Healthy Happy and Free

August Hike of the Month! Just four more hikes to go! This month we were a little tight on time so we went to a shorter hike just two hours from home - Hawksbill Trail in North Carolina. This is a 2.2 mile round-trip (there and back) moderate trail. It gets a little steep towards the top but the views are worth it! It was pretty muddy the day we went but there had been a lot of rain recently. You will come to a split on the way up - go left! That's where it gets progressively steeper. At the summit, there's an obvious vantage point towards the left which is where we went, however, I read that if you follow the narrow trail to the right, there's an even better vantage point! Guess I have to go back now! For more details on this hike and directions to get there, check out this website:  https://www.romanticasheville.com/hawksbill_mountain.htm  and word to the wise, there's no bathrooms anywhere near it! All in all, it was a nice hike with good views! Have you...

Is it back to school time already?! Seriously, where does summer go? While I may not be in school anymore, I still pack a lunchbox and I always need snacks for any adventure. So here's just a few ideas whether you're packing snacks for work, lunch, your husband, your kids, or for a hike! This list has no granola bars or protein bars! I think those are fairly obvious, right? 1.  Farm and Oven Bakery Bites  - I've mentioned these before but they are such a great snack! Each pack of bakery bites is 3 delicious, bite sized little treats. That's not all! Each pack has 40% of your daily dose of veggies! Yes, you read that right, 40%. I can't choose a favorite flavor but I tend to go with Beet Dark Chocolate! 2. Fruit Bars and dried fruit - I like the convenience of dried fruit bars and they make for a healthy lunchbox dessert (or quick carbs for a workout!). Brands I've tried and loved: That's It bars, Barnana, Peaceful Fruits, and Sunrype bars, Cris...

Looking for a tasty frozen treat? Of course you are. Trying to get your daily probiotics in? Of course you are. Kill two birds with one stone with this super simple recipe! It's so simple, so refreshing, and packed with probiotics thanks to Lifeway Kefir! Ingredients: 2 cups plain Lifeway Kefir 4 tbsp mini chocolate chips (I used Know Foods sugar-free chocolate chips) 1/4 cup ChocZero coconut syrup* optional: 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, adds to the creaminess additional sweetener to taste* Directions: Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly.  Pour into a freezer safe container (or popsicle molds if you have them) and place in the freezer.  Take out and stir every 20-30 minutes for 2-4 hours to add to the creaminess.  If in a large container, allow to soften and cut into 4 squares, carefully use a sharp knife to make a dent to insert a popsicle stick (or just enjoy with regular utensils!) *If you don't have ChocZero syr...

I've been dealing with anxiety for a while now and something that helps me is getting my thoughts down in writing. So more recently, I created some worksheets for my own benefit. I thought, why not make them available to everyone! They're pretty straightforward and you could easily follow the concept without actually printing them. Worksheet One:  Overcoming Hard Scenarios Worksheet One - Overcoming Hard Scenarios Is the idea of going out to eat scary to you? Is standing up for what you believe daunting? Is going out with friend hard? Imagine a scenario that you've struggled with. Now step one asks you to DEFINE why it's challenging . This can make the challenge seem less formidable and maybe even rationalize some irrational thoughts. This puts into clear terms what is scary about this scenario. Only then can you conquer it. The next step is to outline steps that you can take to react in these situations. In a rational frame mind, plan out how you will hand...

Proper recovery is essential to having a good workout next time. We all love having a good workout! Many people try to hack recovery so they can push themselves to the limit. I don't necessarily encourage that as it can lead to injuries if you push too far. However, I do utilize recovery tools and techniques so I can optimize my recovery! Here's some things I use: turmeric (curcumin) combined with black pepper to make it more bioavailable, it is natural anti-inflammatory agent. I simply use it as seasoning. If you need more, there are turmeric supplements available.  compression socks  - I wear Zensah socks while I run but I also wear them when I'm not running. The compression is shown to reduce swelling, improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness.  cold exposure  - not always the most pleasant experience but cold exposure is shown to reduce inflammation, decrease muscle damage and soreness, and speed recovery. I've never gone as far as an ice bath or...

Watch out protein bars, there's a new snack in town.  Siren Snacks were developed as a result of the founder being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease. She had to undertake a journey of clean eating and her sister joined her! Together they developed snack bites to satisfy the need for sweet snack bites. They added in a punch of pea protein and voila! Siren Snacks were born.  They check all the boxes: soy free gluten free grain free nut free non GMO vegan  no artificial sweeteners no artificial flavors  They are sweetened with a blend of monk fruit, stevia and dates. They currently come in four flavors: Snickerdoodle, Brownie, Cookie Dough, and Lemon Poppyseed.  I loved the small, snack-able bites. They make the snack so fun to eat and they make it last. The texture was great as well. It was soft and cookie-like, without being oily or sticky. I didn't detect any weird pea protein aftertaste, just sweet goodness. The snickerd...

Caffeine and chocolate, two of my favorite things! Why not combine them? That's exactly what Awake Chocolate did! Each "bite" has the equivalent to half a cup of coffee (so you're gonna want about 4 or 5, right?). You can get the caffeine kick you need in a delicious chocolate snack so you can have more energy to do whatever you need to do - get through a long commute, get through the work day, or rock out at a concert! Whatever it is, you better be AWAKE! So the big question I had: Does the caffeine negatively affect the taste of the chocolate? Is it truly delicious as they say? The answer: a resounding yes! Though I wouldn't say this chocolate rivals the artisan chocolatiers of Italy, it is good tasting chocolate with no weird texture or aftertaste. I let my dad try some and he was hooked! I think he ate 10 in one day (yikes, I don't recommend this amount of caffeine consumption!) and came back asking for more! The milk chocolate is milk choc...

Doesn't it seem like someone is always talking about losing weight or getting fit? Exercise is supposed to be good for us, right? There are so many options, which one is right for you: weight lifting running Spin classes kettlebell Orange theory  Crossfit and on and on and on Each of these forms of exercise seems to have a cult-like following and this can be intimidating. The key is to be open minded, be bold and choose what will serve you. For instance, if you don't have the time to devote to Crossfit, maybe that's not the exercise for you. If you have a lot of stress, intense workouts may also not be the best choice.  If your primary goal is weight loss, resistance training will be the most beneficial long term.  If your primary goal is muscle building, resistance training will be the most beneficial.  If your primary goal is stamina and endurance, some form of cardio will be most beneficial.  If your primary goal is to be c...

What'sup - plement? Please excuse my corny pun intro and allow me to introduce you to Terra Origins line of supplements. I really like this brand because they combine science-backed solutions with ancient, natural traditions to create products that support a healthy life and longevity. It usually seems like science and holistic health are at odds, but I don't think that's true and Terra Origins proves that. They use high quality ingredients and 100% guarantee for free returns. They offer: Bone Broth Protein Powders (Chocolate, Vanilla), Superfoods Powders (Mint, Coffee, Kiwi Strawberry, Coconut), Grass-fed Whey Protein Powders (Chocolate, Vanilla, Cinnamon), Plant Protein (Chocolate, Vanilla, Vanilla Chai), and several Supplement Capsules. Obviously, I could not try ALL these supplements, but I did try Chocolate Bone Broth Protein 100 cal 2f/19p/2f I was very intrigued by this product because I've never tried bone broth protein before but I am on board wit...