+ download your Smoothie Bowl Mayhem Guide below, it's FREE!!!.Hey there FITFAB tribe! Did you see my insta post on Friday with a shot of my green smoothie? I then posted a live video on the beFITbeFAB facebook page with the recipe of the one I was drinking. So I thought I would share other options for green smoothie variations & green smoothie bowls. Smoothie bowls have a lot of different options, from going with a classic acai bowl, to using your favorite fruits. Another option is to turn the smoothie bowl into a green smoothie, where you are combining the traditional ingredients with lots of veggies. This increases the nutrition of your smoothie bowl and makes it more filling. Here are some ways to have a green smoothie bowl for breakfast. Go Green With Greens Green smoothies get their name from the color of the smoothie, which is often any variation of a green shade, but where do they get the color from? Greens of course! The bulk of your green smoothie, even in a smoothie bowl, is going to be your dark, leafy greens. While you can use any greens, kale and spinach tend to be more popular options. They have a mild flavor so it is still easy to sweeten your smoothie bowl and have the nutrients from the green veggies at the same time. About a cup or two of greens is good for a smoothie bowl. Use Enough Fruit to Sweeten it Up The next step after you have chosen your greens and veggies is to add fruit. This is going to add more flavor to the smoothie bowl, so it doesn’t just taste like you are drinking liquid vegetables. What you want to look for are fruits that don’t just help thicken it up, like your bananas, but fruits that have a lot of sweetness. Fruits that are on the tartier side really help to cover the flavor of the greens, like apples and certain types of berries. Some other fruits that go well with greens are kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, mango, and pineapple. Add Extra Nutrients You can go with more nutrient-dense ingredients both in the green smoothie and on top when the smoothie bowl is done. This is when you start adding ingredients like chia seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts or nut butter, coconut, and various dairy products for extra calcium. On the top, some good nutrient-dense toppings include coconut flakes, cacao nibs or powder, chia seeds, and goji berries. Get creative with your green smoothie, focusing not just on taste, but texture and nutrition as well. Experiment with differ combinations when putting together your green smoothie. There is an almost endless amount of ways to turn the smoothie into a filling and healthy breakfast. I would love to hear about your smoothie bowls, green smoothies and all things smoothies... oh which reminds me, did you snatch your copy of the Smoothie Bowl Mayhem guide? In case you didn't here it is, go ahead and download!!
Happy Monday,
Given the current weather we're experiencing in the Northern hemisphere whether in the US, Europe or Asia I found it rather beFITting to bring about the topic of Natural Sunscreen. Shot straight from the cuff in between sessions this afternoon... Depending on your skin type, your body will produce between 1,000 and 10,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin D when exposed to 30 minutes of the mid-day sun. This is important because vitamin D deficiency has been linked to weak bones, insomnia, mood disorders, hormonal imbalances and more. But too much of anything can be bad, and sun exposure is no exception. Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), skin cancer is the single most common type of cancer, with roughly one in five Americans developing it at some point during their life. A leading contributing factor of skin cancer is sun exposure. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that penetrate the skin and promote abnormal cell growth. Statistics show that up to 90 percent of all non-melanoma skin cancers involve prolonged exposure to the sun. Sunlight is actually a form of radiation. The Earth's geomagnetic field filters some of this radiation but not all of it. As a result, some solar radiation penetrates through the atmosphere while exposing us and everything else on this planet to UV light. There are ways to protect your sun from solar radiation, however, including the use of natural sunscreen lotion. Choose Your Sunscreen Lotion Carefully It may sound contradictory, but some sunscreen lotions may actually increase your risk of skin cancer. Many store-bought sunscreen products, for instance, contain nano particles of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide itself isn't necessarily bad; it's actually an effective compound for blocking solar radiation. When processed for sunscreen lotion, though, companies often create a fine chalk-like powder of zinc oxide consisting of 100nm or smaller particles. The zinc oxide particles are so small that they absorb into your skin. The precise effects of nano-sized zinc oxide remains unknown, but some health experts believe it's a contributing factor in skin cancer. Once absorbed by the body, they disturb cellular growth and function. This has prompted many health-conscious individuals to seek a safer alternative form of sun protection. What Is Natural Sunscreen Lotion? Natural sunscreen lotion is made using safe, natural ingredients. Coconut oil, for example, is a common ingredient found in natural sunscreen lotion. Extracted from mature coconuts, this all-natural ingredient contains a sun protection factor (SPF) of 5. It also contains antioxidants to strengthen the skin and protect against oxidative stress. Furthermore, coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties, making it particularly beneficial for people suffering from chronic inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. Shea butter is another common ingredient used in natural sunscreen lotion. Extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, it contains high concentrations of fatty acids, including oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid. The high fat content of shea butter makes it an excellent moisturizing cream or lotion. Additionally, shea butter has natural sun-blocking properties, keeping your skin safe from UV rays. Some natural sunscreen lotions also contain zinc oxide but in larger particles. Zinc oxide is found in the Earth's crust. Normally, it doesn't pose any risk to our health. If it's processed into nano-sized particles, though, some experts believe it increases the risk of skin cancer. When choosing a natural sunscreen lotion, consider the types of UV light it blocks. All sunscreen lotion is designed to block the sun's UV rays. With that said, there are two specific types of UV sunlight: UVA and UVB. UVA rays are primarily responsible for sunburns whereas UVB rays are responsible for skin aging, wrinkles and fine lines. Additionally, they are both associated with an increased risk of skin cancer. Some sunscreen products only protect against UVB rays, leaving your skin susceptible to UVA. A broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion, however, is formulated to protect against both types of solar radiation. Other Tips to Protect Your Skin from Sun Damage Wearing natural sunscreen lotion is just one way to protect your skin from sun damage. You can also cover your skin and limit the time you spend outdoors. By following some simple steps, you'll promote healthier, more youthful skin. And of course remember to always cover your skin in the sun, wear a hat, shades and don't forget to put some of that protective lotion on your ears & top of your feet as those are more exposed than we think. Lastly avoid the sun between 11am - 4pm as those are the most dangerous hours of the day. Look after yourself, I want you to be healthy, to be happy. Laugh Everyday! Sweat Everyday! Coach StephB Since the age of about 14 I have dipped in and out of various "meat free" nutrition strategies aka diets... I tried the vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan you name it I tested them. Several reasons behind my experiments: first I suffered a lot from eczema and various allergies, then of course my eating disorder didn't help but also because as I traveled the world I encountered so many different cultures that don't eat meat that I also wanted to understand their approach too. To be honest I am a firm believer on variety and that certain food groups work well with a "less is more" approach. More on that another day :) To be honest my husband and I are plant based 90% of the time, we do have fish & eggs once a week and we have a good steak every 4-6 weeks, we link it back to our training cycle. However this winter I got terribly sick, it was beyond a bad flue: I was training for 2 spring marathons (Paris & London), New York was getting weekly snow storms, temperatures were below freezing, we had just gotten a new puppy that required miles and miles of walks several times a day and on top of that my full time job as a trainer & coach...I was broken, beyond fatigued, my body & soul were aching. Then I thought to myself "are the demands I am putting on my body requiring more from my nutrition? should I be re-introducing red meat more frequently?" and so I ate a New York strip steak and instantly, like over night my energy came back up and I was on top of my game again...until a week a two later and boom, I crashed. So eventually I decided I just needed to add more meat more frequently on a weekly basis. It was awesome, my energy levels were back up. Fast forwards a few months when summer finally peaked it's nose the truth hit me in the face: I had gained over 10lbs!!! Shocking!! Particularly given my weight had stabilized itself since 2014. The only thing that had changed in my nutrition was the extra meat I had been eating. So I went back to my plant based eating habits and there it was: I started de-bloating and the weight is just slipping off. There are many amazing benefits of eating a plant-based diet rather than consuming animal sourced foods. So here below you have it all: the five benefits from beginning a vegan diet lifestyle. 1. A Reduced Risk of Developing Heart Disease Animal-based foods have more fat, especially saturated fats that damage the heart, arteries and blood vessels. You can see how much fat is in butter, cheese and meat by reading the labels on the products that you buy at the supermarket. When you stop consuming meat and other animal-based foods, you will stop ingesting high levels of saturated fat that cause strokes and heart attacks. 2. Increasing Your Level of Antioxidants By eating more plant-based foods, you are increasing the amount of antioxidants that you consume. Antioxidants are nutrients that are in the outer covering and flesh of bright or dark fruits and vegetables. This nutrient fights against the free radicals that are in your body’s cells, helping to prevent some types of cancer. When you are shopping for groceries, choose produce such as dark leafy greens, red tomatoes and orange bell peppers. 3. Protecting Your Body’s Liver When you consume animal-based products, your liver must work harder to remove the toxins from the meat and other processed foods. If your liver is damaged by cleansing the toxins from your bloodstream, then you can develop liver disease. In some cases, your liver will stop working, and without a functioning liver, your other organs will stop working, leading to death. 4. Maintaining a Healthy Blood Glucose Level A vegan diet that contains a lot of plant-based protein and fiber can help you maintain a healthy blood glucose level. Plant-based foods that contain a lot of protein include lentils, almonds and tofu. By consuming less saturated fat, you will reduce your cholesterol level, helping your body to regulate your blood sugar naturally. 5. Lose Weight With a Vegan Diet Plan Butter, meat and cheese contain numerous calories, and in many cases, you will eat large portions of animal-based foods, leading to excess weight. A vegan diet plan can lead to rapid weight loss because fruits, vegetables and grains are lower in fat. With a plant-based diet, you will feel satiated from the fiber, helping you to consume smaller portions at each meal. If you want to lose weight while also getting these additional benefits, you may want to consider a vegan diet, but my top recommendation would be to get 1:1 personal consultation. And I know you're burning to find out: yes I have gone back to my plant based nutrition habits BUT I am still going to include a little meat & fish as the demands I put on my body just need a little extra support every now and again. We are all unique and respond to programs differently, so why not email me steph@befitbefab.com to schedule your FREE first discovery call and we can discuss what would work best for your based on YOUR lifestyle & YOUR goals. Have a beautiful day, Coach StephB ps: grab a copy of my Guide 10 Steps to leaner & healthier you AKA 10 steps to beFITbeFAB your life by clicking here: Very excited to be launching The beFITbeFAB Best Body Countdown! This is a 52 day program which includes nutrition plan + exercise plan in order to help YOU reach YOUR BEST BODY! You will be coached and supported by a team of Registered Dietitians & Nutritionists as well as by Coach StephB Save the date: registration opens August 9th. Limited Availability. email: steph@befitbefab.com to receive early bird discount! If this sounds like you then email steph@befitbefab.com for more info Registration kicks off August 9th, for early bird discounts get in touch now steph@befitbefab.com. The beFITbeFAB Best Body Countdown is brought to you in partnership with The 52 Days Best Body Countdown designed by Sohailla Digsby, Registered Dietitian & Nutritionist. Sohailla is the Founder of Best Body Nutrition & Fitness – directing the Best Body Countdown and training facilitators to run her program around the US. To help you reach Your Best Body, she has recently published her Cookbook & Menu Plan to go along with her Countdown to Your Best Body Success Journal which will be included as part of your beFITbeFAB Best Body Countdown registration package. Sohailla Digsby has designed the menu plan & nutrition strategy for 52 days and beyond, she will also be providing daily & weekly tips, as well as regular support group chats. Coach StephB has designed the supporting exercise fitness and wellness strategy for the 52 days and beyond including tips, reminders, notification and coaching support. All materials will be available via the beFITbeFAB Hub & App and will include hard copies of the manuals & recipe books. Laugh Everyday, Sweat Everyday! If you BElieve IT, you BEcome FIT! Coach StephB Morning! Happy Monday...or happy whatever day you are checking in with us.
I hear so many myths and contradictions about breakfast that I thought it was about time to share beFITbeFAB's dirty secrets. There are a few hard truths about BREAKFAST: yes it IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY. And I can't stress enough on this and here is why. As part of beFITbeFAB's services comes an app, this app is a great tool for both me as a coach and for my clients. I can update all the info for my clients and they can access their progress, workouts and log in their activity. Great right? well it goes further. The app enables you (and me!) to track out nutrition: throughout the day you can log in your various meals and this will give you a quick snapshot of how you are tracking in regards to calories and your macros. Like most women so many of my female clients when they first kick off their training are OBSESSED with the calorie count. So much so that I will refer them to a registered dietitian & nutritionist so that they can get the diet they are looking for, much like I design the workout my RD & RN colleagues will design a custom diet plan for them. A point I do address is raising awareness and educating on their overall nutrition. We use the nutrition part of the app as a good way to observe the client's eating behavior and habits, as well as to showcase certain dysfunctions as well as discrepancies between the training program and the nutrition. So a lot of the time during that observation phase I see my clients gradually reducing their calories, BUT what I do observe is that more than 50% of the calorie intake happens at night. Ladies, gents, I've said this before and I'll say it again: ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN! Exercising is not a license to eat. Does exercise help burning calories? Sure does. Will exercise only enable you to achieve or connect with your health & fitness targets? Certainly not. Fitness and nutrition go together like a horse and carriage. You want results? It's down to what you do, when you do it, how you do it, when you eat it. It's a science, it's a lifestyle but it sure is so worth it to see yourself fit and healthy and happy as! How does the light breakie and bigger dinner translate? Well if you have a small breakfast you're not putting a lot of fuel in your body, so the body goes in to "energy saving mode " = the metabolism slows down = you stop burning as many calories = no weightloss and then you have a huge dinner at night so the body goes into "energy storing mode" = the metabolism slows even more = the body stores the fat = weightgain Yup you got it, you could be eating very little calories, exercising all the time and not seeing a slight difference on your body. [gasp!] The secret?
Depending on how long your day is and how you like to spread your food consider light snacks such as nuts, fruit, rice crackers. Now I can hear a lot of you say "oh but I can't really eat so much as soon as I get up, I just like to grab and go". Ok that's fine because he is another secret: when you wake up there is a 4 hour window during which you want to have your breakfast. So why not switch round your morning snack & your breakfast? You could have a piece of fruit & coffee when you get up, then once you reach your office take a moment to actually enjoy your breakfast. That way you will have built an appetite, you won't be too hungry either, and you will feel fuller, stronger more energized for longer. And my final secret? Have your proteins and some carbs for breakfast. Those will keep you full longer. Here below a quick and easy breakfast recipe. You can have with 1/2 bagel or rice cracker, piece of fruit or 1/2 banana, coffee with a dash of plant based milk and you're rolling high on nutrient dense quality food to keep you fit strong and healthy throughout the day. So let's summarise:
Got it? FAB! And as always, remember I am here to help, to raise awareness and educate you about a healthy lifestyle in the gym and in the kitchen BUT please please please make sure you check in with your physician and a registered dietitian for more detailed nutrition plans for you. If I need a tooth fixing I don't call the plumber ;) So with that said if you want to start a training program be it virtually online wherever you are in the world, or in person in NYC then just drop me a line on steph@befitebfab.com because I just have so many more secrets and tips to share and I'd love for you to hear about them all. You have a beautiful day. Laugh Everyday, Sweat Everyday! If you believe it you become FIT. With love, Coach Steph B
Happy Tuesday!
It's been a while but I've been stuck deep in technology, training, coaching and testing. Expect to see lots of updates coming soon. Meanwhile marathon, half marathon and all thons season is coming into full swing, I have been getting a LOT of requests for some training plans which are a nice way to ramp up volume, speed, distance and overall improve endurance. So here we go, fresh off the press your 6 weeks running and endurance training. It includes a ton of workouts which you can do anywhere be it in front of your tv, on the beach, top of a mountain, after a run, in your hotel room you name it. I've also added some progression runs, speed intervals, hill workouts, foam rolling tips and as always you get all that packed in your very own personalised beFITbeFAB hub which you can access online or in app. Awesome right?! The plan is priced at USD $70 but am currently offering 50% discount if you use the code beFRIENDS :) Like I've said before my passion and purpose is to help you be happy, be healthy and beFIT, come on, wait no more, sign up, get up and RUN! Laugh Everyday, Sweat Everyday, If you believe it, you become FIT! Coach Steph B Hi! Hope you all had a good week end.
Super excited to be launching a new 6 week program "RUN FIT with beFITbeFAB". This is a great opportunity for you to get a better understanding of how your body actually works and what might be certain muscle imbalances or joint weaknesses and HOW TO FIX THEM! Check out the program here and of course if you have any questions just drop me a line steph@befitbefab.com Have a FAB Monday! As promised after looking at pre workout boost strategies, power breakfast ideas let's have a look at one of the key nutrient intake timing: post workout recovery. Again what best way to illustrate this than by referring to some real life experiences, my clients. How often do I hear this "Hey coach, I just finished a nice 5km run, heading off for brunch for pancakes, bacon, waffles. I so deserve it!" and this "I just got an awesome deal on a pre and post workout mix, I know you said best to avoid the preworkout but the post is just pure whey protein isolate with a whole bunch of stuff that's gonna make me strong" or I also get this "Since I want to get a little leaner I decided not to eat after my gym session this morning, but tonight I was so hungry I had 2 burgers, but overall I didn't overdo it too much on the calories, that's cool right?" Ok so what do you think? Which one of my clients has it all figured out? Is it the one with the all you can eat licence? Is it the one dosing up on powder? or is it the one just looking at calories and skipping meals then making up at night? Truth be told it's about getting the formulas right between the macro and micro nutrients as well as based on the timing. Thanks to research, biology, chemisty and labs some amazing scientists have come up with the ideal equation and formula you need. Hooray! Or EUREKA! Here let's take a look: Easy right? It's all about getting the right amount of carbs and protein and water of course! Follow this formula, correlate it to your energy input and energy output and there you go you will have mastered the art and science of perfect nutrition, or will you? It reminds me of my first ever nutrition course back when I was at high school (yes in France we studied nutrition in chemistry and biology, for a whole semester!!) the thing is we walked in on that exact equation and that was it they'd lost 99% of the attention... Thankfully back in the 90s and just like today you can turn to media and be sure to find an answer to whatever your question might be. Let us be grateful for all those editorial teams who have dedicated hours of hard working business lunches in tight collaboration with food companies to deliver you with the unique secrets of post workout recovery strategies. Here is a light compilation of what's out there: There is SO MUCH INFORMATION out there. It's all cluttered, it's all disorganised, it's contradictory, conflicting, confusing, frustrating you name it. Between all the different [fad] diets, the influence of celebrity endorsement and all the editorial content it can feel a little overwhelming. You can easily see why my gym client got sold on the "pure whey protein isolate with a whole bunch of stuff that's gonna make me strong" product, it's likely to be that same sexy sales guy dressed up as a trainer pretending to know everything and caring about your muscles. With the overwhelming volume of information it can quickly become confusing, frustrating and rather stressful. Now with stress comes emotion which in turn can convert one into the post-exercise-hungry-angry-monster, you know the saying "a hungry man is an angry man" right? And that's how you reach home or jump onto our favourite home delivery app to place an order just like my client who skipped the post workout recovery and made up for it at night with the double-double burger... So we have the complicated science formula, we have the cluttered overwhelming overdose of influential information available in the press and so a lot of us then tend to think like my 5k runner "finished a nice 5km run, heading off for brunch for pancakes, bacon, waffles. I so deserve it!" what else? Well nothing beats common beliefs or misbeliefs: Adding to those misbeliefs that exercising is a licence to all you can eat you then have to put up with what people always say to me "oh you exercise so much you can just eat whatever you want it doesn't matter hahaha"... Really? Look I remember when I used to work in advertising and we would pick up a client brief, when the brief was a little "loosey goosey" I'd tell them in the nicest possible way "crap in crap out". Well you know what, it's kinda the same when it comes to your post workout recovery nutrition: if you don't put the right food back in then you can be sure the results are not going to be good or at least definitely not the ones you want. Similar to the pre-workout boost we looked at the other day: we want to be focusing on real foods. We want to focus on foods which will be health promoting, which will enable you to grow stronger and reach your full potential. Regardless of you being a pro athlete, a golden age or a young adult, to me you are all athletes and you all deserve to be happy to be healthy and to live a long life. So please forget the protein powder, forget the magic pills, forget the making up for all those calories, definitely don't believe the licence to eat. Really let's try to keep it as simple as possible here, to recover your body is going to need to:
So it should look like a combination of 3 of the below: What about the quantities? which order?
First things first, I have mentioned this before and to keep it simple I want you to keep in mind the relationship between energy in, energy out, energy back in and link it back to your overarching goal. Someone who just ran a 5k race will not have the same needs as someone who just ran a half marathon. Someone who just did a good hour session will also have different needs. Here are some suggestions & ideas to what you can eat depending on your activity: HIIT session: replace energy within 30 minutes of training, optimise muscle tissue repair & rebuild
Strength training: replace energy within 30 to 45 minutes of training, optimise muscle growth (make sure you sleep plenty, growth hormones only work in the dark and while you sleep)
Steady state cardio such as running medium to long distance, cross training: replace energy as soon as you can focusing on hydration and refueling
I love to vary and play with spices, frozen blueberries and mix things up. Going back to my 5K client which we would put in the steady state cardio type of work out my advice would be to yes for sure go to brunch but choose and compare the options. In this day and age there are so many healthy food options out there if you make the active decision to look out for them. Last but not least I've mentioned this before be sure to consult your physician to ensure that you are making all the wise moves for your optimal health. Have a beautiful evening! Coach StephB And remember: Laugh Everyday. Sweat Everyday! If you believe it, you become FIT. Well hello there! If you have been following beFITbeFAB on Instagram (if not be sure to follow @beFITbeFAB4life) you will have seen numerous shots of yummy breakfast, lunches, dinner, snacks, smoothies etc... Due to popular demand I will start sharing some of the recipes here. It's a challenge for me to actually write up a recipe because I am extremely intuitive when it comes to food and I really go by taste and feeling...I look within to see what my body will need and also consider my day and activities ahead to ensure I will provide my system with all the good nutrients it will need. Just like some people are very careful on what fuel they put in their car I am very careful on what food I put into my body. I have a "food for fuel" approach - more on this in the coming weeks. So without further ado here is this morning's bFbF Power Breakfast Recipe: Try it out and let me know how you go on (click on comments to add your comment and share your experience).
There are plenty of variations when it comes to the toppings, just be mindful of the quantities and make sure they are in line with your needs based on your metabolic profile (the exact number of calories you need each day based on your level of activity). Not sure what your metabolic profile is? Drop me an email on steph@befitbefab.com to find out more! Oh and I can hear you think "hey what's that pink beverage I can see?" well you'll have to stay tuned for that one, I'm not gonna reveal all my secrets in one shot am I? :) Have a beautiful day and remember Laugh Everyday, Sweat Everyday! If you believe it, you become FIT. Love, Coach StephB |
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