During the summer of 2017 I became a certified (and registered) 200 hour Yoga Teacher, but no matter how much information I learned in those 200 hours I am always searching for more.
One thing that I love about the digital media world is how easy it is to find other people who have knowledge to share with you. Dr. Jen Crane was one of those people for me.
    I found her Instagram one day when I was watching a friend’s story and I instantly fell in love with her content. She did not only have gorgeous photos of her Performing arts but also a plethora of information I was hungry to soak in.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that she sold e-books in addition to all the free info she shared on her page. SOoooo I quickly shot her a message to talk about a collaboration for the two of us. Jen looked through my page and recommended her BACKBENDING, VOLUME 1: SHOULDERS AND UPPER BACK ebook for me to use in my practice. I happily accepted and as soon as I ordered my additional props, I got to work.
    The thing that I love the most about this ebook is that literally EVERYTHING I read in the book was new for me. Although I’ve read countless books, ebooks, blogs, you name it, I still hadn’t learned any of this information about soft tissue prep, Nerve Glides, and Muscle Activation/Strengthening Exercises. So like a kid on a new trampoline, I hopped aboard and spent a good two hours reading and practicing everything I could on that first day.
    Fast forward to today and I’m still impressed with how helpful this ebook has been for me in my own yoga practice. I’m able to do these exercises and warm-ups in addition to my current practice and I’ve already seen tremendous improvement.
    My favorite quote in the whole ebook is “hurts so good” because I think that’s really the only accurate way for me to explain how these exercises are going to make you feel.

    For a visual representation of just how effective this ebook is, the “before” was taken directly before I completed all of the exercises (and yes, I am bending as far as I can with an un-warmed body - without going too far so I don’t hurt myself) and the “after” photo was taken about 75 minutes later, after completing EVERYTHING in the ebook.
So if my testimony doesn’t convince you to give this ebook a try, then maybe that photo will!
Below is the link for the guide. ​

1. ince the garlic
2. Roughly chop the walnuts into small pieces
3. Dice the cheese, avocado, and tomato and put aside in a separate bowl
4. Heat olive oil in a pan over high heat
5. Cut the ends off of the zucchini and put through your spiralizer (Ninja® Precision Processor™ with Auto-Spiralizer™)
6. Add the garlic and walnuts to the hot pan & season with salt, pepper, and dried basil
7. Add the zoodles into the pan
8. Toss the zoodles in the oil/garlic mixture and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until desired texture
9. Remove the zoodles and add them to the bowl with the cheese, avocado, and mozzarella 
10. Toss all of the ingredients in the bowl
11. Add a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
12. Enjoy!

You can purchase a spiralizer

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, turbinado, stevia, salt, and flaxseed in a bowl and whisk together.
3. Slice butter and drop into dry ingredients use a knife to cut the butter into tiny pieces and mix it into the flour.
4. Add apples and cinnamon and gently stir. You may want to use more or less Cinnamon depending on your preference. 
5. Gently mix in milk and yogurt, I find this whole process works better with your hands at this point.
6. Add in an extra splash of milk to your dough to ensure it stay moist while baking.
7. Form dough into a circle about that’s about an inch deep all around. Sprinkle both sides of the dough circle with raw sugar and cinnamon, gently press into both sides. 
8. Cut the circle into 8 slices, like a pizza.
9. Separate slices and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or foil.
10. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown.

I would love your feed back if you make these ❤️ Send me a message or include #FitFlexyFolk in your post! 

NOTES
recipe adapted from Cookie + Kate

Tasty. . . Easy. . . Simple. . . Veggie packed. . . Delicious
Need I say more?
​

*makes 2 servings
​
Recipe: 

• 1 banana
• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/3 cup milk of your choice
• 1 cup zucchini
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Optional toppings: honey, strawberries 

How to:

1. Mash a ripe banana in a small bowl
2. Grate 1 med-large sized zucchini
3. Mix the banana and zucchini in a medium sized bowl or 32 oz. mason jar
4. Add the oats, cinnamon, and milk to the banana/zucchini mixture
5. Leave in the fridge overnight in an air tight container 
6. Add toppings and enjoy 

​

When I was getting ready to head off to college a lot (and I mean A LOT), of people warned me about the freshman 15. If you're unfamiliar with the term it refers to the phenomenon that many students gain around 15 pounds their first year at University.
So as a Junior that was on the unlimited meal plan for two years, managed not to gain 15 pounds, and actually lost 15 pounds along the way, I thought I might have some useful info to share. 

​
1.  Drink Water
I can't stress this one enough. Get yourself a nice reusable water bottle (BPA free) and take it with you EVERYWHERE! Many times when we think we're hungry we are actually just thirsty, so keep that water handy and drink up. 

2. Get a Food Tracking app
If you only change one thing about the way you live your day to day life, do this. I used the app MyFitnessPal. It was super helpful for me to see where I was getting most of my calories from and if I was getting enough protein and other nutrients in each meal.

3. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep.
A lot of people gain weight when they have improper sleeping patterns. Believe it or not, you can't "catch up" on sleep. Each day is a new day, so when you got 4 hours of sleep on Thursday night and 11 Friday night, its not like those 2 days evened each other out, you're still out of balance. ​Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time EVERY SINGLE DAY. You only need about 6-8 hours of sleep, so find the time that works for your body and stick to it. 

4. Find a New Extracurricular 
Many of us did sports or some other sort of physical activity during high school. Thus we weren't used to scheduling in our own workouts, and you might not be a gym person, so how are you going to stay active? Join a club: Frisbee, yoga, intramural sports, Quidditch, or anything else that looks like fun! It's a chance to break a sweat, burn off that pizza, and make some new friends along the way. 

5. Get a Workout Buddy
If you aren't used to going to the gym, it can be a little daunting at first. This is where having a friend comes in handy. It's a lot easier to hold yourself accountable for a workout when you have a workout partner. 

6. Just because it is "all you can eat" does not mean you should
I know it's tempting to fill up your whole plate because there are so many different things that you want to try, but really you should fill up your plate just like you would if you were home. There's no harm in seconds if you're still hungry after the first plate! 

7. Make Every Meal a Complex Meal
Dont just eat cereal and milk every morning and a serving of green beans for dinner. Diversify each meal with proteins, fruits, vegetables and carbs, you'll be full longer!

8. Eat when you are Hungry
Another obvious tip, but something that I personally struggle with. It's a fun pastime to have a snack while chatting with friends, or reviewing yesterday's notes, but pay attention to if you are actually hungry or just bored. 

9. Eat Alone
Being comfortable with how much food makes you full can be something that you forget to pay attention to when you are having 2 conversations at once and are surrounded by feasting freshman.  Enjoy finding comfort on your own. Something that worked well for me was eating breakfast by myself 5 or 6 days of the week. It was my personal time of day when the only person I was concerned with was me. 

10. Steer clear of the Sugary Sodas
You just finished getting all of your food, and you're tired with two tests next week and a quiz on Thursday, and as you go to fill you drink cup you see the sodas. Every single brightly colored bubbly caffeinated flavor screams at your tired eyes, but my dear friend, this is where you make the decision-have a glass of water instead. 

11. Be Conscious of your Carbs
Carbs are good, carbs are a necessity, but we don't really need to eat them as often as most of us do. So skip the bagel and cream cheese for breakfast and try a bowl of yogurt instead. 

12. Time Management 
Plan out your whole day. Take the time to think about when and where you're going to eat, how much time you need to get around to classes, and what kind of activity you're going to do for the day. Staying organized can do wonders for your stress and thus diminish the need to roll up in blankets with a tube of cookie dough. 

13. Weigh or Measure Yourself
I would get an app or a little note book and once a week weigh yourself. You can also use a tape measure to measure your stomach, arm, and thighs (always making sure to do your measurements in the same place) if you don't have a scale. Which ever method you do, always do it at the same time of day, (preferably in the morning) before you've eaten; this will give you the most consistent results.  
I would stay weary of measuring yourself throughout the day or even on a daily basis. Your weight naturally fluctuates by a couple pounds in a given day, so just paying attention to your weekly weight can give you a more accurate reading of how you're doing. 

14. Listen to your Breath
If you feel yourself starting to panic, which happens to the best of us, BREATHE. Slow down, give yourself at least 30 seconds to do nothing but breathe. Focus on long smooth inhalations through the nose and steady exhalations through the nose. Keep doing this until you feel your heartbeat return to it's normal pace. 
Stress is no joke, it is another factor that makes freshmen gain weight their first year. 

​15. Do Yoga
Yoga is another tool to help you keep the stress at bay, but also a great way to stay active. Whether you want to go to a power flow class to feel the burn, or maybe attend a Yin style class to relax your mind and body, yoga is a great tool for college students. 
A fun thing that I liked doing was taking 5 minute yoga breaks while I studied for tests. It's enough of a break to help you relax, but not so much of a break that you loose your focus. 

One of my favorite things about jewelry is the story behind each piece. So when it comes to picking my favorite bracelets healmeow.com/ is my go to! All of their pieces are handmade in California and infused with positive vibes so when you have them on you can really feel the happiness bounce off of each stone. But best of all, each bracelet is made with lava stones and you can infuse those with essential oils! 
My favorite bracelets are the Goldstone, Smoky Quartz + Lava & 
Lava + Labradorite 
My favorite oil to add to these bracelets would definitely be Lavender! 

One of my favorite things is coffee, so when I found out about Natural Joe I obviously had to try out their coffee scrub. It was just what my skin needed to smooth out rough patches and left my skin feeling super moisturized and smooth. And to top it all off, they're a vegan and cruelty free company!
Here's how I like to use the scrub:

1. Clean your face like you normally would with a daily cleanser
2. Rinse off your face, but only dry off the area around your eyes
3. Pour about a palm full of the scrub into your hand
4. Massage the scrub into your skin in small circular motions (be careful to avoid the eyes)
5. Let sit for about 10 minutes
6. Rinse! I recommend doing the scrub right before you take a shower so you can worry less about the mess from the coffee grounds and simply rinse off in the shower.

*Also know that you can use this scrub anywhere! I like to use it on my arms as well, to help smooth out any dry skin.
Check them out: https://natural-joe.com/