How to Make a Perfect Fit Smoothie

 

How to Make a Perfect Fit Protein Smoothie

Perfect Fit Protein Smoothie Recipe
6 ounces Vanilla (Greek) Yogurt
1 Tbsp Perfect Fit Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Cup Frozen Berries
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Ice
Directions:
Add Berries and Ice into a blender. Then add the orange juice, followed by the greek yogurt. Once you have done that add in your tablespoon of protein powder. Put on the lid and blend together until smooth with no ice chunks left. Enjoy!

**If you don’t have the Perfect Fit Protein Powder you can use an alternative kind of protein powder of your choosing.**

If your interested in the Perfect Fit Protein Powder check out the link below:
http://perfectfitprotein.com/

Smoothies are a great way to incorporate daily vitamins and protein that you need each day and they taste delicious. You can always add other fruits to your smoothie if you would like. Another great fruit to add to this smoothie would be bananas.

HIIT that Workout

Time to get off that couch and get ready for a great HIIT workout. Don’t know what HIIT is? To me, its one of my favorite types of workouts to do. HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training. Which obviously you do high intense workouts in short bursts of time followed by a short resting periods. You have to put all the effort you can into a HIIT workout. If you are into high intense cardio workouts, this one is definitely for you.

I never knew about HIIT until about 3 months ago when I found a program called Tone it Up that is ran by two personal trainers  Karena Dawn and Katrina Hodgson who are also best friends.

Photo Credit: Toneitup.com

They offer fitness workouts in all different types and their own Nutrition plan that you can join and be a member of and their own brand of Protein powders and protein bars which is called Perfect Fit.

Now that I came across Tone it Up I now incorporate many of their workouts every time I exercise and with so many different ones I never get bored.  Besides being able to follow their videos online they also have two different DVDs of their workouts. Beach Babe 1 & 2 DVDs.

Check out my favorite HIIT workout by them.

Be sure to check out Tone it Up and give it a shot! You will be feeling them sore muscles tomorrow after you workout with Karena and Katrina!

Be sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well!

Best Snacks for on the Go

We all are constantly so busy we don’t always have the time to eat the right way. I can vow for that. Being a full time college student and working when I am not at school can be hectic and can be hard to find time to fit in eating healthy so it is always good to have healthy snacks with me.

Now I know we can’t always have certain foods with us all the time depending on the temperature, which could make the food go bad. We cant just keep a cup of yogurt with us or healthy deli meats. It would spoil and make your bag smell horrible.

So what are some great snacks to have that are healthy to have with you at all times?

1. Nuts

Photo Credit: thehealthyapron.com

 

• My favorite would be almonds. They taste great and have lots of vitamins and protein and will help keep you full throughout the day. Just don’t eat too many!
  Other great nuts to have available are: Pistachios, Cashews, Pecans

 

 

2. Protein or Granola Bars

Photo Credit: LunaBar.com

• Protein and Granola Bars are great snacks for on the go. Make sure to choose ones with carbs and protein (obviously the Protein Bars will have the protein you need)
  My favorites: LUNA Protein Bar (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough), Any other type of Luna Bars, Natura Valley Granola Bars, Kashi Granola Bars, KIND Bars

 

 

3. Fresh Fruit

Photo Credit: Scenebayarea.com

• So many varieties of fruit that you can have is a great snack to keep with you.  Choose any of your favorites!
  My favorites that are easy to carry with me: Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Grapes. I would prefer strawberries but I like cold strawberries so not as easy for me to carry around.
• **Also if you have an apple and you like peanut butter, bring a small container of peanut butter so you can dip your apple in it if you slice it up! Taste great and you have some extra protein with you including the peanut butter.

4. Cereal

Photo Credit: Seriousseats.com

• If you don’t mind eating cereal without milk, this is a great snack to have. Easy to carry and easy to munch on. Just make sure you pick a cereal that has some nutritional value to it and not some sugary cereal.
  Good choices: Raisin Bran, Cheerios (Cheerios offers so many different varieties now), Froot Loops, Mini Wheats

 

5. Tuna Snack Pack

Photo Credit: Starkist

 

• Many grocery stores offer tuna snack packs for on the go now. They come with a small thing of tuna, some crackers, small pouch of mayo and some relish for you to mix up on your on and eat on the go. Easy to eat and if you like tuna and crackers its definitely a great snack to have and provides protein!

WAKE UP AND EXERCISE

Wake up and get that body moving!

Photo Credit: DoctorOz.com

If only I could wake up everyday of the week and workout but with work and school I don’t have the time (well I do but that means I would have to be up at 4 am every morning..a bit early for me so I wait till after work and school). Thankfully on weekends, that is the first thing I do when I get up. I workout. So why can’t you?

With spring only 6 days away, that means more time spent outdoors so why not take your workout back outside. Get out of that house, the weather is finally becoming nice and spring is just about here. Go run or walk!

There are many great benefits to working out first thing in the morning. For one, you get it out of the way and you have the rest of the day to do whatever you want. Two, you will have so much energy the rest of the day. You would think you wouldn’t have any at all but surprisingly, exercising first thing in the morning will provide you with energy throughout your entire day.

What are some of the benefits to working out first thing in the morning?

• According to Women’s Health Magazine, Monica Nelson who is a personal trainer said that you will start your day with your metabolism being revved up. By having your metabolism revved up in the morning, this will help burn through the food you eat all throughout the day rather than while you are asleep.

• If you are able to work out in the morning, another great thing will be (if you go to the gym) will be that you will avoid all the people! It’s always nice to go to the gym and have hardly anybody there. More options are open for you to choose what you want to do for exercise. More machines are open to use!
• Like I said before, if you exercise in the morning you will have more energy throughout the day. Exercising gets your endorphins flowing through your body and you will be more awake throughout the day and be able to get a lot of things done without feeling tired.
• Knowing that you already have worked out for the day, you will most likely make better food choices when it comes to be time to eat lunch and dinner. Having a positive outlook on yourself by exercising and eating right will make you feel that much better. You will choose healthier options.

If you aren’t able to squeeze in that morning workout, at least try to later on in the day. Fifteen minutes of exercise is better than no exercise at all. Break a sweat whenever you have the chance.

Photo Credit: burn60.com

Another tip that I do to help keep me motivated to exercise in the morning is to have your gym clothes and shoes out the night before so as soon as you wake up, you see those out and you will know what you have to do.

Women’s Health and Lifestyle Fair

The Women’s Health and Lifestyle Fair was held in Davenport Iowa at the RiverCenter on March 1st and 2nd. Throughout the RiverCenter, over 100 vendors were offering new health products for everyone to try, fashion, beauty products and even companies that you could join or become a part of such as gyms to get your body into better shape.

The featured celebrity guest this year that came to speak was Ruben Studdard, winner of American Idol and celebrity guest on The Biggest Loser. Ruben spoke about his journey on American Idol and more so on his journey on The Biggest Loser and how he lost weight.

Iowa Girl Eats

Photo Credit: iowagirleats.com

Crisp, clear photos of food displayed among Iowa Girl Eats is what captures my attention and I am sure many others who follow Kristin Porter’s blog would say the same. What makes her blog even better is that she’s from Iowa!

As soon as you go to her page, most likely a photo will be displayed of a new recipe for people to try. This week is all of her “favorites finds” among the web and I could agree with many of her favorite finds, many look delicious! Who doesn’t like Edible Eggless cookie dough? Makes me want to make some right now!

Besides recipes that Kristin posts on her blog she also includes different workouts and tips, places she has traveled to and posts about her family.

I was able to contact Kristin to ask her a few questions about Iowa Girl Eats.

Q: How did you come up with your blog name?
Answer from Kristin: When I first started my blog it was more of a “day in the life” account of what I was eating, doing, etc., hence the name. Since the beginning in 2009, my site has morphed into a recipe-centered site, but luckily the name still fits!

Q: Do you create your own recipes? What one is your favorite that you have recently made?
A: Recipes on my site are about 70/30 my recipes/adapted or inspired by other recipes. If I’m creating a recipe that is based on another one, I always site the original source. My favorite recipe as of late would definitely be my Warm Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates, Almonds, Crispy Shallots, and Parmesan. It’s a riff on my favorite appetizer, Almond-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, and is so fantastic! (http://iowagirleats.com/2014/02/26/warm-kale-salad-with-bacon-dates-almonds-crispy-shallots-and-parmesan/)

Q: Do you take all of your photos yourself of the food you make? 
A: I do! I use a Nikon D7000 and shoot in natural sunlight whenever possible.

Q: Do you get to travel a lot and is it for business for your site or just for fun and somehow incorporate it into Iowa Girl Eats?
A: I had a son 7 months ago so I haven’t been doing much traveling lately. Before that though I was able to travel frequently for the blog, on blogger trips learning about different companies/services first hand. For example, visiting lettuce growing fields in Monterey, California with DOLE foods. Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, I almost always write about it on the blog. I love sharing my travel adventures!

Be sure to check out her blog and try some of the recipes, there are tons available to choose from.

Be sure to follow her as well on her other sites:

Photocredit: Iowagirleats.com

Iowa Girl Eats Twitter
Iowa Girl Eats Pinterest Page
Iowa Girl Eats Facebook Page
Iowa Girl Eats Instagram

Protein and Nutrition Bars

Quest Bars, Luna Bars, Clif Bars, the list goes on and on.

Walk into any grocery store and there is usually a whole section for health products and foods that are better for you and you will most likely see an entire aisle dedicated to nutrition bars, supplements and drinks. But what makes these bars so great and healthy that people continue to eat them? Well mostly its because people are so busy that they are quick and easy to eat, but not only that, many of these provide protein and other vitamins and minerals that your body needs daily.

Due to my recent health kick lately in trying to eat better, especially during school and not having much time to eat in between, (like many college students do) I have been trying to bring healthier snacks with me on the go, which I have now added nutrition bars into my snack lists.

So which ones are the best? Well everyone has their certain favorite flavors or brands. I myself have only tried LUNA BARS and CLIF Bars but I have heard that Quest Bars are many people’s favorites so I think next time I am at the store I will have to pick one up and give it a try.

Since I have had a few of the Luna Bars I thought I would give a short review on the ones I have tried and list a few other bars that seem to be among the top best.

LUNA BARS

Photo Credit: Luna.com

Based off of the Clif Bar Company, LUNA was launched in 1999 mainly for women who were looking for a nutritious and delicious bar to eat. Now Luna has over 20 different flavors for people to choose from.
Luna offers regular Luna bars, Luna Protein Bars and Luna Fiber Bars.
Regular Luna Bars offer 15 different flavors ranging from chocolate dipped coconut to Blueberry Bliss.
Luna Protein Bars offer 7 different flavors.
Luna Fiber Bars offer 3 different flavors.
Flavors I have tried: Luna Protein Cookie Dough (my favorite), Luna Bar Chocolate Dipped Coconut and Nutz over Chocolate
Luna bars are 70% Organic and the 4 “core” vitamins and minerals are Calcium, Vitamin D, Iron and Folic Acid.

Quest Bars

Photo Credit: Questproteinbar.com

Next onto Quest which seem to be everyone’s favorite. According to their website, it says, “We do all of the work for you. All you have to do is open the wrapper and chew!”
The bars were designed for people who are trying to live a nutritious lifestyle. Quest bars are a low carb protein bar. With over 20 different flavors I am sure everyone can find their favorite flavor.
The newest flavor Quest has created is Cookies & Cream.
Check out the different flavors here!

Other bars offered that you might like to try: Larabars, KIND Bars and Clif Bars.