#hltinclt

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Travel Essentials

As Thanksgiving has past and Christmas travel will be fast approaching here are some of my travel essentials. These items, are things that I do not travel without and help me to stay on track while I am away.

I always bring a water bottle with me anywhere I go so that I am always staying hydrated. I bring my greens, so that if I am out or traveling and need to get all my greens in for the day I can. I also always bring an easy breakfast to put together that is full of nutrients, and high in protein. My Trader Joe’s unsweetened oatmeal packets, protein powder, and almond butter packets are easy to travel with and help me to avoid breakfast items high in sugar that would leave me hungry, reaching for snacks until lunch. If I do get hungry between meals, I always have a Lara Bar in my purse or backpack. This is a whole food bar with only two ingredients that also has protein and is both dairy and gluten free, a win-win for me, plus it tastes amazing! My favorite is the cashew cookie, but there isn’t a flavor I haven’t liked yet! The last two things that I always travel with, are my wireless headphones and my pur aspartame free gum. I always have my wireless headphones on me so that I can workout when I travel. I love listening to podcasts while I workout, so I never leave without them. Last but certainly not least, my pur gum. I love this gum and especially love the fact that it is free of aspartame, this is another item I never leave without, because you never know when bad breathe will strike!

A bonus tip I have for you for traveling, is when you travel check workout studios around you. Most studios, such as cycle studios give you your first ride free. This is a great way to check out new studios and get a great workout in for free!

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It’s all small stuff

Happy Sunday! I hope y’all had a great weekend, and are ready to start a great week! With Thanksgiving fast approaching and all the stressors, it brings with preparation, being around family and travel. I urge you to find perspective, identify, and to eliminate your stressors so that you can enjoy Thanksgiving.

The mantra that my family had growing up that brings me perspective, is don’t sweat the small stuff, because it is all small stuff. This means that you shouldn’t let the little things in life get to you. I know that is hard most days or every day, but it is all about perspective. Things that get to you or ruin your mood or even day, could be as small as someone (your significant, other, friend, family member, etc.) humming, tapping their foot, not doing the dishes or looking at you the wrong way. These are small stressors that can be avoided if you try to be more intentional with day to day life. The little things that bring you to your breaking point, could be the little things that people miss dearly about someone, it’s all about perspective.

By identifying your small things, you can be more aware of what it is that gets you to the point of boiling over. Identifying, that someone tapping their foot is not a big deal and that if you ask them to stop nicely they probably will, or just ignore it. These small things that get to you are so microscopic, and in the grand scheme of these most likely are so microscopic they cannot even be seen with the naked eye.

After identifying your small things, you can then eliminate them. This can be as simple as going into the next room, putting headphones on, walking outside to get fresh air, or going out and exercising. Find productive ways to eliminate the stressors that you find so easily get to you.

Keeping all of these in mind going into a season of thanks, I encourage you to be intentional and to not sweat the small stuff, because it really is just all small stuff.

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Three ways to Stress Less

Hey y’all, and happy Friday! It has been a little hectic with exams, final project and studying for finals. With all of this being said, I️ wanted to share three ways on how I️ cope with stress.

Exercise always helps me when I️ am stressed. I️ workout every morning, but during the last weeks of the semester and finals my workouts become more intentional. I️ use that time to clear my head and take a break. Working out in the morning helps me get my day started, but whatever time works best for you and your schedule is just fine. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and releases endorphins that lift your mood.

Essential oils are also a great way to alleviate stress. I️ personally love wild orange. Before an exam I️ put a few drops of wild orange under my tongue and it helps me to calm down and uplifts my mood. You can also add a few drops to your water if you don’t want to put it under your tongue. doTERRA is a great essential oil brand and where my wild orange is from. There are many essential oil brands and it is all up to your liking and preference.

The last thing that I️ use to help alleviate stress and calm down before an exam or when I️ am working on a big project, is Bath and Body Works stress relief hand sanitizer. The eucalyptus and spearmint scent helps me to slow my breathing and relax. When I️ am studying I️ use it to help calm down so that I️ don’t over look any information and it also helps me to better focus. When it comes to actually taking the exam I️ use a little before I️ go in. If I️ start to feel that I’m getting anxious and my heart rate is speeding up, I rub my nose so that I️ can get a whiff and calm myself back down.

If you have finals this week or next week, I️ wish you all the best! Finish strong, and hopefully these tips can help you!

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Recalculating...


As a college student it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel or the final destination most days. You have three exams coming up this week, a quiz and a paper and at that point and time all you care about is making it out alive. As the end of the semester and the end of the year come to a close, I want you to think about these three things. Am I on the right path, am I taking care of myself in order to safely arrive at my destination, and am I happy? These three things at the moment might not be at the top of your priority list, but will help you to happily and safely get you to where you want to go.


Am I on the right path? I have had to ask myself this question more than once throughout college. Did I choose the right major? Am I taking the classes I need to get into graduate school? And the list goes on. It is the same as when you put in a final destination to where you are going, there are faster routes, routes that avoid tolls, etc. But it is all about finding the right path for you. A route that is a little longer might be best for one person, when a route that cuts 15 minutes off may be the best for another. Everyone’s journey is different and the paths that get you there are different as well. Do what is best for you, not what is best for those around you.


Am I taking care of myself in order to safely arrive at my destination? Are you? I know at times I have found myself breaking down, my tank nearly empty, to the point of where I have to pull over to the side to assess the damage. You can’t set out on a cross country road trip without first getting your oil changed, filling up with gas and making sure everything checks out. So why don’t we do the same when it comes to our bodies? We need to fuel or bodies with the right nutrients and to hydrate, to exercise and we need to stop to recharge and to re-assess to keep going. When we manage the up keep it is easier to keep going with minor routine maintenance along the way, than to wait until the car breaks down on the side of the road. Set aside time to recharge, refuel and recalibrate, so you don’t find yourself burning out or even worse breaking down. You get one body in this life, so it is important to take the very best care of it.


Lastly, are you happy? Does this final destination bring you joy? When you think about this final destination do you dread getting there, or are you asking every three seconds “am I there yet”? If you answered that you dread the final destination, then that path is probably not the one you’re supposed to be on and you need to recalculate. If you answered that you can’t wait to get there, then that is awesome and when you reach that final destination I hope it is everything you dreamed of and more.

The bottom line is, do what makes you happy. Your journey may not always be easy, but difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations!


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Omelette Cups

Here is a great make ahead breakfast, to make mornings easier! These omelette cups are easy to make and delicious!


Preheat oven to: 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Prep time: 10 minutes
In a large bowl mix together:
-1 cup chopped spinach
-1/2 cup diced red onion
-1/2 bell pepper (color of your choice) finely chopped
-12 eggs
-A dash of salt
-A dash of pepper
Mix all of these ingredients together, and then line a muffin tin with baking cups. Fill baking cups by using a 1/4 measuring cup.
Cook time: 25 minutes
This recipe yields 12 omelette cups, and keeps in the refrigerator for a week. To reheat pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and there you go, a quick, delicious, and healthy breakfast! I️ hope you enjoy!


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No more excuses

Happy Sunday y’all! Hope everyone has had a fun and relaxing weekend, and are ready to have a great week! Today I️ was thinking back on my week and everything that I️ had going on, and thought about all the excuses I️ could have made but didn’t.

Although days and weeks get crazy, and things may get out of sorts don’t make excuses. Yeah you may have not prepped dinner and it would be easier to grab something on the way home, but that’s an excuse. An excuse to not go home and cook something, when in the long run it saves you money and is healthier than something you would grab on the go. Another excuse I️ always hear, is I’m too tired. Too tired to get out of my warm bed and get to the gym or exercise period. All excuses do, are cheat you. Cheat you of your goals and progress.

I️ have a great example of one that I️ had to overcome this week. After staying out later than usual on a Thursday night; I️ was more exhausted than usual when it came to getting ready and going to my 7 am spin class Friday morning. I️ got up and ready though and headed to spin. To my luck when I️ had gotten to my spin class, the Friday morning class had been cancelled. So I️ drove to spin all to turn right back around. Instead of going back and going back to sleep though, I️ went to the gym. I️ had planned to workout and I️ was not going to let a cancellation get in my way. I️ didn’t want to cheat myself of a good workout or the goals I️ am working towards.

That is just some food for thought as we go into a new week. Don’t make excuses, because you are stronger than them and you don’t deserve them getting in the way of your goals.

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A not so scary sweet treat!

Happy Halloween y’all! I️ hope everyone is having a great week so far! Instead of indulging in the loads of sugar that Halloween brings, I️ have a healthy pumpkin pie smoothie for you to try.

Pumpkin pie protein smoothie:

-1/2 cup of organic pumpkin purée

-1/2 frozen banana

-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

- Protein powder of your choice

- 1 tsp Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie spice

I️ hope y’all love this recipe as much as I️ do, and have a safe Halloween. You don’t need extra added sugar, you are already sweet enough!

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Lifestyle over Fads

In a world that values quick fixes over longer processes, it is easy to get sucked into the many fad diets that are circulating on all forms of media. It isn’t very complicated to follow a plan for ten days that sets forth a step by step plan, but at the same time it limits you to barely any food in hopes you will possibly lose x amount of pounds. Once those ten days end though, unless you know how to properly fuel your body and maintain the weight you got down too, those results are not going to last long.

A healthy lifestyle may take more time, thought and effort, but in the end it’s the best choice. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle and not have to go through the pain of your weight yo-yoing. A healthy lifestyle not only helps you keep a healthy weight, but also keep a healthy state of mind. When you practice everyday to eat clean and exercise, you are bettering yourself as a whole including your mind.