13 fit and fab summer date ideas

Hello all my fit and fabulous followers!

Today’s article is all about you and your bae. No bae? No problem—You can easily substitute in your bffs or your siblings. This article focuses on taking your next date outside for an enjoyable and healthy time under the sun. If you’re a summer lover like me, then you understand why it’s crucial to take advantage of these sunny, warm days. Before you know it, snow will be in the forecast and we'll be bundled from head-to-toe (but no more mentioning of the “s” word). So, put that cell phone down, turn that Netflix movie off and throw on some sneakers… It’s time to pick an activity and break a sweat with your man!

Caroline’s Short List of Nothing Less Than Spectacular Ideas:

•  Go on a long, morning run with your love—a perfect start to the day. Your heart will be racing… in more than one way.

•  Take your dog on a walk at the park. No dog? Take yourselves for a park stroll.

•  Sign-up for a yoga class. You never know, your man might be dying to find his inner yogi. The best part, sometimes studios allow you a free, first trial.

•  Hike a mountain. All it takes is one, good Google search to find the nearest hiking trails. If you don’t live on a mountainous terrain, your date may have to include a road trip. Don’t forget to bring some traditional picnic items for when you reach the top—lunch and a view!

Tried and true: the whole climb a mountain and have a picnic idea is a great way to spend the afternoon!

• Go to a foreign food festival and taste test some unique, healthy foods. 

• Grab a board and go! Grab a surfboard or paddle-board and take your date out on the water—this should create some laughter. If all else fails, jump in the water and swim around. Marco? Polo? 

•  Froyo… a staple summer snack (healthy and delicious in one). Enjoy your summery treat out in the heat, but don’t add too many sweets or it’ll no longer be health-y. 

• Go on a bike ride under the sun! Try and find an area with great scenery to further set the mood. After your ride, cool down with a fruit-filled smoothie.

• Find a “skinny” cocktail recipe to make from Pinterest and crank up the tunes: IT’S A DANCE PARTY. Nothing beats turning on music and struttin’ your stuff. 

•  Cool down from a long, hot day by heading to an ice-skating rink!

• Sign up for a race. 5k, 10k, half or full marathon… whichever length you chose, the miles will pass by far more quickly when you are in great company.

• Form a little friendly competition: tennis, soccer, mini golf, volleyball, racquetball, etc. Place a bet to make it even more fun!

• Find a rock climbing wall park and give it a climb!

What do ya think? Those are just a couple of ideas. Feel free to try one out or even combine a few at a time! Do you have any other fun, fitness-oriented dates? If so, comment below. J

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A healthier Chipotle experience

If we aren’t noming on Ramen, fruit swiped from the dining halls or mac-n-cheese cups, we are chomping on the wonderful creation known as the “burrito bowl.” That’s right, this article is about the staple college meal, Chipotle. Although we may hate to admit it, those frequent burrito trips can add up in a week’s time and create a higher-calorie intake than necessary. Since I’m sure we’re aware of the health concerns associated with one-too-many burrito bowls (and I refuse to bash on something so yummy), I instead want to commend Chipotle on their healthy options. Take this information into consideration on your next dinner-date outing with your true love, burrito bowl. 

1.  Protein: The make-up of a burrito bowl contains a high percentage of—yup, you guessed it—meat! With a choice of chicken, steak, carnitas and barbacoa, there’s no doubt that your meal will be protein-packed. Each option mentioned supplies your body with well over 20 grams of protein—that’s way more than enough protein for a day. Protein is crucial for development of muscle, bone, cartilage, skin and blood; it also plays an important role in building and repairing body tissues.

*Chipotle is “G-M-Over it.” To read more about GMO’s, click here.

2.  Bye bread: The great thing about the burrito bowl is it’s bread-free. Because the signature Chipotle tortilla wrap is about 300 calories of carbohydrates, ordering a breadless-bowl makes for a healthier visit. The same holds true for the unfortunately scrumptious tortilla chips. Chipotle gets ya with there 570 calorie chips—don’t let them fool you. I can guarantee that you’ll leave feeling more than stuffed without even ordering chips; save the money, save the calories. 

3.  Prioritize the veggies: Vegetables are my favorite ingredients to add to the bowl, especially fajita veggies and beans. Deciding to “prioritize your veggies” within your burrito bowl allows you to fill up on food that’s high in nutrients, while low in fat and calories (eat up!). Because they’re also green and plant-based, it should be noted that avocados are a “powerhouse of nutrients.” Though they’re often high in {good} calories, avocados win when it comes to dietary value… especially compared to sour cream and cheese topping, you can go ahead and forgo those additives.

 4.  Slice it in half: My last and favorite rule that I try to live by deals with portioning: half your meal and save it for the next day. This rule holds great with burrito bowls… they’re even better the second day. Seriously though, cutting your meal in half to save (either mentally or physically) will keep you from over-indulging and feeling disgustingly stuffed the rest of the day. So go ahead, box that bad boy up and put him in the fridge. J

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The benefits of paddle boarding

“Any time spent relaxing at the “Rivah,” is time well spent.” 

–Caroline B.

From sunrise to sunset, nothing beats the view of open, sunny skies and endless water; seriously, everything is better at the rivah. Even though we only stayed there for a night this trip, we squeezed in a ton: we tanned, napped, chatted, ran, visited our favorite café and yup, you guessed it… took the new, stand-up paddle-boards for a spin (even my mom and dad gave them a try)! It was a blast. Through all of the laughs, headstands and tumbles off of the board, we ended up getting a nice workout in too!

Paddle boarding is both an enjoyable and challenging water sport. Though it may not seem enjoyable at first, once you get the balancing part down, you’ve fought more than half the battle. Since paddle boarding requires great use of your core muscles, in order to stay stable on the board, there’s no doubt that your balance and posture will also improve outside of the water. Sure, it may take some (or a lot) of practice to grasp the balancing act, but don’t give up. Tip: if you feel a little shaky standing on your feet, start off on your knees until you are more comfortable with the board. Also, click here to check out some great, at-home exercises for improving your balance and conquering that board.    

The best part about paddle boarding is that it’s a full-body, strength and cardio workout… all at once. Think about it, you’re using your arms (especially shoulders) to push through the water with the paddle, your core for stabilization and your legs for balance.  Stand-up paddle boarding offers a great cardio workout. Whether you’re leisurely paddling along or racing a friend to the next dock, that ole’ ticker is being put to some good use. Depending on the pace, it’s possible you’ll burn somewhere between 500 to 700 calories an hour! Gasp.     

If you could care less about the workout aspect associated with paddle boarding, at least make sure to take-in your surroundings. Being out on the calm water during a sunset is a peaceful way to de-stress from your day/week. It’s just you and the water—how meditative. Regardless if you get the hang of it or not, laugh at yourself for wobbling off the board and be proud of yourself for giving it a try. Like my momma always says, “Do one thing a day that scares you.”      

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Having fun and staying healthy: the wedding edition

Last night, I attended my first bachelorette party—it was a blast! We laughed, we sang, we were entirely too obnoxious (or maybe that was just me), but hey, that’s how it’s supposed to be! After guzzling down multiple, fruity drinks and attacking the cheese and crackers platter, I thought of a great idea for an article: how to have a fabulous and healthy time during the upcoming wedding season. Though this should definitely not be the main focus of any wedding festivities, it’s something to keep in the back of your mind. With the bachelorette’s wedding being this weekend, I will keep you posted on just how well my own tips hold up… or don’t. Stay tuned. 

First things first, be the dancing queen.

Now this is one rule I can most certainly obey. When the music starts playin’, Caroline starts groovin’! The best part is, shaking what our momma gave us and cha-cha-sliding across the dance floor makes for one heck of a workout. Dancing for an hour can burn about 443 calories—that’s right up there with your weekend run. Assuming that most every wedding reception last longer than an hour, it’s likely that you’ll get a nice workout in without even realizing it. Fun, right?!

Say “no” to the roll.

Confession: I broke this rule last night, but I’m mentally prepared for round two this weekend. There’s a strong chance that there’ll be bread-galore at any special event… bread with butter, bread with cheese, garlic bread, dinner rolls, etc… stop drooling. Instead, we should be aware of the nutritional benefits that these white breads have to offer: nothing.  “White bread offers additional calories without providing any vitamin, minerals or heart healthy fiber. White bread will spike your blood sugar, only leaving you feeling tired shortly after.” You can’t be feeling tired when you’ve got dancing to do; besides, skipping the bread options allows for more room to taste-test a little bit of wedding cake!

Everyone’s favorite part: open-bar.

So maybe it’s not everyone’s favorite part, but regardless, alcoholic beverages are likely to be consumed in large amounts during wedding receptions. If this doesn’t apply to you, you may skip this portion of the article. If it does, hold tight. Alcoholic drinks are sneaky… they reel you in (making you drink more than one or two glasses), then send your caloric intake skyrocketing. Click here to see some super yummy and low-cal options (under 200 calories) to order at the bar. Aside from calories, it is important to rotate between alcoholic drinks and water to stay hydrated and prevent a nasty hang over.

When you’re hungry…

It’s a good rule of thumb to munch on a small snack prior to heading to the wedding ceremony. Giving yourself a little something before the service will prevent you from becoming ravenous and ready to inhale the entire food table at the reception. Once you have successfully made it through the ceremony with a quiet tummy, you are ready to pick wisely at the reception! Go for the lean meat options available (grilled chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, etc), as well as veggies and dip—both raw and cooked veggies. All of these options are packed with protein and fiber, which will leave you feeling full and not too stuffed for the rest of the night.

Do you have any tips to add to my list? Comment below!

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iHealthy: Great health and wellness apps

Since the likelihood of us using our cell phone has increased tenfold while being home/done with the semester, I thought this article would be perfect! Now you can put that pesky phone to some good and healthy use! 

What if I told you that the possibility of leading a healthier lifestyle is merely atouch away? OK, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration — but with thousands of exercise and nutrition applications at our fingertips, there’s bound to be a couple that will spark your motivation to make positive, healthy lifestyle tweaks. Since our cell phones never seem to stray too far from reach, health apps can be perfect for helping keep track of your daily, or even hourly accomplishments. Luckily for you, I’ve put together a list of my favorite health apps available for your Apple or Android smartphone. The best part? They’re all free. Take a look and try one out!

1. MapMyRun: Though my love for running might show bias, MapMyRun is by far my favorite application. It’s used for tracking not only distance, but split pace, elevation levels and the duration of your run or bike excursion. It allows you to choose a popular route nearby, or plan out your own in advance. Even if you’re just breaking in your first pair of running shoes, this app is perfect for keeping count of your weekly mileage accomplishments.

2. Charity Miles: OK, one last plug for running! If the idea of running for yourself doesn’t get you moving out the door, then maybe running for a cause will. With the Charity Miles application, you pick a favorite charity to raise money for by running, walking or biking a mile (or more). Once you get in the giving habit, this altruistic app will encourage you to run everywhere you go!

3. Fooducate: Ever wondered just how healthy your snacks are? Find out: Fooducate is an app with a built-in scanner that reads the barcode of any food item. Once it’s scanned, you can check out a nutritional analysis and a letter grade assigned to the food and its level of healthiness.  

4. Daily Yoga: Yoga provides you with many health benefits, both physically and mentally. The best thing about yoga is that it doesn’t require a gym. If you know a few position sequences, you can practice yoga practically anywhere. If you need a little help learning the poses and flows, then Daily Yoga will come in handy! This app provides detailed instructions for how to create a regular morning yoga workout.

5. Nike Training Club: The Nike Training Club app is basically your very own personal trainer. This app supplies over 100 independent exercise programs that vary from cardio workouts, full-body strengthening and toning. The provided workouts are tailored to your exercise level — beginner, intermediate or advanced — any of which will leave you feeling the burn.   

6. Waterlogged: A healthy diet includes consuming a lot of water. Water is important for keeping your body functioning in your day-to-day life — it’s crucial for survival. To keep tabs on your water consumption, try Waterlogged. This application lets you record each cup of water you drink. If you have difficulty remembering to stay drinking your H2O, Waterlogged can also be set to send you random water-drinking reminders throughout the day. (Available on Apple Store only.)
   
   
   (Article edited by "The Breeze.")

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