Let's talk about metabolism and movement.

When it comes to movement, there are different kinds. There's the movement you do throughout the day which is called N.E.A.T. - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Then there's the activity you get from exercise. It's really super important to be very purposeful about your movement when it comes to your metabolism. What's interesting is that you burn a larger percentage of calories by the movement you take throughout the day. That means the errands, the laundry, the housework, the dishes, the fidgeting, the standing desk, all of those things actually burn a larger percentage of calories than your dedicated workout routine.

If you're working out for an hour, or even 30 minutes, you're doing weight training, cardio, all of the things. That NEAT is actually burning more calories than your workouts. But don't kill yourself everyday with workouts, be very purposeful and really focus on getting more NEAT. You want to have adequate weight...

Many people think they have a broken metabolism, or their metabolism isn't working quite right. And a lot of that can be due to your nutrition and making sure that you're eating an adequate amount of food. You shouldn't constantly be dieting and cutting calories. So when you think about dieting, and wanting to lose weight, you want to ensure you are using nutrition periodization which is like having seasons of dieting. There will be times where you're cutting or reducing your calories. There will be times when you're eating at maintenance to give your body a break from dieting. And then there should be times where you're eating in a surplus, which is great if you want to try to build muscle, because you can't build muscle without extra calories.

So it's super important to also ensure that you're eating above your BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate. That's the amount of calories that takes just for your body to function on a daily basis, not including exercise or additional movement...

Nothing gets me more pumped to have an incredible workout than taking some quality pre-workout. That said, I’m pretty picky about the supplements I use. From getting the jitters and having my heart race, to full on breaking out in hives, I’ve had some adverse reactions when I try new products.

But given the high quality of other Macro 1 Nutrition products like their protein and greens, I was pretty excited to try their MORE Pre-Workout…and I wasn’t disappointed!

Here are the top three reasons you’ll want to add MORE Preworkout to your supplements list:

1. No crazy additives
   With a flavor like blue raspberry, I fully expected the mix to turn bright blue, like Windex. I was pleasantly surprised to see the mix was just a plain white liquid. Amen! Other quality ingredients include coconut water and a minimal amount of caffeine for energy
   
   
2. Delicious & mixes easily
   I chug my pre-workout as soon as I wake up and right before I workout, so...

Protein is one of the most important macronutrients and most people do not eat enough protein. Your goal is 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of your target weight. For me, that means 140g daily, with a target of 20-30 grams per meal and snack. Finding delicious, convenient products is a great way to hit your protein goals.

Quest Nutrition is a brand that I love, whether it’s their protein powder, protein chips, protein bars, or their latest product – Frosted Cookies. I taste-tested two flavors – Chocolate Cake and Birthday Cake.

1. Macro-friendly
   I do love a good protein cookie, but find that many brands have an extremely high calorie count. I was pleased to see that Quest Cookies have just 90 calories, 5g of protein, 7g of fat, 7g carbs and 3g fiber.
   
   
2. Convenient
   Individually wrapped cookies make this a super-convenient snack to keep in your car, purse, or desk. One box includes 12 individually-wrapped cookies.
   
   
3. Delicious
   When my kids started dipping into my cookie...

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Naked Nutrition (they literally have the cleanest products, meaning not fillers or ingredients you can’t pronounce). When they sent me a canister of vegan protein powder to try, I was pretty excited.

But I have to confess: I hate protein shakes. I hate drinking my calories in general so I just won’t typically make a protein shake. I’d rather eat my protein powder.I like to blend just enough water with my protein powder to create a pudding consistency. 

So when I was asked to review Naked Nutrition’s vegan Naked Shake in hot cocoa flavor, my first step was creating protein pudding. Well, this protein powder works perfectly and tastes fabulous!

As a pro figure competitor lifting weights since I was a teenager, I’ve tried numerous protein powders. Some make me feel bloated, while others tasted horrible or had a chalky consistency. A few weren’t even mixable and created quite a chunky...

If there’s one thing I love, it’s trying new protein bars. So I was pumped when I received a box of Naked Bars in peanut butter crunch flavor to taste-test and review.

Protein bars and powders are a simple and convenient way to hit your daily protein goals. You can easily keep bars in your purse, car, office, or wherever you may need a convenient snack.

Here are the top three reasons why you should give these Naked Bars a try:

1. Limited ingredients
   Given Naked Bars have limited ingredients, they’re a great option when you’re looking for an easy-to-grab snack that’s less processed. Their motto is “with nothing to hide” and their ingredient list lives up to claim. The top three items are peanut butter, soluble corn fiber and whey protein. Best of all, the remaining ingredients are all words you can pronounce and may be familiar with, such as salt and almond butter.
   
   
2. Delicious
   First of all, I love peanut butter, so they had me...

If there’s one thing I love trying, it’s new protein bars -- or in this case protein cookies. After trying the new Naked Bars, I was really excited to get a box of Naked Cookies. Who can resist individually packaged chocolate chip cookies with 10 grams of protein?! 

Protein bars and cookies are a convenient way to hit your protein macro goals. Since they’re pre-packaged, they’re super-easy to keep on hand in places like your desk drawer, car, purse or gym bag. The one word of caution with any protein bars or cookies is to be cognizant of the calories. For example, these Naked Cookies have 200 calories with a slightly higher amount of carbs.

I’m quite critical when it comes to cookies, but I was pleasantly surprised by these Naked Cookies (and my family agrees!) Here are the top four reasons you should add Naked Cookies to your pantry:

1. Limited ingredients
   Given Naked Cookies have limited ingredients, they’re a great option...

As you know, I’m always looking for ways to increase my protein intake. One product that gets the job done is bone broth. Now you may not have the time or energy to make your own bone broth from scratch. And now you don’t have to -- introducing Naked Nutrition’s newest product: Bone Broth!

As a huge fan of Naked Nutrition (they literally have the cleanest products, meaning not fillers or ingredients you can’t pronounce), I was super excited to try this new product.  

While the powder looks very light, fluffy and easily mixable, the instructions do encourage you to use a blend or shaker cup to thoroughly mix the bone broth before using.

 Here’s why you need to try this bone broth:

1. 100% Premium Bone Broth Protein
   Naked Nutrition prides itself on having “nothing to hide.” This is very true when you look at the ingredients and see the only one listed is beef broth protein concentrate. Best of all, it has all of the...

As gyms open back up, more people are renewing their commitments to their fitness goals. However, our lives are busier than ever, and ensuring you get the right nutrition can be a challenge with a full schedule. The Conversation reveals making time to cook can be easily thwarted by unpredictable work schedules and time conflicts. Especially if you have a young family or a demanding job.

Whether you’re a busy parent or a young professional that likes to go to the gym, eating healthy can be quite the challenge. Fortunately, there are ways to save time and reduce your effort while still ensuring you receive the right nutrition. Meal preparation is an important aspect of fitness for various reasons, and doing it successfully can help you reach your fitness goals.

Better nutrition

Having an effective exercise regimen is only half the battle in fitness; your diet matters just as much as the work you put in the gym. Meal preparation allows you to choose the right balance of...

If you know me, you know I only promote products that I use in love. So when Naked Nutrition contacted me to review one of their products, I told them I would gladly do so...but only if I truly liked it. One of their products that I was particularly interested in trying was their Naked Collagen. I’ve been looking for a collagen product for some time now, so it made perfect sense for me to try this one.

For starters, the product comes in a great big container, 20 oz. to be exact. I immediately liked the fact that the scoop could be easily found (vs. buried at the bottom) and the powder looked like it would be easily mixable.

Here are some of the other benefits:

1. Clean ingredients with no fillers
   Naked Nutrition prides itself on having “nothing to hide.”. This is very true when you look at the ingredients and see the only one listed is bovine hide collagen peptides. The product is 100% premium grass-fed collagen peptides.
   
   
2. Convenient protein boost...