weight loss

Keeping Yourself Healthy When Going Through A Tough Time

November 6, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

Tough times can often lead to a sense of stress, and this can wreak havoc with your emotional health. However, it’s important to recognize that keeping yourself healthy when going through a tough time is not only something you should focus your mental health towards, but also your physical health. In fact, they inform one another in various ways. For example, caring for your mental health will make you much more likely to exercise, while exercising can help you reduce stress and anxiety, and help you live the rest of the day with optimism.

It’s impossible to separate your physical and mental health efficiently, because you are not separated into two distinct categories yourself. However, keeping yourself healthy when going through a tough time often calls for a worthy approach. Sure, you may be working on your stress and mental struggles by taking forthright action and relying on the support of those closest to you, but are you also maintaining your physical health in the best way you can?

It’s these questions we hope to answer, and we hope to answer them as follows:

Superfoods

Superfoods are extremely worthwhile measures of ensuring your body is able to restore itself, as high levels of nutrition and the replenishment of vitamins and minerals can mean plenty for energizing you, and helping you fight off issues relating to a tired immune system. You may learn how to make v8 juice at home, providing you with that necessary health kick you may be after each day. Eating kale, drinking green tea, nuts and seeds and ginger can be jus tthe start, but a thoroughly worthwhile start at that.

Plenty of Sleep

You need to sleep when under intense stress. It’s your body’s way of being able to refresh and replenish its systems, and without a good snooze you may find yourself unable to comfortably or rationally think your way through a situation as you may have. Sleep requires great sleep habits, and while eight hours is often the recommended maximum, for certain difficult periods of your life even nine to ten hours may be customary to help your body adapt to the expanded sense of exhaustion it may be going through right now.

Getting Out In Nature

There’s a sense of real peace in nature, because to some extent it doesn’t care what your emotions are. That tree you walk past may have been there two hundred years ago, and is still sat there, living, calm, blowing in the wind. There’s a timeless aspect to nature. It was here before you and it will be there after you are gone. This sounds scary upon first analysis, but it’s simply a fact of life. Keeping yourself healthy then, can often mean stress reduction, and a safe natural environment is perhaps the best way to bust stress. You’ll look at things differently after walking in the park for an hour, and you can trust us on that point.

With this advice, we hope you can stay healthy when going through a tough time.

•How do you stay healthy when you’re going through a tough time?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

Sneaky Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

November 4, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

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When it comes to losing weight, everyone struggles. Although it might seem like others drop pounds without trying, that just isn’t the case. After all, the body isn’t happy about weight loss. Instead, it fights back, so even if you can lose weight quickly at first, it gets harder before long. Regular workouts and food journals will only get you so far. When weight loss begins to slow down, you must reassess. With that in mind, here are six reasons why you aren’t losing weight.

Staying Up All Night

Quality sleep is necessary for good physical and mental health. Even if you’re happy staying awake all night working or playing video games, your body likely isn’t. Lack of sleep is linked to many harmful health conditions, including obesity. Because of this, you must make sleep a priority. Get yourself into a sleep routine, as well as other healthy habits, like avoiding caffeine.

Eating The Wrong Foods

Everyone knows you must avoid overeating to lose weight. However, this will be difficult if the foods you eat aren’t filling you up. Rather than ingesting empty calories, you should add more Umami foods to your diet. Umami is one of the basic tastes and is often found in high-protein foods. Just remember that eating these foods won’t help if you’re also indulging in junk food.

Missing Out On Weights

Many people, when trying to lose weight, stick to cardio workouts. After all, this is known to burn calories and fat. Nonetheless, you must spend time strength training too. Lifting weights is an effective way to reduce body fat, as well as maintain muscle mass. Without weight training, you might lose some muscle mass too. Lifting weights will also help to prevent metabolic slowdown.

Drinking Too Little Water

The 8×8 rule might be outdated, but you must still keep yourself hydrated. Drinking water is incredibly important when it comes to shedding pounds. Not only does it help with portion control by suppressing your appetite, but it can improve metabolism too. If you have trouble drinking enough water, then carry a water bottle around with you. This will remind you to take sips.

Letting Stress Build Up

Trying to lose weight can definitely be a stressful process. Along with this, you might have other problems to worry about in your life. The trouble is, this stress can make losing weight more difficult. Stress hormones affect your body in many ways, but will directly impact fat storage. For this reason, you must learn ways to tackle your stress and keep it from overwhelming you.

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Accepting Drug Side Effects

Every medication has side effects. The trouble is, most people don’t pay attention to them. If you’re having trouble losing weight, or, worse still, have been gaining weight recently, then look at the drugs you take. One might impact your energy levels or increase your appetite. Thankfully, there are often alternatives you can try, so speak to your doctor for advice.

Losing weight can be difficult, but the advice above should make the task much easier!

What do you do to lose weight? Comment below!

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Fitness

4 Great Activities For Toning Muscle Quickly

July 8, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Weight loss is the initial goal for most people when they start their health journey, but once you reach a healthy weight again, you can start working towards other goals. Some people want to build muscle mass and strength and get big, but that isn’t for everybody. A lot of people find that even though they’ve lost the weight, they’re still not quite happy with their body because they just want to tone up a little bit more. Toning muscles so they look a bit tighter is often harder than losing the weight in the first place, and a lot of people struggle with this final step. That’s usually because they’re doing the wrong kinds of exercise and they continue doing the same things that they were when trying to lose weight, which isn’t going to work. If you want to tone your muscles, you should try some of these great exercises!

Yoga

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Yoga is such a great addition to anybody’s exercise routine for a few reasons. Firstly, it improves flexibility and stretches your muscles to stop them from getting tight and sore, which is very important if you’re working out a lot. Secondly, it’s a great way to reduce stress and improve wellness, so it can massively improve your mental health. Finally, it’s a great way to tone your muscles. People that haven’t tried yoga often underestimate how difficult it can be, and there are a lot of more advanced poses that use your own bodyweight to tone muscles. Doing ten minutes of yoga in the morning or the evening before you go to bed can really help to tone your body and improve your flexibility.

Martial Arts

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Martial arts is another great workout activity that is ideal for sculpting your muscles. It’s a great cardio workout, but a lot of it is about control, which engages your muscles. You’ll be using your entire body, which means you will get a good all-around muscle toning workout with every session. There are some great shaolin kung fu training schools that cater to people of all abilities so don’t worry if you’re a complete beginner. If you want to tone muscles and build a bit of strength, while maintaining your target weight, martial arts is one of the best activities.

Swimming

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Swimming is one of the best sports, regardless of what your fitness goals are, because it’s such a good overall workout. It’s a great cardio activity that is low impact, so it’s ideal for people that are recovering from injury (or also people who hate the gym, like me!). But it’s particularly good if you’re trying to tone muscle because you’re engaging all of your muscles at once, and the resistance from the water is good for toning.

Cycling

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If you are particularly focused on toning your legs, cycling is a great way to do it. You’ll be using your quads and calves a lot, so they’ll tone up very quickly. You also engage your core a lot when you cycle, so you can tone your stomach muscles as well. Cycling is another great low impact option if you’re trying to recover from an injury or you want to take a rest day from more intensive activity.

All in all, if you want to tone your muscles rather than build them, these are some of the best exercises to do!

•How do you tone your muscles? What has worked best for you?

This post is a collaboration.

Fitness Health Uncategorized

Why Helping Yourself On Your Fitness Journey Isn’t A Bad Thing

May 29, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

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Like anything people can become passionate about, the fitness community can sometimes have those who take everything they do with utmost seriousness, and can become quite draconian when imparting advice. Of course, when this comes to matters of health and safety, or when it comes to actually promoting what works, this is completely fine. However, sometimes you may be intimidated, thinking that unless you are following ‘the perfect way,’ you’re not following a way at all.

Fitness is a metaphor for our life, in that if we want something, we have to stay committed and work for it. However, over time this can prevent you from making the progress you want despite putting work in. Fitness, like anything you do to better your life, should be enjoyable and something you look forward to when it’s at its best. If you hate every gym session, every healthy meal, and feel as though you simply have to suffer through it – you’re not going to last very long at all.

This is why, especially in the beginning, helping yourself out on your fitness journey isn’t a bad thing at all. After all, if you want to climb a mountain, it’s a good idea to bring climbing gear.

Consider:

A Shoulder To Lean On

A gym can be an intimidating place to be your first time there. You likely do not know what most of the equipment is outside of the obvious fixtures, and trying to navigate a busy gym during peak times can be a nightmare. This is why it can be important start with a gym induction, and to simply walk around the place to see what you can and can’t do. Asking questions such as what the weightlifting chalk policy can help illuminate what actions you should be taking.

Sometimes, it can be hard to simply get in a routine schedule. If you haven’t gone to the gym for some time, what makes your current need so different? Also, how might you ingratiate yourself into the fitness lifestyle well? We’d recommend that finding a shoulder to lean on could be a great idea. Perhaps you could look online at a forum dedicated to your local area, and try to find a gym buddy that way. Perhaps you might ask one of your friends to start this new lifestyle with you, if they have also suggested that they wish to become fitter.

When you have someone waiting on you as you’re waiting on them, both of you will find it much harder to let the other person down. This can help you both enjoy one another’s company and also gain a stronger and more dependable approach when helping each other overcome their lifts.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing this. In fact, it can be a much safer method of attending the gym. For example, having someone ‘spot you’ on the bench press can help you avoid being punished by gravity if placing too much weight on the bar. You can also both help each other with scheduling, your diets, observing the other’s form, and giving one another safety pointers. In fact, the more specialized an athlete becomes, the more they will have to rely on the opinions and help of other people. So as a novice, there’s absolutely zero shame in finding this for yourself, and the same goes for the use of excellent personal trainers.

Getting Active & Alert

While many of us love attending the gym, getting up at an early hour in the morning, walking to the gym in the pouring rain, and having to wake yourself up on the treadmill or by lifting weights can be enjoyable, yet a little rough to experience. Sometimes, we might wake up feeling full of energy and well rested. Other times, we might feel the complete opposite.

Does that mean we should cancel our gym session the moment we feel just a little tired? Of course not, that would be rather ridiculous. But it might also be that we need just a little help in getting active and alert each morning. For example, it might be that you decide to homebrew beautiful filter coffee to keep you alert and active each morning. You might also decide to use pre-workout to help you get in the zone. You might decide to run to the gym in order to wake up, or perhaps join a certain specialized class you must attend in order to get the blood moving. On top of that, ZMA supplements can help you feel more alert after a great night of rest.

Getting active and alert is the key to success with your fitness lifestyle. We would recommend you consider the powerful benefits of doing this. You never know just how much it could help.

Supplementation

Added supplementation can be a wonderful thing. From using Vitamin C and D supplements to help your immune system (preventing you from catching something such as a seasonal flu from gym equipment,) purchasing T5 fat burners to help you drop weight naturally, and also fulvic acid can help you gain minerals you might have lost out on before.

Protein supplements can help you repair your muscles after an intense gym session, and help you meet your daily macro requirement. On top of that, weight shakes can help you bulk up and put weight on, allowing you to exceed your daily need for certain calories if hoping to build muscle. BCAA’s can help your muscles repair even more appropriately, as they are literally providing the amino acids necessary to help you heal in the most fundamental manner possible.

If you have a fitness issue, either hard work, readjusting your schedule, sleeping, eating better, or supplementation can help it. But supplementation is often a dirty word, because of all the questionable products that can be sold, especially overseas. But enjoying the use of these, if properly vetted, can help you get to the next level of your fitness life. To that extent, this can be a net positive.

With these tips, you’re certain to help yourself on your fitness journey!

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

5 Real Ways To Lose Fat Fast

March 30, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 3 Comments

Many of us are keen to lose as much fat as possible. If you are like most people in this position, you probably find that you often go up and down in weight, and when this weight is primarily fat you should probably try and do something about it as soon as possible. As well as it being a physical or unsightly problem, you should also be aware that fat is unhealthy for you, and it is absolutely a good idea to try and keep it to a minimum at all times. But it is one thing to want to do that, and quite another to make it a reality. In this article, we are going to look at some of the best real ways to actually lose fat fast. As long as you consider some of these, you should find that you are able to do that much more effectively than you might have hoped.

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Eat Lots Of Fiber

If you want to lose fat, you will of course need to focus on a good diet, but what that actually entails is something that a lot of people find hard to understand. There are many things to consider here, some of which we will look at later, but one in particular you should aim for is to eat plenty of fiber every day. In particular, you want to focus on eating soluble fiber, as this is much more likely to be beneficial for any kind of fat loss. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a kind of gel which in turn helps to slow down the food breaking down in the body. This invariably leads to less fat, especially if you eat a good two or so portions of it every day. It also helps you to feel full, because of the way that the food takes longer to break down, so you are less likely to gorge on something fatty to feel full. There is also some evidence to suggest that eating soluble fiber actively helps specifically fight belly fat, so that is clearly something you should consider if that is where you are trying to lose fat from.

Increase Your Exercise Regularly

Obviously enough, you will need to be exercising a lot if you hope to lose fat, and this is one of the two basic points along with diet which you need to focus on. You also need to appreciate what kind of exercise regime is actually going to help here, as not all are made equal. The most important thing to remember here is that you need to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise as you progress. If you do this, you will actively burn off more fat over time, whereas if you keep the intensity the same it is much less likely that this will happen. Whether you achieve that by extending the session time or just increasing the weights, or whatever else it might be, you will find that it is a hugely powerful way to make sure you are burning plenty of fat.

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The Simple Act Of Walking

That being said, it is not just high-intensity workouts that work well for losing fat. One of the simplest and most important things you can do too is to simply go for a walk regularly. Walking is a great exercise for losing fat, especially around the belly, so it’s something you should make a point of doing regularly. You can easily incorporate this into your daily life, moreover. Most people these days have apps on their phones detailing how many steps have been taken. You can make use of this in order to ensure you are walking the recommended ten thousand steps – or whatever other target you might wish to go for. As long as you are walking enough, you will find that losing fat is going to be a much simpler thing to do, and it is so easy to make sure that you are doing so, even if you don’t like to exercise much.

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Noninvasive Procedures

If you are looking for a particularly quick way to lose your fat, in particular your belly fat, then you might want to look into having a procedure done. While some people might be a little worried about such ventures, the truth is that they are relatively simple and easy to use, and that they are likely to make a huge difference to how much fat you have on your body very quickly. The noninvasive procedures are obviously the best, and if you go for something along the lines of Metropolitan Dermatology CoolSculpting you will find that you are able to get rid of whatever belly fat you have in a safe and efficient manner. This is certainly something to consider for most people, especially if you are genuinely struggling to lose fat through the more traditional means, and you wish to have it over and done with as soon as possible.

Cut Your Alcohol

If you drink more than a few units of alcohol a week, then this is one of the first things that you will want to look into changing in order to lose fat. It is incredibly difficult to be able to drink alcohol and keep fat off you, so you should make it learn in your mind that it really is a choice between one or the other. This should make it obvious how much of a binary choice it is, and hopefully over time you can drink less and less. Of course, it is a potentially addicting substance, and therefore you might find it hard to quit entirely. Consider cutting down slowly, and maybe getting help if you need to at some point along the way. It will be worth it in so many ways, not least the fact that you will lose some fat fast.

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All of these are great methods for losing fat, and you should consider combining a number of them into one program if you really want to make a big change to your physical health and appearance.

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

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Fitness Health Nutrition Reviews Uncategorized

A Scientific Approach to Personal Health with The Home DNA Healthy Weight™ Test

February 26, 2018 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

I’m approaching 30, and my body is definitely feeling it. When I was a teenager, my mom would always tell me, “lose weight now, because it gets harder the older you get.” Ugh, I hate it when she’s right. 😉 Losing weight, getting fit, and finding the right foods to eat has been difficult, ever since I turned 25. My metabolism slowed down , and I felt that my genes were also a contributing factor.

Disclosure: I received a free Home DNA Healthy Weight™ kit + free lab fee in the hopes I’d mention it on my blog. In partnership with Lipton Publicity. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

To find out if my genes were causing any issues, I decided to take a healthy weight at-home genetic DNA test called The Home DNA Healthy Weight™ (created by The DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) Company). This test identifies nutrition and exercise strategies uniquely tailored to each individual based on their genetic makeup.

You learn about:

Your capacity to lose weight.
Your protein, fat, and carbohydrate utilization
The food and nutrients your body needs.
Cardio exercise and strength training for your body.
You even get a personalized meal plan based on your results.

The Home DNA Healthy Weight™ kit is extremely easy to use. They provide you with 4 swabs (essentially large Q-Tips), and all you do is swab the inside of your cheek (with all 4), and send them back in the mail! It took me about 2 minutes to complete this. There is a lab fee when you check out (all of this can be done online). You’ll receive your results (also online) about 6 weeks later!

Luckily, Home DNA is offering my readers a $50 discount on their own kit, which brings the price of the kit down to only $69!! That’s an AMAZING price, especially for all the information you get. Get your discount here: Home DNA discount.

The Healthy Weight fitness DNA test can help save a lot of time and money as you eliminate diets, supplements and workouts that are not optimal for you as an individual, weight management is not ‘one size fits all’ after all.

My results were really cool! I learned the my ability to lose weight is “below average” and my genes are “unfavorable,” so that wasn’t so cool. 😉 Honestly though, that made me feel better, knowing my lack of weight loss wasn’t entirely my fault. It taught me about how my body absorbs particular nutrients, what foods are best for me to eat (I’m allowed to eat carbs, woohoo!), and how I need to exercise to lose weight. It provided me with a meal plan, as well! I tried it out for the first week, and felt great. I’m the type of person who needs things laid out like this. It’s so much easier!

As you can see, much of my genes are unfavorable and below average, yay me!…

Here’s an example of a portion of the meal plan tailored specifically to me:

I highly recommend getting this genetic test done and finding out how to eat and exercise based on your specific body and genes! Get your own kit for $50 off using code HW50 or going directly to this link.

Follow Home DNA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Have you done DNA testing for your genes (or anything)?
What would you like to get out of a DNA Healthy Weight test?

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Fitness Reviews

How I’m Getting Summertime Ready with Beets BLU Smart Scale

March 22, 2016 By lyndsinreallife 4 Comments

Summer is quickly approaching. As many of you know, summer season = wedding season. Wedding season = lots of dresses = time to really track my weight/body fat/water etc. There are already three weddings I’m attending: one is my ‘baby’ brother’s, another is for a good friend, and I’m the maid of honor in the last one. It’s incredibly exciting!

I’ve been in the market for a new scale, so when Beets BLU (a brand I’ve worked with in the past) offered me the opportunity to try their Bluetooth Smart Scale, I was in!

*Disclosure: I received a Beets BLU Smart Scale in the hopes I’d review it on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links.

This is the best scale I’ve ever used! It’s accurate and easy to read. The blue LCD display is nice because it’s not blinding. The scale is sleek and modern, and it’s not bulky (like other scales). You step on it and align your feet with the grey bars. The scale displays only your weight, but turn your Bluetooth on and all your data will be sent to your phone!

When you get the scale, you’ll be able to download the Smart Scale app on your iPhone or Android phone/device. As long as your Bluetooth is on, all your info (body fat %, BMI, muscle percentage, and water percentage) will show up on your device. This info is saved to your device. At the bottom of the app, it’ll have your 7 day stats plus your 30 day stats. This is what it looks like on an Android phone:

If your Bluetooth isn’t on at the time, don’t worry- once you turn it on, the data will sync. All compatible devices are listed below:

Supports HealthKit App
Works with Apple iPhone (4S, 5, 5S, 5C, 6, 6 plus)
iPad (mini, 3, 4, Air)
Samsung Galaxy (S4, S5, S6, S6 Edge)

I’ve used so many scales in the past (analog, digital, bulky, weight loss-oriented), and the Beets BLU Smart Scale is hands down the best scale I’ve ever used. My boyfriend is a health coach and trainer and really loves it, as well! This is the perfect scale to help me get summer/wedding season ready (and have overall good health). I love that it tracks my data, because I’m a very visual person. I’m able to look back at my data and keep track of my progress. It’s very motivating! I highly recommend this scale to anyone and everyone.

Note: The photos are of my boyfriend’s toes, not mine. 😉

The Beets BLU Bluetooth Smart Scale is available on Amazon for $79.95 USD.

Also, you can purchase the scale plus heart rate monitor as a bundle, and save 20%!

Find Beets BLU on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.

Thank you so much for reading my blog!

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Health Reviews

How JLo and BodyLab Are Focusing On Women’s Health

April 11, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 4 Comments

JLo. Fitness. Nutrition. Energy. Weight Loss. What do these things have in common? BodyLab.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary BodyLab product kit in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I only share products I feel my readers would enjoy. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

First, let’s come back to JLo (aka Jennifer Lopez). We all know her. Fabulous singer, awesome actress (Enough is a classic, I don’t care how old it is!), sexy mama, successful author (affiliate link), and a fitness/health guru. She created BodyLab, a line of health and fitness supplements made for women, by women. Here’s what JLo has to say about BodyLab:

“In all of my work—my music, my films, my book, my foundation—I always strive to inspire women to be the best and happiest versions of themselves. I joined the BodyLab family not only because of their commitment to creating great health and fitness products for women, by women, but also because of their approach to the holistic lifestyle. It’s not a solution-in-a-bottle. It’s not a fad diet. It’s part of a health regimen that makes your metabolism work as hard as you do. It’s a way to love your body” (website).

Photo courtesy of the BodyLab website

The rad thing (can you tell I live in SoCal?) about BodyLab is how great the products are for women! Here are a few facts:

No added creatine
No ingredients that wreak havoc on your hormones
Plant-based compounds to help you burn through excess body fat, get lean, and feel amazing.

BodyLab also offers workouts, challenges, recipes, and a great community (more details on their website). They’re not just a company that sells you a product and says, “Here ya go, good luck!” They truly go above and beyond to set you up powerfully for a healthy lifestyle.

Alright, let’s get down to the products.

Tasty Shake Thermodynamic Protein Complex

I used to drink protein shakes every day. I love the idea of them: simple, quick, nutritious. However, after years of the same shakes, I was over the taste. I got to the point where I couldn’t drink them at all. I was nervous to try Tasty Shake** for that reason, but obviously wanted to try it so I could give a proper review. With that being said, I LOVE this shake! I have the chocolate flavor, and it tastes like chocolate milk. Plus, it has a bit of caffeine, which is great for me since I’ve switched from soda to seltzer water and have difficulty getting the caffeine my body still craves. It’s really great as a pre-workout shake as well! Most of the products are plant-based, but note that the Tasty Shakes are whey protein. Each serving contains 15g whey protein and 90 calories. Side note: the label says to mix with water, but I mixed mine with almond milk for more flavor.

**Tasty Shake comes in regular vanilla, regular chocolate, and thermodynamic chocolate (with caffeine).

7-Day Ultra Fast Slim Kit

This kit is pretty awesome. I get nervous about “detox” kits because of how they tend to mess up the flora in our guts and cause more harm than good. They often don’t offer a probiotic with the detox. BUT, BodyLab does!!

For the first seven days, you take two of the triple process detox and cleanse capsules in the morning and two in the evening with dinner. These capsules help reduce belly bloat and waste buildup so you feel lighter and more energized.
In addition to the detox capsules, you take two of the thermodynamic Total Burn™ capsules in the morning and two in the evening with dinner. The Total Burn™ capsules are powerful fat burners that increase metabolic rate and enhance energy.
After completing the first seven days, you then take the probiotic replenishment capsules. You take one each day for seven days. The probiotics help to restore the natural flora in your gut, allowing your digestive system to work properly.

I really liked this Ultra Fast Kit! It didn’t cause emergency runs to the bathroom, but I could definitely feel a difference after the seven days! I felt lighter, less bloated, healthier, and more energetic.

I also received a full-size bottle of the Thermodynamic Total Burn™.

Endurance Boosting Deep Tissue Oxygenator

The deep tissue oxygenator enhances endurance, increases speed, improves VO2 max, and optimizes performance. It is stimulant-free! You take two capsules one hour before your workout. These capsules definitely helped me to have a better workout each time I took them! I especially love that they’re stimulant-free. The Total Burn™ has enough caffeine for me.

Advanced Joint Formula For Active Women

The joint formula helps reduce joint stiffness, and also increases range of motion. It is PERFECT for yoga! Well, for everything, but yoga is my fave. You take one capsule in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. I didn’t realize I’d be needing a supplement for my joints at age 27, but I do. My hips and knees are in poor condition and are always really stiff and sore. The pain doesn’t go away with this supplement, of course, but it does help to diminish the pain! Yoga is a bit less painful now. 😉

BodyLab also has a Thermodynamic Pre-Workout Extender™ and a Total Shape Up Kit (All-in-One 30 day system).

How Do I Purchase BodyLab Products?

You can find BodyLab products in various retail stores or order them online.

I found these in Rite Aid in LA and got really excited haha

DISCOUNT!!

If you’d like to order online, BodyLab has graciously offered 25% off any BodyLab product + FREE shipping to my readers/followers!! That’s a pretty stellar discount if you ask me. Simply visit BodyLab.com and enter code tbb25 at checkout to receive the discount and free shipping. There’s no expiration date on this code, so be sure to use it any time you place an order!

Also, if you purchase the BodyLab Shape Up Kit, you’ll get a free signed copy of JLo’s book True Love (while supplies last; affiliate link). The Shape Up Kit is on sale for $99 right now, too. Awesome, right? Check out the YouTube video of this promotion below:

BodyLab creates their products with love for women, which is obvious when you look at the capsules:

How cute are these little hearts?!

Alright friends, it’s time for me to take my supplements and make my Tasty Shake so I can get my yoga on. Thank you as always for reading my blog! Don’t forget to follow BodyLab on social media (even for the workouts and recipes alone!). You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.

So tell me,

What types of supplements/shakes do you take?
Do you prefer/avoid certain ingredients?
Do you love the movie Enough as much as I do?
Do you prefer JLo or the classic Jennifer Lopez?

Share with me in the comment section below!

To peace & happiness!

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Fitness Nutrition Reviews

Get A Limited Edition Bulu Box: Best of 2014!

January 7, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

Have you ever subscribed to Bulu Box? If so, this is a great recap of 2014! If not, now is the PERFECT time to sample the best products of 2014!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a commission if any sales are made using my links. I received a free limited edition Bulu Box to review on my blog. All opinions are 100% my own.

Bulu Box is a subscription-based box (mailed to you each month) that contains samples (and sometimes full-size products) of various health and fitness products.

This limited edition Bulu Box features the best products of 2014; all for 70% off. You can get this one-time box for only $24.99. That is a GREAT deal!

So, what’s in this awesome limited edition box?!

Shapeology Burn Blend (one of my favorites; I have a full-size at home!): Most thermogenics just help blast fat. Burn Blend sends it running. With clinically proven ingredients, Burn Blend mimics the effects of high metabolism so that you burn more calories and lose weight fast! Plus, the liquid delivery system means you can feel it working immediately.*
MeStrength Electrolyte & Creatine Drink Mix: Get pre- or post-workout hydration through 5 essential electrolytes while boosting your endurance with creatine, a renowned addition to any workout program.*
LoudTruck Energy Gummi Bears: Loud Truck Energy Gummi Bears will take your energy levels through the roof with a synergistic blend of vitamins, antioxidants and natural caffeine sources. Each serving of these Energy Gummi Bears mimics the energy levels of typical stimulant drinks without the worry of refrigeration or spills.*
BluCetin: BluCetin helps support your liver with a unique, synergistic combination of natural ingredients. The natural ingredients have been shown to help promote healthy liver function. BluCetin is designed to help keep your liver performing at its best.*
Quest Bar Cookies and Cream (not pictured, because I ate it ASAP): Get complete nutrition from great tasting and convenient Quest Protein Bars. Quest Bars stand apart with low carb, high protein, high fiber and no trans fats. Best of all, Quest Bars are an easy snack or meal with award-winning taste!*
Full Size Chike Powdered Peanut Butter (similar to PB2): Upgrade your peanut butter to a no-guilt comfort food with less fat and calories than traditional peanut butter with Chike Powdered Peanut Butter. Just mix the versatile powder with water to your personal preference and use for PB&Js and in your favorite recipes, desserts and nutrition shakes.*
Full Size Creative Bioscience Garcinia Cambogia Green Coffee Bean Complex: (ON SALE for $32.99 – originally $59.95) Creative Bioscience’s Garcinia Cambogia Green Coffee Bean Complex combines the appetite suppressant power of Garcinia Cambogia with fat burning power of Green Coffee Bean.*
Nuvia Cafe: Support your immune system and suppress your appetite all with a morning cup of coffee. Nuvia Café uses premium Sumatran Arabica coffee combined with a trifecta of legendary ingredients including: ganoderma, ECGC and pomegranate for a boost of antioxidants. *
Rootology (love this product!): Breathe Free: With a new, more potent formula, Rootology is the best blend of concentrated herbal extracts that work individually and in concert with one another to immediately support nasal, sinus and eye health for dramatic seasonal allergy relief without a prescription. Stay healthy to stay active.*
Beauty Bursts: Beauty Bursts deliver high absorption beauty nutrients in delectable, gourmet soft chews. Beauty Bursts contain Collagen Type 1 & 3 to firm and smooth the skin and strengthen hair and nails. Beauty Bursts help hydrate and renew your skin to give it a fresh radiant look. *
BiPro Whey Protein: Help your muscles repair more rapidly with this advanced protein isolate. BiPro Whey Protein Isolate combines the muscle-buidling power of whey protein and the recovery properties of BCAAs to help speed up the recovery process so you feel less sore tomorrow.*
NLA for Her Uplift: Fuel your workout with Uplift, designed and dosed for peak effectiveness for women. NLA for Her created Uplift to increase energy and improve endurance for female athletes. Uplift increases fast twitch muscle fiber activation during your workout.*
K-Pax Energy: Get a healthy and immediate energy boost! KPAX uses the perfect combination of vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants and just the right amount of caffeine to get you up and ready to take on your workout or workday with no sugars, artificial taste or sweeteners.*
Calsura: A deficit in calcium can lead to hunger cravings which means you could end up off track with your weight loss goals. Calsura is a fast-dissolving calcium supplement that has a high rate of calcium absorption to get the nutrients where they’re needed, fast.*
Smarty Pants All-in-One Adult Complete + Fiber Gummy Multivitamin: This complete multivitamin gummy comes packed with Omega-3s, Vitamin D3 and is an excellent source of soluble fiber to promote healthy digestion! Of course, they come with the same amazing Smarty Pants taste.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

To purchase this limited edition box, go to bulubox.com (link will take you directly to the box) & check out as usual! No coupon code needed. In addition to this box, there are a few products on sale right now, too! So if you want to purchase any full-size products, be sure to look for coupon codes (on the website)!

A few current sales are:

This limited edition box is only available until January 31st, so get yours ASAP! I hope you love it as much as I do. 🙂

Tweet: Get a LIMITED EDITION @bulubox – Best of 2014! See @balancebrunette’s review: http://ctt.ec/flTFP+ (aff. links) #BuluBox #fitness #health

Thank you so much for reading my blog! If you like what you see, I invite you to subscribe to new posts via email! 🙂

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XO

Lyndsay

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Ambassador Fitness Nutrition Reviews

Get More Energy With ENERGYbits + A Discount/Giveaway

August 23, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 6 Comments

Disclosure: I received two free samples of ENERGYbits in the hopes that I would review them on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I’ll admit, when I first heard of spirulina algae as a form of energy, I was not interested. I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, so plant-based isn’t necessarily important to me. But health and clean energy sources are. Especially as an athlete. And I found that with Boston based sports nutrition company, ENERGYbits!

Here’s a quick description of what ENERGYbits are, borrowed from their website:

“ENERGYbits® are tiny algae tabs so nutritionally dense, they eliminate fatigue and hunger instantly. Want a healthy, natural way to fuel your game or fire up your brain? ENERGYbits® are for you! NO caffeine, sugar, chemicals, gluten or soy, just pure, plant based nutrition, all for just ONE calorie per tab. ENERGYbits® have just ONE ingredient – organically grown NON GMO spirulina algae – a super food endorsed by the United Nations and NASA as the most nutritionally dense food in the world. Spirulina has been a favorite of gold medalists for decades. Now it’s your turn.”

They’re called bits because they are tiny tablets of spirulina algae. They’re not a supplement. They are a whole food source. One bit is 64% protein, contains 40 vitamins, antioxidants,, and nitric oxide. When you look at the percentage of protein in a bit, it’s higher than any other protein source. because of this, it’s great energy source! What’s awesome is that there is a no rush and no crash- just simple, smooth energy throughout your day (or workout).

Here’s the thing that tends to throw people off: one serving of ENERGYbits is 30 tablets. Yes, 30. At first, I didn’t want to try something that I needed to take 30 of. I don’t mind taking pills/supplements, but even then, I don’t take more than a few a day. Here’s what they look like:

Images Courtesy of ENERGYbits Pinterest & Burpees for Breakfast

With that being said, I am actually a big fan of these little bits!! They’re algae, so I definitely recommend swallowing them (not chewing). I took 10 at a time, and had no issues. I took my first sample (30 bits) on the first day of BlogFest. I don’t usually wake up at 5:30am, and I definitely don’t stay awake for 20 hours, especially without crashing. I was in a conference all day long, and was really surprised I hadn’t fallen asleep by 5 pm. But then I remembered I took the bits, and I was really impressed! I used to take Adderall (prescription), so I was used to feeling a big rush of energy, and then an even bigger crash later on. I absolutely LOVE that I did not experience that with the bits! Taking the 30 bits (which by the way are VERY small) is totally worth it.

Image Courtesy of ENERGYbits Pinterest

Another thing that I was hesitant about was the pricing. ENERGYbits come in a bag of 1,000 bits for $115.00. Yes, one hundred & fifteen dollars. BUT, you’re getting 1,000 bits at a time (a little over 33 servings). So when you break it down, it’s actually very comparable to any other energy source. Per serving, it equates to about $3.50. If you look at the cost of energy drinks, ENERGYbits are similar, if not cheaper. Plus, bits are a clean energy and whole food source. In my book, ENERGYbits win by a landslide!

One bag of ENERGYbits One sample of bits

Discount Code + Giveaway!

Do you want to try ENERGYbits, & get a 25% discount off your purchase? Simply visit their website, and enter code TBB into the coupon box to receive your discount!

Also, I am offering one reader a free sample of ENERGYbits! Simply comment on this blog post about why you’d like to try ENERGYbits! One winner (US only) will be chosen & contacted by Tuesday, August 26, 2014. ENERGYbits are only available at ENERGYbits.com, and Jonathan (their Community Manager) has let me know that he’d be happy to share more info on their sample program – you can email him at jlevitt@energybits.com.

If you’re interested in the awesomeness of ENERGYbits like I am, you can participate in their health and fitness Twitter chat, held every Tuesday night at 8 pm (EST) using hashtag #PoweredByBits.

You can also follow ENERGYbits on their Pinterest and Facebook, and visit their website at www.energybits.com!

Don’t forget to follow me, too! I am most active on Instagram and Twitter.

I want to thank ENERGYbits for the samples and opportunity to review their amazing product!

XO, Lyndsay