Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Healing the Trauma to Enjoy Midlife with Neeta Bhushan

Healing the Trauma to Enjoy Midlife with Neeta Bhushan

Healing the Trauma to Enjoy Midlife with Neeta Bhushan with Natalie JillThere are SO many things happening in our brain in midlife — and we seem to gravitate toward our “circumstances”. There are so many things hitting us all at once — from what is going on in our bodies to the hormone shifts to appearance changing and sometimes even midlife crisis stuff like marriage changes, career changes, etc. So how do you find Magic in the Mess? How can you work through your past trauma’s in order to enjoy life now…while you’re in Mid-Life and Beyond? Natalie Jill sat down with emotional health expert Dr. Neeta Bhushan to discuss this and so much more.

Neeta is a world-renowned emotional health expert & keynote speaker in the areas of grit and resilience. She has shared her thought leadership on international stages (including the Women’s Economic Forum in India, Google HQ, & Mindvalley ), as host of her top rated & popular podcast (The Brave Table) and in best-selling books (such as, Emotional GRIT: 8 Steps to Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Thoughts, and Change Your World). Neeta’s been featured on Forbes, Entrepreneur, NBC, ABC, CBS, Chicago Today, Verve, Tatler Magazine and more.

Dr. Neeta sold her large million-dollar cosmetic dentistry practice to create a global movement around emotional resilience. As part of her own journey to becoming a leader in her field and a voice for immigrant women & women of color, she traveled across 45 countries researching human behavior, ancient eastern philosophy and therapeutic psychology. She pooled that learning along with other life experiences overcoming multiple adversities, which include being orphaned at nineteen, surviving an abusive marriage, and extensive loss, contributed to the powerful message of resilience & grit to have found several institutes, including the Global GRIT Institute, wellness education platform for optimizing emotional wellbeing for entrepreneurs, and Co-Founder of Dharma Coaching Institute and organization helping train thousands to be the highest versions of themselves. Dr. Neeta lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children. Her forthcoming book, That Sucked. Now What? How to embrace the joy in chaos and find magic in the mess, is due out in January 2023.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Steps to take to heal past traumas
  • What to do when stressed & worried in the present
  • How to rise after a loss

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HigherDOSE PEMF GO Mat Review

Reviewing the HigherDOSE PEMF GO Mat for people who want relaxation, pain relief, and improved sleep. I’m sharing how I use it for all three at the same time! If you’re interested in getting one of your own, check out the link here and use FITNESSISTA15. I’m also a huge fan of the HigherDOSE sauna blanket and the red light face mask. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful morning! I’m packing up for a little upcoming trip and getting everything ready to go. Ready for some (more) California beach air!

For today’s post, I figured it was time I did a full review for something I use every.single.day: the infrared PEMF Go Mat. I’ve posted about it quite a bit and many friends on IG agreed that it’s worth the hype and one of the best things ever. When I first ordered the mat over a year ago, I knew I wanted something to bring me pockets of relaxation but also energy throughout the day. That’s exactly what it does for me, and today, I’m sharing all the details!

Friendly reminder to check with your doctor before using any new wellness gadgets to make sure it’s a fit for you! This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

PEMF technology promotes rest and digest, which can have a calming effect on the mind.

PEMF technology was originally used by NASA to promote health of the astronauts while in space. PEMF stands for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy, and is designed to mimic the vibrations found in nature. These vibrations interact with our organs and tissues to help promote healing and relaxation. It’s been scientifically shown to potentially reduce aches, pains, inflammation, improve circulation, and other ailments. It’s been FDA approved for decades and is used in animals as well as humans. You may have seen PEMF used by doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, and chiropractors. Thankfully, they now have lower-cost and portable versions like this, so you can get the benefits at home!

Some studies regarding PEMF technology:

Successful application in post-COVID fatigue regarding mental wellbeing and energy

Effectiveness with neck pain improvement

Improved pain, stiffness, and function

How PEMF can potentially improve anxiety and depression

While it can have all of these internal healing capabilities, it also feels AMAAAAAZING. I feel relaxed yet energized, present, and focused whenever I use my mat.

Features

When you receive your mat, you get a simple instruction guide and safety information (treat it like many other electronic devices). The set-up takes less than 5 minutes. You just attach the plug to the base, plug it in, and set up wherever you’d like.

Benefits

– This particular infrared PEMF mat is the Go size (about 2/3 the size of a yoga mat), which makes it very easy to transport and move around. I can use it on the floor to meditate, or also put it on my desk char for longer work sessions. They have a full-size option here, which you can use if you’d like to practice gentle yoga on the mat or lie down and have your entire body be on the surface of the mat.

– In addition to the PEMF therapy, it also includes infrared heat. It gets up to 70 degrees celsius, and you can wear whatever you’d like when you’re using the mat. I find that if you want the heat cranked up, it’s better to wear more clothing as a barrier.

– Layers of healing tourmaline crystals, charcoal, and clay. These help to produce negative ions which can neutralize free radicals and improve mood.

– Low EMF. I’m always wary of electronic devices emitting extra radiation and was glad to discover that it’s low EMF.

Disadvantages

– The fabric is a little bumpy. I’v heard you can practice yoga on the mat, but I don’t think I would because the surface has ridges.

– No sweating. When I use infrared heat, I like to SWEAT. However, I can’t walk around like a sweaty beast all day and don’t always have time to shower, so this is helpful when I want the benefits without the full commitment.

How do you use it?

– Set it up where you’d like to use the mat. Plug it in, and adjust the PEMF frequency depending on your goal. It has level 1-4, with 4 being the highest frequency.

Here are the different settings (from their website) and levels of Hz frequency:

Level 1 | 3hz – Delta Brain Wave

3 Hz is for deep relaxation and can help with falling asleep and staying asleep. When we are in a very deep sleep, our brains are typically in Delta. This can occur throughout the night, but it is typically the most intense in the hour after we’ve fallen asleep. Often times, this is the deepest sleep we get into during the night and this allows the brain to slow down dramatically – ultimately giving the body a chance catch up, facilitating healing and regeneration of tissues.

Level 1 can be used before sleep to help you drift off and keep you in this body-brain nurturing state. In the waking hours, level 1 can also be helpful if you are feeling anxious and want a boost back to equilibrium. 

Level 2 | 7.8hz – Theta Brain Wave + Schumann Resonance

The Earth’s natural frequency, also known as the Schumann Resonance, is 7.8 Hz! When you’re feeling disconnected or overstimulated from computer and cell phone usage, or can’t get outside, use Level 2 to recharge and reconnect. 

7.8hz is in the Theta brain wave, which can also be accessed during sleep. This portion of our night is known as dream sleep which only accounts for about one third of the total sleep time.  

When our brains are in Theta, we can experience deep creative insights, enhanced learning and memory, and improved stress tolerance.

Level 3 | 10hz – Alpha Brain Wave

Alpha falls right in the middle of the brain wave spectrum and is predominately known for being present during meditation and wakeful relaxation. Using Level 3 at 10hz can promote mindfulness and open-mindedness, as well as reduce the physical effects stress and increase tissue regeneration. 

Level 4 | 23hz – Beta Brain Wave

Beta brain wave is present during our waking hours when we are most alert, focused, and involved in daily living and decision making. By using level 4, Beta waves are stimulated and promote improved mental function, increased concentration, and improved memory. This is especially helpful if you find yourself hitting a mid-day slump, or feel sluggish. Hit the PEMF Mat for an instant recharge!

Avoid using level 4 before bedtime, or if you are feeling anxious.

*The mat’s PEMF cycle is 20 minutes long with 100-minute breaks in between. This cycle repeats 4 times before shutting off completely. 

– I use the level 3 setting for meditation or after intense workouts, Level 2 if I’ve been on the computer for too long, Level 4 if I hit a slump during a workday, and Level 1 before sleep!

– For the heat, it can get very toasty. I like it at a level 4.

How do you clean it?

Since I don’t get sweaty at all on this mat, I just use a soft towel to wipe away dust. It’s super easy clean-up.

How much does the Higher Dose PEMF Go Mat cost?

Right now, it’s $599 but you can get a discount with this link and with my code FITNESSISTA15

Final verdict:

100% worth it. It’s one of the tools in my wellness kit that I genuinely miss when I travel, and use every single day. It helps me with mental focus, clarity, relaxation, and takes my meditation and devotional time to the next level.

So, tell me, friends: what’s one of your favorite wellness essentials? If you could pick one, would you go with the sauna blanket or PEMF Go Mat?

xo

Gina

More:

HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket review

Red Light Face Mask review

Fitness gear that’s worth the hype (and what’s overrated)

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Monday, 30 January 2023

5-minute skincare and 5-minute makeup routine

Sharing an updated skincare and makeup routine that’s perfect for beginners.

Hey friends! How’s the day going? I hope you had a wonderful weekend. P had a soccer game, I taught a barre class, we watched a movie and roasted a chicken, and met up with the fam for dinner. Today, I’m spending the morning studying for IHP (I’m more than halfway through Level Two!) and taking a hot yoga class.

For today’s post, I wanted to share my most recent skincare and makeup routine. I’ve had some recent requests and I feel like I’ve found a groove with products and so many of these have been faves for the past few years. It’s funny because I went to write this post thinking that I’m a major minimalist, but after writing everything down, it feels like a lot of products! So while I use a lot of *stuff*, everything has a purpose, and my routine is SPEEDY. It has to be with juggling kids’ pickup/dropoffs/activities/work/life. I also try to pick products that have safer ingredients with decent EWG ratings.

Here’s what it looks like right now! It changes and evolves over time with new products I find or like, but these are a lot of my tried and true faves.

5-minute skincare, 5-minute makeup routine

Daily 5-minute skincare

Nightly:

Makeup eraser. This little thing is a true wonder. It works SO well and helps remove a majority of makeup, including eye makeup.

Blueberry bounce cleanser. My skin is super sensitive and this is one of the few I can use on my entire face (even around my eyes) without irritation.

Toner. This toner is brightening without being drying. I also will use this one once or twice a week.

Serum. I switch out serums fairly often and this is my latest fave for bedtime, and this is my favorite morning serum.

Moisturizer. I’ll also swap out daily moisturizers and will typically rotate between Eminence and Beautycounter Supreme Cream.

Jade roller and gua sha. I LOVE these and notice a difference in my skin’s texture with regular use. This IG account has lots of good tutorials on how to use gua sha.

Rosewater spray. This is hydrating and smells gorgeous. One of my fave homemade facial sprays is here!

The routine breakdown:

– Warm up the water as I put on a headband and put my hair into a messy bun.

– Wet the makeup eraser and use it to completely clean my face and neck.

– Add the blueberry bounce cleanser to my hands, clean my face, rinse, and dry.

– Use my fingers to gently press in toner, then serum, then moisturizer.

– Jade roll and gua sha.

– Mist with rosewater spray.

DONE in 5 minutes.

Every couple of nights:

Facial oil. I’ll add this to do a lymphatic massage or gua sha on my face and neck as the last step. I also like pure argan or rosehip oil.

Overnight peel. This is one of my holy grail beauty products. I’ll use this after cleansing and before adding moisturizer. I use this instead of toner on these nights.

Frownies! My natural Botox option 😉 I was so skeptical about trying these but I’ve noticed a huge difference in the WTF lines in my forehead with regular use. I can’t use them daily or I’ll break out, but every couple of days or so, I’ll cover my forehead in these.

Red light face mask! This thing feels SO relaxing and I love listening to a podcast while I lie in bed with it on. (If you want one, wait until Wednesday to buy it! Link is here and use FITNESSISTA15.)

HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask Review

Weekly:

Charcoal face mask, AHA mask, or Rose sheet mask (from Thrive Market). I’ll pop on a mask before cleansing my face, usually while I get the girls ready for bed. On these nights, I just rinse, clean my eye makeup, and top with moisturizer and/or facial oil. (No toner.)

Dermaplane: I’ll do this on dry skin about once a week. It took me a long time to get the hang of it – and I’ve learned NOT to do above my lip or it feels prickly and weird- but I think I finally got it. It’s SO satisfying to get all the lil peach fuzzies off my face.

When I get around to it (every few months up to yearly):

Facial with charcoal cleanse and turmeric treatment. I recently got a facial after it had been over a year, and decided I would make it a part of my quarterly routine. While I would LOVE to go monthly, it’s not realistic time-wise but I could totally make it happen every few months or so.

BBL laser: I’ve done this a handful of times and highly recommend! I’m prone to little discolorations and small moles, and this zaps them off. I haven’t found a spot I *love* yet here in Tucson (the last lady just spent a lot of time telling me I need filler and Botox lol), so if you have any recs, please send them my way!

After BBL (ignore my eyebrows lol)

(After you get it done, the spots turn darker like coffee grounds and slough off)

Skin check! Worth mentioning here that you should get a head to toe skin check by a dermatologist every year, and sooner if you notice any changes with your skin. It’s a pain, but it’s worth it. Do it!!

Daily 5-minute makeup:

Everyday products:

Tarte bb cream. It’s a little on the thick/matte side but has good coverage and I’ll mix it with the SPF

Skin Medica SPF. Decent ingredients and works well.

Anastasia brow pencil or Beautycounter brow gel

Tarte eyeliner. This one is my fave!

Tarte concealer. I might be the only person who hates Shape Tape and always come back to this primer. I’ve also been using it as an eyeshadow primer since Tarte stopped making the eye primer stick.

Tarte eyeshadow (amazing deal on these right now! These are the most reecent palettes I’ve bought and I LOVE them.) Tarte makes the best eyeshadows I’ve found for my sensitive eyes. SO many palettes make my eyes itch, and this is one of the few brands that doesn’t.

NARS bronzer

Beautycounter or this blush

Color intense lipstick (usually in Brunch), this balm tint (in Hang Ten), or lip gloss (in any color) – or a combo of all of them.

Special occasion or date night extras:

Highlighter

Eyelash primer and mascara. I don’t wear mascara daily – I think it makes my eyelashes thinner with daily use and it looks way better when I actually do wear it – but the primer is a must-have. It makes a huge difference in length and fullness

Eyelashes! I wear these on my outer lashes for a little extra something, but appreciate that they still look natural

Darker colors from one of my Tarte palettes

WHEW. And that’s it!

So, tell me, friends: what’s your favorite beauty or skincare essential right now? Please share the goods in the comments section! I always love to hear your recs for amazing products you love!

xo

Gina

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Friday, 27 January 2023

Friday Faves

Hellooooo! Happy Friday! How was the week? I hope you had a great one. It was a quick one over here and I’m looking forward to some fun time this weekend. With school and the kids’ activities I feel like the week is such a blur, so it feels nice to just slow down a bit and enjoy. We’re having family dinner on Saturday night, I’m teaching a barre class, and we’re hoping to hit up the Gem Show on Sunday.

A highlight from the week: my third round of the EquiLife detox! We’ve been doing this as a community, and I love that it resets my nutrition settings, ups my energy, and I feel great. This was the first time I’ve slept terribly during the detox, but during the day, I’ve felt productive and centered.

One of my lunches from this week:

I made this lentil coconut curry soup and it was SO delicious.

In the Instant Pot, I added:

– 1 sweet onion

– 4 cloves of garlic

– 2 chopped zucchini

– Most of a bag of chopped cauliflower

– 3 small chopped and peeled carrots

– 1 knob of ground ginger

and sauteed it for about 5 minutes.

Then I seasoned it up with about a tablespoon of curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon turmeric and salt and pepper. I stirred in half a can of crushed tomatoes, a whole standard size box of chicken stock, and 6 oz sprouted lentils (from Thrive Market). After cooking on the soup setting for 20 minutes, I added two big handfuls of spinach, a can of coconut milk, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

It was SO GOOD and so easy! It’s been freezing around here (in the 20s in the morning. My Arizona soul is suffering), so this was very warming and deeeeelicious.

Check out this amazing check-in from our community FB page!

(You can order a detox here if you want to try it out and use the code FITNESSISTA20 for 20% off)

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 love hearing about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below!

We took the fam to see Bluey’s Big Play the other night. While it was definitely geared towards younger kids, it was super cute.

Friday Faves

Fitness, health, and good eats:

I’ve revamped my Facebook page. One of my goals for 2023 is to share some more content in a smaller environment with my close reader friends, so if you’d like to join, the link is here!

15 things I wish someone would have told me when I first started cooking.

Perfect if you’re looking for weeknight meal inspiration.

Lower body barre with weights.

Fashion + beauty:

Been wearing this heart sweater lately! I took a break from RTR Unlimited and am giving Nuuly another chance after a couple of iffy experiences with it.

(Skinny jeans foreverrrr)

How to edit your closet.

Loving this blush lately. I wear the color Encourage.

After my last facial, I bought to this moisturizer to change things up a bit! I feel like my skin gets *used* to different products, so I rotate every now and again. It’s so hydrating and doesn’t make me break out. It’s on Gilt here at a better price. 🙂

Read, watch, listen:

Daily habits that made me a more positive person.

YAY for this incredible Tucson chef. (If you visit Tucson, definitely add Tumerico to your list.)

For my Colleen Hoover fans.

Happy Friday, lovely friends!

xo

Gina

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Wednesday, 25 January 2023

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide For Him

Valentine’s Day gift guide for him. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section!

Hi friends! How’s the week going? I’m on day 3 of the EquiLife detox and feeling AMAZING. It’s been so fun to see our community check-ins each day, too! I have some work stuff to do this morning and am looking forward to a craft night with friends this evening.

Today, I’m popping in with a Valentine’s Day gift guide for the guys since it can kind of be impossible to shop for them. Sharing some gift ideas here, but I always love to hear if you have any awesome guy gift ideas! Please share the goods in the comments section.

For the fitness fanatic:

The best sports headphones. We both have these and love them!

A classic metal vent tech tee.

The Pilot’s fave workout shorts.

New weights or even a bench set with squat rack.

A theragun! Such a great recovery tool.

A sauna blanket. So many of my friends have bought this for their husband or boyfriend and bonus: they get to enjoy it, too. Use FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off.

New running shoes.

Random and fun finds:

A jerky heart! I’ve ordered these for the Pilot a few times and they’re perfect.

An essential oil diffuser.

Customized pet portrait.

Waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker. <— this one is the best and has a great price right now with Prime shipping

Customized face socks.

Pajama pants.

New slippers.

Made to order personalized song

A cozy robe.

Golf ball whiskey chillers.

A box of date nights! This is perfect because on the rare times we’re on a date, we’re like, “uhhh… what should we do?” and then we go to dinner and walk around Target.

For the chef and foodie:

Some fancypants whiskey from a local distillery. We love Whiskey del Bac here in Tucson.

Blood Mary cocktail branches.

Himalayan salt BBQ plank.

The ultimate BBQ set.

Mountain decanter.

Cold beer coats.

Grill smoker gift set.

A real chef apron.

A smoking cloche.

Clothes and accessories:

The best polo

A dressier coat (on sale!)

Half-zip

Classic aviator sunglasses.

Down vest

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

Zella joggers.

Casual low-top sneakers.

So tell me, friends: what are you gifting for guy for Valentine’s Day this year? Any good experience gift ideas?

Do you have any date night plans? We started a tradition of taking the girls out to a fancy dinner with us, and we’re going to do the same this year.

 

xo,

Gina

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Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Thrive on the Other Side of Breast Cancer with Tirzah Cooper

Thrive on the Other Side of Breast Cancer with Tirzah Cooper

Thrive on the Other Side of Breast Cancer with Tirzah Cooper with Natalie Jill Midlife ConversationsRegardless of how big or small your chest is, natural or implants — you have breast tissue. And if you have breast tissue, technically you are susceptible to breast cancer. It’s common practice to get a mammogram, but often times, mammograms can miss a cancer diagnosis. So if you HAVE a lump or feel something is suspicious or abnormal, get an ULTRASOUND! If you have anything that is rapidly growing, or that hurts, it is worth getting it checked! AND, even if you hear once that it’s nothing to worry about, like Tirzah heard a few times, it is worth advocating for yourself (because being safe is better than being sorry) and it might also be worth getting a second opinion!

Tirzah Cooper is doing everything she’s ever dreamed of. Engaged, living in a blended family, while having a great career along with pursuing her passions in photography. But, Tirzah is also currently battling breast cancer and because she’s decided to share her journey so openly thats how her and Natalie Jill connected.

13% of women born in the United States will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. Even though Tirzah is under 40, it is even more common for women in Mid-Life. Which is why you should Listen Up and learn some of the warning signs so you can catch it early.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Some misconceptions about breast cancer
  • Different types of treatments
  • Preventative measures you can take in midlife

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Easy Enchiladas with Rotisserie Chicken

These easy enchiladas with rotisserie chicken are great for meal prep and always a family favorite!

Hi friends! Have you ever craved enchiladas but are intimated by the recipe process? I feel ya. Enchiladas seem like they would be a lot of work, but take my word for it, they can actually be quite easy to throw together with a few shortcuts. It’s actually one of my go-to crowdpleaser family meals; the girls go wild for them.

These enchiladas with rotisserie chicken are my go-to for weekend meal prep. I make a large tray or two that can be stored in the fridge or freezer and be cooked up during the week. They also make the perfect meal to bring to friends or family who need an extra helping hand (new baby, feel-better food, etc.).

A couple tricks I swear by to make enchilada making easy are 1) don’t make your own sauce (but if you want to, here’s my recipe), and 2) buy pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

We usually serve the enchiladas with rice, beans, and big ol’ salad on the side. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Easy Enchiladas with Rotisserie Chicken

This recipe makes two pans full of enchiladas; about 12 servings. If you’re going to make one pan, you might as well make two! Freeze the extra one, or give it to a friend or neighbor!

Ingredients:

2 rotisserie chickens, shredded and placed in a large mixing bowl

2 cans of red enchilada sauce. I like the Las Palmas or La Victora brand

1 sweet onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

32 oz shredded Mexican cheese

12 flour tortillas – you can also use corn or Siete tortillas

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure you have two 9×13  in casserole dishes ready to go.

Start the sauce. In a large pot on medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in a little butter, 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the oregano and cumin, and stir well. Stir in the canned enchilada sauce.

Add 4-6 oz of sauce to the shredded chicken and two big handfuls of cheese. Stir to combine. This is your filling!

Heat the tortillas. You want them to be soft and pliable, so they don’t break as you fill them.

Place a ladle of sauce at the bottom of each casserole dish and spread around, so the bottom is lightly coated with sauce.

Grab one tortilla, and place the chicken mixture in the middle seam, lengthwise. You want there to be a decent amount of chicken and cheese mixture in it, but make sure it isn’t *too full* to roll neatly. Roll it up and place in the pan. Continue filling and rolling, until you’ve made 12-14 enchiladas.

Cover each pan in the sauce, until there is no exposed tortilla edges. You can drench it a bit, it’s ok.

Cover each pan in cheese and top with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

You can broil the enchiladas for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is nice and browned, too.

Top with chopped green onion or cilantro, and serve!

Print

Easy Enchiladas with Rotisserie Chicken

A soul-hugging Mexican comfort food dish, made easier with store-bought sauce and rotisserie chicken.

  • Author: Gina Harney // The Fitnessista
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14

Ingredients

2 rotisserie chickens, shredded and placed in a large mixing bowl

2 28-oz cans of red enchilada sauce. I like the Las Palmas or La Victora brand

1 sweet onion, diced

34 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

32 oz shredded Mexican cheese

12 flour tortillas – you can also use corn or Siete tortillas

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure you have two 9×13  in casserole dishes ready to go.

Start the sauce. In a large pot on medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in a little butter, 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the oregano and cumin, and stir well. Stir in the canned enchilada sauce.

Add 4-6 oz of sauce to the shredded chicken and two big handfuls of cheese. Stir to combine. This is your filling!

Heat the tortillas. You want them to be soft and pliable, so they don’t break as you fill them.

Place a ladle of sauce at the bottom of each casserole dish and spread around, so the bottom is lightly coated with sauce.

Grab one tortilla, and place the chicken mixture in the middle seam, lengthwise. You want there to be a decent amount of chicken and cheese mixture in it, but make sure it isn’t *too full* to roll neatly. Roll it up and place in the pan. Continue filling and rolling, until you’ve made 12-14 enchiladas.

Cover each pan in the sauce, until there is no exposed tortilla edges. You can drench it a bit, it’s ok.

Cover each pan in cheese and top with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

You can broil the enchiladas for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is nice and browned, too.

Top with chopped green onion or cilantro, and serve!

Notes

This recipe makes two large pans of enchiladas. Freeze the extra pan for later, or give it to a neighbor or friend!

You may also enjoy:

Do you have a favorite enchilada recipe? 

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Monday, 23 January 2023

Simple swaps you can make for your health (and the earth)

Sharing simple swaps you can make for your heath (and the earth).

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a lovely morning! I’m looking forward to a hike with some friends and catching up on some SEO and other blog work I tend to put off as long as possible. 😉

Since we’re a bit into January of the New Year, some of the dust has settled and we can dial into some of the things we’re going to work on. I know that so many of us are looking to make healthy changes for ourselves, our families, and also the earth! In today’s post, I wanted to share some ideas for simple swaps and changes you can make in your routine. Please keep in mind that this isn’t a list to do ALL THE THINGS. Take a look and see which ones would be helpful for you and applicable to your lifestyle, and start with the one that feels the most reasonable and important to you. Once you’ve done it, maybe add in something else over time!

I find that habits are so much more powerful when we take the time to individually build them into our routine. There’s no need to overwhelm ourselves by trying to do everything at once, and some things on the list may not apply to you or be something you care about, and that’s ok, too.

Just sharing some ideas for inspo and if you have any to add, please chime in the comments section – I’d love to hear them!

Simple swaps you can make for your health (and the earth)

Assess water quality and invest in a filter

In many US cities, our tap water is… not it. Some places are better than others, but you can check out the quality of your local tap water here. Our lovely Tucson water is loaded with arsenic, in addition to nitrate and radium.

Unfortunately fridge filters don’t do a great job at filtering out the chemicals, bacterias, pharmaceuticals and pathogens. Our very favorite is the big Berkey – it makes water taste amazing – and I also recommend the Aquasana. Another option is Therasage. If you’re filtering out all of the bad bacteria, sometimes necessarily minerals are also filtered in the process. To add minerals back in, you can use real salt (like Redmond’s), trace mineral drops, or try the Sakara beauty drops <— this is what I use.

Compost

This is something I want to do this year. Every time I throw away food scraps and a myriad of other things, I think to myself, “You should compost that.” I know our garden would love it, and even if you don’t have a garden, there are local farmers who will accept drop-off compost, and some larger cities offer compost pickup.

Use less paper towels

Guys. This has been once of my goals for years, but I haven’t found a suitable replacement. I use way, way, way too many paper towels. If you have an option you love, please shout it out in the comments!

Decrease your morning stress (alarm clock, meditation practice, etc)

When you wake up to a loud, blaring alarm clock, you may be setting yourself up for a huge cortisol spike. It can be jarring to quickly awaken in a flight-or-fight response, and can have affects on your insulin sensitivity, hunger levels, mood, digestion, immune function, etc. Try to find ways to wake up more slowly and peacefully. Even if you use a traditional alarm clock, try to avoid spending a lot of time on your phone first thing in the morning. What else day you day to start your day more peacefully?

Ground in the morning

Get those feetsies in the grass or dirt and sunlight in your face when you wake up. It helps to reset the circadian rhythm (allowing for necessary melatonin production at the right time later on), and can also have therapeutic effects. According to this study, grounding, or “earthing,” can potentially help with chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.

Set up a sleep routine

My best sleep tips are in this post! I also highly recommend the book Sleep Smarter.

Use reusable plastic bags and minimize single-use plastic

It used to be much more difficult to minimize plastic, but thankfully, there are so many options available now! I love the stasher bags (we get them from Thrive Market), stainless steel, glass bottles and storage containers, and beeswax wraps for sandwiches and odds and ends (like half a bell pepper or onion).

Streamline your cleaning products

This is one of my favorite times of the year to completely empty our pantry and cabinets, toss what we don’t need or has expired, and organize everything. When you run out of items is the perfect opportunity to swap that item for a safer option. For example, it can be really overwhelming to think about switching out ALL of your cleaning products at once, but when you run out of multi-purpose cleaner, try a new one with even better ingredients. I order most of our cleaning supples from Thrive Market.

Buy from local farmers – choose food is in season and local

It’s important to support local farmers and connect with them (especially when eggs are $10 a dozen at the grocery store…). Foods may be higher in nutrients because they didn’t have to sit on a truck for extended transport time, it reduces the transportation emissions associated with the food, and I find that they’re always fresher and taste better. The same goes for food that’s in season; it doesn’t have to travel so far to make it onto your plate. Check out this seasonal food guide!

Check out your meat sources

If you’re a meat-eater like yours truly, it’s important to know where your meat is coming from and the diet it consumed. How was it treated? Was it given steroids or antibiotics? Was it able to eat its natural diet? Was it colored with artificial dyes (like salmon)? I’m extremely picky about the meat we purchase for our family, and will only get it from Butcher Box (my fave source for organic meats and wild caught seafood), Whole Foods, and certified organic or wild caught from Trade Joe’s. It’s even better if you can get meat from a local farmer!

Don’t be afraid to buy second-hand, rent clothing, and donate clothes instead of trashing them

This is an easy way to show the earth a little extra love. I’m a huge fan of renting clothing – I did Rent the Runway Unlimited forever and now I’m back to Nuuly – donating, sharing, anything to help a piece of clothing go the extra mile.

Ditch fragrances

The term “fragrance” is a trade secret that companies are able to use to hide upwards of 200 chemical ingredients. It’s an easy one to avoid in makeup, skincare, cleaning products, and candles. For more ingredients to stay away from, check out this post.

Start a garden

My gardening tips are all here! It’s so much fun to be able to walk outside and grab everything you need to make a salad. I’ve had to learn a lot along the way, but it’s one of those things you can’t improve until you actually do it. 🙂

raised garden bed | random thoughts for a Monday morning

Carry a reusable water bottle

Make your water your BFF. Not only are you hydrating yourself, which can have a huge impact on skin, satiety, digestion, immune function, etc. but it also helps the earth because you’re not using single-use bottles.

So there ya go!

I’d love to hear any ideas you have about simple swaps you can make for your health and the earth, or any goals you’re working towards this year.

xo

Gina

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Friday, 20 January 2023

Friday Faves

Hello hello! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? It’s a frozen tundra here in Tucson – 30 degrees. My Arizona soul is suffering – and I’m thinking of living in my sauna blanket at least once a day. Other than that, P has a soccer game, we have a dinner party with friends on Sat (my fave), and I’m looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday.  I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead!

Something I wanted to include from last week: a class at DEFINE in San Diego! My friend Carina started DEFINE and is an incredible instructor – we used to teach barre together when I lived in San Diego and I always loved taking her classes.

If you haven’t take a Lagree class, you’re in for a treat 😉 It’s SO challenging and totally different than traditional reformer Pilates. I used to take Lagree classes in San Diego but we don’t have a local studio… I wish we did! It was so amazing to see her, check out the gorgeous studio, and take her class. If you’re in the SD area, definitely check it out!

(with Betsy and Carina!)

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

Read, watch, listen:

LOVED this Sakara podcast episode with one of my favorite IG follows, Dr. Connealy.

Can’t wait to see A Man Called Otto (and read the book years ago). Has anyone seen it??

This was heart wrenching yet beautiful to read.

Health, fitness, and good eats:

EquiLife detox starts on Monday, and I’m spending some time this weekend brainstorming recipes and prepping for days 3-7. You can still follow along at your own pace if you want to try it out. My link and the code FITNESSISTA20 get you 20% off your first one. I’m definitely looking forward to amazing sleep and a nutritional reset. If you decide to join in, we’re going to be sharing our experiences over on my Facebook wellness page! Join here if you’d like another spot to connect. I plan to post many more videos and hot topics in 2023.

 Love your booty workout

Ways to boost your metabolism after 40

Another reason to potentially add yoga into your routine!

Fashion + beauty:

Beautycounter free shipping for the next few days! They rarely do this and it’s a great time to stock up on some of your faves. I’ll be ordering another All bright C serum and color intense lipstick. Holiday sets are still available for last chance, too!

Amazon fashion finds!

Here are the goods from this month’s Amazon Fashion Influencer program haul:

This cute Valentine’s day sweater! I wanted something with hearts on it and this is perfect

These sunnies that look WAY more expensive

A dress to wear to Trevor’s wedding! I didn’t want to spend a ton – they requested for family to wear black and I didn’t see any I really loved – and went with this option.

These pajamas! Love the fabric and color. I’m in between sizes and sized down for these ones.

New nail palette! I’ve been wearing dip or gel constantly for the past two years and wanted to give my nails a break. They’re pretty damaged from all of the drilling, and getting my nails done is such a time suck. When I get a pedicure and dip, it’s about two hours. Right now, I’m going to just paint them an let them heal, and enjoy the extra hour of free time every two weeks. This is the Sweater Weather liquid glass palette and I found a referral link in my account to get ya $5 off.

Happy Friday, friends! Have a wonderful weekend.

xoxo

Gina

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Thursday, 19 January 2023

Disney 3-night Baja cruise recap

Sharing a full recap of our latest Disney cruise: the 3-night Baja cruise from San Diego. Just a heads up that this post wasn’t sponsored or comped (I wish lol) – just sharing our experience since I know many of you also love a lil Disney magic. 

Hi friends and hello back in the real world after an amazing double vacay: a trip to San Diego followed by an incredible Disney cruise. I’m still slightly swaying from the boat’s motion and walking downstairs, disappointed to find that no full buffet is waiting for me. It’s been a rough transition, let me tell ya.

We were back on the Wonder (we sailed on the Wonder to Alaska a few years ago!) and it felt SO GOOD to be back at one of our favorite vacation spots and surrounded by amazing friends. Our friends from Tucson joined us – they’re professional Disney cruisers (this was #9 for them) and we’ve been friends since Kathryn brought me a baby meal after Liv was born! Our Kleiger fam from San Diego joined in the fun, too, and it was such a blast getting to catch up with everyone and the kids played so well together.

The cruise crew:

Sweater here // skirt here // boots

(It was impossible to get a pic of all of the kids in the same spot at the same time)

We checked into the ship on Friday and headed straight to the pool. A tip for Disney cruise friends: check-in is the BEST time to hit the pool. (Just put your suits and pool gear into a backpack, because your luggage is delivered to your room.) It’s the least amount of people it will be the entire time, and you can grab food to enjoy by the pool. The kids immediately ran to the water slide, we ordered drinks, and watched them on the deck.

(The Pilot’s DADALORIAN shirt is one of my faves)

After pool time, we quickly changed, attended the mandatory safety drill, and then it was time for the Sail-A-Wave party, featuring music, dancing, characters, and the horn of the ship playing, “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Dinner the first night was at Triton’s (you rotate dining each night) for our small table of 11 😉

Our port was Ensenada, and it was the Pilot’s first time ever in Mexico. The fact that he could stroll around with a giant margarita had him sold, but he also love the vibe, the food (OMG the food), and can’t wait to go back.

There weren’t a ton of excursions that we could do as a family – you have to be 10+ for some of the more adventurous ones- but the kids all agreed that the lobster lunch in Puerto Nuevo sounded good.

We took a tour bus 50 miles to Rosarito for shopping:

Pullover is here – I sized down

(We had the best carne asada tacos on fresh tortillas, conchas from the bakery, and margaritas)

and then we went to Puerto Nuevo for our lobster lunch with a guitar trio performance. They served bottomless margaritas, a fish taco, grilled lobster, rice, beans, warm homemade tortillas, chips and salsa. Everything was super fresh and flavorful.

We shopped a bit before heading back to the bus and the port! Dinner the second night was at Animator’s Palette (such a fun dining experience as they turn your table’s drawings into animated characters that dance on the walls), and we followed it up with the Frozen show, which was even better than the one Liv and I saw on Broadway. We were all exhausted from such a long day, but we rallied and went to the Pirate party on the deck, followed by fireworks. It was 11:30pm (12:30am Tucson time!) and we basically had to drag our dancing kiddos off the deck and convince them it was bedtime.

Sunday was a sea day, and the kids spent a lot of it bouncing between Kids Club, we played Bingo (we all take it very seriously haha), the kids did a towel folding class with the dads, and I spent some time at the cafe drinking a latte, eating a rice crispy treat, and reading a book.

One of my favorite things about the friends we travel with is that it’s so low-key. We’ll often split up for different activities during the day, and then meet up for lunch, Bingo, or dinner. There’s no set agenda and we just kind of do our thing and meet up sporadically throughout the day.

Dress is here

It’s been a few years since our last cruise – our last one was the Disney Magic to Bahamas Feb 2020 right before the world flipped upside down – and it felt completely back to normal. I was curious to see if any of the food quality, service, or magic would be missing, and it was even better than I remembered.

Disney truly goes above and beyond. It’s mind-boggling that they prepare 10,000+ meals per day and somehow manage to plate them beautifully, cook them to perfection, and the crew members are so pleasant and wonderful.

Nightly turn-down service, towel animal, and chocolates:

I wish I would have taken more food pics to show ya, but the highlights were lunch at Cabana’s (a huge buffet- I loved the Indian food options one afternoon), the endless fresh seafood (I’m pretty sure I had seafood at every single meal),

and the beignets at Tiana’s.

If you have any Disney cruise questions, I’d be happy to answer them for ya! A recap to Alaska is here, our Alaska packing list, and recap of the Magic to Bahamas trip. We already booked a placeholder for our next Disney cruise, so hopefully there will be another one in the near future. 😉

Are you a cruise fan or not so much? I wasn’t sure if I’d like them initially – the rooms are small and the thought of being out on a boat in the ocean freaked me out – but I can say we’re all obsessed.

Hope you have a great day and I’ll see you soon!

xoxo

Gina

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