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Health Blog

Staying Fit at the Beach!

It is finally that time of year again, time for summer vacation! This year that means escaping to an east coast beach for a few days, and I can’t wait!

While visiting the beach is going to be a blast and there will be exciting new foods to try and things to explore, I don’t want to undo all the work I have done on my body over the winter. And if you’re like me you probably only have 1-2 trips like this a year, so needles to say, I’ve been prepping and I’m pumped!

The beach, in my opinion, is the perfect place to vacation and unwind, but it’s also a great place for greasy foods and hopefully minimal physical activity. Now this combo is fine for the first few days but it could start to catch up with you before you even get home!

So I have a few tips on how to try and maintain your summer body, while still enjoying your beach time as much as possible!

Beach Activities

My favorite thing to do at the beach is to listen to music and lay out, and as much as I wish that burned calories… it doesn’t!

So in preparation for a minimal activity afternoon be sure to get in some exercise in the morning. Now you could do some morning yoga or just morning stretches and then hit the beach for a walk while it’s cool and empty. You’ll burn a few calories, wake your body up and get in some additional site seeing.  Or if shopping is your thing, leave the lounger for a bit and walk around the boardwalk while you shop.

My next suggestion is to bring toys! Whether they are water toys like skipping balls or skim boards, or more beach toys like a frisbee or volleyball.  And of course if running around at all is not your thing, be sure you’ve packed your sand castle stuff and at least give your arms a workout with some light digging.

Food & Drinks

Since this is vacation time, like many others, I plan on having multiple “cheat meals,” as you should! But since most restaurant meals average over 1,000 calories each, you can see how eating 3-4 large meals a day could start weighing you down. So try cutting that down to just 2 large/high calorie meals a day, y犀利士 ou’ll save calories and money!

My next suggestion is to go to a grocery store and pick up any snacks, frozen meals, low calorie soft drinks etc. that you might need to make beach easy meals. This will help you avoid visiting funnel cake carts with an empty stomach.

Some of my healthy favorites to take with me to the beach are homemade sandwiches, dried fruit, whole fruit, granola bars and nuts. The main goal is to pack things that won’t melt or get soggy while hanging out in your cooler all day.

And for those of us over 21 who want a drink or two by the water, my only suggestion is waiting until after lunch that way you’re not waking up and ending your body’s fast with alcohol.  If you can push off the booze until after you’ve had some food and virgin beverages in your system (like water) you’ll probably be less likely to dehydrate in the heat!

Bottom Line

I don’t know about you but I work hard all year long in order to get to the beach and have the choice to do NOTHING! Diet and exercise can certainly wait until after vacation, but if you want to try and maintain your healthy lifestyle I hope my tips helped! Overall it’s simple: eat out a little less and walk a little more. Just be sure to wear enough SPF no matter what you do!

Leg Masks

I think it’s safe to say that when the weather gets warmer the first thing most of us do is put on shorts and a sleeveless shirt. And I don’t know about you, but after a long and dry winter, my legs aren’t quite ready to be on display for summer.

But recently a new trend is emerging for pampering products and believe it or not it’s a leg mask!

There are only a few brands with specific leg mask products in their lineup, but there are already enough to choose from if you’re a fellow at-home-spa-goer.

Some masks can be used on both the face and body, but the skin on your body is going to have different needs and sensitivities than that of your face. So in my opinion it’s best to have options for both.

Benefits of Leg Masks

I think we can all agree that one of the main benefits of leg

masks is to add additional moisture to the skin, but surprisingly—depending on the ingredients—leg masks can do much more.

For example leg masks that contain charcoal can gently exfoliate the skin, helping to brighten and smooth. While clay based leg masks are best at de-clogging pores by absorbing excess oils, dirt and other pollutants from the skin.

Besides clay and charcoal masks there are also masks for tanning if you’ve got an event or anything special coming up in the summer months – like weddings! And with tons of other natural ingredients added to leg masks, the results are endless!

When you first search for leg masks online you’re likely to find that the well-known brand Nair has a couple different types to choose from. And because they are Nair leg masks they also contain “A unique hair removal formula that dissolves hair below the skin’s surface, removing stubble, minimizing regrowth and extending the life between your shaves.”

Leg masking is meant to be a relaxing activity SO if you have sensitive skin use caution and always test the product out before covering yourself in it.

The Nair directions suggest lighting a candle before pampering and defusing your legs. Using your hands to spread a think layer over your legs (don’t rub in). Then after washing your hands it’s time to chill for 5-10 minutes. After which you simply remove the mask with a damp washcloth revealing your bright and smooth legs.

Sign me up!

Bottom Line

As an at home self-tanner I have used heavy moisturizers and body exfoliators before but never a leg mask! The main way to maintain any natural or fake tan, is properly moisturized skin, and masks can certainly help with that! Not to mention masks can also help deep clean your legs after the self-tanner wears off!

Unfortunately, I’ve looked into it and creating a DIY leg-mask is more difficult than face-masks because certain ingredients like clay, seaweed or algae are expensive and can be hard to find. So store bought masks are probably the way to go for at home users, but luckily for all of us this trend is catching on and I’m sure more and more options will come out to suit everyone!

Satisfying Summer Snacks!

One of the simplest ways to start getting healthy and making better nutritional choices, is having healthy snacks ready to go for the week!

I know when I’m not prepared I usually resort to convenient foods such as chips, cereal or sweets for snacks throughout the day. And even if you focus on making healthy meals, your snack food choices could still set you back if you’re not careful.

When it comes to snacks, it’s all about having lower calorie options that still have substance to hold you over until your next meal. This means you need to create snacks with healthy proteins and fats to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs.  But you also need snacks that you’re excited to eat, beyond just keeping fruit and nuts on hand.

It’s also important to make snacks that can travel easily and last the week, so that you can grab and go as needed. This means you need to prep your snacks for the week ahead of time, to make your healthy options just as convenient as a bag of chips.

KBA’s Recipe e-book has a handful of delicious snack recipes along with smoothies, drinks and even desserts. Giving you options whether you’re at home or on the go!

And with KBA supplements added to your snack recipes, you are also fueling your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs for the day and week to come!

Follow the Recipe Below or Watch the Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ypNcBrOMCk&t=1s

Download our FREE Recipe E-book here:https://kiknbacassets.com/e-books/

Healthy Protein Balls

SERVES: 4

Prep time       Mix time        Total time

5 min              5 min             10 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup oats, steel cut

• ¼ cup raw cocoa powder,

unsweetened

• 2 tablespoons flax seed ground

(mixed with 4 tablespoons water)

• ¼ cup chia seeds

• ½ cup dates, chopped

• ¼ cup almond nuts

• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)

• 4 teaspoons KBA Pine Pollen Powder

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredient & stir until well combined.
  2. Roll into 1 inch round or bite-sized balls. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
  3. Then put an almond nut on top of each ball.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for longer!

Tip!

  • You can also put about 1 tsp. of any nut butter on top of each ball for some added protein and flavor!

Summer Smoothies!

As the summer heats up many of us, myself included, will be looking for ways to stay cool and of course healthy.

Smoothies are a great way to do both!

They are great for making you feel full and can even help control cravings. And if fruit smoothies are your favorite then you’re in luck because the enzymes in fruit can actually help to dissolve body fat too.

Now the majority of benefits from your smoothie will depend on the ingredients. So while fruit dominant smoothies are full of antioxidants and therefore great for immunity boosting and even improved energy; a leafy green or vegetable based smoothie can help with digestion, balancing hormones and boosting brainpower.

Regardless of your needs when the summer sun starts beating down on you try making a delicious and healthy smoothie, you won’t regret it!

And if you need any smoothie recipe ideas, KBA has a FREE Supplement E-book available!

Along with 4 smoothie recipes, our E-book also has recipes for: salad dressings, soups and other drinks!

Here is one of the Smoothie recipes from our FREE E-book! Enjoy!

Berry Pine-Away Smoothie

SERVES: 4

Prep time            Mix time         Total time

3 min                  2 min               5 minutes

Ingredients

• ½  cup frozen blueberries*

• ½  cup frozen strawberries*

• ½  cup frozen blackberries*

• 1 frozen banana

• 1 ½  cup skim milk

• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

• 3 teaspoons KBA Pine Pollen or Pine

Needle Powder supplement

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached.

3. Add more milk or water as needed.

4. Pour into glasses and serve.

Tips

  • You can try adding different berries: acai berry, raspberry, gooseberry, elderberry, cranberry, goji berry, or bilberry!
  • Instead of using skim milk you can try rice, almond, soy, flax, coconut or low-fat yogurt.
  • Also try adding any of our fruit tea powders directly into the blender for some added nutrients!

Download the FREE KBA Supplement

Recipe E-book here: https://kiknbacassets.com/e-books/

Should 5:00 am be your New Wake-Up Call?

While most of us can agree that sleeping in after a long day or even a long week feels amazing, recent studies have shown that starting your day at 5:00am can be beneficial to your work and even your health.

Now for us morning people, adjusting to this schedule should be a minor change, but for any night owls out there, is it worth it to make the change to an early riser and set your alarm for 5:00 am?

How to Start Waking Up at 5am

My first piece of advice is that for the most part it doesn’t matter what you decide to do at 5am, but at least go to bed with a plan in mind. You can even make a list of things you usually don’t have time for, or chores you want to get done. Or you can just spend that time creatively by writing, painting, sketching, relaxing or your choice of exercise.

The first few days will be rough and your bed will try to convince you to stay, but the best way to beat that is to not waste any time and get up right after your alarm sounds.  You also don’t have to shoot for 5am at first; you can start by setting your alarm a half hour earlier each day until you find your sweet spot.  Keep in mind it can still take up to 10 days to be completely adjusted to this new schedule, so hang in there!

My last piece of advice is to go to bed at a reasonable time. You still want to be sure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night so you have the energy to rise early.

And you don’t have to wake up at 5am everyday; staying out late and waking up late are still awesome too, on occasion! But if you’re trying to be more productive and get a head start on your day, waking up at 5am could be the change you need!

The Benefits of 5am!

Getting up at 5am can feel like the most difficult thing in the world in the beginning, but it can help set good momentum for the rest of the day.  It takes discipline to create and maintain any new habit, so use that momentum to dominate the rest of the day too.

I would say one of my favorite things about morning is the silence it brings, before the neighbors wakeup and school traffic starts up in the world. This doesn’t mean you can’t listen to music or play guitar and create some noise, but at least the noise is all yours and hopefully more relaxing.

I also find myself rushing much less in the mornings because inevitably you have more time to get everything done.  So instead of starting the day panicked and already working o

n your to-do list, you can take your time and savor your coffee rather than chugging it!

Bottom Line

The main point of waking up at 5am is to take care of you, so it doesn’t really matter what you do!

I unintentionally made this change and my body now naturally wakes up anywhere from 5:00- 5:30am. I usually start my coffee and watch some Youtube or Netflix to fully wakeup, then I’ll do anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of yoga before beginning my day.

Overall waking up early and giving your body and mind time to wakeup slowly can provide your whole day with a different more maintainable pace!

AND if you’re thinking of trying to wakeup at 5:00am let us help

make the adjustment easier!

Check out KBA’s Green Energy Tea Here: https://kiknbacassets.com/product/green-energy-tea/