Vitamins Part Two

Hey everybody! I know I already made a previous post about some of the vitamins I take every day. However, I’ve recently found new vitamins that I have been taking daily that I wanted to share with you guys.

During my five years of playing soccer, I destroyed my knees and hips. My knees used to dislocate during games and then relocate themselves as I fell to the ground. Not only was this painful, but it also made me look like an idiot. I also had bad ankles that I would always sprain. I also learned that one of my legs was longer than the other, which was the cause of my hip issues. Not to mention a back injury that happened while I was trying to learn how to pole dance for exercise. So in conclusion, my joints are a hot mess. I used to have to do yoga every single night before bed just to keep from being in pain while laying in bed.

That was until I discovered XYMOGEN’s joint comfort support vitamins called SYNOVX. These vitamins are miracle workers. My father also has degenerative spine disease (I guess bad joints run in the family) and after I showed him these vitamins his pain has decreased exponentially. Take two of these vitamins every night before bed and I promise you will feel the difference throughout your whole body.

 

 

Another vitamin I started taking is also by the brand XYMOGEN called B Activ. These pills contain natural vitamins that give you energy and focus throughout your day. Take one of these vitamins every day when you wake up. If you forget to take it one day do not take it at nighttime. Taking it at night will keep you awake and make it difficult to sleep.

 

 

Lastly, I have been taking Apple Cider Vinegar pills that also contain ginger, cayenne, and maple. This is a dietary supplement that helps aid digestion and boosts your metabolism. This pill is not only healthy for your body but also helps with weight loss. This vitamin feeds two birds with one scone. Take one pill with breakfast and one pill with dinner every day. These pills also help with hangovers. My favorite part about these pills is that it eliminates the needs to drink apple cider vinegar, which can be nasty and painful for your throat since it is acidic.

Check out the XYMOGEN website to find more vitamins!

Stress Relief

Happy December everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well under the stress of finals and finishing up your last projects and presentations. We’re in the home stretch! With the weather getting colder it’s important to keep yourself from getting sick. Along with taking your daily vitamins and doing yoga (refer to previous posts), it is important to keep your stress levels down to keep you from getting sick. During the past couple of weeks, it has been hard for me to sleep because of the amount of stress I have been under and I know the majority of you are all going through the same struggle.

So here are some great tips that have helped me lower my stress levels and I hope they’ll help you as much as they helped me.

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Lighting a candle can help set a relaxing mood while you finish up homework or do chores.

Replace your cup of coffee for black tea instead. Coffee has high amounts of caffeine and can make you jittery and increase your anxiety. Black tea, however, is not only healthier but contains less caffeine. Black tea gives you the energy you need to get through your day without the anxiety and jitters.

Exercising will help release endorphins, will build serotonin, will help release extra energy you have from the caffeine you drank and will help you take out your anger and stress on some weights or a treadmill. Exercising will also help you get a better night sleep.

In addition to exercising, put some drops of lavender essential oil into a handful of lotion and rub your arms, neck, chest, and temples with it to help relax your body.

I would also recommend taking melatonin. I take 5-10 milligrams depending on how stressed I am or how much caffeine I’ve had.

All of these steps together will help relieve stress and will lead to a good night sleep so that you can wake up feeling refreshed the next morning which will reduce your stress for the next day as well.

Happy studying! Let’s ace these finals!

 

Interviews

Watch my new YouTube video where I interview Magan Massey and Jenny Hinkle about their everyday fitness struggles.

 

 

Recipes for Weight Loss

Earlier we talked about recipes and foods that promote muscle mass. Today we’re going to focus on a diet for weight loss. First of all, cardio should be the main focus of your workout regimen if your main goal is losing weight. You have to burn more calories than you take in to be able to lose excess weight. This is why getting your nutrients from low-calorie foods is the best way to go.

Before we dive into the diet, let’s talk about a wide variety of cardio exercises. There is
always the obvious such as running and biking, but there are also many enjoyable ways to get your cardio in beside dying a little more inside after every mile around the track.

This doesn’t have to be you!

 

Zumba, pole dancing, boxing, and hiking are fun and interactive ways to get amazing workouts without the treadmill. Always switch it up, challenge your body to accomplish new workouts, and you will see results!

 

Now that we know how to lose the weight, let’s discuss how to keep it off. You don’t have to starve yourself or live off of celery and carrots to see results. Start by making simple changes in the ingredients you use every day. For example, instead of cooking with butter, use extra virgin olive oil as an alternative. Although butter and olive oil have essentially the same calorie count, olive oil is filled with antioxidants and has numerous health benefits that contribute to weight loss that butter does not. Another food alternative that promotes weight loss is goat byproducts. Consuming goat cheese and milk rather than getting them from cows cuts calories and sugar while increasing in calcium, vitamins, and potassium.

The protein sources that I mentioned in my post for gaining muscle mass are essentially the same as for weight loss, but the main key is how much you are intaking. Fish, chicken, and eggs are great sources of lean protein that should be paired with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Carbs and red meats need to be avoided as much as possible on your path to weight loss, but if necessary try whole grain or wheat pasta and bread as a healthier alternative.

This is one of my favorite greek salad recipes that is tasty and filling, while also nutritious and low calorie.

Ingredients:

• Romaine Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Orange Bell Pepper
• Carrots
• Goat Cheese
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Lemon Pepper

 

 

Here are some more delicious low-calorie recipes from Pinterest:

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Caesar Salad 

Essential Oils

Essential oils are oils extracted from the leaves of different plants that have a wide variety of medicinal and healing properties. Essential oils are also edible and can be used in cooking, cleaning, and on the skin. For people who don’t like the oily feeling on their skin, essential oil diffusers can be used to emit the smell of the oil throughout their room, and allow them to receive the same medicinal benefits through the air.

WARNING: Cats are highly allergic to essential oils! Never use a diffuser in your home if you own a cat, and never be in the same room with your cat if you put them on your skin.

Lavender, Peppermint and Eucalyptus Essential oils are my three favorite essential oils to use on a daily basis due to their versatile benefits. Essential oils are great for natural healing remedies, and can replace other over the counter or prescription medications that often have harmful short and long-term side effects. Here are lists of each of these essential oils and just a few of their benefits and uses.

Lavender Essential Oil Benefits

• Relaxing & calming
• Relieves stress
• Treats insomnia
• Takes away pain from irritated bug bites
• Helps heal burns and cuts
• Moisturizes dry skin due to cold weather, eczema, etc.
• Relieves nausea & motion sickness

 

Peppermint Essential Oil Uses

• Relieves stomach pain
• Takes away bad breath
• Relieves headaches
• Loosens tight & sore muscles
• Increases focus
• Increases energy
• Clears sinuses
• Relieves itching due to bug bites or burns
• Relieves allergies
• Repels bugs

Eucalyptus Essential Oil Uses

• Relieves cold & flu symptoms
• Moisturizes hair
• Relieves sinus pressure & congestion
• Relieves allergy symptoms
• Relieves symptoms of bronchitis, asthma & other respiratory problems
• Treats cuts & burns
• Studies have shown it can even kill leukemia cells!

 

Fun fact: The chemical inside eucalyptus, peppermint and tea tree essential oil that provides a wide variety of medicinal benefits is called cineole, and this is the same chemical found in cannabis. This is why cannabis also has a wide variety of medicinal uses.

Check out Dr. Axe for a list of benefits from all the different kinds of essential oils!

Kelsey McIntyre Fitness

Kelsey McIntyre is an aspiring fitness trainer who created her Instagram page to support her followers throughout their journey to reach their own personal fitness goals. Kelsey played soccer throughout high school and college, so after she graduated she decided to take her exercise off the field and into the gym. I highly recommend people who are in search of fitness motivation to follow her Instagram page. She is also in the process of starting a YouTube channel so keep an eye out for that as well.

Kelsey’s Instagram page is my favorite fitness account to follow because she has a passion for healthy living. She shares her fitness journey to motivate and teach her followers more about exercise. She posts her personal workouts that give me new ways to challenge my body in the gym instead of continuously doing the same workouts. She also discusses her diet and which protein powder she uses to achieve the results that she has.

Kelsey is also a brand ambassador for multiple different fitness brands. One of her sources of income comes from posting pictures on Instagram promoting for brands such as About Time, Gym Meme Wear, and Smartshake. Kelsey benefits her followers by hosting giveaways and by sharing coupon codes for the brands she works with.

Kelsey has a unique fitness page because she continually promotes body positivity and self-love throughout her posts. She shows before and after pictures of the progress she’s made from her workouts and meal plans, and she has even posted pictures of her stomach after eating a big meal to give her followers a sense of reality. She promotes strength, health, and a realistic body image, unlike many other fitness accounts. Kelsey continues to inspire and help her followers in anyway that she can on a daily basis, and that is what her followers and I love about her.

Follow kelseymcintyre.fitness on Instagram to follow her fitness journey!

Recipes For Gaining Muscle Mass

A healthy diet is essential to seeing results in your fitness journey. Exercise is only half of it. Exercise is what breaks down and tears your muscles, while your diet is what builds and shapes them. Different foods should be used for different results, but today we will be focusing on a diet for gaining muscle mass.
Stay tuned for my next post on weight loss and toning!

Protein is the essential ingredient for gaining muscle mass. Foods such as chicken, fish, beef, and eggs are all great sources of natural protein. Consuming the appropriate amount of carbs will help you naturally increase your energy and also help you gain weight. Foods such as rice, potatoes, bread, and pasta are great sources of carbs. Combining protein and carbs into your diet along with weight lifting and muscle building exercise is key to seeing results in your body’s growth.
Eat carbs before a workout to give you energy and help optimize your workout, and consume lots of protein to help your muscles recover. I would suggest investing in a protein drink as well that could also serve as a meal replacement. Muscle Milk is my personal recommendation; they have a fantastic chocolate protein shake.

Let’s take a look at some delicious healthy recipes to help get you started!

Steak, Baked Potato, Sauteed Mushrooms and Baked Asparagus

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Steak
• Mushrooms
• Butter
• Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
• Bacon Bits
• Lemon Pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic Salt
• Black Pepper
• Olive Oil

Directions for Baked Potato:

1. Wash the potato and stab it with a fork 5 times on each side
2. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil
3. Bake potato at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours
4. Remove from oven, remove aluminum foil, and cut down the middle
5. Add the desired amount of butter, chive and onion cream cheese, and bacon bits (optional)

Directions for Steak:

1. Place steak in a large pan
2. Drizzle the steak in 1/4 of a cup of Worcestershire sauce
3. Season steak with 1 tablespoon garlic salt and 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
4. Repeat on each side of the steak
5. Turn the grill up to its highest temperature setting, you want the steak to cook very hot for a short period of time
6. Grill for 10-20 minutes (less time for rare and more time for well done) flipping the steak 2-3 times throughout
7. Season with lemon pepper (optional)

Directions for Mushrooms:

1. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in frying pan on medium
2. Add mushrooms and cook until dark brown stirring occasionally

Directions for Asparagus:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line an oven pan with parchment paper and drizzle olive oil over the paper
3. Lay asparagus across baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes
4. Season with lemon pepper (optional)

Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast
• Minced Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon Pepper
• Lemons
• Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Hard Boiled Egg
• Feta Cheese
• Carrots
• Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a frying pan on medium
2. Cut raw chicken into slivers
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to melted butter in frying pan
4. Add 2 cloves minced garlic to frying pan
5. Season chicken with lemon pepper and squeeze the juice of one lemon onto chicken
6. Cook on medium for 7-10 minutes depending on how crispy you want it
7. Boil egg for 10 minutes and peel
8. Chop romaine lettuce, carrots, and, hardboiled egg
9. Mix lettuce, carrots, egg, feta cheese, and chicken in a bowl or plate
10. Drizzle with the desired amount of balsamic vinaigrette and serve

Check out some more healthy recipes from Pinterest that taste amazing!

Honey Lime Glazed Salmon

Eggplant Parmesan

Shrimp Fried Rice

Get cookin’ good lookin’!

 

Vitamins

One of the best steps I took to improve my health was replacing all the medicine I took, that was made using chemicals, with natural vitamins. Common over the counter medicines like Advil, Adderall and Ambien are extremely hard on your liver and can have serious long-term side effects. When your body is in pain or having trouble performing daily tasks, such as working and sleeping, your bodies underlying problem is most likely a vitamin deficiency. Over the counter drugs are used to temporarily relieve symptoms, however, vitamins fix the underlying problem without harmful side effects.

Replace Advil with Serrapeptase 

Serrapeptase is a natural dietary supplement that is derived from silk worms. Not only is it an anti-inflammatory like Advil, it can also be used to support your respiratory system. Serrapeptase can decrease mucus production in your lungs, help with sinus infections, bronchitis, headaches, joint pain, and much more.

Replace Adderall with Piracetam

Piracetam is a chemical that your body produces naturally that promotes focus and concentration. However, your body can become deficient of this chemical, so taking this supplement can increase your focus, learning capability, memory capacity, and your attention span without the harmful side effects of Adderall.

Replace Sleeping Pills with Melatonin

Melatonin is the natural chemical produced in your brain when your body needs to rest. Melatonin is a natural supplement that can help people with sleeping troubles get a good night of fast falling and uninterrupted sleep without feeling groggy or fuzzy in the morning like other chemical based sleeping pills. You can get this over the counter at Walmart or Walgreens.

Daily Vitamins

For the past year now I have been taking XYMOGEN’s ActivNutrients Hypoallergenic Multivitamin for wellness support daily. This capsule has 27 different vitamins that support everyday wellness including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, and many more.

 

 

Emergen-C

Emergen-C is also a fantastic mix of vitamins that mixes into water. I always drink these vitamin packets when I feel myself becoming sick or before a night of drinking. These packets contain 1,000 mg of Vitamin C which promotes healthy immune functions. You can find this for sale at your local Walmart or Walgreens.

Invest in your health and give your medicine cabinet the makeover it needs today!

Yoga

Whether you are a college student, pursuing your career, or raising your children, it’s no secret that stress is impossible to avoid in our everyday lives. Between work, school, maintaining relationships, and daily chores, stress can build and have serious consequences. Stress can lead to:

• an inability to concentrate
• back and neck pain
• unstable emotions
• acne
• a weakened immune system
• drug abuse

 

Yoga is one quick way to help manage built up stress. Just ten minutes of yoga a day can dramatically decrease your stress levels while also improving many other factors of your body’s health.

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Besides stress relief, yoga also:

• strengthens muscles
• increases flexibility
• relieves back and joint pain
• relieves arthritis pain
• increases concentration
• enhances balance
• relieves headaches

Yoga can improve the overall quality of your life dramatically within a couple of weeks of dedicated exercise. Don’t let your busy schedule keep you feeling stressed and in pain. Put a reminder in your calander, set a daily alarm, or wake up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to make time for a quick yoga session. Make your mental and physical health a priority and learn some new yoga poses today!

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Here are some common poses demonstrated by yoga instructor Alia Antinelli:

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While practicing these yoga poses always remember to inhale and exhale with the movements of each pose. Here’s a quick guide to learn how to breathe:

1. Inhale for four seconds
2. Hold breath for three seconds
3. Exhale for six seconds
4. Hold breath for two seconds
5. Repeat

This breathing excersie isn’t just for yoga, but can be used to help combat anxiety attacks or to just relieve stress in general. Practice this breathing excersie regularly and soon it will become second nature to you.

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For all my local readers, San Marcos opened up a new yoga studio near Texas State campus! Shine On is located on University Drive near Colloquium Bookstore and Which Wich. Follow their Instagram for updates!

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Happy meditating!

 

All photos original.

Gif’s taken from Twitter.

Welcome to Fox Fit!

Welcome to Fox Fit! My name is Sarah Fox, and I am a busy college student who is also a health nut. Though it is hard to balance these two lifestyles, I am here to help. I’ve been interested in fitness ever since I was young. I played soccer most of my life, but after high school ended, I quit soccer. I decided to take everything I learned from the field to the gym.

I hope to help all my followers learn how to maintain not only their physical health but their mental health as well. Exercise, meditation and vitamins are going to be key to being successful in reaching your mental and physical health goals. I will talk about healthy eating habits, exercises for different body goals, how to relieve stress and help promote natural endorphins. My blog will consist of only natural product recommendations. I will also educate my readers on the importance of organic and non-GMO foods.

Let’s be honest, life can get hectic. School and work are naturally everyone’s main priorities, so when life gets busy, exercising and eating healthy tends to be thrown out of people’s schedules. Though it is hard to do, we need to make health an equal priority in our everyday lives. The key to the pursuit of happiness is living a healthy lifestyle that promotes natural endorphins and combats depression.

Some of the topics I’ll be discussing include the following:

• Strength Training
• Cardio
• Yoga
• Relaxation Breathing
• Essential Oil Use
• Meal Plans
• Massage Therapy
• Vitamins

Stay tuned to start your path on being Fox Fit. Happy Exercising!

 

Follow me on Twitter and turn my notifications on for post updates!

 

All photos original.

Gif’s taken from Twitter.