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?
Truth: Ladies. Please get over this myth right now! You do not have the testosterone or growth factor to create huge, hulky muscles. And if you really wanted that bodybuilder look, you would have to seriously focus on achieving THAT. You would have to eat thousands of calories, lift hundreds of pounds of weights, and dedicate every single meal and the timing of it to create that look. I lift 4x a week, attempt to eat my body weight in protein most days, and eat clean every day, and would have to triple that attempt to get anywhere CLOSE to looking “muscular” like those pins and bodybuilding women you see. It is seriously a lifestyle, from 8am-8am to get hulky. So stop worrying, lift heavy, and run hard to get a hot bod.
Myth: Ab machines, crunches, planks, and hanging leg raises will sculpt your abs and give you a flat tummy.
Truth: There is a layer of fat over your abs. No matter how many crunches and planks you do, no matter how hard your work your abs, you will never see them unless you lose that fat covering them. Doing those workouts will not let them show. You must change your diet and reduce your calories and lose the fat. So don’t spend more than 5 minutes on abs! Focus on lifting and HIIT cardio.
Myth: As long as you are sweating, you are losing weight.
Truth: Sweat has nothing to do with intensity! It is your body’s way of getting rid of heat. Fat is oxidized inside your body, and it is not going to vaporize because you’re sweating. You can walk outside on a super hot day and you will start sweating immediately; this doesn’t mean you are losing weight. You can sit in a sauna for 20 minutes, but all you are losing is water weight which you must replace. Your body is 75% water, after all. Your body is just keeping cool. Hard work and a good diet makes you lose weight, not the amount of sweat you pour.
Myth: You can spot reduce your problem areas like lower belly and love handles.
Truth: There is NO SUCH THING as spot-reducing. Your body chooses where to lose fat as it pleases; you can’t make it lose fat in a certain area. You can create muscle in a certain area if only working out that area. For example, if all you did was biceps curls for 6 weeks, you’d only have stronger, bigger biceps, not stronger legs or back.
Myth: Light weights with plenty of reps will give you lean muscle tone.
Truth: Leanness and muscle mass comes from challenging your muscles. If you are lifting a 5-lb purse daily and then hit the gym and use 5-lb dumbbells to work out, you are not challenging your muscles. There will be no tiny tears to rebuild, resulting in “tone.” Tone means building muscle. You will have to lose the fat over the muscle and gain mass to look lean and sculpted. Leanness and muscle come from low body fat and muscle mass development. Muscles do not “grow longer.” The length of your muscles depends on the length of your limbs/torso.
You know what really grinds my gears? Myths. Lies. And Bullshit. I’ve been on a research hunt for the past couple weeks, reading and learning about all the latest studies on fitness, weight loss, and sports nutrition. I’ve come across a lot of claims, a bunch of idiots, and have learned a few great things about fat loss and nutrition. I’ll give you the rundown.
Bull
Some tools believe that an abstract of a small study (n<20) is going to prove their point.
People believe what marketing companies tell them, no matter what facts are shown.
Supplement companies make false claims, or claims made on small, ill-prepared studies.
Things I’ve Learned
Fasted training teaches your body to use fat as a fuel more efficiently.
This means having an empty stomach for at least 15 hours.
Intermittent Fasting can be a very efficient way to lose fat for most people, Type 1 Diabetics excluded.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) can help a body recover faster and decrease soreness if taken before/during/after an intense workout.
A lot of BCAA supplements are sourced from human hair and feathers. (Gross!)
There is only one pure company I found, Ajipure, which makes BCAA’s with fermentation.
Not sure about something you’ve heard? Let me research the claim for you. Comment below with any diet/fitness questions!
What is Kevita? Kevita is a probiotic, functional drink that promotes health and energy. It is handcrafted by a winemaker and holistic health consultant in Southern California. The company has a whole family of delicious flavors, including a new Lemon-Cayenne Daily Cleanse and Mojita.
How is it healthy? Probiotics are the “good bugs” in your body that increase immunity. Did you know that over 80% of your immunity is found in your gut? Your digestive track houses the majority of these beneficial bacteria, which fight off illness and disease. People who indulge in probiotic food, drinks, and supplements have less reported bouts of colds, flus, and infections. Get on the bandwagon now!
Product Review
Flavor
I tasted all the flavors my health food store has. Sadly, they don’t have the new Mojita or Lemon-Cayenne cleanse flavor, which I want to try! If I find them elsewhere, I’ll add them to this review later.
Pomegranate Coconut – The flavor of the pomegranate coconut is light, crisp, and fruity. It has a hint of coconut and sweetness that hits the spot when you’ve got a craving. It tastes more like coconut than pomegranate, so it’s not tart like you’d expect. This is my favorite one because of the mix and it’s also my boyfriend’s favorite.
Pomegranate- The flavor of the pomegranate is reminiscent of mixing pomegranate juice and sparkling water. Once you get a few sips in you really taste the pomegranate and it’s delicious! This would actually be perfect to make a healthy cocktail if mixed with some vodka!
Coconut – The coconut is a refreshing coconut water taste with a very light flavor. This would be perfect to accompany a meal or replenish electrolytes after/during a workout.
Mango Coconut – I like mango and this has a nice mango spark. It’s light enough where if you’re not a huge fan of heavy mango flavor, that you would still enjoy this drink. It’s tropical and refreshing. It would make a great alternative to a mocktail if you’re a fan of those fruity sugary drinks. But this has no heavy sugary/mango taste, so it’s excellent any time.
EnergyAfter drinking a sip, you feel refreshed. After about the half the bottle, you get a kick of light energy and wide-eyed readiness. This must be from the probiotics boosting your digestion.
Replace SodaWhy do I love Kevita so much? It helps fight obesity by supplying us with a tasty, low calorie, sparkling, and healthy beverage. Even their mission statement includes fighting the obesity epidemic! It’s safe for any age and will always make you smile. Soda is a sparkling and refreshing beverage, but is terrible for obesity and the body. Even diet soda tears up your stomach and leeches calcium from your bones, among the many other negative side effects!
Plus the bottom of the bottle has a heart. It shows how much love and positive energy they want to spread in the world.
Giveaway
How do I get some? Click here to start entering the giveaway now! Then email me your address after liking Kevita’s Facebook page. Be sure to comment below with your favorite healthy beverage. Be sure to share this post on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for extra brownie points.
Have any questions about this drink? See their FAQ‘s. Want to try some right now? Check out their store locator.
I was not paid to write this review. These opinions are solely mine. Product info and the images were taken from their site. I was given coupons for free kevita to try out the product and review it.
Bad Stress creates a physiological response in our bodies that makes us tired, irritable, fat, and weak. More than half of the stress we experience is bad stress. When you say that your stress is killing you, you are right. It is weakening your nervous system, organs, mind, and bones. It’s terrible, and we have to find ways to cope with daily stress accordingly.
Many people choose to eat, drink, smoke, or exercise it away. You can guess which one of those methods is the healthiest.
We know about bad stress. We wish we didn’t, but we do. If you’re like me and want to know all the science behind it click here: Scientific Slide Show. Let me know if you have any questions!
Good stress is the small amount of pressure that makes you get up off your ass in the morning and be productive. It is the mediocre amount of stress you put on yourself that makes you actually do something with your day. It is the tiny shot of cortisol that allows your body to wake up and start functioning.
A common type of good stress is the kind you put on your body during a workout. You end up stronger, faster, and thinner afterward. It’s a great type of stress! Another type is studying or learning. You are stressing your mind, but only for it to grow and become smarter.
When I’m Stressed I tend to do one of two things: sleep or workout. I run until I can run no more. Or, I sit on the couch, lethargic, and waste away. Sometimes I combine the two. I try to run it out, physically and mentally. If you think about it, this makes the most sense: our bodies are in fight or flight mode. So the best tactic is to punch a bag or run! I admit, it’s a temporary fix. When I’m running, sprinting, or hiking up that 15.0 incline, I feel great. But when I put my coat on and drive home, I’m back in my head, stressing out about whatever the current life issue is.
So you may ask,”Did it really make you feel better?” Yes. It did. And it made my body feel better because it used up the cortisol and adrenaline that was being pumped out before I got to the gym. It’s worth it.
Cravings can be your health’s worst enemy when stressed. I crave carbs like sourdough bread, cake, and sugar. Our bodies naturally crave carbohydrates when stressed because they boost our serotonin, which calms us down. The bad part is that our body is already full of released sugar because it’s in fight or flight mode. So we eat a cake donut, and add more sugar to our bloodstream. If we don’t use it up by exercising or playing, it turns into fat.
Healthy Foods help our bodies find homeostasis more quickly. They get us back to feeling energized, happy, and relaxed. They fight adrenal fatigue. (Your adrenals release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.) When we have exhausted our bodies, eating foods that de-stress us is vital. The Thrive program has these three great videos and handouts to make it easy to deal with stress in a healthy way.
My favorite healthy de-stressing snacks are VegaOne Smoothies, Chia Seed Pudding, and apples or bananas and almond butter. They all tastes like dessert, but they’re healthy. Yay for healthy carbs!
How do you deal with stress? What are your negative and positive reactions to it? What do you crave when your stressed?
Making A Lifestyle You think it’s a diet. You think it’s a cleanse. You think it’s not eating carbs. You think wrong. Health is a lifestyle. It’s a complete way of living. Health is from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed and the hours in between. It’s a 24/7 practice. It’s eating, drinking, breathing, and heart-beating. You can eat whatever you want, you can workout whenever you want, and you can socialize in any way. A healthy lifestyle means doing those things with health in mind.
I eat cookies, pizza, sushi, cake, brownies, and dark chocolate. I take days off from working out. I sit in my pajamas all day on sunday and watch tv. I eat chinese food once a week. Does this sound healthy? Not at all! Here is a health-ifying breakdown:
I eat organic cookies I either bake at home, or buy in small portions.
I eat organic vegan pizzas that are single-serving, or made from home on a pita.
I go to sushi once a month or less.
If I eat cake, it’s a mug cake that I make in the microwave. Again, single serving.
Same goes for brownies. (Why have a huge pan sitting around to devour?)
Dark chocolate is afforded to one small square a day, or in the form of Raw Cacao powder to make hot cocoa or chocolate milk.
Rest days are essential to rebuild and recover. Taking an extra one is always okay.
My chinese food is made from Gardein Mandarin Chick’n and Quinoa.
Sunday is a rest day, so I’m allowed to do what the hell I want!
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too You see? You can have all those things if you just healthify them! I have a major sweet tooth. I am a fat kid in a health nut’s body. I love my sweets, but I always keep health in mind when eating them. If I go overboard, I’ll be sure to make up for it in the gym. Aim for balance.
Your life is important. Your vitality, wellness, vigor, energy, and spirit is important. You deserve the best because you are the best.
I may indulge in all those things, but guess what? It’s OKAY. I’m healthy and you can be too.
Find time, at least an hour a day, to devote to moving. If you can’t get to a gym, do some body exercises during one of your TV shows. Squats, Push-ups, Dips, Mountain Climbers. Those four things will shape you up just fine. They will get your body, digestion, and metabolism moving more efficiently.
I know it’s hard to change your frame of mind. Change is a frightening thing. But if you don’t change how you look at losing weight and gaining health today, then you won’t ever get there. You will continue the same behavioral patterns and end up where you started, or worse, heavier and sicker.
If you need any help, just ask. My mission is to fight obesity and that starts with one person at at time.
If being overweight isn’t your healthy lifestyle issue, what is? Tell me below and inspire the next blog. Thanks for reading.
Let go. Let go of your past. Let go of your anger. Let go of your anxiety. Let your worries float free.
You’ve got to let go to move on. The reason we fail in life is because we are holding onto something that is bringing us down. Would you stay tied to an anchor if it was drowning you?
If you don’t let go of something that is taking up your life, you won’t have room for anything fresh and new.
Cravings, emotions, and attachments can anchor you to that sugary donut, white bread, and want to eat. A love lost, death, departure, and uncertainty can anchor you to not want to eat.
They are making you depressed and pushing you further down into the deep, dark ocean of emotion where you can’t breathe. The past life you lived, the habits that consumed you, and the present issues that are circling in your brain are keeping your mind and body from becoming healthy.
Personal Tidbit. The idea of a perfect body has always been the anchor drowning my ability to have ultimate wellness. The obsession started around age 14 when we all go through that awkward pubescent stage of life. I was in a very rough patch. My parents were going through a divorce that was going on 4 years, I didn’t have a place to call home, and I needed control. The only thing I could control was my diet. I decided I didn’t like everything I was forced to endure, so I stopped the one thing I could: eating.
After many years of nutrition courses, vegetarianism, veganism, and health-nuttiness, I still have issues of wanting the perfect level of health, the perfect body (which is constantly changing), and the perfect life. It’s not healthy, and I try to break this obsession with more health.
My way of dealing and coping with it is to eat the utmost perfect diet: organic, low-fat, full of antioxidants, plant-based, etc. And to be a personal trainer: obligated to having a muscular physique, toned abs, and perfect skin. I’m working on accepting the body I have and letting go of the perfect anchor.
We all have our own issues we need to let go. I have mine, you have yours. But we can’t let them destroy us. We can’t let them drown us.
We must choose to let go of them. It’s no easy feat. It may be a lifelong battle. All we can do is work on letting go: one day at a time, one emotion, one memory, one loss, just one at a time. We can do rituals to make ourselves well, like yoga, meditation, and self-love. We can take medications to block out those obsessive thoughts, but that won’t make our body any healthier. In the end, we must realize, breakthrough, and let go. Untie yourself from the anchor drowning you.
Nixie Dee 
