Kona Kase Review

Kona Kase is all about fueling your active life style.  Their mission is their desire to inspire people to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  In each Kona Kase you will receive 8 healthy snack products delivered right to your door, monthly.

I recently had the opportunity to try the July Kona Kase.  In it I received Caveman Cookies, Garuka Bars, Barbara Llewellyn Granola, Body Glove Surge Gel, Perky Jerky, Enjoy Life Trail Mix, Pro Bar Bolt Organic Chews, and Health Warrior Chia Bars.  I really enjoyed trying the different snacks which were all delicious!  I recommend trying Kona Kase, especially if you're looking for new, nutritious snack ideas.  Included in Kona Kase is a card with a brief description of each snack along with website information for ordering.  Many also include a discount code for your first order.

A Kona Kase subscription is $15 a month, includes free shipping, and can be canceled at any time.  Thinking of trying a Kona Kase?  Use the following code GIFTSUMMER and receive $5 off your first order!

Juicing: How To Make It A Complete Meal

As the weather gets warmer, juicing becomes a part of my daily routine.  I usually replace breakfast or lunch with fresh juice.  To add protein to my meal, I always include a scoop of unflavored whey in my juices.

Pictured above: apple, carrot, pineapple, spinach, whey protein.

Benefits of juicing:  juicing helps you absorb more nutrients from fruits and vegetables, juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of vegetables in an efficient manner, you can add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet.  

Keep in mind that juicing alone does not give you a complete meal.  It lacks protein, fat, and fiber.  Here's my healthy tip for a complete meal: add a scoop of protein powder (I use unflavored whey), add a scoop of the leftover pulp from the juicer, add a teaspoon of flax or olive oil.  Shake it up and you have a complete meal!

CORE Foods Review

I recently had the opportunity to try Defender Meals from CORE Foods.  CORE Meals are fresh portable food.  They are made from 5-7 raw, organic, locally grown ingredients.  Thats right, CORE Meals are 100% raw!  Because this is "real" food, it will go bad quickly, so it is recommended that you refrigerate or freeze immediately.  CORE Meals will stay fresh is the refrigerator for up to 1 month, and freezer for up to 6 months.
So, what did I think of these convenient, ready to go meals?  I thought they were pretty good!  With my busy on-the-go schedule it was great to be able to pack this healthy meal into my bag.  1 CORE Meal with 2 glasses of water is equal to a full bowl of oatmeal, and yes, it sure felt like it.  This meal kept me full for hours.

Healthy meals conveniently packed.  Raw Almond Raisin, Raw Walnut Banana, Raw Cashew Cacao (my favorite!).

Do I recommend CORE Meals?  Absolutely!  They are delicious, convenient, and best of all healthy.  For more information visit their website www.corefoods.com

Running Happy Bands Review

It's always the same.  You're getting ready for your long run, totally awesome cycle class, or any other form of cardio or sport and it's time to pull your hair back.  If you have bangs like me, you may use a barrette to pin them back, but then theres always a few smaller hairs that seem to find a spot somewhere on your forehead and begin to bug the heck out of you during your sweaty workout.  So, you pull out the dreaded head band thats "guaranteed" not to slip off your head, crossing your fingers that this time it stays on, only to pull it off and throw it on the ground halfway through your workout because you are tired of putting it back on your head over and over again!  Ugh!

Well, those dreaded head band days are now over!  I had the opportunity to try a Running Happy Band, and let me tell ya, these bands are AWESOME!  They are guaranteed not to slip, and guess what, they DON'T SLIP!  It fit very comfortably on my head, did not slip behind my ears, and thanks to the tiny clip located inside the top of the band it did not slip off the top of my head!  I wore this band for running, cycling, and during a high intensity group fitness class, and it stayed put through it all.  

After 2 full hours of cycling.

I definitely recommend these bands for any type of physical activity, and will also be ordering some more for myself!  Check out the Running Happy Bands website at www.running-happy.com for more information.  You can also follow them on Twitter @RunningHappy1 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/runninghappyus.

ENERGYbits® Review

I recently had the opportunity to try ENERGYbits® 100% algae tablets.  These little green tablets are absolutely amazing!  So, what are ENERGYbits®, you ask?  ENERGYbits® are 100% pure, organically grown, certified non GMO algae that contains no sugar, caffeine, gluten, additives, animal products, chemicals or fillers. Wow!  They also have 64% protein, 40 nutrients, and GLA (an Omega 3), and only contain 1 calorie per tab!

ENERGYbits® algae tabs have a long list of health benefits.  A handful of 20-30 tabs will meet most of your daily nutritional requirements.  Because of the nutritional value of ENERGYbits®, they can also be taken in place of a meal, and are a great way to reduce calorie intake for weight loss.

You can chew or swallow ENERGYbits®.  After trying both, I recommend swallowing!  They go down very smooth, and swallowing 30 tabs with a glass of water took me about 10 seconds.  Almost immediately I felt the difference.  Within about 5 minutes my hunger was satisfied, and I could feel my energy level rising.  My husband also tried them and had the same feeling.  We both loved ENERGYbits® so much that we are placing our first order this month!

For more information, check out the ENERGYbits® website www.energybits.com.

Steel Cut Oat Waffles

At my last chiropractic appointment, we were sharing healthy breakfast ideas.  After sharing my steel cut oats crockpot recipe with him, he gave me a wonderful idea to add the leftover oats to waffle mix!  So, this morning I experimented with it, and let me tell you, it was delicious!

These waffles are so hearty, one will definitely do the job!  I gave my six year old one and she loved it, so they must be good! Rather than using syrup, I like to top mine with fresh fruit.  These waffles are high in fiber, low in fat, and gluten free (use certified gluten free ingredients to eliminate traces of gluten).

1 1/2 C Oat Flour

1 TBSP Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

3/4 C Egg Whites

1 C Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/4 C Unsweetened Applesauce

Cinnamon to taste

1 C Prepared Steel Cut Oats (see my recipe below)

Mix all ingredients with a mixer.  Pour onto waffle maker.  This recipe made 3 belgian style waffles.

Crockpot Steel Cut Oats:

2 C Steel Cut Oats

2 C Unsweetened Almond Milk

6 C Water

1 C Unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 C Raw Stevia (or sweetener of your choice)

Cook on low overnight.  Stir before serving.

Unreal™ Candy Review

I recently had the opportunity to try Unreal™ Candy, thank you for the complimentary coupons!

Unreal™ is candy with no artificial flavors, no corn syrup, no GMOs, no partially hydrogenated oil, no preservatives, and low glycemic index.  This is what I call "real" candy!  I picked mine up at a local Target store.  They are so delicious!  My kids loved them as well.  My 18 year old said that they taste better than the usual candy you see located at the checkouts.  That says a lot coming from a teenager!

Unreal™ Candy labels are numbered.  54 is similar to Peanut M&M's®, 41 is similar to M&M's®, 8 is similiar to Snickers®, 77 is similar to Reese's®, and 5 is similar to Milky Way®.  It's so hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to it would be 77.

I definitely recommend trying Unreal™ Candy, it's the "better" way to satisfy your sweet tooth!  Check out their website GetUnreal.com for complete nutritional information and to find a retailer near you.

Week 2: Workout Plan & Supplements

Today is Monday!  The start of a new week, which means weigh in day and week two of my twelve week workout program.  Last week was a great week, although I missed two days of workouts due to being sick, I still continued my supplements and kept track of what I ate, and it paid off.  I lost 4.4 pounds!  Yea me!  It's important to give your body the rest it needs, especially when you are sick.  When I was younger I would push myself to workout, even when I was under the weather.  As I get older, I am learning that sometimes rest is more important than exercise.  I am also learning that exercise, proper nutrition, and rest aren't always enough to keep your body in top form.  Sometimes you must take additional steps towards living healthy and fit, which is why I have my first appointment with a chiropractor today.  I'm am looking forward to living pain free, and will let you know how my appointment goes!

Week 2 Workout:
Monday: Weekly Challenge (see below)
Tuesday:  Run 3 miles
Wednesday:  Full body strength, 20 minutes on stair climber
Thursday:  Run 3 miles
Friday:  Tough Test (see below), yoga in the evening
Saturday:  Spinning
Sunday:  Rest

Supplements:
MNS3, Catalyst, Thermoplus, Nighttime Recovery (Advocare)

Weekly Challenge:
Warmup
10 minute run
10x burpees
10x tuck jumps
10x push up rows
10x prisoner squats
10x spider crawls
10x bw squats
9x burpees
(continue decreasing reps until you reach 1x of each)

3x1 minute all out sprints with 30 seconds rest between

Tough Test:
Warmup
2 mile run
(1 minute of each exercise with 15 seconds rest in between)
burpees
explosive dips
mountain climbers
kettlebell swings
dumbbell push press
decline pushups
lunge jumps
dumbbell bent over rows
slam balls
pull ups
2 mile run

This Week's Workout Plan & Supplements

Call me crazy, but I love Monday!  Why?  It's the start of a new week, which means the start of a new program.  Whenever I start new workout, eating, or supplement programs I always start on a Monday (it's just easier for me to keep track).  I am focusing my new training program on the 13 races I am participating in this year (3 of them obstacle races), and am starting with a 12 week program.  I found a really cool iphone app called Tuff n Muddy, which includes programs to train and prepare you for obstacle races.  Below is what my week 1 training program looks like (I made a few modifications to what the app designed):

Monday:  3 mile run.

Tuesday:  Full body strength training followed by 20 minutes on Stair Climber. 

Wednesday:  Challenge of the week (see below for description).

Thursday:  3 mile run. 

Friday:  Tough Test (see below for description) & Yoga in the evening.

Saturday:  Cycle (if there is an extra bike....fingers crossed!).

Because I am also teaching 11 fitness classes this week I have to be sure to drink plenty of water, eat as clean as possible and take all of my supplements:

MNS3, Catalyst, Nighttime Recovery, and SPARK Energy Drink (Advocare)

Challenge of the week:

Warmup, 5 minute run, 50 pushups, 5 minute run, 50 pull-ups, 5 minute run, 50 v-ups, 5 minute run, 50 squats, 5 minute run, cool down.

Tough test (1 minute of each, 15 second break in between):

Burpees, Explosive dips, Mountain climbers, Kettlebell swings, Dumbbell push press, Decline pushups, Lunge jumps, Dumbbell bent over rows, Pull ups.

I'm looking forward to this week full of being healthy and fit!  At the end of the week I will give an update on how this week went as well as my plan for next week.

Peace Out 2012! A recap of my year.

I can't believe we are already in the second week of 2013.  This year is flying by already!  Below is a recap of some events, fun moments, and milestones that took place in 2012.

My adorable nephew Jaxson was born. 

My husband and I celebrated our 14th Wedding Anniversary.

I was promoted to Event Coordinator at Team Fit.

I participated in Fight For Air 70 Floor Climb, and beat my goal time.

I got bangs!

Went to a Pitbull concert

Buried Jerry in the sand

Found Milli Vanilli blazers with my sister

Senior portraits for David (can't believe he's a senior).

Lillian went to her first Homecoming dance (sniffle, sniffle).

Started my blog & facebook page Eat Sweat Rest.

Joined Advocare.

Team Fit's first Toys For Tots event.

Samone lost her first tooth!

Became a Sweat Pink Ambassador.

Did not reach my jean goal (but still working on it!).

Registered for 13 In 2013 Challenge.

So blessed to have celebrated another year and Christmas with my wonderful family.

Bulu Box Review

Bulu Box is a vitamin, supplement, and general health subscription sample box designed to help you feel your best.  Each Bulu Box contains samples of vitamin and supplement brands on the market.  Each month you'll receive a box filled with 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands.

Recently I had the opportunity of trying out a Bulu Box.  The box was shipped fairly quick and came filled with healthy goodies to try!  The Bulu Box I received contained:
-FRS Healthy Energy pineapple mango chews
-drinkwel (the multivitamin for people who drink) vegetarian capsules
-immuno-viva DEFEND+ energy powdered drink mix
-CRYSTAL essence Mineral Deoderant Towelettes
-Cocoa Well True Energy with AdaptoStress3 organic capsules
-Almaseed Synergy Diet meal replacement shake mix

These are all products I never would have tried without receiving them in the Bulu Box.  I think this is a great way to see what's on the market, and to find what works for you.  For more information visit BuluBox.com or stop by the Bulu Box Facebook Page.

I'm A Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador!

Girls Gone Sporty is a movement and the GGS Ambassadors are the driving force required to help spread the spirit of fun and adventure that Girls Gone Sporty stands for.  Girls Gone Sporty tag line, "Live the sporty life!"  Women who work hard, play hard, compete and eat, all with the intention of being their best, most positive selves.

                                         

Girls Gone Sporty Ambassadors form a network of sporty women who band together to focus on positive health.  While we recognize that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important, weight and appearance are not the cornerstones of our belief system, and we want to encourage women everywhere to embrace whole health and an attitude of adventure - body, mind, spirit and lifestyle - right where they are now.

I look forward to being a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador, and inspiring women everywhere to love and accept who they are, to strive to be healthy and fit, and live the "sporty" life!

www.girlsgonesporty.com

Resolution Run Virtual 5k

Recently I blogged about registering for the 13 In 2013 Challenge (13 races in 2013).  Yesterday was my first race of the year.  I chose to start with a virtual race, the Resolution Run Virtual 5k, part of the 5 By The 5th Virtual Race Series.  This was my first time running since August 2012, after I decided to take the rest of the year off to allow my knee to heal.  It was cold!  January in Michigan kind of cold!  30 degrees, snow, and ice.  But, I did it!  I didn't want to at first, but I did.  It's so much easier to stay in the warm house, on the couch with a blanket or two, watching TV or playing around on the computer, but when you have specific goals that you want to reach it's up to YOU to take action toward reaching them.  My time was 35:43.  Not my best time...actually my worst!  But I'll take it!  I'm just glad I got out there in the cold, after such a long break from running, and did it.  I'm looking forward to my next run, Freeze Your Franny 5k on January 26th, and also my future 2013 runs, which include 5ks, 10ks, Mud Runs, and Half Marathons.