Category: fit tips

Collagen Craze

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collagenblog

Can we talk about collagen for a minute?

I know, it doesn’t exactly sound like the most thrilling topic, but I think it deserves a little of our attention.  When I say collagen, I am sure you think of beauty products promising smoother, more youthful looking skin.  You might even think of ridiculously expensive face creams or injections that claim to be akin to the fountain of youth.  I know that is what the word collagen used to conjure up in my mind.

Well, I’m not claiming to know anything at all about collagen creams or injections, but I do want to talk about collagen as part of your daily nutrition regimen!  Collagen is an extremely beneficial health food, and has recently become more readily available in a variety of forms, as it’s benefits have become more widely shared and understood.

Collagen powders, derived from bone broth, have some very healthful qualities, and provide an excellent source of protein.  In fact, collagen protein powders have become the gold standard in protein powder, especially for those following a paleo diet.  They are versatile, tasteless, and offer additional health properties, in addition to their protein content.

Some of the health benefits of collagen protein:
1. Healthy skin, hair and nails
2. Bone and joint health
3. Reduced inflammation
4. Gut health & improved digestion
5. Hormone balance and regulation of metabolism

Powdered collagen protein powders (also known as collagen peptides) are so easy to use!  Most are completely tasteless, and easily dissolve in cold or hot liquids, so they are easy to add into your diet.  I add mine to my morning coffee and to my daily smoothies, but the sky really is the limit for how you can incorporate it into your daily routine.  My two favorite collagen powders are Great Lakes Collagen Powder, and Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides.  Both are completely tasteless, dissolve easily, and are made from grass fed beef.

greatlakescollagencollagen-peptides

But…I haven’t told you the most exciting part yet!  Collagen PROTEIN BARS!  Yep, there are now some really excellent protein bars made from collagen protein.  If you’re fit & busy like me, you know that protein bars are sometimes a must.  I mean when you’re constantly on the go, you sometimes need convenient snacks to help keep you on track.  But, finding a good, clean protein bar that’s not filled with a bunch of junk can be challenging.  UNTIL NOW!  I’ve just discovered these amazing little Coconut Cashew Collagen Protein bars (there is also a chocolate almond flavor, but I did not enjoy this one nearly as much as the coconut cashew) that definitely fit the bill. One bar has 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and 14 carbs.  Sign me up!

coconut-cashew-bars

Thrive Market must be as excited about these little bars as I am, because they’re currently running a special where you get a box of 6 FREE with your trial membership to Thrive!  I love Thrive Market, because it doesn’t get much easier than ordering healthy foods, at a discount, and then having them show up on your doorstep.

Free Collagen Protein Bars…YES, PLEASE!

XOXO,
Malea
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2015 Ultimate “FITMAS” Gift Guide

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‘Tis the season of giving, and time for our 2nd Annual Ultimate “FITMAS” Gift Guide!  We can’t think of a better way to spoil your loved ones than with an gift that will motivate and encourage them on their quest to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.

I love giving thoughtful gifts to show my friends and family how much I care, but figuring out that perfect gift can sometimes be stressful too! We’ve scoured the internet to find our favorite health and fitness items, and compiled them into our 2015 Ultimate “FITMAS” Gift Guide in hopes that it will give you some great gift ideas for all the fitness loving friends & family members on your holiday shopping list. With everything from apparel and shoes to workout and kitchen tools, we’ve included items to match every budget.  This list is SURE to have something perfect for anyone who’s  fit and fabulous!  And the best part…you can skip the crowds and click your way to the perfect gift.

Plus, if you’ve been really good, you can add a few of these things to your own wish list and hope that Santa gets the memo that you’d love a Merry “FITMAS” too!

2016 -Fitmas- Gift Guide - Social Media Post & Blog Graphic (1)

The Shopping List:

  1. Cute Sassy Workout Tanks $26 from Moxie Fitness Apparel – How can she not be motivated to go to the gym when she has these adorable, sassy tank tops to wear?  From the bright colors to the fun sayings, Moxie has tank tops that will make her smile while she crushes her workout.
  2. Lebert Fitness Equalizer Bars $123 from Amazon (includes DVD) – A fun and unique piece of equipment that any home gym needs!  The Lebert Equalizer is a simple, portable, yet multi-purpose and versatile piece of strength training equipment that works arms, chest, back and core muscles like no other can by using your own body weight as resistance.  Plus, we LOVE that they come in PINK!
  3. Fruit Infusing Water Bottle $16 from Moxie Fitness Apparel – Hydration has never been so motivating!  This fruit infusing water bottle makes your water as delicious as it is cute. Just add water, and something fun…strawberries, melon, cucumber, mint, lemon…be creative! Cheers!
  4. The Combo Yoga Mat $68 from Amazon – The perfect gift for any yogi on your list!  This mat is not only bright and adorable, but is actually two awesome products in one. The ultra absorbent microfiber top layer (designed to grip better with sweat) is bonded to a 3.5mm naturally biodegradable tree rubber mat bottom for a lightweight, extra durable and well cushioned support. You no longer need to bring a separate mat AND towel to class. Our favorite part…it’s machine washable!  See ya later, stinky yoga mat!
  5. Asics GEL-Fit Sana Cross Training Shoes $80 from Amazon – These shoes are SUPER comfortable, lightweight and versatile. Dance. Lift. Sweat. The Asics Sana training shoe is ready to take on almost any workout the gym can throw at you. It’s ultra-lightweight design is perfectly balanced with a Flexible Fit upper that gives you support in every direction, as well as the flexibility for intense dynamic movement.  Plus, they come in a variety of fun colors!
  6. Print Workout Leggings $68-74 from Moxie Fitness Apparel – Good bye boring black…HELLO pretty prints!  Spice up your workout with some bold prints and bright colors.  Available in capris or full length leggings, these adorable pants are both flattering and fun!  These are cute enough to wear both in or out of the gym.
  7. Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity Tracker $79 from Amazon – Make fitness a lifestyle with Fitbit Flex—a slim, stylish device that tracks all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. See how every day stacks up with LEDs that light up like a scoreboard as you get closer to your goal. Then wear it at night to measure your sleep quality and wake with a silent, vibrating alarm. Day or night, Flex fits comfortably around your wrist, is water-resistant, and has a 5-day battery life. It also syncs to computers and 150+ leading smartphones, so you can access your stats anywhere and see your progress in charts and graphs.
  8. Muscles & Mascara Long Sleeve Dolman Top $35 from Moxie Fitness Apparel – Something cute & sassy to wear to and from the gym.  Who ever said girlie-girls don’t love to be strong, anyway?  With cute gold foil embellishment, and a wide neck fit, this is definitely a “must have” to keep you fashionable on your way to and from the gym!
  9. Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer $29 from Amazon – The possibilities are endless with this healthy kitchen gadget.  Turn almost any veggie (zucchini, sweet potatoes, beets, etc.) into healthy “noodles” and give your favorite recipes a makeover.  Need some inspiration? Check out some of my Fit & Busy recipes like Zoodle Bolognese or Healthy Scampi, or include a great Inspiralized Cookbook ($11.99 on Amazon).
  10. Beats Solo Wired Headphones  $157 from Amazon – I mean, bright pink Beats headphones?? Yes, please!  These are definitely a bit of a splurge, but for a fitness loving gal who has everything, this is a gift that can’t miss.  The sound quality and comfort can’t be beat, and they’re bright pink!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

It’s LEG DAY, Baby!!!

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Don’t ya’ just love leg day??  I sure do!  There are SO many reasons to focus on building lean muscles in our legs & glutes, that you can either LOVE leg day, or love to HATE leg day, but you have to embrace it either way.

Whether you are looking to lose weight, tone up, or just look and feel your best, your number one goal should be to increase your lean muscle mass.  We can only accomplish this by doing strength building exercises. Sorry to break it to you, my sweet cardio junkies, but if you want to make lasting changes, you need to build some muscle!

WHY??  Because muscle burns CALORIES!  The more lean muscle mass you have, especially in your large muscle groups (legs, glutes, chest, back, core), the faster your rate of metabolism will become.  Faster metabolism = more calories burned.  You can do cardio all day long, and while you will burn calories DURING your workout, you will have done nothing to increase your overall rate of metabolism, which will allow you to burn calories at a higher rate all throughout the day.

If you’d like to know a little more about why you should incorporate strength training into your workout, please check out this periscope broadcast where I explain why we (especially women) should be focusing more on strength training than cardio.

If you’re looking to shake up your leg day a bit, or you’re just getting started with strength training, I’ve put together a little leg day routine for you.  It’s is a quick and effective workout, using little to no equipment, that can be done just about anywhere. Not only will it get your legs burning, but it will also get your heart rate up, and even incorporates a little shoulder and core work.  Why not kill two birds with one stone, right?

If you’d like to see me showing the moves in person, here’s a link to the periscope broadcast where I walk you through the routine.  It’s a series of 4 sequences, each containing 3 different exercises to be completed for 1 minute each. The idea is to go through the entire thing twice for a well rounded strength routine that’s sure to build some muscle and have you breaking a sweat!

Here’s the workout:

LEG DAY Progressions

HAPPY SQUATTING!

xoxo,
Malea

Strong is the New Skinny

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photo 1Here’s the thing about muscles…they ROCK. No seriously, they do. They not only give your body tone & definition, but they ALSO burn a ton of calories. Sure, muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are focusing on building muscle while you lose weight, the number on the scale may not drop as drastically as you would like. BUT that heavy muscle actually INCREASES your rate of metabolism, and helps to burn your stored body fat. Isn’t that what we all really want…to burn stored body fat? Why is it then that so many women are afraid of lifting weights? I am a fitness instructor, and I can’t tell you how many women I see lifting very, very light weights because they fear “getting too bulky.” Let me be the first to assure you that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a woman to “accidentally” bulk up! It simply isn’t going to happen. Women who have very large muscles are doing incredibly intense and specific weight training, and follow a highly tailored diet to support that type of muscle growth. It does not happen by mistake. So please, take a moment right now to set that myth aside once and for all. If you incorporate weight training into your workout routine 2-3 days per week, you will start to see some tone and definition, you will start to notice your clothes fitting better, AND you will be training your metabolism to work more efficiently. Your muscle tissue is where your metabolism actually takes place, and the more lean muscle mass you have, the faster your rate of metabolism. Faster rate of metabolism = more calories burned all throughout the day! So, here it is ladies…DON’T be afraid of a little heavy lifting!!! If you want to shed fat, have a nice lean body, increase your metabolism, have less “jiggle,” have more energy, burn more calories, feel stronger, look better in clothes, reduce risk of injury increase your overall health, or any combination of the above, you MUST incorporate weight training into your life. You MUST lift weights that are heavy enough to cause a burn, you must do enough reps and sets to create muscle fatigue, and you must be consistent. Muscle is a GOOD thing!! Who wants to be skinny when you can be STRONG, anyway?? Strong is the new skinny, my friends, and I am SO, SO glad!!

xoxo,
Malea

Find Your Fit-spiration!

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Zumba Wonder Twins SmallDo you have a “fit-spiration,” or someone who inspires you on your fitness journey?   If not, I highly recommend that you find one!  This could be a workout buddy, a fellow fit mom (or dad!), an instructor at your gym, a colleague, a personal trainer, a family member, a Facebook friend, anyone you know who inspires to you be healthy and fit.  Why is this so important?  Because staying on track with your health and fitness goals can be hard!  We all have moments in our lives where the “busy” gets in the way of the “fit,” and it is important to have someone to look to and/or lean on to help us get back on track.   Although it is awesome to have a celebrity fitness icon, I have several of those myself, your “fit-spiration” should be someone you actually KNOW who you can reach out to for motivation, ideas, etc.   Even when things are going great, this could be someone you can text with your newest healthy recipe idea, who will willingly be your partner in crime as you try a new workout routine, or who won’t let you miss a one day sale on Quest Bars.

Like attracts like, so being around people with similar health and fitness priorities will allow you to reach your own goals more quickly.  You need to be around people who value health and fitness just as much as you do if you want to keep it a priority in your own life.  People who don’t understand you, or why you want to spend the extra time, money, effort, etc. on working out and eating healthy, can slowly start to erode away at your progress.  Surround yourself with people who support you and celebrate your progress, and ALWAYS try to be that person for someone else.  Fitness is more fun with friends, and you become who you hang out with, so choose wisely!
xoxo,
Malea