Soma Superstar: Dancing Queen, Izumi Rosas
When you came to Soma Fitness what was your fitness goal?
My fitness goal was to start competing in Bikini Competitions and become a stronger, healthier and more fit me. I really wanted to learn how to eat properly instead of starving myself.
What is your profession? How did you manage daily life with the program? 
I am a Project Manager for Verizon Wireless. I basically upgrade Verizon’s Network in the SoCal region as far as real estate and equipment is concerned. I work in Irvine, CA and am up at 4:30 AM daily. I manage daily life with the program by prepping my meals ahead of time on Sundays and making time for the gym after work. I also train in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu so I stay very active even though I have a very sedentary work life.
What was your athletic/fitness background before Soma?
Before Soma I was working out 2 times a week as well as taking dance classes. I would not have said I was athletic at all back then.
What was most surprising about working with Soma? Or if you worked with another trainer in the past how was working with Summer different?
What was most surprising was the results I saw on a weekly basis. What was different with Summer as opposed to other trainers is that I received nutrition guidance as well. I realized that while I thought I was eating healthy… I really was not!
What was the most challenging part of working with Soma?
In the beginning of the program what was most difficult was cutting away things that I was used to eating. Also remembering to take my supplements and disciplining myself to do meal preps. In time I got the hang of it and now what was once difficult has become second nature.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing a program or competing in a fitness competition?
This isn’t for the weak at heart or mind. It takes a lot of self-discipline and hard work. Summer can lead you to water but she can’t make you drink. Stay focused and keep your goals in your mind. When it gets tough remember that you are a rock star and unstoppable. Always remember when you think you can’t…. you can and you will!
Amazing Summertime Snack! Lemon Dill Tuna Salad w/Cucumber Sticks
Summer Afternoon... to me those have always been the most beautiful words in the English language.
I hope this weekend you are enjoying your summer lounging with some friends, setting out on a mini-road trip or just reading a good book. It really is the simple pleasures in life that are the most important. Today we’re sharing a fresh new snack recipe that is perfect for a warm summer day or night.
This recipe is great because cucumbers provide natural hydration. In fact, they are made up of 96 percent water. They are also loaded with Vitamin C which serves as an antioxidant and lowering the risk of various cancers and illnesses that damage cells. Greek yogurt is packed with nutrients and probiotics.
The best part is that it is easy to eat on the go. A perfect snack for running errands or for those with little ones in tow!
Soma Superstar: Carnival Queen Jessica Lewis
When you came to Soma Fitness what was your fitness goal?
My goal was very specific. I was preparing for a trip to Trinidad Carnival and didn't want to look rolly in my costume! I didn't care as much about the scale, but more so I wanted my body toned and to drop major inches overall. I also wanted to turn over that leaf for the last time and adopt a healthier lifestyle once and for all.
What is your profession? How did you manage daily life with the program?
When I started my Soma Fitness program I was working both a full time job M-F with an hour+ commute each way, and a part time job on the weekends. Spare time was nonexistent. Prep and planning was imperative. I would grocery shop on Saturday nights after work, prep/cook Sundays and Thursday nights, and simply made my workouts a priority even if that meant hitting the gym at 6am or 10pm. I just kept telling myself: your costume is already ordered and paid for so I had no choice now but to stay committed! To be honest, no matter how tired or stressed or overworked I was, the mental commitment made it manageable.
Healthy Breakfast Idea: Simple Breakfast Crepe With Sweet Potato
Start your breakfast off right with a healthy blend of protein, carbs and fats. One serving of our simple breakfast crepes will yield two crepes worth 10 grams of protein. Double up the recipe to get 20 grams of protein in this healthy and yummy breakfast recipe! Directions are below! 
For more bikini-safe recipes sign up for one of Soma membership programs. You'll receive tons of healthy recipes, workout plans, how-to-videos and more. Memberships start at $20 per month.
Crepe
1/3 cup + 3 tbsp cage-free, liquid egg whites
1/2 scoop Sun Warrior protein powder
1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder (Hain)
Can lightly flavor egg white/protein powder mixture with cinnamon and stevia prior to blending
Almond Butter Maple Syrup
1 tbsp creamy unsweetened almond butter
1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 tsp maple extract
1 packet Stevia in the Raw
Directions:
Spray an 8″ non stick skillet lightly with olive oil spray and heat over medium high flame for about 1 minute. Meanwhile mix, blend or shake the egg, Sun Warrior protein, and baking powder together until no lumps appear in batter. If skillet begins to smoke, lift off flame for 10-15 seconds. Pour half the batter in skillet. Tilt the pan in a circular motion to allow the batter to spread to the edges. Cook until the bottom is light brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the crepe, and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove crepe, and repeat with remaining batter.
For the syrup, mix wet ingredients together with a spoon inside a small bowl or jar. Add the stevia and mix well until smooth. Spread evenly over both crepes.
Finding the Best Protein
Consuming food rich in protein is a great way to boost feelings of fullness, decrease hunger and enhance weight loss. Protein is also needed to make up muscle tissue, which in turn helps to keep our bodies active, strong, and healthy. Protein is an essential nutrient that helps form the structural component of body tissues and is used in many important biological processes including making enzymes, producing antibodies to help our bodies fight infection as well as creating DNA, the building blocks to life.
As you can see, protein is extremely important to anyone who is serious about improving their health and physique. New studies have found that most people should consume .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight! For a 150 pound woman this means about 113 grams of protein per day! That is a lot of egg whites and chicken to eat. Which is why supplementing with protein shakes is important.
There are countless different types of protein shakes on the market. Choosing the best protein can be really overwhelming. We thought we’d put together a quick guide on what to look for when choosing the best protein for yourself.
There are four main sources in protein shakes:
| Protein Type | Taste | Allergenic | Fat Content | Absorption | Amino Acids |
| Egg White | Medium | Medium/High | Low | Fast | Some consider the amino acid profile of eggs to be the best of all food sources. |
| Vegetable/Plant(can be made of soy, pea, cranberry, hemp seed, rice or a mixture of various plant sources.) | Depends on Brand | Low | Low | Fast | Depends on brand. Sun Warrior Protein has excellent amino profile. |
| Casein | High | High | Low | Slow (Great snack before bed) | Produces a stream of amino acids as it digests |
| Whey (available in whey concentrate and whey isolate) | Very High | Medium from(beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and bovine serum albumin) | Whey concentrate – lowWhey isolate – almost no fat | Fast | Contains all amino acids & high in branch chain aminos |
As you can see there are many different protein choices. One other thing to be aware of when selecting a protein is the sugar content. Anything over 3 grams of sugar per 20 grams of sugar is high for everyday use. Depending on your body and training goals – one of these will be the best protein for you. After years of training with whey protein, Soma Fitness transitioned to Sun Warrior Classic Protein after noticing that both our digestion and our client’s improved after moving away from protein derived from milk products. Our belief is that the western diet most of us grew up on consisting of fast food, packaged foods, GMO (genetically modified organism) vegetables, feed lot and caged animal proteins (which have been injected with antibiotics and other substances) – has done a number on our digestive tracks. For many, whey protein causes bloating, gas, acne and other unwanted side effects. Vegan protein provides a great supplement that is gentle on the body. Another product that we just tried and like quite a bit is Naturade Pea Protein.
One of the complaints with vegetable based protein is their amino acid profile. However, we feel that Sun Warrior does a very good job with their formula. Below, you can view the amino acid profile comparison of Optimum Nutrition Whey and SunWarrior Protein. Per scoop, the amino acid profile for the Optimum Nutrition Whey is higher than SunWarrior - however, we feel that the vegan protein is digested so much better it can be consumed at a higher rate than other milk based products.
Blueberries - The Healthy Snack
Everyone loves fruit but it can often times be laden with sugars which can slow down weight loss goals. However, when I'm in the mood for a sweet, healthy snack one of my top choices are blueberries. According to Livestrong.com, blueberries have a low GI index of 40, which mean they have a decreased risk of raising blood glucose. In addition, blueberries are high in antioxidants (antioxidants are chemicals that can prevent or slow cell damage). Add blueberries to your protein shake, greek yogurt or morning oat bran for flavor. A quarter cup serving is only 21 calories and 3.5 grams of sugar.
Sometimes I'll even eat them plain, which is really good when the blueberries are chilled. Just be careful not to over do it as the sugar can slowly start to add up!
How to Lose Weight: Our Answer - Enter Our Contest to Win Free Training
We get the question all the time -- "how do I lose weight?" Our answer is to enter our first-ever contest to win three months of our Bronze Membership program for FREE. In addition, we're throwing in a $50 Lululemon Gift card and a box of SunWarrior Protein. Click here to enter.
That's right - we're giving away a 3-month membership to our new Soma Bronze level; $50 Lululemon Gift Card; and box of SunWarrior Protein!
For all of you who have been writing to us saying, "I want to lose weight! How do I lose weight? I can't lose weight!" This giveaway is for you.
The Bronze Membership is awesome and includes a full calender of monthly workouts, tons of nutrition information plus access to training videos, not to mention two 45-minute "Ask Anything" calls with Summer each month. We can honestly say that no one else in the fitness world is offering this much value for $20 a month. With a gift card for new Lululemon gear and a box of SunWarrior protein, the member of this contest is going to lose weight and be ready to flaunt their bikini body this summer!
Alright, go enter the contest. Now. And don't be stingy and keep all the good stuff to yourself. Be sure to tell your friends that your Fairy God-Sisters at Soma Fitness rock!
Air Kisses,
Summer & Tamara