Fitness

“You have a supercharged immune system…and that is why you’re so sick.” I’ll never forget the words from my immunologist. It was the same speculation I heard a week earlier from my oncologist, right after a relieving conversation where she shared that I didn’t have cancer. If I’m being open, this was the third time I’d heard about my overachieving immune system, as the words echoed what my rheumatologist had suspected, as well.  Now, before you think this is about some rare disease or a catchy headline, I’m sharing my story because it’s an important lesson for you and how you can protect your health. In the face of coronavirus concerns and immune system hype, I’ve watched helplessly as supplement manufacturers have blatantly lied about the realities of “boosting” your immunity. ...

High-intensity interval training (AKA “HIIT”) has been a popular training method for years. It’s effective and time-efficient. But, as time has gone on, the methods you see being labeled as “HIIT” are getting farther away from the science that proved the effectiveness of these types of routines. Just because the high intensity is good, doesn’t mean adding more and more work is better.  The biggest problem with HIIT workouts is that people took a great concept (higher intensity, less rest) and destroyed the execution. The mindset looks something like this: “If four minutes is great, then eight minutes must be incredible. And if eight minutes is incredible, then 16 minutes must be mind-blowing.” This is the opposite of what you want to do. Adding more time does not make all w...

Of all the ways you can easily become confused by what foods are “healthy,” the most common is the cruelest. The diet industry loves to take a concept that you understand on a basic level, and then twist science to make it seem that certain foods are dangerous to your health. The manipulation of fear pushes you towards more restrictive diets, “requires” you to waste money on tests that only heighten your fear (unnecessary), and this forces behavioral changes that are unnatural to your preferences and, oftentimes, just lead to more frustration and failure.  This is exactly what has happened with the “alkaline diet,” or any dietary suggestions that make you worry about the alkalinity or acidity of a food.  Before you shift your diet based on the pH levels of foods or spend extra ...

The rules of breakfast may have been rewritten, but that doesn’t mean the goal of breakfast has changed. Even though breakfast is not the most important meal of the day (science suggests that no one meal is more valuable than another), breakfast eaters tend to experience the best benefits by selecting a filling breakfast that leaves you wanting less for lunch, curbs snacking, and gives you fuel for hours. While eggs are a popular staple (and for good reason, they are loaded with protein and fat) and the foundation of a fulfilling breakfast, you can upgrade any egg-based meal to help keep you fuller for longer — like our hearty egg skillet. If you want to upgrade your breakfast — or any meal — into a combination of foods that makes it easier to stay on track with your diet, we’ve...

You might want to think twice before you rush to slug down another post-workout smoothie. Your pre-workout routine of oatmeal and fruit? It might not be helping in the way you think. And the extra BCAAs you’re drinking during your workout? The real impact is likely only on how much money you have in your wallet. From building muscle to surviving your endurance runs, the rules of workout nutrition have completely changed. But, there’s one big problem: few people are aware of what really helps you fuel before a workout and recover afterward. Which is why this is both your warning and a sigh of relief. The latest breakthroughs have rewritten the script, and that’s good news for anyone who likes to exercise. Gone are the days of carb-loading or rushing to have protein within 30 minute...

Sharing some of the best inexpensive white wines that I’ve found at Trader Joe’s, Target, and Costco. This is a follow-up to my post about the best inexpensive red wines! <— I need to add my current faves to this list: Meiomi Pinot Noir and Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon.  Hands in the air if you’re extra thankful for wine over the past few months. I mean, I’ve always LOVED wine, but something about ‘Rona wine has just really lifted my proverbial spirits. Before all of this, I was having a glass of wine maybe 1-2 times a week.. and now, it’s up to 3-5 per week. During this crazy time, I’m all about finding joy however you can. Wine and shopping are bringing me joy. It’s funny that I’m writing this post because I love ALL wine. I used to veer towards red, but over the past year, I ...

Sharing a full day of eats. Hi friends! How’s the week treating you?? I hope everyone is hanging in there, especially since so many schools released their plans over the past week. I have no clue what we’re going to do – we have until next Friday to figure it out – but if you’re spending the week making pro/con lists and frantically pacing around, I feel ya. Despite the major decisions we’re facing, it’s otherwise been a good week. The kiddos are still living their best summer life and I’m finding more of a groove with juggling everything. (<— I say that this week but it seems like the weeks alternate up and down.) We’ve been focused on making some changes around the house (we bought more paint for bathroom cabinets so here we go) and planning some things in the distant future ...

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a nice week. It’s been a pretty good one over here with the usual rotation of ‘Rona things: lazy mornings, work stuff/chores, and afternoons at the pool. Our bed is being delivered today (wahoo!) so I’m excited to have our bedroom finally finished. I’ll share all of the details next week! We used Havenly for our redesign (my link gets you $50 off a full package and $20 off a mini) and it’s been so fun to see it come together. (We had a gorgeous double rainbow this week) 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. Please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below. Fitness + good eats: – I’ve been doing a combo of Les Mills, Pelot...

Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you had a lovely weekend. We had a great one because we celebrated my nana’s birthday! More on all of that fun below. 🙂 Friday was a pretty relaxing day. I caught up on some chores and had eggplant parm leftovers for lunch (one of the magic foods that tastes better the next day), and Liv and I watched some of The Babysitter’s Club on Netflix. Thank you to those of you who let me know that it was a good choice! It kind of flew over P’s head, but Liv was into it. I ordered some of the novels for her with pictures to see what she thinks. 🙂 BBS was such a huge part of my childhood, so it’s fun to share this with her. (I always wanted Claudia’s outfits.) Friday night was our weekly “dinner at the pool” party. I look forward to this ALL WEEK becau...

Hi friends! How’s the day going so far? I hope you’re having a great one! We’re just hanging out here at home, I’m looking forward to catching a barre class on demand and heading to the pool later. The usual. 🙂 For today’s post, I wanted to feature a Beautycounter product that I’m LOVING lately, and this is coming from a person who is super picky about foundation: our newest Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation. Here’s a little bit about Skin Twin: Skin Twin is skincare and makeup in one: it’s buildable coverage but also contains hyaluronic acid to plump and smooth skin, plus moisturizing benefits all in a recyclable glass bottle. It gives you coverage, protects your skin, and can improve texture all at the same time. The hyaluronic acid can improve the appearance of fine lines...