9/8/2020 0 Comments My Top 5 Go-To Healthy Snacks
I am a snacker. I would much prefer snacking periodically throughout the day than sitting down for 3 big meals. I also have a sweet tooth. This combination can make snacking dangerous! Today I am going to share with you my favorite, healthy snacks that I find myself reaching for over and over again. I am not a nutritionist or dietician, so this is simply a list of healthy snacks that I enjoy consuming :)
I did a facebook live about these snacks as well, so if you prefer watching over reading, check it out on my Busy AND Fit Moms facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/busyandfitmoms/events #1 - Greek Yogurt with Fruit Why do I love this snack so much? Not only does it taste delicious, but it has tons of protein (from the Greek yogaurt), which helps to keep me full! There are many different brands of Greek yogurt, but my favorite by far is Fage. I find Fage to be thicker and much less watery than any other Greek yogurt I have tried. To make this snack healthy, I buy the plain, fat free Fage Greek yogurt. Any yogurt that is flavored will have added sugar, which if you are trying to eat healthy, you should probably avoid! I measure out 1 cup of Greek yogurt and then to give it a little flavor without the added sugar I put in a squirt of SweetLeaf Sweet Drops. This is a stevia-based sweetener. I like the vanilla flavor the best, but it comes in many different flavors such as chocolate and caramel. I buy it on Amazon - see links below! You can keep your snack being just the Greek yogurt if you'd like, but since I have a sweet tooth, I add in fruit. I typically add in a cup of grapes, but I've also used strawberries, raspberries, and cantaloupe in the past. If you try it out, let me know what you think in the comments.
#2 - Apple with peanut butter
This is a great snack to have an hour before or shortly after a workout. You get carbs, protein, and fats with this snack - ALL of your macros! I typically eat my apple with 2 Tbsp of peanut butter, but if you are trying to cut down on calories, this would taste just as great with just 1 Tbsp of peanut butter. Any nut butter would taste great with the apple! #3 - Smoothie During the lockdown back in March and April, I purchased the Magic Bullet blender and it was one of the best purchases ever! It is so easy to use and there are so many different things you can make in the Magic Bullet. It comes with a good size recipe booklet, but there are also tons of recipes online. I'll admit I have pinned quite a few recipes on Pinterest, but have so far only used the Magic Bullet to make my smoothies and some pina coladas! There are so many different smoothies you can make and literally 100s of different ingredients you can use, but my recipe is pretty simple! I use 1 cup of skim milk (any type of milk substitute will do here), 1 scoop of Orgain Organic Protein and Superfoods powder (link to Amazon at the bottom of this post), 1/2-1 banana (bananas add sweetness, so if you don't like your smoothie super sweet, you can put less banana in) (I also like the texture that the bananas give the smoothie), and 1/2-2 cup frozen fruit of any variety you like. I put it all in the Magic Bullet, blend it up and suck it down! I am not a huge meat eater, so this smoothie with the protein powder helps me to get enough protein throughout the day, PLUS all of the vitamins from the fruits! My daughters, ages 10 and 12 LOVE to use the Magic Bullet as well (it is super simple to use) and since we've gotten it, there fruit intake has increased so much, which is just another reason I love the Magic Bullet! Btw - don't mind my yucky looking walls - I'm in the process of getting a new backsplash!
#4 - Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk? Healthy you say?? I do! Chocolate milk is one of the best recovery snacks after a tough workout. It has been found to have an almost ideal ratio of carbs to protein in order to help your body during the recovery process! Just make sure you go for the low-fat or fat-free version of chocolate milk. #5 - Fairlife Core Power High Protein Milk Shake Yeah, this one doesn't sound very healthy either, but it is another great recovery drink! It is a bit more expensive than just your regular chocolate milk, but it is SO DELICIOUS!!! There are two versions, one that has 42 grams of protein and one that has 26 grams of protein. I typically go for the one with 26 grams of protein because it has fewer calories and less fat. To me, they both taste exactly the same. There is no yucky protein taste of texture with this baby - it is pure sweet and smooth and delectable! I purchase this one via Amazon as well (link below). What are your favorite healthy snacks? If you crave salty food instead of sweet, what are your go-to healthy snacks? Comment below and let us know!
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8/26/2020 0 Comments Physical Activity GuidelinesSo, I am a numbers person. I always excelled at math because I "got" numbers. Numbers are pretty important when it comes to your health. There's your blood pressure reading, your red and white blood cell count, your body temperature, your cholesterol levels, your weight, your height, your BMI, your heart rate, etc. These are all numbers that are super important to doctors when it comes to your health. There are also numbers that are super important to me when it comes to your health. These would include your body fat percentage (probably one of the most important numbers to watch!), your weight, your waist, hip, thigh, and chest circumferences, your max heart rate, and your VO2 max. Most of these would be calculated during our first session together if I was your personal trainer. Other numbers that I think are so important to your health and wellness are the amount of time it is recommended for you to exercise - the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) Physical Activity Guidelines. According to the ACSM website, both the ACSM and the CDC recommend that "healthy adults aged 18-65 should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 min on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 min on three days per week AND every adult should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week." (Check out my previous blog post on "Are you making this serious mistake?") Does that sound overwhelming to you or does that sound doable? We are all so crazy busy, but I bet you can find 30 minutes 5 days a week to workout! Go for a brisk walk 3 days a week and do some strength training the other two days and then you get 2 days of rest! When you break it down like that, and schedule those 30 minutes into your calendar or to-do list, YOU GOT THIS! Tons of research has been done on the detrimental affects of sitting too much. The majority of us have jobs that require us to sit for long periods of time, which has been shown to be detrimental to our health, making getting the recommended amount of physical activity even more important and it is recommended that if you sit for large portions of your day that you should aim for closer to 300 minutes of weekly activity as opposed to the 150 minutes. Lucky for you, I do have some tips to help you out if you do sit for large portions of your day!
1. Get up and walk around for 3-5 minutes each hour. I have an Apple Watch that reminds me to do so the last 10 minutes of each hour if I haven't gotten up during that hour. Is it annoying sometimes? YES! Does it make me get off my butt? YES! Even if you don't have an Apple Watch or Fit Bit, set an alarm at 50 minutes past each hour and get up off your bottom for a few minutes! 2. Get a standing desk or just work standing up. No need to buy anything special for your standing desk - just pile up a bunch of books or boxes and set your computer on top! Even if you're not walking, standing is WAY better than sitting! I have a friend that gets to use a treadmill desk at her job - how cool it that??? Another option is to sit on an exercise ball instead of a regular chair. Sitting on the ball requires you to activate your core, so you're working out while your typing at your computer! 3. During your 3-5 minutes of getting up off your butt, try to do some stretches. I know my neck and upper back get so sore from sitting and working on my computer. I'll plan on doing a separate blog post on stretches to do throughout your day to keep you from getting stiff. Comment below with any additional tips you have regarding either getting up each hour or getting in your recommended amount of physical activity each week. Stay healthy and active, Christina 8/13/2020 14 Comments 2020 you suck. COVID you suck.I have been extremely positive throughout the craziness of this year, but I finally hit a point yesterday when I just couldn’t be positive anymore. I got laid off. From my dream job. Due to COVID. It sucks. Not much more to say than that. My 40th birthday was January 1, 2020. I had to work for the first time ever on my birthday – that should’ve been a sign of what was to come this year. In February my boyfriend broke up with me and moved back to his home state. We all know what happened in March. I know so many people are going through way worse than me which why I tried to stay so positive. And which is why I’m going back to having a positive outlook. I allowed myself a pity party last night. Today is a brand new day. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it takes a while for us to find out what the reason was, but there’s a plan for us. For years now I’ve been wanting to start my own fitness business, but I just never knew how. Or where. Or why. Or when. I now know that the time is NOW. The fitness industry is changing completely due to this pandemic and I’m going to take advantage of that. Virtual fitness is getting more and more popular. Working out from home is now a thing we have had to do. In hindsight I’ve spent years preparing for this. I got my group ex certification, which when I did so, the thought of teaching exercise in front of a bunch of people was SO scary! Now, it is by far my most favorite thing to do! I got my personal training certification. I went back to school to get a second master’s degree in something I am so incredibly passionate about – exercise science. Was it easy to go back to school while being a single mom of two young kids and working? No. Was it worth it? YES!!!!!! It helped me get my dream job of supervising all things fitness at a local park district. Getting this job has allowed me to share my love of fitness with so many people. Now, that job is no longer. But my love of fitness is even stronger and it will get me through this and into what I’ve been dreaming about for years. I’ve spent these months of the pandemic trying to live more in the moment, to be present. Meditation has been so helpful. Several days ago a dear friend sent me a link to an article about August 8. August 8 is said to be one of the luckiest days of the year. On this day the Leo sun links up with the star Sirius and creates a lion’s gate portal. It is said that this is the day to manifest abundance and dream big. The article stated one should meditate at 8:08 on August 8, so my daughter and I sat outside on a beautiful night and did a lion’s gate portal meditation. After the meditation we wrote down our biggest goals and listed eight steps we could take to get the ball rolling on them. What was the first goal I wrote down? To start my very own fitness business. Four days later, I got laid off. Coincidence? Maybe. I’m taking it as a sign that now is the time for my dreams to come true.
What dreams do you have? Maybe now is the time for you to make your dreams come true too. 2020 sucks, but maybe it doesn’t have to. Maybe we can take the bad and turn it into something good. Something better than what we’ve had in the past. XOXO, Christina Tired. Stressed out. Anxious. Annoyed. Exasperated. Tense. On edge. Restless. Apprehensive. Unnerved. Have you used any of the above words in the past 4+ months? I think I’ve probably used all of them. Many, many times. Life during a pandemic is not easy. It’s totally okay to feel all the feelings and more. However, all of those feelings sap your motivation. It is difficult enough in the best of times to build up enough motivation to go workout – how are we supposed to build up that motivation during our current times, during a pandemic when we are feeling so out of sorts? I want to share with you 10 ways that have helped me stay motivated to keep moving these past few months in the hopes that maybe one or two of them will make sense to you and you will be able to get motivated to get up and start moving that body of yours! 1. Set a goal. No matter what your goal is, use that goal as something to work towards, something to get you motivated. A goal I set back in March was to do some kind of yoga at least 5 days a week. I love yoga, but never had much time for it pre-COVID. I now had the time and I was motivated to use that extra time to be kind to my joints and to my mental health. Depending on your goal, you may want to set an end date by which you want to reach that goal and maybe even have a reward waiting for you once you reach your goal. New workout leggings? A mani/pedi? Choose a reward that will keep you focused on your goal – something that you really want and that you won’t get for yourself unless you reach your goal. 2. Make yourself accountable to someone. One reason group fitness classes are so popular is because you form a community and friendships through taking these classes. If you miss a class, you know you will get a text or phone call from one of your classmates wondering where you were, or the instructor will call you out when you come back wondering why you were missing. Basically, you know you will be held accountable for missing that class, which gives you more motivation to get to class! If group fitness classes aren’t your thing, find a workout buddy. You don’t have to workout with this person, heck your workout buddy could live on the other side of the world. All you have to do is share your goal progress with him or her every day. Knowing that you have to email your workout buddy your workout of the day or what you ate that day, will keep you accountable and motivate you to stick to your goals. If your workout buddy does live close, even better – you wouldn’t want to leave her standing on the street corner waiting for you to show up for your workout date, now would you? If both you and your workout buddy aren’t so good at keeping your workout commitments, hire a personal trainer! You will set appointments with your trainer and he or she will charge you whether you show up or not, so if you don’t want to be throwing away your money, you will show up for that session! 3. Write your workout schedule in your daily planner, calendar, phone app, etc. I am a list person. I like to write down in my daily planner everything that is scheduled for that day. I’m not worried that I’ll forget something, I just like to see my days scheduled out. And I like to cross things off my lists – who’s with me?? In fact, once I’ve posted this blog, I will cross it off my list. I know some of you are just like me and write down something after you’ve completed it, just to be able to cross it off! We may be crazy, but it feels so good to cross things off! Anyways, back on the subject. Consider your workout as you would any other appointment. Write it down on your calendar and don’t allow yourself to schedule anything else at the same time as your workout. Your workout should be considered just as important as anything else you have to do. Put it on your calendar and cross it off once it is finished! 4. Music, music, music. (or audiobooks)
Music is SOOOO motivating! You will most likely not come across a group fitness class that is running without music. Music makes us want to move. Put together several playlists of your favorite, upbeat, motivating songs and only allow yourself to listen to those playlists when you’re working out! If you don’t have the time to create your own playlists, you can subscribe to Spotify, and find a number of fun, motivating workout playlists created for specific types of workouts, like running, walking, weightlifting, yoga, etc. Another take on this idea is to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while you are exercising. Again, only let yourself listen to them during a workout. If you’re reading a super exciting book, you may end up working out several times a day just so you can continue with your book! 5. Put on your workout clothes If you workout first thing in the morning, have your workout clothes all ready and waiting for you to put on as soon as you wake up. If you workout after work, change into your workout clothes before you leave work. Once you are in your workout clothes, you have no excuses to not workout! How silly would you feel if you just came home instead of going to workout and had to change out of your workout clothes before they even got sweaty? It seems silly, but it does the trick! I truly hope one of the above tips will help you with your motivation! What creative things do you do to motivate yourself? Share below in the comments. You might just be doing something that could really help motivate someone else. Stay healthy & active, Christina When you make the decision to work out, what type of activity is your go to? Running on the treadmill? Taking a Body Pump class? Getting on the elliptical? Talking a walk outside? Of the four above options, most women will opt for the cardio options - treadmill, elliptical, and walk. Now, there is nothing wrong with a cardio workout - there are TONS of benefits, however, if the only thing you do when you workout it cardiovascular training, then YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT! I totally get why you want to focus on cardio - I mean, when I look at my apple watch after a spin class and see how many calories I've burned, it makes all of the sweating, breathing hard, and jello legs worthwhile! I spent years working out and focusing on cardio. I would get to the gym, hop on the elliptical, place my book or magazine on the console, and go for an hour. Not only was I bored out of my mind, but I found that reading while working our really sloooowed me down. It was definitely a waste of time! After my 60 slow minutes on the elliptical, I would hop on a few selectorized weight machines and lift. I most definitely did not lift heavy enough or often enough to really make a difference. These 90 minute, long and drawn out and yet very un-challenging workouts had to come to an end when I became a mom! What mom has that much time or energy to dedicate to working out???? Definitely NOT me! After having my babies I knew I needed to continue to work out (it was the ONLY thing keeping me sane!) but I also knew I had to make some changes. I decided to focus all of my time on cardio and complete 3 challenging cardio workouts for 30 minutes each every week. Great idea, right?? NOPE. I was burning quite a few calories during my short workouts, but after the initial baby-weight loss, I stalled. I tried working out harder during those 30 minutes. I tried adding in additional workouts and was up 7 cardio workouts a week. Still no changes. Plus I was always tired again! Right around that time, one of my supervisors mentioned that there was a Body Pump training in the area coming up and she was looking for more Body Pump instructors. I thought, what the heck? I've never taken a Body Pump class, but I've seen them and they looked super fun, plus I'd love to add more classes to my schedule. This was one of the BEST decisions of my life! For those of you who aren't familiar with Body Pump, it is a full-body weight training class using bars and plates that is set to amazing music. I took the grueling 2-day training over a weekend and was hooked! This class was amazing! And my muscles - I felt my muscles working hard, REALLy hard for the first time maybe in forever! After the initial training, I had to practice, practice, and practice some more in order to film myself teaching a class. I would then have to submit my video and pass a rigorous rubric in order to officially get certified to be a Body Pump instructor. I worked my butt off and had a blast doing so! I submitted my video, passed, and started teaching a Sunday morning Body Pump class. A few months later, I started getting so many compliments on how I looked. I started paying more attention and realized that, yeah, they were right - I looked great! I could see muscle definition everywhere. Not only that, but I felt great too. With practicing and teaching Body Pump, I had really lowered the amount of cardio I was doing and I had tons more energy than I used too! Plus I was fitting better into my clothes, and the scale started moving again. No more plateau for me! Anytime someone new comes to my Body Pump class I tell them that this class out of all of the different classes I teach, created the biggest changes in my body, and I'm not lying. Ladies, we all NEED to do some type of strength training. I'm not saying every single one of you should run as fast as you can to a Body Pump class. There are so many different types of strength training we can do. It doesn't matter what kind you do, all that matters is that you build muscles. Even yoga builds muscle strength. Once we hit the ripe old age of 30, we start losing our muscle mass. WHAT?? I know - scary isn't it? We can lose 3-5% of our muscle every single decade. How can we stop this loss of muscle mass? Ding ding ding - you are correct - STRENGTH TRAINING!
The benefits of strength training are numerous:
You don't have to completely give up your cardio, because it too has many benefits and it's tough to beat the feeling of a runner's high, but grab those dumbbells, resistance bands, TRX straps, plates, bars, kettlebells, yoga mat, or hop on some equipment at the gym and start lifting - I promise you will not regret it! If you have any questions regarding strength training or cardio or how to fit this all into your busy schedule, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I want to help you find the time to get into the best shape of your life - even if your time is limited! Comment below with your favorite form of strength training! Stay healthy and active, Christina |
CategoriesAuthorChristina Brown. Mom. Personal Trainer. Fitness Instructor. Archives
September 2020
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