WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Why Meal Plans fail & how to transform your diet the sustainable way!

Today I want to target the frustration some of you may have experience with, and that is why meal plans don’t work (at least for most of us). If you’ve done one of my online training programs you’ve probably noticed that I give you the healthy basics, and tools to create your own meals, lots of healthy recipes & meal prep ideas, and guidance for building a balanced meal, but its not directly laid out for you as far as: eat this much of this food at this time. I call it a meal guide rather than a meal plan. The reason for this is I want to help you without crippling you. Similar to the concept of “teach a man to fish and he’ll never go hungry” or whatever that saying is. Well the idea is that if you’re given the tools and knowledge to make healthy choices and you know the reasoning behind it and the effects it has on your body, you’re more likely to make those good choices on your own, for the right reasons, resulting in long lasting results. My meal guides focus on realistic goals and healthy habits, relative to your unique starting point and circumstances.

Birthday Dessert!

Here’s the deal, meal plans or diet plans aren’t the best solution for a few reasons. Let me break it down for you. First of all, they’re hard to stick to. I mean life happens. There’s always a weekend out with friends, always a holiday, always a party, and if you have kids they’re always going to need food as well. A common statement I hear is, “this week is my childs birthday party, and its a really busy week, so I’ll start my diet on Monday” or “Well it’s halloween, then its thanksgiving, then its christmas, so I’ll start the program after new years.” Well I don’t expect you to give up every party or holiday in your life so that you can stick to a strict meal plan. This may lead us to rebelling and feeling guilty, resulting in quitting all together. 

Second of all, meal plans are typically meant for a short term effect, maybe it’s really low carb for example, and when followed for too long can result in issues with metabolism, & hormone levels. Or a quick juice cleanse detox, resulting in water weight loss, but no energy. In other words, the meal plan can be a little too perfect. We need to fuel our body depending on our activity level, and if we aren’t getting enough fats, or carbs, or proteins for a long period of time, certain systems in our bodies will not function properly. We may feel overly tired, overly hungry, and have a bad taste in our mouth for healthy eating. This shifts us into that mindset of resenting “health food” and craving more of our favorite comfort or junk food. Viewing salads & vegetables as “diet food” when in reality this is real food. 

overnight oats in a peanut butter jar

Third of all, most meal plans focus on nutrients (Proteins, Carbs, Fats), calories, or measurements (ounces, grams, etc.) instead of actual food. This can be so confusing. When you’re at a restaurant you don’t see the grams of nutrients next to the item, or how many ounces of potatoes are in the dish. With all these numbers and measurements it can be confusing and overwhelming what to focus on and trying to remember all the different recommendations. Was it 50g of Protein, or 60? Am I supposed to have 300 calories for lunch or 400? The point is this can all be nonsense and distraction if you’re missing the whole point of making healthy choices for the right reasons.

When I work with clients working towards fitness goals, I start where they’re at. I have them keep a 2-3 day food journal so I can see what an average day in their stomach looks like. Based on where they’re at, we can set goals, 1 week at a time, to make changes that will stick. We talk about real food, in real life situation, so that we can get real results that will last. I educate on why you’re making the choices and the benefits that will come. If you’re used to hot pockets and dino nuggets, you shouldn’t just immediately jump on the Kale band wagon. Pace yourself and just think, “how can I make this meal just a little bit healthier & better for me?” Maybe its adding a side salad to your hot pocket meal. Then maybe you create a healthier homemade dressing for your salad. Then replacing the hot pocket with a homemade recipe, and it continues until you’re at a level of health where you can feel & perform your best. You will LOVE the process and the positive changes in your body rather than RESENTING your diet or meal plan. Instead of thinking of a list of rules you have to stick to, or what you can and can’t eat, think of food on a spectrum. One end of the spectrum is completely healthy, unprocessed, Organic, grown in your back yard, homemade meal, and the other end is a deep friend twinkie dipped in chocolate. Think of how you can make your meals a little closer to that healthy side of the spectrum. You may find yourself in a situation where the options aren’t perfect, but you can always find the healthier choice. You may also find that the occasional “unhealthy” choice is ok, because its your grandma’s cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, or your favorite flavor of ice cream for your birthday. Its recognizing the difference between splurges that are occasional and totally worth it, and mindlessly eating a box of cookies because they’re in front of you.

Part of my goal with each client is helping them figure out their relationship with food, their strengths, their struggles, and move forward with healthy goals at a healthy pace. Fitting HEALTHY into their lives, not trying to squeeze them into this unrealistic healthy box that we think is the only way to lose weight or get fit. 

So if you want help reaching your goals with weight loss & fitness, please send me an email or hit my up on instagram, I would love to get started! But if you’re looking for a calculated, strict, calorie counting meal plan you won’t find it here, sorry! Feel free to send this over to a friend you think would enjoy!

Happy Wednesday Wisdom ya’ll!

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Its Possible! 5 tips for Cooking QUICK & EASY

Alright we all know when it comes to eating healthy, prep is key! You’ve probably heard it a million times, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail! The reason so many of us eat crappy junk food in the first place is because it’s convenient! Whats more convenient than stopping at Little Caesars on your way home and picking up a $5 pizza? Hot and ready for the whole fam to stuff their faces with. Or a bag of chips you can just pop open and enjoy the salty greasy goodness ;)

Well I’m hear with some good news! Eating healthy doesn’t have to be an all day in the kitchen kind of thing. A lot of us work full time, or have mommy duties all day, I mean who has time to cook these days? Well you DO! Let me share a few of my tips for cooking healthy, quick, and efficiently. Don’t get caught up and overwhelmed with people posting about making exotic beautiful meals from scratch everyday, thats not reality, thats social media. 

First of all, you have to accept the fact that it’s never going to be quite as fast, cheap, and easy as Mcdonalds, those are just the facts. But with a tad more effort, you can have a healthy, filling meal, that won’t break the bank and taste AMAZING. It takes a bit of planning & effort, but everyone can do it! It takes commitment and deciding that you’re going to live a healthy lifestyle, feeding you and your family healthy meals. Don’t beat yourself up if you have to throw in a frozen lasagna occasionally, but just do your best! Here are my tips that should help:

Tip #1: Invest in a Crockpot.

If you don’t currently own a crockpot, I highly recommend you get one. This will save you time in all sorts of ways. I have so many recipes that I can just throw into the crockpot, turn it on, set the timer, and walk out the door, coming home to an amazing smelling house and dinner all ready to go. It gives you the convenience of going about your day without having to watch the oven or stove. Also, you’ll always have left overs, which will save you time throughout the week. Bonus, you’ll spend less time doing dishes! One pot meals are amazing. 

Tip #2: Plan Your Weeks Menu, with Strategy

Find 5-6 healthy dinner recipes you want on the menu for the week, allowing for a night out on the weekend (if you want help with this part reply to this post and I’ll hook you up with all sorts of good recipes). Plan so that the first couple of nights you make a crockpot meal, a soup, or something with lots of leftovers that you can utilize throughout the week for lunches or breakfast. For example, this week I made a big batch of Lentil Soup Monday night, and Tuesday night I made shredded pork in the crockpot. Both were large batches that I’ve been using for lunches, eliminating extra time in the kitchen for sure. 

Tip #3: Utilize half prepped ingredients

Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s and awesome ingredients! Ok Trader Joe’s isn’t the only place you can find pre-prepped ingredients, but I’ve just found a lot of my favorites here. Don’t think you have to do everything from scratch. Take advantage of swift time savers such as pre-riced cauliflower (its a mess to do it on your own!), sliced jicama, or pre-cubed and peeled butternut squash, or awesome low-sugar sauces (enchilada sauce & curry sauce from Trader Joe’s are awesome for crockpot meat recipes) that add flavor to any meal. I’ll be posting a lot of these products in my Friday Favorites post this Friday so stay tuned! Still go for whole, unprocessed ingredients, but take advantage of a little pre-prepped help. 

Tip #4: Always make extra

When you’re making a meal, always think about what you can do to save you time later on. If you’re making a salad, get out a few tupperware containers while you’re at it and just make multiple salads in one setting, packed and ready to enjoy that week. If you’re slicing vegetables for dinner, slice more and put them in baggies for a healthy snack while you’re at it. If you’re boiling water, get some eggs out and hard boil a few for the week. If you’re making rice or quinoa, double the batch and put what you don’t eat in the fridge. This will become second nature with experience and practice.

Tip #5: Multi-task your cooking

This tip is geared towards having success with a 20-30 minute meal. I start by getting all of my ingredients out that I will be using for the meal and figuring out what part of the meal is going to take the longest to cook or bake and I get that going first. So if I’m having sweet potatoes with my meal, I’ll get those in the oven first thing, then I prep everything else while those are baking. Or if I’m having fish, I’ll prep that, get it in the oven, then in those 15-20 minutes of bake time I make my salad or veggies, and then everything is done at once! 

Well there you have it, my 5 tips for being quick and efficient in the kitchen. It may seem overwhelming and daunting at first if you’re not used to cooking or if you don’t even like it. But trust me, practice makes perfect, and by cooking your own meals you will always know what you’re putting in your body, giving you control. You will also save money! Don’t get caught up with thinking it needs to be perfect or thinking every meal has to be fancy. Just keep it simple and try new flavors! Enjoy! leave a comment with any questions or recipe requests

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: when to CONTROL and when to LET GO

icecream bar in Balboa, totally worth it

Today I want to address the subject of controlling what we can, and being ok with what we can’t. Applying this to the area of Health and Fitness, I get a lot of clients telling me “well I did great for about a week, and then I ate out with friends and totally blew it”, “This week I have 2 birthday parties, and a wedding, so I’ll start the plan next week” or “I’ll train the first of the week, but then we’re going on a vacation this weekend so I’m going to have to start all over!” And the frustrating comments continue. The fact is LIFE HAPPENS, and if we look for them, excuses are EVERYWHERE! My reply to these concerns is always to “do the best you can on your own, eat your veggies, plan your meals, eat according to your activity level, get your workout in - even if it's just 15 minutes, and then on those occasions when you’re celebrating, or a neighbor has you over for dinner and they feed you cake, its not the end of the world!” 

nutella crepe in Paris..... totally worth it

My point is this: When we’re in control, at our own house, doing the planning, in our day to day life, be on your best behavior, fuel your body the best you know how to. Turn these practices into healthy habits that just become a way of life. That way, when we are out with friends, or attending a party, it’s not the end of the world if we don’t have the best options available to us. Still do your best with your options, don't go on a complete sugar binge, but you don’t have to beat yourself up over someone cooking with canola oil instead of avocado oil, or having one of the cookies your friend brought to the party, or a piece of the wedding cake. That’s the beauty of living with moderation 365 days of the year. That 80/20 mentality. There’s always a holiday, there’s always going to be birthday parties, or social events, and these things should be enjoyed! The idea is to get in a healthy routine that works for you on the day to day, and then be ok with flexibility in moderation. Prioritize the splurges that are worth it to you. 

Puff Pastry in Italy.... yep, enjoyed every bite

Enjoying a pumpkin donut at a cute little pumpkin patch to kick off October is totally worth it and should be enjoyed! Sitting on your coach and reaching your hand into the bottom of the bag of potato chips just because they’re there and you're bored is probably not worth it. You be the judge ;) 

Its shifting the perspective of the “diet” mindset into the mindset of a healthy lifestyle and fueling your body right to feel your best. It will soon become obvious to you that mentally and physically you perform better with a healthy, whole foods diet, and the sugary-junk-food binges don’t feel so good. 

Cookie Sandwhich at Manhattan Beach Creamery....... amazing and no regrets

Don’t make every little “unhealthy food choice” such a big deal in your mind. Nobody’s diet is perfect, nor should it be! I think a perfect diet allows for flexibility and enjoyment of foods you love. That's why I have a piece of Chocolate everyday! Its small, and its dark, but super rich and does the trick to cure my craving and make me smile! Now I’m not saying I have a full candy bar every day to cure my cravings, but if you practice moderation you allow yourself some wiggle room, and you learn to appreciate it more!

Chocolate in Switzerland...... The Best! It would be a crime to pass up

So take away message: If you know you have a halloween party this weekend and you want to enjoy a caramel apple, do your thang, eat clean this week leading up to the party, and a low sugar/low carb breakfast & lunch that day, get a workout in, and enjoy that party! Maybe don’t down the whole apple, but see how you feel after a couple slices. Learning to tune into your body is key! Life is meant to be enjoyed, not to be lived strapped down to our mind always thinking of what we can’t eat! HAPPY WEDNESDAY WISDOM! 

-Britt

German Chocolate Icecream Sundae for Date night.... Yes please, worth it

EAT REAL FOOD: Nutrition Crash Course with Brit!

Being a trainer I've learned more and more the importance of fueling your body right. You can't heal your body without the nutrition side of the equation. I've put together this Video Blog post to explain my view on nutrition and give a quick crash course to what my approach is and what you can learn and practice with being a client of mine! I've also provided my written script for the video if you rather read that watch my face haha totally understandable! hope you enjoy :)

"I wanted to do a quick overview and crash course of my whole philosophy and guidance on nutrition. This will be an intro to the approach I take and what you’ll learn with me as your trainer. We are constantly bombarded with different eating rules and diets that it can be so hard to sort through all the information and figure out whats right, what we should be listening to, and whats going to work for us and our goals.

Well being in the fitness industry world for a few years now I’ve done a lot of reading and testing what works best for me and my clients. I’m going to simplify the whole thing for you. “EAT REAL FOOD” (write it on a paper sign). As simple as this sounds, it can be a little tricky still. Over time, we have lost touch with what real food is and our relationship with food has been distorted.

First off I want to clear up the word “Diet”. When we hear the word “Diet” most of us cringe thinking - restrictive, calorie counting, hunger, guilt, broccoli, I don’t know, just all these things that are often associated with the word diet. Well when I refer to “Diet” I simply mean how we eat, what we put into our bodies. Along with that, I want you to forget about ideas of calorie counting, “fat free” diets, “gluten free”, Paleo, Macro counting, food timing, weighing your food, any of that stuff, forget about it. I'm not saying all these things are horrible, I’m just removing the labels that your mind may be associating with “diet” and simplifying it with “EAT REAL FOOD”. This means knowing whats in our food, and avoiding chemicals & fake ingredients. Basically you should either have no food labels (because you don’t need it - fruits, vegetables) or you should be able to pronounce all the ingredients & know what it is on the label. 

Lets talk about macros. First of all, what are macros or macronutrients? These are Fats, Proteins, and Carbs. 

I want to talk about FATS first, there’s a lot of clearing up to do here. Fats have had a bad rap for a while, especially saturated fats. The food industry had mass amounts of industrial crops so they decided to turn it into oil. This was a BAD idea. Back 60-70 years ago, these fake oils replaced real oils (such as butter) in many situations and homes, and this has led to a lot of the health issues today. This oil became so cheap and available that they put it in EVERYTHING, and these food industries made a lot of money! On most labels of processed foods you’ll see these crop based oils such as Soybean, Canola, peanut, corn. These are chemical filled fake oils. Stay away! We want natural oils, which include, real grass fed butter (thats right, you don’t need to be afraid of butter anymore), coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil. Some other great sources of fats are nuts & seeds, salmon, avocado, eggs. And just a note on eggs, Dietary cholesterol (or cholesterol that is in the food we eat) has no correlation with the cholesterol levels in our blood. So egg yolks are totally great, and meat. All animal products contain cholesterol, but it won’t cause high cholesterol in our bodies, just want to clear that up.

Next up is Protein. Protein is so important. It's responsible for our bodies maintaining and repairing tissues, especially muscle tissue in our bodies. If you want to maintain or add lean muscle mass, protein is essential. We want to get protein from the most natural sources we can. So choosing free range chickens for meat and eggs, grass fed beef, as close to the source as we can get with dairy products. What our food sources eat goes into our bodies as well, so if our animals are eating all of those industrial crop products with chemicals, those chemicals are going in our bodies as well. We'll talk about the problem with this in a later session about omega 3's and omega 6 balance. And I know it gets expensive to do this, so all I suggest is do your best. Maybe this week you try free range eggs, and then next week you get grass fed beef. Just do what you can. and its a lot cheaper than all the drugs and pills that you may need down the road prescribed by doctors! just sayin :)  Women should be eating about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and men could be consuming up to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Depending on goals this could be reduced a bit.

Third is Carbohydrates. There are a TON of misconceptions about carbohydrates. low-carb, high-carb, no-carb, sugar-free, what to do! So basically any carb source in its simplest form inside your body gets broken down into sugar, which are body uses for energy. Carbohydrates are an awesome source of energy and our bodies need carbs, but where we go wrong is with the amount. most of us do not need the amount of carbs we consume and it gets stored as fat in our bodies. Most of us aren’t running through the forest hunting dinner every night, or biking as our main source of transportation. We need to get back in tune with when our body needs the extra fuel from carbs, and when we don’t. Also get back in tune with cravings vs hunger. Sugar is addicting, and I claim that as a fact. So most of the time we want carbs or sugars, we're not really hungry, we're just listening to those addictive cravings. Carbs spike our blood sugar levels which effect our energy levels throughout the day. Thats why most of the people going to eat a sandwich & chips and a soda on their lunch break come back to work feeling that 2-3pm energy slump. Its an energy roller coaster when carbs are your main source. We can neutralize this with fats and proteins in our diet. By the way, Carbs come from lots of sources, most familiar is breads, pastas, crackers, cookies, sugar, but vegetables and fruits are carbs as well! And I don’t think we need to avoid grains and breads & sugar all together, but just be mindful of when your body needs it. So if we’re climbing a mountain tomorrow, ya I”m going to have a bowl of oats in the morning with some fruit, and I’m gonna stir some coconut oil in there as well for that fat source. I know i’m going to use that fuel on my hike. Or before a long run, I'll have a piece of toast with nut butter and banana for my fuel source. But avoid eating a big bowl of cereal or muffin before you go sit at your desk all day. So the idea is to shift our mindset and habits from this carb binge, fat fearing state of mind, to a balanced, real food, mindful eating approach, and fueling our body for what it needs. Using food as a fuel source rather than this horrible thing that makes us fat!

How do we make the shift? Our culture and mainstream grocery stores and food sources make carbs so prevalent and convenient and cheap!  Whats more convenient than a pack of easy cheese and pretzel sticks and a hot pocket? or a pop-tart? I mean seriously its like magic! Well in order to make this healthy eating a reality, we need to make the healthy options as convenient and second nature as we can. First of all, knowing in your mind what a healthy plate looks like is key. With this embedded into your brain you can build a healthy meal wherever you are! Sometimes you’ll have better options than other times, but just doing your best in whatever situation is key. So this is what the government food plate guideline is today (show picture). They have grains as big as vegetables, and then fruits and proteins a little smaller, and then dairy in your cup. Well one problem I see is that 3 out of the 4 sections are carbs, and 2nd problem is that their is no room for fats. So I’m gonna X this one and show you my plate guide. (show new picture) First off, you got your protein source here. Whether thats Turkey, Eggs, Tofu, a mix of Quinoa & meat, or cottage cheese. Then you have your Vegetables. Vegetables at every meal! yes even breakfast. There’s so many ways to sneak vegetables in. I always load my eggs with chopped veggies, you can buy a big bag of frozen veggies if thats more convenient for you (aim for organic if you’re doing frozen because they’re picked at the right time and no chemicals used), spinach or kale in your smoothies, there’s lots of options! But get veggies in every meal. and then you have your fat. This is key to help you feel full, to stabilize your blood sugar levels, curb your cravings, and perform your best. This is why so many diets fail and people get HANGRY because they aren’t eating enough fats. Fats are super important for our cognitive function as well, so we will be able to think and focus so much better. This fat on the plate can be avocado, Olive Oil with your veggies, butter on your sweet potato, Chopped nuts on your salad, there’s lots of options there too. And in the cup I just put water! So many of us aren’t drinking enough water. A lot of the times when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty, so I always tell my clients to carry a water bottle, and if they have a craving, take a drink first and see if the craving continues. 

So you can build this healthy plate in a lot of situations. At the salad bar, get your lettuce, topped with lots of veggies, a protein, and some nuts & dressing for your fat. A Burrito bowl with guacamole, etc. Along with knowing how to build your plate, meal prep is another key to success! You don't have to go crazy and measure out all your little tupperwares for the week, but just be smart and efficient with your time in the kitchen. ALWAYS make extra when your cooking and put it in a tupperware for tomorrows breakfast or lunch. Spend a couple hours one evening to do some crock pot meat, Chop up veggies for the week, and boil a bunch of eggs. You’ll be set. almost as convenient as a hot pocket ;)

My quick recap is remember to EAT REAL FOODS, • Fats are good (natural fats), • Avoid chemicals, if you can’t say it or know where it came from, you probably shouldn’t eat it, • and remember how to build your plate, Veggies, Protein, Fats, Water! 

So there you have it. Episode 1 of my Nutrition crash course. Next time I’ll be talking about Sugars & artificial sweeteners and supplements. :) and please comment with any questions you have at all. I’ll try to answer them best I can! and share this with any friends or family members you think may enjoy it! Thanks guys!

Get Foam Rolling in Your Life, the Right Way

Alright some of you may still be wondering what the hype about foam rolling is. Is it just a trend? Does it actually do anything? Why does it hurt so bad? Well hopefully I can answer some of your questions and influence you to try it out and enjoy it like I have.

First of all, what is foam rolling? It is more scientifically known as SMR, or Self-Myfascial Release. It is a soft tissue therapy (muscles, tendons, fascia, connective tissue) that you apply to yourself with the goal to release tightness and soreness, also referred to as trigger points.

Some of the Benefits of foam rolling include:

• Increasing range of motion
• Increasing long term flexibility
• Decrease Muscle Soreness
• Decrease Muscle Pain long term
• Increase Neuromuscular efficiency
• Maintain normal muscle length
• Address muscle imbalances
• Aid with Injury prevention

Think of it as a little Therapeutic massage to yourself. Ok maybe a little more painful at times, but the more you do it the less painful it will be! 

Alright first order of business, how to choose the right foam roller? You can order them for as cheap as $8 off amazon if you’d like. You want it firm. It needs to be hard enough so that it’s pressing into you, rather than you pressing into it. Personally, I like the firm, solid black classic.

Now lets talk Technique. You may have seen people just roll around up and down on these things. Thats not exactly right. You should roll around for about 30 seconds to break things up, but then start to feel where you have tension and target that spot to release that tension. You want to push through that spot, relax, and feel it release. You will feel pain, but try to stay on that point until it releases. Then move on to the next spot. This is a slower process that most people think. 

When should you foam roll? Ideally every day, but you can start out with a few days a week. Before and after your workout is perfect. You will notice that your muscle soreness will decrease, and it’s a nice warm up before you get started. 

What Muscles to target? Well most commonly tight on humans is our IT bands, or the outer thigh. Your IT band connects your hip down to the outside of your knee. Since so many of us sit, or bike, or run, we aren’t getting that lateral movement, so that naturally tightens up. This can cause a pull on your knee and you will feel pain. Roll through that IT band, break up that tightness. Other points that are my favorite to target are your quads, calves, glutes, and back. I find my glutes are often in knots, so I just sit on the foam roller and knead through the soreness. Along with the benefits above, you will start to notice a longer, leaner look to your muscles if combined with regular exercise and a healthy eating routine. 

A common mistake? Most people always want to stretch their hamstrings, it feels good, but I suggest you stay away from it unless you are foam rolling them as well. Here’s the deal, our hamstrings are usually over lengthened. Think about it, hips are tight & short (sitting the majority of the day), hamstrings are over lengthened & being stretched through the day. Foam rolling breaks up the muscles, helps reduce the length of the muscles back to normal, and then you will feel stronger and better when you stretch them.

So there you have it, my quick 101 crash course on foam rolling. Have other questions? Let me know, comment below. Think someone else could benefit from this information? Share this blog post and spread the word, and let me know how your next foam roll session goes :)

ALSO ON THE BLOG......

POWER DOWN AND MEDITATE - My new healthy habits

I’m sure you’ve all had the post-tech-screen-binge hangover feeling where your eyes burn and you feel like you’ve just consumed way to much information about your social network. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself looking at your phone first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to bed. This has been weighing on me and I’ve decided something needs to change. With this Back on Track 30- Day Fitness Challenge, part of the program is focusing on a healthy habit each week. Participants email me their healthy habit that they want to work on that week and I check in with them throughout the program. By the end of the month we will have a few new healthy habits that we can be proud of and that have brought us closer to our overall goal of living our healthiest, happiest life. 

Well I couldn’t just stand on the side lines! I’ve dedicated myself to the program as well. My healthy habit that I am working on this week is powering down all electronic screens at least 30 minutes before I go to bed, and not turning them on for at least 30 minutes after I wake up in the morning. The second part of this routine is adding in at least 5 minutes of meditation in those 30 minutes both morning and night. Now before you think the word “meditation” means weird woo woo type stuff, give it a chance. Meditation can be done in many different forms. In fact, prayer is a form of meditation which is something I’m sure most of you already do. The last few days have been amazing with this routine! I sleep better, my eyes don’t hurt from the blue light and squinting, my morning is more peaceful and my day goes better. 

I’m a huge supporter of powering down screens before sleep and here’s some reasons why:

• First off, you’ll sleep better, meaning your quality of sleep improves drastically! With before bed screen time you never truly get into REM sleep where all the rest and recovery actually happens. 
• If you’re trying to lose a few pounds, you are much more likely to have success if you’re getting enough sleep!    
• You will also be able to reduce stress, and stay away from mood swings and depression. When our tech screens are constantly on we can blur the lines between work and home life. We need our home life!
• Our productivity, organization and critical thinking skills are compromised when we spend too much time distractedly jumping from one site to another. We may develop issues with focusing on a face to face conversation.
• And you get to cuddle undistracted, morning and night with your love! That by itself is worth unplugging! 

Ideally we should be powering down 2 hours before bed, but I’m starting with 30 minutes and so far its been great! Baby steps. 

Some tips for success with powering down:

• Get an actual alarm clock instead of using your phone.
• Get an actual, paper book to read at night and in the morning if you like to read. This will be much better than staring at your phone to read. Or have a journal by your bed to write in!
• Leave your laptop and phone charging in a different room at night so its not right next to you.
• Think of all the things you can get done in the morning if you’re not glued to your phone! You can stretch, meal prep, read a book, clean, shave your legs, workout… haha just saying

If you listen to any podcasts or read any productivity books you’ve probably come across the same common theme that I have, and thats the power of meditation! The majority of powerful, successful, and productive people make time for meditation in their day. The benefits go on and on but to name a few common ones: 

• reduces stress
• improves concentration abilities
• increases self-awareness
• can increase happiness
• can slow aging
• can benefit cardiovascular and immune help. Where to start? try out this app HEADSPACE and see what you think. I know most of you are thinking you don’t have time for meditation but just give it a shot and see if it helps clear your mind in your busy life! Start with just 5 minutes a day! 

Well there you go, now you know the healthy habit that I’m working on and I’d love to hear yours. Comment below and share this with a friend who may want to jumpstart their fitness goals with this 30 day Back on Track program.

Wednesday Wisdom: Got a case of Constipation?

After a summer of traveling, eating strange foods, and changing time zones, I thought I’d hit on the topic of constipation. Yes I know its not glamorous but its real life! There’s a lot of factors that go in to a healthy track system in our bodies and I wanted to share my findings. There are also a few misconceptions that are going around that I wanted to clear up. A regular schedule is a happy schedule ;) 

Here are my top tips to keep your insides running regular

1. fiber PLUS water: We’ve all heard that fiber helps us poop right? Which is true, but the second and very important part to this point is that if you are increasing your fiber intake, you need to increase your water intake as well. Fiber increases the bulk of your stool so it can move along on its merry way, but water is crucial for it to move. So remember, if your increasing fiber, make sure your getting enough water as well.

Suggested Fibrous foods:

    • prunes• green Veggies• ground flaxseed (can throw into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt,         etc)  • Low sugar Fruits with fiber (kiwi, apple, avocado)  • rolled oats

Suggested Water consumption:

    • Adult Males: 12-14 Cups/day

    • Adult Females: 8-10 Cups/day

2. Natural Laxatives (used the right way): You may have used over the counter laxatives in the past, but did you know that over time those products can cause more harm then good? They can inhibit your bodies natural process creating dependence on them. Here’s some healthy, natural laxatives:

    • Chia Seeds - soak them in a liquid before consuming. This creates a gel like coating         that can act as a lubricate in your system. (try my overnight oats recipe here)

    • Aloe Vera - Aloe vera latex also has anti-inflammatory components that reduce swelling     and and improve function of the digestive organs. It also actually helps increase the         water content in your intestines.

    • Probiotics - or “good bacteria” in your gut that makes your body able to balance various     types of “bad bacteria.” They help create a healthy environment in your gut. Probiotic         foods include things like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and probiotic yogurt. If you can, try to buy dairy products that are organic, as they are easier on digestion, such as goat milk products, organic kefir, raw dairy products or dairy that doesn’t contain A1 casein. It’s possible that low-quality pasteurized/homogenized dairy, or too much dairy in general (especially if someone has symptoms of lactose intolerance), can cause inflammation and contribute to digestive dysfunction.

3. Regular Exercise: Last but definitely not least, exercise helps get those muscles moving that push your waste through your body. Not to mention it helps with other causes of constipation such as relieving stress! If you’re feeling a little backed up, try going for a run, but don’t go too far ;)

Well there you have it! Here’s to healthy and regular bowel systems, Cheers!

Wednesday Wisdom- 3 Simple Summer Swaps to keep that bikini bod!

Summer is full of pool parties, back yard barbecues, Weddings, vacations, and a lack of structure. No one wants to be burdened with a bunch of diet rules and regimens with all this fun stuff going on! Which is why I came up with some of my favorite, easy healthy swaps to keep you on track this summer. You can still enjoy all the summer parties, without losing all your hard work in the gym. It just takes learning a few healthy habits and making educated decisions. 

1. The Ice-cream Swap: Something that always sounds good in the summer is icecream, and its a party dessert favorite for sure. An occasional ice-cream won’t kill you, but an everyday addiction is what we want to avoid. Try making some healthy frozen treats to give you that same sweet and refreshing satisfaction. 
   1. mix plain frozen yogurt with fruit. pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups. Freeze for a few hours. Remove and enjoy like a popsicle or with a spoon!
   2. Banana Ice-cream: keep frozen bananas in your freezer at all times. Chop them up and blend in blender or food processor. Can mix in PB, coco, or cinnamon for a healthy combo!
   3. The Cone Trick: If you’re at a party and they’re serving up ice-cream, go for the smallest portion option. When you serve ice-cream in a bowl, you naturally serve up more. When you have to fit it in a small cone or cup, the portion is going to be smaller, but appear bigger when served like this. 

2. The BBQ swap: What’s summer with out a BBQ? Well you’re typical BBQ menu can be packed with extra calories and sugar. But don’t worry, healthy swaps to save the day!

    1. Go for the green salad over the fruit/jello salad. You’ll save on sugar and calories.

    2. Wrap your burger in Lettuce, lose the bun! Lower your carbs, keep the protein.

    3. Skip the chip bag. Just by leaving out the potato chips you’ll save loads of empty calories and that unhealthy fat that we don’t want in our bodies. Instead, if you’re in need of something salty, bring some grilled or baked veggies to the party with you’re own salty seasoning. You’ll benefit everyone there with this healthy side dish. 

3. The Party Approach: My third tip isn’t necessarily a swap, but more of a strategy. When you have a busy party week coming up, with weddings, holidays, etc. go in with a game plan. Decide on what dessert you want to splurge on, and what you’re going to say no to before you go, so that you don’t have to make the decision when the cake table is staring you down. 

    - For example, cousins wedding is next weekend. My plan may be, “If there are cookies, i’m having one. But if it’s just cake, I don’t even like cake so that I can skip.” easy enough!

If you know you have a holiday weekend coming up, plan the rest of the week so you’re eating really healthy, then the weekend splurge won’t be as big of a deal. It’s all about being prepared and planning ahead. 

    - For example, if I know my cousins wedding is next weekend, Friday night, Monday through Thursday I’ll eat my lean and green for dinner, balanced meals throughout the day, and stay clear of sweets. Then when Friday night comes around, I’ll enjoy a slice of wedding cake and really enjoy it, without the guilt. 

Keep it balanced, plan ahead, and you’ll be just fine!