Curing a Workout Hangover

Confession: I used to drink a lot (shocker, right?!)  and I always believed that the best cure for a hangover was "the hair of the dog that bit ya". (Who is familiar with that expression? It's okay to be honest, no judgement here! ;)

Now, I workout a lot and some mornings I wake up and think "man, I need a drink!"

Don't get me wrong, I do love that feeling, you know where you feel so sore you don't want to move, much less think about hitting the gym... again! Its like confirmation that I did hard work and my muscles are responding and I'm getting stronger. What I hate about it is when you've laid there so long you can't wait another second to get to the bathroom and "ooowwoowwweee, squatting hurts" (guys, you don't understand this, but believe me its true). Ok, I wanted to make this blog more personal, but maybe I crossed the line here :/ 


Anyway, what's best when you wake up with the workout hangover?  


Is it the hair of the dog that bit ya?

Here's the trick: get up and get moving! Yes, go back to the gym! Don't tax the same muscles again the very next day.  Plan your workouts so you aren't working the same muscle groups every day but are rotating them, working through the whole body over 4-5 days.

I'm using Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer and she's very smart about working you hard but with balance.  For instance in Week 1 she splits it up like this:

Day 1 - Chest and Triceps
Day 2 - Back and Biceps
Day 3 - Legs and Calves
Day 4 - Shoulders and Abs

So, even if you wake up sore on Day 2 or 3, you can still workout without any added strain on Day 1's muscle group.

So, basically, the cure is just the hair of a different dog!

P.S. I also recommend a shot of SPN Recovery and an SPN Rehydration Drink after workouts to help minimize the workout hangover.  I hear both are great for preventing real hangovers too!

5 Tips to recover from a Christmas Coma

Oh I over did it this weekend!

It all started with the Nettle's Sausage and French Toast I made for my family on Christmas Eve morning. It was fantastic!  Since we've been married, my husband and I have celebrated a psuedo-Christmas morning with our blended family. Our youngest daughter Rachel, the twins and their babies either spend the night or come over in the wee early hours of the morning on Christmas Eve and we pretend its Christmas day.  It gives us the opportunity to share in the magic of Christmas morning and not deprive them of having their own Christmas morning traditions at home.

At our house, I want that breakfast to be something remembered and my family loves my french toast. For Christmas, it comes with extra powdered sugar and Pampered Chef Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkles! Oh its delightful and it warms my heart for the kiddies to come back for seconds!

That was just the beginning of my poor nutritional choices, complete with homemade M&M cookies, homemade cinnamon rolls, a full southern Christmas lunch and movie theater popcorn!  Needless to say, I went to bed last night feeling rather miserable, with a headache and bloated belly.

This morning I slept in and woke up with recovery in mind.  I've shared these tips for Halloween and Thanksgiving and they are my go-to holiday recovery!

These five easy steps will get you back on target in no time:

1. Remove - If you have high-carb, sugary, fatty leftovers in the fridge, remove them immediately.  Either freeze them or trash them now. (I think I ate everything here, so no need for me to worry about this one;))

2. Re-hydrate - Flush out the excess acid, fats, etc. Drink extra water over the next few days to replenish lost fluids and to aid in digestion. Focus on drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces. For example if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water each day. We also recommend SPN Rehydration to re-hydrate.  It's an all natural sports drink with very little sugar and only 40 calories. (I've got my 20 oz. water bottle loaded and ready.  If you have one with a straw, you'll drink even more water without realizing it).

3. Refuel - If you're diet over the last few days has been typical of most Christmas indulgences, your digestive system has been in overdrive! Focus on getting as many raw fruits and veggies as possible this week. Remember, sugar weakens the immune system so the more fruits and veggies you can get over the next few days, the better.  An easy and convenient way to get a balanced meal with added nutrients from nutritious veggies is with a meal enhancement shake and super green supplement.  A shake like the Body FX from FirstFitness Nutrition gives you the vitamins and minerals of a complete meal and is easily digested to get you back on the right track super fast.  Adding the Vital Green adds important antioxidants to strengthen the immune system and help fend off winter colds. (Made my yummy shake in my new Magic Bullet that I got for Christmas from my sweet hubby!)

4. Recommit - Often times guilt follows our over-indulgence and that's understandable.  However, it does not move us forward, it only ties us to our mistakes.  Get over it, move on and recommit to your healthy eating habits starting today! Get out and take a walk, get back in the gym.  It'll give you more energy to get geared up for the New Year!

5. Rest - Drink a full glass of water before bed, take your vitamins, have a cup of tea and relax. Rejuvenate your body with at least 7 hours of sleep each night. (Fortunately, I'm off today and have vowed not to get out of my PJs!)


If your ready to take control of your health and make a lasting transformation, be sure to take advantage of our Life by Design!  Order it this week and get a FREE Trimbolic as my personal gift to you! 

4 Tips to Bounce Back from Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We had a great time with family and lots of food, shopping, and candy-making. Needless to say, we ate way too much, but its okay. Today we get back on the track, eating right and focusing on our goals.


These four easy steps will get you back on target in no time:


1. Remove - If you have high-carb, sugary, fatty leftovers in the fridge, remove them immediately.  Either freeze them or trash them now. Don't let them linger and tempt you. I personally threw out 2 slices of my mom's homemade pumpkin pie last night. 

2. Re-hydrate - Flush out the excess acid, fats, etc. Drink extra water over the next few days to replenish lost fluids and to aid in digestion. Focus on drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces. For example if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water each day. We also recommend SPN Rehydration to re-hydrate.  It's an all natural sports drink with very little sugar and only 40 calories.

3. Refuel - If you're diet over the last few days has been typical of most Thanksgiving meals, your digestive system has been in overdrive! Focus on getting as many raw fruits and veggies as possible this week. Remember, sugar weakens the immune system so the more fruits and veggies you can get over the next few days, the better.  An easy and convenient way to get a balanced meal with added nutrients from nutritious veggies is with a meal enhancement shake and super green supplement.  A shake like the Body FX from FirstFitness Nutrition gives you the vitamins and minerals of a complete meal and is easily digested to get you back on the right track super fast.  Adding the Vital Green adds important antioxidants to strengthen the immune system and help fend off winter colds.

4. Recommit - Often times guilt follows our over-indulgence and that's understandable.  However, it does not move us forward, it only ties us to our mistakes.  Get over it, move on and recommit to your healthy eating habits starting today! Get out and take a walk, get back in the gym.  It'll give you more energy to get geared up for Christmas!


Here's a bonus tip:

5. Rest - Drink a full glass of water before bed, take your vitamins, have a cup of tea and relax. Rejuvenate your body with at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

Recover from your Halloween Hangover

Good morning! How are you feeling today?  Candy or cocktails got you rundown? Tired? Sluggish?  Too much Halloween fun?


Halloween seems to be a time when all of our inhibitions are thrown to the ghouls and we take on an "anything goes" mentality. As parents and grandparents, we permit staying up late and eating lots of candy for our kids and then sneak into their candy after they've gone to bed. I mean, every piece we eat is a piece they won't, right?  If you don't have children, maybe you dress up and party with your friends, pretending the sugar and cocktails aren't affecting you, but you're costumed character.


Either way, this morning you may have awaken to a Halloween Hangover. Whether it be sugar or alcohol induced, here are some tips for overcoming the monster within you today:


1. Remove - If you have leftover candy and sweet treats left laying around this morning, remove them immediately.  Either find a place to donate it or package it into individual snacks to be used through out the year.  If you keep the candy, put it in a place that is out of sight and hard to reach.


2. Rehydrate - Halloween comes with high sugar consumption and high activity levels.  Its easy to overlook your body's need for hydration.  Drink extra water over the next few days to replenish lost fluids and to aid in digestion. This is especially important if you had a few adult beverages last night. We also use SPN Rehydration to combat dehydration at our house.  It's an all natural sports drink with very little sugar and only 40 calories.


3. Refuel - If you're diet over the last few days has not been the most nutritiously balanced, load up on vitamins and minerals for the rest of the week.  Keep in mind that sugar weakens the immune system so the more fruits and veggies you can get over the next few days, the better.  An easy and convenient way to get a balanced meal with added nutrients from nutritious veggies is with the BodyFx Meal Replacement Shake and Vital Green.  That shake gives you the vitamins and minerals of a complete meal and is easily digested to get you back on the right track super fast.  Adding the Vital Green adds important antioxidants to combat the preservatives, colorings, and chemicals consumed through junk food and candy.


4. Recommit - Often times guilt follows our over-indulgence and that's understandable.  However, it does not move us forward, it only ties us to our mistakes.  Get over it, move on and recommit to your healthy eating habits starting today!


If you'd like more information on cleansing and detoxifying your body for increased healthy and weight loss, be sure to complete our life and body analysis and get a free consultation.

How I burn 1314 calories...

...doing nothing!

So, how many calories can you burn doing nothing?

That depends on your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). RMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to support its basic physiological functions, including breathing, circulating blood and all the numerous biochemical reactions required to keep you alive. Your RMR is generally 60-75% of your total daily caloric expenditure.

My RMR is 1314! What's yours? Click here to use our calculator! (Scroll down the page and click SPN Resources). You can also calculate your Calories Burned based on the type of exercise you do, your Daily Caloric Needs, and your Body Mass Index.