November 2021 Reads

November 2021 Reads

  December 07, 2021    Pratik Bandagale

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Sharing a roundup of the books I read in November and if I’d recommend them!

Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having a great one so far. 🙂 It’s been a fun and busy one so far. Lots of events to get ready for this weekend, and I’ve been teaching in-person classes, training clients, and working with 1:1 clients.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a recap of the books I read in November. I’m still holding strong at my goal of at least three books per month, and this month, there were two huge home runs. Some of the best books I’ve read in my life, and I can’t wait to chat about them with ya.

November 2021 Reads 

1. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I chose this one through my Book of the Month subscription and had a feeling I would enjoy it. This is exactly my favorite type of book: a historical saga with deep character development that spans multiple generations. At the end of this book, I closed the final page and sat, stunned for a second. I felt like I knew the entire family when it was finished and while it was a longer read (around 500 pages), it was engrossing and beautifully done. 10/10 would recommend. 

From Amazon:

“There could only be a few winners, and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones”.

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant – and that her lover is married – she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan’s finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee’s complex and passionate characters – strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis – survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

2. In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

I won’t give any spoilers but I heard Yeonmi Park speak on a podcast and knew immediately that I needed to download her book. I listened to the audio version, which I highly recommend. It was harrowing to learn about her personal experience, and I was inspired by her resilience. 

Some pieces of her story gave me additional insight into Pachinko and the other way around. It’s an important reminder that while the US isn’t perfect, I feel blessed to live here and raise our family here. 

I cried when I finished In Order to Live — it shook me to my core. I was very emotional about everything she endured, and while it was difficult to listen to some parts, it was an important read that will stick with me for a long time. 10/10. 

Yeonmi Park was not dreaming of freedom when she escaped from North Korea. She didn’t even know what it meant to be free. All she knew was that she was running for her life, that if she and her family stayed behind they would die – from starvation, or disease, or even execution.

In Order to Live is the story of Park’s struggle to survive in the darkest, most repressive country on earth; her harrowing escape to South Korea through China’s underworld of smugglers and human traffickers; and her emergence as a leading human rights activist – all before her 21st birthday.

Park was born to a family of civil servants in the North Korean city of Hyesan, along the Chinese border. She grew up in a society in which the regime controls everything you do, everything you learn, where you go, what you say, even what you think. In this warped world, famine was a way of life and minor offenses, such as watching foreign videos, could prove fatal.

Park’s family was relatively privileged until her father, a party member, was arrested for smuggling. After that, life in North Korea became a ceaseless battle against starvation. Escaping with her mother, Park began a long journey of unspeakable hardship and degradation through China and Mongolia, which finally yielded her freedom in South Korea. Today, Park is an influential leader of the younger generations of Korean dissidents and an internationally recognized advocate for human rights around the world.

In the end, In Order to Live is about the resilience of the human spirit and the transcendent power of love to overcome the most ghastly horrors and the most hopeless circumstances. “I had to learn how to love others,” says Yeonmi Park. “And now I am willing to die for them.”

3. The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

This is a book that’s highly recommend in yoga circles… it’s one of those go-to foundational books. I’ve heard quite a few friends talk about this one, and figured I’d give it a whirl. I listened to the audio version (loved it) and it was the perfect accompaniment to outdoor hikes.

It’s a short read with simple premises that you can use to cultivate more joy and purpose in your life. Each day, I remind myself of the Four Agreements and use this mindset with my interactions with others and my family. 9/10 would recommend, especially if you’re trying to reduce the noise and stress in your life, and don’t mind books that are a little on the *woo* side 😉 

From Amazon: 

In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

Don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltec. For more than two decades, he has guided others toward their personal freedom. Today, he continues to combine his unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern-day awareness through journeys to sacred sites around the world.

So, tell me, friends: what’s the best book you’ve read lately? Are you starting to brainstorm goal ideas for the next year, or not yet?

xo

Gina

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Lumen Metabolism Tracker Review

Lumen Metabolism Tracker Review

  December 06, 2021    Pratik Bandagale

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Sharing my full review on the Lumen metabolism tracker and if it’s worth it. This post is not sponsored, but if you’re interested in trying Lumen, you can use my affiliate link and code FITNESSISTA for an extra 10% off!

One of the most common themes I hear in the fitness world (online and with my 1:1 virtual and in-person clients) is the of concept metabolism. It changes and shifts over time, and while it can obviously work in your favor, it can also be tricky to hack and understand. 

What the heck is your metabolism? Your body’s metabolism is the process by which it converts food into energy, either to be used immediately or stored for later use. Metabolism can affect so many different factors: weight loss/maintenance/gain, sleep, immune system, fitness performance, energy levels, longevity, and blood sugar stability.

Metabolic flexibility is the key insight into how well your metabolism is functioning. You want your body to be able to easy switch between using carbs and fats as a fuel source, depending on what’s available. Our metabolic flexibility can be improved by our diet (specifically through macro manipulation), workouts, and time in between meals. 

Knowing how your metabolism is functioning can be a key player in designing your personalized diet plan and workout routine, and this is where Lumen comes in. Lumen is the first handheld metabolism tracker and I’ve been using it now for a little over a month! I’m so pumped to share my insights with you -I’ve learned so much!!! – and talk about whether I think this little gadget is worth implementing in your routine. 

Lumen Metabolism Tracker Review

The Lumen Metabolism Tracker was launched in 2020, and the founders are twin sisters Merav and Michal, who are both Ironman winners (!!!) and PhDs in physiology. They created this metabolism tracker as an affordable and convenient way to test metabolic function, and tweak nutrition and lifestyle suggestions based on this data. 

You breathe into the Lumen (more details on how to do this below) and the CO2 levels in our breath helps Lumen to determine our Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER). It rates this on a scale of 1-5 (from 1 to 5; 1 is mostly fat and 5 is mostly carbs) and this number is based on whether we’re predominantly burning carbs or fat in that moment. Lumen suggests a macro split for the day, depending on your RER, your workout for the day (you can input each day’s workout into the app), sleep, and previous day’s data. 

The Lumen was designed for those who want to make sustainable healthy changes in their routine, or are mystified as to why their progress and results have stalled. It gives you personalized data and a solid plan for achieving your goal, whether it’s sports performance, body recomposition, weight gain, weight loss, or metabolic health.

The fact that Lumen is SO portable and convenient is truly incredible. In the past, I’d thought about finding a way to test my Respiratory Exchange Ratio, but there wasn’t an easy or convenient way to do this. Lumen has been validated to meet the gold standard for metabolic measurement in this study. 

If you decide to order, just head to the website and you can pick a subscription package:

When the box arrives, you’ll find your Lumen, instructors for setup, a charging dock, and a travel case. 

Lumen Metabolism Tracker Features

Design

Lumen has an “on” button in the middle that illuminates when you press it. It only stays on for a couple of minutes – just enough time for you to complete your breaths- and the battery lasts an extremely long time. I only need to charge it about once per week. 

App

The app is beautiful and very easy to navigate. Within the app, you can view your nutrition plan for the day, access multiple articles and resources, chat with support, and view previous data. The app also syncs with your Apple Watch and/or Garmin. They also have an app FOR your Apple Watch and I had no idea. Adding this ASAP.

Customized nutrition plan

At the top of the app, you’ll see your nutrition plan for that day. It gives you specific macros, but also just gives you carb servings in yellow. A carb serving is about 15g of carbs, or one cupped hand of carbs. (Starchy vegetables, fruit, bread, rice, grains, etc.) If you don’t want to track all of your macros, you can solely track carb intake and see results using their plan. I love this method because the portion size model is similar to what we do at Precision Nutrition. I also don’t think it’s realistic or sustainable to track/weight/measure ALL food for life, so I think they’re really setting up users for longterm success.

Flex score

Within the app, you can also see your Flex score, which is created after they have 4-8 weeks of data. Your flex score indicates your metabolic flexibility (I think 21 is the max), and you can see how your scores improve and change over over time. 

I’m a huge fan of assessing habits, and this app gives you real-time insight into how your habits affect your metabolism, plus tips on what you can do to improve. 

How To Use The Lumen Metabolism Tracker

Device set-up

When you first receive your Lumen, simply plug in the USD charging dock and attach the Lumen to charge. The first charge took maybe 20 minutes. While the Lumen is changing, you can install the app on your phone, which will sync to Lumen using Bluetooth. 

Once it’s charged you can input your basic data, including age, weight, sample weekly workout schedule (you can adjust these each day but it’s nice to have an idea already in there), activity level, how long you typically fast each night, etc. From here, you can take your first breath reading!

First breath reading

It helps to watch this tutorial before taking your first reading. You’ll exhale a tiny bit out through your nose, then inhale deeply into the Lumen. Remove it from your lips, and keep your lips closed as you hold your breath. The Lumen will count down and tell you when to exhale. The inhales and exhales are deep and slow – like a long exaggerated deep breath. After having Rona, it felt so so good to use my lungs in this capacity. 

After you exhale into the Lumen, it will either indicate your reading  or ask you to do one more breath. Next, you’ll receive your score on a scale of 1-5 (1 is burning mostly fats and 5 is burning mostly carbs). The *goal* is to blow a 1 or 2 in the morning for your first reading, indicating that your body has burned through dinner and switched to fat burning mode.

Remaining breath readings

Lumen recommends breath readings when you first wake up, before exercise (30 minutes), after exercise (30 minutes), before eating, after eating (1-2 hours to see a shirt), after fasting, and before sleeping. This can sound like a lot of readings, and it is. I recommend just doing your morning breath and before sleep breath to start, and then adding on from there.

Obviously, the more times you do it, the more data you’ll have, but it can be overwhelming to go from zero to 8+ readings per day. I always do the morning breath, before bed, and try to remember to check it before my workout and afterwards. When you check it before and after your workout, it can tell you whether you should fuel up with carbs (depending on the length and intensity of the workout you’re about to do, which you input into the app), and it can also tell you if you have shifted into fat burn following the workout. 

Using your nutrition plan and data

On your homepage in the Lumen App, you’ll see your nutrition plan for the day. From here, I recommend just keeping a tally in the notes app of your phone with carb servings for the day. You may be surprised by how many carbs they recommend, especially if you’re used to a low-carb or Keto diet.

Here’s the thing: your body needs carbs, and it LIKES them. Trust the process! In the Facebook group, there are incredible stories about people who used to be low-carb, switched to Lumen, and have seen significant fitness gains or weight loss.

Your data will give you insight into your habits and how they affect your score. A high-carb meal or a lot of alcohol before bed can lead to a higher morning score, as can late-night meals, poor sleep, increased stress, overtraining. High cortisol leads to a higher score and inhibits the body’s ability to burn fat. (Genetics and age also play a part in metabolic function.) You can see how your diet and lifestyle are affecting your score and hack your metabolism by making tweaks to your routine. 

 Is The Lumen Metabolism Tracker Worth It?

I’m a huge fan of this device, and as someone who has tried multiple fitness gadgets, it’s right up there with the Oura ring for most valuable health/fitness device. I’ve only been using it for a month, but have already learned so much about my body and how it processes and uses energy throughout the day.

Some of my favorite things about it:

– I LOVE that it takes menstrual cycle into account, and notates where you are in your cycle within the app. It will give specific tips based on where you are in your cycle, like needing more fiber during post-ovulation to combat lower leptin levels. 

– Support. The support team is incredible and very responsive. I had a couple of questions initially and they responded right away. They also offer a free 30-minute intro call with an expert to help you get set up or answer any questions. 

– Sustainable individualized nutrition plan and NO extremes. I feel like this nutrition plan is the real deal. The macros I received were right in line with the macros I’d calculated for myself, with carb cycling based on my workout routine and boost days (which are like double the amount of carbs). I’m absolutely loving it so far and highly, highly recommend it. It’s a helpful tool if you want to track your metabolism and have any health or fitness-related goals.

If you’re interested in checking it out, click here and use the code FITNESSISTA for an extra 10% off.

Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section!

Are you a fan or fitness and healthy gadgets? What’s your favorite one??

xo

Gina

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What No Trainer Will Tell You

What No Trainer Will Tell You

  December 04, 2021    Pratik Bandagale

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no trainer will tell you

No trainer will tell you this, but I’m just going to come out and say it….

It’s OKAY to indulge during the holidays!

Yes of course, if you plan on eating a whole pie w/ a bottle of wine everyday for the next month, we should talk, but that’s not what most of us do.

Did you see my post on “the truth about holiday weight gain?” Def. check it out.

And how boring would this time of year be if we didn’t enjoy our favorite dishes and traditions with the people we love?

What’s worked best for me over the last few years is what I call intentional indulging.

It basically means I’m more mindful about what matters to me and I go into social situations, and the grocery store, with a plan!

Here’s how I do it:

I don’t leave my house hungry.

I always make a protein shake  before I go out. Even if it’s out to dinner!

Getting 20 grams of protein before you go out will reduce your hunger hormone and help you feel more full so you won’t just grab anything in sight when hanger hits. It helps you make better choices. 

Get your LSF Plant Protein Here. 

I evaluate how much I want it. 

Like I could care less about the chocolate chip cookies Karen brought to the office, but you better believe I’m eating my mom’s double fudge brownies.

I don’t stand at the snack table. 

Do you ever find yourself hanging at the table mindlessly snacking. All. The. Time! Most people migrate there – it’s weird. But, I’ve learned to grab a plate, fill it with what I want and move on. Truth is, you can always go back, but this will help you slow your roll. 

I bring better versions.

You know there is that one thing you just LOVE this time of year. The one you can’t help but eat too much of sometimes. I’m the same way, so I always bring that to parties, but I use my Holiday Survival Guide or Guiltless Nutrition Recipe Books for my recipes. That way I know I have a healthier version and don’t feel guilty (or sick) having a few extra. 

This is a time to enjoy yourself, but no one has fun when they over-do it.

I know if you follow these tips you will be able to indulge and still have room for your Sleepy Time Peppermint Hot Chocolate when you get home.

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How to Adjust Your Routine

How to Adjust Your Routine

  December 04, 2021    Pratik Bandagale

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adjust your routine

During week one of our Holiday Survival Challenge we focused on digging into our new routines.

Adding small habits each day or week that helped us focus on our goals AND have some fun! Now it’s time to look back and evaluate how it went and adjust your routine to work better for YOU.

Evaluate Your Routines

In the printable below you will see the one of the first things I want you to do this week is evaluate your Week-1 holiday routine. When you’re ready to do that, ask yourself these questions:

How did I feel last week?

Think, “what worked”/”what didn’t.”

Did you feel like you were able to do the things you “had to do” and also the things you wanted to do? Did you have enough energy? Get enough sleep? Were you feeling relaxed or stressed af? Be honest with yourself here.

What is most important to me?

Look at ALL areas of your life. Your physical health, mental health, family, career, hobbies, EVERYTHING. Get specific. If spending more time with family is. important to you, what would that look like exactly.

Was I able to dedicate the time I wanted to those things?

You’ll see the list fills up fast. Circle your top priorities for next week and grab your planner.

What can I adjust or remove in my routine to make more time for them?

I use my planner to start to schedule my top priorities into my daily routine so I can see it on paper and make sure it works. The point of this is to help you DE-STRESS.

What can I adjust or remove in my routine to make more time for them?

You could compare schedules with your friend and laugh that she feels stressed because your have 10x the amount on your plate, but truth is, we all feel overwhelmed.

I don’t know when it became cool to be so busy, but it’s not, so let’s stop it here.

I want you to cross out anything that isn’t going to fill you up this week. Anything that won’t leave you feeling stronger, happier or more confident has got to go.

Your Week 2 Routine

Giveaway!

I hope you’re ready for another GIVEAWAY on Monday morning! Checkout my Instagram at 8am for details!

And congrats to our week 1 winner Jenny, @jramp_fit

Ok beauty, go out and have the best week ever! I can’t wait to hear how everything goes!

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Friday Faves

Friday Faves

  December 03, 2021    Pratik Bandagale

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! How’s the week been? It was a great one over here. I had quite a few calls with 1:1 nutrition clients, a brainstorm session for the new year (SO many fun things on the way!!) and crushed through the ol’ to-do list. I’m looking forward to another holiday party this weekend and getting our Christmas tree. (I can’t believe I was finally converted to Team Real Tree. They smell incredible. There’s nothing like it.) I’d love to hear what you have going on!

If you’re holiday shopping this weekend, just wanted to re-share this year’s gift guides:

For her

For him

For the kids

For your fitness-loving friend

(I’ll have a last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers guide up soon, too)

Now 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, and I love hearing about your faves, too! Please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below. 

(Maisey’s teeth. Always a fave.)

Fashion + beauty:

I ordered a super cute Santa sweater a boutique and when I googled to find it, it’s on Walmart for $26. I paid more than double this, for the exact same thing. Don’t be like me; order it from Walmart or Etsy. 

This is my #1 fave on today’s list. I shared a bit about these on IG stories, but I’ve been using Frownies for about a week after being ad targeted for them. I think my phone knows I’m afraid of Botox and sent me this ad. (No judgement if you get and love Botox. 99% of people do, haha. It’s just not for me, right now. Never say never, though, right?)

These things were created in the late 1800s (for real!) and the idea is that it prevents and reduces wrinkles by making a little cast on your face. You may be scrunching your face in your sleep and have no idea. You wet the shiny side, pull your skin taught, and let it dry for a few seconds until it hardens. You sleep with them on and wet to remove in the morning. My crease in between the middle of my eyebrows is GONE in the morning and perfectly smooth!!

The results don’t last all day, but the more you use them, the more it helps to train your face to stay relaxed. Over time, you need to use them less and less often. The reviews online were incredible so I ordered them, and I’m a believer. I can’t wait to see what my results look like after prolonged use. This link will get you $10 off!

This tanning face spray. I ordered this during the Sephora VIB sale and LOVE it. (Heads up that their shipping is very slow right now.) I use their drops as my regular self tanner (I add 4 drops of the dark drops to my body lotion) and love that you can use this light mist after your nighttime moisturizer. The color is perfect – not orange at all – and it doesn’t leave any spots or streaks. 10/10 recommend.

I bought these shoes and they’re GORGEOUS. They’re similar to another brand that’s like $400 and I couldn’t justify it, since I rarely go anywhere that requires heels. Looking for a black wrap dress or a velvet dress to wear with these for Christmas. I just signed up for their referral program, and this link will get you $20 off. (Once you get to the site, just search for Bow Shoes and they’re the first ones that pop up.)

Always love the way this little table turns out:

Health and fitness:

Something special about my favorite sauna blanket: when you order, you get a sauna blanket bag for FREE. Check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA75 – this is such an awesome promo! I’ve been using the sauna blanket for about a year now and I.love.it. My full review is here. 

I recently tried Organifi Harmony after a blog reader told me it tastes like the most delicious and rich hot cocoa. It tases incredible. It’s not too sweet, and the perfect deep cocoa flavor. I add it to warm almond milk and to my smoothies, and it contains many of my favorite adaptogens and hormone-balancing ingredients. When I know I’ll be drinking Harmony later, I cut my morning supplements in half since many of my go-tos are already included here. You can use the code FITNESSISTA for an extra discount, too.

Just for kicks:

Read, watch, listen:

Podcast is now on Spotify! I don’t know why it took me 1800 years to add my feed to this platform, but I finally did it. Cue the confetti! Here’s the link to my latest episode with Natasha Caleel, and you can also find the show on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. 

What movies can you watch over and over?

Exercise releases the body’s own cannabis-like substance, which can help reduce inflammation.

Try last week’s barre workout here!

Good eats:

This Christmas charcuterie board looks amazing! If you’re looking for single-serving boards, check out these grazing boxes, too.

Cranberry orange bread

The only apple dessert you’ll ever need.

White bean chicken chili

Happy Friday, friends!
xoxo

Gina 

PS. Congrats to the winner of this week’s sneaky giveaway, Leah! She’ll be getting a Beautycounter All Bright C serum. My favorite things giveaway will be up soon, so stay tuned!

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