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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: Fitness

  • My Day on a Juice Cleanse

    My Day on a Juice Cleanse

    Catherine shares her experience with a 1-day juice cleanse from Project Juice

    juice cleanse
    PHOTO: Project Juice.

    I’m a craver… boba, pizza from Fresh Brothers, a caprese sandwich from Bay Cities, kale salad from Tender Greens. I like to indulge, so when I signed up for a juice cleanse I knew the challenge that was in store for me. I actually tried a 3-day juice cleanse when they first started popping up in L.A. some years ago but failed on Day 2 when I decided to have a hot dog at Abbot Kinney’s First Fridays. C’est la vie. This time around, only committing to 1 day seemed much less daunting.

    Having learned from Project Juice that a successful cleanse begins with prep—slowly cutting out meat and only eating raw food the day before, I did my best to ease my intake a couple days before. I could’ve been better about it had I read their guide online, but 24 hours prior I ate a ThinkThin bar, grilled chicken and kale from Tender Greens, almonds, and a Trader Joe’s salad though I did impulsively splurge on sugar at lunch. Despite that little slip, I went to bed early to mentally prepare. Read on to see how I fared.

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  • An Outdoor Cardio Circuit You Can Do Absolutely Anywhere

    An Outdoor Cardio Circuit You Can Do Absolutely Anywhere

    Never Miss a Sweat Sesh with this Customizable Cardio Circuit Routine

    Your Do Anywhere Cardio Circuit

    I’m the kind of person that must fit a workout into my day. There’s something about the rush of endorphins and the cleanse of a good sweat that my body has come to crave. On days that I can’t convince myself to crank out a bout of exercise, I  always pay for it later on. My appetite is off, I can’t fall asleep well at night, and overall I just feel a bit off.

    While my preference is to hit up a class, this option isn’t always available, particularly while traveling. This summer, on a trip home, I found myself in this situation. I wanted to get my workout in but didn’t have access to a gym. I’d attended enough workout classes and done enough at-home workout videos to have picked up a thing or two about stringing together my own sweat sesh. The result was the creation a cardio circuit routine that has since become my go-to workout anytime I can’t get to the gym or simply want a break from it.

    The beautiful thing about circuit training is that you can shorten or extend the length of your workout to suit the time you have available. I recommend starting with 2 rounds of cardio circuit and 1 round of the ab/upper body circuit with 1 minute dedicated to each exercise. However, if you’re short on time feel free to cut out a circuit or to shorten the amount of time spent on each activity. Likewise, if you have a bit more time and you’re up for the challenge go through the circuit an extra time.

    Besides being able to customize this routine to fit into your schedule, another thing I love about this workout is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. No equipment is needed other than a good pair of gym shoes. The cardio bit is based on time not distance so you can reverse direction as many times as needed to fit each workout into the space you have.  The ab/upper body section is intentionally plank-centric as these moves don’t require you to have a soft surface to sit on. If you’ve got access to the outdoors then you should be good to go.

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  • How to Pick the Perfect Running Shoes

    How to Pick the Perfect Running Shoes

    4 Things to Consider When Shopping for Your Next Pair of Sneaks

    Favorite Running Shoes Fall 2014

    I started running when I was thirteen. In those days, a long run maxed out somewhere in the neighborhood of two miles. Literally, somewhere in the neighborhood. When I started high school I joined the cross country team under the counsel of my mom who had warned me that getting involved would be the only way to make friends. My long-runs crept up for two mile sprints to eight mile hauls. Come college I stepped up my game from 5K races to full marathons. It was in the training for 26.2 miles of pavement pounding that I truly felt I could consider myself an expert in the sport.

    As someone who had now been running for over a decade (when did I get so old?), I know that the my shoes can make or break a run. Unlike a new pair of pumps, this is not the time to choose your shoes based on aesthetics. If you truly want to have a great running experience you need to follow the advice you’ve probably heard your mother dish out– look for comfort over all else. 

    Here, to help you pick out the perfect pair, I’m sharing 4 things you should consider when shopping for your next set of running shoes. And just for fun, I’m throwing in a round up of the latest batch of running shoes to hit the shelves because, lets be honest, good advice is easier to follow when served up in style.

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