Snack Review: Energy Bites

So your body is sore, but you tongue craves sugar. When I feel this way, my sweet tooth goes crazy. I want to eat something processed, but do I really want to ruin all my hard work? Finding a healthy, tasty snack is a challenge.

I recently expressed this challenge with my roommate and she sent me this great recipe she found off
Courtney Gibb's Instagram. She calls them Protein Peanut Butter Balls. That seems too long of title and I changed up the recipe a little. So I gave it a new name. Thus ENERGY BITES were born!

Personally, I did not think I would like them. I am not a huge fan of peanut butter or honey, but BOY! I was glad I tried them.

The best thing about this recipe is that the ingredients are easily found in your home. Honey, quick oats, chocolate chips, protein powder etc. There aren't weird spices or random things you would specifically need to go buy at the store, you know? It is SO convenient. It is SO simple. You can also add and deduct different ingredients depending on your preference.

They literally taste like cookie dough and take a maximum of twenty minutes to make. Did I mention this recipe is a NO-BAKE RECIPE?!

THEY ARE DELICIOUS.

I think the only down side to this recipe is how sticky it gets when making them. They can get a little messy and the clean-up is not the greatest experience. However, they smell amazing AND they are MUCH better for you than eating a cookie, chocolate or cake. In fact, I find these to be a great snack after doing workout because they are PACKED with protein, which help repair your muscles. Lastly, you don't have to wait for cook time. You stick them in the freezer for maybe five minutes and they are ready to be eaten. SO GOOD.

Lastly, there are a lot of deserts I would chose Energy Bites over. Really. Especially a gingerbread house.

FIVE STARS FOR ENEGRY BITES.

Click here for the recipe and video instructions.

I hope you find these to be just as delectable as I did! Let me know in the comments below your experience with Energy Bites and you different spins on them.

For other quick and simple meals click here.

Bounce Back Ways From Binge Eating

Oomf. After a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with good company and great conversation, I am stuffed. Maybe too stuffed. By the looks of that food baby, I may have gained 5 lbs in the last two days. Maybe more.


We've all been here. The post binge blues. Regretting eating that second or third helping of turkey and mashed potatoes. However, it is not the end of the world. Trust me on this one.

Here are some ways to get bounce back from that BINGE MEAL.

FIRST - FORGIVE YOURSELF

It is not a crime to indulge every now again. You're only human! Remember that. You are only human. Stop dwelling on overdoing it because that'll only lead to more depressive thoughts, which could in fact lead to more overeating. Forgive yourself and move on. In reality, it is only a setback by a day or two.

DRINK UP 

So you are bloated and the last thing you want to do is gulp down a cup of water. However, water will help things get moving! It'll boost that metabolism of yours. It will also keep you hydrated from all the salt and carbs you just swallowed down, thus decreasing the level of bloating.

GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP 

I bet you're already tired from all that food. Listen to your body and get a good quality sleep in. For more information on this element click here.

NO STARVING

If you feel hungry, listen to your body! Eat. Don't deprive yourself because you overdid it yesterday. Depriving your body of food will lead to another session of overeating later. Choose light healthy snacks like greek yogurt with berries or maybe just some fresh fruit and eggs. Remember, listen to your body.

EAT FIBROUS FOOD FOR BREAKFAST

Just like the water portion, we want to get things moving. Fibre aids in digestion and will help cleanse your body. Fibre will also keep you fuller longer. It's a great way to start the day. Add some protein in with your breakfast and you're set! Click here for breakfast ideas by POPSUGAR.

GET MOVING 

Alright, time to burn some calories. By exercising, we burn off some of the food we ate and use it as energy. DO NOT USE EXERCISING AS A MEANS OF FREEING GUILT. Remember, we forgave ourselves. Use exercise as a part of your daily routine. Some light cardio and weights are a great way to get endorphins flowing. Click here for a quick full body workout.

NO SCALE TODAY

This is probably the worst thing you could do. You binged, so obviously the scale is going to be heavier, especially with all that water retention. This will only discourage you. My advice, stay away from the scale for at least two days. Let your body come back to its self.

One Thing You Need To Do To Stay Fit, Young, and Happy

The startling sound of our alarms each morning can sometimes cause us to moan and groan as we get up to take on the day. Rubbing the idea of sleep out of our eyes and looking out the window to question why we are awake, even when the sun isn't.

It is common knowledge that we need enough sleep to function properly and to rid ourselves of bags under our eyes. Yet many are not aware of how lack of sleep will affect your fitness routine. I narrowed it down to three major benefits that'll keep you fit, young, and happy!

Getting enough sleep:

DECREASES HUNGER

Have you ever went to bed hungry? If you get a full night's sleep, you will wake up without a feeling of hunger. While you sleep, you body balances out hunger controlling hormones. In 2011, CNN did a study and found that people who get less than the required amount of sleep eat an average 329 more calories than a fully rested individual. This indicates a strong link between lack of sleep and weight gain. So forget the midnight snack and sleep.

KEEPS YOUR SKIN YOUNG

Huffington Post did a research article on the outcomes of lack of sleep. One of the major things that came up in their study was the lack of elasticity found in the skin of individuals who did not get enough sleep. In other words, those who did not get sufficient rest aged faster. To read more of that article, click here.

BOOST YOUR MOOD

We all know that feeling when we don't get enough sleep. You know, the word defined as grumpy? Lack of sleep can cause us to be angry, short-tempered, and stressed. Getting enough sleep will increase our ability to be happier and see the good. I am not saying getting enough sleep will eliminate stress completely. I think we all know better than that. However, Getting enough sleep each night can help us reduce the level of stress we experience, thus increasing our happiness. If you are having a hard time getting to sleep at a good hour, click here for my daily tips to help you accomplish that.

Well there are just three reasons to start getting to bed at a good time! Let me know in the comments below what you think or share how sleep or lack thereof has helped you.

Quick Easy Recipes - At Home Edition

We all have those days where you just don't have time to make a healthy looking lunch. We get up and we are just on the go, go, and go! As a result, we buy processed (yet delicious) foods that are in close proximity. Not only is that counteracting all the hardwork you have done to workout, it is also very expensive. For that reason, I created this list of ideas for SIMPLE, QUICK, AND DELICIOUS RECIPES.

These are good when you have a few minutes at home. It'll provide you with energy, nutrients, and a satisfied tummy.

Parfait

This is really simple! It is a really great way to incorporate calcium and fruits into your diet. It also a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Grab your favourite yogurt, some granola, and fruit.

Take those great ingredients and LAYER THEM. 

FIRST LAYER: Yogurt 

I generally use Activia's vanilla yogurt.

SECOND LAYER: Granola 

I really like Quaker's Simply Granola Cereal. I've also just used Honey Nut Cheerios, which is really tasty as well. 

THIRD LAYER: Fruit

I personally prefer berries in my parfait. Sometimes berries are not in season and are VERY expensive, so I buy frozen berries and defrost them under some warm water.

Feel free to layer as much as you would like. Three fits my needs just fine. It also such a pretty snack to eat! So colourful!

Stick a spoon in there and get crunching!

Spinach & Eggs

I personally do not care for the taste of spinach. Many say it does not taste like anything and I like to call those people liars. Anyway, eggs are a great way to mask the taste of spinach while still getting the great benefits of spinach. This is a good source of protein and iron!

I use Incredible!'s omelet recipe because it is simple and perfect! Click here to access that.

This photo belongs to Incredible! ***

Tuna melts 

Really inexpensive and extremely delicious. This is packed with protein and happiness. 

Ingredients you'll need: 

Your favourite:

- canned tuna 

- 2 English muffins (in halves and toasted) 

- sliced cheese

Garlic powder,salt, pepper - to taste

1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise
Few slices of a fresh tomato 

1.Mix tuna, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl.  

2. Place toasted bread on a pan (lined with parchment paper) 

3. Evenly distribute tuna mixture on each English Muffin half..
4. Place a slice of tomato on top

5. Place a slice of cheese on top of tomato

6. Broil for 3 -4 minute (until cheese is melted)

There you have it! Three great recipes for days when you don't have too much time to pack in those nutrients. Let me know what you think in the comment box below!

Have a few more minutes to spare? While cooking, try this Full Body Workout! It takes less than 10 minutes.

Plank Challenge

I am sure you have heard about the SQUAT CHALLENGE, but have you heard of the PLANK CHALLENGE? 30 Day Fitness Challenges came out with a plank routine for one month. Each day you increase your holding time.

If you don't already know, planking is one of the most effective abs exercises you can do. A lot of benefits are associated with planking. Here are just 4:

1. TONED TUMMY

Planking triggers the inner core muscles (where you ab muscles are) and makes them work. The longer you plank, the stronger you muscles get, the more pronounced your core will be. To get yourself really building, do multiple sets and different types of planks. Health.com has a great guide for a variety of planks (click here).

**NOTE: To achieve a "six-pack" abs, you need to shed fat. To effectively shed fat, you've got to do cardio. That can be running, biking, swimming, crossfit, etc. You pick.

2. BOOST OVERALL METABOLISM

Simplest way to put it is PLANKING BURNS CALORIES. It burns more calories than a traditional ab exercise, such as crunches. As you plank, you will feel you body being challenged. You'll shake, make funny faces, and even grunt a bit. It's okay. It just means you're getting stronger!

3. IMPROVES BALANCE AND POSTURE

Like previously mentioned, planks trigger the inner core muscles. By strengthening your core, you are able to maintain balance when standing or sitting. By default this improves your posture! The stronger your abdomen becomes, the more corrected your overall form for your neck, shoulders, and back will be.

4. IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY 

Flexibility is excellent benefit from doing planks regularly. It stretches all your posterior muscles (shoulders, blades, and collarbones). Simultaneously, it stretches your hamstrings, your feet, and your toes. Essentially you are stretching without really feeling it because all the tension will be in your core!


Conclusion!? Planking is worth it! So join me this month for the 30 Day Plank Challenge. I'll see that core in December! Good luck!

**NOTE: If you don't know how to properly plank, here is the link to the 30 Day Fitness Challenges video tutorial.

Three Post Workout Habits You Need!

Working out and being active are obviously important. However, what you do after your workout is equally as important as the workout itself. So, let's get educated about post workout habits! Here are three major things to do before you throw in the towel.

STRETCH 

• Increases flexibility. Now before you go on saying "I'm just not flexible," keep reading. Flexibility increases your range in motion, which can help prevent every day injuries and makes cardio activity lighter and easier.

• Corrects posture. It also corrects your posture by lengthening tight muscles by pulling muscles to where the body intended them to be.

• Increase blood flow to muscles. With blood and nutrient flow increased in the body, it can help reduce your level of soreness. 

• Helps the mind. Even 15-30 seconds of stretching can provide the mind with peace and allow your body to calm down. It also provides a mental break, which can reduce your level of stress. (Check out MBG to hear why yoga is the ideal workout)

HYDRATE

• Replenish nutrients. When you sweat, your body loses a lot of its nutrients. Naturally, at the end of workout it makes perfect sense to load up on fluids to help replenish your body. Sipping on juice or Gatorade can help restore your body of its lost electrolytes. 

WASH UP

• Hands. Wash your hands after you are done your workout. There is a lot of bacteria floating around the gym. Washing your hands after the gym can prevent you from getting ill.

• Face. Immediately wash your face after the gym. All the sweat and bacterial build up in your pores need to go away so you don't have to deal with pesky pimples. This is especially important if you workout with makeup on, which I do not recommend. I bring around Neutrogena Face Wipes to cleanse my face before my workout.

• Body. Again, this will help reduce the spread of germs and bacteria. It will also leave you feeling clean, refreshed, and relaxed. It will also eliminate that post workout smell! 

Quick Body Refresh

Try doing this workout right before you shower.

GOOD LUCK! 

Four Ways to Become Active WITHOUT the Gym

Who says becoming fit means lifting weights and running a few miles each day?

Who says turning into the best version is not fun?

Who says you have to do it all on your own?

The truth is... 

You don’t have to always be running the track or be at the gym. It can be fun and YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE.

One of the most effective ways that got me into shape was playing team sports. I was on dance, soccer, and rugby teams. Most of the time, those sports were organized through the city recreation systems or on school teams.

Today, I am not on any league teams, but I still play sports now and then. I actually enjoy going to the gym, but that doesn’t tickle everyone’s fancy.

For those individuals who don’t particular enjoy lifting as their sole physical activity, I present you with FUN WAYS TO GET ACTIVE!

Grab a ball!

Just because you are not playing in a league, does not mean you can’t play certain sports. Rally up the gang and plan out an activity each week! Everyone is busy, I get that. So pick one day/night a week to play a sport.

Who cares if you’re “not that good.” You’re going to be active and have FUN. Not only is this beneficial for you, but it is a way to keep in contact with good friends you just have not had the time to hang out.

Go pole dancing!

This one is almost TOO good to pass up. This past summer I got to join my sister and her group of friends in pole dancing lessons. It is easily the most fun, hard, and rewarding workouts I have ever done! To read more about my experience there, click here.

Get in the water!

One of my new favourite things to do for cardio is swimming. Although I am very new (and not very good) to this workout, I found so much more happiness through it! I love being in the water. I am pretty sure I was meant to be a mermaid. Anyway, there are so many water workouts you can do. Prevention has an effective high-intensity workout here.

Yoga!

This one is for those are not very competitive like I am. Becoming fit does not just mean the body, but it includes the mind. Yoga can be done ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, and with ANYONE. Shape has 8 reasons why you should be doing yoga TODAY.

There you have it, guys! Four ways to be active, while including your friends and fun (and excluding the gym).

Let me know in the comments below which activities helped you enhance your health and your happiness!

The Sexiest, Most Fun Workout EVER

ATTENTION: Pole dancing does not mean you are becoming a STRIPPER. It means you are becoming SEXIER.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in pole dancing lessons. It was easily the best, most fun workout I have EVER done. I came home sore and satisfied. It was even more fun because I was with my sister and her friends.

We went to the Brass Belles Studios for our introductory class. I actually bought a Groupon for the introductory class (click here) to save a few bucks. They offer a variety of classes, but I have only participated in the pole dancing.

At the beginning of my first introductory class, I felt really awkward and unexperienced. My sister and her friends had already gone to one class prior, so they were more comfortable than I was. I cannot express how grateful I was to be there with people I knew.

Each class starts with a warmup. The warm ups are really legit! You work your lower back, core, legs, and arms. You become familiar with the pole you are using and learn how to move your body well.

Then the lesson begins.

I think the instructor could tell I was nervous, so she comforted me by explaining that pole dancing just takes practice. The instructors there were really helpful and we had such a good time! By the end of the class, I was excited to the next one. I did not feel awkward anymore.

As you progress in each class, you become more confident and you feel sexier because you really do improve within each class. I really do not know what is it about spinning around a pole that makes you feel sexier, but it just happens, especially when you nail a specific move.

I genuinely enjoyed pole dancing a lot! It was a good way to bond with the girls and a fun way to become active. I definitely recommend it and look forward to participating a few more classes.

Leave your comment below to let me know what you think about pole dancing! Have you or are you willing to try it?

Find the Time

“Running late, sorry!”

“ I can’t go. I have too much to do.”

“I really do not have time.”

Why can’t we find the time?

Between school, jobs, and our social lives, finding time to workout is a major obstacle. Although we want to be healthier, more fit, and happier with our outward appearance, the priority to workout and eat well plummets quickly down our to-do list.

Common mentality claims we have to be in a gym to be working out. WRONG. Going to the gym can be time consuming, but working out can take ten minutes. That sounds more manageable than an hour at a fitness facility, plus commute time.

Throw on a sports bra, tie up your runners, and get moving. Working out does not mean hitting the gym. Click here to find a quick workout routine you can do at home, in a park, in between assignment, or virtually anywhere.

Personally, I do feel more motivated when I am at a gym, but when I am swamped with work and I really can’t afford the commute time, a workout at home suffices. A few high knees, planks, and mountain climbers feel a lot better than not working out at all. A short workout is better than no workout.

Still feeling like it is impossible to find time to exercise?

Here are four tricks that will help you be more productive and allow you to have more time to spare.

1.     Go to bed early!

Set an alarm half an hour before your set bedtime to remind you to start getting ready for that beauty sleep we all need. Once the alarm goes off, put everything away. It is you time.

2.     Pick out your clothes the night before!

Check the weather ahead of time, and pick out that “glam” outfit before bed. Instead of debating for ten minutes about what you want to wear the morning of, all you have to do is put on the snazzy outfit you decided on the night before and head for hair and makeup.

3.     Don’t hit the snooze button!

The trick to getting up earlier is to not hit snooze. Just get out of bed and stretch!

Throw on your gym clothes and go for a walk, run, or go lift. Oh, you like to workout in the evenings? Totally okay! Hit the showers or, grab your homework and get a head start. Make yourself a nice breakfast and pack a lunch. There is SO much you can get done in the morning, if you just get up when your alarm goes off.

4.     EAT!

Remember to eat and eat well! BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER. Let’s not forget snacks! Pack a lunch the night before and include some good veggies and fruits. Not eating consistently will make you feel sluggish and drained. Essentially, you won’t be productive. Fuel up with some carrot sticks, while you write your paper!

You’ll feel so much more accomplished, if you execute those four tricks. You’ll discover that there is a lot more time in the day than you once believed.

Set aside time, prioritize, and you’ll get them done. Remember, your health and fitness is just as important as anything else in your daily activity.

Let me know what you think the comments below!

You can do it!

Quick Full Body Workout

Make this quick workout worth it. Crank the tunes and PUSH YOURSELF. 

No more than 30 second breaks between each exercise.
Ready? GO!

20 crunches

15 Pushups

20 Arm Circles 

30 Calf Raises

30 Second Plank

15 Jumping Jacks

20 Squat

20 Second Wall Sit

WELL DONE! Round 2?

Health Benefits of Lemon Water

I used to have sporadic breakouts.  I told my naturopath about them, and he recommended that I drink hot water with lemon every morning, right after waking. He explained that the antioxidants in the lemon juice help decrease blemishes and flushes out toxins if taken early in the morning, thereby maintaining skin’s radiance.

That was about six years ago and to this day, every morning consists of a cup of hot lemon water. I really didn’t believe it would help my skin, until I made it a part of my morning routine.

Hot lemon water has a lot of other healthy benefits such as:

1. STRONGER LIVER

Strengthens liver by adding energy to liver enzymes

2. Freshens your breath

CAUTION: the citric acid from lemons can erode enamel, so hold off brushing right after you drink it, or brush before drinking it

3. Excellent source of potassium and vitamin C

Easy way to boost your immunity

4. Helps you lose weight

Lemons contain a fibre called “pectin” which helps reduce hunger cravings

5. Aids in digestion

Drinking lemon water after a really greasy meal, or Thanksgiving dinner helps loosen toxins in digestive tracks

There are so many more benefits. So, go ahead and make lemon water a part of your daily routine and experience better health in no time! You can click here to get my simple recipe for lemon water.

Let me know in the comments below about how lemon water has helped you.