Healthy foods to curb sugar cravings

Healthy foods to curb sugar cravings

  March 31, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Sharing some tips about sugar cravings, healthy foods to curb them, why you should enjoy a sweet treat when you want one, and why fueling yourself throughout the day is the key to feeling satisfied and energized.

Hi friends! How’s the day going? We’re off for some California adventures. Soooooo ready! I hope you have a wonderful day, too. 🙂

For today’s post, let’s talk about sugar cravings!

Sugar cravings make you feel the urge to eat something sweet, and it’s super common. It can also lead to overeating, as tons of sugary foods can satisfy your sweet tooth for a second, but also make you feel hungry and wanting more just as quickly. Some of tet causes of sugar cravings include: poor sleep quality, hormones (oh hey, PMS), being dehydrated, restrictive eating styles, and deprivation throughout the day. Today, I’m sharing a roundup of foods and strategies I enjoy to conquer sugar cravings and hope that these tips are helpful for ya.

Healthy foods to curb sugar cravings

(10 years ago, I would have never posted these pics. My posture is slouchy and I don’t like the way my stomach looks. But, this is real life, and this is my real body, so there ya go.)

Make sure you’re getting enough protein

Protein is the building block of our cells and also adds a satiety factor to our meals. They’re so much more filling when there’s a protein component, and as it’s important to preserve muscle tissue as we age, protein intake continues to be something you should focus on in your meals and snacks.

Some sources of protein you might consider:

– Greek yogurt

– Cottage cheese

– Chicken

– Fish (shellfish, salmon, tuna)

– Eggs

– Tempeh

– Lentils

– Red meat

-Deli meat

– A quality protein powder

Get fiber throughout the day

Foods that are high in fiber are also high in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and antioxidants, plus they can improve digestion. In your meals and snacks, try to include veggies with high water content, and eat the colors of the rainbow throughout the day. Each week, I like to grab a ton of veggies and roast them on a sheet pan. I’ll add these veggies to wraps, scrambles, and salads throughout the week. (Also, when you roast them, it makes them easier to digest. If you have a hard time digesting raw salads, roasted veggies may be an awesome solution.)

I’m also a huge fan of fermented foods, like kimchi and sauerkraut, and chia seeds increase fiber intake.

Foods that are naturally sweet can also be sources of fiber in your diet, like fruit! I love berries, or a couple of medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter and topped with sea salt.

Enjoy a balanced diet

When you eat a balanced diet of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats, you can feel more satisfied and experience more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. A well-rounded plate might look something like a palm-sized serving of rotisserie chicken, a baked sweet potato, and a greens salad (with lots of chopped veggies) drizzled with olive oil. Meals don’t have to be fancy to be super delicious and satisfying!

Some go-to combos of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and veggies are in this post of healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners!

Focus on quality sleep

Poor sleep makes candy and sweet treats look a thousand times more appetizing. Your body craves the sugar for a quick glucose and energy boost, but unfortunately, it leads to a quick crash. The cycle repeats itself.

When Liv was a newborn and we were SO sleep-deprived, I ate out of the Costo dark chocolate acai bag every.single.day.

It can be hard to focus on sleep (especially if you have small children), but here are some tips:

– Set a bedtime each night and spend at least an hour before bed winding down

– Create an evening routine, so your body expects that sleep is on the way

– Try to turn down lights and shut off electronics 2 hours before bed. Instead, read a book, chat or play a low-key board game with the fam, or work on a puzzle, or enjoy a golden milk latte

– Have your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime. When you’re working to digest food throughout the night, this increases tissue temperature and heart rate, which can make restful sleep extremely difficult.

Watch your workouts

Frequent intense workouts (like HIIT) are likely going to make you more hungry and want to eat sugar all the livelong day. Take a look at your fitness plan and make sure that it’s a balanced mix of strength (working every major muscle group), cardio, HIIT (max 2x a week), and rest. If you need help creating a balanced fitness plan, check out this free download I created.

Let yourself have (and enjoy!) the dang sweet

If you find that you’re truly craving a sweet treat, I’m a big believer in giving yourself permission to have it and ENJOY IT. You want a cupcake or candy bar? Eat it, enjoy every bite. Then, move on with your life. You don’t have to earn food through exercise, you don’t need to feel bad or guilty when you have dessert, and life is meant to be enjoyed, mmm k?

(PSA the donuts from Whole Foods bakery are out.of.this.world. Light, fluffy, flavorful, delicious.)

Work with a professional to figure out the cause of your cravings and help you determine a solid nutrition strategy

If you need more personalized help, it can be extremely valuable to work with a Registered Dietitian to determine an eating strategy that suits your lifestyle, medical history, and current goals. We currently have a few private coaching spots available. You’d be working with me and our team RD to develop a fitness and nutrition game plan for optimal energy, happy, balanced hormones, and body composition goals. If you’re interested in the details, just email me NUTRITION INFO at gina@fitnessista.com and I’ll send the application your way!

So, tell me friends: do you crave a lot of sugar and sweet treats? What are some of your favorite go-to protein sources and veggies?

xo

Gina

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Best fitness apps for moms

Best fitness apps for moms

  March 30, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Sharing some of the best fitness apps for moms. I’d love to hear about your faves in the comments section!

Hello hello! How are ya? I hope you’re having a lovely morning. I’m catching a workout with a friend and have podcast interviews the rest of the day.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favorite fitness apps, especially for my mama friends out there. I know that life can be crazy when you have little ones or a baby, and time feels like a huge luxury. It can also be hard to remember to exercise regularly when you’re living that mom life. Getting in shape or maintaining a fitness routine with kids can be tough and fitness apps can be super helpful. Apps can help you stay on track with goals, tell you what to do (so you don’t have to think about it!) and by using an app, you can squeeze in a few minutes to do some fitness routines during busy days.

10 Best fitness apps for moms

Les Mills+

I’ve been a fan of Les Mills for years and really feel like it’s the gold standard for group fitness. All of the moves have purpose and structure, and the classes are choreographed to go with the music. The instructors are engaging and SO good – the best of the best – and they have so many formats on their site. Whether you want to lift weights (BODYPUMP), strengthen your core (CORE), kickbox (BODYCOMBAT), or get in a sweaty HIIT workout (GRIT), there’s really something for everyone. They provide modifications, the equipment you’ll need for each class, the moves you’ll be doing, and you can mix and match different formats together. If you want to try it out, use my special link for 30 days FREE. 

Sculpt Society

I liked this app WAY more than I thought I would and feel like it’s a perfect fit for my friends out there who want low impact strength and dance cardio. The classes are fun, easy to follow, and I feel like Megan Roup and the other instructors do a great job motivating and cueing. You can check out my full review of Sculpt Society here! Access is around $20 per month.

Peloton

Peloton is an incredible app and has pretty much everything you could ever want: cycling, indoor and outdoor running and walking classes, barre, Pilates, dance cardio, strength, core, stretching, and meditation. The app enables you to filter classes by instructor, amount of time, music type, class type, etc. You can also see reviews from other participants and check out the playlist in advance.

Peloton has been one of my favorites for a long time – you can check out my review of the app and favorite instructors here – and they continue to improve and offer and new features. The only downside is that some of the classes don’t feel quite as purposeful or structured as others, but if you check out the reviews and find an instructor you love, you’ll have better luck at picking good workouts. They offer a free 30-day trial and it’s $12.99 per month (cost is higher if you use a Peloton bike or treadmill).

Don Saladino’s Playbook App

This app doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles of some of the larger app platforms, but the workouts are a gold star. I’m a huge fan of Don Saladino – he’s a celeb trainer who has worked with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively – and I love the way he structures his strength workouts. He sticks with a lot of the basic movements that truly work and structures them in a way that will leave you feeling challenged and sweaty. The playbook app is only $14.99 a month and has quite a few different workout plan tracks.

Sweat

Sweat is probably my #1 pick for women’s fitness apps. They have different workout programs based on the equipment you have, your fitness level, and goals, and you can follow along the timed blocks with a video tutorial of each exercise. You can read my review of the Fierce program here. There are also sample meal plans and recipes within the app. The cost is $19.99 per month.

Obé Fitness

I feel like Obé fitness is a great fit for moms because many of the workouts are short and sweet and don’t require a lot of equipment. They do offer a free trial, so you can check it out and see if you like it. If you’re used to heavy strength training, you may feel like the strength workouts aren’t challenging enough.  They have a hub for postnatal workouts and the dance cardio classes are a lot of fun. Cost is $27 per month and my full review is here.

Physique57 On Demand

Physique57 is probably my favorite barre studio of all time. The workouts are so fun and challenging, and they always use a unique combination of moves. They have quite a few options on their Demand platform, and are constantly adding new live and recorded workouts. Check out here! The app is $24.99 a month or $20 with the annual option.

Madeline Moves

While I haven’t personally tried her app, I’ve heard amazing things about it and follow Madeline Moves on Instagram. She’s a personal trainer and provides form videos for each of the exercises. There’s a guide feature bands and bodyweight, or a gym-based program, using kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, steps, etc. If you guys want me to try it out and review it here on the blog, I’d be happy to do it! Cost is $20 per month.

Calm

I’m a strong believer that almost all humans can benefit from a meditation practice, and Calm makes this so much more attainable. You can filter sessions by time, choose from instructors, and also listen to sleep stories before bed (one of my fave aspects). The cost for the app is $14.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

Alo Moves

This is a great app if you love yoga. It’s not quite as easy to filter as some of the other apps, but it has a solid selection of yoga, strength, and barre-based workouts, along with mindfulness classes. Alo is $20 per month or $199/year. There are some incredible instructors in their lineup, including Harley Pasternak, Eoin Finn, and Danielle LaPorte.

So, tell me friends: what is your favorite fitness app? Do you follow a program or do ya wing it?

if you’re looking for a phased plan designed for body composition results, join us in Fit Team! New workout are posted on the 28th of each month (April’s went live last night!) and all the details are here.

xoxo

Gina

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Benefits of electrolytes and adding them into your routine

Benefits of electrolytes and adding them into your routine

  March 28, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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What are electrolytes, how do they benefit the body, and how can you incorporate them into your diet? Get the details on adding electrolytes from an expert.

Hi friends! Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had dinner at a friend’s house, watched P play soccer, and I got some work stuff taken care of. I also took an amazing nap on Saturday! Bless it. I hope you had a fun and relaxing weekend, too!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about electrolytes! As someone who works in the fitness industry and has been highly active for years, I only recently started adding them into my routine. Most of the electrolytes I’ve tried in the past contain a lot of sugar and/or artificial colors (like Gatorade or Powerade), so I’d mostly been sticking to good ol’ water and food sources for electrolytes. I started taking electrolyte powder (this one!) in my water bottle each day (I think it was last summer?) and it’s made a huge difference in my performance and energy.

I asked Mia if she’d help with a post all about electrolytes and how to use them in your routine, and here it is! I hope this post is helpful for you and that you enjoy it, too.

Benefits of electrolytes and adding them into your routine

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are essential for the basic function of life. Sodium, potassium, and chloride are the most significant electrolytes along with magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonates.

How do we obtain electrolytes?

Electrolytes are consumed from our food and drink.

Electrolytes must be balanced in order for the body to maintain homeostasis. If we have an imbalance of any one of them, it can disrupt normal bodily functions and can lead to life threatening complications. They regulate fluid balance, help you produce energy, and strengthen your bones. Electrolytes are also essential for muscle contraction and can play a role in muscle fatigue.

Electrolyte imbalances

Most people are deficient in potassium, sodium and magnesium. Ever get a headache after a long sweaty workout or hang out at the beach on a hot summer day only to end up tired and fatigued when you get home? It’s likely due to an electrolyte imbalance. What about having a glass or two of wine or going out on a Friday night only to wake up feeling hungover? That’s right! You’re dehydrated and have an imbalance of electrolytes. Signs of a serious electrolyte imbalance include symptoms like confusion, lethargy, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, shortness of breath, abnormal urination patterns, and blood pressure changes.

Generally, the kidneys help to balance electrolytes, like if you consume too much salt, the kidney will get to work on peeing out the excess sodium to restore balance in the body. However, if you’re consuming too LITTLE of any one of these electrolytes, the kidney cant always do their job. An example of this would be eating too low carb or drinking too much plain water.

Unless you have otherwise been advised by your physician, you can benefit from taking electrolytes. Isn’t water enough? Not necessarily. A lot of tap water, city water, and well water can be stripped of minerals or chlorine can be added to these water sources making them less than optimal to drink. Investing in a good reverse osmosis system for your house and purchasing some extra minerals like these, can be beneficial to the body and maintaining homeostasis.

If you sweat regularly via exercise, lifting, sauna, live in a hot climate or are a breastfeeding mama, you can benefit from the addition of supplemental electrolytes. These are our favorite! Start with 1 per day and add an extra any time you’re going to get your sweat on. They’re great for breastfeeding mamas and milk supply.

Which foods contain electrolytes?

We can also obtain electrolytes by consuming a whole foods based diet.

Foods rich in electrolytes include:

White potatoes

Dates

Bananas

Coconut water

Dairy products like cottage cheese, cheese and yogurt

Avocado

Chia seeds

Beets

Pumpkin seeds

Oranges

Leafy greens, like spinach

Olives

Tomatoes

Almonds

Some electrolyte guidelines for workouts:

During long-duration or intense exercise, you can start to deplete electrolytes. Consume one electrolyte drink for exercise lasting more than one hour in intense heat and/or humidity or more than two hours in any condition. Electrolytes during hot yoga was a GAMECHANGER for me. I also make sure to have some extra electrolytes when I use my sauna blanket.

So, tell me, friends: do you take electrolytes? Do you pay attention to electrolyte content in your food?

Have a great day and I’ll see ya soon!

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today!

xo

Gina

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Friday Faves

Friday Faves

  March 25, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! What’s going on this weekend? P has a soccer game, Liv has some play dates, our house is in full disarray after being painted, and I’m filming a new barre video for ya. 🙂 The weather has been a dream, so I’m hoping we can catch a family hike, too! I’d love to hear what you have going on.

(Mazer got a haircut!)

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments below.

Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty:

New Beautycounter mask! This amazing mask is now available to the public and is one of my new favorite products. It’s a little different than thee overnight peel, which is gentle enough to use a few times a week. I would only use this once per week, as it has chemical and physical exfoliants. I also love that you can use it with this little tool to smooth the product into your skin, exfoliate, and then add serum afterwards. It makes my skin feel tight and super moisturized.

Beautycounter AHA Reflect Effect Mask Review:

Here’s a little video demo:

The link to snag one for yourself is here!!

The perfect jean shorts. They’re high waist, true to size, and not too short.

Cocofloss. I think I’ve shared these in a previous Friday Faves post, but they’re worth another shout out. I never thought I could be particular about floss, but this is THE FLOSS. It has amazing ingredients, doesn’t taste artificial, and is like a loofah between your teeth. Other floss feels flimsy and sad compared to this. It’s made with 85% recycled polyester spun from water bottles and the container is recyclable and refillable. This link gets you $10 off your first order $30+.

Read, watch, listen:

West Side Story. I’ve been trying to add more pockets of self care into the day, and one of the ways has been to prop up my phone and put on a movie or show while I’m working. I finally watched the recent adaptation of West Side Story and it blew.my.mind.

I’ve seen the stage version multiple times throughout my life, and admittedly get a little bored sometimes. (My bizarre meter always goes off when the gangs are doing slinky jazz moves and snapping. Not that there’s anything wrong with it but I feel like some of the choreography doesn’t match the plot. Don’t throw anything at me!) I was SUCKED IN the entire time. The entire cast is incredible, Maria was breathtaking, Tony’s voice was perfection, the dancing was insane, and I feel like they updated it while sticking to the heart of the story.

Photo source

Brigerton is coming back TODAY. Bless it.

Check out this week’s podcast episode here! I’m chatting with one of the co-founders of Health-Ade kombucha, Daina Trout.

Watching Titanic with Liv. She was home for a couple of days, so we finished watching Titanic. (We started watching it months ago when she was home from school. I only had to skip two scenes: the famous drawing scene and when they’re in the car together if you know what I mean.) I FORGOT THE END! I’m not going to post spoilers here in case you haven’t seen it, but the very last scene is everything.

Also worth mentioning here that I’m a huge fan of Common Sense Media. I head to this site when the kids want to watch a movie or show that I haven’t seen, or haven’t seen in a very long time. It gives you specifics about the content you may want to skip, and suggested ages for each movie/show/book.

A beautiful post on the magic of having kids. When we first had Liv, I feel like I was inundated with so much negative information online about having kids and how hard/terrible it is. It truly is the biggest gift and every year is better and better. It’s refreshing to read about all of the positives. 🙂

(Nekter acai bowl with pea protein, gf granola and peanut butter)

Fitness + good eats:

Huge wins from our Total Body Reset community!! This is one of the many emails I’ve received. Our group has been so much fun, and I’ve loved being able to see the changes they’re implementing and questions they’re asking along the way.

Want to join our next round? Get on the waiting list here.

How to create a playlist for a workout class

A full spring fitness plan

Chickpea buddha bowl

Happy Friday, friends!

xo

Gina

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099: Taking a leap with Daina Trout, Chief Mission Officer and Co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha

099: Taking a leap with Daina Trout, Chief Mission Officer and Co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha

  March 24, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Hi friends! Happy Thursday! I have an all-new podcast episode up today and am so excited to share this one. I’ve been a huge fan of Health-Ade kombucha for yearrrrssss and was so thrilled to interview one of the co-founders, Daina Trout.

Here’s what we talk about:

– The history behind Health-Ade kombucha

– Kombucha 101

– Her tips for entrepreneurs and friends with side hustles who want to take things to the next level

– Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life

– and so.much.more

 

099: Taking a leap with Daina Trout, Chief Mission Officer and Co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha

Here’s a little bit about Daina if you’re not familiar with her:

Daina Trout co-founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her husband, Justin Trout, and best friend, Vanessa Dew. Since the beginning, the trio has been committed to brewing the best tasting and highest quality kombucha on the market.

Trout first learned how to brew kombucha during her tenure at Tufts University, where she earned her Masters’ degrees both in Nutrition and Public Health  after receiving her BS from Georgetown University. During that time, she also developed her personal philosophy that health is less about science, and more about what makes you feel good and happy. After graduation, Trout moved to Los Angeles to  accept a position working in pharmaceuticals but continued to cultivate an interest in holistic and “real” food that fuels a hard-working lifestyle. Trout funneled this energy into an entrepreneurship club she formed with Justin and Vanessa to explore ways they could combine their diverse backgrounds into a successful business venture; the result, Health-Ade.

Trusting what soon became the company’s motto to “follow your gut,” Trout and her cofounders quit their jobs to focus on Health-Ade full time, brewing kombucha in her apartment closet and selling bottles at a local LA farmers market. Over the course of  the last nine years, Trout has nurtured what started as a small production and niche  product into what has become a national brand that is sold at 45,000 grocery stores and  health food markets nationwide, including major retailers like Target, Whole Foods and  Costco. Today, Health-Ade is currently the fastest growing brand in its category for  three years in a row and is projected to significantly expand its business nationwide  each year under her leadership as Chief Mission Officer.

In 2019, Daina was included on Inc’s Female Founder 100 list and was also named BevNet’s Person Of The Year. The same year, she was a semifinalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year program and is a member of the Young Presidents  Organization, a premier community of chief executives from around the world. In 2020,  Daina was highlighted on Entrepreneur’s 100 Powerful Women list, and was a feature  guest on NPR’s How I Built This. When Trout is not tirelessly working to bring kombucha to every fridge in America, she is spending time with her husband and two  sons, traveling, adventuring, cooking and enjoying outdoor life.

You can connect with Daina on Instagram here and check out Health-Ade here!

Resources from this episode:

If you don’t have the famous sauna blanket already, it’s one of my favorite things ever and it feels SO GOOD to sweat and relax, especially on chilly days. Check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA75 for $75 off!

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. I got a shipment last week and it set.me.freeeeee. It felt like such a gift to enjoy vibrant meals that I didn’t have to make.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. The green juice and gold powder are my favorites! I recently fell in love with Harmony and drink it like a hot cocoa in warm almond milk or add it to my smoothie.

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.

xo

Gina

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Best Single Leg Exercises

Best Single Leg Exercises

  March 23, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Sharing a list of my very favorite and what I consider to be the best single leg exercises! I hope this post can be inspiration to include more unilateral training is your routine. 

Hi hi! How are you doing today? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far! We’re getting ready for our Disney trip (I.can’t.wait) and I’m starting to wrap my head around the fact that summer is just around the corner. Usually I have our entire summer planned and this year, I’ve planned absolutely nada. It’s definitely on my list for this week! I’m also looking forward to a call with our Total Body Reset group this afternoon – we have 34 ladies and they’re crushing it!!

For today, let’s talk fitness-y things and one of my favorite elements to include in lower body workouts: single leg exercises. Single exercises are – you guessed it- exercises using just one side of your lower body at a time. Leg strength is important no matter what sport you choose or fitness mode you enjoy. Strong legs support everyday movements, our ability to perform, and focusing on one leg at a time can have several benefits. In today’s post, I’m sharing a roundup of the best single leg exercises that can help you reach your legs’ fullest potentials.

(Set was gifted from Vuori. I love everything on their site, and especially their leggings and joggers.)

Why train unilaterally?

It’s SO easy to use bilateral exercises to *depend* on our strongest side. Think about a barbell biceps curl vs. a dumbbell curl. With the barbell, you’ll lift the weight without the true ability to determine if the weight is split equally between sides. Your stronger side will always kick in to help you complete the rep, which can cause muscle imbalances to go unnoticed. By training one side at a time, like with a dumbbell curl, you can really focus on developing strength in the weaker side. This will not only promote muscle symmetry, but also potentially prevent altered movement patterns from depending on the stronger sides of the body.

Here are some of my favorite single-leg exercises to include on leg day! As always, check with a doctor before making any fitness changes. Honor your body and modify as needed.

Best Single Leg Exercises

Single-leg deadlift

Hold a barbell, pair of dumbbells, or kettlebell, and tap one leg behind you. You can keep it here, with the weight in your front foot as you tilt forward, bringing the weights just below the knees. Exhale and rise with a flat back. For the single leg option, you can float this top foot off the floor. Make sure to keep hips parallel to the floor.

Bulgarian split squat

Stand in front of a bench or sturdy chair and place one foot on top. Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward, and posture upright, as you bend your front knee. Press through your entire front foot and exhale to rise. Don’t worry too much about keeping your front knee stacked over your ankle -if you have the ankle flexibility, it can move a bit forward past your toes – but instead, focus on keeping your torso upright and sinking DOWN instead of forward. Another tip: I like to curl my back toes onto the bench, so the top of my foot or shoe is facing down. This places more emphasis on the working leg.

Single-leg hip raise

Start on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg off the floor, and press your heel towards the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, keeping your upper back pressing into the floor and hips parallel to the floor. Lower down towards the floor (don’t touch it!) and exhale to rise back up. Continue for all reps, then switch legs.

Single-leg calf raise

Stand with your legs hip with apart and come up onto your toes. Lift one leg, and gently wrap your foot behind the leg that’s still on the ground. Lower your heel towards the ground, but don’t let it touch the floor in between each rep to keep the tension in your calf. Hold onto wall or sturdy surface for balance if you need to.

Side leg raise

Standing, take a wide stance, and place your weight into one leg as you lift the opposite leg off the floor. Keep your toes pointing forward and use your glutes to lift your leg, lower down with control, and exhale to bring back up. For more of a challenge, wear ankle weights.

Hip extension

Start standing with your hips and shoulders in one line. Slightly bend one knee and place the opposite foot on the floor behind you. Using your glutes, exhale to bring your back leg off the floor. Return to starting position with control and repeat.

Single-leg curl

You can do this exercise on the curl machine at the gym, or at home, using a towel. Place a towel on the floor (or a paper plate if you’re doing this on carpet), and place one heel on the towel as you lie onto your back. Knees are bent, and shoulders are pressing down into the floor. Lift your hips off the floor and straighten the leg with the towel (the working leg), exhale to bend it in towards your hip. Repeat all of your reps on one side before switching to the other side.

Seated single-leg press

Start seated in leg press machine, starting with 1/3 of your typical leg press weight. Place one foot onto the plate, making sure you have about a 90 degree angle with that leg. Exhale as you press that leg out to straighten, engaging your glutes and hamstrings. Inhale back to start and repeat.

Single leg TRX pistol squat or single-leg sit squat

TRX single leg pistol squat: stand away from the TRX base point, holding onto the straps with both hands. The straps will be straight, and your chest will be lifted, with an engaged core. Bring one leg off the floor and flex your foot, bringing the leg up as high as you can. Inhale to sink down into a squat (goal is to end up with your knees in one line) and exhale to rise. Really pay attention to the standing leg and keep it as stable as possible. Squeezing the glutes really helps. If you need to, start with a smaller range of movement.

For the single leg sit squat (if you don’t have a TRX), stand in front of a chair or a bench, with the chair or bench about 2-3 feet behind you. Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower to touch your booty to the chair, exhale to rise. Do this on one leg with the opposite leg extended in front of you

Single leg band press out

Start lying on the floor with a band loop just above your ankles. Bring your feet up over your hips, like you’re trying to press your heels into the ceiling (feet are flexed). Create some tension with the band by pressing out. Hold it here, and then press one leg out and in, out and in. Complete 15-20 reps before switching to the opposite side. This is an awesome gluten activation exercise.

Here’s a quick video tutorial I put together, featuring some of my top exercises from the list above:

How often do you utilize unilateral training in your routine?

If you’re looking for phased training that’s designed for body composition goals, we’d love to have you in Fit Team! New workouts go out on the 28th of each month and you get instant access to the current month’s workouts + bonus material.

Check out the details here.

xoxo

Gina

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Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

  March 21, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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If you love gummy bears, you can make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health. They are healthier than store-bought ones because you can: make them yourself, include organic ingredients, and avoid artificial dyes and flavors. Learn how to make homemade gelatin gummies here.

Hi hi! Happy Monday! What are you up to this week? I feel like this week is bananas, but I’m looking forward to a much-needed haircut tomorrow. My hair is getting outta control. This is so random, but the Whole Foods cashier asked for my hair routine. It made my whole night, especially when I was running around like a stressed-out greaseball trying to assemble some items for dinner. I admitted that I don’t wash it a ton, use cheap shampoo and conditioner, swear by Moroccan oil, and that I think including collagen and gelatin in my routine has made a difference.

Collagen is super easy to implement in my morning coffee, but lately, I’ve been finding more creative uses for gelatin. I’m sharing one of my faves in this post!! I asked Mia if she’d help me out with a gelatin gummies recipe for the blog, and she shared her go-to recipe with me.

Grassfed gelatin gummies

Grassfed gelatin gummies make a great healthy snack for you and your kids! Grass fed gelatin helps to repair gut lining and support healthy hair, skin and nails. It’s good for your joints and is an easily digestible protein for those suffering with tummy troubles. It isn’t a substitute for meat, but it’s a great way to sneak in extra amino acids, especially if you don’t eat nose to tail.

Read on for a healthy homemade gummy recipe your kids will LOVE and what makes these even better than store-bought versions.

Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

Collagen vs. gelatin

Gelatin and collagen are similar, but just a tiny bit different. Collagen is the most abundant form of protein in our body, and is made up of amino acids that affect our connective tissues, hair, skin, and nails. Gelatin is hydrolyzed collagen, meaning that it’s been cooked to break down to smaller particles. Gelatin makes the gel-like substance when mixed with water, while collagen does not. They can both be used to promote healthy skin, hair, nails, connective tissues, joint function, gut health (from forming the tissues that line the gut), and immune function. <— our gut health dramatically impacts our immune system!

Benefits of homemade gummies

Our kids LOVE store-bought gummies, but so many of them are filled with less-than-ideal ingredients, like food dyes, artificial flavors, corn syrup, and wax. It’s not to say that they never have these things – I’m an “all things in moderation” type person- but if I can find a better option that they like, I’m going for it. They’re big fans of the Annie’s fruit snacks, but they go quickly around here. I thought it would be fun to try making our own, especially since we could decide what went into them.

These little treats have simple ingredients, and like we mentioned above, they can help to repair gut lining. So many of us are dealing with gut issues and leaky gut, so gelatin can be a gentle ingredient to incorporate into a healthy eating routine.

Ingredients

The great thing about gummies is that you can modify them to suit your unique taste preferences. As long as the method and ratios of gelatin to liquid is followed, feel free to swap your favorite juices and purees. Also, feel free to add in any seasonings you love, like turmeric or ginger!

**Note: pineapple juice cannot be substituted 1:1 as a juice replacement. It must be cut with at least 50% of another kind of juice like orange, grape, etc.  Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion of proteins and will prevent your gummies from forming a shape.

For this recipe, we used a combination of tart cherry juice, cranberry juice, lime juice (you can also use lemon juice), gelatin, and honey. For our gelatin, I picked up the Vital Proteins brand at Whole Foods (they also have different options at Thrive Market).

Instructions

The first thing you need to do is let the gelatin “bloom” by mixing it with water. Once it’s bloomed, you can heat it on low on the stovetop with your juices and sweetened of choice. Next, you’ll pour the mixture into a baking dish or little molds to put into the fridge to solidify. You’ll be surprised how easy this recipe is and our kids gobbled.them.up.

Bonus: tart cherry juice can help to promote restful sleep, so three cheers for that all around.

How to make fun shapes and sizes

Amazon to the rescue!! I ordered these candy molds and they appeared on our doorstep the next day. They have so many cute different shapes and types of silicone molds. We’ll absolutely be playing around with shapes and flavor combinations.

Print

Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

Print Recipe

Learn how to make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health – the whole family will love these! Feel free to swap out any juice flavors you enjoy and customize for your preferences.

• Author: Mia Votapka, RDN // The Fitnessista
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 2-4 hours
• Total Time: 2-4 hours

Ingredients

• 3 cups pure cranberry juice, not from concentrate 
• 1 cup tart cherry concentrate
• Squeeze of fresh lime
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 6 Tbsp grass fed gelatin
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of water, just until it thickens and rehydrates the gelatin.  This is called “blooming” the gelatin.
2. Next, heat the 4 cups of juice plus lime juice and mix in the bloomed gelatin.  Add honey or maple syrup and salt.
3. Let it all dissolve over medium low heat.  Once completely dissolved, remove from the heat and pour into gummy molds or your favorite shapes.  You can also pour into a glass dish to set. 
4. Let it set up for 2-4 hours before enjoying it! Keep for one week in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Note: pineapple juice cannot be substituted 1:1 as a juice replacement. It must be cut with at least 50% of another kind of juice like orange, grape, etc.  Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion of proteins and will prevent your gummies from forming a shape.

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Quick how-to video

Here’s a quick video I made on how to make these little gummies! P and Liv both helped and it was a fun little project to do together. They were a snap to make – the hardest part was waiting until they were set. I put the rest in a baking dish and it was like a homemade version of Jell-o. So good!

Have you tried making gummies at home before?

What’s your kids’ favorite healthy snack?

xo

Gina

PS you have to try these amazing collagen brownies!

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healthy meal prep for a week

healthy meal prep for a week

  March 20, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We were at the pool with friends (the best), watching the Wildcats, and I trained a client and worked on Fit Team programming.

For today’s post, I’m updating an older post because there are so many helpful tips here on meal prep for a week!

Healthy meal prep for a week

Helping Out with a New Baby

Meal prep can be an amazing tool when you’re setting yourself up for success throughout the week. It was also KEY when Liv and P were newborns. It’s something I love to do for my new mama friends, in addition to making a dinner for their family. If I can make them some staples to have on hand, they’ll have an easier time nourishing themselves during quick nap breaks or with one hand.

Some of the things that truly helped me when the girls were babies:

-Naps and/or showers (usually courtesy of the madre or nana. I’d feed P or Liv and they’d say, “Go nap or shower.” And I would. And it was THE BEST.)

-Help with anything around the house or with the dogs. The poor dogs were often neglected, so my mom or MIL would leash them up for a walk around the neighborhood.

-FOOD. Takeout was awesome, and homemade was even better.

I remember eating a lot of sugar, and feeling so happy when my friend Whitney brought soup over. It had protein and veggies, warmed my soul, and I could heat it in a mug and eat with one hand. Done and done.

Here are some staples I made for a new mama friend: Paleo bread, overnight oats, salad beasts, lactation cookies, and hearty soup.

 

Here’s How I Did One Week of Meal Prep in One Hour.

Recipes:

Overnight oats (oats, almond milk, peanut butter, cinnamon, maple syrup, berries, cacao nibs)

Paleo bread

Salads (chicken, quinoa, chopped veggies and kalamata olives)

Soup (chicken breasts, onion, chopped zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, broth, bone broth, fresh herbs). This is an easy dinner or a healthy lunch option.

Steps:

1. Place 2 chicken breasts on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Season well with salt, pepper and garlic powder. You can also make the soup in the slow cooker, but it will take longer (about 5 hours). No big deal if you’re doing this on a Sunday and have time for it to cook!

2. Start chopping veggies for the salads and soup. For everything I chopped, half was reserved for salads, half went into the instant pot.

3 celery ribs (soup only)

4 carrots (peel and dice)

1/2 cucumber (salads only)

3 bell peppers

3 zucchini

1 sweet onion (soup only)

3. Rinse and start boiling the quinoa. (You can also use white or brown rice instead of quinoa!) I did 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth. Cauliflower rice is another great option.

4. Finish the soup and get it going! Add the chopped veggies to the Instant Pot (on top of the seasoned chicken), 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, add 1 carton of chicken broth, and 8 oz of bone broth (or more chicken broth).

Season well with salt and pepper, then top with 5 sprigs of thyme and 3 large sprigs of rosemary. Set on the “Soup” setting for 15 minutes. (I still can’t believe it cooks everything in 15 minutes of active cooking.)

5. Brown chicken for the salads. Dice two chicken breasts (into bite-sized pieces), and season well with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, and smoked paprika. Cook in a little olive oil in a large pan until completely cooked. Remove from heat to cool.

6. By now, the quinoa should be done cooking. Fluff with a fork and remove from heat to cool.

7. Preheat the oven and start the Paleo bread. It was my first time making a double batch, and it came out really well. Just keep an eye on it because ours got a little toasty on top.

8. While the Paleo bread is cooking, assemble the salads. In Mason jars, I added the chicken, then quinoa, then the chopped veggies, kalamata olives, and topped with romaine. You can use any greens you love, but put them on top so they don’t get soggy. Later when you’re ready to eat, just add dressing, cover, shake, and serve. You can also add roasted veggies to your salads, cooked on a sheet pan with avocado oil, salt, and pepper.

9. Next, make the overnight oats. In each jar, I added about 1/2 cup of the Trader Joe’s gf super oats, and about 1 cup of almond milk. I drizzled in a little maple syrup, cinnamon, and mixed well. I topped each jar with a blob of almond butter or peanut butter, some cacao nibs, and berries. Raspberries and blueberries tend to hold their shape the best.

10. When the Paleo bread and soup are cooled and ready to go, pack everything up to either share with friends, or store in the fridge. I transported the salads and overnight oats in jars, the Paleo bread in a sealed glass dish, and the lactation cookies I had made previously and frozen.

So tell me friends: how’s the meal prep going? What’s your favorite thing to make ahead for the week? I love breakfast cookies, baked breakfast cookies, and this egg casserole.

I also love making a big batch of roasted veggies, hard boiled eggs, shredded chicken (so perfect for meal prep), stir fries, and seasoned cauliflower rice. Even when I don’t have time to do a full meal prep, 20 minutes or 30 minutes of making quick staples can make a huge difference in my week.

Friends with kiddos: what was your favorite meal post-baby?? Post-birth sushi was everything I’d been dreaming of.

xoxo

Gina

More meal prep posts:

5 days of healthy daytime eats

An hour of clean eats

One week of healthy snacks

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Friday Faves

Friday Faves

  March 18, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! How’s the day going so far? I’m a little later posting today because I had a podcast interview this morning. The kids are on spring break (just a long weekend), so after I hit publish, we’re off for some adventures.  I hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend ahead!

Some highlights from the week:

– Replanting our garden. We lost a couple of plants to frost, so I took everything out – we ate a ton of carrots!- and planted okra, cantaloupe, more carrots, and saved a spot for a tomato plant. Our veggie greens are still going strong with chard, kale, romaine, and arugula, so I added some spinach into a large pot.

– St. Patrick’s Day festivities! The fam came over last night and we had a blast celebrating together. I made corned beef + veggies, garlic knots, madre made grilled cabbage, my dad and stepmom brought over Nothing Bundt Cakes, we had appetizers, soda bread, more desserts, and green beers for days. The cousins all ran around and played in the playroom and it was the best ever.

(6 lbs of corned beef! I cooked everything in two batches in the Instant Pot and kept it warm in the oven)

– A new egg chair! I’d been wanting an egg chair for our upstairs balcony for a while and finally went for it. I didn’t want to spend a lot because this area gets a ton of sun, and found one I loved at Walmart. We very rarely shop there – I’ve turned down partnerships for years because I didn’t want to promote a place that we didn’t use frequently – but from what I’ve heard, they’ve really stepped up their game in the grocery department. I’m absolutely going to explore their grocery delivery, and LOVE the egg chair. I’ll share a pic when we get the house put back together. We’re in the process of having our entire house painted and it’s a big ordeal, but will feel amazing when it’s finished… just in time for summer pool parties.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love hearing about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below!

Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty:

New Reflect Effect AHA mask! This is only available to Band of Beauty members right now (you can join here for $29 and get a free gift!). Simply log into your account and add to your bag!

Not a member yet? Join today and you can add it to your bag! All of the membership details are outlined here.

Here’s a little bit more about this powerhouse mask:

This supercharged exfoliating facial mask instantly transforms dull, tired skin into a complexion so smooth, it glows. Its bouncy gel formula features a hardworking blend of chemical and physical exfoliants: AHA glycolic acid and bamboo particles for added exfoliation, plus hydration boosting saccharide isomerate to soothe skin.

PERFORMANCE:

Smooths skin in just 10 minutes

Improves skin tone and texture

Leaves skin soft and glowingR

esurfaces dull, tired skin

Formulated with a multi-acid blend of 10% AHA + 10% phytic acid

You smooth it onto your face (you can use this tool!), let it set for 10 minutes, and rinse away. It feels AMAZING and it’s now one of my very favorite products.  Check it out here!

Parker dress. This came in my RTR Unlimited last week and I wore it to Sunday brunch with the fam. I looooove the style and fit of everything Parker that I’ve worn and this is a perfect summery everyday dress.

Heading to Athleta today to get the girls summer and spring clothes. They live and play in them all spring and summer, and the girls especially love their shorts, tank tops, and rompers.

Fitness + good eats:

Ice cream from the Hub! They always have an amazing vegan flavor and when we went, it was cookies and cream. SOOO good.

Hacienda del Sol brunch. We’ve been to Hacienda for dinner and cocktails quite a few times, and it was our first time trying it for brunch. It might be our new Tucson fave. It was smaller than the brunch at Loews (which is one of our go-tos), but the quality of everything was incredible. Let’s be real, though – we love any brunch buffet.

How to make homemade mayo.

How many steps do you need? Does the speed of the steps matter?

Half marathon prep checklist.

Fit Team feedback on the March workouts! If you’re interested in joining us, you’ll get instant access to the March workouts and the April plan will go out on the 28th. The difference between Fit Team workouts and the ones I post here on the blog is that they’re designed into a full plan for body composition goals. The focus of the workouts changes each month, so you can see yourself getting stronger and improving over time! Each 90-day cycle includes strength, endurance, and power elements, and lots of bonus materials for my Fit Team friends. All of the details are here.

Read, watch, listen:

This was beautiful.

Fool-proof tools to boost your mood.

Lots of lunch ideas in this post!

DIY garden bed tutorial, plus a PDF plan.

Happy Friday, friends!
xoxo

Gina

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Mint Chip Protein Smoothie

Mint Chip Protein Smoothie

  March 17, 2022    Pratik Bandagale

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Dairy-Free Mint Chip Vanilla Protein Smoothie

Move over “shamrock shake” — we’re mixing up a healthy version of a favorite St. Paddy’s day treat that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and filled with tons of nutrients and antioxidants.

This recipe is also packed with 20 g of plant-protein to curb cravings, build lean muscle and burn fat and gets the beautiful green color from nutrient-dense spinach… not from artificial food coloring!

So whether you’re celebrating something special (it’s my birthday today!) or looking to feel extra festive on St. Patrick’s day, you can whip up this treat in less than 2 mins. In fact, you can even have it for breakfast with ZERO guilt!

Mint Chip Smoothie Ingredients

• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1 small banana- frozen
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk or almond milk
• 3 mint leaves or 1 drop mint extract
• 1 tsp mini dark chocolate chips (no sugar added- I like Lily’s brand)
• 1 scoop LSF Vanilla Plant Protein
• Coconut or other non-dairy whip (for topping- optional)

Smoothie Directions

Add all ingredients above to a blender. Blend on high until smooth, pour into a glass and garish with additional chocolate chips and coconut whip if desired!

Want more recipes?

Scan the QR code on the back of your LSF Plant Protein for your free recipe book or check out my Guiltless Nutrition Lifestyle & Recipe Book for over 130+!

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