117: Pilates Chat and Why Self Care Isn’t Selfish with Lesley Logan

Hey hey friends! I’m so excited for today’s podcast episode because we have someone on the show who is a personal friend and someone I admire deeply: Lesley Logan. She is an amazing person, a powerhouse instructor, and has inspired thousands of people all over the world to live healthier, happier lives.

Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode:

– Pilates chat: what is it, myth busting, what’s the difference between Lagree and classical Pilates, why you shouldn’t be intimidated by it

– Why self care isn’t selfish case

– Strategies for maintaining a self care routine during a busy season

– Her tips for being “Healthy in Real Life”

and so.much.more.

Here’s a bit more about Lesley and her background:

Lesley Logan, a certified Pilates teacher, breathwork, habits and mindset coach, is the founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com, the first free online catalogue of Pilates exercise tutorials, where you can also find weekly Pilates classes and workshops. Teaching Pilates since 2008, she has run multiple studios, has trained hundreds of people to become teachers themselves and has taught thousands of students. When not teaching from her studio in Las Vegas, Lesley she’s hosting her podcast Be It Till You See it or traveling the world leading Pilates retreats.

Connect with Lesley on Instagram, check out her website and take classes from her here, and listen to her podcast.

Resources from this episode:

The weather is cooling down, and I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. It feels even BETTER when it’s chilly outside and you can use the code FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! This is one of my favorite ways to relax and sweat it out. I find that it energizes me, helps with aches and pains, I sleep better on the days I use this, and it makes my skin glow. Link to check it out here. You can also use my discount for the PEMF Go Mat, which I use every day!

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers. I’m enjoying a delivery this week and it’s been an easy way to check the boxes above.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.

You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. I finished Level 1 and am working my way through Level 2. I highly recommend it! You can check out my review IHP here!

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you. 

xo

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Crossfit in Midlife with Deborah Moore

Crossfit in Midlife with Deborah Moore

Crossfit can sound scary. It can leave many of us in midlife thinking about throwing around heavy weights, and that it’s only for super buff people working out, and that if you were to attempt it all you’re going to do is injure yourself! Or, if you’re like me, you might walk by a Crossfit gym and feel intimidated by the people in there dropping heavy weights and grunting LOL. But truly, Crossfit is just another type of functional fitness — and it doesnt have to mean any of those things! What is functional fitness? Functional fitness is fitness that it is accessible to everybody and it involves moves that help us with our everyday functions. And everything about Crossfit is scalable. You can use the lightest of weights if that’s where you’re at!

Everyone has a different menopause experience, even if menopause has common denominators. I LOVED Deborah’s mantra/advice to people: Don’t settle! Don’t settle for whatever is handed to you by hormones, or by injuries even, or by life events. Because tif you settle, you give up, and you start sliding backwards. Choose to fight a little bit instead! Try and find the the pivots and the adaptations, and whatever you can do.

Science confirms that over 50 years old, we can lose about 10% of muscle per decade, and this is the reason many people once they hit midlife can gain those 10-15 extra pounds for what seems like “no reason” — yikes! It’s not necessarily the AGE, but it’s the MUSCLE LOSS that comes with our age! BUT it doesnt have to be like this! We can work to combat the rate at which muscle declines by doing strength training and doing progressions in your workouts, doing what is intense for you!

Crossfit coaches can help you learn proper form, and we can promise you that just lifting heavy won’t make you “ripped”. There is A LOT more that goes into the “bodybuilder” look, so don’t be scared to lift…even though it might be a new concept than what us mid-lifers may have been taught growing up

Deborah has over 25 years of international business, marketing & coaching experience which has developed an efficient, energetic, and empathetic coaching practice. Her added experience as a competitive age group endurance & CrossFit athlete & coach lends a unique perspective to viewing life challenges & the solutions she presents. Now as a midlife women’s Health Coach, she has a common-sense & scientific approach to nutrition (macros), mobility, strength & fitness, and stress management, guiding women through the difficult menopausal years, and leading them to a strong, functional & healthier future.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How functional fitness can help you build muscle and more more freely
• Why your age doesn’t define your ability to add muscle
• Why menopause is tricky but not the end

The post Crossfit in Midlife with Deborah Moore appeared first on Natalie Jill Fitness.

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School morning breakfasts for kids

Sharing a roundup of some of my favorite options for QUICK breakfasts for the kids on busy school mornings. Please please please share your favorite in the comments section below!

Hi hi! How are you? I hope you’re having a lovely morning! I’m off to the chiropractor (bless it) and then spending the rest of the day working on some posts for the new year. How the heck is it December this week?!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat about breakfast ideas for busy weekdays! We have absolutely gotten into a rut with the school morning breakfasts. I went through an entire week making them the same thing, and after throwing away many cold egg burritos, I realized I needed to up my game a little.

Whenever I feel like I’m in a rut with anything food-wise, I take some time to sit down a brainstorm. For example, if I feel blah about vegetables and don’t want to cook anything, I quickly make a list of all of the vegetables we love. It’s an easy way to remember old favorites and switch up the routine a bit! The brainstorm session can work with anything: proteins (list ALL the proteins you love; you’ll remember some familiar faves), greens, snack ideas, dinner recipes, etc. I’ll also usually get out a cookbook and that gives me some new inspiration!

This post is serving as a brainstorm session for me right now, and I figured I’d make a list of all of the quick weekday breakfasts the kids love. Feel free to pin this for when you’re looking for new ideas! Please share your go-tos in the comments section below so this can be an amazing resource for everyone!

School morning breakfasts for kids

– *Apple pie walnut baked oatmeal and a hard-boiled egg

– *Pumpkin oatmeal bake with a breakfast sausage (frozen and heated up)

– *Vegan peach baked oatmeal

– Avocado toast: sourdough with smashed avocado, lemon, Everything but the Bagel seasoning, and a sliced hard-boiled egg on top

– Breakfast smoothie: 1 cup almond milk, Greek yogurt, 1 banana, frozen berries, peanut butter, spinach, ice, and cinnamon (sometimes I add chia seeds or MCT oil to this too)

– *Their favorite pancakes in the world. I make huge batches of these over the weekend and freeze. I just heat them up, cut into bites, and put into a coffee mug to take in the car, and drizzle with maple syrup.

– Egg burritos: I scramble two eggs in a little butter, salt, and add to two tortillas before rolling up. They take these to-go, too

– A Go Macro bar and a hard-boiled egg (this is when we need something super fast and it does the trick!)

– *Chia pudding: 1/4 cup chia seeds into a Mason jar, and I add about 1 cup of almond milk, a drizzle of maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. *Set in the fridge overnight to set. In the morning, I top with sliced berries and take it to go.

– *Breakfast cookie: the classic never dies. Instead of protein powder for the kids, I use 1 scoop of DNS.

–*Nana’s egg casserole. This freezes beautifully and last a few days in the fridge. I give this to the girls with a tortilla or piece of toast.

– *French toast. This is another one of the girls’ favorites. I make this over the weekend and freeze. I just heat them up, cut into bites, and put into a coffee mug to take in the car, and drizzle with maple syrup. They also love the brioche French toast from Trader Joe’s.

– Hard-boiled egg (top with EBTB seasoning and sriracha), piece of sourdough (heated from the freezer), and some fruit (whatever we have on hand: usually berries and sliced banana)

– *Overnight oats: in a jar, I add about 1/3 cup of oatmeal and about a cup of almond milk. I add cinnamon, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and berries. I’ll sometimes add chia seeds, too. In the morning, I top with honey and serve it with a hard-boiled egg or breakfast sausage.

– *Yogurt parfait: Layer Greek yogurt with granola and fruit in a mason jar and keep it covered in the fridge overnight. The next morning, grab and go!

– Breakfast sandwich: I spray a bowl with avocado oil and crack an egg into the bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute until set and top with a slice of cheddar (so the hot egg melts the cheese). I put the egg between two pieces of bread with a little Primal Kitchen Ranch. SO fast and easy.

– Acai bowl: I use the frozen acai packs from Trader Joe’s with almond milk and honey in the Vitamix. I pout it into a bowl, top with granola, sliced fruit, and a drizzle of honey

* Egg muffins and fruit

*Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (or Super Hero muffins) with breakfast sausage or a hard-boiled egg

– Peanut butter toast: I top a piece of toast with peanut butter, sliced banana, cinnamon, and drizzle with honey

– Peanut butter banana oatmeal: I use the Trader Joe’s oatmeal packs (the one with chia and amaranth), add hot water, and get dressed while it sets. I top with sliced banana, a bit of maple syrup, and a scoop of peanut butter. They love it!

*Homemade sous vide egg bites.

* = pre-made at least one day in advance and waiting in the fridge or freezer

I also asked my Instagram friends for their favorite suggestions and here’s what they had to say:

– Premade breakfast sandiwhces

– Oatmeal, waffles, muffins!

– Make your own yogurt bowl. Grab a yogurt from the fridge and add jars of toppings from pantry

– Simple Mills muffins

– Oatmeal with power seeds: chia, flax, hemp, bee pollen

– Banana baked oats

Some of my favorite tips for making breakfast quickly during the week:

– Freeze anything you can.

When I make batches of pancakes, French toast, or muffins over the weekend, I double the bath and put extras in the freezer in a Ziploc bag. This way, they’re already ready to go during the week! You can also make a huge batch of breakfast burritos and freeze, baked oatmeal, or an egg casserole.

– Make breakfast the night before.

Things like overnight oats, chia pudding, and breakfast cookies are huge hits and are ready to grab and go in the morning.

– Splurge for convince when it makes sense.

Things like yogurt, hardboiled and peeled eggs, Mush overnight oats, store-bought chia pudding, bars, oatmeal cups, frozen waffles, frozen breakfast sausage, smoothie mixes, are all things that can just make life a bit easier. Not everything has to be homemade 😉

So, please share the goods! What are some of your go-to quick breakfast ideas that kids love?

xoxo

Gina

More:

Kid-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and dinners

Our go-to easy weeknight dinners

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How To Clean Your Peloton Bike

Sharing the details on how to clean your Peloton bike, and keeping it feeling fresh and new, even with tons of use. Check out my post on how to set up your Peloton bike here!

Hi friends! How’s the morning? I hope you had a happy and lovely post-Thanksgiving weekend. We did some more decorating (the yard is done!), got our tree (after years with a fake tree, we converted to team Real Tree a few years ago and I’m a huge fan), and had a lovely dinner with friends.

For today’s post, I wanted to share the details on how to clean your Peloton bike, especially for my friends who are expecting it as their Santa gift this year. 😉 I’ve been a proud Peloton owner for about 4 years now, and while I don’t ride as much as I used to, I still hop on the bike about once a week. It makes it SO easy to get a cardio workout at home (even when the kids are home!), and I love that I don’t have to waste time commuting. It’s my go-to for super busy days when I still want to get in some movement.

How To Clean Your Peloton Bike

I like to keep things clean in the house, but it takes on a new layer when it’s exercise equipment. Equipment like the Peloton can collect dust, sweat, bacteria, fingerprints, and while it can look unappealing, it can also eventually affect the function of the equipment. (Learned this from years of working at gyms and studios.) Cleaning your Peloton bike regularly can help avoid unwanted odor and damage, BUT you can also damage your Peloton bike by improper cleaning. You definitely want to preserve the screen and make sure it continues to work!

I’m dedicating today’s this post to help my friends out there properly clean a Peloton bike and share what products are safe to use for cleaning Peloton bikes.

How To Clean Your Peloton Bike

Peloton frame

I clean my Peloton frame and resistance knob after each sweaty ride. If there are sweat spots anywhere, the whole thing gets wiped down. If I’m leisurely pedaling along and listening to music (using it as an active recovery day), I don’t wipe it down. The best time to clean the frame is directly after your ride, because then you’ll always remember to do it.

Peloton accessories

I’ll clean the weights once every few weeks or so. Since they don’t tent to get sweaty and I’m the only person using them, I feel like they can wait a while longer.

Screen

I’ll clean the screen once every few weeks. It doesn’t tend to get sweaty or many fingerprints on it, but every few weeks I like to make sure it’s clean. I use the same wipe to clean my computer screen. *Make sure you use a different cleaner for the screen than you do for the frame (details below).

Mat

I clean the mat under the Peloton after every sweaty ride. I have the same rule for the mat as the frame: if I see sweat, the whole things gets wiped down.

Pedals

The pedals get cleaned every couple of months. I just make sure there isn’t dust in the clips and disinfect the pedals.

What To Use To Clean Peloton Bike

Cleaning wipes

Aim for nontoxic wipes that don’t contain bleach and avoid abrasive products. I like to use antibacterial wipes (like these ones!) that are also nontoxic, since I’ll be touching the wipes with my hands. Word on the street is that you can use baby wipes, too, which won’t erode the material of the frame, but aren’t antibacterial.

Cleaning spray

Instead of wipes, you can also use a cleaning spray, like this one. Instead of spraying directly onto the Peloton, spray the towel and then wipe the bike. You can use a cleaning spray for the frame, resistance knob, and accessories.

Microfiber towel

Use a soft microfiber towel that won’t wear away at the materials.

Screen cleaner

Make sure you use a screen cleaner that is specifically-made LCD plasma or other flatscreens. This is the one I use and love! I wouldn’t recommend using Windex or spraying anything directly on the screen. It can leave weird stains and smears. It’s worth it to get a cleaner that’s designed for this type of screen.

*You can use the cleaners above on the Peloton bike, treadmill, or the rower!

So tell me, friends: how often you do clean your exercise equipment?

Do you feel like Peloton has lost its shine a bit, or are you still a believer? I still love it just as much as ever.

I hope you have a wonderful morning and I’ll see ya soon!

xoxo

Gina

More Peloton posts:

Full Peloton bike review: is it worth the money?

How to combine Peloton with other workouts

Peloton workout plan for beginners

Peloton workout plan without the bike

Favorite Peloton instructors

How to set up your Peloton bike, or any spin bike

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Thanksgiving recap + Black Friday Finds

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving with lots of amazing food and time spent with those you love. I hope you know how grateful I am for all of you! Thank you so much for being here, for supporting my blog, podcast, and other random endeavors, and for being my virtual BFFs. Whether you’re new here (hello!!) or an OG blog reader (THANK YOU!), you mean so much to me and I’m thankful everyday for this little blog and the opportunity to hang out with you all.

My favorite little turkeys:

Our Thanksgiving was perfection. To start off the Thanksgiving and holiday festivities, we met up with my dad, stepmom, brothers, and some friends for the Gaslight Christmas show. Gaslight is a Tucson staple with melodramatic musicals. You cheer for the good guys, “boo!” for the villains, and enjoy a hilarious short olio show after the main production. The actors are all local and extremely talented, and it’s always a fun family activity. 

This year, it was Christmas Vacation and it was a HOOT. 

(Skirt is here/ boots are here)

Thursday morning, we slept in (praise be), I made turkey-shaped pancakes for the crew, we took a family walk, and then it was baking time!

I was asked to bring a dessert to the festivities, so I made the chocolate pecan Bourbon pie from the new Ina cookbook. I typically don’t make *new* recipes for company or gatherings, but I know that Ina recipes will always be a hit.

(Dress is old but I found it in black on sale here)

10/10 recommend the pie recipe. It was chocolatey and rich and glorious.

We headed to my uncle’s house, which is where we have Thanksgiving pretty much every year. We feast to our heart’s delight, the guys and kids typically head off for golf in the afternoon, and it’s time spent chatting with the fam and watching the cousins run around and play.

I always try a little bit of everything then go back for what I love the most. In this case, I loved everything the most.

After my uncle’s, we headed home to let Maisey out, and then we went over to madre’s for a bit. This is when we eat more pie and plan our Black Friday strategies. We used to wake up in the middle of the night to go shopping (or go at midnight!), but now that sales start earlier and everything is online, it makes things very convenient.

Today, I’m catching an F45 class with a friend, putting the finishing touches on December Fit Team workouts, and getting the rest of our shopping finished. There are SO many great sales right now, and this is when I get gifts and also get things we need for house or that I’ve been wanting. 😉

Here’s a roundup of the best things I’ve found!

My favorite brands:

Integrative Health Practitioner: I finished Level One, absolutely loved it, and am working towards Level 2. You can sign up here and use the code BLACKFRIDAY for $250 off of Level 1 or $500 off of Levels 1 & 2. They’re also offering an exclusive November monthly lab bonus when a new student signs-up for Level 1+2, they’ll receive either the Men’s or Women’s Wellness lab. It is a $200 value and they will also receive a 30 minute health coaching call. It’s a great way to see how a coaching call goes and get a feel for what you’ll be doing as a Certified IHP. Be my study buddy here. You do not need to currently work in the health and fitness industry, and it’s an amazing way to explore your passions or begin a new career path.

HigherDOSE: If you’ve had your eye on a sauna blanket or a PEMF Go Mat, now is the time! Use this link and your discount will be automatically applied at checkout. This is their best promo of the entire year!

InsideTracker: InsideTracker is doing their biggest sale of the year! You can get $200 off their Ultimate Plan at this link with the code GINAHBF. InsideTracker has played a huge role in my personal health journey, and it’s been helpful to have data and metrics for the things I’d like to improve. I got my new round of blood work done last week, so I’ll share my results as soon as I get them. If you’re looking to improve your health, performance, and vitality, but aren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend it.

Organifi: I have at last one Organifi product every.single.day. It’s been a very stressful few months around here, and I started feeling sluggish in the mornings. I switched my green juice to the morning, first thing, and it’s made a HUGE difference in my energy levels. That blast of nutrients has definitely helped! I also use and love the red juice, gold powder, protein powder, and Harmony. You can use this link and the code FITNESSISTA for 25% off and free shipping on orders over $125.

Sakara: Sakara makes my favorite pre-made meals on the planet. Everything is so fresh, vibrant, packed with superfoods, and feels like a gift. I have a shipment coming next week and can’t wait! If you’ve been wanting to try Sakara, now is the chance. You can even just order the meals for lunch, which I feel can be the most challenging meal. I know so many of us are rushing around, so it’s easy to just grab some thing quick (like a snack that’s not super filling), or skip lunch. I always order breakfast + lunch and it makes busy weekdays so much more delicious (and way easier). Use this link and the code XOGINAH-BF22 for 25% off sitewide.

Total Body Reset: Flash sale on the 6-week program I put together with my friend Mia, who is a Registered Dietitian. We help you create a sustainable lifestyle you can keep, with a lean eating strategy to balance hormones and get your energy back. The program is typically $797, but for Black Friday, you can get everything for $197 here. We’ve revamped the plan to include 4 weeks of meal guides in addition to the videos and bonuses, and if you sign up before Sunday, you’ll also get a copy of Healthy Holiday Recipes.

More discounts + what I’m shopping this year:

Hanna Andersson: grabbing the kids’ matching Christmas jammies- they’re 50% off and the rest of the site is 40% off

J Crew: I shopped early and grabbed shirts for P, leggings, and their Christmas dresses. 50% off!

gap: Also shopped early for everyday staples at 50% off. I feel like the kids have outgrown everything, so they needed quite a few winter staples, like hoodies and jeans

Anthropologie  is 30% off. Obsessed with this maxi dress, this sweater and slip dress combo, this gorgeous birthstone pendant, and this velvet headband.

Madewell: 40% off sitewide! I got another pair of these jeans because I love them so much (size down!) and this sweater

Kerastase: 20% off sitewide! They make my favorite hair mask in the entire world.

Target: I haven’t scoped out their sales yet, but this is where I’ll be getting a lot of the kids’ toys

Express: Anyone else feel like Express is crushing it lately?! It’s 50% off everything right now! Love this jumpsuit, this bodysuit, this cardigan, and these pants.

Erin Condren: 30% off! Ordered my planner for next year. I think my referral link will get you an extra $10 off if you want to give it a whirl!

Amazon: SO many amazing Black Friday deals!

Some of my top finds from Amazon:

Women’s fashion: thick high-waist leggings, classic puffer jacket, classic silk dress, long blazer, these cute ankle boots

Electronics: Bose headphones, Oculus Quest 2, Bose sport earbuds, Fitbit Inspire 2

Internet famous deals: Kindle paperwhite, Bluey and Bingo plush duo, Hydroflask with wide lid, this amazing air purifier, DryBar blow dryer brush

For home: our favorite blender, a new Nespresso, my go-to vacuum, a new juicer, thinking I need this pink Dutch oven

So tell me, friends: what was the highlight of your Thanksgiving??

Are you shopping this weekend? What’s on your list?

If you’re looking for gift ideas, I’ve gotchu.

Gift guide for holiday hostesses and under $50 faves

For the men

For her

For the kids

Have a very happy Black Friday and I’ll see ya soon!

xoxo

Gina

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116: Sticking to your goals over the holidays

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a wonderful week and hope you have the happiest Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love. Please know how thankful I am for all of you. Your support with the blog and podcast means the world to me and I love the opportunity to hang out with my virtual besties every day.

For today’s podcast episode, I’m sharing a recording that Julie did with me about my strategies for staying healthy over the holidays and sticking to your goals during such a busy season. I did a similar episode when the podcast was a baby, but some of my strategies have changed and figured it was worth posting for those who may have missed the last one. This podcast was recorded for Julie and Kari’s show, Take the Upgrade, so it’s a reverse podcast interview situation 🙂 I hope you love it!

Here’s what we talk about:

– How to set yourself up for success with nutrition, even when there are more cocktails and treats around than normal

– Navigating two months of holiday events

– Stress management techniques and why HIIT may not be the best choice during this time

– My pre-party strategy

and so much more.

Take a listen here:

The weather is cooling down, and I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. It feels even BETTER when it’s chilly outside and you can use the code FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! This is one of my favorite ways to relax and sweat it out. I find that it energizes me, helps with aches and pains, I sleep better on the days I use this, and it makes my skin glow. Link to check it out here. You can also use my discount for the PEMF Go Mat, which I use every day!

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers. I’m enjoying a delivery this week and it’s been an easy way to check the boxes above.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.

You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. I finished Level 1and am working my way through Level 2. I highly recommend it! You can check out my review IHP here!

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you. 

xo

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Breaking Through Beauty Stereotypes for Women in Midlife with Stung by Samantha

Breaking Through Beauty Stereotypes for Women in Midlife with Stung by Samantha

One of the things that comes along with being 50+ and menopause is that just don’t care what people think as much any more. But then again, as a woman, people pleasing is in our nature – and aren’t we all pretty terrified of what people think? Being judged by friends? What will so and so say? Kind of scared to go for your dreams in fear of what people might think or say about it. It’s a very REAL stop for people when it comes to doing things they want to do – especially women in midlife.

I know it happened to me – when I first started my fitness business, my friends were like who do you think you are?! I mean, I wasn’t on the covers of magazines until my 40’s!

Why is it that when we reach a certain age, people say we shouldn’t do certain things, we shouldn’t be able to lose weight, we shouldn’t have the energy needed to keep going strong, we shouldn’t have a proud fashion and makeup sense?

This week, Natalie Jill sits down with influencer and friend Stung by Samantha who decided in midlife to break the stereotypes and start sharing openly on social media. Garnering a following of over 30,000 people on Instagram. Stung by Samantha is shutting down stereotypes for women OVER 50 every single day and having a blast doing it.

If you take anything from this episode, please take away the fact that no matter your age, you don’t need permission to do the things that make you feel beautiful and feel good about yourself. If you want to wear red lipstick, wear it. If you want long hair, wear it. If you want to shop at a certain store, do it. Wear the jeans with holes, wear the white after Labor Day. Do whatever you want! Beauty as your age doesn’t need you to ask permission to make it so.

 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• Why you should put yourself out there and not worry about judgement
• What are the best makeup products for your skin
• Top beauty hacks for women at ANY age

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Skincare gifts and fashion finds under $100

Hi friends! Happy Monday. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. Sorry I disappeared on you for Friday Faves. I rarely miss a Friday Faves post but I think all of the activity of the past month and a half finally caught up to me. The icing on the cake was that I went to get blood taken for InsideTracker and passed out afterwards.

I haven’t fainted in maybe 20 years – last time, I landed on my face and broke my nose – and it rattled me a bit. I lost my vision for a few minutes and felt absolutely horrible, and the experience messed with me for a couple of days. I’m thankful for a kind tech who kept me from falling, and gave me a Snicker’s bar afterwards, which helped a ton.

But now, I’m back at it, the Grinch agreed to let me decorate before Thanksgiving so I’m surrounded by twinkly lights and pine-y things, and ready to head into Thanksgiving week. What do you have planned? We’re doing the usual lunch/dinner at my uncle’s house and stopping by madre’s afterwards. SO ready for some family time, nana’s coconut cake (the best ever), and a short week for the girls at school.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some skincare gift ideas and under $100 fashion finds. The Black Friday holiday shopping frenzy has already begun, and I’m here.for.it. Cheers to getting holiday shopping done early! 

(throwing it back to last year’s gigantic real Christmas tree. I think we need to go for it again)

Here’s a little bit about how I’m navigating holiday shopping:

– I made a Google Doc checklist with everyone on our list, along with gift ideas for each person

– I ordered anything I could in advance, and if I’m waiting for a Black Friday deal, I have the link in the document ready to go. The good news is that so many retailers started their Black Friday promos early.

If you’re doing the same and want to add any ideas from my gift guides, you can copy and paste the text from my blog post directly into Google Docs. The link will still work, too.

This year’s gift guides so far:

Gift guide for holiday hostesses and under $50 faves

For the men

For her

For the kids

If you’re looking for some Skincare gifts and Fashion Finds under $100, I’m sharing the goods in today’s post!

Skincare gifts and Fashion Finds under $100

Skincare

LANIEGE lip hydration set:

Glow recipe hydration kit

Sugar collection lip care set

Youth to the People daily skin health

Bright Side Duo

Rapid radiance set

Best of Clean Heroes

HigherDOSE serum 

Makeup

Super gel highlighter set 

This tarte Gilded Glamour eyeshadow wardrobe. I ordered this one for myself after I dropped my last tarte palette and it’s my nw go-to. It’s the perfect mix of casual and everyday shades.

This Vacay All Day set has SO much good stuff (including a blue light filter I LOVE, my beloved self tanner, and Glow recipe) and it’s only $44

Betsy got this liquid blush set for my bday and I use it every day. The shades work for all skin types and it adds the perfect amount of color

All ya need for gorgeous defined natural brows

Fashion Finds under $100

For her:

Ugg cozy slippers

kate spade earrings for a steal

Balloon sleeve sweater 

Water resistance Chelsea boots

Zella joggers

A faux leather jacket

My fave loafers! (on sale)

Cable knit tie-back sweater

Velvet short-sleeve jumpsuit

For him:

A pullover sweatshirt 

A metal vent tech tee

The Pilot’s favorite polo

Down vest

The most amazing button-down shirts (the Pilot LOVES these).

Everyday boots.

Zella joggers.

Casual low-top sneakers.

For the kids:

This adorable reindeer dress

A steal on kids’ Zella leggings

This velvet jumpsuit

A cozy North Face hoodie

A lightweight puffer jacket for $30!

A heavy weight parka jacket  – both girls have this one and the quality is excellent

This is the holiday dress I ordered for Liv

Hope you have a very happy Monday and I’ll se ya in the morning!
xoxo

Gina

*Note: none of my gift guides are sponsored, and companies are not able to purchase spots on my gift guides. These are all items I curated myself and genuinely think they’d make awesome gifts for someone you love. Affiliate links are included, which don’t affect purchase price but enable me to earn a small kickback. It means the world to me when you choose to purchase through my links, and you’re directly supporting our family and helping me keep up with costs to keep the blog running. <3

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Healthy Restaurants in Tucson

Sharing a roundup of my favorite healthy restaurants in Tucson.

Hey friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having an amazing one. Today is packed with calls and appointments, but I’m looking forward to a long walk with Maisey to break up the computer time. What do you have going on?

For today’s post, I wanted to share a roundup of some of my favorite healthy Tucson restaurants! We love going out to eat, but many restaurants use flavorful yet undesirable ingredients, especially when it comes to oils/fats. Thankfully, we have plenty of places in Tucson where you can enjoy nourishing and delicious meals. For this post, “healthy” is defined as a restaurant that focuses on plant-based ingredients from the earth, with many of the items made in house with fresh ingredients, and accommodate various dietary requirements, like vegan and gluten-free options.

The best part about this post is that I’m going to have to update it in a year or so, because Tucson is FINALLY getting a Flower Child and a True Food Kitchen. BLESS IT. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. Now if we could just get a Seasons 52, I’ll lose my mind.

Alas, here is my list of favorite healthy restaurants in Tucson (for now!).

20 Healthy Restaurants in Tucson

1) Tumerico

This is probably my #1 choice on this entire list. (The rest of the options are in no particular order.) They make everything in house, including the tortillas and salsas, and the menu changes daily. It’s a vegetarian Mexican spot with lots of vegan options. The Frida Kahlo plate is my very favorite, but everything is amazing. You won’t regret it… and now I’m craving it after writing this post. It’s located in the Sam Hughes area, which is in central Tucson.

2) Pure Poke and Prep

This is our favorite spot for poke in Tucson. We have it almost weekly! You go through it Chipotle-style and add whatever protein, base, and toppings you’d like. My go-to order is 1/2 salad greens, 1/2 white rice, salmon, spicy crab, edamame, avocado, furikake, broccoli, carrots, green onions, seaweed salad, lots of wasabi and ginger. (I add my own Tamari at home.) The girls go crazy for it, too, which makes it the perfect grab and go lunch or dinner.

3) Lovin’ Spoonfuls

Lovin’ Spoonfuls is a Tucson classic and for a great reason. The food is so delicious and fresh, and the desserts… you have to order at least one! This is where we get my bday cake every year 😉 My only gripe is that they use imitation meats in many of the dishes, which isn’t my personal fave, but everything is very flavorful and made with love. My go-to order is the Greek plate (gluten-free option).

4) Beaut Burger

Beaut Burger is a vegan burger spot at the MSA Annex. If you haven’t been to the MSA Annex, definitely check it out! It’s a bunch of shipping containers that were transformed into little restaurants, boutiques, bars, and coffee shops. Why I Love Where I Live is also located there, and a great stop if you’re buying Tucson gifts (or something for yourself!). Beaut Burger makes their burgers in-house with unprocessed plants (like veggies, beans, millet, and spices) and also have amaaaazing fries.

5) Goodness

Goodness is one of my favorite quick bites stops in Tucson. They have acai bowls, avocado toast, breakfast, wraps, smoothies, and juices. I especially love their breakfast bowl, which has tons of veggies, eggs, and turkey chorizo.

6) Zayna’s Mediterranean

Zayna’s Mediterranean has a beautiful selection of fresh Mediterranean favorites, like falafel, hummus, salads, grape leaves, tabbouleh, all the good stuff. Definitely recommend for a family dinner or casual date night.

7) Choice Greens

Choice Greens is like our version of Sweetgreen. You can order a pre-designed salad or create your own, and they chop it all up for you.

8) Charro Vida

Charro Vida is in my personal top 5 for healthy eats in Tucson. Everything is vibrant and delicious, and they have a ton of gluten-free options. You can expect Sonoran meets Mediterranean cuisine, like tamales, ceviche, vida bowls, tacos, and seafood. 10/10 recommend the gluten-free chocolate churros for dessert.

9) Govinda’s Natural Foods Buffet

Govinda’s serves gourmet vegetarian cuisine and has a lovely pink patio and also has a bed and breakfast. They serve Indian fare, along with vegetarian specials, fresh fruit and salad, homemade mango lassi and vegan cakes.

10) Saffron

Saffron is our #1 pick for Indian food in Tucson. It’s located on the northwest side of town, and the ambiance is lovely. They also have a lunch buffet that is everyyyyttthing. My favorite thing about Saffron is that they’re so consistent; you know exactly what you’re getting each time. I highly recommend the channa masala, began bhartha, tandoori chicken, and dal mahkni. Go for the garlic naan, too!

11) Nekter

Nekter is one of my favorite places to go for an acai bowl or juice in Tucson. We have a couple of locations at La Encantada and on Grant, by Culinary Dropout. The classic acai bowl is my favorite with pea protein and peanut butter on top, or a large Greenie juice with extra ginger. They have gluten-free granola and make their cashew milk in house.

12) Blue Willow

I’ve been going to Blue Willow since I was in middle school and it’s still a top spot! They have a huge variety of options, including breakfast, Mexican, salads, sandwiches, pastries, lunch specials, so many things. There’s really something for everyone, and they’ve revamped the menu since we’ve last visited. They’re located on Campbell, just north of campus.

13) Whole Foods hot bar

The classic never dies! This is where we go when no one feels like cooking and we just want to grab something simple and healthy that everyone will like. The girls go for comfort food options, like mac n’ cheese, veggies, and chicken tenders, while the Pilot and I make salads and enjoy the Indian food options. Just a heads up: the hot bar on River is not nearly as good as the one on Oracle.

14) Berry Greens Juice Bar

This is another great acai bowl spot by campus. The texture of the acai bowls is a little thicker, like a sorbet, and they have lots of delicious toppings.

15) dedicated

This is a purely gluten-free restaurant with amazing sandwiches and desserts. It’s located in central Tucson on Speedway, and have breakfast, avocado toast, sandwiches, vegan options, and so many tasty sweet treats. It’s a wonderful option to get gluten-free holiday desserts, like cinnamon rolls and pie.

16) Pure Love Juice

I looooove Pure Love Juice. They serve raw and vegan options in St. Phillip’s plaza. They have so many juices and smoothies (packed with superfoods) and add unique twists to more classic offerings, like the cilantro dressing on the avocado toast and their wellness elixirs. My only gripe is that it’s very pricey, but worth it for the best ingredients and everything is made fresh.

17) Eclectic Cafe

Eclectic Cafe has been another long-time Tucson fave! Like so many of our favorite Tucson spots, they infused Mexican and American cuisine, so it’s easy to find something for any food mood. I definitely recommend the salads or warm salads, and I also love their chicken salad in an avocado.

18) Beyond Bread

Beyond Bread is something we visit almost weekly. They make all of the bread fresh in-house, and also offer a gluten-free wrap option. We have a few locations (east, central, and northeast) and is a necessary Tucson spot for a quick lunch if you’re visiting. I recommend the Kalid’s Curry on a gluten-free wrap with vinegar slaw.

19)  Pita Jungle

Our *usual* Pita Jungle closed down, but I was pumped to find out that we still have one on the Northeast side! This is such a great casual dinner option for Mediterranean options, pitas, and salads. The kids meals are excellent – they can pick a protein, veggie, starch and fruit. We love getting the hummus with chicken as an appetizer, and I usually get the salmon entree or a gluten-free turkey pesto wrap.

20) nook

nook is a cute spot downtown, that has breakfast and lots of healthy options. You can expect parfaits, egg dishes, sandwiches, Benedicts, and entire entire selection labeled “greenery.”

 

So, tell me, friends: what’s your favorite healthy restaurant where you live?

Tucson friends: any that I missed??

Hope you have a great day!

xoxo

Gina

*Renee’s Organic Oven did not make the list, because they stopped allowing children to dine indoors. They started this policy during COVID and have no plans to allow children indoors again. We got a babysitter and went a couple of years ago and found that the quality had also decreased, so for these reasons, it’s not on my top 20 anymore.

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2022 Gift Guide for Holiday Hostesses (and under $50 faves!)

Hi friends! How’s the week treating you? I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I’m off to get some blood work done for InsideTracker and filming videos all day. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Today, the gift guide fun continues with holiday gifts and under $50 faves. I know we all have a frenzy of holiday parties on the horizon, and for hostess gifts, I try to switch things up from the usual flowers or bottles of wine. (As someone who loves to host, these things are always appreciated and lovely, I just try to think of something a little different when I attend parties.)

Here are some of the fun hostess gifts I’ve found, plus some under $50 gift ideas if you’re searching for a smaller gift for a friend or family member.

Hostess gifts and under $50!

Gifts for the hostess with the mostess:

– Mini hand creams

– Truffle salt

– Unique honey set

– Marble cutting board (on sale)

– Cute apron

– Ina Garten cookbook

– My favorite local candles. I LOOOOVE these candles for hostess gifts.

– This cute succulent gift box

– Cheeky kitchen towels. These are so fun.

– Mini oil dipper set

Under $50 gifts:

– Jade roller. Liv has borrowed mine…forever… but I’m a huge fan of this one for decreasing puffiness and waking me up.

– Bombas socks or slippers. These have always been an easy holiday gift and everyone loves them. We LOVE the gripper slippers!

– Lounge pants for men

– Love this cozy beanie (on sale)

– These gorgeous mini stud earrings

– The BEST sleep mask. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but is incredible quality and washes really well. (I just hand wash in cold water, air dry,  and it looks new.)

–Initial pendant necklace

–Plaid shacket

–Men’s Ugg slippers on an awesome sale

– This sugar lip set.

– Pet print. Such an awesome way to honor someone’s furry BFF.

– Ribbed ballon sleeve sweater.

– A super cozy throw

So tell me, friends: what’s your go-to hostess gift?

What’s your favorite thing that you own that was under $50?

xo

Gina

More of this year’s gift guides:

For the Men

For Her

For the Kiddos

*Note: none of my gift guides are sponsored, and companies are not able to purchase spots on my gift guides. These are all items I curated myself and genuinely think they’d make awesome gifts for someone you love. Affiliate links are included, which don’t affect purchase price but enable me to earn a small kickback. Thank you so much for supporting this little blog and our family. <3

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The Importance of Building Muscle in Midlife with Tara Garrison

What About Nutrition in Changing Your Body Midlife? 

Instead of worry about dieting, focus on eating smarter. Instead of focusing on eating LESS, focus on eating REAL food. When you’re going through menopause you are in a sensitive state to excess stress. So if you’re starving yourself and over exercising, your body isn’t going to react the way you want it to. It’s going to be hard to recover, you’re not going to feel good, and you might be pushing yourself toward adrenal fatigue. When you’re trying to build muscle, you will more than likely need to really up your protein intake. But the KEY to nutrition is to always think in terms of what I’ve always taught which is: protein, fat, healthy carb for every meal!

HPA: Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis and Adrenal Fatigue 

The HPA starts in your brain and when it senses that you are overstressed, it begins to shut down and disfunction. When it shuts down is when you see hormonal issues, thyroid issues, etc. because all of the overtaxing stress you put on your adrenals causes your brain to tell it to shut down. So in perimenopause, super long heart thumping and adrenaline pumping cardio with a major focus on calories burned is the LAST thing you want to do. Instead, it is important to think of stress in terms of “doses”. You want smaller doses. Weight lifting is just that! A smaller “dose” of “stress” vs. driving yourself into the ground for 2 hours of cardio. You want small doses of intense exercise, and then recover like crazy: get sleep, have boundaries, and stop driving yourself into the ground.

Muscles and Metabolic Health in Midlife 

Muscle improves metabolic health. In fact, current ongoing research is showing that by introducing women with cancer (who are even into their 70s and 80s) to controlled environment weightlifting, improves their outcome, shrinks tumors, and no return of cancer. In short, the metabolic upgrades you get from lifting weight increase the flow and productivity of your entire system!

The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest overall, so the better your metabolism will work. In addition, the more muscle you have, the leaner you are going to look! When you eat carbs, they are absorbed by your liver and your muscle. Your liver can store about 100grams and your muscles can store about 300grams — BUT — with increased muscle mass, the more they can absorb carbs It’s been said that elite athletes can store up to 800-900 grams of carbs in their muscles! Carbs only turn into body fat when they have nowhere to go when your muscles and liver storage are full. So the secret is to BUILD your muscles so you’re not only using the stored carbs, but are creating even more space for them to be stored there instead of turning into body fat.

Midlife Biohacking

• Get lots of sleep
• Eat as many real foods from nature as possible
• Cut off any eating at least 2-3 hours before bed
• Lift weights
• Blood labs — you need to know what your blood is doing. To see the blood tests I personally do every 90 days, go HERE (you can use code NATALIEJILL to save on your order!)
• Hair mineral analysis — long term snapshot of mineral levels

 

Take the guess work out of how to eat the right things to fuel your body, especially in midlife, you’ll want my Total Body Thrive program that not only teaches you how, but provides you with meal plans!

 

Tara Garrison is the founder of HIGHER, a Health & Life Coaching company that offers training, nutrition, mindset and biohacking coaching and is the author of Short-Term Keto, host of the Inside Out Health Podcast, creator of Higher Retreats and producer of the Coach Tara App. She has helped many celebrities, professional athletes, and top executives optimize their health. She is a mom of 4, avid weightlifter, Boston Marathoner and lover of nature.

You can find her on Instagram and TikTok as @coachtaragarrison, where she shares health tips and the inner workings of her life.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How weights can transform your body and overall health — especially in midlife
• How you can get fit in midlife
• Why dealing with trauma is as important as working out

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