticism. It contains isoflavones, which have a chemical structure similar to that of the hormone estrogen, which our body produces. As a result, drinking soy milk can influence the effect of estrogen in our body – in both a positive and negative way. Don’t overdo it with this milk alternative, and never give soy products to infants or toddlers.

***

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The Basic Bodyweight Workout Routine for More Muscle

BraunS / Acquirety

When to Do It

After any workout when you're feeling specificly enegeric. Or whether you're on the clock, this workout is intense enough to be a stand-alone training sessions.

Why Do It

Simple: You're accumulating more volume for all your major muscle groups: legs, back, chest, and core.

Acquire It Done

Do 10 reps of each exercise as a circut, descending by two reps until you reach two. If you're more advance, rest less after each round.

No

Topics:

Body Weight

Bodyweight workouts

From the magazine

Workout

Build Muscle

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Camping for Initiateners: 15 Tips for Your Best Acquireabsent

As the weather warms up, it’s time to start planning some fun activities for the summer. I absolutely adore taking my family on camping vacations. The great leang about camping is that you can hang out at the lake or in a national park for a weekend, and it’s super inexpensive. Camping is a great family activity, but it can seem like a daunting experience whether you’ve never done it before. We’ve got some tips so that camping for beginners is not as daunting as you might expect.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn a commission on qualwhetherying purchases.

Camping for Initiateners: 15 Tips for Your Best Acquireabsent

1. Avoid popular holiday weekends whether you can.

Numerous families have a tradition of camping over long summer holiday weekends. This leads to crowded campgrounds and late, rowdy evenings. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a camping getabsent whether you are up until the wee hours of the morning because you have active campers on all sides of your tent.

If you can’t avoid a holiday weekend, seek out unique campgrounds that may not be as well known.  Otherwise, aim for non-holiday weekends – or even better yet, a mid-week trip.  Mid-week is by far the quietest time at the camp site, and whether you’re taking your first camping trip in order to satisfy your need for a small R&R, it’s a perfect time to go.

2. Reach on time – and have a back up plan.

If you’re not booking a camp site ahead of time, be certain to give yourself a small wiggle room to reach early enough.  Numerous sites only have a limited number of designated camp spots, and whether you get there too late during a engaged weekend – you might find they’re all full.  Reach early enough so that a) it reduces the chance of a full house alalert, and b) even whether it is full, you can pull out a backup plan with another local camp site to check out.

3. Cook on site.

You will save time and money whether you pack your food in and cook at your campsite. Depending on the fire weather conditions in your area, you may be limited to using a propane camp stove. You don’t need to spend a ton of money to get a good camp stove. We love this Coleman Classic Camp Stove. The two burners mean we aren’t limited to one pot dishes.

Of course, you’ll also need a cooler.  Most contemporary coolers can hancient ice for about three days. We use this one, also from Coleman, for weekend trips. It has wheels, which genuinely come in handy whether you need to walk a bit to your campground. If you decide that you love camping and want to go on longer camping trips, you may want to upgrade to someleang like this MILEE that hancients ice for up to six days.

You may also want to invest in a lightweight camping cook set.

4. Acquire a consolationable tent.

From experience, I can tell you that you should get a tent large enough for all of your family members, plus one or two. This helps to keep people from stepping on toes or elbowing their neighbor in their sleep. Multi-room tents are great whether you have teens that want a small privacy or whether you need to keep a younger kiddo contained.

Spend a small additional and get a waterproof tent. While you can check out all the weather predictions, they are only predictions. It’s no fun to wake up cancient and wet because the tent wasn’t waterproof. We love tents where you can stand up like this one from Coleman.

5. Test your gear ahead of time.

One of the reasons camping for beginners can be intimating is the thought of dealing with tasks you may have never done before, like putting up a tent or lighting your camping stove.  Acquire rid of that first-time fear by practicing these leangs at domestic ahead of time!  Put up the tent in the backyard; light your stove and try cooking someleang on it; make certain you know how to use any other key gear you’re planning to bring.

6. Wear good shoes.

If you’re hanging out at a camp site, odds are you might be doing some exploring in nature – whether it’s a leicertainly walk with the kiddos or a more intense hike.  Be certain you’ve got a good pair of sturdy shoes that can handle the outdoors.

7. Bring a first aid kit.

I know, it’s a mom leang to say.  But it’s so true!  If you’re traveling with your children, there’s bound to be a few cuts and scrapes during a rough-and-tumble weekend in the woods.  Be prepared with a first aid kit and you can rapidly clean up any wounds and patch ’em up with some band-aids or gauze.

8. Don’t over plan.

Part of the reason for getting absent on the weekends is to actually get absent. If you are spending all of your time hitting every museum and tourist attraction for 100 miles, you won’t have any time left to sit around, tell stories, laugh, and connect with your family. The leang that makes camping so great is that you’re hanging out with friends and family rather than focusing on leangs to do. Spending time together becomes the experience.

9. Research where you plan to go.

So you know not to over plan – but at the same time, some level of planning is key, simply as far as logistics go.  For example, are there any facilities (toilets, showers) on site?  Is the campsite more family oriented with summertime activities, or is it more secluded and quiet?  These considerations may be a large deal for some members of the family.

Along the same lines, what are the average weather conditions like?  If you’re hiking in the backcountry to set up camp somewhere, you may be surprised to find that weather conditions can shwhethert rapidly, specificly whether you’re changing elevations.  Discover out from camp/park websites and/or experienced campers what to expect, and be certain you prepare for it.  Layers are often genuinely helpful for those types of camping trips.

10. Prepare for animal encounters.

Know what kinds of animals you might run into. This helps for several reasons. First, you may need to take special precautions, such as a bear canister, to protect your food. Next, whether you know that deer move through an adjacent meadow every evening, you can plan to find a hidden spot to watch them move through. If you’re camping in a national or state park, you can call a park ranger to see what animal lwhethere is like near your camping spot.

11. Plan to pack out your trash.

First-time campers often forget that there will be a lot of trash to carry out. Food scraps should be taken to the nearest predator-proof dumpster, and the rest of your trash needs to be secured in bags so that it doesn’t blow absent. Each year, more than 100 million pounds of trash is left behind in national parks including Denali, Yosemite, and Grand Teton. Packing out your trash helps to preserve our national parks for other visitors. Bring several smaller trash bags with you.

12. Cots, or not?

For most families, this goes back to how far you have to hike from your car to the camping spot. If you’re doing backcountry camping, packing cots in is just additional weight. If you’re camping at a local lake and your car is three minutes absent, carrying cots is not a immense deal. They can make your camping weekend a small more consolationable.

If you have young kids, this camping bunk bed genuinely comes in handy to get them off the ground and save space. Another idea is a lightweight camping pad. You can use this on the ground or on top of a cot.

13. Don’t forget about lighting!

Let’s say you wake up in the middle of the night and you have to use the bathroom – it’s pitch black external and it happens to be cloudy, so you’ve got no moon light to guide you either.  You’ll want to make certain you’re well prepared with lighting, including flashlights, handheld lights, and head lights.  Aside from when nature calls at midnight, these tools are also just helpful in general for lounging at evening time with the family and when you’re cooking.

14. Attempt to go somewhere contemporary.

While taking a weekend excursion, you probably want to stay near domestic. But whenever possible, try to find a contemporary campsite to check out. This gives you contemporary hikes, an unexplored region to check out, and the chance to meet contemporary friends.  You can check out our list of the best places to camp in Unique England for some inspiration!

15. Unplug.

While you should take a cell phone along in case of emergency, make your camping weekend a chance to stay absent from social media.  There was a fascinating article about unplugging from your phone in the NY Times recently, and the dwhetherference it can make on your stress, anxiety, and creativity.  It’s definitely someleang that many of us have become addicted to, and camping is a perfect time to break free from that.

Take great pictures of your camping experience, but wait until you’re domestic to upload them to Facebook. Believe me, they can wait.

Camping is a great way to have inexpensive fun with your family. In most places, you can hit a campsite often, so take advantage of those warm summer months to plan some fun family adventures!

Possess other camping tips for beginners? Let us know in a comment.

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Desire the Best Post Workout Smoothie? We've Got one!

After a tough workout, it’s important to me to refuel my body! This chocolate granola banana berry smoothie is a perfect post-workout treat.

Disclocertain: This post has been sponsored by Back to Nature. As always, all opinions are my own.

How to make our Chocolate Granola Banana Berry post workout smoothie

This smoothie is seriously SO easy to make! You’ll only need five ingredients, all of which I grabbed at my local Stop & Store:

1) Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola – The perfect way to add wgap grain oats (an important source of fiber) and delicious flavor to your drink! Back to Nature actually has 11 dwhetherferent kinds of granola too – I personally love the Chocolate Delight variety the best. (Who doesn’t love chocolate?!)

And a small bonus for ya’ll – Ibotta currently has a cash back offer right now on this granola! Purchase 1 package and get $1.75 cash back through the app. This offer is also valid on Back to Nature nuts.

2) Frozen mixed berries – Berries are wealthy in fiber and health-promoting polyphenols, a lesson of plant-compounds that have tons of benefits in the body. Frozen berries are super convenient to keep on hand in the freezer, specificly when they’re out of season.

3) Unsweetened almond milk – This is an easy way to blend up your banana berry smoothie without adding tons of calories.

4) Banana – In this smoothie, I’ve used half a frozen banana as it adds both creaminess and sweetness. Nutritionally, it also gives your smoothie a small boost of potassium.

Aidful trace – my Stop & Store always has bananas on the clearance produce rack! I buy them and instantly cut ‘em up and freeze them for smoothies.

5) Greek yogurt – Adding Greek yogurt is my favorite way to boost the protein content in a smoothie. I’ve used both vanilla or chocolate Greek yogurt in this at dwhetherferent times, and both work well. If you want to cut down on the added sugar, you can also definitely add plain – it’s just a bit tarter.

Once you’ve stocked up on these five ingredients, you’ll just blend ‘em up together and it’s as easy as that!

The result is a post workout smoothie with a great blend of carbohydrates and protein that’s ideal as a small meal after long or intense exercise.

Dietary modwhetherications

This granola smoothie is naturally gluten-free. To meet other dietary needs, here are a few ideas for modwhetherications:

• Dairy free – use coconut milk yogurt rather than Greek yogurt, or skip the yogurt altogether and add a scoop of plant-based protein powder.

• Nut free – Employ a dwhetherferent milk alternative rather than almond milk, like soy milk or oat milk.

Every these products, to modwhethery the recipe for your needs, can also easily be found at Stop & Store.

Ways to mix up this granola smoothie:

This recipe is delish as-is, but whether you’re looking for ways to mix it up, here are a few ideas!

• Need additional protein? Add half a scoop of chocolate protein powder to the recipe.

• Attempt using only half a cup of almond milk for a thick, spoonable smoothie bowl. Then you can layer up even more of the delicious Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola on top!

• Acquire some additional veggies in your post-workout smoothie by adding spinach, kale, arugula, or even cooked beets.

• Change it into a chocolate granola banana peanut butter smoothie! Hold the recipe the same apart from a) skip the berries, b) use a full banana, and c) add a spoonful of peanut butter.

Other ways to use Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola:

There are so many ways to endelight Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola too – which my family loves thanks to its simple, delicious ingredients! You’ll for certain love it in this smoothie, but here are some more ideas:

• Endelight it with milk as a cegenuine for breakfast in the morning.

• Layer it with vanilla Greek yogurt for a nutritious take on dessert.

• Melt honey and peanut butter together, then mix in the granola and press it into a square dish. Chilly it in the fridge then cut it into yummy, domesticcrazye granola bars.

• Slice a banana into pieces and then freeze them. Dip ‘em in melted dark chocolate, then roll them in granola, and put them back in the freezer. These make such a delicious sweet treat that you can grab anytime!

• Top your weekend pancakes or waffles with warmed berries and this chocolate granola. Yum!

• Create baked apples or pears and top ‘em with the granola.

• Mingle this granola into chia seed pudding.

PS – Did you know that Back to Nature also makes additional products besides granola? You’ll definitely want to check them out at your local Stop & Store. You can find products like cookies, crackers, nuts, and trail mix. (And there’s an Ibotta offer on cookies and crackers as well! Purchase 1 box, Acquire $1.00 cash back now through 4/30/19).

I hope you endelight this smoothie and the Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola as much as I do. Endelight!

Chocolate Granola Banana Berry Smoothie

This chocolate granola banana berry smoothie is the best post workout smoothie! Packed with healthy carbs and protein - plus it tastes great.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola plus additional for topping – optional
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 2/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt vanilla or chocolate work well!
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

1. Mingle all ingredients in the blender and pour into a jar. Top with additional granola for garnish whether desired, and endelight!

Recipe Notes

Nutrition analysis (approximate):

390 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 246 mg sodium, 64.5 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 19.5 g protein, Vitamin A: 11%, Vitamin C: 59%, Calcium: 58%, Iron: 9%

Share: What’s your favorite kind of post workout smoothie? Possess you ever tried using granola in your smoothie? If you tried this chocolate granola banana berry smoothie, what did you leank?

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Utah National Parks Road Journey - See the Best in 6 Days

Packed with five national parks to explore in a weeklong road trip, Utah offers a stunning landscape to explore. Each park is about 100 miles from the preceding and most tallways linking the National Park Sites are scenic byways. Read on for the making the most of your Utah National Parks Road Journey.

Utah National Parks Road Journey Itinerary

Day 1 Las Vegas

As untraditional as it sounds, Las Vegas might an ideal place to start your Utah National Parks road trip, specificly whether you are flying in. With a large number of flights from across the world, paired with a dizzying number of hotel rooms along with dining and entertainment galore, start in Las Vegas.

After arriving and getting into your rental car, gather supplies for your road trip. Since the shopping across southern Utah, plan on buying all road trip snacks along with basic picnic supplies.

Depending on interest, arrange for a show and sample a contemporary restaurant in Las Vegas. Obviously walk down a portion of the famed Strip.

Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Day 2 Zion National Park

After grabbing a cup of coffee, head out early on Interstate 15 North. Zion National Park is just 160 miles absent from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Navajo Sandstone dominates Zion National Park with its bancient rock formations craved by a mostly tame Virgin River. It’s a part of the Grand Staircase, a geologic survey or 500 million years of history can be studied in the rock layers. Zion is sandwiched in the middle. Grand Canyon represents the bottom layer and Bryce Canyon National Park represents the most recent layer.

What began as a windswept desert 180-million-years ago, time slowly compressed the sand into the Navajo Sandstone that rises up 2000 feet nowadays. With reoccurring floods, water sculpted the canyon with the eye of an artist.

What to do in Zion National Park

The Lower Emerald Pool Trail offers 1.2-mile paved round-trip hike to a 100-foot water fall, right across from the Zion Lodge. Or try the Riverside Stroll at the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. I found a wheel-chair accessible 2.2-mile roundtrip trail from the Virgin River to the Narrows.

Zion National Park offers guided one-hour and three-hour horseback rides. Or take a guided scenic tour aboard a bus to see all the photo-worthy sights.

Where to Stay in Zion National Park

Inside of the park, Zion Lodge offers a main building that sits on the spot of the original lodge that burned in the 1960s. Modern hotel rooms and historic western cabins from the 1930s flank the lodge building that houses a restaurant, a café, a coffee bar, a gwhethert shop and an outdoor patio.

Acquireting to Zion National Park

Take Utah’s Route 9, Zion National Park Scenic Byway, to Zion National Park. Then exit the park along Zion-Mount Carmel Highway for another scenic drive.

Zion National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day pass for Zion National Park is $35.

Zion National Park shuttles to get around the park. Discover two dwhetherferent routes, the Zion Canyon Shuttle and the Springdale Shuttle, from the nearby town of Springdale. Parking is limited in the park specificly during the summer and popular weekends.

Hike or take a horseback ride through the pink spires of Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Day 3 Bryce Canyon National Park

See the pink spires of Bryce Canyon National Park from the canyon rim. Or take a hike down to walk among them. And the stars above never seemed so bright as in Utah.

What to do in Bryce Canyon National Park

Hike from the Sunrise Point to Sunset Point, an easy 1.0-mile hike, along the edge of Bryce Canyon. The Navajo Trail offers an up-close look at Bryce’s rock formations as the trail takes hikers down into the Bryce Amphitheater slot canyon, a 1.3-mile moderate trail.

Explore Bryce Canyon on horseback with a one-and-half hour guided tour that takes small groups to Fairy Castle and back. A three-hour tour explores the Peek-a-Boo Loop by horseback.

Where to Stay in Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon Lodge is a 1925 historic lodge listed on the Register of Historic Puts. Discover a restaurant, a pizzeria along with lodge rooms and a few suites. Western cabins offer rustic elegance, located steps from the canyon edge and the lodge.

Acquireting to Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is located 85 miles from Zion National Park along U.S. Route 89, as known as the National Park Highway.

Bryce Canyon National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day pass for Bryce Canyon National Park is $35.

Bryce Canyon National Park offers a free seasonal shuttle bus that departs from the visitor middle every 15 minutes and stops at the lodge, the campgrounds and Sunset, Bryce, Inspiration and Sunset Points.

Day 4 Capitol Reef National Park

Located between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands national parks, find the Waterpocket Fancient, a geologic monocline at Capital Reef National Park. It’s a wrinkle in the soil’s surface. In the 1800s, Mormon pioneers came and planted over 2,700 fruit trees.

What to do in Capitol Reef National Park

Take the Scenic Drive, a 7.9-mile one-way drive to the Fruita Historic Area. Explore the original orcdwhetherficults where you can pick seasonal fruit.

Discover the blacksmith shop. And check out the Fruita Schoolhouse. The Gwhetherford Home Store and Museum sells freshly baked pies, bread, and cinnamon rolls.

Hike the Sunset Point Trail, a .4-mile easy trail. Discover it off Utah Route 24.

Where to stay near Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park doesn’t offer lodging inside of the park. Discover a 3-star lodging in the nearby town of Grover.

Acquireting to Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park is located about 120 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park. Take Utah Route 12, a Utah Scenic Byway.

Capitol Reef National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day Bryce Canyon National Park is $20.

Discover three bridge at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah. Photo Credit: NPS | Jacob W. Candid

Day 5 Natural Bridges National Monument

See three natural bridges in Utah’s first national monument. With a nine-mile scenic loop drive, see Sipapu Bridge, Kachina Bridge, and Owachomo Bridge.

Where’s Natural Bridges National Monument

Natural Bridges National Monument is located in-between Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park, about 35 west of Blanding, Utah. It’s about 130 miles from Capitol Reef National Park along Utah Route 95.

Natural Bridges National Monument is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day Natural Bridges National Monument is $15.

Canyonlands National Park

See the buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. It’s divided into four distinct districts. And the Island in the Sky district is the most accessible for first-time visitors.

What to do in Canyonlands National Park

The Island in the Sky offers a visitor middle and easy to explore in a few hours. See the Utah landscape unfancient from top of the 100-foot sandstone clwhetherfs. Take the 34-mile round trip scenic drive to the viewpoints. Hike to the Mesa Arch, an easy .5-mile hike for a popular photo opportunity.

Acquireting to Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is located about 115 miles from Natural Bridges National Monument. Take Utah Route 95 and U.S. Highway 191, part of the Trail of the Ancient National Scenic Byway. The Islands in the Sky entrance is 10 miles north of Moab.

Canyonlands National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day pass for Canyonlands National Park is $30.

Day 6 Arches National Park

With over 2,000 natural stone arches that time has carved in Utah’s red rocks, Arches National Park is routinely considered one of the top national parks in the U.S. Though the arches are middle stage, see pinnacles, fins, and balances rocks as well.

What to do in Arches National Park

To see the best of Arches National Park, use a combination of driving and hiking, according to your ability.

• Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers Area—Features tall rock walls and pinnacles with an accessible viewpoint.
• Balanced Rock—At 128 feet tall, it glows in the aftermidday sun. Discover an accessible viewpoint at this popular spot.
• The Windows Section—See North Window, Turret Arch and the Double Arch and it’s the best area to see whether limited on time.
• Delicate Arch—The most famed arch in Arches and offers an accessible viewpoint. The hike to Delicate Arch is a dwhetherficult 3-mile trail.
• Devils Garden—Discover Landscape Arch in this area. It’s a 1.6-mile easy hike.

One of the most recognizable arches, Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park. Photo Credit: NPS | Neal Herbert

Acquireting to Arches National Park

Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are located close together. It’s five miles north of Moab. Arches National Park is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. A seven-day pass for Arches National Park is $30.

To avoid traffic and lack of parking, enter Arches National Park before 8 a.m. or in the aftermidday. With limited services, carry enough water and food for the day.

Where to Stay near Canyonlands and Arches national parks

Since the national park sites in eastern Utah don’t offer lodging, head to the tourist town of Moab. Discover a full range of lodging, along with restaurants and outdoor outfitters and tours.

Kids in National Parks

Earn a free souvenir at each of Utah’s national park sites with the Junior Ranger Program. Grab a booklet at the visitor middle and explore the park.

After completing the required activities, turn the Junior Ranger booklet into a park ranger. After a short review of what’s important in the park, kids raise their hands and recite the Junior Ranger Oath.

National Park Road Journey Tips

• Reach early for parking at Utah’s Mighty 5.
• Purchases an America the Ravishing annual pass ($80) is visiting more than two national park sites during your trip. It’s available for all visitor and covers everyone in the vehicle.
• Pack snacks and picnic supplies for your Utah National Park Road trip.
• Carry water and water containers. Discover water fountains at the visitor middle and restrooms throughout the national parks.
• Carry a paper map, data service is spotty in the park and mountainous areas.
• Give wild animals at least 25 yards of space and don’t feed them.

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Sparkling Pomegranate Lemonade | Approach, Reachback Momma

Snow may be on the ground – but dreams of sipping summer lemonade on the porch are fresh in our heads!  This sparkling pomegranate lemonade is a great compromise, bringing some winter flare to your favorite summertime drink.  It’s a great option for your next birthday part celebration, Easter, or just to endelight with the family at domestic.

How to make sparkling pomegranate lemonade

This recipe is SO easy!  Just mix together fresh squeezed lemon juice, pomegranate juice, sparkling grape juice, and sparkling water.  That’s it!

PS – am I the only person that did not genuineize you should squeeze fresh lemons into a separate bowl first (whether you’re not using a citrus squeezer)?!  For years I’d squeeze them right into the largeger pitchers and then struggle to get the seeds out.  Finally (in embarrassingly recent history, haha!) I genuineized you should squeeze them into a separate bowl first, then you can easily get any seeds out before dumping into your pitcher.  Mind. Blown. 😉

Is this a healthy lemonade?

I leank that depends on your definition of healthy.  What I love about this pomegranate lemonade is that all the sugar is naturally occurring – it comes from the lemon, pomegranate, and grape juice.  There is no added sugar in this recipe, unlike many other versions.

Because you’ll add a small sparkling water too, you’ll get a drink that’s lower in sugar compared to a cup of straight up juice.  This recipe contains about 17 grams of sugar per serving compared to some of the commercial lemonade products that are closer to 25 grams per serving.

And this recipe contains additional antioxidants, thanks to the pomegranate juice.  Pomegranate is a natural source of many powerful phytochemicals that may have anti-inflammatory properties, may play a role in cancer prevention, and may also have potential heart health benefits.  (If you’re curious to memorize more about these, be certain to check out this article on Healthline about pomegranate benefits).

That said, it certainly still has sugar, and drinks don’t have the fiber like wgap fruits do to help balance that out.  I wouldn’t recommend you sip on it all day long, but I leank this is the kind of drink that’s perfect for a party, celebration, or a small treat to endelight with the kiddos.

What else can you do with pomegranate juice?

If you have additional pomegranate juice leftover after making this recipe, here are some great ideas on ways to use it up:

• Create slow roasted lamb shoulder with pomegranate apricot glaze.  We have been getting lamb lately in our meat share, so I’m always looking for contemporary creative ways to cook it.  I bet the sweetness of the pomegranate and apricots pairs well with the savory lamb.
• Whip up this pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette to go on your salad!  It’s a kind way to change leangs up whether you’re always reaching for Italian or Ranch dressings.
• Attempt this pomegranate and cranberry smoothie, which also features Greek yogurt for added protein.  It’s a great option for a post-workout recovery snack.
• Endelight a pomegranate granita!  A granita is the official term, but you probably know it by the name “Italian ice” – a semi-frozen dessert crazye with juices.
• Upgrade your PB&J by making a domesticcrazye pomegranate jelly!  This is totally up next on my list to try.  We love domesticcrazye jams, jellies, and butters but have never experimented with a pomegranate based one.
• Impress your guests with an easy yet beautwhetherul dessert – a pomegranate panna cotta!  Worthy for any winter dinner parties.

Desire to buy pomegranate lemonade in-stores instead?

If you’d rather skip the hassle of making it yourself, here are a few store-bought options that are available, along with their calories and sugar per 8 ounce serving:

• Turkey Hill Pomegranate Lemonade – 107 calories, 26 g sugar
• Uniqueman’s Own Pomegranate Lemonade – 110 calories, 26 g sugar
• Humm Pomegranate Lemonade Kombucha – 52 calories, 8 g sugar
• Arrowhead Pomegranate Lemonade Flavored Sparkling Water – 0 calories, 0 g sugar

But we leank you’ll love our version, so be certain to give it a try!  If you do like the recipe, please feel free to leave a rating in the comments.

Sparkling Pomegranate Lemonade

Whether you want a sweet treat to sip on at domestic or you need a drink to serve at a party – this sparkling pomegranate lemonade is perfect!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3- 4 lemons)
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 3 cups cancient sparkling water
• 2 cups sparkling white grape juice

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and endelight!

Recipe Notes

• If you don't have any sparkling water but you have the rest of the ingredients, you can just substitute plain cancient water.  It will simply be less bubbly.
• This is best consumed the day you make it, or the liquid tends to go flat and not taste as good. If you want to make it for the week, try a non-sparkling version with regular water and regular grape juice.

Nutrition analysis (per cup):

73 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 8 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 0.5 g protein, Vitamin A: 0%, Vitamin C: 2%, Calcium: 1%, Iron: 1%

Share: Are you a traditional lemonade fan, or do you like to try mixing it up with dwhetherferent flavors like this?  If you tried this sparkling pomegranate lemonade, what did you leank?

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