3 ways to break your fast and burn more fat

Top: Zyia Sporty Bra; Bottoms: Zyia Spring Fever Light 'n Tight High Rise Capri

As you all know by now, intermittent fasting is something I engage in everyday. It’s also something I have my clients engage in everyday. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it is an eating schedule, and essentially just another tool for us to have to take us to that next level of wellness.

There are so many benefits of intermittent fasting, you can read about all of them here (https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting).

Today I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite ways to break my fast to ensure that I am continuously burning as much fat as possible and revving up my metabolism. If your goal is fat loss, you do not want to have a significant spike in your insulin right after you come out of digestive rest. What we want to do is eat foods that are high or moderately high in good fats (MCT oil, coconut butter/oil, nut butters, avocados, etc) and foods with low glycemic index (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and berries).

I personally (along with the plans I write for my clients) engage in Carb Cycling. So some days I will need to break my fast with a lower carb meal. My go to meal to break my fast on a low carb day has got to be a hearty Cobb Salad!! Just throw some lettuce in a bowl, add 4 oz of chicken, 1 hard boiled egg, Tablespoon of pine nuts, Tablespoon of organic bacon, and ½ an avocado! For the dressing I just like to use a drizzle of Avocado or MCT oil, mixed with a Tablespoon of Dijon mustard and Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar. This meal not only is low in carbs, but is high in really great fats that will keep you feeling full until your next meal.

Now, when it comes to breaking my fast on high carb days… I LIVE for what I like to call a “Mush Bowl”, which I got from my FAVORITE holistic Chef, Laura Lea Goldberg. Anyways, all you do is put your favorite granola in a bowl, cover it with almond milk, let it sit for 10 minutes, and stir in a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter. Again, we are adding in a little bit of good fat to keep us satiated, along with some fiber from the granola, which will help digestion and decrease a significant insulin spike.

Last but certainly not least, I really enjoy breaking my fast with a tasty smoothie!! I usually go the smoothie route when I have had a chance to get my strength workout in over my lunch break, this way I can refuel my muscles with protein. I always like to switch them up based on what I’m craving but they are usually the same base. I like to put 8 oz of almond milk in a blender, followed with 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (good omega 3 fats and great fiber), 2 scoops of collagen peptides (great for gut, skin, joint, hair, nail health), ½ a frozen banana, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Blend and Enjoy!!

I hope this helps all you fellow intermittent fasters to see the why behind the what and the purpose of breaking your fast correctly to continue with fat burn. Remember, thing of things that are going to keep you full and satiated (the good fats), and foods that will not spike your insulin and lead to a crash or binge.

Prana Yoga

Have you ever put on a pair of leggings and just knew instantly they were going to be your ride or die... FOREVER?! That is totally how I felt when I tried PrAna. Not only do the leggings hug me in all the right places, but Prana's vision is to pursue sustainable, traceable, and responsible action to protect our environment and inspire the adventurous spirit. 

When you put on clothes from Prana you actually feel like you are making a difference in the world! They are striving to make clothes that help us all thrive in any environment and embody our collective adventurous spirit so we can focus on what really matters.

PrAna has taken into account every adventure seeker's hopes and dreams when it comes to athleisure. Whether you’re commuting to work or wandering the globe, they have been there and used those moments to design a better product. PrAna designs clothing that looks good but is versatile enough for any lifestyle and any adventure. It's common for prAna fans to wear their gear to work and to go for a hike.

If you are like me, I like to have a light jacket in the fall to wear over my athletic wear. whether I'm headed to the gym or to run some errands, this Rockaway Jacket is completely fleece and is so warm and soft!! 

I also got these Caraway Leggings in Cargo Green, and if you just joined us for fall 2017...welcome, and Cargo Green is majorly #ontrend. These leggings are considered a performance tight with moisture wicking properties and I absolutely love the high-rise compression which is perfect for running or doing HIIT workouts!! I hate having to always tug at my pants!! 

Not only does Prana put out some seriously amazing athlesire, but they are working to make the world a better place. All of their products are made from fair-trade, sustainable, recyclable,  and hemp items. They truly value making a difference and are extremely committed to giving back to the community.  More than ever, people just like you and me are seeking ways to spread positivity in our country. One way to do that is to make sure every purchase you make and every gift you give has a positive impact on our planet.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PrAna . The opinions and text are all mine.

How to "Treat Yo' Self" this holiday season and still get results!

Ok ladies!! It’s that time of year when we need to get our game faces on and fight those cravings!! With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up there are going to be plenty of opportunities to indulge in ALL of our favorite vices. Whether you are a laffy taffy sugary kind girl (oh hey!!), a chocolate or peanut butter fudge kind girl, or even a turkey stuffing loving girl – we all know those cravings are going to be staring us right in the face… 3 months in a row, every. single. day!!

So, I thought I would share a few tips that myself and my clients use to continue moving towards our goals and getting results even throughout the holidays.

For those of you that have been following me for a while, you are well aware that I am all about creating a sustainable lifestyle with flexibility to enjoy the foods you love and having balance. This doesn’t mean going on a strict diet and telling yourself you CAN’T have something. Which leads me to my first tip.

#1 HAVE 1 DAY THAT YOU TREAT YOURSELF!!

What this means is creating that 80/20 mentality and leaving 1 day where you treat yourself. This doesn’t mean you treat yourself the entire day. Depending on what you love the most, whether its Donuts, Cake, Candy, Muffins, Pasta, Ice Cream… you name it, have a day that you tell yourself you WILL have your treat on that day. This will help you stay on point throughout the week because you are no longer telling yourself you can’t have something you love for “x” amount of time, this is why it’s considered a lifestyle!!

#2 MAKE YOUR TREAT DAY YOUR LEG DAY!!

Now that you have established that you are going to treat yourself, it’s important to strategically match that treat up with a specific workout day.. which I tell my clients should be LEG DAY!! The muscle group in your legs are one of the biggest muscle groups in your body making them a powerhouse for burning calories all day long even when you are done working out! This is why I have my clients indulge in their discretionary calories right after their leg workout. Not only did you earn it, but your body will be utilizing the glycogen (carbs) from your treat for fuel, which makes it less likely to stick around and be stored. Throughout my programs, I usually have my clients do leg day on Saturdays, since the weekends are usually the days we indulge a little too much!!

#3 EAT PROTEIN BEFORE YOUR TREAT!!

This is super important!! We just established that the best time treat yo’ self is right after your leg workout, but prior to your treat, be sure you are feeding your muscles with good quality protein to build that lean calories burning muscle. Protein not only feeds your muscles, but it also has a satiating effect leaving you feeling full. Having a meal with protein prior to your treat will make you less likely to over indulge and eat the entire BOX of donuts… remember it’s not a CHEAT day, just a treat! I love having a protein smoothie after leg day!!

So this holiday season be sure not to tell yourself you CAN’T have something, let’s change our mentality and approach and start telling ourselves “I can have my favorite treat, but I’m going to save it for leg day, and I’m going to have some protein first!”

If you are wanting to know specifically how to break up your workouts throughout the week, when to engage in leg day or cardio, etc. check out my introductory program “FAST Track to Fit” by going to the link below.

FAST Track To Fit

Organic VS. Non-Organic

Top: Lilybod; Bottoms: Lilybod; Watch: Fitbit

Top: Lilybod; Bottoms: Lilybod; Watch: Fitbit

As I begin diving deeper into the health and wellness industry trends, I wanted to try and go in small baby steps and help you guys with a starting point. I myself am overwhelmed with just how much I have to tell you, that it was really hard to pick a definitive place to start! 

When it comes to food, you hear a lot of people, even myself if you have been following me recently, say to eat "clean", but what does that really mean?! When I first heard that phrase "eat clean" I literally thought it just meant to eat clean fruits and vegetables, like do you really think I'm going to eat dirty veggies, of course I clean them!! Little did I know,  the phrase "eat clean" actually meant pesticide, preservative, and GMO free (*insert hand slapping forehead here). It also means avoiding highly refined foods that have ingredients that would take a scientist to pronounce.

So what does Organic even mean? According to Organic.com, "simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones."

With that being said, I don't want everyone to go and throw away everything they currently have in their pantries and refrigerators just because it doesn't say "Certified Organic." I also don't want people that don't have access to a grocery store like Whole Foods or other natural grocery stores that you usually find in Urban areas, to feel like you are DOOMED!! One place to start when you begin to look at foods that are Organic or NOT Organic, are knowing when it really matters. Thankfully, there is a website called EWG.org that lets us know each year which produce has the MOST pesticides and which has the least, they are called the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" which I have listed out for you below in order. I also want to point out that from the report on EWG.org's website, "The USDA found a total of 178 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on the thousands of produce samples it analyzed" key findings from that report read,

• More than 98 percent of samples of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples tested positive for residue of at least one pesticide.
• A single sample of strawberries showed 20 different pesticides.
• Spinach samples had, on average, twice as much pesticide residue by weight than any other crop.

Dirty Dozen

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Nectarines
4. Apples
5. Peaches
6. Pears
7. Cherries
8. Grapes
9. Celery
10. Tomatoes
11. Sweet bell peppers
12. Potatoes

With the clean fifteen, relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticide residues on them.

Clean Fifteen

1. Sweet corn
2. Avocados
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Onions
6. Sweet Peas Frozen
7. Papayas
8. Asparagus
9. Mango
10. Eggplant
11. Honeydew
12. Kiwi
13. Cantalope
14. Cauliflower
15. Grapefruit

So, for those of you who have started to look at adding more organic foods into your lifestyle, this is a great place to start in regards to your health and your wallet!!