Changing the World for the Better with PrAna

by Lizzy Wingate | Nov 7, 2017 | Personal, Reviews

prAna: Giving Back and Making a Difference

PrAna has been popping up everywhere in my world recently. What once was a semi-unknown brand to me, I now see EVERYWHERE! A friend of mine recently wore a sweater from PrAna to work. I had to make a stop at REI, and lo and behold – PrAna had its own section!

Why does this make me so excited? Because I love seeing companies that want what’s best for customers (and the world) succeed.

November is the time of year when we take time to think about and appreciate everything that we are grateful for… It’s one of my favorite aspects of the Holiday Season. During the holiday season, it is a time of giving. How awesome would it be to buy gifts for your loved ones or yourself, but then also know that the money you spent would be used to give back to the community? DOUBLE WIN.

PrAna has at the heart of their mission and vision to make a difference in the world: whether its by how they make their clothes and what products they use, to how they give back to the community and to make the world a better place — they have a strong mission of CHANGE.

What Sets prAna Apart

They’re conscious of the way their clothes are made:

If you haven’t heard of prAna or know what they stand for, let me tell you a little about them. PrAna’s clothes are made sustainably, out of recycled, fair-trade certified and hemp items. prAna made a short video on why they use hemp:

Video: Why Hemp Matters

As a consumer, I want to know how what I wear affects my body and my system. So I’ve started looking into it and while I’m no expert, I now know that we HAVE to start taking a closer look at how our clothes are made.

1. How they’re made affects the clothing that we are putting on our bodies (which our skin comes into contact with).

2. How they’re made directly affects the quality of the clothing.

3. How they’re made impacts the environment.

It’s time we start leaving a positive impact instead of a negative one.

They’re creating versatile and stylish clothing:

prAna designs clothes that are comfortable, cute, classy, and are versatile.

Clothing is an expression of who we are. And prAna has made a point to design clothing that will excite people to wear, whether its for work, for an outdoor adventure, or for a sweat session in the gym.

If I could wear leggings and hoodies all day everyday, But prAna has changed the game with their athleisure and athletic lines. I’m absolutely obsessed with the Rockaway Jacket and the Caraway Tights that PrAna sent me.

Rockaway Jacket:

Caraway Tights:

Side Note about the Caraway Tights: They passed my “Squat Test.” I hate leggings that slip off your waist while you’re trying to do a squat and/or become see through when you are squatting. The Caraway Tights didn’t slip down AND they didn’t become see through. WIN!!

The Number One Reason I Choose prAna

They care:

If you have a problem with something you bought, they’re not going to blow you off. They want your feedback. prAna actively wants to make their company and your experience better. That makes a difference to me, personally. Customer service is something that should be common – but it’s not. But prAna’s got it. And it shows!

And along the same lines, they’re giving back to the community because THEY CARE!

The world is in desperate need of positivity. And prAna is dedicated to give back more than they take from the world. During the holiday season, prAna donatse a portion of the proceeds from a select collection of items to Outdoor Outreach, which is a non-for-profit organization that connects underserved youth with the outdoors. This is near and dear to my heart as a middle school counselor.

I could talk endlessly about how great I think prAna is, but they have a whole section of their website dedicated to it. I encourage you to check out the prAna Sustainability section of their website.

prAna has given me a special discount code to share with you all for 15% off if you order before 11/22!

CODE: FFLWF17

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PrAna . The opinions and text are all mine.

8 Quick and Easy Weight Loss Hacks To Accelerate Your Results

by Lizzy Wingate | Oct 28, 2017 | Fitness Resources

8 Easy Ways to Accelerate Your Weight Loss

Living the fit and healthy lifestyle isn’t a piece of cake (literally) and at times it can be pretty difficult. While eating healthy and working out are two pieces of the wellness puzzle, there are small things you can do on a daily basis to help lose weight fast! Here are 8 weight loss hacks that will transform your body and mind to get you into a healthy state. Small, daily acts turn into big gains in the end. Plus, some of these small things will turn into habits that you won’t even think about anymore! It’ll become second nature to you.

When you lose weight the healthy way, there are more than just physical benefits from healthy lifestyles. You’ll experience mental and emotional benefits from working out and eating right! If you have a good fitness planner, you can even take these hacks to the next level!

8 Weight Loss Hacks You Can Start Doing Today

1. Skip the fruit juice… just eat the fruit.

Fruit Juice often has extra added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Forego the fruit juice and just eat the fruit! Another alternative would be to invest in a water bottle that has an infuser! Put some fresh fruit in the middle (infuser) and you can enjoy a fruity beverage!

Related Post: Sparkling Water Fruit Infusion Recipes

2. Eat protein at every meal (and snack).

If you’re working out, protein will help repair your muscles so that you get stronger and leaner. Protein also helps you get over muscle soreness. But most importantly, protein fills you up faster and keeps you feeling full longer.

3. Invest in excellent tupperware or meal prep containers.

Meal prep is one of the best practices to keep your diet in check. You’re more likely to eat unhealthy things when you’re hungry and tired. But if you have pre-made meals ready to go, then you can eat those instead! Meal prep tupperware can help keep those meals fresh for longer.

4. Stop eating out or ordering delivery often.

Fast food and dine-in restaurants are notorious for overindulgence. You get way more food than you could possibly want or need. And not only that, but the food is often greasy and/or unhealthy. That’s why it always tastes so good! Because restaurants are often using full-fat and full-caloried ingredients.

5. Ditch the soda, try sparkling water with fruit instead.

Soda is rich in chemicals, sugar, and more. If you are a soda-addict, try sparkling water. You can make sparkling water taste good with some fruit infusion recipes! If you’re on the go, put that water or sparkling water in a stainless steel cup that will keep it cold ALL DAY.

6. DON’T ELIMINATE CARBS!

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation over the past few years. Carbs give us energy. Our brain and our body need carbohydrates. However, there are some carbohydrates that are better than others. Stay away from processed and refined carbohydrates like french fries, potato chips, ice cream, etc. But keep good carbohydrates like whole grains.

7. Completely chew your food – and don’t stuff yourself.

When you eat very quickly, you’re more likely to overeat because the “I’m full!” signals from your stomach to your brain can’t keep up with your mouth. This can also cause that “stuffed” feeling when you’ve literally stuffed yourself with food. Eat until you’re satisfied… if there is still food on your plate – grab that tupperware and save it for later!

Related Post: 30 Gifts for the Fitness Lover

8. Shop the outer aisles of the grocery store.

The outer rim of the grocery store is where you will typically find the natural foods: the proteins and meats, the vegetables, the fruits, etc. The aisles are often the processed items — which aren’t all bad, but don’t get the majority of your groceries from them!

These weight loss tips may some obvious and common sense… but they are so hard to follow sometimes. Convenience often trumps health; So it is up to ourselves to find the discipline to plan ahead and keep our eyes focused on our health. These healthy tips are guaranteed to help you become healthier and fitter. If you are just starting out, focus on 1-2 of these health hacks each week. Some may work better than others, just find what works best for you!

Natural, Pure Products For A Happier Healthier Life NOW!

by Lizzy Wingate | May 11, 2017 | Nutrition, Nutrition Resources, Reviews

Do you have a favorite brand? One that you love for whatever reason? Maybe the company has products that you love the quality of; or perhaps you love the prices; whatever the reason, it’s a brand that you trust. I was given the opportunity to attend an immersion event for a brand in the Health and Wellness / Natural Products industry; and at the end of the event, I’d found a favorite brand. And it is NOW Foods. This post is sponsored by NOW Foods. I am thrilled to be working with the NOW brand. They flew me out to Chicago so I could attend their #NOWGetFit Immersion event. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

NOW Foods | Affordable Natural Products

Before the trip to Chicago for Now Foods’ Immersion Event, I had heard the brand name before and seen the bright orange protein powder tubs in health food stores. I had tried the NOW Sports Amino Powder Pre-Workout (and loved it, might I add!). But my knowledge beyond that was minimal.

Working with FitFluential, the NOW brand sponsored an event for bloggers to attend to learn about NOW. I was lucky enough to be able to attend this event, learn about NOW’s values, mission, and processes, and spread the word. Before I get into the details of the trip and the brand, I want to share some quick pictures from the event.

now foods immersion event

The biggest takeaway from the weekend was that I can trust the NOW brand.

Here’s Why:

1. The ingredients they put into their products are of the BEST quality.

Furthermore, one of their promise’s to the consumer is of quality. They have a Quality Control and Quality Assurance Program, which I have seen in action. NOW goes above and beyond the regulations (which includes FDA inspections) and what is required of the supplement industry to ensure pure, effective, and natural products.

While visiting one of the NOW Plants in Illinois, I was able to see some of the thousands of tests on materials and products that they conduct to make sure that products are safe from contamination, adulteration, and ingredient substitution. Not to mention, they are one of just a few supplement suppliers that have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification.

It is all too common for supplement brands and suppliers to skip out on quality ingredients and quality checks in order to push a product to the public.

**2. The price of their products is literally unbeatable.**

When you look at the quality of the ingredients and the precision of their health and safety checks, you’ll be shocked at how affordable the products are.

Throughout my time with NOW, it was very clear to me that their mission is to produce the best products at an affordable price. When speaking with the CEO and the founder’s son, they both said that they didn’t want people to have to choose between paying a bill and living a healthy life. As a counselor that primarily works with children and families that live at or under the poverty line, this truly struck a chord with me.

now foods core values

3. The company and it’s employees feel like a family.

And along those lines, every consumer and purchaser of NOW products brings you into that family as well.

Have you ever met a CEO of a huge corporation or business that knew the name of every employee? From the men and women on the board to the men and women who pack the boxes for distribution? I hadn’t until I met Jim Emme, CEO of NOW Foods.

We heard a lot about how NOW values its employees. For instance, the company gives a bonus to all employees every quarter (and the size of that bonus depends on how well the company does that quarter) but every single employee, from the CEO to the plant workers, gets the exact same bonus. Additionally, the Board evaluates the salaries of the employee’s yearly to make sure that they can support themselves and their families with their earnings. It was so refreshing to hear how they treat everyone like family.

We also saw how NOW values their employees. During our tour of the plant, Mr. Emme greeted and conversed with every employee in the building. He knew their names, knew their families, and genuinely cared about what they had to say. I was floored! It was clear to see that the employees truly enjoyed their job… We even met an employee that had been working with NOW for 25 years. That is a true testament to how the company treats their employees.

4. You can get a variety of products and know that with every item you purchase, it’s top quality.

Like I mentioned before, I had a very limited knowledge on the NOW brand and it’s products. In case you aren’t familiar either, here are the different NOW lines.

Dietary Supplements: Dietary supplements help make sure that you get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs! I personally take their ProBiotics. They’re life-changing. I’ll be publishing a post on these this month. Stay tuned!

Sports Nutrition: This includes things like: Protein powders, BCAAs, pre-workout, and SO MUCH MORE!

Natural Foods: In almost every person’s fitness journey, they struggle with their Food and Diet at some point. NOW Foods has some AMAZING foods, and cooking aids (oils, nut butters, etc.) to help you reach your goals! I have tried out some new recipes with their foods that will be posted on Instagram in the coming weeks! NOW Foods also has some awesome recipes and pointers that they post as well on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Beauty and Health: Facial Care, Hair Care, Beauty Supplements and more!

Essential Oils: I had no experience whatsoever with Essential Oils prior to the Immersion Event. But I was able to learn some of the basics and uses. They even taught us how to make a gym cleaning spray and massage oil with some of the oils!

NOW Pets: Their Pet Line is their newest and I am so excited about this! I have 2 labs (who are basically my babies) and I want them to live happy and healthy lives, too!

My Favorite NOW Products

Pea Protein Powder: I’ve been using this post-workout for the last 2 weeks. LOVE IT! The taste is phenomenal… and that is one of the most important things to me. I can’t eat or drink something that I can barely get down!
Better Stevia: Zero calorie, low glycemic natural sweetener. I’ll never go back to others after trying Better Stevia. They also have French Vanilla Better Stevia which is PERFECT for my morning coffee!
Avocado Oil: Notice that the label says Ellyndale, which is part of NOW. So you know it’s the same top notch quality!
Probiotics: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. THESE PROBIOTICS ARE LIFE-CHANGING!!!
Coconut Infusions, Non-Dairy Butter Flavor: I’ve never had better popcorn in my life than when I used this Coconut Infusion.

Would you like to try some products from NOW (like the ones in the picture above)?

Enter the giveaway!

Win A Package of NOW Foods Products

The Best Ab Workouts for People Wanting to Lose Fat

by Lizzy Wingate | Apr 3, 2017 | Ab Workouts, Fitness, Fitness Resources, Workouts

The best ab workouts for women from the fitness blog, Cardio, Weights, and Protein Shakes. Lose stomach fat and tone your stomach area with these workouts and get your body summer ready!

With summer quickly approaching, men and women are preparing themselves for the season of swimsuits. Many have packed on a few pounds during the winter months (don’t worry, we are predisposed to do so)… and want to lose that winter weight before taking off our swim cover-ups at the beach this summer.

Fitness blog, Cardio, Weights, and Protein Shakes, has several free ab workouts to choose from and look through. Some of these core workouts have downloads to go with them. For example, our “Quick Ab Workout” has a freebie that will give you illustrations and demonstrations of how to do each exercise correctly. And you can download it straight to your phone to reference while you are working out!

Best Ab Workouts for Women

1. Fun, Quick Ab Workout on Your Next Ab Day

“When you do not have hours to spend at the gym, try this fun, quick ab workout to tone your stomach in 30 minutes or less!”

2. Ab Workout to Blast Belly Fat For Good

“The latest Core/ Ab Workout to lose belly fat from Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes. No weights or gym equipment needed! Can be done anywhere.”

3. The Ultimate Toned Tummy Ab Workout

“Sculpt your six-pack with this free ab workout! These exercises are designed to target your upper and lower abs, as well as your obliques.”

Bonus Posts to Tone Your Abs

4. 35 Fun Plank Variations For An Outstanding Ab Workout

“The standard plank is a staple in ab workouts. Change up your core work with these 35 plank variations, designed to sculpt your abs.”

5. The Best Ab Exercises to Burn Belly Fat in Record Time

“If you want a toned stomach or a six pack, you need to be incorporating the absolute BEST ab exercises in your ab workout routine.”

You may also enjoy these other workouts found on Cardio, Weights, and Protein Shakes!

The benefits of shoulder workouts and exercises are numerous. From aesthetics to health benefits, upper body exercises and specifically shoulder exercises are where it's at! Find out about the benefits of delt exercises and also the best shoulder exercises to do to tone your delts!

The Best Shoulder Exercises To Tone Your Delts and Upper Body Quickly

by Lizzy Wingate | February 22, 2017 | Fitness, Fitness Resources, Shoulders | 0 Comments

Whether you run, hike, play sports, or lift weights in the gym, your lower body muscles naturally receive more attention and are more frequently worked out compared to your upper body. The five best…

The best arm workouts for the gym or for home need to include these 5 arm toning exercises. These arm exercises are good workouts for the biceps and good workouts for the triceps. Get rid of arm fat by doing these upper arm exercises with weights, resistance bands, or dumbbells!

5 Exercises to Lose Arm Fat You Need To Do Now

by Lizzy Wingate | December 1, 2016 | Arms, Fitness, Fitness Resources | 2 Comments

Need exercises for your butt? Here are 5 of the BEST exercises to tone your bum. Learn from a personal trainer, how to tone your butt and get a butt lifting workout in! These exercises for your buttocks will help you get a round sexy booty in no time!

The Best Glute Exercises and How To Do Them Correctly

by Lizzy Wingate | November 13, 2016 | Fitness, Fitness Resources, Lower Body Workouts | 0 Comments

LEG WORKOUT PLAN! These leg workouts (with the best leg exercises) for women can be done at home or at the gym! These are 5 of the best leg toning exercises. They'll help you lose thigh fat, tone your calves, lift your butt, etc.! Enjoy this workout for legs

The Best 5 Gym & Home Leg Exercises You Need To Do

by Lizzy Wingate | November 4, 2016 | Fitness, Fitness Resources, Lower Body Workouts, Workouts | 30 Comments

Leg Day Workout: This is a workout for thighs, especially exercises to tone your butt and thighs! Hamstring exercises, inner thigh fat workout, exercises for glutes, and calf exercises! Lower body workouts help burn fat fast because you're working the largest muscles in your body.

Killer Leg Day Workout for Strong, Flawless Legs

by Lizzy Wingate | December 9, 2015 | Fitness, Lower Body Workouts, Workouts | 0 Comments

Lose thigh fat with this workout for legs! This Leg day workout plan gives you great exercises for thighs, calf exercises, and buttock toning exercises! Enjoy this great leg workout!

Get Rid of Thigh Fat with this Killer Leg Day Workout

by Lizzy Wingate | October 29, 2015 | Fitness, Lower Body Workouts, Workouts | 2 Comments

Running In Style, Safety, and Happiness with the Reebok Harmony Road

by Lizzy Wingate | Mar 27, 2017 | Reviews, Running

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by Reebok. I received these shoes for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Qualities of Good Shoes

Over the past few years, there has been a spike in the importance of what shoes you’re wearing. The shoes on your feet have become a status symbol. Working in a middle school, I see this on a daily basis. “WHAT ARE THOOOOOSE?!” can be heard regularly, referring to what shoes you have on. But this isn’t just a middle school, teenage trend. This spans across all age groups, genders, ethnicities, etc. If you need convincing, hop on Instagram and search for the hastag “shoegame.” Nearly 3 MILLION posts come up with that tag, and I’m sure there are even more with other popular hashtags referring to shoes!

For me, personally, I will admit that I like for my shoes to look good… but COMFORT and QUALITY are the most important factors for me. If I’m lucky, I can find a shoe that has it all! I was fortunate enough to be able to try the Reebok Harmony Road and I am thrilled to be able to work with Reebok on this sponsored campaign! All thoughts and opinions are my own. And I cannot wait to tell you (and show you) how wonderful these new shoes are. Fair warning though, you’ll want to snag a pair of your own ASAP!!

About Reebok

When you think of athletics and activewear companies, Reebok is one of the top brands that comes to mind. Reebok is a very famous company here in the US- and for good reason! Reebok is an American-inspired, global brand that creates and markets sports and lifestyle products.

Behind the scenes, Reebok is a company that has a mission with strong values to provide and create the best for their customers. Reebok is dedicated to providing each and every athlete – from professional athletes to recreational runners to kids on the playground – with the opportunity, the products, and the inspiration to achieve what they are capable of.

About the Reebok Harmony Road

The Reebok Harmony Road was designed with distance runners in mind. In fact, the Harmony Road is such an impressive shoe that is the winner of Runner’s World 2017 Best Debut Shoe.

AESTHETICS:

First impressions are key; and the Reebok Harmony Road was on point. The second I opened the shoebox, I couldn’t wait to try them on. They look sleek, breathable, and

There are a few color options available on the Reebok website but the charcoal grey shoes with the mint and pink soles are by far my favorite. They look sharp and will match any exercise outfit you wear… not to mention, they have that pop of color on the sole for some extra personality!

COMFORT:

The comfort of these shoes is, hands-down, the BEST part about the Reebok Harmony Roads. First, I have to mention how breathable and lightweight they are. I didn’t feel like I was lugging 5 pound weights on my feet, like I have with other running shoes. Second, the soles of these shoes have a new, innovative cushioning in the soles made from Kooshlan TPU foam. I’ve never felt a running shoe so comfortable. If you’re a distance runner, you know that the sport takes a toll on the foot, ankle, joints, etc. The Harmony soles absorb a lot of the shock from your shoe hitting the pavement.

The biggest takeaway for me, regarding comfort, was the lack of pain I felt throughout my joints and muscles after a long run from wearing these shoes! The sole cushioning is a LIFESAVER (or should I say – joint saver!)!! I have a tendency to overpronate when I run, and these shoes had the perfect amount of cushion and support for that!

SIZE:

The Reebok Harmony Road’s are fairly true to size. They felt slightly longer than my other running shoes, but not enough to make a huge difference. For my next run, I plan on trying a thicker pair of socks to see how that feels! They also weren’t too narrow or too wide for my feet. That is especially important to me because if a shoe is too narrow or too wide, I can’t wear it (let alone for miles and miles of training).

STABILITY:

This shoe features a low cut design; however, that does not impact the overall stability of the shoe. Your ankles have the mobility to move, yet they still feel supported by the overall structure of the shoe itself. They are lightweight but sturdy at the same time.

I discussed the soles of the Reebok Harmony Road in the “Comfort” section. But I want to mention some of the other aspects of the sole that help with stability too. For example, these shoes have a Carbon rubber heelstrike which provides traction. Additionally, these shoes have a high abrasion rubber outsole which is EXTREMELY durable.

Not a long distance runner? Not a problem!

But don’t worry if you are not a long distance runner, you can still see AMAZING benefits from wearing this shoes for other activities. I wore these shoes to the gym for a couple of workout sessions and they worked perfectly! The lightweight and low rise design make them great for gym workouts in addition to running.

This shoe has exceeded all of my expectations. I look forward to training for my 5k, 10k, and next half marathon with the Reebok Harmony Road, as well as continue my strength training workouts in them! To learn more and buy your own, click here!

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Hi! Welcome to Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes. I’m a 20-something from Atlanta, GA where I work as a certified school counselor and personal trainer. I have a B.S. in Psychology, a B.A. in Sociology, and a M. Ed. in Professional Counseling from the University of Georgia. I started Cardio, Weights, & Protein Shakes in 2015 to share my journey in fitness, health, and life in general.

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