New Playlist

Got a little carried away this morning switching up the playlist in the middle of class to insert more of the new Pitbull album!  Vision:  a sweaty Pitbull appears for a surprise live performance in class!  Caliente!  AND a Big Time Rush song?  My 5-year-old daughter is very proud.

Workout:
Koko (Radio Mix) - Sander van Doorn
Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction) - New Order
Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2 vs. Tiesto
Follow You - Lasgo
Rain Over Me (feat. Marc Anthony) - Pitbull
Get It Started (feat. Shakira) - Pitbull
Have Some Fun (feat. The Wanted) - Pitbull
Last Night (feat. Havana Brown) - Pitbull
Where Did the Love Go - Sylver
Se7en  - Nicky Romero
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) [Red D3vils Remix] - Dirty Scandal

Cooldown:
Bad Romance (BBC Live Version) - 30 Seconds to Mars
Music Sounds Better With U - Big Time Rush

New Playlist

This morning's Spinning List at Fitness Company.  Congratulations to Derek and his wife who are expected a baby BOY April 1st!

Workout:
Kerosene - Crystal Castles
Army of Me - Christina Aguilera
In My Arms (Bronleewe / Bose Extended Mix) - Plumb
The Devil Went Down to Georgia - The Charlie Daniels Band
Craving - Seize
Nightcall - Kavinsky and Lovefoxxx
Glad You Came - We Came As Romans
Six Weeks - Of Monsters and Men
Transgender - Crystal Castles
Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am) - The Script
Howlin' for You - The Black Keys
Engel - Divamee

Cooldown/Stretch
Gods and Monsters - Lana Del Ray
Kite - U2

Get Motivated With A New Playlist

I don't normally use playlists twice, but couldn't help myself with this one!  High energy, high intensity for turbo classes at Fitness Company and Rocky's!  We kept it "simple"(!):    Climb, Sprint, Climb, Sprint...until a double climb through tracks 9 and 10.  It's nearly 7 hours later, and the endorphins are still flying!

Workout:
Rest of My Life (feat. Usher & David Guetta) - Ludacris
Amazing Grace - Dropkick Murphys
Sin Ti (I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (feat. Pitbull & Beatriz Luengo)
Run Boy Run - Woodkid
Smile?  - The Crystal Method
Seven Bridges - Scooter
Galvanize - The Chemical Brothers
The Boys of Summer - The Ataris
Reagan's Skeleton - Yeasayer (my new favorite song!)
Ridin' (Explicit Version, of course) - Chamillionaire, Krayzie Bone
Eye of the Tiger - Eye of the Tiger

Cooldown/Stretch:
How - Regina Spektor
All I Want Is You - U2
Sunday Afternoon - Rachel Yamagata

Mom's Rosemary Red Quinoa

Quinoa may be tough to pronounce, but is is insanely easy to cook, and my favorite new recipe comes from Mom.  She works some magic with  red quinoa, canola oil and fresh rosemary (all organic).

--Boil 2 cups of water
--Add 1 cup of quinoa, cover, and turn down heat and stir occasionally
--You'll know it's done when the water's absorbed and the curly string-like germ spirals out (about 15-20 minutes).
--Remove from heat.  Add fresh rosemary, 1 Tablespoon of canola oil and sea salt (to taste).  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes (during which time you can prepare the taste buds for deliciousness!).

Thanks, Mom!

Spinning Queen Paula

After a punishing workout,
Paula shows off her prize.

I think all my students kick serious spinning ass!  But there are always those who stand out because of their commitment to health and fitness.  Paula from Rocky's Gym is one of those!  For the past 6 months, she's been dedicated to losing weight, and building muscle and cardiovascular endurance.  And it's working!  She's spinning three times a week, lifting and eating right.  Go, Paula!

We celebrated Paula in class today by naming her Spinning Queen, and giving her a small prize:  a delish bottle of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar Grape-Acai drink.  There are lots of amino acids in apple cider vinegar that can help keep you operating at peak performance.  Amino acids repair cells and build muscle, and exercising increases your body's demand for them.

Paula, you're an inspiration! Keep up the great work!

Curing with Cayenne

Thanks to the remarkable producer, filmmaker, and grass-roots organizer Anne Hubbell, I discovered Prometheus Springs' Citrus Cayenne drink. You can find it at Whole Foods, but it's more fun to sip the morning away at Irving Farm, a trendy cafe on New York's Upper West Side. I rate this drink a TEN - in taste and health benefits! Not enough good things can be said about cayenne pepper, a food that can truly be called a fundamental form of medicine. It's the capsicum in cayenne pepper that makes it hot and healthy. The list of health benefits includes its ability to serve as a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, pain reliever. It also reduces cholesterol and improves blood pressure making it a great choice for heart health. There's a reason it's called the King of Herbs and has been used for centuries as a natural remedy! Where does it get its name? From the city of Cayenne in French Guiana.