Health

Apr292014

Make One Healthy Decision Every Day

There is a very simple rule Hungry and I try to adhere to: make one healthy decision every day. It can make the difference in your mood, your body, your spirit, your day–you name it! Everyone has a different something, but it’s great that it is an actual something. The way to achieving great health is through baby steps. Nobody ever took a big leap to their ideal body or lifestyle…it takes progress. And that’s a good thing. If we never take little steps towards our goals, it will never stick. It will never become a true part of our life.

The one healthy decision I make is choosing Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk. When I’m craving something to drink other than water, I know I can pull out the carton of the Silk Almondmilk and take a glug. It prevents me from getting into other stuff like soda or fruit juices that I avoid. It’s something that helps fit into my macros and my journey to good health. It is non-GMO verified, plant-based, heart-healthy, and has 50% more calcium than dairy milk. It’s my little step each day. And it’s one I take every day (multiple times).

I believe it’s important for everyone to take this little step. It could be taking the stairs, taking a walk during lunch, avoiding the bag of chips, or taking a few minutes for a meditation. People think getting fit is always a dramatic change. Well, it shouldn’t be. It should be little steps each day which eventually turn into habits which eventually turns into a permanent lifestyle. Pick a healthy choice every day and you will see that eventual, permanent change.

For me, Silk has lots of these healthy choices. From Almondmilk to their Soy Milk, I always keep the fridge stocked so that I continue to make these healthy decisions each day. This helps me create a better, happier me. You already know that Silk helps us bloom. Try it out for yourself! Sign up for the Silk.com newsletter and receive free coupons, sweepstakes, and monthly chances to win a YEAR’S supply of Silk products. If it works for me, it will work for you. Also, check out Silk’s Facebook Page. I literally JUST found an oatmeal recipe that I’m dying (and drooling) to try! Like their page and you’ll be in for good tips, recipes, and general happiness-helpers. I wouldn’t lie! Make a healthy decision every day to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What healthy decisions do YOU try to make every day?

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

Apr262014

Vega Bars Review

As a Sweat Pink Ambassador, I was chosen to sample and review new Vega Bars of all assortments. Lucky me! Before this, I had never tried Vega Bars. Sometimes, I’m wary about nutrition bars. Some have a plethora of unnatural ingredients, but not so for Vega Bars. Despite a few differences, I would definitely pick up a Vega Bar in the store.

IT’S LIKE CHRISTMAS

There are a few reasons Vega Bars rise above other energy/protein/nutrition bars:

1. They don’t leave your stomach feeling iffy. I’m an active girl. I’m a personal trainer by profession and I work myself hard after-hours as well. I frequently use bars to fuel my day. However, some bars under certain brands make me feel blah. My stomach gets bubbly and my desire for activity plummets. With Vega Bars, after I eat any kind of them, I feel good. There’s no bad after-effect, just natural energy. I appreciate that.

2. They have simple, natural ingredients. Some other bars have ingredient lists longer than I care to read. Vega Bars‘ are short and simple. They are all organic, natural ingredients. It’s good to know what you’re putting in your body to fuel isn’t crap. Vega is in support of this notion.

3. They actually taste good! Taking the above point into consideration, it does happen where the taste buds aren’t exactly jumping for joy. Not with these bars. With the Vega Bars, you enjoy every chomp, almost feeling like you are indulging yourself. They are delicious and nutritious! Not a bad combo, there.

4. They have probiotics. I was especially excited about this once I read one of the bar’s packaging. I’m always trying to have enough probiotics in my system to have a healthy gut. I had never heard about a bar having a considerable amount of probiotics! Usually I would run into drinks or pills. I love this little aspect about it.

Bad photo as I obviously already tore into the bar

I’ll keep the bullet points short, but you can see that they’re an all-around solid company making delicious nutritious bars. My only qualms would be to add more protein, but it’s tough with natural ingredients like this. Getting 15g from a healthy bar is fine by me. Vega has several different types of bars, setting each one apart for different purposes. Let’s check them out:

Vega One Bar. This is their meal replacement bar. It’s useful for those time you’re scrambling out the door to work when you realize you haven’t eaten yet. Pop one of those in your mouth and you’re set. Calorically-sufficient, this bar will hold you over until morning tea time. It keeps your tummy AND taste buds happy!

Breakfast on the go

Vega Snack Bar. I could munch on these all day. I am always hungry mid-morning and afternoon, and those who know me, know that I’m not pleasant when I’m hangry. These have peaceful ingredients while not being too high on the caloric scale. It’s the right combination to keep you energized until your next meal.

up close and personal with a snack bar

Vega Sport Energy Bar. Now I especially love these. I always struggle with eating the right thing right before or during a workout. I either eat too much and feel awful or eat too little and I feel distracted by hunger. Popping one of these delicious bad boys into my mouth kept me going during even the most grueling workouts (i.e.: hill sprints). And yet again–no negative feelings from the tummy!

As I went for a trail run

Vega Sport Protein Bar. When I feel like I felt yesterday after my longer run, I need to be replenished. That’s what this bar does. It replenishes you with natural carbohydrates and protein, to get your body back up and running again. No post-heartburn or stomach ache. Just pure recovery. I can dig it.

Grateful for replenishment and recovery

Vega Bars get a thumbs up from Hungry and Fit. Natural ingredients with good macros paired with great taste is a win win for us. If you happen to see one at a store, just try it out. Certainly a product we can get behind. Eat Vega Bars to stay hungry and fit!

Apr252014

If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)

For the past few weeks or so, I’ve been trying this fitness philosophy called “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM). It’s a slightly controversial idea. People in the fitness industry love to argue and contest each other’s philosophies. I’m fairly open-minded and like to try new things. I did the whole strict clean-eating thing, did protein-shake only, fruit-only cleanses, and so forth. Strict bodybuilder clean-eaters don’t care for IIFYM. However, plenty of people adhere to IIFYM.

So, what is IIFYM? In this philosophy, you have a set number of calories you can intake based on if you want to cut (lose fat), maintain, or bulk (gain mass). From those total calories, your macros are split up. Macros (aka macronutrients) are your proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. You get a certain number of each (this site has a great calculator for it). For example, I have around 1930 calories per day, my designated protein intake is around 130g, fat is like 55g, and carbs hover around 230g.

In many fitness regimens, you are supposed to eat clean (no crap). However, in IIFYM, you can eat dirty IF it fits your macros. So if I eat cleanly and focus on high protein and medium fat/carbs, I can have a big ol’ bowl of ice cream later. Your diet revolves around “hitting your macros” in any way YOU choose. For some people, it’s great because it allows them to be flexible. For others, they can’t handle all the temptation. Some people don’t even believe it works because there’s “dirty” eating involved.

You can treat yourself every day if you budget for it!

For me, it has gone fairly well. I don’t always hit my macros, sometimes because I don’t get all my suggested calories and sometimes because I go over a few. So far, I’m kind of liking it. It allows me treats but also sets a limit. Gives me some moderation. I’m not sure how long I will keep doing this, but I will stick with it for a bit longer. Tracking your nutrients is vital, I use MyFitnessPal (add me! “nanathetiger“). We may go back to strict clean-eating soon. Who knows!

Gotta love brussel sprouts 🙂

It’s good to know all the fitness philosophies out there. Some (MANY) are fads, but it’s worth investigating to find out what works for YOU. There is no one-fits-all fitness regimen. Something could work perfectly for you, but completely fail for me. It’s important to try stuff out and see what your body and mind likes best. As always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

I wonder if it’s tough being so cute all the time

Apr132014

The Clean-Eater’s Breakfast

I was going to title this “The Bodybuilder’s Breakfast,” but I was worried that would scare too many people off. As in they would see my head on Arnold’s body. Bodybuilding is just creating a toned and muscular body! But that aside…if you want to do some clean eating, here’s an easy way to start your day. I have this most days out of the week. It keeps me full for a long period of time and it satisfies my taste buds. Oatmeal and hard-boiled egg whites. Pretty common ingredients. Simple, nutritious, delicious.

I always put hot sauce on my eggs…you could call me obsessed

Oatmeal is such a foundation for creativity!

Clean-Eater's Breakfast

2014-04-12 11:24:45

Serves 1

A great way to start the day, full of nutrition and satisfaction

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Cook Time

5 min

Cook Time

5 min

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (however you can use any kind, it will just take longer)
raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
anything else you want to add- bananas, nuts, other dried fruit, maple syrup, etc
3 hard-boiled eggs

Instructions

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil
Take your hard boiled eggs and delicately peel the white off and drop in a bowl
Add any hot sauce you want to the eggs and cut them up with your fork
Once the water for the oatmeal boils, stir in the oats
Soon after, put in the cinnamon, raisins, and any other additions you would like

Notes

Hard-boil the eggs beforehand to make it a super quick breakfast

By Hungry and Fit

hungry and fit https://hungryandfit.com/

You can spiff up the oatmeal all you want. While I was in contest prep, I just had cinnamon in it to limit my sugars, but you can go wild with it! In college, we used to put the weirdest things in. Hey, it’s fun! This breakfast is sure to provide long-lasting satisfaction with no guilt involved. Eat clean to stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

Apr092014

Time to Bring Back Etiquette School

“Sit up straight!” my mum used to (still does) say when she would find me slouched over. Look around you (if you’re around people…if not, look at yourself) and see how many people are slouching. Either their neck is hooked down, their shoulders are scrunched up, or there’s a severe bend in their upper back. It’s scary. And I believe it’s more and more prevalent in today’s world with today’s technology and especially today’s generation (though it’s starting to spread to everyone). I always ask my clients if they think they have good posture when I start out with them. Most of them think they do, until they start training with me when they realize they slouch without knowing it.

Super slumpy!

Do you ever see any slouching in Downton Abbey characters? I didn’t think so. Can you imagine Lady Grantham hunched over her plate of delicate decadence? Yeah right. That’s where my etiquette school title is coming from. I am in no way urging women going to do the “feminine arts” like stitching, cooking, etc., but instead for all of us to try to sit up straight and find some pride in our posture. You know that those in etiquette school would’ve had fingers shoved in their backs until they sat up straight. You don’t see many pictures of older times with people slouching.

Image source

So what are the causes of this?

1. Increased sitting. Definitely. Many people have office jobs where they are sitting for at least 6 hours. Think of what that does to your poor lower back! No wonder it doesn’t want to support you anymore. It’s worn out from you slumped over your desk and computer all day.

2. Technology. Tied in with the former, what if you didn’t have a computer to slouch over? Ironic, perhaps, because you are reading this on some form of technology, but anyways. Technology is our 24/7 life nowadays. That sense of panic when your phone is far away? Yeah, that’s real and that’s scary. Computers cause us to hunch over in our chairs in order to see better, type better, and feel more comfortable (but only short-term). Smart phones cause us to always look down. Can you imagine what that’s going to do to our necks in 20 years? Yikes.

3. Lack of–well–etiquette. In the olden days, it was considered rude, un-ladylike or gentleman-like to slouch over in such a way. It was considered good manners to stand up or sit up straight, look people in the eye, and take pride in their posture. Times have changed, obviously. For the better and for the worse. People no longer pay mind to their posture. There’s always this pelvic and neck tilt forwards. Our poor bodies!

4. Lack of core strength. This is a big one and it ties in with #1. Not all of us have good core activation or strength. This causes our lower back to be weak and not able to support us when we sit for long periods of time. Our core is our foundation, if this is weak, the rest crumbles. There’s not much more to be said. Without a strong core, your posture will fail.

I’m not standing up straight or bringing my shoulders back!

Alright alright, so we get why it’s gotten so bad, but how can we fix it?! Here are a few solutions:

1. Get a stability ball. If you have a desk job, do yourself a favor and get one of these. Not only is it incredibly fun, but you have to activate your core to stay upright! If your boss won’t let you have one, ask them if they’ll pay for your medical bills for your injured back. 😉

2. Put that phone down. Seriously, come on, just leave it alone. Not only will it have physical benefits, but it will have mental and social benefits too! Do you know how rude it is to text while someone’s talking to you? Do you know how crowded your brain feels because it’s always going down to check the latest ping? Enough. Let it go for a bit. And if you really can’t, then at least bring it up to eye level so your neck isn’t hanging down and your shoulders aren’t slumped.

3. Start strength training. This may sound strange, but my posture has gotten much better since building a strong, muscular body. When you strength train, you always need to keep your shoulders back which inevitably corrects your posture. Your body works at its best when it’s upright and alert, and that’s what strength training does. If nothing else, remember to pull your shoulders back and you will find your neck coming back as well.

4. Don’t copy the media. Models nowadays have this slumped, pelvic forward tilt look. This is bringing your body out of alignment by pressing your lower back forward and ruining the integrity of your core. It may be the new sexy cool look, but your back certainly doesn’t think so.

Hungry & Fit standing tall and proud!

So stand up straight! Pull those shoulders out. Be strong. It’s sexy! Don’t be a frumpy slumpy. You’ll develop bad posture that may lead to osteoporosis and bad curvature in your spine. You may not need to go to etiquette school if you follow these tips! Sit up straight to stay hungry and fit!

Apr042014

Mind Over Matter

This is a guest post by Eva McElwain Tucci AKA Gammianne and mom to Hungry

How many times have you heard the saying mind over matter? When you are an exerciser, in time, working out becomes as essential as breathing and eating (and you can eat more when you work out which is a bonus point).

As stated in a previous post, I started exercising when I was 15 years old. I went through the Jane Fonda era …yes I had matching leotards, leg warmers, jazz shoes and the Jane Fonda album (yes I said album–those round discs we would play on a turntable) . I am relatively certain that Hungry remembers the Buns of Steel, Abs of Steel VHS that I used to work out to.

Sunbathing with the kiddos

Back in the day, I would often work out three hours a day. Aerobic Classes, Spinning and Weight lifting comprised the bulk of that workout ..oh and at least twenty five minutes of ab work a day. This served me well through three children by the way as my stomach is still as flat as a 20 year old due to all that time spent (downside to strong abs …babies don’t drop very quickly during birth but giving birth is always worth the effort).

I loved working out. I am wearing the same jeans I was wearing ten years ago …bonus as I have too many clothes to bother with multiple sizes . I weigh the same as I did when I was 20 as well (admittedly it may not be in the same place. I call this shape shifting).

I started heavy duty on the aerobics when I was diagnosed with very high cholesterol levels while still in my twenties. I tried the low fat diet but diet is a four letter after all and that was not working for me as I LOVE TO EAT. I had read an article that aerobic exercise increased the HDL’s (good cholesterol) in your system and therefore lowers the overall ratio of your cholesterol. I actually managed to bring my levels from a ratio of 6 to less than 3 over a period of twenty years.

In 2008, I suffered a serious cervical spinal cord injury and was unable to continue many of the exercises, duration or levels that I had previously performed. Aerobics were out of the question due to compression on the spine. I was limited to use of the elliptical, the bike , leg weights and have been in physical therapy for seven years for my neck and arms. Prior to that, I was considered to be pretty “ripped”.

My daughter, granddaughter, and I

There are days that I feel wobbly, off-balance , tired and in pain but I keep trucking to the gym (at off times with all the other 90 year olds). Just kidding, I am only 54 …I just feel like I am 90 and the 90 years olds do give me moment’s of pause because I do not want them to fall over on me and hit my neck. I try to always stay conscious of my environment as personal trainers may be tossing balls around with clients and I stay out of harms way. So my answer is go when it is quiet but keep going.

Even though I am suffering a disability, there is not one of my doctors who tells me to discontinue. My body is riddled with arthritis from various accidents and a genetic predisposition and they tell me to keep moving or I will get stiffen up. I was recently away for three months which is the longest time in all these years that I have been without a gym. If anyone read my previous post, they know this was a dastardly winter and I made do with the elliptical and walking in the snow as much as I could.

I am back at the gym and starting over. When I saw my neurologist recently, that was the first thing he advised me to do. Plus, I still eat whatever I want, whenever I want (yea ..some people hate me for that). Remember, mind over matter and never give up. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

Apr012014

3-Day Kaeng Raeng Cleanse Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kaeng Raeng. All opinions are 100% mine.

Finally, finally! I’ve found a cleanse that is actually enjoyable. I’ve been through enough research and self-experimentation to know that there are many not-so-pleasant cleanses out there. Whether they are fasts or just horrible poop-your-pants cleanses, they don’t make the process easy. Enter Kaeng Raeng, my new favorite cleanse of them all.

This cleanse is just three days of wonderful smoothies. There is no starvation, no unnatural ingredients, no caloric deficiency. I really appreciated that. For some cleanses, you aren’t exactly sure what’s in them. For Kaeng Raeng, it’s all freeze-dried fruit made into powder that you can mix into juice or blend for a smoothie. The scariest ingredient is probably the “L. Acidophilius blend,” but that’s just probiotics to make your gut happier! Plus, you get your full serving of all major vitamins while you drink the smoothies.

It actually tastes good. No, I’m not lying. How can fruit not taste good? Chris even liked it (he had a small sip)! There are some cleanses where I seriously struggled with. Some I had to try a million different ways just to get it down my throat. Not with this one. With Kaeng Raeng, I looked forward to each and every smoothie. And that’s how I made them: into smoothies. It was quick enough where I could just throw some frozen fruit, water, almond milk and the cleanse packet into the blender and drink it at home or on-the-go! So easy to make! It was so easy to make it into the smoothie I wanted without “cheating.”

“Joyful”

I feel like Kaeng Raeng is a cleanse for your everday person. Have you ever been around me when I’m hungry (more like hangry)? It’s not pretty. Kaeng Raeng cleanses allow you to eat any raw fruits or veggies in between your smoothies. I was a happy girl. It’s simply not realistic or sustainable for me to do a cleanse where I can’t eat close to my normal caloric intake. It’s not going to last and it’s going to leave a bad taste in my mouth….literally (I’ll be here all night)!

“Daybreak”

For me I usually had the “Daybreak” packet in the morning which includes mango, peach, and pineapple. Lunch was the “Joyful” packet containing strawberry, raspberry, and pineapple. And finally for dinner, I had the “Into the Blue” with banana and blueberry. Like I said earlier, these are yummy. Kinda like going to a smoothie place without all the unnatural ingredients. My favorite was probably the “Joyful” which was perfect because I had something to keep me going for the rest of the day.

There are a few different levels of this cleanse and if you are unsure of where you place at, just take this quiz to find out. Another big plus about this cleanse is that they are so animal-friendly that a portion of each sale goes to animal protection organizations. As animal lovers, that is a big plus. You can buy Kaeng Raeng on Amazon for a very reasonable price. If you leave a review on Amazon, you can get 15% off your next order! The cleanse can also be found at select Whole Foods Markets as well, so call your local store to find out. Kaeng Raeng will definitely be my go-to cleanse from now on, and I urge you to try it. After the third day, I no longer had my normal cravings which was really really nice.

“Into the Blue”

Lucky for you, we are hosting a giveaway! We’re giving away one swag bag to a reader. Just comment why YOU want to try a vegan cleanse. For an optional entry, Like Kaeng Raeng on Facebook.Can’t wait? You can use the code “KRCleanseMT10” for 10% off your order at Kaeng Raeng. This code expires on 4/25/14. Use Kaeng Raeng cleanses to stay hungry and fit!

Mar312014

Our Weekend in Pictures

Spring is here!!

Noke’s first puppy social…

Me doing a great cleanse

Yummy Trader Joe’s dinners

Cuteness

Workouts

More cuteness

More workouts

Awesome ModMarket gives you your macros!

Noke is learning every day!

Mar252014

Something is Better Than Nothing

Sometimes it’s tough to get a workout in. It could be a number of things that prevent you from getting to that workout. Maybe you just don’t have enough hours in the day. Maybe you had a bad day and your energy is drained. Maybe you have time but other people or commitments are stopping you. These are all things we may be able to get around. But remember, something is better than nothing.

Don’t feel mad at yourself because you didn’t fit in your entire workout in, be appreciative that you at least got that activity in. Things will prevent you from doing everything you want to do and that’s just life. That doesn’t mean we hang our heads in defeat. We still did something. From a trainer’s perspective, that’s huge. A few minutes of activity can be the make or break deal for losing weight, keeping your heart healthy, or defeating the threat of diabetes. Seriously.

Find some motivation that you stepped out the doors and onto the pavement for a walk instead of cramming lunch into your desk. Find some happiness in the fact that at least you got ten minutes on the elliptical instead of none. Find some inspiration that you at least hit most of the shoulder muscle groups instead of all. Find joy in the fact that your dog is now happier that you two enjoyed exercise together. Find a smile after you get ten minutes of interval bike training in instead of your planned thirty.

The bottom line is to stay positive. You at least did something. Your body will be grateful for that. I struggle with this too–not getting my full workout or what I planned. But hey, life happens sometimes and you gotta improvise. Try to take the positives out of each situation, each moment of exercise even though it may be small. That’s the best way to stay hungry and fit!

Mar182014

Just Do You

Every day we hit the gym, there’s the same old people–the regulars, as you might call them. And they’re doing their thing, rockin’ their usual workouts or keeping up an inspiring routine. We smile and wave our talk about our goals. We help each other on sets and thank each other. It’s a good relationship. However, this post isn’t really about us “regulars.” It’s about the brave ones.

Rockin’ my new shoes

The brave ones? We’re talking about going to the gym, right? Yes, so I may sound a little odd or dramatic, but I speak the word brave in the full meaning of the word. I am talking about the “new” people to the gym. Whether it’s an overweight person, a girl braving the weight room, or just plain new in the gym, we respect the hell out of you. The gym is pretty damn scary the first time around. You think everyone is staring you down, judging you, making fun of you, but they aren’t. I can speak for a large part of the fitness community that we have deep down respect for you being brave enough to get your foot through the door.

That you have the guts to hire a trainer because you can admit you need help with your goals. That no matter what your body type, you’re going to come into the gym to do your workout and you’re going to have a smile doing it. Honestly, seeing these people can be the highlight of my workout. No joke. I literally feel a surge of pride seeing them, so proud that they are here to get a workout in and they are facing their fears. Mad respect. Completely.

So here’s to you. Facing your fears and stepping into the gym to tackle your journey for health. We of the fitness community raise our glass to you and serve you some serious respect. Just do YOU, be yourself, and have confidence in what you’re doing. And know that we others seriously respect how hard you’re working. You inspire us. As always…stay hungry and fit!