Health-Fitness Tips,Tricks And How To Tutorials Which Will Help To Live Life Healthy-Wealthy And Enjoyable Forever.
Friday Faves
Hi hi! Happy Friday! Hope you’ve had a wonderful week. It’s gone by in a blur – we were in Phoenix last weekend for a competition and were back in time for Sunday brunch with friends.
The Ventana Blues and Brews brunch is still a fave all of these years later.
(Liv has been enjoying Ventana brunch since she was 9 months old)
The rest of the week has been filled with 1:1 appointments, podcast interviews, a fun lunch with my Bible study group, and getting ready for the weekend. Hope your weekend is full of fun and relaxation.
Speaking of relaxation, if you’ve been wanting a sauna blanket, now is the time! HigherDOSE kindly offered a 20% off discount code through 5/4! Just head here and enter FITNESSISTA20 for 20% sitewide (exc full-size saunas, bundles, and subscriptions), including the PEMF Go Mat, Red Light Face mask, and beloved sauna blanket. I sleep so well when I use it and it gives me an awesome sweat. I recommend the blanket insert, too, if you decide to go for it – it makes cleanup super easy.
Ok friends, it’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.
Friday Faves 4.28
Read, watch, listen:
Check out this week’s podcast episode here! We chatting all about the importance of nasal breathing and proper tongue posture.
Really enjoying the comments section on this one.
So many potential benefits of yoga here.
My Spanish has been slowly dwindling – if you don’t use it, ya lose it- so I’ve been listening to this podcast more frequently to brush up on things.
Fashion + beauty:
SO much cute stuff from Vuori lately. I love their clothes for workouts but also for casual every day clothes and traveling. Their joggers and jumpsuits are my very fave, and I recently got some more tanks, shorts, and leggings.
Since tarte got rid of my go-to eyeshadow primer, I’d been struggling to find a replacement. This one is excellent. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and makes shadows last much longer.
Ok, this is wild, but have you guys had your “colors done?” Apparently you can hire an expert to tell you which colors are best suited for your hair, eyes, and skin tone, but there are also free tools online. I used this one and found out I’m Deep Winter. It totally makes sense, because many of these are colors I tend to gravitate toward anyway. It was very interesting!
Fitness + good eats:
(from dinner at Bottega Michaelangelo)
I got to take two fitness classes while we were in Phoenix last weekend. I enjoyed a Lagree class at BURN – Lagree kills me in the best way – and my first class at Row House. At F45, I’m only really used to rowing for a max of one minute at a time, so it was very challenging to do much longer row segments. I definitely felt it in my arms and core afterwards!
This workout onesie. It was perfect for hot yoga! The fabric is super soft and stretchy, but still a little bit of compression. It’s only $20 right now, too.
I’d love to hear about any of your food, fitness, or fashion faves from the week.
Happy Friday, friends!
xo
Gina
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Sculpt Society Review
Sharing my thoughts on Sculpt Society and if I’d recommend this workout!
Hi friends! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. We celebrated Liv’s birthday with friends and also enjoyed a long hike with Maisey. It was the perfect weekend.
For today’s post, I’m excited to share a new-to-me workout format: Sculpt Society! I was ad-targeted for this one forever, and since I always love trying new body workouts and absolutely love dance cardio, I figured I’d give it a whirl. This workout program was founded by Megan Roup (you can check out her Instagram here) and I’ll share a full review below. Heads up that this review isn’t sponsored; I signed up for a 7-day free trial and am going to keep my subscription for a couple of months. I’ve tried a lottttt of fitness apps in my day and am always pumped when I find a winner. 🙂
You can use my referral link to get a 7-day trial plus one month free on the app!
Sculpt Society Review
What Is Sculpt Society?
As I mentioned above, Sculpt Society was created by trainer Megan Roup and is a blend of dance cardio, barre, Pilates, and traditional strength. Megan worked as a professional dancer for the Brooklyn Nets and developed this workout style in 2017. She says, “I wanted to create a program that would help women reach their goals and would still be fun. My mission with The Sculpt Society workout app is to empower women through movement, to stand in their bodies with confidence and strength, and to feel their best self.” (Source)
The Sculpt Society App And Website
On The Sculpt Society app and website, you can find over 400 classes. When you first log into the TSS app, you’ll see an example weekly schedule of classes, a live video schedule, popular videos, and programs you can follow.
The classes are also organized into segments: Gentle + Beginner classes, 30 min sculpt, 30 min dance cardio (my personal fave), 30 min full body, 45-50 minute full body, side body classes, stretch + yoga. There’s also a “Getting Started” section which breaks down common exercises and offers modifications. I’m going to focus on a couple of my fave Sculpt Society workouts below:
30 min Dance Cardio
As I mentioned above, this is my favorite one. The combos are more athletic and on the simple side, easy to follow, but still a lot of fun. This is hard when you’re teaching mixed levels of dance abilities, and I feel like a beginner to advanced dancers would enjoy these combos. The beauty of online dance workouts is that you can pause the video and practice a move until you get it and then resume. Don’t be intimidated if you don’t consider yourself “a dancer!” These classes include a lot of jumping, but you can absolutely modify them for a low-impact workout.
For these classes, you can expect a short warm-up, an athletic dance combo that you build onto, a break for arms and abs segments, and then back to the combo to finish it out.
Quickie workouts: Arms, Abs, and Full Body
The quickie workouts are 15-25 minutes and focus on various muscle groups. These are a nice add-on to other strength or cardio workouts and focus on more barre-style endurance exercises (full-range movements, pulses, and holds). These are also great workouts when you don’t have a ton of time but want to move your body.
Sculpt Workouts
These are around 30 minutes and use light weights along with an optional resistance band. These are also more barre-based movements, with lots of core stabilization, side series, booty work, and ab burners. I feel like this is a smart way to change up traditional strength training, especially if you do a lot more hypertrophy or circuit-based training (10-15 reps, moderate weights). This will challenge you in an entirely different way and I love the added core stability of many of these exercises.
Sculpt Society Prenatal
Are you pregnant and ready to kick those pregnancy pains to the curb and feel strong and energized? Then you need to try the Sculpt Society’s prenatal program! It’s designed just for you, with exercises that build strength, improve flexibility, and reduce discomfort. Our program includes low-impact cardio, strength training, and exercises for your pelvic floor and abs. With better posture, less back pain, and more energy, you’ll be ready for labor and delivery. Come on, join us now, and see for yourself how amazing you can feel!
Sculpt Society Postpartum
The Sculpt Society’s Postpartum Program offers personalized workouts and expert guidance for new moms, all from the comfort of their own homes. With a supportive community and a focus on physical and mental health, our program helps new moms achieve their fitness goals amidst the chaos of motherhood. Sign up now and prioritize your well-being!
What equipment do you need?
You don’t need a ton of equipment for these workouts. I’ve only done a few, but I’ve only seen light hand weights, a resistance band loop, a Pilates ball, and optional ankle weights in the workouts.
Benefits & Results
– You can do Megan’s workout at home in your living room, or while you’re traveling, with minimal equipment.
– I really like Megan and her style of training. The over-the-top peppy fake fitness instructor vibe doesn’t work for me, and I typically find myself going for trainers that seem like nice, normal, people (a huge reason why I love Les Mills workouts so much! They’re motivating without being artificial.). I also find that I work harder when the instructor is talking normally, instead of high-pitched and overexcited lol. Megan has a really lovely vibe, and while she has branded taglines or performs solo dance breaks (hi Peloton), she’s energetic and gives great cueing. (There are other trainers in the app, but I haven’t tried their classes yet.)
– As far as results go, it absolutely depends on how often you do these workouts and how the other foundational habits in life are going (sleep, stress management, nutrition, hydration, etc). I feel like it’s a solid mix of strength, cardio, mobility, core work, and stretching — I’d just be sure to include a couple of rest days each week and at least 1 day of heavier resistance training to fatigue.
Sculpt Society Cost
– Sculpt Society offers a free 7-day trial and it took a quick Google search for me to find a discount code for my first month. After that, it will be $19.99 per month. You also get a 24% discount if you choose the annual billing option. My referral link will get you one month free on the app!
So, tell me friends: have you tried Sculpt Society or anything similar? Dance cardio lovers: what’s your favorite type of class?
Any other fitness formats you’d like to see my review?
xoxo
Gina
A couple of my dance cardio workouts you can try!
More workout reviews:
SWEAT app Fierce program review
Les Mills +
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132: Tongue posture and nasal breathing with Ashley Palin, The Tongue Therapist
Hi friends! How are you?? I have a new podcast episode up today with an important topic: nasal breathing and tongue posture. This is a world that I stumbled upon accidentally a couple of years ago, when I was wondering why tongue posture improves facial posture. I went down a rabbit hole and started to learn about how tongue posture impacts our facial development, why it’s important to breathe through our nose, and how our tongue posture and breathing habits can affect so many systems in the body.
This information is starting to become more well-known, and I’m so thankful for experts like Ashley Palin sharing their knowledge on this subject. I love following her Instagram and have learned a lot from her, so I was thrilled when she said she’d join me on the podcast.
132: Tongue posture and nasal breathing with Ashley Palin, The Tongue Therapist
Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode:
– Mouth breathing! Why should we pay attention to nasal breathing? Why is it important?
– Ideal tongue posture – what does it look like?
– Mouth taping. Should we do it? What about if we have a deviated septum?
– Do you think it’s worth getting deviated septums, tongue ties, and lip ties corrected as adults?
– How do we model good tongue posture for our kids and do you think it’s worth seeking out help when they’re young?
and so.much.more.
Here’s a bit more about Ashley:
Ashley is a registered dental hygienist who, after discovering her own issues with mouth breathing and oral-ties, pivoted to become a myofunctional therapist and help others with the same issues. She’s done additional trainings through The Buteyko Clinic, MyoMethod, Tongue-Tied Academy and more. She helps people to breathe, sleep, and feel better by correcting their oral function, tongue posture, and breathing habits.
You can follow her on Instagram here and check out her website here (she also takes 1:1 virtual clients if you’re looking for help!).
More resources from this episode:
I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket – right now they’re having a Mother’s Day promo and you can use FITNESSISTA20 for 20% off! This is one of my favorite ways to relax and sweat it out. I find that it energizes me, helps with aches and pains, I sleep better on the days I use this, and it makes my skin glow. Link to check it out here. You can also use my discount for the PEMF Go Mat, which I use every day, and the red light face mask, which is a staple in my weekly skincare routine.
I’ve been loving Athletic Greens! This link gets you 5 free travel packs and a year’s supply of Vitamin D3/K2.
If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission. You can absolutely join if you don’t currently work in the health or fitness industry; many IHPs don’t begin on this path. They’re friends who are passionate to learn more about health and wellness, and want to share this information with those they love. You can do this as a passion, or start an entirely new career.
You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. I finished Level 1 and am working my way through Level 2. I highly recommend it! You can check out my review IHP here!
Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)
Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.
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The best mom swimsuits: my top picks
Sharing my favorite mom swimsuits that are flattering, not too skimpy, and functional!
Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having a great one so far! For today’s post, I have summer on the brain. I’m SO ready for slow mornings, no homework (praise be), and days in the pool.
THANK GOODNESS FOR THE POOL. I often hear people complain about the Tucson heat – it really is like an oven outside – but the truth is, Tucson is reverse hibernation. We have good outdoor weather in the winter, and stay indoors or swim during the summer. In the summer, you can find us in the water or in the AC.
I was pondering mom swimsuits and how difficult they are to find. When I find one I love, it’s a huge deal.
What makes an awesome mom swimsuit? A winner of a mom swimsuit needs to be comfortable and flattering, but also has to rank high on the functional front. It has to keep everything LOCKED DOWN. For example, I want to be able to play freely with the kiddos without flashing my goodies. A good mom swimsuit keeps everything covered, even while you’re building sand castles, running in the waves, chasing the kiddos as “mama shark,” or tossing them into the air.
For this post, I thought I’d share some of the best ones I’ve found! These are a mix of ones I already own (notated with ***) or have found online with stellar reviews. If you have any mom swimsuits you love, please spread the word in the comments section!! I usually find the best swimsuits at Nordstrom, Everything But Water and Anthropologie. Target also has an incredible selection at reasonable price points.
The best mom swimsuits: my top picks
One-pieces:
***Becca Aurora Crochet. I have this one in black – I bought it a few years ago – and get compliments every time I wear it. I love that the detail makes it look a little bit sexy without being too much. It’s a classic and I wear it year after year.
J Crew ruched swimsuit. SO many gorgeous colors and it has flattering.
3. This square-neck suit. This one has excellent reviews and the fiery red color is a fun way to switch things up from the classic black suit.
**Anything from Summersalt. I have four suits from them and this is one of my favorite ones! I also love the fit of this one (size up one size for all Summersalt suits).
This suit has a trendy cut-out and comes in four gorgeous colors.
Love this gorgeous print and v-neck (on sale right now, too).
Another cute square-neck suit with a floral print.
**This scallop one-shoulder one piece. I just ordered this one because I love the bright color and Target swimsuit prices are A+.
** Vuori has swimwear now! LOVE this one-piece and just added it to my cart.
Bikinis:
This sporty bikini with high waist bottoms and UPF 50+.
This super cute colorblock option with a high waist.
Obsessed with this suit that was designed for active lifestyles.
Maaji suits always fit well and last, and this set has enough booty coverage.
***These are my go-to bikini bottoms that I’ll mix and match with different tops.
Coverups:
This incredible embroidered cover-up
***Floral print buttoned coverup. I wear this one constantly with jean shorts.
***Button-up shirt coverup. This is one of my faves and the price point is awesome. I’d recommend sizing up — mine shrank in the wash.
This effortless shirtdress coverup.
Obsessed with this crochet coverup.
Swimsuit tip: For bold and bright colors, I always soak these in the sink in cold water and vinegar for about 20 minutes before washing. I wash the brights together on gentle and let them air dry. The colors stay vibrant this way!
So, tell me: where do you buy your swimsuits? What’s the current favorite? Please feel free to link away in the comments!
xo
Gina
This post isn’t sponsored but affiliate links are included above. These links don’t impact purchase price and enable me to earn a small kickback, which I use to keep this lil blog running. Thank you so much for your support!
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my relationship with fitness lately
Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had an amazing weekend! Once again, Liv’s team crushed their competition; they took 1st, 2nd, and 5th overall for their categories! It was so much fun to watch them shine and enjoy a little Phoenix staycation. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks for the next one.
For today’s post, I thought I’d pop in and share a little bit about how my personal relationship with fitness has changed and my mindset around it.
When I first got into the fitness world, I was omgsoexcited about trying and doing all the things. I loved teaching all of the classes, taking as many classes as possible, trying new exercises and strategies in the weights room, and was absolutely in the honeymoon phase of fitness. This *phase* actually lasted for many years, hence the name of my blog and why fitness has become more than a hobby and the baseline for my entire career.
Currently, I don’t feel very Fitnessista-ish 😉 It’s become more of a box that I check… and that’s ok.
I don’t look forward to strength training on my own the same way that I used to, so I haven’t been lifting consistently on my own for quite a few months. I walked into the gym yesterday to teach a class, and the weight room felt so foreign to me, when it used to be a daily staple in my life.
Instead of using a lack of excitement as my reason to quit strength training entirely, I’ve done some other things that have helped me to stay consistent.
Right now, it involves taking classes (F45, hot yoga, barre, Sculpt Society), working with an amazing local personal trainer, and I enjoy encouraging others through Fit Team and with my one and one clients.
I’ve realized over time that health and wellbeing is so much more than what you do in the gym each day. Yes, it’s absolutely important to move your body consistently, but I’ve been emphasizing the other 23 hours in the day more than what I do for my workout. I just make sure to get in a walk each day, usually with Maisey, get daily steps in on my walking pad and doing chores, and strength train 3-4 times per week (whether it’s through training or taking classes).
When we lose the honeymoon phase of anything, it’s when we really need to lean into our dedication and commitment, instead of depending on excitement and motivation. Goals can impact our attitudes about certain things, and I don’t really have any fitness-related goals right now.
I’m not looking to get incredibly strong or lean. No PRs or races or distance goals in my near future. While these things used to be exciting and motivating for me, I don’t think they would be right now. Just typing the word PR makes me feel stressed lol. I just want to be healthy with tons of energy, have full function and mobility, and for my clothes to continue to fit well.
Here are some of the other things I’ve been working on:
– Stress management. This is a huge one because stress can impact so many factors in the body, can negatively impact your sleep, mood, immune system function, hormones, digestion, and performance/recovery. It can be SO hard to minimize stress – especially when you have a lot going on – but for me, it looks like time in the sauna blanket 3-4 times each week, daily chilling on my PEMF Go Mat (if you’re going to order; wait until Thursday!) with binaural beats and my prayer journal, and weekly time with friends.
– Blood sugar balance. Using Nutrisense every few months or so has been a game changer for me. (You can read more about my experience here!) I’ve been able to make some simple changes in my routine that have improved my numbers significantly. I’m going to add another sensor later this week — after hot yoga because I found out the hard way that my CGM basically falls off afterwards.
– Continuing to minimize alcohol. I’ve taken my alcohol intake way down and sleep and feel SO much better without it being a key player in my life. I had my first cocktail last night after three weeks without alcohol, and didn’t even realize I hadn’t had wine in so long.
– Sleeping. A lot. Why is sleep the best ever?! I love staying up late because it’s quiet and it could be my chance to read longer or get more work done, but I’ve been forcing myself to wind down and turn lights out by 10:15 or 10:30 and my energy levels are the best they’ve ever been.
– Eating enough to fuel my body. I never thought this would be difficult because I love food so much, but when I get busy, I tend to skip meals and some variety of chips instead (potato or chocolate). Each night, I quickly brainstorm what I’m going to have for lunch, and even if it’s something super quick and easy (and already prepared for convenience sake), I’m gonna go for it. Our freezer is stocked with Daily Harvest bowls and smoothies, which are some of my favorite lunch options.
So tell me, friends: what’s your relationship with fitness like right now?
What health goals are you currently setting for yourself?
xo
Gina
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Dr. Cabral 7-day detox review + recipes
Sharing my thoughts on the Dr. Stephen Cabral 7-day detox, and sharing the recipes I enjoyed while I was on this Functional Medicine detox. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, you can use my code FITNESSISTA20 for 20% off.
Hi friends! Happy Monday! How are you? I hope you’re having a lovely day so far. We had a great weekend. I got a ton of work stuff done, we went to the pumpkin patch and celebrated the Pilot’s bday a day early. His actual birthday is today and I’m looking forward to more celebrations this evening with my favorite guy. I also wrapped up the 7-day Dr. Cabral detox with our community last night and feel SO good! I’m excited to share more details about my experience in this post with ya.
In this post, I also wanted to share some of the recipes and meals I enjoyed for my friends out there who are considering doing this functional medicine detox on their own time. It can be helpful to have meal ideas for days 3-7. This post is a beefy one because there’s so much I wanted to include. Grab a mug of coffee or tea and I’d love to chat with ya and share my experience.
Here we go!
Dr. Cabral 7-day detox review + recipes
What is the detox and how does it work?
– It’s a liver-based detox to help reset your body, provide a break from digesting heavy foods, and potentially help your body eliminate toxins that we accumulate from our environment. It includes functional medicine ingredients and Ayurvedic herbs to support phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification.
– It’s nutrition-focused. It includes the POWERHOUSE Daily Nutritional Support powder (which I’ve had in my smoothies for the past couple of months and notice a difference in how I feel when I drink this smoothie), and meal guidelines for the remaining meals. The goal is to NOT have your body depleted of nutrients during the process.
– It can potentially help with weight loss (although that’s not a focus for me), along with anti-aging, and total body wellness.
– It’s only 7 days! When I first started working with a naturopath (back in the old days! It was like 2010), he had me do a month-long detox that was similar in format (but did not include the Ayurvedic supplements). It’s so much easier to do for 7 days, and I feel like my results were even better from the extra nutritional support. (The first two days are supplements, fruit, and smoothies only, and on day 3, you add in nutrient-dense meals using their meal guideline/template.)
Each detox kit includes the following:
Daily Nutritional Support:
This one-stop shop for vitamins, minerals, protein, electrolytes, and antioxidants is the heart and soul of Dr.Cabral Detox. With 15 grams of vegan protein, Daily Nutritional Support provides your body with much-needed energy and nutrition while your body begins to rid itself of toxins.
FM Detox:
Utilizing the most recent research in Functional Medicine, FM Detox provides the compounds necessary to support both phases of liver detoxification. Essential amino acids, antioxidants, and botanical extracts like milk thistle help the body to capture and move toxins to the liver where they can be metabolized and removed during phase two. Ingredients like dandelion root extract support the production of bile which aids in elimination. As a diuretic, dandelion root increases the water supplied to the liver which facilitates toxin elimination in the urine.
AYU Detox:
Incorporating ancient Ayurvedic healing traditions that support optimal detoxification, the AM Detox helps begin the detox process. Various diuretics move water to the liver and increase the solubility of toxins. Triphala, the combination of three plants: Emblica Officinalis, Terminalia bellerica, and Terminalia chebula, have been studied for their roles in gastrointestinal health. When used in conjunction, it is suggested this powerful trio promotes the growth of beneficial gut microbes Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, while inhibiting the growth of undesirable strains.
(You can read more and explore scientific references here.)
My experience by day:
Day 1:
Day 1 was just shakes and supplements, and I expected to feel run down and tired. I felt amazing. I had a lot of energy and felt clear and focused. So, I took this day entirely off from the gym and spent extra time meditating and reading in the evening.
Day 2:
I expected hunger to kick in, and it hit pretty hard in the afternoon. I ate a bowl of raspberries and blueberries and felt much better. And, I figured if I needed to skip ahead to Day 3 at any point during the detox, I could do it. But, I didn’t feel like I needed it. I did feel more tired this day, and only took Maisey for our usual walk for activity.
Day 3:
The first day of adding back whole foods and food had never tasted so amazing in my life. This is why I LOVE doing occasional resets; it brings me back to my tastebuds and the foods I genuinely enjoy. I made channa masala, which I knew was going to be flavorful, but it was bursting with spices and citrus. It was incredible. I felt my energy soar in the afternoon, so I did a quick Sculpt Society workout (no cardio, just lightweight and bodyweight strength).
Day 4:
I feel like I hit my groove with meal planning and felt myself looking forward to the shakes and each meal. This was another off day from the gym and I just walked Maisey. Lunch was an awesome Mediterranean lentil dish for lunch (recipe below) and we had the best scallops and asparagus for dinner. (Got the scallops from ButcherBox and the girls went crazy for them.)
Days 5-7:
I started to get back into a more *normal* workout routine but modified it quite a bit since I felt weak. I did an F45 class one day, a hot yoga day the following day, and took Sunday as a rest day.
Something I noticed during this detox:
– My Oura scores were the best they’d ever been consecutive. I had multiple triple crown days (usually if I get 3 for the entire week, I’m pumped) in a row!! I slept SO well and had vivid dreams each night.
(5 triple crown days in one week!)
My final thoughts/results:
Physically, I feel like inflammation is down in my face, and wish I would have taken photos to compare. My wedding ring usually fits me snugly and is now loose. Mentally, I feel even more energized, focused, and clear. I feel like I’m back in touch with the way I like to eat, which makes me feel and perform my best. Pre-detox, it was very normal for me to walk past the pantry and grab a cookie from the cookie jar each time. Sugar and treats started to become habits rather than something I truly enjoyed.
Fruit and veggies started to taste bland to me, and I found myself craving more and more sugar. This helped me remember how good it feels to focus on fresh, whole, foods and how they taste pretty good. I will absolutely do this again, and next time, I might go for the 14-day plan. Many of the gals in our group are continuing with the program because they feel so amazing.
Here’s a short video I made with my experience:
7-day detox recipes
Detox lunch recipes
Channa Masala
Makes about 5 large servings (save any leftovers for upcoming lunches or freeze)
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
15 oz tomato sauce
8 oz water
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1/2 bag spinach
Cilantro and lemon, for serving
In a large pot, sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic in a bit of avocado oil until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, and add all of the spices. Coat with the spices, and then stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Wilt in the spinach for a minute or two, and then serve with chopped cilantro on top and a squeeze of lemon juice. I enjoyed this on cauliflower rice and it was incredible! The leftovers were even better.
Mediterranean Lentil Dish
Makes 4 servings (save any leftovers for upcoming lunches or freeze)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in water (I like to do this because they’re much softer)
16 oz cooked black lentils
8 oz artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 bag of spinach
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon each of thyme and basil
In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in a bit of avocado oil until fragrant. Add the lentils, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and season well with salt and pepper. Warm through while you make the dressing. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour on top. Serve with extra lemon juice.
Hummus and veggie wraps
– I made the hummus with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and then served it on romaine boats with avocado, bell pepper, and carrots
Detox dinner ideas
Hot bar! One night P had soccer late and I didn’t have time (or energy) to make anything. We went to a hot bar and I grabbed Paleo chicken, cabbage slaw, broccoli, cauliflower, and a scoop of hummus. It was perfect.
Scallops and asparagus (I made risotto for the fam, too): just pan-seared them with salt and pepper, and served with roasted asparagus (garlic powder, avocado oil, and salt and pepper)
Blackened salmon in the air fryer
Makes 4 servings
Here’s the recipe for the salmon:
1/4 teaspoon each: cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, chili lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s (to the fam’s I added 2 tablespoons brown sugar)
Make the blackened seasoning by mixing the above ingredients in a small bowl
Season the salmon well with salt and pepper and preheat the Air Fryer to 400 degrees. Fully coat the salmon with the seasoning and spray the basket of the air fryer with avocado oil. Add the salmon and cook for 7-10 minutes until cooked through. Serve with any sides you like! We had this with baked sweet potato and salad with lemon and olive oil
Turkey burgers with avocado and veggie salad: the Pilot made the turkey burgers, and the fam had theirs on buns with waffles fries, and salad, and I ate mine on a chopped veggie salad with avocado
Dr. Cabral Detox Side Effects
Days 1-2 of this 21-day detox are pretty rough—you’ll feel sluggish and exhausted—but after that, it gets easier. I was cranky and tired, and my stomach was upset (but that could have been because I had to wait until day 4 to eat). But then something happened: I started losing weight!
You may experience some of the same side effects during the first two days of your detox plan. Other side effects can include jitters (or “brain fog”), headaches, bloating, and cramps. If you’re feeling any of these symptoms, don’t worry! It’s a normal part of the detox process and will go away once your body gets used to being cleansed.
Discount code for the Dr. Cabral Detox programs:
If you’re curious about checking out these programs for yourself, you can use my code FITNESSISTA20 for 20% off. Please let me know if you decide to give this a whirl! Doing this before the holidays helped me reset before a time of extra sugar and events.
Hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon!
xo
Gina
The post Dr. Cabral 7-day detox review + recipes appeared first on The Fitnessista.
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Simplifying your Skincare Routine
Sharing some of my tips for a super simple skincare routine with no unecessary frills. If you’re looking for new skincare options, Friends and Family starts TODAY at this link. If you’ve been wanting to try Beautycounter, I’ve made a shopping list with some of my all-time faves here.
Hi friends! How’s the day going so far? I’m finally on the other side of this crazy virus and pink eye situation. I ended up needing steroid drops from the eye doctor (which changed my world) and quite a few days to fight this thing off. I feel very grateful to be over the hump and will hopefully get good news today that I can start working back to wearing contacts again. I still have quite a few days left of washing pillowcases/towels/everything and my hands are so cracked and dry. It’s been a whole thing.
I had to toss a lot of my makeup, and it corresponded perfectly with the Sephora sale and the Beautycounter Friends and Family sale. 😉 For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my tips for simplifying your skincare routine and some of my beloved products (including the ones I’m restocking!).
Even when things are busy or crazy, I’m a huge fan of sticking to a consistent skincare routine. My routine is super simple, but these simple steps can improve skin quality, delay the signs of aging, and help you feel more confident. I definitely notice a difference in how I feel when I’m dedicated to my skincare routine. At the same time, I totally get how it can feel overwhelming. The wide variety of product choices can often make skincare complicated, and not everyone has the time and commit to do an elaborate skincare routine regularly. Today, I’m sharing some practical tips on how to simplify your skincare routine but still get the same fantastic results.
I’m also sharing some of my favorite products below. You’ll see a mix of brands; I like to switch up the products I’m using every now and again. Everything linked below is something I’ve had in my personal makeup drawer and highly recommend.
Simplifying your Skincare Routine
Identify your skin goals
Is your skin normal? Oily? Combination? Are you working on elasticity or wrinkle prevention? Write down a few of your skincare goals so you can keep these in mind as you structure your routine and pick your products.
Choose quality over quantity
This is #1 tip for creating a skincare routine. Don’t feel like you have to buy a ton of products! I’d start with four (details below) and build from there. I’d rather have five high-quality products than a whole drawer of products that don’t work (and expire before I can use them!).
Choose beauty tools that are built to last
Add a couple of high-quality beauty tools into your routine, like an exfoliator, red light face mask (code FITNESSISTA15), jade roller, ice roller, or gua sha (my all-time fave tool!). I’d say invest in one that you know you’ll love!
Prioritize a few important products
If you aren’t ready for a full skincare haul, I’m a believer in replacing things as you run out of them. This way, you’re not investing too much at once (unless you want to!) and you’re able to implement the products more slowly.
Simple Skincare Routine
With your skincare routine, it’s easy to remember to cleanse, prep, treat and protect. This way, you’re cleansing the skin of dirt and impurities, clearing toxins, protecting from further damage, and sealing moisture into the skin.
Cleanse
Go for gentle cleanser that will clean your skin without drying it out too much. I tend to avoid harsh cleansers, especially because my eyes are so sensitive.
These are all gentle, non-stripping face washes to remove makeup & impurities while softening, hydrating, and balancing all skin types & tones.
Some of my favorite gentle cleaners:
This blueberry bounce cleanser
Prep
This is when you’ll add any toners or essences to your skin. You’ll notice that toners will remove the last bits of dirt and grime after washing your face. It can also help with pore appearance and preparing the skin for moisturizer and serums. I LOVE the way a toner feels on my skin.
This Biossance toner (currently sold out but hopefully they’ll restock soon)
Treat
This is when you’ll add any serums. I like serums that are lightweight and packed with nutrients.
Here are some of my faves:
All Bright C Serum. This is one of my holy grail products with ultra-stable vitamin C, turmeric and camu camu
This Biossance Serum which has:
– Copper Peptide: Supports collagen and elastin production for firmer, smoother-looking skin
– Rapid Plumping Complex: Blend of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid (PGA), and sugarcane squalane
– Paracress Extract: Instantly and visibly lifts and firms the skin upon the first application
I’m also currently loving this Eminence Marine Flower Peptide Serum
Protect
This is when you’ll add moisturizers to seal in moisture and SPF to protect the skin from further damage. You might want to choose a lighter moisturizer for daytime and a thicker moisturizer for night. Eye cream is used for more delicate skin around the eyes.
You can also finish off with a daily protecting spray, like this one, an energizing rosewater mist, or a facial oil.
Daytime combos:
This bb cream mixed with this SPF
Evening:
These are all thick and luxe moisturizers.
Supreme Cream. Bakuchiol has been shown to provide skin-care results that are comparable to retinol—without harmful side effects such as skin irritation and increased sun sensitivity—and Swiss Alpine rose boosts the skin’s antioxidant defense.
Eminence, which is rich in antioxidants. This is the one I currently use. Stonecrop plant helps lighten the skin, as it combats age spots and hyperpigmentation, creating a clear, even appearance. Lemon oil works to tone and minimize the look of large pores, as corn germ oil conditions to soften and fortify for a beautiful glow and silky-smooth feel.
Créme Ancienne. SO expensive but feels like a dream.
Eye cream:
I like this Countermatch eye cream and this fresh Black Tea eye cream.
Extras:
You can also throw in some extras, like weekly masks, overnight peels, exfoliators, etc. Remember that these are just for fun, so don’t let them overwhelm you! I’ve added these into my routine over time:
I like to use this AHA mask and this Overnight Peel 1-2 times per week
I use this hot treatment 1-2 times a week
Frownies are the natural wrinkle prevention that I use and I looooove them.
*I’ve also been experimenting with some homemade super clean masks lately and will share the recipes soon!
I think that’s it for now! Whew!
So, tell me, friends: what’s you skincare routine look like right now? What’s one product you can’t live without? Share the goods in the comments section!
xo
Gina
More:
5-minute skincare and makeup routine
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10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers
Do you have a question about fitness? Sharing a post with some of the questions I commonly receive about fitness with their answers. Please keep in mind that while I’m a certified personal trainer, women’s fitness specialist, Integrative Health Practitioner, and P1 Nutrition Coach, I’m not a doctor or Registered Dietitian. If you have specific health considerations, please reach out to a local health professional for guidance.
10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers
1. How much cardio should I be doing?
2. How often should I rest?
3. Should I stretch before my workouts?
4. How much weight should I be lifting when I strength train?
5. How To Lose Weight And Tone Up Fast?
6. What should I do about muscle soreness?
7. How do I get started?
8. What’s the best diet for my fitness goals?
9. How often should I work out?
10. Should I work out my abs every day?
The post 10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers appeared first on The Fitnessista.
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