Healthy Happy and Free

Another injury? Yes, yes, another injury. It seems as though I get a running related injury every year. However, I love running and  I just don't want to give it up. So we rehab, we heal and we become stronger than we were before. My latest injury is a minor stress fracture and, honestly, the injury is so small, that it makes me feel a little bad about not running. My crazy side rationalizes that I could run through it but the smart side knows that doing so would only exacerbate the problem. I originally ignored the twinge. Then, I couldn't ignore it so I tried using KT tape and I rode the bike a few times in place of a run. I honestly felt it was getting better! I tried running again on the treadmill and it went ok. Then two days later, I tried running on the treadmill again and this time it was NOT ok. After about 1.5 miles, something went wrong. I stopped the treadmill and my ankle felt worse than ever. I made an appointment for the orthopedic and the X-rays didn&#

Dairy Free. Paleo. Ice Cream. Conflicting phrases? Not anymore!  You've probably heard of Banana Nice Cream, right? (Thank you pinterest circa 2012) The idea is frozen bananas blended with cocoa powder or peanut butter and voila - a guilt free treat. Fronen takes that idea to the next level. Instead of your average blended banana excuse for ice cream, Fronen uses just a few ingredients to create a unique and allergy friendly ice cream experience.  The story: Jessy was diagnosed with Celiac and dairy sensitivity at age 13. The limited dairy free options were either loaded with sugar or sugar alcohols that didn't sit well with her. Jessy and Erik developed Fronen as a solution! I'm a firm believer that NO ONE should go without ice cream so I love that they were able to create this unique product for people in similar situations.  That being said, I don't have celiac or a dairy intolerance so I have real ice cream standards. Could they stand up to my stan

I love peanut butter. I love popcorn. I love protein. Why not combine all three in a delicious treat with ZERO added sugar? It's so simple and delicious! My mom said it tasted like a dessert! What's not to love? Ingredients: 1 bag popped 100 calorie popcorn bag 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1 tbsp. coconut oil  1/4 cup Vitafiber syrup 1/4 cup almond milk  1 scoop vanilla protein powder Directions: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.  In a medium sauce pan, heat the peanut butter, coconut oil, and Vitafiber syrup, stirring until smooth.  Add in the protein powder and almond milk and stir until smooth.  Remove mixture from heat and stir in the popcorn.  Spread the mixture in the lined loaf pan and set in fridge to firm. Store these in the fridge!  A sweet treat packed with fiber and protein! Enjoy!

Another round of Friday Finds coming at ya! Detour Lean Muscle Bites - So you like candy but you you're trying to be fit? No problem! Now you can have a delicious snack with some protein! Detour Lean Muscle bites are small snack bars in m&m and cookie dough flavors! I can't wait to try them! They are available exclusively at Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon. Check them out here:  https://www.amazon.com/Detour-Lean-Muscle-Bites/dp/B07LG8VB89 Photo from amazon.com Zensah Ankle Compression Sleeve - So I've been dealing with another injury (doctor's appointment this week) and I needed something to help me while I wait on my doctor's appointment. I ordered the Zensah compression brace and it is really helpful. It's small, tight, and comfortable. I've been a long time fan of Zensah compression socks and this sleeve is no exception. Check it out here: amazon.com/zensah Fre Recover Me Night Cream - I love my Fre Skincare and they have been coming out with s

What's cuter than an actual baby? Puppies, kittens, and party cake protein babies! Sorry, little infants - these protein babies are just too cute! They're super easy, customizable, tasty and fun! Ingredients: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 2 tsp rainbow sprinkles 2 tsp coconut oil  2 tbsp. Vitafiber IMO syrup  splash of almond milk or milk of choice Directions: Combine the melted coconut oil and Vitafiber syrup.  In a separate bowl combine the protein powder and rainbow sprinkles.  Combine the liquid and protein and then add milk a little at a time until you are able to roll into small balls.  Store in the fridge! I made 10 babies but you can make them larger if desired.  For entire batch: 290 cal 22p Do you think infants are cute? I think the toddler stage is cuter!

Another Friday means another round of Friday Finds! Flavored PB&CO - I have seen Flavored PB&Co on Instagram and my curiosity was piqued. It's a powdered peanut butter but in fun flavors like Salted Caramel and Birthday Cake! I have tried those two flavors so far and they are amazing! They actually have mix-ins like toffee bits and rainbow sprinkles! I've used them on sweet potatoes, rice cakes and more. I definitely recommend these! Check them out  https://flavoredpbco.com/ Lululemon Align Leggings - Am I late to the party or what? I know everyone raves about lululemon leggings. I once went in the store, tried on a pair of the clearance leggings (which were still expensive) and wasn't crazy about them. Then, I recently got a gift card and tried on the Align leggings and I understand the obsession! They are buttery soft and have a great stretch. They are super high waisted which is something I like. I probably would never spend my money to buy full price ones

Going for the gold means you're aiming to win, right?  So when I saw a protein bar called "Grab the Gold", I thought these must be winners. How could they be anything less? I wanted to see if they lived up to their name. I haven't seen too many people eating these bars or talking about them but I have seen them sold at Publix and Amazon.  They tout their bars are made with clean ingredients and: plant based high potassium high fiber Kosher gluten free So many chocolate chips! Danielle, the founder and CEO, first developed these snack bars when she was just 16 years old. They hand craft the bars in small batches using simple ingredients like oats, peanut butter, non GMO soy flour, and organic cane sugar.  I first tried the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor. The bar has a strong peanut butter flavor, while being very sweet. It was loaded with small chocolate chips. It was chewy with a slight crunch and had texture from the oats. I tho