My Weekly Top Ten #5 and my favorite pre-workout snack lately!

First thing is first: music.  It has been too long since I got a chance to share my music obsessions with you all.  My workouts have been varying a lot lately, so the music goes along with that.  (I put what type of track this song could be used for in your workout in parenthesis if you're looking for specific tempos.)

 1. Stressed Out- Twenty One Pilots (cool down, warm up)
2. I Come Apart (feat. Florence Welch) -ASAP Rocky (cool down)
3. Fear (feat. Imagine Dragons) - X Ambassadors  (intervals, climb)
4. Bruk Bruk -Dillon Francis (intervals)
5. Look What We've Become (climb)
6. Golden (feat. Sia) - Travie McCoy (climb)
7. Tom's Diner (feat. Britney Spears) - Giorgio Moroder (intervals)
8. Hysteria (feat. Matthew Koma) - Steve Aoki (intervals)
9. Beating Heart - Ellie Goulding  (intervals)
10. Ride Wit Me- TI (climb, cool down)


Comment with your favorite motivation song below!  I'm always in need of new tunes.

I have been OBSESSED with dates.  I have no clue why.  I love freezing them and pairing them with nut butter.  This pre-workout snack consists of half a frozen banana, 3 frozen dates, some blueberries, and a few strawberry slices.  I used coconut peanut spread  (Earth Balance brand)  to top the frozen items.  Absolutely delicious.  They were a teensy bit of protein and healthy fats, natural carbs, and natural sugar to fuel my run.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! I've been eating this as dessert sometimes, too.  Trust me on this one.

Product Review: No Cow Bars

Hey all! This last month has been quite a whirlwind of things from getting into school and then wrapping up at my teaching job. Now, I have a little more time on my hands to blog(:

I have been searching out for a new product to review and came across No Cow Bars. I go through many protein/snack bars, and I get sick of many brands easily. I wanted to find something that is sensitive to as many dietary needs as possible while still maintaining a good taste. This is what I found!

Thank you for the samples, D's Naturals!

This is and up and coming company, so, they have three flavors. I liked that this product is sensitive to 3 things while being wholesome as a snack in the first place. Those that must stick to a gluten free diet, like Celiac, lactose allergies (which most protein bars use whey), and those that are watching their soy intake can look to this bar as a great way to make it from meal to meal.

Personally, I am not sensitive to any of these things aside from a slight sensitivity to lactose. I try to be careful with my soy intake, as a woman, too.  I have heard from a lot of friends that are vegan that they wish they could find a nice protein alternative to tofu and beans, and this is a nice change of pace.  They cannot eat whey protein bars because they are made from animal products; therefore, I recommend these for my vegan peeps.

 

 If have to say, my favorite was the peanut butter cookie dough flavor. All of them were delicious, but I'm a peanut butter addict. I knew before eating it for the first time I'd favor it. It was soft and had 

 some cacao nibs added for crunch!

The mint chocolate chip was delicious as well. It was extremely chocolate-y, with a bite of mint and a small amount of crunch added by cacao nibs. 

 

The blueberry cobbler was a surprise. I was not sure how I would take to this flavor since most protein bar companies don't go the "blueberry" route. My conclusion that this surprise was a pleasant one. I liked that it was mostly blueberry with a hint of that crust essence that always follows a cobbler. 

The only thing I advise with these bars that you make sure you have water on hand. They made me thirsty. I honestly don't say this as a negative, though. People should have water on hand at all times, and it helps you digest better and keeps your body in check with hydration. The 20 plus grams of protein should be ingested with water, naturally. So, that being said, I give the bars two thumbs up!

If you're interested in learning about D's Naturals (the company who created these fine bars) and want to browse their products (I just recently learned about their nut butters), here is the link!  They also can help you find local stores that sell their products as well. 

If you decide to try them or have any questions, comment below.  I'd love to hear what you think!

Healthy Recipes: A New Twist on Your Oatmeal

Personally, I prefer eating oatmeal over any other breakfast food. I have it almost every day to start. I choose it because there are so many ways to top it, and it is the only breakfast that seems to hold me over until lunch. 

Most of the time, I make plain oats with water (always on the stovetop-otherwise the texture isn't the way I like it), and I top it with peanut butter and jelly or mix it with protein powder topped with fruit, cacao nibs, or a few dark chocolate chips. As you can tell, they are sweet rather than savory.

I decided to try out a savory oatmeal recipe using my favorite protein and fat: eggs and avocado. I can't get enough of the two!

All you do while your oats cook is make a sunny-side up egg. Then, you top your cooked oats with it and add avocado. The seasonings I chose were garlic salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, and Italian seasoning. It was an amazing combination. I hope you like it as much as I did! 

One variation could be scrambled eggs with cheese, if you aren't a fan of a runny yolk or avocado. I bet sautéed veggies would be amazing as well!

Who uses oats in a savory way to start the day? Comment below with your ideas!

Product Review: Perfect Portion Laptop Lunch

I have been dying to try this product for the longest time. All of my friends know me as the one who is always on the move while never forgetting my lunch. I pack it like the huge dork that I am, and it actually has helped me form a really healthy, and not to mention cheaper-than-takeout, habit. 

Unfortunately, when I pack lunches, I have a tough time fitting oddly shaped Tupperware into my lunchbox, and sometimes I resort to wasteful, pricey plastic bags as a result. This box is my solution.

Not only does it help me get a serving of each food group into one easy box, it is cute and reusable (my favorite part). I love anything Eco-friendly, and Laptop Ljnches are all about it. I obviously didn't feel the absolute NEED to go according to the portioned out sections, but the idea is great. They even included an idea chart of meal options to get you started. For my lunch, I made a turkey wrap with avocado, cucumber, and pickles. I also had cucumber and carrots to dip into hummus into my "perfectly portioned dip box. I put some strawberries for dessert as my fruit serving. It reminded me to at least include something of everything! I also loved that the box kept my wrap clean and cold in tmy work fridge while not letting it become doggy, as opposed to plastic bags. 

I can't wait to try out the other options they listed on the booklet. Thanks for letting me review, Laptop Lunches! 

Here is where you can order one if you want to go! The product I have is called "Portion Perfect". They have lunch boxes, bento boxes, canteens, and so much more. Check it out!

http://www.laptoplunches.com

My Weekly Top Ten Week #4

This is long overdue, but here is my weekly top ten!  Stay movivated, you guys(:

1. Gas Pedal - Sage the Gemini
2. Movin' Bass - Rick Ross
3. Dead Inside - Muse
4. Run - Alison Wonderland
5. Lean On- Major Lazer
6. Horsey - Diplo
7. Tambourine - Eve
8. Drip Drop - Empire Cast
9. Welcome to the World - TI
10. Shots - Imagine Dragons

What's your favorite song this week to work out to? Comment below!

My Weekly Top Ten Week #3

Heyoooo!

Just a quick post today- I wanted to share with you my favorites on my playlist this week from my workouts.  Stay motivated!

My Top Ten
1. Dessert - Dawin (LOVE THIS SONG)
2. F***** Problems -A$AP Rocky
3. Movin' Bass- Rick Ross
4. Whatever Makes You Happy - Empire Cast
5. Irresistable - Fall Out Boy
6. Lean On - Major Lazer
7. Ride Wit Me- TI
8. Jungle Bae - Diplo & Skrillex
9. I'm an Albotraoz - AronChupa
10. Polaroid - Imagine Dragons

What is your top track for workouts this week?

Healthy Recipes: Mom's Mini Phyllo Berry Pastries

My mom made a yummy celebration dinner to celebrate my new teaching job (a.k.a why I have not posted in FOREVER.) Sorry about that, friends.

Anyways, to make up for it, I will be sharing the best part of her dinner (which was hard to nail down to be honest, it was delicious).  My sweet tooth decided on sharing the dessert portion with you.  Suprise, surprise, I know.

Filled with one blueberry, one raspberry, and one blackberry
(:

All you need are frozen mini phyllo pastries, whipped topping, and berries. 

Follow the phyllo pastry directions (depending on your brand), then in the middle of the already baked pastries, put in the berries of your choice.  Top with a teensy bit of whipped cream, and voila!  You must serve these immediately, though, or else they will get soggy.

Again, the nutritional information depends on what brands you use in terms of whipped topping or phyllo dough, but they should each be a bit less than 100 calories per pastry.  They are low sugar compared to regular pastries filled with fruit glazes, and are seriously adorable!  These would be absolutely perfect for a party.  They're light, flavorful, and cute.  What more could you ask for in a dessert?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!  Thanks, Mom(: