I’ve been wanting to go on a juice fast/cleanse since I’ve watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It’s about a guy who is more than 100 pounds over weight and is suffering from a plethora of illnesses, pains, and diseases. He decides he wants to be healthy and goes on a 60-day fruit and vegetable cleanse. The movie documents his highs, lows, and everything in between. The main point is that it worked. Watch and see. (It’s free on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, etc.)
I’ve been suffering from my first-ever real injury in my life. It has been keeping me from doing plenty of things I would normally love to do. I believe highly in natural cures over medicinal ones and truly think that if I commit to healing, it will happen. I will only know if I try, so here I am on my first day of cleansing my body. An all raw and vegan diet has been shown to cure diabetes, reduce and eliminate inflammation (my main source of pain right now), and eradicate toxins in the body. Kriss Carr uses a raw and/or vegan diet to keep her incurable brain cancer from growing or spreading. Organic vegetables can do amazing things for the body and that is why I attempt to keep a clean, plant-based diet on most days. Albeit, I’m human and crave my Newman-O’s, cupcakes, and fried foods, and give in accordingly. For the next 3 days (which is nothing compared to 60!) I’ll use all the discipline I have, all the will power inside, to overcome and focus on healing and cleansing what ever is keeping my body from healing up to 100%.
Of course I know I won’t be healed by Tuesday, but I hope these nutrient packed little tonics help my body take more focus on what it needs, and open my eyes to a whole new level of wellness.
I received two boxes this week! One is my weight loss subscription and one is the normal BuluBox! Here is the rundown of what I thought of each one!
Weight Loss
FlapJacked Protein Pancakes: I haven’t made these because the ingredients include milk. I’m lactose intolerant and don’t consume dairy, so I will make these for the boyfriend when he gets in the mood. He’s more of a cereal or waffles guy, so that may take a while!
EatGreen Tea: This was weird. I opened it up and tried some, but it just tasted exactly like dry green tea! I think it should be more of a snack OR powder to add to smoothies. It simply is loose leaf green tea. This product seems to be having an idendity crisis…or just is trying to pull off marketing of something that is edible, yet not very tasty!
Shapeology Burn Blend: Hello Caffeinne! I’m in a detox-mode right now to help cure my leg injury and reboot my adrenal glands, so I have not indulged in this supplement. It was nice of them to give 14 pills to try. I may take some later, after I’m all healthy, but right now high caffeine dosage is not recommended!
BluCetin: This is VERY interesting! It is an herbal pill that promises to not be a buzz kill, yet prevent you from having a hangover. It says the herb helps you metabolize the alcohol faster (Hello Light Weight and Cheap Drunk) so you will have it processed before you pass out from a night of drinking. Again, not planning on having 5 drinks quite yet, but 4th of July is 2 weeks away and this pill WILL be taken!
Probiotic: I love probiotics and consume many different types. From kombucha, to Kevita, to VegaOne and my multi-vitamin, I support healthy digestion. These will be taken also! You can’t really judge the effect of them since you can’t see your insides, but it’s a nice free sample.
Bulu Box Regular
Theragesic: This actually works. I mean, IcyHot is old as I can remember, and this is another one of those muscle rubs. It definitely lasts at least an hour and warms up where ever you rub it. It has no “icy” sensation, only warm, and I love the menthol smell.
GU Chomps: My boyfriend and I both had one of these “gummies” and it was very chewy. Not quite a gummy bear, not quite a fruit chew, and HUGE. Way too big for my liking. Taste was OKAY. I wouldn’t purchase them.
Shapeology: See above.
PowerFuel: The text on the back of the packet is tiny so it’s really hard to see what is this powder exactly. It promises you will work 1000% time harder than usual, but I don’t see how that is possible. One stick is 45 calories and contains a TON of lab-made ingredients that I can’t pronounce. Not for my taste.
Power Ice: An electrolyte popsicle? Isn’t this a Pedialyte?
I love getting surprises each month! I really like how BuluBox leans more towards natural supplements, even if it includes a few here or there that I won’t ingest. But we’ve all got friends who love gifts now, don’t we? Thanks Bulu! See you next month!
IF YOU WANT TO TRY BULUBOX FOR FREE, ENTER CODE BULUGAN143 AT BULUBOX.COM TODAY!
Losing weight is hard enough on it’s own. Cut out all your favorite junk food, eat out less, go to fewer happy hours, and choose egg white scrambles over the french toast. Stop snacking all the time. Reduce your sodium intake. Eat fewer carbs. It’s hard. I know. I’m doing it.
When you choose to lose weight, you really have to take charge of your life. It takes an immense amount of commitment, dedication, and discipline to get results. Losing weight is a serious mental challenge. The hardest part is eating the right things at the right times, and knowing how much or how little.
The exercise is the easy part compared to the obstacles we face with food. All of the walkable restaurants, bakeries, $5 slices of pizza, coffee houses, and cheap delicious food around does NOT make it easy!It takes a strong mental focus, serious social support, and dedication, to overcome an attachment to food.
You want to eat what you want to eat. When it comes down to it, you want that slice of pizza and cupcake, you want that pint of beer, and you want to have fun at a social outing. You DON’T want to deprive yourself, starve yourself, detox yourself, and ignore your cravings. You want to live life and be happy. I get it.
I’ve been fit as a fiddle, working my ass off to get down to a certain number, size, and look. And then I became injured. I can no longer do any sort of cardio requiring my lower body. Your lower body is your POWERHOUSE of energy burning. Running, cycling, stair climbing, squats, dead lifts, plyometrics, and lunges torch calories. If you have full use of your legs, USE THEM to your advantage.
Over the past 4 weeks, I’ve become more than a few pounds over my ideal weight because of my lack of cardio. This means I’ve had a surplus of calories. Plus, I’ve lost the muscle in my legs from non-use and it has turned to fat. I’m officially in need of a change. At this point, I feel like I’ll do anything and everything to heal this stupid leg injury!
But I can’t accelerate healing – it has it’s own timelime. I am powerless.
Feeling powerless is the worst thing in the world. And when you are fat you know this. You feel powerless over cravings, hunger, thirst, mental roadblocks, and more. You don’t know what to do, and you just want to feel healthy. I get it, and I’m here to help.
I’m joining YOU, my clients, on YOUR weight loss journey. I’m going to try and lose this weight even without the use of my “legs day” or “cardio day.” I need to let my body heal, and I’m ready to do what it takes.
My first step to recovery is to detoxify and cleanse my body. I admit, after moving to DC in April, I’ve been trying tons of new places to eat, indulging in a few too many snacks, trying out a few too many flavors of cupcakes, and going out for drinks. All that stuff didn’t make me fat; but it sent me down a spiral of eating too much when I shouldn’t have. You have to know when to stop, and today is that day. I’m still going to be social and enjoy myself; what is life about anyway? But now I know I need to seriously watch my snacking and get back to my healthy routine.
The Plan I’m starting my weight loss goal by replacing a few meals with a VegaOne shake and only having a small salad for dinner. This will last 3 days. My next step will be to do a 3-day juice cleanse to give my body a break and let it focus on healing. Last, I will incorporate a 24-hour fast to fully give my body some rest and rejuvenation.
Digestion takes a load of energy and attention from your body. When you replace meals with liquid alternatives (meal replacements, shakes, smoothies, broths, tonic, fresh green juice) it can focus on other, more important tasks, such as recovering and rebuilding.
I hope you come along this weight loss journey with me! Show your support and join in if you’re in the same boat! Say goodbye to being fat and hello to being healthy!!
I’ve received my first BuluBox! Inside were the following items, and this is what I thought about them:
BeautyBursts: Yummy! I like the idea. They come with collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and Collagen enhancer in a soft, berry chew. They are made by NeoCell. And the little triangle packaging is really cute.
Fit n’ Crisp: I couldn’t eat it but I gave it to my boyfriend and he chowed down! He said it was “yummy” and was surprised by the 13grams of protein inside. For 140 calories packed with protein, I think this is a great deal. I definitely be interested to see a soy and milk free similar product! For those who can have soy and milk, I’d suggest trying this treat out!
Fit Mixer Amino: I’m very interested in this amino acid supplement. It’s not only a mix of 5grams aminos, but includes TriFlow which has been shown to increase nitric oxide. (That means you get that vascular PUMP while working out.) To top you off with energy, this supplement comes with 100mg of caffeine from Green Tea extract and Green Coffee extract. I’ll be drinking this tonight during my cardio workout.
Raw Acai Berry Nut Butter: Now I’ve seen these packets in my health food stores, but haven’t tried them yet! I’m so glad I got this one in my BuluBox so I wouldn’t have to choose between all the flavors. It’s 106 calories a pack, and I think would go great on top of toast.
AllerDx: I’ve never seen an herbal cure to allergies except for a spoonful of raw, local honey. This supplement is all-vegetarian and herbal sources to immeidately cure symptoms from allergies. It claims to restore nasal airflow, calm histamine reaction, and is non-drowsy and stimulant free. I don’t personally have a huge issues with spring allergies, but I do find that long walks throughout the city can make my eyes dry and nose runny. I think it’s great that there is a holistic cure for allergies, since so many people turn towards stimulants and Benadryl as soon as the season starts.
I’ve got a year long subscription, so stay tuned to see what comes in next month’s box! If you want to try it FREE with NO STRINGS ATTACHED! Enter code BULUGAN143 at checkout for a free 1-month subscription. Enjoy!
Question: Do you subscribe to anything related to health? Magazines? Boxes? Supplements?
Everyone who has come to me in the past few weeks for any type of health or fitness advice has said one thing:
I want to look good in my bathing suit!
Whether it be flattening your abs, toning your triceps, or slimming your inner thighs: I’ve got the plan for you.
A big misleading fitness myth is that you can lose fat in a certain area of your body by WORKING that area. Sorry ladies, this is WRONG. Just because you do bicep curls does NOT mean your biceps will lose fat. Your body picks and chooses as it likes where it will burn fat from.
Spot-Toning DOES work. So if you are already lean, and have no fat over a muscle, isolating that muscle will show through. With most people, this is not the case. You’ve got a few inches of fat over that inner thigh, a little pooch to grab on your belly, and some not-so-flattering triceps. Don’t worry – we can fix it!
The number one thing you need to understand is that you will have to change your diet. If you really want to look good and lose a few pounds and inches, you are going to have to focus on cutting out happy hours, drinks, and fatty foods. (I’m looking at you chips & salsa before dinner.)
Here is a simple breakdown to look fantastic this Summer 2013:
1) Eat a low-fat, whole-food, mostly-plant based diet, and drink plenty of water.
This means no processed white bread from the dinner basket, no extra scoops of margarine on your toast, and no olive oil or vinaigrette on your salad. For carbs, stick to whole grains like sprouted bread (Ezekial), brown or wild rice, quinoa, and fruit.
Have at least one meal as a salad: Load up a bowl of greens with your favorite fruits, veggies, and a lean choice of protein. (3oz white fish or organic chicken breast, grilled) Top with a flavored vinegar but hold the oil. I like Trader Joe’s Citrus Vinegar. It has enough flavor and a low calorie count.
2) Do your CARDIO!
Performing 3-5 sessions of 30 minutes each per week of running, swimming, biking, kettlebells, and/or HIIT will set your body into fat-burning mode. My favorite cardio is High Intensity Interval Training filled with mountain climbers, jump squats, agility ladder drills, hop lunges, ski jumps, and burpees. HIIT will give you a greater metabolic boost, so for the rest of the day your body will be processing your food a bit faster and more efficiently.
3) Do not skip the weights.
Strength training is vital when you want to tone those muscles to look sleek without covers. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you burn each day. I advise training 2-3x per week with yours truly, a personal trainer, with free weights, cable machines, medicine balls, and kettlebells. Doing weights in a circuit will also be a high intensity form of cardio, boosting your cardio session results.
Plus, for you ladies reading this, strength training is vital for strong bones as we age. Our calcium is absorbed less efficiently, so using weights actually increases the density of our bones to reduce the risk of injury and osteoporosis. Yay!
4) Consistency
Okay, so you’ve got the motivation now. The sun is out and the warm breeze is blowing. You are all hyped for the summer season…but soon the spark will start to fade. You NEED to keep up the consistency and dedicate yourself to these steps to a bangin’ bod. Wouldn’t you like to have it year round? It’s not just the 6 weeks before summer that are going to shape you into a healthier, happier human being. It is the weeks, months, and years that you continue this fit lifestyle down the road. If you can find time now to fit it in, you can find it later. Apply these simple rules above and nothing will stop you from being, feeling, and looking FANTASTIC!
Message me for a personal workout routine, free training session, or recipe ideas. Also, sign up for my newsletter to get weekly fitness moves, wellness, and food tips!
I’m one of those people who fills her plate with WAY too much and then tries to chew it all down anyway. Well, I’ve started something new…besides my full time job as a Personal Trainer/Wellness Warrior at Vida Fitness: A newsletter! If you sign up before Friday, you will receive Issue one of Wellness Weekly. I’m slowly figuring out a good format, text, images, type for the newsletter, so it will look a little varied each week. Who doesn’t like surprises and new things?
Join in on the fun, get some recipes, fit tips, and wellness ideas. Please feel free to give me all the feedback and opinions so I can make it the best newsletter in your inbox. Got an idea, question, or special workout you’d like to try? I’ll address it and put it in. Anything it is, don’t hesitate to ask!
If you look to your right, you will see a link to subscribe to my newsletter. Or just click here. Please have your friends join too! I want to help EVERYONE! =P
I have landed my dream job. I will help people become fit, healthy, and happy each hour of the day. I will perform fun training sessions as I live in a city full of spark. Somehow I will find a way to discover peace, sanity, happy hours, and brunches.
A personal training job is not a nine to five. It is a 7am-noon and 4pm-8pm kind of schedule. Your life is your job. Your gym is your new home… if you want to make money. I’m excited. I love the work. I love the people. I love getting to know people, forming genuine relationships, and helping people. It fulfills me. It makes me happy. It gives me strength and purpose.
Ever wonder what your purpose was? This is mine.
With a lion’s heart, I will be brave, courageous, and hard working. I will master my skills and show you exactly how much I care about your well-being. But of course, I must find mine first. For me to love you and help you, I must put myself first. Let me be my best, and I will be thebest for you.
PlantFusion is a plant-based protein powder that comes in 5 flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate-Raspberry, Cookies n’ Cream, and Unflavored. It’s purpose is to supplement anyone’s lifestyle who needs extra protein or just help achieving their suggested protein levels.
I usually use Vega products, but it is seriously expensive! PlantFusion provides you with a less expensive alternative, with all the flavor and quality you deserve. It includes a good amount of branch-chained amino acids to supply you with proper recovery after a hard training session. Personally, as someone who lifts weights and does HIIT cardio, I need a great source of easy protein powder- and this is it.
I got sent a packet of each flavor and was most impressed by the chocolate. The vanilla was fine, the cookies n’ cream didn’t taste much different from the vanilla, and the unflavored was a bit too “planty” for me. I mixed each one with water so I would get the full taste of it, without any other contributors. I would buy (and am about to) the chocolate and vanilla flavors. You can get 2lbs (a whole month supply!) for $27.99 on Amazon. For less than a dollar a day, I’m sold. I’m buying two jugs since I’ll be taking 1-2 scoops daily.
I really love that there is no soy or gluten in this vegan protein. (Both of those make me bloated and are hard to digest for many people.) The protein comes from peas, artichokes, amaranth, and quinoa- all plant sources, all natural, all non-gmo. It may not be 100% organic, but it IS NOT GMO! So I’m on board, and I hope you are too!
Something I learned from reviewing this product:
Artichoke is a nutritional powerhouse containing an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals including B-complex, vitamin C, betacarotene, calcium, potassium and selenium. Artichoke is another “complete” protein source containing all of the essential amino acids.
I love eating marinated artichokes in my salads, but never bothered to see their nutritional value. This info made me smile. 🙂
If you’re currently taking whey, soy, or any other protein, I highly suggest trying this one out. And if you want to try it out FOR FREE you can enter my giveaway!
PlantFusion has agreed to give one lucky reader a FREE 1lb TUB of PlantFusion!
Simply LIKE their Facebook page and leave a comment saying why you are interested in trying this protein powder.
If you want to just skip the chances of a giveaway, buy a tub over at Amazon. Trust me, go with the chocolate flavor, and grab yourself some quality protein.
Last week I stopped by VitaminShoppe in search of the new VegaOne Bar. To my dismay, they are not selling in retail stores yet so I must wait longer since I refuse to pay $50 for a box 0f 12 without tasting one! And I LOVE Vega.
So I asked the cashier if he had anything else for sample, and he grabbed me a goodie bag of the stuff pictured above. As I sorted things out, I quickly realized the difference in the marketing, packaging, and names of the products. On the left there you can see things like “N.O. Explode, Energy, Hyper, ShotGun, Accel, C4, Concrete, Jitter, and Shred.” They are named after explosives and manly things, and are packaged in bright eye-catching colors. Men really need to be impressed with a package in order to buy something. Do they think the more radical the name, the brighter the color, the better it works? I hope they are smarter than that!
The women’s supplements are named, “Omega, Calm, Natural, Fat Loss, Healthy, Green.” I must admit, they are NOT sport supplements like the men’s obviously are. But still, notice the colors/names and make your own assumptions.
Now as you see on the right, a lot of white and light colors, minus the one black package which could have been sorted with the men’s, but because of it’s ingredients and stance, I sorted it with the women’s. So I usually don’t consume or buy anything that isn’t organic, holistic, or vegan, but since I got all this stuff for free, I was like, eh, why not? If I’m going to harshly judge them, I might as well give a few a shot, or even a taste.
I just want to make this point: Supplement companies pay a lot of money for their products to be marketed to specific types of people. Do the research on the ingredients. Find pure and organic sources. And don’t trust the claims!!!
Astravar 2.0.Its main ingredient is beet root. Funny thing is, the day before I went to the Shoppe, I was researching the effects of pure organic beet juice (BeetIt) on Nitric Oxide. As you can see, even the capsule is beet red. The directions tell you to “stack” which in supplement language, means take with other supplements, for “full effect.” My first response was, “How do I know if it’s working if I’m stacking it on my usual routine that gives me PLENTY of energy?” Ugh. So I did as it said, tried it two days in a row, and didn’t notice or feel any different. I stacked it on my AminoClear (vegan BCAA) and big cup of water for working out. Noticed Nothing. Honestly, I think I’ll try real, pure, organic beet juice and see what that does! NEXT….—>
Natural CalmThis stuff rocks. Natural Calm Magnesium. A total of 0 calories, lots of flavor, and a true relaxing effect. It’s a magnesium supplement in the form of a drink. I usually sip on Airborne or Emergen-C, so this was right up my alley. It came in little powder packets and was easy to mix into hot or cold water. I used it one night as my hot tea since I was out, and honestly PASSED OUT. It really does calm you down! I researched magnesium and realized I do eat some foods where it is naturally found, but most people DO NOT get enough in their diet. I’d suggest it to anyone looking for a tasty drink, who needs some magnesium and a calm response. Go Nature!
C4:Today I tried the C4 supplement for my HIIT workout. The taste was reminiscent of Kool-Aid as a child, fruit punch. Not too sweet, not too acidic. It’s called a pre-workout supplement, but I put it in my gym water for flavor, and drank it as I did my 35 minute HIIT routine on the elliptical. I liked the taste and it definitely gave a boost of energy. A huge downfall was that it made me itchy like crazy.
I would never take this again, and I only put half the sample in my 28oz Blender Bottle. Reviews online claim the itchiness and tingly sensations are normal and from the beta-alanine. Some say it pumps them up even more, but it made me just want to itch. I don’t like getting itchy. No Thanks!
N.O.Explode: Sunday night I put about a tsp of the N.O. Explode in some water, just to see the taste and what all the hype was about. I know people claim this is “the best” out there. It’s full of a bunch of stimulants, and honestly I felt it. I drank about a total teaspoon or two and felt the caffeine rush from this drink. Yes, it does taste like a blue raspberry pixy stick, but I wouldn’t buy it because of all the crap in it. I’ll stick to my organic supplements for energy.
I do admit, the caffeine is crazy quick and strong, but I’d rather not submit my body to that kind of thing daily. If I’m training un-fasted, I’ll use my natural Guarana, Matcha, or Vega Pre-Workout Lemon-Lime drink.
Clif Builders: I’ve been reading a ton of literature on training, muscles, and recovery. Last night I saw this Clif Builders bar suggested to people on vegan diets to supplement their protein. With my 3-4x week weight lifting and High Intensity Interval Training sessions, I should be taking in about 1g/lb of body weight in protein daily. That’s roughly 100-110 grams! That’s a lot for me, since I do intermittent fasting and eat in an 8hr time frame.
Anyway, I picked up this bar to have after my workout. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. I give it props for being vegan and having 20g of protein, even if it is from soy protein isolate. I’d rather it be from a mixed source like quinoa, brown rice, or pea, but those aren’t quite out yet…or that I know of. (I will be on the search though!) It did not taste like an oreo, had a weird protein bar after-taste, and eventually was hard to digest (tummy ache). It packs a whopping 270 calories in the bar. This was great today since I had been fasted 18+ hours and needed some energy after an intense workout. But on any other given day that was not similar to today, this will be hard to accept. (I’m used to eating my 180 calorie Luna Bars, even though they only have about 9grams of protein.)
Other Simple Notes
*I tried the HealthyBody fiber and it blended well into my yogurt. I didn’t taste anything, and I didn’t feel any effect of the fiber.
*I tasted the OmegaOrange supplement marketed towards kids/moms as a yummy omega 3, and it tasted GROSS like fish. Ew.
*I tried a tablet of the AminoEnergy and they tasted like baby aspirin. They contain caffeine, so I’m sure they give a kick, but the aminos in them aren’t even BCAA. Lame.
*My boyfriend tasted the AccelGel and said it was pretty tasty; he didn’t consume the whole supplement, nor was interested in doing so.
Question: What supplements do you take? What are you interested in trying and why? Do you think they are all a gimmick?
As soon as I saw a new shaker cup was out, I knew I wanted to try it. I use my current blending cup daily, from my morning pre-workout shake to my nightly bottle of lemon water next to my bed. I’ve had mine about a year now, but it is just a large sippy cup. It came with a wire whisk ball, but honestly I lost that a long time ago! It was annoying and hard to clean anyway. Along comes CycloneCup and I had to give it a try. Protein shakes are not the friendliest when it comes to actually blending smoothly. You always get chunks left over and some fun dry-powdery chewing. Even though my Vega protein is delicious, I like it blended!
Color!CycloneCupscome in all of these wonderful colors. I love utilizing bright colors when working out. Bright workout clothes, gear, and atmospheres make a workout seem less like work and more like play.
Review
I received a complimentary white cyclone cup from Joe, the marketing manager, this morning. I’m headed into the gym late tonight, so I filled it up with a VegaOne shake for lunch. This cup does what it says it does: blends smoothly without any chunks leftover, no mess, and no popped lid. I’ve got a smooth VegaOne shake by my side. On the bottom I stored some almonds and wasabi peas. (Which I’m regretting now because every time I take a sip I get a jingle and looked at by a nearby co-worker.)
The main drawback of this cup is its weight and size. When I first got it out of the box, I thought, “Well this is a bit clunky.” The actual cup only holds 16oz, but the lid is humungous. The cup part that holds the liquids is a dark grey color instead of clear. Personally, I’d like to see my bright green juice or shake. It has measurements on the side, but I could hardly see them as I poured in my water.
The cap is a bit hard to open and close, but I’m guessing that assists in its special locking system to avoid messes.
I really wanted to love this cup. And I do love that it blends well, no doubt. But the last thing I want to add to my purse or gym bag is a big, heavy weight. I’ll use it for office days, but I doubt I will lug it to the gym or to train. Sorry Cyclone, a redesign is needed.
Bottom Line: It’s functional and it’s environmentally safe. It blends your shake well, which is hard to find among shaker cups. It has added storage for a snack.
Note to Designer: Try and make a lighter and smaller product that performs the same way. Think sleek and sexy.
Question to Readers: What blender cup do you use? Does it leave chunks?
Nixie Dee 
