JavaBabe: Fact or Fiction?

We know there is no magical pill that results in a healthier, fitter, slimmer, better version of you. It takes hard work, good diet, determination, and a whole lot of time and energy. However, when we first read about this 100% all natural “fat burning” coffee that doesn’t promote fat blaster instant fix pills — we couldn’t help but check it out.

Java Babe is not an instant fix when it comes to weight issues. HOWEVER, Java Babe does get your body into a fat burning state the all natural way.

What’s cool about this stuff? Java Babe has a mixture of blended coffee and tea, although the coffee flavor is really all you can taste. The L-Theanine in the Matcha will assist the caffeine and give you a good clean energy burn that helps your body get into a thermogenic state. This is just a sexy way of saying that Java Babe gets your body into a fat burning state all day long. Check out the full list of ingredients (that I swear you can’t taste) here!

Fact or fiction? I can’t feel an inherent difference between my venti black americano from Starbucks and this stuff, but I definitely feel energized, motivated, and LOVE that I am packing 6 super ingredients into my morning routine. What’s not to love about that?

The cute packaging that encourages confidence doesn’t hurt either. Sip away, Boston!

Whole30: Day 1

We are starting Whole30 today, which means yesterday was prep day. The LAST thing we wanted to do after an eventful long holiday weekend was food shop and prep, but it turned out to be a soothing and productive way to launch ourselves into a new week. After making a list of approved foods, we shopped and began cutting and chopping and cooking.

Today’s menu:

Breakfast:

• Green smoothie (recipe here). I added half a packet of vanilla protein powder that was approved and helped keep me full.
• Hot water with lemon
• My new JavaBabe coffee, black. (post to come soon).

Snack:

• Roasted, unsalted almonds

Lunch:

• Grilled chicken with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and olive oil marinade.
• Roasted red onion, zucchini, carrot, yellow squash, red bell pepper.

Snack:

• Grapefruit

Dinner:

• Sweet potato (roasted with olive oil and cayenne), asparagus, pan seared salmon.

Don’t worry, we won’t overload you with our journey, but will be sure to share fun and delicious recipes that surprised us, or satiated us.

Don’t Let Sitting Dominate Your 9 to 5

Ugh… sitting all day is THE worst! I constantly complain how life after college is a whole lot of “hurry up and… sit” in the workplace. But, complaining certainly won’t help, so I’m determined to change that.

Perhaps even more of a reason to alter sitting habits is all the recent research that shows just how bad our sitting too much is for our health. In fact, we’ve been hearing that sitting is the smoking of our generation. I find this particularly concerning because the research has found that even people who work out regularly still need to sit less throughout the day. Horrifyingly, sitting all day can cancel out the effects of what you thought was a productive workout!!! I refuse to let that happen.

This CNN article provides a simple piece of advice to help you sit less: be aware of how much your are sitting. Trust me, I know how easy it is to get caught up in what you are doing at work, and suddenly, you’ve been sitting for 2 hours straight without a break. So, I was so excited when I discovered a few new ways to know when you need to get up and walk around for a few minutes – I’ve been trying out these apps for a few days and have been loving them so far.

For MAC desktop: Stand

For PC desktop: BreakTaker

For iPhone: Stand Up!

The concept of all three are pretty much the same: they provide alerts throughout the day to remind you to stand up and walk around. If you want to be reminded to get up for a walk break every 45 minutes – you can set the preferences for that timing, and when 45 minutes rolls around, you can accept the message to take a walk (it will reset the timer) or snooze it if you are really in the thick of things. BreakTaker for PC actually provides small little incentives or ideas for what to do for your break, which I love, and I actually get kind of excited for my next break.

All apps are free! So, try them out, and see which one works best for your workday.

Whole30: How We Are Preparing

We love a good challenge. It keeps things interesting. That’s why, post-labor day drinking, burgers, pizza, and celebrations, we decided to embark on 30 days of eating whole, healthy, unprocessed foods. You can learn more about what we are getting ourselves into on their site.

Here’s how we are preparing:

1. Take inventory of what we have. So that we don’t spend our entire paycheck shopping for these things, we are going through to see what ingredients we already have that could be useful. Most of them are non-perishable like spices, oils (evoo, coconut), and a few perishable (eggs and egg whites).

2. Eliminate what you won’t be using. I’ll admit, this is one I have been doing in a slightly different way. Trying to eat what we won’t be able to have during the Whole30 (orzo, cheese, spring rolls). It’s tempting to want to use these things up or save them for another time. I am hoping to make this into a slow and steady lifestyle change, so I am opting to eliminate things not on the plan.

3. Make a list of meals and a grocery list. Using this shopping list, we are stocking up and planning out our meals. I am planning on lots of roasted veggies on organic greens with grilled chicken and fish. Yum!

4. Prep lots of veggies. Veggies are a huge part of Whole30. For ease, it’s best to take some time to get these cut up so they are easy to grab and use. Some things we will be doing:

• cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets
• trim carrots into sticks or coins
• cut celery sticks and slice cucumbers
• prepare salad greens
• chop tomatoes and onions

We are planning to store these in individual containers so that we can easily make salads or other vegetable dishes. Veggies are a good “legal” Whole 30 snack when you really need one.

5. Have things on hand for easy, quick meals to replace takeout. It’s easy to want to grab takeout, but nearly impossible to make sure there are no added foods that are a no-go. Here are some easy meals we are planning to use.

• omelets
• lettuce wraps
• salads
• soup
• stir-fries

We have a lot of work to do, we’ll keep you updated on the journey.

Fresh Rolls For The Win

One of our favorite food blogs, i am a food blog, recently posted a recipe for summer fresh rolls. As  thai food/all food lovers, these are one of our favorite treats when dining out and we were intrigued to give it a try at home. We are starting Whole30 after labor day (more to come on that), so I thought this was the perfect lunch to transition me into the fall.

We very loosely followed this summer roll recipe, and made a few alterations based on how we were feeling.

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 avocado thinly sliced
• 12 rice paper wrappers
• 1 english cucumber cut into matchsticks
• 2 large carrots cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Butter lettuce

Dip one spring roll skin into warm water for about two seconds. Remove and lay, smooth-side down, on a cutting board. Act fast because the roll gets stickier the longer you wait. Lay down one lettuce leaf in the bottom center of the wrap. (If the wrap is a clock, then think between 8:00 and 4:00) Add a small bunch of vegetables and carefully roll bottom side over filling. Fold in each side of the wrap and continue to roll until it’s all bundled up.

For the sauce: 

spicy almond butter sauce (can use peanut butter if you’re not into the almond trend)
2 heaping Tablespoons almond butter
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
squeeze of lime
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
hot water

Mix together, dip, and enjoy!

“Back To School” For 20 Somethings

The end of summer has such a distinct feeling – the air smells a bit crisper, the ocean gets a bit sharper, and our morning workouts get infinitely darker (the worst!). Its easy to think about the end of summer as a sign of the impending doom of winter, but let’s get our minds out of the gutter and into positive “back to school” a.k.a back to reality mode. We may not be going back to school (tear), but we’ll be prepped to get a fresh and inspiring start to fall.

Say farewell to summer! Give it a long goodbye kiss because we’ve got a long way to go before its return. Cross off all the lingering items on your summer 2015 bucket list – go for one last swim, eat one last lobster roll, play one last game of Spike Ball. But, embrace the end and start to look forward to fall.

Clean your apartment/house. I’ve been running in, up, and around my apartment without stopping all summer, trailing in who knows what from the grimy city streets – do yourself a favor a clean your apartment head to toe. Buh bye sandy sheets!

Continue to spend time outside. Labor Day may be the unofficial end of summer, but there is still beautiful weather to be had into early and mid fall – its not time to hibernate yet. Keep getting that vitamin D while you can. This includes exercising outside – try taking a longer than usual run around the Charles for a workout with a view.

Edit your wardrobe. I tend to be super picky about what I add to my wardrobe during the change of the season because I prefer to have fewer, better quality options. Just because summer is over, doesn’t mean its time to splurge. Assess what you can continue to wear from summer into fall, know what you still have from last fall/winter, and start to do your research on what you might need to add to your wardrobe so you can catch these items on sale. This goes for makeup/beauty supplies too! No need to hold onto that nearly empty bottle of sunscreen or that shattered bronzer.

Set some personal goals + make plans. Pick something to work towards – maybe that’s getting to the gym 4 times a week or reading two books a month – set goals for yourself to keep you busy and always improving. That said, make some fun plans for the fall – schedule some Starbucks dates (hayy pumpkin spice lattes) with friends or buy tickets for a concert.

Now, go out and enjoy the rest of your summer!!

BFX Back Bay Gets Chilly

At the risk of sounding basic, we are always one to try new and innovative workouts. Not because we expect it to magically change the way we look, but because it’s fun and important to constantly mix up what you are doing. Recently, a Boston trainer told us about a new “cold” workout that BFX Back Bay was doing. Intrigued, and given the fact that it was 92 degrees out, we decided to learn more and check it out.

Our pre-work: Before dropping $32 on the class (we would have gone anyways), we did some research. In a new study, it was found that 15 minutes in the cold can be the metabolic equivalent of an hour of exercise. Both have an impact on our two main types of adipose tissue, aka fat. Although not significant, we’ll take every calorie we can get. (Check out this women’s health article for more deets).

The class: There isn’t a class that Kelly Brabants teaches that we don’t love. So, maybe we are biased.The class was 30 minutes of kettlebell/cardio and 30 minutes of boxing. It was noticeably colder when we walked in, although that didn’t stop us from sweating.We left fully exhausted and dragged ourselves to SweetGreen where we thoroughly enjoyed our salads (sitting down). 

Book Review: The Body Book by Cameron Diaz

There are so many different health books out there, and its hard to prioritize which ones to read. But, we are trying to sift through some of the health literature that’s out there to identify the important books, themes and moments to take with us on our healthy adventures. I just finished Cameron Diaz’s book “The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body,” so here are my biggest takeaways:

• “The purpose of this book is to help you connect with your body and understand its basic needs and functions so that you have the knowledge and confidence to go out into the world and be the healthiest person you can be.” – I think this quote really sums up the book. Cameron really wants you to understand what health really is. We often associate the term “health” with being fit, thin or beautiful, but taking care of your health is so much more than just for appearances. And its not just physical fitness, its mental wellness too.
• Fun fact: “If you are twenty-four years old, you have spent about eight years of your life asleep.” Isn’t that crazy?! Think about how long eight years is! And, to think we’ve spent all that time sleeping…
• “Any goal you’ve ever achieved, any accomplishment you’ve ever had, probably took some serious dedication and work. You had to show up everyday and put in the time and put in the energy. Same goes for your health.” Another big point Cameron emphasizes throughout the book is that health is not just a fad diet or a juice cleanse or a once a month spin class. You have to commit to yourself if you want to have long-term health in the same way you would commit to a team, a partner or employer.
• Favorite quote from the book: “Health is not about depriving yourself. It’s about giving yourself everything you deserve.” I love this quote because there is often such a bad stigma associated with people who work out alot or prefer to eat healthy – or people will say “I can’t believe you work out every day” or “I can’t believe you don’t want this cupcake.” But, if you really make your health a priority in your day to day life, its not a chore at all. It becomes something that you value and start to prioritize in your life and soon, you won’t be able to live any other way.

Overall, I loved Cameron Diaz’s approach to health in her book. There were some parts that were more scientific, which weren’t necessarily up my alley, but she does a great job simplifying and explaining how your body works and how you need to support it in order to maintain your health well into your hundreds.

I definitely recommend this book, so please do check it out – happy reading!

On The Go: What To Pack In Your Gym Bag

You’ve just sent your last email and closed your computer for the day. You put your earbuds in to get pumped up for the gym, and you hit the locker room only to realize you’ve forgotten your socks… or even worse, your sports bra. Forgetting crucial items for your workout is a serious buzzkill and can knock you off track for the day.

Here’s a list of things we always make sure to throw in our gym bags whether we are planning for a morning, midday, or after work work out:

• Workout clothes + sneakers: don’t forget socks! Tuck them into your sneakers so you have easy access.
• Earphones: I usually keep one pair at my desk and one in my bag just in case.
• Water bottle
• Hairbrush + hair elastics – I keep a pouch with extra hair elastics in my bag at all times.
• Deodorant
• Dry shampoo: perfect for the midday workout if you don’t have time to shower – Dove is my brand of choice.
• Basic makeup items: concealer, powder, and mascara – bring only the essentials with you.

I tend to keep most of the items in my bag at all times – this way, I only have to pack clean workout clothes, and I’m ready for my next workout. Good luck!

Watermelon Wendesday’s

I know what you’re thinking: It’s Thursday. But last night (Wednesday), I was feeling like something different and fun after dinner, so I put together a trifle of sorts that took 5 minutes and was delicious! So I thought I would share.

I picked up some local baby watermelons from Boston Public Market and they were so adorable I almost couldn’t eat them – but then I did.

Ingredients:

• watermelon
• whipped cream (homemade is best)
• fresh fruit (I chose blueberries)
• dark chocolate
• sliced almonds

After cutting off the rind of the melon, I layered it on the bottom of a casserole dish, added a heaping mound of whipped cream, slivered almonds, fresh fruit, and dark chocolate, then repeated the process again! Healthy, refreshing, and delicious!