Category: Health & Fitness

If you ask us, grilling shouldn’t be relegated to the spring and summer. Grill all year round. Come winter, pull on the parka and get that brisket on the barbie. Just make sure you’re stocked and ready with the best BBQ sauces in the game. While the quality of the meat should be a top priority, there’s no denying a tasty sauce steals the show when whipping up ribs, pulled pork, or drumsticks. Sauce is sacred.

That’s why you should explore the wild world of craft BBQ sauces outside your local grocery store. Load up on any of these 10 epic BBQ sauces and pull off a feast folks will be talking about for many cookouts to come. Whether you like a bit of heat or prefer your meats with something sweet and smoky, we’ve got the perfect sauce for you.

Tastiest BBQ Sauces to Elevate Your Grilling

1. Elda’s Kitchen

Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle, three-pack ($24), or sixer ($36) of these small-batch sauces based on 1950’s kitchen culture, which are currently made in 12 flavors. Our vote is creating a build-your-own three-pack with Kentucky Bourbon, Jamaican Jerk, and Black Cherry BBQ—but the world is your oyster.

[from $6 per bottle; eldaskitchen.com]

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2. Runamok Merquén Smoked Chili Pepper Infused Maple Syrup

Late summer grilling is a match made in Merquén Smoked Chili Pepper Infused Maple Syrup heaven. A medley of sweet and spicy flavor profiles, Merquén is a chili blend from the Mapuche region of Chile. When coupled with maple syrup, it creates the perfect balance of heat, smoke, and caramel. Happy hour imbibers, be sure to double up on Runamok Maple Organic Smoked Maple Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup.

[$18; runamokmaple.com]

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3. Ponti BBQ Sauce With Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, IGP

This versatile condiment works well on meat, fish, and veggies, thanks to a combination of sweet and sour notes with moderate acidity. Balsamic vinegar of Modena is an IGP (Indication of Geographic Protection)-certified Italian condiment, so you can rest assured that it’s a high-quality product from this nine-generation, family-owned-and-operated company. Another brilliant choice: Ponti BBQ Sauce with Italian Apple Cider Vinegar.

[$5 per bottle; yummybazaar.com]

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Talking about mom burnout on the blog today.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning so far. I’m meeting with a friend for coffee and then working on a Fit Team document for Self-care September to send out tomorrow. It’s not too late to join us here!

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about mom burnout. While I’m in a positive space with motherhood, there have absolutely been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed and burned out. I wanted to share a bit about it in this post, along with some of the things I’ve learned, and always love hearing about your thoughts and perspectives, too. I also recognize that as a mom, I know I’m fortunate and privileged in many aspects of life and am grateful for all of them. There will always be those who have it better or worse than yourself; the best you can do is have gratitude for the blessings in your life, and compassion for those who are having a difficult time.

What is mom burnout exactly?

I think of it as a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that most moms are likely to experience at one point in their lives. I’ve learned over time that various factors can contribute to mom burnout. It can happen when you have maxed out your capacity to care for others, and it can also come from the invisible emotional and mental load mothers need to carry. Peer pressure, unrealistic expectations, and social media can play a part in causing mom burnout, and I think it’s SO important for moms to fill their own cups first.

Mom burnout should not be taken lightly, and if you feel like you are suffering, please reach out and get the help you deserve. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional on this matter, just a mom sharing my story and things I’ve learned. You can absolutely love your kids like crazy and still experience mom burnout. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good mom; you just need a little extra TLC.

How to recover from mom burnout

Taking breaks and taking time to recharge

This can be so hard to do, especially if you have a tiny newborn. Take any opportunity you need to take a break and recharge, even if it’s for a short nap, a hot shower, or 10 minutes to blankly stare at the wall.

Talk it out

When you feel overwhelmed, whether you’re dealing with parenting exhaustion or life stuff, it can be so helpful to talk it out. It can be with a trusted friend, partner, or a professional, but often it can feel like a load has been lifted when you can speak your frustrations. Also, when you say things out loud, it’s easier to develop an action plan or objectively see the situation without so many emotions attached to it.

Prioritizing self care

This can be a tricky one, especially when you’re so devoted to caring for others, but I’m a big believer that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take some time to do the self-care practices that you love in your routine, like your favorite weekly yoga class, a phone call with a friend, a hike or walk outside, time to read a book, whatever self care looks like for you. It also doesn’t have to be *all the things*; it could be one thing that you look forward to each week or each day.

Focus on the bare essentials

When you feel burned out, try to delete the unnecessary tasks from your routine. This might be something like having an impeccably clean house and crossing off all of the items on your to-do list. Keeping other humans alive, happy, and fed is a huge task, and if you accomplished this (along with feeding yourself), feel proud of yourself. <3

Do something that makes you feel like YOU

This can be something like dusting off your ukulele, reading a book, a dinner date with your partner, meeting up with a friend for a coffee, or a solo shopping trip. It can be as short as 15 minutes during naptime, but try to do something that brings you joy and that was a part of your pre-kids life that you’ve been missing.

Delegate anything you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help

Wherever it makes sense for your family and budget, outsource as many items as possible, especially the tasks that you despise. For example, if you love cooking but hate grocery shopping, try grocery delivery. If you hate cooking, try some pre-made meals each week from a service you like. (Some of my clients have found out that their husbands love to cook, so they’ve taken over the meal prep and dinner duties.) Hire someone to clean the house if that works for you (it is a lifesaver for me, and I sacrifice other things to carve this into our budget), or any other tasks that are adding additional stress. See what can be deleted, and delegate as much as you can.

Drop the mom guilt

I feel like it’s SO easy to feel guilty about so many different things, especially when there’s so much…passionate… messaging online. Whether you work from home or in the office, are a stay-at-home-mom, have a vaginal birth or c-section, breastfeed your baby, do attachment parenting, sleep routines, medical decisions, etc. People have a lot of opinions about how you choose to raise your kids. At the end of the day, you have to trust that you’re making the best decision for your family and drop as much mom guilt as you can. (This is something I’m working on myself, and often feel guilty whenever I have to work or film videos and the kids are home.)

Meet with a professional to get hormones and nutrient deficiencies addressed

When I was going through postpartum anxiety and depression, there was a lot going on (a cancer diagnosis in the family and a baby with severe reflux), but I was also facing nutrient deficiencies, sleep deprivation (this makes everything worse), and significant hormone imbalances. Once these things were addressed, the dark cloud lifted, and I finally started to feel more like myself.

If you feel off, I think it’s absolutely worth speaking with your doctor or functional medicine practitioner about developing a plan to help you feel better! Also I can’t say enough good things about therapy. It’s helped me through many situations in my life, and I’m grateful for the kind and experienced therapists out there.

Invest in relationships

Take the time to invest in the relationships that are meaningful for you. This is huge for overall health and mental wellbeing, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Connect with your tribe and reach out to those you love, even if it’s just a quick text to say hi.

Surround yourself with positive and inspiring examples of motherhood

I’m so so thankful to be surrounded by a group of moms who also love being moms. We can share our challenging moments with each other, but we also cheer each other on, and their positivity and perspective always brings me a dose of positive energy. They inspire me to be a better mom and experience true joy in motherhood.

On the same note:

Watch out for social media. Don’t be afraid to do a social media cleanup or detox.

It took me a while to realize that social media can be triggering for me on the motherhood front. When I first had Liv, it’s like you weren’t allowed to say that anything was difficult or challenging, or you were a *bad mom.* (And I’ve totally been called this, multiple times, by strangers on the internet.) Now, on the other hand, if you exude too much happiness, you can be accused of “toxic positivity.”

I feel like a lot of the messaging around motherhood, in an effort to be *real* has ended up being extremely negative in various accounts. There was a video of a mom, giving her child a plate of alphabet chicken nuggets that spelled out “f you” to her child. The child clapped and joyfully ate the nuggets while the mom snickered behind the screen. It wasn’t *real* to me. It was cruel, and I cried after I watched the video.

I realized I like accounts of moms who share their fun adventures with their kids, and while they absolutely share snippets of more difficult experiences, on the whole, they enjoy the members of their family.

You have to assess what type of messaging you like seeing online, and act accordingly by deleting the accounts that make you feel sad, negative, encourage comparison, or that are harmful for your mental health. It also feels good to put the phone on airplane mode for a day or so every now and again. 😉

Remember that all stages of motherhood are fleeting

I used to get used to routine or habits and then within a couple of weeks, everything would change. Now that the kids are older and way more independent, I’m constantly aware of how quickly time passes. You don’t have to enjoy every single moment (especially when you’re sleep-deprived, covered in milk stains, and recovering from birth), but I think it can be helpful to remember that time really does go quickly. Before you know it, you can ask them to do their homework.. and they’ll do it… by themselves. It’s wild, I tell ya.

So tell me, friends: what motherhood accounts do you like to follow online?

Any tips for mom burnout, or burnout in general?

xoxo

Gina

The post How to recover from mom burnout appeared first on The Fitnessista.

These healthy fall soup recipes, made with real food ingredients, are nutritious and will warm you up on a chilly autumn day.

Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We caught up on some things around the house, I taught a barre class, we met up with friends for dinner, and got the Fit Team workouts out for September. If you’d like to join us, the link is here!

Since we’re back in the school routine, I’ve been on the hunt for healthy and delicious recipes I can make quickly or in advance. Soups are one of our-go dinner options, because you can pack in a ton of nutrition at once, the kids love soup, and leftovers are amazing for lunch (or breakfast!).

Today I’m sharing a round up of some of our favorite heathy fall soup recipes from the blog + fellow blog friends.

Our Favorite Healthy Fall Soup Recipes

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

A delicious and hearty soup for the upcoming fall months. It freezes beautifully, and is easily reheated in the slow cooker or on the stove top.

The Best Black Bean Soup

It’s a thousand times better than my beloved black bean soup from Panera. Give it a whirl for a delicious vegetarian lunch or dinner option! It’s a savory black bean fiesta in a bowl!

Miso Noodle Soup from Kath Eats

This Miso Noodle Soup is simple to make and full of flavor! It’s a hearty, comforting and nutrient-dense meal for cooler weather and is also vegan and gluten-free.

One Pot Golden Curry Chicken Soup from Fit Foodie Finds

Get out your stock pot because we’ve got an amazing healing one pot golden curry chicken soup that is calling your name. This veggie-packed coconut curry chicken soup has a delicious flavorful broth filled with anti-inflammatory spices and includes 2 types of protein.

One Pot Everyday Lentil Soup from Minimalist Baker

An easy, everyday recipe for lentil soup with potatoes, carrots, kale, and simple herbs and seasonings. The perfect plant-based main or side that requires just 10 ingredients, 1 pot, and about 30 minutes to make.

Taco Soup from Kristen Boehmer

This taco soup is a delicious blend of ground beef, vegetables and seasonings, all simmered to perfection and topped with all the taco fixings. An easy dinner option that’s kid-friendly and quick to make! Instant Pot, Slow Cooker and Stovetop instructions included!

Outrageously Delicious Vegetable Soup from Eating Bird Food

This is the best vegetable soup! It’s loaded with fresh veggies and seasoned with plenty of spices and herbs for amazing flavor. Plus, it’s dairy-free and vegetarian.

Tell me, friends: what’s your favorite soup or chili recipe? Please share the love in the comments section below!
xoxo

Gina

You may also enjoy:

• 10 Vegan Recipes For Fall
• The Ultimate Fall Salad
• Our Go-To Easy Weeknight Dinners

The post Our Favorite Healthy Fall Soup Recipes appeared first on The Fitnessista.

When Indian Motorcycle delivered two Pursuit Dark Horse motorcycles to my home in Toronto, the first two production models to enter Canada, I invited one of the nation’s most beloved actors, Yannick Bisson, to join me for a ride. Bisson is a French-Canadian actor known for his long-running role as William Murdock on the popular Victorian-era detective series Murdoch Mysteries, currently running its fifteenth season. Bisson is also an avid outdoorsman and motorsports enthusiast. With his wealth of knowledge on Canadian history and landscape, and our shared enthusiasm for motorcycles, we set out to gobble up miles through Ontario’s most breathtaking cottage country on a pair of these luxury grand-touring motorcycles.

The Indian Pursuit Dark Horse is powered by a six-speed PowerPlus liquid-cooled 108 cubic inch V-twin motor that delivers 122 horsepower and 128 lbs-ft of torque. Accordingly, the bike comes with all the luxuries of a fully dressed touring bike. This includes more than 35 gallons of electronic-locking storage space, a six-gallon fuel tank for long-distance rides, and a fixed front fairing loaded with technology and easily accessed controls. The Pursuit comes in two versions: Limited with chrome finish and Dark Horse with blacked-out finishes. After I lost a coin toss for the Metallic Ruby over Black finish, we saddled up and hit the highway.

“We encountered every possible type of road on this trip,” says Bisson. “We got A-, B-, and C-grade tarmac, cut concrete, polymer paving—we even got some flat-out cottage gravel roads. It was really a mixed bag of conditions, sightlines, and speeds. These Indian Pursuits performed far beyond what I expected from a large touring bike. They really get after it and they look stellar.”

Premium luxury with all the bells and whistles

Bisson is right—these bikes are badass beauties with all the frills. To our benefit, Pursuit Dark Horse motorcycles come with Indian’s Premium Package ($3,000). This includes a heated touring seat, integrated driving lights in the lower fairings, electronic rear suspension preload for the Fox shock, and Smart Lean Technology. “We definitely didn’t need the heated seats for this trip,” says Bisson. “But here in Canada, more than a third of your riding can happen during the shoulder seasons when it’s super cold. The heated seats alone make it a no-brainer, but the rest of the package is dedicated to rider safety, which you can’t really put a price on.”

Pursuit’s Smart Lean Technology works by using a Bosch 6-axis inertial measurement unit to calculate the exact orientation of the motorcycle at all times. It’s collecting and processing a variety of data to predict wheel slip before it occurs for safer throttle and braking applications while cornering. Traditional traction control and anti-lock braking systems make an assumption that the riding position is vertical. Smart Lean Technology recognizes the angle of the bike as it corners, and reacts for safety accordingly.

It’s all about the journey

Our first landmark stop outside of Toronto was in Port Perry. It’s a charming township along the shores of Lake Scugog. It also happens to be a set location where Bisson filmed episodes of Murdoch Mysteries. Founded in the early 1800s, Port Perry is home to exceptional Italianate architecture. That includes the Joseph Bigelow Residence, originally constructed in 1876. “The ‘Bigelow House’ is considered one of the finest Victorian homes in the province,” says Bisson. “I have to say, after filming nearly 240 episodes of Murdoch Mysteries throughout the region, I learn something new about Canadian history and its cultural landscape with every episode.”

Before departing Port Perry, Bisson and I spent time familiarizing ourselves with Pursuit’s technology integration. The main console interior features a 7-inch touchscreen, easily accessed via handlebar button interface. Dark Horse uses Indian Motorcycle’s Ride Command+, providing access to Apple CarPlay integration and turn-by-turn navigation. It also offers long-distance handy services like live traffic and weather overlays. “You want those real-time traffic and weather alerts out here,” says Bisson. “Out of nowhere, you can wind up in changing conditions. You could spend a half-day getting cooked, then the weather can flip and you’ll want those heated seats and Rain Mode.”

Our next passthrough was Burleigh Falls, forming a boundary for the North Kawartha township we were heading to. As Bisson tells it, the Burleigh Falls bridge is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. It’s a lock and dam system that connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay. It’s also used to keep nearby waters navigable for larger boats. In our case, it was a great spot to capture some epic riding shots, then continue on our journey. This was also when I switched the bike into Sport mode—Pursuit’s three power modes include Sport, Standard, and Rain. The throttle response was much more dynamic than Standard, in a good way. I kept the bike in Sport mode for the duration of our ride.

Cottage Country and the celebs who visit

Central Ontario is host to cottage country. There’s an extensive network of recreational lakes popular for summer homes for the urban vacationer. “Historically, this area has been a destination for a lot of famous Americans. Halle Berry, Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russel practically raised their kids here. Cindy Crawford has a home on an island here, too,” says Bisson. After looking it up, a list of celebs making the most of lake life in Canada is extensive—Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, even Justin Biebs loves himself some lake action.

After a series of twisty roads that let Pursuit’s low center of gravity and intuitive cornering take center stage, we arrived at our final destination—Shantilly’s Place, an Instagrammable confectionary shop and marina on Chandos Lake, owned and operated by my riding partner’s wife, Shantelle Bisson.

“Shantelle has managed to honor the heritage of the marina, but also provide all the modern amenities you might want on the lake. Pizza delivery by boat, premium full-service fuel, fantastic deli food, and everything you might need during your vacation,” says Bisson. To his point, my focus is on choosing from 36 flavors of Kawartha Dairy’s finest ice cream. I land on Bordeaux Cherry and Pistachio Almond stacked on a waffle cone—the ultimate post-ride treat.

Checking the boxes

In broad strokes, the Indian Pursuit Dark Horse is equal parts comfort, capability, and eye-catching appeal. It’s a behemoth of confidence for the tour-savvy rider, designed with intuitive technologies.

“This bike checks off all the boxes—luxury, traction, stability and power,” says Bisson. “I loved that it didn’t feel like an old guy’s bike. It’s super stylish and technically high-end with a cutting-edge design. And these bikes look stellar—I saw a lot of eyeballs on us during our ride.”

[$30,999; indianmotorcycle.com]

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This article is an installment of The Everyday Warrior series, featuring advice, key interviews, and tips to live a life of impact, growth, and continual learning.

In 2014, I deployed back to Afghanistan, this time as a Special Forces Company Operations Sergeant. In the Special Forces world, company operations control an area of operations, or AO, and the six SF Teams within it. We primarily manage assets, coordinate operations, and provide material and logistical support to war-fighting Green Berets. Company Operations are referred to as Special Operations Detachment Bravo, or the B-team, for short. Let me be honest here, the B-Team is staffed with experienced operators who would rather be on Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA), where the action is.

Why wouldn’t they? If done right, the B-team capitalizes on the expertise of these senior operators to make sure the A-teams are taken care of. The expectation is that senior operators can predict what the ODAs need and be proactive in pushing assets instead of reacting to requests. The hard reality is that the Operations Sergeant—me, in the case of this deployment—spends a lot of time wrangling guys into staying put, where they’re needed. The B-team operators feel it’s their job to find any way possible to get out on operations—any and every operation.

In addition to the collection of always-hungry-to-leave B-team Green Berets, the SF company manages all the support staff. Non-SF qualified soldiers take care of everything from vehicle maintenance, supply, and the always-important chow hall. Soldiers need to eat!

I’m sure when you started this article you were hoping to read about our nations elite warriors flawlessly executing operations against the enemy. Sorry, we’re heading down a different path. I’m going to tell you a remarkable story about an Army cook who made a lasting impact on 88 battle-hardened Green Berets. I would keep reading if I were you, it’s worth your time.

The “hero” of our story is a young sergeant named Brian. SGT Brian was not an imposing soldier. He was a little on the short side, a little on the skinny side, quiet and polite. What SGT Brian lacked in physical stature, he made up for with his impact.

I started the deployment with SGT Brian cooking for my B-team. We had the biggest population, close to 100 people, and SGT Brian had the most experience. Of all the benefits to being in Special Forces—better training, great equipment, more control of our operations—sadly the food while deployed to Afghanistan was not one of them. What I quickly learned was SGT Brian was an expert in his kitchen and could make magic happen. What I learned next has stayed with me ever since.

SGT Brian knew what his responsibilities were and found every way possible to maximize his impact from his role. I was a little taken back when he asked me if he could start attending the daily operations briefing. I was excited when he manipulated his schedule to find ways to have hot food ready as units were leaving and when they got back in the wire. I was impressed when he found ways to mentor subordinate soldiers at other camps to do the same thing where they were. SGT Brian always looked for ways to make an impact. He prioritized his immediate responsibilities, then improved every aspect of his role. He learned the schedules of everyone in the camp and found ways that gave everyone access to good, hot meals when they needed them, not only at traditional mealtimes. SGT Brian built relationships, made friends, and improved the lives of those he served, and made one part of my job and my life a little nicer considering where I was.

And then my boss sent him away…What the hell?

I knew it was the right thing to do. I just didn’t want it to happen. We all saw how SGT Brian’s impact had improved our situation. The stresses of sustained combat operations were starting to take their toll on the A-teams in the fight and sending our “morale officer” to help was absolutely the right call. SGT Brian went from site to site on a four-week rotation and every time he made a difference. When it was time for him to rotate, teams produced every excuse as to why he had to stay. They tried every sob story available to them and attempted to manipulate operations to support their efforts to keep him. I was impressed with their creativity, but SGT Brian was always sent on to the next camp.

It’s safe to say most soldiers want to test their grit in combat. Cooks don’t get that chance often. It’s also true that space on a combat patrol is limited, and leaders are very selective about who they can and will take. A true testament to SGT Brian’s impact was when teams started to ask if they could take him on patrol to help him earn his Combat Action Badge, an award that Soldiers get when they are in direct actions against an enemy. I’m not sure how many cooks in the Army have earned the CAB, but my Special Forces Teams made sure he got the chance to earn his. In our world, there’s no better way to honor someone than to be willing to take them into the fight.

I learned a lot from SGT Brian on that deployment. He set the example for everyone around him and did it in the humblest way. He could have run his chow hall like everyone else, but he choose to be better. He lost a lot of sleep by working the odd schedules to make sure those around him were cared for. He sacrificed his personal comfort and never asked for anything other than ways he could help. SGT Brian was the best example of servant leadership I’ve ever witnessed.

SGT Brian taught me three lessons that I like to share:

1. Be impactful from any position

When we think of leaders, we’re typically drawn to images of historical leaders who, from positions of great power, change the world. When I think of being impactful, I think of Mother Teresa, working tirelessly to help those with nothing. Through small acts of kindness and limitless effort, she found ways to be impactful. She could have taken her notoriety and gone anywhere but she chose to stay, in the humblest of conditions, and continue her work. We can all make an impact from wherever we are. How many of us remember a teacher or a coach that impacted our lives? Influential people look for ways to inspire others. They find ways to give to those around them.

2. Prioritize those around you

What do you have to give? Everything, but the most impactful is your time. Take time to give someone a hand. Take time to be a listening ear. Take time to help someone who’s falling behind. Take time to get to know someone. When you prioritize those around you, you make an impact. Small ripples build over time, ultimately creating shock waves. Look for ways you can give at work, with friends and family, and in your community. There are always opportunities for you to prioritize others. My father-in-law ended up on the local news because he would bring in neighbors’ trash cans from the street. No one asked him to. He just saw a need and made the time.

3. Look for ways to be better

SGT Brian didn’t announce that he planned to make such an impact. He didn’t do it in search of praise. He just looked for ways he could be better at his goal of taking care of others. The first thing he did on the deployment was clean and reorganize his kitchen into a work place he was comfortable with. He started small and just looked for the next thing he could do. I remember when he asked if he could attend the operations briefing. I asked him why and with a shrug he simply said, “I want to see where I can help.” It takes time but getting better is a compounding endeavor. The more you do, the better you are. The more opportunities you take, the more impact you make. There are always efficiencies in whatever we do. When we combine our attempts to be more efficient with better ways to be helpful, our impact grows.

During my 2014 deployment, several amazing things happened. Acts of bravery, courage, and fortitude spotlighted the efforts of my teams. I was honored to write several awards for valor for well-deserving Green Berets. The award I was most proud to write was for SGT Brian. When the award was presented, his impact was evident by the volume of cheers and applauds.

I’ve told this story in every organization I’ve been with. The story of a young U.S. Army cook who just wanted to help and, in doing so, made a lasting impact.

SGM (Ret) Joshua Johnson is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces and now serves as the Sr. VP of Leadership Development for Talent War Group.

As the calendar flips to August, NFL training camp season is in full swing, and the league has already started to muscle its way back to being the sun, moon, and stars of the American sports landscape. Hope springs eternal for the 32 NFL teams, even the bad ones, and they’ll be playing preseason games as soon as this Thursday night.

Every training camp spawns its own media industrial complex, because that’s the nature of the NFL’s beast. You may not care who wins a defensive tackle job for the Los Angeles Chargers, but you will have the option of reading several dozen stories about it, and there are thousands of people who will exercise that option. That’s fantastic. But some training camps are more interesting than others, and in that spirit, let’s run through a collection of NFL teams who will give onlookers a lot to talk about as we head into this season.

The 7 Best NFL Teams to Watch in 2022

This article is an installment of The Everyday Warrior series, featuring advice, key interviews, and tips to live a life of impact, growth, and continual learning.

As cliché as it might sound, you must approach things just one day, one meal, or one workout at a time. It’s the basis of the ATTA concept, an approach to living that inspires greatness and promotes balance, coined by retired U.S. Navy SEAL Mike Sarraille, host of the Men’s Journal Everyday Warrior podcast.

When you first embark on a fitness journey, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose or have a long road ahead of you, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the bigger picture. Don’t let that discourage you as that often happens. Take the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for example. I started training back in the fall of 2019 before COVID and the pandemic. I had no background in grappling or martial arts. Despite being somewhat athletic most of my life from playing sports I was like a fish out of water. It was hard to imagine after the first couple of classes how I would ever have any skill in the sport of BJJ.

Fast forward to the present: I recently received my blue belt. Not that I’m all that skilled now but I just truly personified the one-day ATTA time approach. All I did was show up two to three times per week for classes, drilled a lot, and got just a little bit better over time. That’s the key: continuing to show up and being consistent. You must apply this same approach to your fitness goals.

It seems overwhelming to lose 50 pounds when you’re just starting out. View it as a process goal versus just the outcome. What I mean here is you take that larger goal and break it down into smaller ones. Losing a substantial amount of weight is a daunting task, but losing the first 5 or 10 pounds isn’t as scary. Start by chunking things up into smaller, more manageable goals.

You realize that if you lose one to two pounds the first couple weeks, you’ll be there in no time. When you start exercising, increasing your daily activity levels, and start eating better it’s entirely possible. It’ll feel good to accomplish these micro-goals. Use that initial success as positive momentum in your journey to spring you forward. Momentum is a funny thing, too. Once you get some, it tends to keep you going for quite some time. Those little wins may not seem like much at the start, but watch them give you that forward momentum to keep pushing when times get tough.

It feels good to get some victories under your belt. Allow yourself to feel proud and celebrate seemingly small or minor wins.

Incremental changes will slowly add up and compound over time. If you truly live this approach and philosophy, you’ll be shocked at where you can be in a few months’ time. Stop putting off your fitness goals and shift your mindset toward getting started today. The sooner you get started, the better off you’ll be.

Nick Shaw is the co-founder of Renaissance Periodization (RP), a multi-million-dollar health and fitness company that has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of clients around the world. His story – and the story of RP—has appeared in a Forbes feature story, which chronicled Renaissance Periodization’s rise from a small business into an influential tech company with an industry-leading app available through Apple’s app store and Google Play. Nick has also helped to coach numerous world-class athletes including CrossFit Games champions, international medalists in weightlifting, UFC fighters, Navy SEALs, and Olympians. Nick and his team at RP have sold hundreds of thousands of books over the years ranging from Nutrition, Training, Recovery, and creating Healthy Habits.

Sharing some ideas on how to set healthy examples for kids, teach them about health, and get them excited about nutrition.

Hi friends! How’s the week going? We’re having the dreamiest time in Hawaii; I never want to leave.

For today’s post, I’m answering a reader’s request about teaching kids about nutrition and setting a healthy example for kids as they grow up. While I’m not an expert in this (please keep in mind that I’m NOT an RD), it’s been important to me to model healthy behaviors our babies can keep for life. In today’s post, I’m sharing some of the things that have worked for us, and as always, I love hearing your input, too!

How to teach kids about nutrition

Show, don’t tell

This is my #1 tip and I could probably just end this post here. A lot of the things the kids know about nutrition, they’ve learned from watching us and how we eat, how we plan our meals, and how we shop. I don’t have to really “tell” them anything; kids are little sponges and are always soaking up information from the world around them.

I love the fact that our kiddos are adventurous eaters who seem to enjoy food as much as we do. They’re not picky and will try anything, and while they each have a giant sweet tooth (I do, too!), they also enjoy lots of fresh produce, protein, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense starches on their plates. One of my biggest goals for nutrition for the girls was to teach them about balance, which they can only learn if I model that myself. I’ll have a giant salad, but I’ll also have a cupcake or ice cream with them, and it’s no big deal. We order Domino’s pizza (they love it) and get donuts weekly. I never want anything to be *weird* or forbidden, and they know that we focus on colorful, fresh foods from the earth + room for the soul-hugging stuff in there, too.

(Their favorite snack: smoked oysters and skinless/bonless sardines. They eat them straight-up out of the can.)

This can be hard if you’ve grown up with a tricky relationship with food, but remember that kids are always watching. Enjoy treats guilt-free and don’t talk about how food affects your physical appearance. Instead, you can say things like, “I’m going to have so much energy after this salad” or “soup always makes me feel better when I’m under the weather.” Or, you could also say nothing. I find that whatever I’m eating, the girls want to eat, too. I’ll often make my portions larger because I know at least half will be “tasted.”

Eat the rainbow

I don’t think kids *need* to know the vitamin, mineral content, or macro balance of their foods. Instead, they can focus on eating the rainbow. You can ask them, “Hey, did you have anything green yet today? Do you want salad, broccoli, or zucchini with dinner?” “How many colors of the rainbow can we put on our plate for lunch?”

Having a little garden has encouraged them to try new things, too. They love going outside to pick carrots, bell peppers, or salad greens. (We have melons growing right now, too!)

Give them freedom within parameters

For this one, if I know they’ve already had more sugar during the day (like a boba tea AND an ice cream at the pool), I’ll give them some more nutrient-dense choices for other meals. “Hey, do you want chicken or fish tonight?” “What veggies or fruits do you want with your meal?” The girls know that for every meal they’ll get a few constants: a protein, a starch, a healthy fat, and always a fruit or veggie (usually both with lunch and dinner). I hope that by setting up our meals this way, they’ll inherently know how to balance a plate when they get older.

Let them go shopping with you and choose new produce options

This is definitely the most fun one! Whenever we go to the store or put in an online grocery order, I let the girls each pick a new fruit or vegetable. They often surprise me with their choices and we’ve been able to discover new things this way. This makes them excited to try these new options, and I find that it also keeps us out of the monotony of having the same fruits and veggies in our rotation. It’s also fun to take them to the farmer’s market and pick out some new finds that feel exciting to them.

Involve them in the cooking process

Kids are ALWAYS more excited to eat when they helped to prepare the meal. For our dinners, I try to find age-appropriate ways to let them help, whether it’s peeling carrots, putting a salad kit together (P can do the whole thing from start to finish), washing and seasoning vegetables, harvesting herbs or greens from the garden, measuring ingredients, or chopping (with supervision the whole time, obvs). Cooking with them usually takes a tiiiiiny bit longer, but it’s totally worth it. I want them to enjoy cooking and it’s another way that we can enjoy time together. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly cookbook, the girls LOVE this one. (Liv recently told me it’s “too easy” for her, so we’re looking for a new one!)

So, tell me, friends: what habits are you trying to set up for your kids as they grow? What are some resources that have helped you?

How do you involve kids in the cooking process?

xoxo

Gina

The post How to teach kids about nutrition appeared first on The Fitnessista.

G-Shock has been on a roll lately. Hot on the heels of the titanium-clad, sci-fi-inspired GMW-B5000TVB, the brand has released a new lineup of metal watches: G-Shock GMB2100 series. The series contains three timepieces kitted out with full metal cases and bracelets, and each one features a different finish: silver, dark gray, and copper. They’re also equipped with polished octagonal bezels that recall the famed “CasiOak” series of metal G-Shock watches. If you’re a fan of the brand but not a fan of wearing a hunk of plastic on your wrist, this new collection definitely deserves a look.

The GMB2100 series includes three watches: silver-finished GMB2100D-1A, dark gray GMB2100BD-1A, and copper-finished GMB2100GD-5A. All the watches feature the hallmark CasiOak octagonal bezel, and G-Shock went to great lengths to make these watches shine (literally). The company used a three-step finishing process to create a circular hairline finish on the top surfaces of the watches, a vertical hairline finish on the sides, and a bright, mirror-like gleam on the bezel. Combined, these finishing techniques really show off the metallic construction of the three models.

The black dial utilizes a vapor deposition treatment on the indices for a sharp, hi-definition appearance, and G-Shock also put a lot of thought into the construction of the case. Resin buffers between the bezel and the inner part of the case absorb shocks to protect the watch’s inner workings, and G-Shock even managed to slim down the profile—the GMB2100 watches are 0.2mm slimmer than the GMWB5000, one of the brand’s previous full-metal watch releases. With its premium finishes and thoughtful construction, these new G-Shocks show the brand is putting an emphasis on upscale style without sacrificing its reputation for ruggedness.

The GMB2100 watches offer plenty of capability to go along with their polished looks. They’re equipped with G-Shock’s Tough Solar Technology, so they can derive power from the sun and even weak sources of light, and they’re Bluetooth-equipped to sync with the G-Shock Connected app. The app opens up all kinds of functionality, including automatic time updates, setting the time on the watch face, calendar reminders, and more. Of course, these watches are also built tough: They’re shock resistant and water resistant to 200 meters.

We’ll take one of each, please.

[Starting at $550; gshock.casio.com]

Get it

Back in 1992, for the 1,000th batch of Goose Island beer, the brewer Greg Hall, wanted to create something unique, a one-off beer. What resulted was the brewery’s first bourbon barrel-aged stout.

“At the time, we thought we’d never make it again,” says Hall, who left Goose Island in 2011.

As it happens, Goose Island is still making bourbon barrel-aged stouts 30 years later. It all began at a fortuitous dinner that put Hall next to Booker Noe, the legendary master distiller and grandson of Jim Beam. That chance meeting spurred the idea to age Goose Island stout in a bourbon barrel.

Over the last 30 years, the release of new Goose Island Bourbon County stouts has become somewhat of a spectacle, with people camping out to be the first to buy it big. Each year, the pressure is undoubtedly on Goose Island to make something memorable—once again. In past years, they’ve made bourbon barrel-aged stout variants flavored with Earl Grey tea, chipotle chilis, and blueberry juice (just not together). One of 2021’s stouts brought to mind strawberry ice cream bars. When it comes to pushing what a bourbon barrel-aged stout can be, 2022 is no different.

“We think about Bourbon County Stout every day of the year, and I hope this year’s releases show that.” says Mike Siegel, senior innovation manager at Goose Island.

This year, Goose Island has seven new releases that celebrate 30 years of making bourbon barrel-aged stout and push the process in seven new ways. From old favorites to tropical flavors, here’s the list of 2022 Bourbon County stouts you need to get your hands on.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Every year, Goose Island returns to the recipe for the first Bourbon County Stout from 1992. This year, the imperial stout is aged and blended from empty bourbon barrels used by Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Buffalo Trace distilleries. Goose Island says you can expect flavors of vanilla, dark chocolate, toffee, molasses, almond, and dried fruit.

ABV: 14.4%