Friday Faves

Aloha friends! Happy Friday to you all. I hope you’re having a lovely morning and have a fun and relaxing weekend ahead. After a rough couple of weeks, I’m on the way to Hawaii with the crew! SO ready to be on the beach with a shaved ice in hand. I’ll definitely be sharing a recap of our trip and will post some of the adventures on IG stories.

(I have zero pics from this week but here’s one from our last trip to Hawaii! Liv was tiny and P was in my belly.)

It’s time for the Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Read, watch, listen:

A new season of Never Have I Ever is on the way and I’m SO pumped.

A cast recording of the Music Man with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster?? Blessed.

Simplify for happiness.

How to do anything.

Fitness + good eats:

If you’ve been wanting to try Fit Team but aren’t sure about committing to a subscription, you can get a copy of our August workout plan here! This month’s focus is endurance, so think pulsing movements, higher reps, and spicy isometric holds. Each workout has a video tutorial with demos and modifications.

It’s not a subscription and you can try out the workouts and see how you like them. 🙂 (Please keep in mind that monthly members get access to our online platform and all of the bonuses, including live workouts, follow-along videos, playlists, recipes, calls with health experts, etc.) Get your August plan here so you’re ready to rock and roll on Monday!

30 healthy grill recipes.

S’mores banana bread?!

Lower body barre with weights.

Fashion + beauty:

Nordstrom Sale wraps up this weekend! Here are some of the top picks that are still in stock.

This dress was the top pick by a LANDSLIDE, and I totally know why. It’s so flattering, you can dress it up or down, and they have a ton of colors. I have so many of these dresses and it’s such an awesome deal at $36. (You can also add a sweater and booties to transition into fall.)

These cozy and cute pocket joggers. 

This cardigan. I bought it in the sale a couple of years ago and wear it all the time, especially when I’m chilly at night with my pajamas. This cardigan is a dream for my postpartum mama friends.

The best everyday thongs and my fave bra in the world.

These men’s performance shorts that look just like the lulu ones.

This travel tote!

My go-to shorts pajamas. Ordered the animal print ones!

Live-in high waist leggings. These are my #1 fave leggings because they have a flattering high waistband, they’re not see-through, not too heavy, and you can wear them for the gym and for life.

This gorgeous initial pendant necklace.

These cute water-resistant Chelsea boots.

Happy Friday, friends!! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

gina

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WIAW

Sharing a whole day of eats from start to finish. 

Hey hey! Happy humpday! What’s going on this morning? I have 1:1 calls all morning and getting a podcast episode edited and ready to go. I hope you have a lovely day ahead.

For today’s post, I thought I’d share a WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) since it’s been a while. I always love getting healthy meal inspiration from friends, so I like to share these posts for an idea of what a typical day of eats looks like. I can understand why these types of posts may not be helpful for everyone (sharing my thoughts on that here!) but I tried some a couple of new recipes and am excited to share them with ya.

Here’s what a full day of recent eats looked like from start to finish! (I took these pics a couple of weeks ago but am just sharing them now! The kids weren’t at camp this particular week, so I was juggling work stuff in between making sure they were happy, fed, and entertained. The Pilot was also out of town for work so I was doing the solo parenting thing. I also let them watch some extra TV while I got things done, let’s be real.)

8:20am

I slept in until 8 (summer, I love youuuuuuuuuuuu) and then started my day with a large glass of water with Sakara Beauty drops (minerals that are completely tasteless. I like adding these to my water since I filter it with the Berkey, and my stress level is a bit higher lately, which can deplete minerals)

Since it was a busy morning work-wise, I had a Bulletproof bar and a cup of coffee (decaf with raw milk, Stevia, and collagen), probiotics/digestive enzymes from Sakara and made the kids a quick breakfast. I sat at the kitchen table with my computer and helped the kids while they worked on their summer packets.

10:15am

Watered the plants and had the rest of my breakfast:

2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon, and a reheated Super Hero muffin from this cookbook. These muffins are SO good and the kids loved helping me make them. Whenever we make breakfast staples, I try to make a double batch and freeze them for quick options.

I sat by the pool writing while the kids swam, hopped in for a bit to cool off and play, and took two 1:1 coaching calls upstairs while the kids dried off and ate their lunch.

1:30 pm: Lunch

Chopped chicken salad with green olives, artichokes, spinach, Primal Kitchen Goddess dressing, a bowl of blueberries, and a Sakara green smoothie

(My fave veggie hack = the Poshi packs from Thrive Market. They’re perfect for adding to salads, scrambles, and wraps.)

+ a mug of green tea while I finished loose ends and logged out for the day.

I got dinner into the Instant Pot, and the kids and I spent the rest of the afternoon at the trampoline park (with a stop at DQ for cones for the girls on the way home).

5:30pm: Dinner

This is one of our go-to soup combos whenever someone is feeling under the weather, or when a soup craving hits. Even when it’s 100+ degrees here, soup always sounds good to me. We each had it with a hunk of sourdough bread and the kids loved it, too!

After dinner, we took Maisey for a short walk around the neighborhood. Caro chose to remain snoozing on the couch.

8:30pm baked apples for all. The kids and I wanted a little sweet bite after dinner, and we all love this evening snack. You just chop an apple, microwave it in a bowl with cinnamon for about 2 minutes, and top with peanut butter and/or chocolate chips. (In this case, it was chocolate peanut butter. SO good.) I also had a mug of warm almond milk with Organifi chocolate gold.

I showered the crew, we read books, and I put them to bed, and cranked out some last minute work: finished a blog post, drafted social media shout outs, edited a reel while listening to an IHP module. I read a few pages of a book (finishing this one) before crashing out at around 11:45.

What I liked about this day:

I hit my protein goal, but most importantly: it was a day of filling and satisfying eats. The kids enjoyed this day of meals, especially the soup and the breakfast. (For lunch, they had a deconstructed version of the salad and their breakfast was the same + some strawberries and banana.) I was also proud of myself for having real meals!! It can be difficult to juggle work and the kids during the day (which is why I usually sign them up for at least half-day summer camps or ask our babysitter to come over for a few hours) because I feel stretched and like I’m always ignoring something or someone.

On days like this, unless I’ve prepped a lot in advance, I tend to have bites of things in between tasks and chores, or eat at the computer or in the car. This particular day, I had rounded meals, sat down to enjoy them, and I feel pretty pumped about that.

What I would have changed:

I would have found a way to add some veggies to breakfast to increase my servings just a bit. I also would have preferred to eat breakfast first instead of the bar, but it was enough to hold me over until I could eat a full meal. Since I stopped eating meals at the computer, I can’t do it anymore! It feels so much better to wait until I can sit down and actually taste the food I’m consuming. 😉

What’s the best thing you ate yesterday? Anything you’re currently loving or new cookbook faves?

xo

Gina

More posts like this here, here, here, and here.

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Fit Team – monthly strength training plans

and let’s get some momentum as we head into fall!

Hi friends! How’s the week going? Ours has been a good one so far. Things kind of got shuffled around this week, but I’m here doing my thing and using this extra time to clean and study.

For today, I have some very exciting news: I’m Fit Team enrollment is open, and I would love to invite you to join us!

Fit Team – monthly strength training plans

Join here and take the guesswork out of your fitness routine for the next 6 months. It’s a 6-month subscription and you can cancel anytime.

So what is Fit Team?

Fit Team is my monthly training program to build lean muscle, burn fat, and get accountability for maximum results. No more wondering what the heck to do, or puzzle-piecing your routine together. You can get a phased, strategically-designed plan so you can finally get the results you deserve (!) and stick with a it for the long haul.

I post a brand-spanking-new fitness plan on the 28th of each month. It typically has 6-8 new strength workouts, along with cardio guidelines, bonuses (playlists, live classes with me, recipes), and video tutorials (with modifications) for each of the exercises. All workouts can be done at home with a pair of dumbbells. (I will be adding a gym-based track using gym equipment in the fall and also plan to post more follow-along videos in the platform.)

Here’s what special about this plan:

The workouts are phased and include progressive training strategies. They’re intentionally-designed and progress over time to help you achieve your body composition goals and strength improvements. They’re designed like this so you won’t plateau and you won’t get bored. Each 90-day cycle includes endurance, power, and strength components with a different focus each month.

Puzzle-piecing your routine together from online workouts and YouTube is great for general movement. But, if you have specific fitness goals or you’ve noticed that you’ve hit a wall and plateaued, it’s because you need a phased plan. I will help you continually add stressors and rep variety into your routine, so you can get the results you deserve from your efforts. If you feel like you’re doing “all the things” and not seeing results, it’s not from your lack of effort – it’s because you need a different strategy. 

Think about how awesome it will feel heading into fall:

– With a purposeful plan that you can follow, that still allows for flexibility so you can stick with it

– Working out LESS but finally seeing results from your efforts

– With the confidence that your workouts were created to move the needle towards your goals

– Having the support of your own motivation fairy and women all over the world, cheering for you along the way

– Feeling energized and EXCITED about your routine, instead of overwhelmed and drained

Here’s what our community has to say about their Fit Team experience:

Benefits of joining Fit Team:

– Our amazing community! We have a group of women all over the world who are cheering for each other and helping to support each other along the way to their goals. This is huge for accountability and motivation.

– Direct access to me in our community platform to help with any questions you have along the way

– No longer wondering about what to do with your workouts. Pull up the plan and go!

– Everything is accessible through our online platform or the Kajabi app on your phone

This plan is for you:

– If you like following a written plan with workout tutorials. If you prefer full follow-along videos, check out Barre Bootcamp 2.0 or HIIT Bootcamp instead! We also have

– If you’re sick of puzzle-piecing your routine together and want a plan that was designed with purpose

– If you’re looking for some motivation and consistency, especially as we head into summer!

Check out all of the details plus FAQs here.

Are you ready to join? 

Grab your spot here. Price jumps Thursday and enrollment closes on the 30th.

For all of my early action friends who are a heck yes, the first 10 to enroll today will receive free custom nutrition guidelines and macro calculations to support their journey ($97 value).

Once you’re in, please leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram so I can officially welcome you!

Can’t wait to see you in Fit Team.

xoxo

Gina

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Money Matter – Fixing & Growing Midlife Nest Eggs with Bret Johnson

Money Matter – Fixing & Growing Midlife Nest Eggs with Bret Johnson

Is it too late to begin to build/multiply your nest egg when you’re already at mid-life age? The answer is no, but then the next question is…HOW?!

This week, Natalie Jill sits down with Bret Johnson who shares many tips and tactics on what you can do right now, in order to build long-term, generational wealth at any age.

Bret Johnson began his career as a Quarterback at UCLA and Michigan State University, and later finished his career in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and a quick stint with the Atlanta Falcons.  Bret preserved his love and passion for football by coaching his son’s High School Football team at Mission Viejo High School with his father and brother, Rob Johnson. Now, he continues to apply his love for coaching to his clients and staff.

With his wife Chalene, Bret has built and sold several multimillion-dollar lifestyle companies and helped countless people to do the same. Today, Bret runs lifestyle, business and personal development companies Team Johnson and SmartLife, Inc.

Bret manages the day-to-day operations of the business including business strategy, forecasting, new product development, event planning, employee management, financial operations and logistics for all things Team Johnson and SmartLife.

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10 of my favorite health Instagram accounts to follow

Sharing my top 10 health and wellness accounts to follow on Instagram.

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How’s the day going so far? I got a sub for today’s class since P was under the weather (first Liv, now P, but she’s on the ups), so we’re chilling here. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favorite accounts to follow on Instagram. I follow a LOT of accounts, but these are some of the ones that make me excited whenever they post a new feed post or story. Something they all have in common: the fact that they stay true to themselves and all have a no-BS kind of mentality. Turns out that I gravitate towards that realness.

I always love hearing about new valuable accounts to follow, so if you have any faves I didn’t mention on the list below, shout them out in the comments section! Also shameless plug here to follow meeeeeee. I post health-related reels and lots of stories over on my IG page.

10 of my favorite health Instagram accounts to follow

Dr. Stephen Cabral

I’m a huge fan of Dr. Stephen Cabral and love sharing his work with those I love. I’ve been taking his Integrative Health Practitioner certification source (join me as a virtual study buddy! Use the code FITNESSISTA), and he’s extremely knowledgeable about SO many things. Interesting fact: he started in the fitness world as a personal trainer and embarked on this journey to heal himself from unexplained illnesses. He’s now a board-certified doctor of naturopathy, author, podcaster, and has helped thousands worldwide. Check out this podcast, read his book, and you can listen to a podcast episode I did with him here!

Shawn Stevenson

I’m pretty much the Model Health Show #1 fan girl, so naturally, I love following his account on IG. Everything that he shares and posts is heavily backed by science, but he has such a low-key way of breaking everything down to make it easier to understand. He has a couple of books that I’ve read and loved, too. (Definitely check out Eat Smarter.)

Megan the Dietitian 

This is one of my top RD accounts to follow because she gives real life tips for improving your relationship with food and repairing your metabolism, particularly after long-term dieting. She also reviews popular dieting products and eating programs on her page.

Danny Matranga

If you’re looking for a personal trainer to follow that gives tips and support for all spectrums of a fitness journey (from very beginners to very advanced), definitely check out his page. If you’re looking for motivation to strength train, fitness tips, and build muscle, I highly recommend following him. He also has an amazing podcast and was featured on one of my podcast episodes here.

The Blood Sugar King

The Blood Sugar King aka Jason Wittrock wears a Nutrisense CGM and runs various experiments to see what spikes his blood sugar and how his body recovers. It’s fascinating to see how something like a Chipotle burrito, a protein bar, or rice that has been cooled (turning it into resistant starch) can do. Friendly reminder that his results could be completely different from how your body responds to food, but still very interesting to follow along.

Dr. Mona Vand

Dr. Mona Vand is a pharmacist turned healthy lifestyle influencer. She posts a lot of tips (like what type of pasta to choose, how to create an anti-inflammatory salad, when you should look for organic options, etc) and I also LOVE her style/fashion.

Dr. James DiNicolantonio

Dr. James DiNicolantonio is a cardiovascular research scientist and author. His IG page is filled with tips on minerals and simple steps for health. His book, The Obesity Fix, is on my to-read list.

Meowmeix

Amanda Rocchio shares healthy meal ideas, meal prep hacks, and tons of gorgeous recipes on her page. I feel like she does an incredible job demonstrating the *how* when it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle. Check out her page for tons of meal prep and recipe inspo, especially if you’re looking for some new ideas.

Carrots ’n’ Cake

My friend Tina is killing the IG game lately! She shares tips for balancing your hormones, mineral imbalances, healthy lifestyle strategies, functional testing details and supplements. I’ve known Tina since the early blog days of yore, so it’s been pretty awesome to see her business grow and evolve over the years. Check out her page here!

Dr. Connealy, MD

I think Dr. Connealy is incredible and I’m always inspired by the work she does treating various cancers through alternative and traditional therapies. She’s very much into root cause, treatment, and making the terrain of the body inhospitable to cancer and recurrence. She has a book (just ordered my copy!) and one of my favorite things she does is share what her team eats for lunch during meetings each week. It’s interesting to see what food choices they make while treating cancer successfully. (I see lots of healthy fat, red meat, sweet potatoes, sourdough, roasted veggies, rice, and fresh produce)

So, tell me, friends: what are some of your favorite accounts to follow on IG?

Have a lovely day and I’ll see ya soon! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.

xoxo

Gina

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Friday Faves

Hi friends! Happy Friday! After hanging out at home this week, I’m excited to be back into things this weekend. I’m definitely bummed to be missing IDEA but looking forward to our Hawaii trip. I’d love to hear what you’re up to! We’ll probably do movie night at the pool, get school supplies (whaaaaattt), and I’m teaching a barre class. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

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. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves

Life:

Last week, the Pilot and I did a spa day at one of my favorite spots: Miraval. I’ve been do Miraval a few times and it was his first time; I was so pumped to show him around and introduce him to the magic (and also get him hooked). It was the most perfect, most relaxing day; it was a huge treat.

We checked and received our backpacks and water bottles, and then the Pilot enjoyed breakfast while I took a cardio drumming class. Funny story: I used to teach this class when I worked at another local health resort, and DREADED teaching this class. It was just a lot of choreography that didn’t transfer to anything else, and I was never super excited about it, even though the guests seemed to be having a blast.

I really wanted to try it from a guest perspective and see if it could redeem itself. Confession: I loved it. Cardio drumming involves hitting a stability ball with drumsticks to music, and moving around the ball (like hitting the base of the ball, the middle, the top, and then clicking the drumsticks overhead, or marching around the ball as you hit the ball in various directions). It was a blast and I got in an awesome sweat.

After that, the Pilot ran on the treadmill while I lifted weights, and then we headed to an early lunch. The food at Miraval is INSANE. They source many of the ingredients from their own garden, everything is so fresh, and they include lots of gluten-free and vegan options. I had a sampling of the buffet offerings, and the Pilot and I also shared the chef’s special: a striped sea bass with veggies and risotto.

Post-lunch, we went to the pool, where we spent over an hour floating on pool noodles, chatting, and reading. When we’re at the pool with the kids, I’m hyper focused on the water the entire time, so it’s a mental break to be near a body of water and not have to worry about the kids.

When we were done at the pool, it was time for cocktails in the kitchen with my brother Kyle! He recently went back to work at Miraval as their Director of Culinary Operations. He does all of the cooking classes and private dinners right now and is absolutely loving it. We made an AMAZING cocktail with blackberries, cucumber, lemon, lime, gin, ginger, mint, and simple syrup. I can’t wait to recreate it here at home!

He also made this watermelon salad for our group to enjoy with the cocktails:

We had massages booked and it was probably my first time ever getting a massage after a giant cocktail, and TBH, it was everything. I got the grounding massage, which is head, feet, and hands, and I did the thing where I fell asleep and jerked awake. It was a gold star.

We shopped in the boutique, and wrapped up the evening just in time to pick Liv up from dance. I have a feeling we’ll be back again soon. 😉

Fitness + good eats:

Recipe for Disney POG juice.

Naked collagen! I was on the lookout for a new collagen brand (my previous fave was bought by another company) and have been SO pleased with the Naked brand. They sent me a couple of goodies to try, and the collagen is my new fave. It’s flavorless and dissolves perfectly into my coffee. It’s also sourced from pasture-raised cows in Europe with very simple ingredients; no added fillers or sweeteners.

They also sent a container of their lemon blueberry protein, which is DELICIOUS. I love it in oatmeal with blueberries and peanut butter on top, and also made some protein balls with 2 scoops of protein powder, some oatmeal, peanut butter, lemon zest, and a little maple syrup. (Here’s the link to standard protein ball recipe and you can always adjust the flavors.)

You can check out everything they offer here! I want to try the protein cookies. Out of all of the packaged ones I’ve seen, they seem to have the best ingredients.

Are fitness trackers motivational?

Fashion + beauty:

Your faves from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I have two posts about the sale so far: this giant roundup with all of my top picks, and this post with under $50 and fitness faves.

According to analytics, here are your top picks from the sale so far!

This dress was the top pick by a LANDSLIDE, and I totally know why. It’s so flattering, you can dress it up or down, and they have a ton of colors. I have so many of these dresses and it’s such an awesome deal at $36. (You can also add a sweater and booties to transition into fall.)

These cozy and cute pocket joggers.

This cardigan. I bought it in the sale a couple of years ago and wear it all the time, especially when I’m chilly at night with my pajamas. This cardigan is a dream for my postpartum mama friends.

The best everyday thongs and my fave bra in the world.

This belt bag! I have two Dagne Dover backpacks and they’re my go-to travel backpacks. The fabric is amazing and I love that they have a belt bag now!

These men’s performance shorts that look just like the lulu ones.

This travel tote!

My go-to shorts pajamas. Ordered the animal print ones!

Live-in high waist leggings. These are my #1 fave leggings because they have a flattering high waistband, they’re not see-through, not too heavy, and you can wear them for the gym and for life.

This gorgeous initial pendant necklace.

These cute water-resistant Chelsea boots.

And this one isn’t part of the sale but worth sharing, because so many of you joined me in my new hoodie obsession. I hope you love it just as much as I do! The fabric is so soft and amazing.

Read, watch, listen:

After not watching anything on Netflix in ages, I watched all of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. It was outside my usual fluff genre, and it was devastating. It was also intriguing to see such an extreme level of brainwashing. There aren’t enough trigger warnings in the world for this one, just a heads up.

Reading this book right now and it’s a perfect light summer read.

Loved this recent episode of the Model Health Show.

How to wake up smiling.

Happy Friday, friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

Gina

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Crispy Ranch Air Fryer Chickpeas

Sharing this quick and healthy snack recipe for crispy ranch air fryer chickpeas!

Hi hi! How is the day going? We’re chilling here at home and taking it easy today. I’ve been studying, cleaning, participating in retail therapy, and cooking some tasty eats. I made these super delicious air fryer chickpeas and wanted to share the recipe with you.

The kids and I LOVE the Bienas chickpea snacks (we order them from Thrive Market!) but they tend to be a little on the pricey side, especially when the three of us consume a bag in a single sitting. I was looking at them the other day and thought it would be a fun experiment to make them on my own.

It was way easier than I thought and I made a giant batch that we enjoyed yesterday afternoon. These will definitely be making another appearance as part of meal prep and packed lunch snacks for the kids.

Crispy Ranch Air Fryer Chickpeas

Here are the ingredients to make these lil beauties:

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Avocado oil (you can also use olive oil)

Seasoning of choice. Since I did a ranch version, I included onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, salt and pepper. You can also get wild and use Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, Dill Pickle seasoning, curry, anything you like!

How to make crispy air fryer chickpeas

Step one

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Gently pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat the air fryer to 390.

Step two

Lightly coat the chickpeas with a drizzle of oil and make sure that they’re fully coated.

Step three

Make the seasoning mix in a separate bowl. Stir well and sprinkle the chickpeas with the seasoning mix.

Step four

Add the chickpeas to the air fryer, and make sure they’re evenly spread out. Gently season with salt and pepper.

Step five

Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket every so often, until golden and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.

Here’s the full recipe if you want to give it a try!

Print

Crispy Ranch Air Fryer Chickpeas

Print Recipe

A super delicious and healthy homemade snack that the whole family will love!

• Author: Gina Harney // The Fitnessista
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
• Total Time: 16 minute
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Avocado oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon chives

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional but really adds a blast of flavor)

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 390.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas and all of the seasonings. Season well with salt and pepper.

Air fry for 12-15 minutes, making sure to shake the air fryer basket occasionally. Remove when they’re golden brown and crispy!

Top with additional seasoning as needed. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Store any leftovers in a sealed container. They should last 3-5 days.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @fitnessista on Instagram

And a short how-to video:

Tips for using the air fryer:

– Don’t be scared! I was intimidated for a long time, and I also didn’t think it would be “worth it” as far as counter space goes. It’s worth it. We use it almost every day and it’s especially amazing for anything frozen, like fries and veggies. Potatoes are an air fryer dream, let me tell ya.

– Make sure there’s room in the air fryer basket for air to circulate. You don’t want to totally pack it.

– If you’re looking for an easier cleaning option, you can get some air fryer parchment.

A question for my air fryer friends: my only slight gripe is that ours is coated with a nonstick Teflon-ish material. I’m looking for one with a stainless steel basket if you have any recommendations!

Please let me know if you give this recipe a try. 🙂

Have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon.

xo

Gina

Don’t have an air fryer? No worries! You can make roast at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet for about 35 minutes. I have a BBQ chickpea recipe here!

More healthy snack recipes:

Vegan goji berry bites

Chocolate protein bars with sweet potato

Quick and easy snack bites

Top 5 easy healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner

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Nordstrom Sale Fitness and Under $50 Finds

Sharing some of my fave fitness and under $50 finds from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope your week is going well. Ours has not turned out as expected. I’m supposed to be on a plane to the IDEA World Fitness conference today, but one of the kids ended up getting sick early this week. I kept both kids home from camp and am staying home from the trip because I don’t want to potentially get anyone sick while I’m there since I’m a close contact. (I feel completely fine but just playing it safe.) I’ll definitely have FOMO for the Vegas adventures (and was so looking forward to hanging out with Giselle and Ashley! bah), but am using this week to study for my IHP certification and clean out all of the closets before school starts.

For today’s post, I thought I’d share some of my favorite fitness finds and under $50 faves from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I’ve heard mixed opinions about the sale over the past couple of years because some of the products repeat themselves and there isn’t as much of a selection, but I use this sale more for classics and staples. It’s the perfect time to stock up on essentials at a better price, buy some holiday gifts, and get school + winter things for the kids (like jackets and Ugg boots!).

Affiliate links are included below and I just wanted to say thank you so so much to those of you who shop through my links. It helps me support our family and keep this lil blog running.

Nordstrom Sale Fitness and Under $50 Finds

Fitness Faves

These high-waist luxe leggings with a super flattering fit.

$33 for my very fave leggings. These have a high waist, aren’t see-through, and can easily transition from the gym to life (just throw on a sweater and some cute shoes).

Snow wash ribbed bike shorts.

Studio luxe support tank. LOVE the pink color!

Soft pocket leggings.

This cropped half-zip sweatshirt.

This dress makes me wish I could play tennis.

Under $50 Finds

For women:

The go-to shorts pajamas.

Obsessed with these everyday joggers you can wear to a low-intensity workout or out and about with a t-shirt and low-top sneakers.

This ruched dress. You can dress it up with wedges or booties, or wear it with sandals or sneakers to keep it casual. I have many colors and just ordered another one!

This is the best bra in all the land, and this sale is when I restock. It’s lightly lined, supportive, looks great under a tee, and NO WIRES. Bless it.

 Off shoulder long sleeve tee.

This ruffle-hem skirt is so cute for a beach vacation.

For men:

A 5-pack of Polo boxers.

Athletic everyday shorts.

These tech pants look very similar to the lulu ones at a much better price point.

Super soft Pima cotton v-neck.

Knit athletic shorts.

Accessories, home, and beauty:

 Set of three chain necklaces for a steal.

Amazing deal on this brow kit. 

Voluspa candles (split for stocking stuffers).

LOVE this initial pendant necklace.

These festive earrings are great holiday gifts.

3 uplifting stretch bracelets.

This bandana would be adorable tied as a headband.

This dog sweater! I can’t wait to see Maisey and Caro wearing theirs.

This serving board is gorgeous and looks way more expensive.

For the kids:

Buying P hoodies with ears for as.long.as.I.can.

Zella leggings for girls!

The coziest Ugg slippers

Icon sweater

Sequin Chelsea boots

Sports bra and leggings set

Are you shopping the Nordstrom sale this year? What have you found so far?

More faves from this sale can be found in this post.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya tomorrow with a new recipe!

xoxo

Gina

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Maximized Fat Loss As We Age with Clark Bartram

Maximized Fat Loss As We Age with Clark Bartram

What is the secret to losing fast while we age? Is it the workouts? Is it the nutrition? How much or well we sleep? This week on Listen Up, Natalie Jill & Clark Bartram dive into this exact topic, and share the secrets — and secret #1 isn’t what you might think it is!

Clark Bartram, the 58-year-old former Marine has earned his reputation as “America’s Most Trusted Fitness Professional”, has appeared on the cover of more than 130 fitness publications, and has helped thousands transform their lives over the course of his 30+ year career.

Clark has inspired millions of television viewers as the Co-Host of Kiana’s Flex Appeal on ESPN, and has also hosted his own fitness television show called American Health & Fitness.

In everything he does, Clark puts forth 100% in the hopes that he can benefit men who care enough about themselves and the people they love to do what it takes to “live the lifestyle.” His life’s purpose is helping men over 50 live in their healthiest body.

 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why nutrition and fitness are NOT the most important steps to your weight loss
• Why you need to get your mind right first
• The importance of not making excuses
• How you can find your why and make it a lifestyle — not a task — at any age

Clark’s program is an in-depth and intense 90-day one-on-one coaching, nutrition planning and workout programming that will deliver the results! Check out some of his 90-day transformations!

If you want to work with Clark go to Maximize Man Elite for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

Catch Listen Up on Apple, Stitcher, or Spotify! 

 

 

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The Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

Dry brushing is a simple exercise that improves health by increasing skin circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system. How do you get started and how should you dry brush? Get the answers here.

Hi friends! How’s the morning going so far? The kids are at a morning camp, and I’m working on getting things together for upcoming travels. I hope you’re having a great day so far. 🙂

For today’s post, I want to talk about dry brushing! This is something I’ve done since the Valdosta days (the first time!), and figured it was finally time for a post. Some of my regular habits are so engrained in my routine, I forget about them, and a friend or someone will will say, “Wait. You do/did what?!” lol. These things can be anywhere from chiropractic, functional medicine doctors and testing, acupuncture, Mayan abdominal massage, placenta encapsulation, meditating, using FAM to track my cycle, etc.

Dry brushing that came up in conversation recently, and I wanted to write a blog post and share a short video on this super easy hack you can add into your routine. Friendly reminder that this post is not medical advice! Just sharing my experience.

The Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

Dry brushing involves using a soft bristled brush to gently brush the top layer of skin. You can do this for a variety of reasons: to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, for skin texture and exfoliation, or because it feels great!

Improves lymphatic flow

Our body is covered with lymph nodes that are concentrated in the head and neck area, the armpits, and groin. Our lymphatic system helps with tissue drainage, fat transport, removing waste, and immune function. If these vessels become congested or clogged, you may notice swelling or inflammation. I like to do gentle lymphatic massage on my face and neck, and dry brushing on my body to help encourage my lymphatic system to function properly and keep things moving along!

Can exfoliate and improve skin texture

The act of dry brushing the skin helps to remove dead skin cells on the surface and can help improve skin texture. If you don’t typically exfoliate your body, this is a great way to do it! When you exfoliate your skin, it also helps your moisturizer or body oils absorb properly to hydrate the skin.

Dry brushing can clear clogged pores

Along with exfoliation, dry brushing can help to clear clogged pores. If you notice that your skin is congested (but NOT irritated), dry brushing can potentially help.

It can help calm the nervous system

Dry brushing can help to stimulate the vagus nerve, which can help to calm the sympathetic system and switch to the parasympathetic state (which is the “rest and digest” state of the body). If you’re someone who craves human touch and might not get regular hugs or massages, this is a similar way to give yourself physical touch and self care. It stimulates the nerve endings in our skin, and the energy tingling feels similar to when you’re in savasana after a great yoga class.

On the same note, dry brushing can be positive sensory input for kids who experience sensory processing disorder (SPD). If you have a kiddo with SPD, ask your OT about skin brushing! They have even softer small plastic brushes you can use for kids to help calm the nervous system.

How to Dry Brush (step-by-step)

Step one

Stand in front of the shower and make sure your body is dry and free from any lotions or oils. Grab your dry brush!

Step two

Starting with your arms, dry brush from your elbow up towards your shoulder in long, sweeping, movements. Then, dry brush your wrist to your elbow in long, sweeping movements. Next, do the palms of your hands, and then your entire arm in long, sweeping movements. An easy reminder: dry brush towards your heart.

Step three

Follow the same pattern with your legs. Start from the knee up to your hip, then ankle to knee, then bottoms of feet and entire leg.

Step four

Next, I’ll dry brush my neck to my heart in short strokes. I’ll dry brush my stomach in a circular motion, clockwise.

Step five

I’ll dry brush my back moving towards my heart. This is easier to do if you have a long handle on your dry brush! You can also dry brush your glutes, using a circular motion.

Step six

Hang up your dry brush and take a shower with warm water. When you’re finished, moisturize your body as you usually would.

Here’s a quick video how-to:

Dry Brushing FAQs:

Can you dry brush if you have dry skin?

If you have dry skin, I would be extremely careful with dry brushing and make sure that you’re moisturizing your skin and hydrating your body from the inside out. DO NOT dry brush if you have an open sores, cuts, wounds, lesions, eczema, a skin condition or infection, rashes, or sunburns. Let the skin heal! I also would not dry brush over any skin that looks to be angry or inflamed. If you’re unsure if you should dry brush, talk to your dermatologist.

Can dry brushing help with the appearance of cellulite?

You may hear this a lot online, but the truth is, I don’t think dry brushing can make a huge difference on cellulite. Here’s the thing: almost ALL women have cellulite and it has more to do with body composition, skin texture/elasticity, how the fascia is structured or bundled and its relationship with fat cells, hydration levels, so many things. Just remember that pretty much everyone has cellulite. If you choose to dry brush, do it for skin texture, lymphatic function, and because it feels good; not because a stranger on the internet said it would make cellulite disappear.

Where can I buy a dry brush?

They sell dry brushes at many health food stores in the bath and body section. You can also order from Thrive Market ( <<— use my link for 40% off your first order! Just type “dry brush” in the search bar. I have the Pursoma brand from Thrive Market and a few others, like this one from Amazon).

How often should you dry brush?

I would start with a couple of times per week and see how it feels. You can dry brush daily if you’d like, as long as you’re gentle with the brushing. Hang your dry brush near the shower so you can remember. 🙂 I dry brush each time I take a shower, which is every couple of days, depending on the sweat factor of my workouts.

So, tell me, friends: do you dry brush in your routine? Anything you do that makes a difference in your skins texture and appearance?

xoxo

Gina

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