Bathing in Mustard and Other Random Fitness-Related Faves

Bathing in Mustard. Okay, hear me out. Maybe you body build. Maybe you CrossFit. Maybe you run long distances. Or maybe you work a corporate gig and always feel tight, stiff and achy. Shy of shelling out major bucks on massages every week, what are we supposed to do to alieviate sore muscle pain? If you've tried soaking in Epsom Salt, you've seen nothing in comparison to... you guessed it. Mustard!! I know it sounds so weird - but trust me on this. Found on Amazon or in your local Whole Foods Market, this stuff is the bom dot com (are people saying that anymore?!). Run a hot bath (as hot as you can take it), throw some of this mustard bath in and get ready to be pleasantly surprised at how amazing you'll feel afterwards. I've used this stuff for years - it's helped me through sore muscles due in part to CrossFit comps, training for my fitness comp, after triathlons, even after a long day of work. It even helps open up your sinuses and you'll notice you start sweating out impurities just sitting in the bath (may want to take a quick shower afterwards #justsayin).  

IT Band Pain. Gawdddd my IT bands are always in a constant state of torture. My monthly massages consist of me screaming bloody murder from the pain radiating out of my tight and over worked legs. Anyone else feel my pain?! (See what I did there - so punny!) For my fellow fitness enthisuiants constantly fighting IT band issues, I strongly encourage you to start incorporating some stretches post-workout. I've bookmarked this bad boy and plan to incorporate some much needed post-lifting stretches. Thanks Active.com! 
8 Yoga Poses and Stretches for Tight IT Bands

Tumeric Protein Smoothie Bowls. Switching up the beautifully delicious Acai Bowls I've been making lately, I decided to start experimenting with tumeric. I've begun incorporating it into a lot of my meals - and holy yumola. I invented this breakfast - which can literally be throw together in less than 5 minutes and can easily be taken on the go. Simply throw into a blender:

• 8 ice cubes (the more ice, the thicker it'll be!)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened Cashew Milk (I think this is way creamer and more flavorful than almond milk!)
• 1 scoop favorite protein (I love the way PEScience Snickerdoodle tastes in this - but anything will do)
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 teaspoon each of: cinnamon, powdered ginger and tumeric
• Blend!

If you're taking this on the go, you're done. If you're enjoying this at home, I like to pour the mixture into a bowl and top with 1 teaspoon of chia seeds and a 1 teaspoon of Cake Batter Buff Bake (because I'm obsessed and because some healthy fat is great since the bowl is virtually fat free). 

Macros for the bowl (without toppings): 171 Calories, 15 carbs, 2 fat, 25 protein, 8 sugar

I hope you give some of the three things I've been loving lately a shot. And if you do, I'd love to hear what you think!!

XO,
Jenn

*As always, all opinions are my own. I'm not being paid to endorse any products I blog about. 

How I Overcame My Destination Addiction

Are you addicted to the future? Do you tie your happiness to short-term goals? How many times have you associated happiness with the next happy hour, the next orgasm, the next fancy date night out, the next time you get on the scale and realize you’re 5 pounds down?

You say: “I’ll be happy when…” Happy when you find a partner. Happy when you receive a promotion. Happy when you go on vacation. 

Don’t get me wrong – there's nothing wrong with wanting those things. They're all wonderful! But things becomes dicey when we unknowingly place the key to our happiness in the pocket of the future.

It’s frustrating – I get it. If we at all feel like we’re not living the life we imagined, it’s easy to get caught up thinking our happiness resides in the next place. But the hard truth is, until we let go of the notion that happiness lies somewhere else, it will never be where you are.

Great. So Now What?

For me, it all started with the conscious effort to stop making plans. Stop making resolutions. Stop setting goals. I simply decided to stop planning and start living. The shift came to me as the New Year approached. I was racking my brain (like I usually do!) about what lofty goals I should set for myself in 2016.

But the truth was, I was tired of chasing goals. I was tired of keeping my eye out on some future date. So just like that, I decided to live like tomorrow doesn’t exist. I got real honest with myself and asked: “If all I have is this day, will it be enough?”

With that new frame of mind, it just seemed silly to waste hours fantasizing about vacations a year from now. It seemed counter-productive worrying about what could be.

I started living with purpose and found contentment. I started telling those closest to me how much I love them. I stole a few more kisses from my boyfriend. I turned off the tv and cuddled up with Lucy (despite her trying to wrangle her way out of my love grip). I took the time each and every day to look around at my life and realize it was enough. I had enough. I am enough.

And just like that, I started to overcome my destination addiction.

You may be reading this and thinking I’m bat shit crazy. You may be wondering how we’re supposed to live our lives as responsible adults if we don’t plan for the future.

And I hear you. But what’s so different about what I’m proposing versus reality? None of us have a crystal ball. None of us know when our time or the time of our loved ones is up. Don’t get me wrong, I want nothing more than to live a long and full life – surrounded by everyone who makes my heart burst with joy. But WHAT IF we lived like there was no tomorrow? Just think about how powerful that can be.

Okay, I Get It. So How Do I Start Living for Now?

Start with what it is you want. Is your goal to start living an active life? Maybe it’s to spend a bit more time nurturing your friendships and relationships. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to dabble in spirituality or religion. Figure out your WHY – whatever it is that motivates you and brings your happiness. And maybe you don't know what that is yet - and that's okay! Just begin taking small, deliberate steps. Abandon the toxic habits of comparing and complaining, and begin purposely living each day so that what you want out of life eventually becomes your reality.

If you’re never read Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, I highly encourage you to do so. Over 3 million copies have been sold in the States and I think that's because this book truly does help guide us to live in the present moment and avoid overthinking thoughts of the past or future. One of my favorite excerpts is:

It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living. Don’t be one of those people.

XO,

Jenn

What I'm Loving Lately: Random Roundup

1) Summer dates - I plan to let this handy list inspire a fun summer of lovin with the boyf! Wineries? Romantic picnics? Yes please!
2) Blake Shelton eating sushi for the FIRST time. How is it even possible people who have never tried sushi still exist?! Either way - I nearly peed my pants at how funny this video is. If you're having a case of the Monday's on this lovely Tuesday morning - stop everything and watch this.
3) Starting the day with a beautifully delicious Acai Bowl. Ever since we came back from Hawaii, I just can't get enough of these. I love mixing in some protein powder and spinach (trust me) and getting uber creative with my toppings!

4) If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I am legit OBSESSED with Buff Bake - and they really hit it out of the park with the new Cake Batter flavor. Slather that ish on everything from bananas to rice cakes and I'm a happy, happy camper.

5) Summer reads. Normally I love curling up in bed with a great novel - but in my ever long quest to become more and more knowledgeable on living a healthy and balanced life, I ordered and cannot wait to sink my teeth into this read. Written by a physician, this book explains how making simple plant-based choices can help us all live a happier and healthier life. Once I make my way through it all I'll be sure to post a review and share my learnings!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe long holiday weekend!

XO,

Jenn

The Transformations We Cannot See

#TransformationTuesday #fitspo #progress

Show of virtual hands {honor system here, clearly I can't see you!} - how many of you have seen those hashtags on social media? Usually accompanying them are photos of someone {likely in their underwear} posting a side by side comparison of their “before” and after bodies. The before I started some diet, some detox tea, some competition prep, or some {enter magical solution here}.

As someone who wholeheartedly believes in the importance of living a fit, balanced and active life I am all for someone’s commitment to getting healthier and becoming more active. But I can’t help but wonder since when did we begin placing such a disproportionate emphasis on the physical transformation while completely disregarding the blood, sweat and tears that goes into {or SHOULD go into} our emotional and mental transformations?

After seeing yet another girl posting side by side comparisons of her near-naked body along with a caption detailing how she's still struggling to appreciate what she sees in the mirror, it got me wondering...

What if we trained our minds the way we train our bodies?

I recently began attending a weekly meditation course with girlfriends and I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to wonderful nuggets of wisdom. Personally speaking, I feel the last 5 years have been a remarkable transformation for me - inside and out. And while I do my best to take pause and appreciate how far I've come, I never want to settle for "almost there." This course has imparted tons of knowledge, but the top two pieces of wisdom I've been anxious to share with you all are as follows:

1) Happiness comes from within - and the inverse is true as well. Unhappiness also comes from within. Think about it - the promotion you don't get, the coworker who seems to always be making your life unnecessarily difficult - none of them can make you unhappy. It's how you perceive those situations that impact your happiness (or lack thereof).

2) Don't run from difficult people. Listen, I get it. We all have people in our lives who bring us down. They're negative and complain the entire time you're with them. The weather sucks, the election is a mess, their jobs stink, their relationship is falling apart. Instead of rolling your eyes and staring at the clock wondering when its time to spring the door, allow their negativity to teach you a lesson in compassion and tolerance.

So the next time work is grating on your nerves and you're thinking "WHY me?" or you're sitting across the dinner table from a friend who just drones on and on about how awful everything is, I hope you take a moment to determine what the current moment is trying to teach you. What can you learn from less than ideal situations? Every moment is brought to us as a lesson. It's simply our responsibility to learn from it.

XO,
Jenn

Monday In Meals & The Importance of Nutrition Timing

Happy Tuesday, friends!

While it’s no secret I love blogging about topics including friendships, love and fitness, it seems as though my nutrition related posts are most popular (THANK YOU to everyone who reads!) I figured why not share a day’s worth of healthy, wholesome meals. So let’s jump in! Here’s what I ate yesterday:

Pre-workout snack {not pictured}

Cup of coffee (black) with 1 salt-free Lundberg brown rice cake topped with 1 teaspoon Buff Bake Cake Batter (my new obsession!). I LOVE these brown rice cakes – they literally have ONE ingredient in them. It doesn't get much better than that!

Macros for this meal: 93 calories, 15g carbs, 3g fat and 3g protein

Breakfast post-workout

Bowl of Cake Batter Zucchini Oats. My oh my this was delicious. And thanks to how voluminous the zuchinni made the oats, I was able to reduce the oats from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup AND it kept me full until lunch!

Macros for this meal: 374 calories, 36g carbs, 17g fat and 23g protein

Lunch

Turkey tacos! I simply cooked ground turkey breast (the breast, as you might imagine, is much leaner than the dark meat which keeps your overall fat intake down) with ½ chopped onion. I weighed out a 3 ounce portion, and mixed up sriracha with non-fat plain greek yogurt and topped everything with 1 ounce non-fat cheddar cheese. I wrapped it all in a few leaves of butter lettuce. 

Macros for this meal: 288 calories, 27g carbs, 6g fat and 33g protein!

Dinner

Veggie & Egg “Fried” Rice. This is a weeknight go-to in my house. You simply cook 1/3 package of cauliflower rice (Trader Joe’s is my fave!), 1 cup fresh bok choy topped with one tablespoon of Coconut Aminos (my soy sauce substitute), and ½ cup egg whites and one whole egg. That’s it!

Macros for this meal: 193 calories, 13g carbs, 4g fat, and 24g protein

Post-Dinner Snack

Green Protein Shake. I don’t know about y’all, but I just love something sweet at night. I don’t buy cookies or ice cream because I WILL be tempted to eat them - so I rely on this little treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. Thankfully it’s super quick AND packed with protein. Simply mix in a magic bullet or blender: 5 ice cubes, handful of fresh spinach leaves, ¼ cup frozen banana, one scoop of your fave protein powder (I use PESCience Peanut Butter Cup as it tastes great and is compromised of Whey protein – which is quick to digest - AND Casein protein – which takes longer to digest), 1/3 cup unsweetened cashew milk and a splash of water. Blend and enjoy!

Macros for this meal: 159 calories, 13g carbs, 2g fat and 24g protein

You'll see I started out the day heavier in carbs (as I worked out in the morning) and slowly started tapering off. It's interesting to note even though dinner would appear to be 'carb-free' as the 'rice' was cauliflower - it still contained 13g of carbs as did my protein shake. This is why it's valuable to track your nutrition intake for a bit to see exactly what you're putting into your body at each meal. It's also worth noting I managed to get in 20+g of protein at each meal (minus my pre-workout). It helps to spread our your protein throughout the day to keep you fuller, longer! 

It's worth noting - everyone's nutrition goals are different - and no macro counts are a one-size fits all. For example, my body requires less calories than my boyfriend because I weigh nearly half as much and have less muscle mass than he does. However, I engage in intense exercise 5 days a week, so I may ingest more carbs and calories than another female at the same height/weight as me who happens to be sedentary. There are plenty of macro calculators out there to help - and while I'm NOT a nutritionist, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have around nutrition to the best of my ability. If you're interested in calculating your own macros, I suggest starting with IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros).

And speaking of. 

Did you know that the timing in which you eat certain foods matters? Let me explain.

1. Your body benefits most from eating more carbs and less fat in the meals around your workouts. So you'll see I ate a rice cake before and a bowl of oatmeal afterwards. Usually I top my rice cake with non-fat plain greek yogurt BUT that Buff Bake is brand new and called my name. 
2. I mentioned it earlier, but it's important to spread your protein intake as equally as you can throughout the day to keep you fuller, longer! 
3. Typically I eat more fat on non-weight lifting days and more carbs on days I lift weights. I've said it before in previous posts, but carbs are NOT the enemy. I repeat - carbs are not the enemy! You need them for energy - so stock up on healthy, nutrient-dense carbs such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, old-fashioned oats and more. If you missed my post back in February on the importance of healthy carbs, check it out! 

I know this post contains a ton of information that may be brand new to you - as always, please feel free to contact me or comment on this post and I'm happy to answer any questions I can. Again, I am NOT a nutritionist nor am I a physician but I've been an avid fitness lover for quite some time and after doing quite some metabolic damage to myself after a fitness competition prep, I feel passionate about sharing helpful tips on how to live a healthy and balanced life. 

XO,

Jenn

Cake Batter Zucchini Oats

You guys. I just can't even hide this recipe from you. So I've been seeing tons of people posting on Instragram lately about Zucchini Oats and I just didn't get it. So you want me to grate up veggies and cook them into my breakfast? I was skeptical to say the least.

I am Captain Sweet Tooth over here so the opportunity to transform my breakfast into a mini salad (hey, green veggies count as salad-like, right?!) had me intrigued.

Well, after a kick-ass Monday morning workout, I came home and whipped up a bowl of warm, comforting yumminess. I was completely amazed how you couldn't taste the zucchini AT ALL -- AND it added so much volume that I was glad I dropped my usual 1/2 cup oat serving down to 1/3 cup. And for those of you meal prepping a few times a week, you can easily make a big batch and toss this into mason jars or tupperware for the week. It'll hold up perfectly!

If you only try one thing I've suggested, I say try this! And most importantly - have fun. Toss in whichever fruit you like. Leave off the almond butter. Add more. Take a better picture than mine. Use prettier plates. WHATEVER - just enjoy the blessing of cooking nutritious, healthy and fulfilling meals for yourself and those you love.

Happy Monday all!

XO,

Jenn

Cake Batter Zucchini Oats

In a small saucepan, add:

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 grated zucchini

Pumpkin pie spice

Enough water to cover

Bring to a slow boil, then drop down to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes or until most water has evaporated

Stir in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons egg whites and stir, stir, stir to avoid scrambled eggs in your oatmeal (I’ve forgotten to stir and trust me – they scramble!)

Top your bowl with whatever floats your boat!

Pictured today:

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon(ish) unsweetened coconut shreds

1 teaspoon Buff Bake Cake Batter

2 ounces bloobs

As I’ve mentioned, I am not currently tracking macros, but I did enter this recipe into MyFitnessPal out of curiosity. Here are the macros for those interested:

Calories 374

    Total Fat 17 g     

             Total Carbohydrate 36 g               

           Dietary Fiber 9 g              

         Sugars 9 g           

    Protein 23 g       

What I'm Loving Lately: Food Edition

Can we just take a moment and discuss the pure disdain I have for salad dressing. Ever since I was a kid, there's just something off putting (okay, disgusting) to me about pouring oil on my food and eating it. Honestly it's not even the unhealthiness as much as it's the taste. Although it's a blessing in disguise I don't like it, considering nearly all salad dressing is fat and calorie laden. You could imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the holy grail of all salad dressing on my last trip to Whole Foods. This bad boy is so flavorful, the ingredient list is short (which I love!) and it has ZERO oil. I repeat - ZERO oil. WOO HOO! 

It contains: Fig Balsamic Vinegar (Grape Must, Wine Vinegar, Fig Must), Filtered Water, Pear Juice Concentrate, Mustard (Vinegar, Mustard Seeds, Salt, Spice, Turmeric), Non-GMO Corn Starch, Xanthan Gum, Black Pepper. 

My fellow food allergy sufferers will be happy to know it's free of gluten, soy, and dairy. I love putting it on kale salads, grilled chicken, and more. Even if you happen to love traditional salad dressings, I say give this one a shot. It comes in at 30 calories for 2 tablespoons (as opposed to 200+ for most dressings), 0 grams of fat and only 40mg sodium (most dressings pack 250mg+).

Ever since returning from Hawaii, the acai bowl craze has hit me hard. Something about the combination of perfectly blended fruit, topped with crunchy granola and raw cacao has my mouth watering as I type this. I hadn't actually ever tried raw cacao nibs until Kauai and now I'm hooked.

These bad boys are organic, kosher, vegan and raw - and happen to contain a naturally rich supply of antioxidants and dietary fiber (yay to healthy colons!). Raw cacoa nibs contain one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium (which is known to increase energy, calm nerves, relieve muscle aches and more). Since they're dried and milled at low temps, all nutritional benefits are maintained (unlike their far-off and not so related relative, the chocolate chip!). 

I love putting a tablespoon on top of protein shakes, acai bowls, and even topping rice cakes with almond butter and a few nibs. DELISH!

After Whole Foods, my go to grocery run goes down at Trader Joes. The two products I want to tell you about are my new faves - and for good reason! Okay, who of you have had the genius idea to rice your own cauliflower? {Hand raise} If you have, you know what a huge, giant, epic pain in the arse it is. Lugging out the food processor. Cutting up all the florets. Picking up said florets when they inevitably fall on the floor. Cleaning the food processor. Opening wine because now you're stressed AF and need to relax. Except now who will cook the cauliflower you just riced? UGH! Have no fear - Trader Joes Organic Riced Cauliflower is here! This little gem can be found in the frozen vegetable section and each bag costs a mere $1.99!!! I LOVE this stuff and use it in so many ways. I've made Beef Bulgolgi Rice Bowls, cauliflower pizza, fried rice and more. 

My other new fave from the frozen section at TJs is their Shrimp Stir Fry. This guy is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner when all you feel like doing is ordering in but want to keep things healthy. Literally, you dump the bag into a hot pan and let it cook up for a few minutes. The end. Sure, I doctor mine up with some coconut aminos, sriracha, toasted sesame seeds and set it atop my cauliflower rice mentioned above. It's full of protein, veggies, and flavor. When I was first diagnosed with a soy allergy I was devastated - my love affair with Chinese food was over. Well, it's been 10 years and I am so grateful the market has come out with options like my beloved coconut aminos and products like these so I can recreate my favorite meals from childhood. I honestly don't even miss the soy - and I doubt you will either. The shrimp stir fry does come with a "gourmet pepper flavor packet" but honestly, I just toss it. I prefer to know exactly what's going into my food and usually seasoning packets contain tons of sodium. Either way, it's a much healthier option than ordering a pizza in. And it tastes great! Win win :)

I hope you get the chance try all (or some) of the items I mention above. And if you do - I'd love to hear what you think. Besides these, do you have any faves everyone should know about?? Please share!!

XO,

Jenn