A healthy pregnancy diet will promote your child’s growth and development. During pregnancy, the basic principles of healthy eating remain the same — get plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Sound familiar? I thought so. However, there are a few MVP’s when it comes to nutrients that deserve a shout-out. Let’s dive in to look at which nutrients you need most and where to find them!

FOLATE & FOLIC ACID: Prevent Birth Defects

Folate is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects and serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. The synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods is known as folic acid. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to decrease the risk of premature birth.

How much you need: 400 to 1,000 micrograms a day of folate or folic acid before conception and throughout pregnancy.

Good Sources: 

• Cereal. ¾ cup (15g to 60g) ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 700 mcg – choose an option that’s 50 to 100% fortified
• Spinach. ½ C (95g) boiled spinach contains 131 mcg
• Beans. ½ C (89g) contains 90mcg
• Asparagus. 4 spears contains 89mcg
• Oranges. 1 small orange contains 29mcg
• Peanuts. 1oz dry-roasted contains 27mcg
• Prenatal vitamins. These can ensure you’re getting enough of these essential nutrients. Just make sure it’s a vitamin supplement containing folic acid!

CALCIUM: Strengthen Bones

You and your baby need calcium for strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally.

How much you need: 1,000 milligrams a day; pregnant teenagers need 1,300 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. 1C (20g to 60g) calcium-fortified ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 1,000mg of calcium
• Juice. 1C Orange Juice contains 349mg
• Milk. 1C skim milk contains 299mg
• Yogurt. 6oz. Low-fat fruit yogurt contains 258mg
• Cheese. 1oz part-skim mozzarella cheese contains 222mg
• Salmon. 3oz contains 181mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 123mg

VITAMIN D: Promote Bone Strength

Vitamin D also helps build your baby’s bones and teeth.

How much you need: 600 international units (IU) a day

Good Sources:

• Milk. 1C skim milk with added vitamin D contains 115 IU
• Fish. 3oz cooked sockeye salmon contains 570 IU
• Juice. 8oz calcium and vitamin D-fortified Orange Juice contains 100 IU
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 44IU

PROTEIN: Promote Growth

Protein is one of the crucial macro-nutrients for your baby’s growth throughout pregnancy.

How much you need: 71 grams a day

Good Sources:

• Cottage Cheese. 1C low-fat contains 28g
• Fish. 3oz canned pink salmon contains 17g
• Poultry. 3oz boneless, skinless, grilled chicken breast contains 26g
• Lentils. ½ C contains 9g
• Milk. 1C Skim contains 8g
• Peanut Butter. 2T contains 7g
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 6g

IRON: Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia

Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues. During pregnancy, you need double the amount of iron that nonpregnant women need. Your body needs this iron to make more blood to supply oxygen to your baby. It will also help with fatigue.

How much you need: 27 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. ½ C quick oats fortified with iron contains 20mg
• Meat. 3oz roasted lean beef tenderloin contains 3mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 3mg
• Beans. ½ C contains 2mg
• Poultry. 3oz roasted dark turkey contains 1mg
• Prenatal vitamins typically contain iron. In some cases, your health care provider might recommend a separate iron supplement.

The more you know:

The iron from animal products (like lean meat!) is most easily absorbed. To enhance the absorption of iron from plant-based sources and supplements, pair them with a food or drink high in vitamin C — such as OJ, tomato juice or strawberries. 

Supplements: Talk To Your Doctor

Even if you eat a healthy diet, you can miss out on key nutrients. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin — ideally starting at least three months before conception — can help fill any gaps. Your health care provider might recommend special supplements if you follow a strict vegetarian diet or have a chronic health condition.

Additional Resources – Pregnant & Fit:

Pregnant & Fit: Listen to Your Body

Pregnant & Fit: Best Exercises for Every Trimester

Habit #1: Ditch the scale

We’ve all heard that muscle weighs more than fat, right? But when we work out in order to lose weight and instead see the number on the scale rise, we quickly get frustrated. Don’t let the scale wreck your motivation to get fitter and healthier. It’s possible to become leaner and slimmer without the number on the scale changing, which means the scale isn’t the best representation of your progress.

Kyle Jason Lane, a Burn Boot Camp Elizabeth, NC trainer, says, “Get fitter and healthier by measuring your progress with pictures instead of the number on the scale.” Get into the habit of taking progress pictures one or two times a month, always wearing the same clothes. You’ll be much more motivated to push hard and eat healthier when you are able to compare your progress photos each month and see the actual changes in your body composition.

Habit #2: Keep your goals visible at all times

“A habit I always tell my clients to start doing to help them get fit and healthy is to write down their goals somewhere they will see them every day. Whether it’s on a mirror, a sticky note in your car, a whiteboard in your room, your refrigerator door or the wallpaper of your phone, making them visible helps you keep your eye on the prize!” suggests Burn Boot Camp Verona, WI trainer Cody Burns.

When you have a craving or want to skip a workout, your goals often slip your mind. Keeping your goals visible at all times will remind you of what you are working toward even in your weakest moments.

Habit #3: Schedule your workouts

Fit and healthy people don’t skip their workouts! If you struggle to make your workouts a priority in your life, Burn Boot Camp Columbus, OH trainer Becky Carnes Huff says, “Get into the habit of putting your workouts on your calendar. Once you have it scheduled, treat it the same way you would treat a doctor’s appointment or a work meeting.”

Would you skip a doctor’s appointment just because you didn’t feel like going? You probably wouldn’t. Before the week starts, make it a habit to sit down with your calendar and schedule your workouts for the entire week to help you become fit and healthy.

Habit #4: Close the kitchen

Fit and healthy people are not in the habit of eating around the clock. If you want to become fit and healthy too, you have to establish a designated time to close the kitchen. Creating these boundaries not only stops you from mindlessly snacking while watching TV. Waiting 12 hours between meals also has been shown to boost fat burning, increase digestion and promote a healthy gut.

Habit #5: Track your food before you eat

“Use the MyFitnessPal app, or any other food tracking app, to track your entire day’s worth of food the night before,” says Burn Boot Camp South Park, NC trainer Krysta Huber. While tracking your food is a great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy, tracking your intake after you eat may not be as helpful.

If you track your food later, you may realize after the fact that the food you consumed wasn’t as healthy as you anticipated or that you consumed a larger portion size than you should have. When you track your food beforehand, you are able to make adjustments to ingredients and portion sizes. “Tracking your food the night before also helps you commit to eating healthier because you have a plan to stick to for the entire day,” adds Krysta.

Habit #6: Surround yourself with tools that will help you get fit and healthy

“If you want to get fit and healthy, then surround yourself with things that will make you fit and healthy. For example, subscribe to a bunch of different health podcasts and play one every time you get into your car. You can also place fitness magazines in the bathroom, keep healthy cookbooks visible in your kitchen and follow nutritionists and personal trainers on social media.

Bombard yourself with a healthy environment,” suggests Burn Boot Camp Hainesport, NJ trainer Sandy Sweeney. When you start acting like you are fit and healthy by creating a healthy environment, you will become fit and healthy!

Habit #7: Get an accountability partner

It’s easy to set goals, but it is hard to hold yourself accountable to do what it takes to actually reach them. “A great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy is to always share your goals verbally,” says Burn Boot Camp Northville, MI trainer Tricia Wanish.

Find a family member or friend who can become your accountability partner. Share not only your goals, but also exactly what you plan to do each day to ensure you reach them. Meet them for a workout or coffee regularly to keep them updated on your execution of your plan as well as your progress. When you let it be known to others that you are working toward a fit and healthy lifestyle, you will be much more motivated to actually do it!

Habit #8: Eat greens at each meal

The key to getting fit and healthy isn’t working out more; it’s eating more healthy foods. The best way to ensure you are eating nutritious meals is by eating greens at each meal. Greens should take up half your plate, while protein and carbohydrates each take up ¼ of your plate.

If you struggle to get enough greens into your diet, add cooked kale or spinach into each meal. When cooked, the “green” taste is greatly reduced and the leaves take on the flavor of the rest of your dish. You can also try blending this delicious chocolate-flavored green powder into a protein smoothie each morning for an amazing extra boost of greens.

Habit #9: Start meditating

Fit and healthy people concentrate on their physical health as well as their mental health. Developing the habit of meditating each morning, even for just five minutes, will help you reduce stress, increase focus and productivity and create a more positive mindset.

A great meditation practice to start with is focusing on your breath. On each inhale, feel yourself breathe in new, positive energy and allow it to fill your entire body. On each exhale, feel yourself breathe out old, negative energy—all thoughts and feelings that are creating stress, anxiety, doubt or lack of confidence. Repeating this each morning for five to ten minutes will create a healthier mindset, which will give you more energy and motivation to get fit and healthy.

Long-time client Chelsea Templin knows what it means to truly stop starting over. Below she shares her journey with weight loss and getting fit.

I used to be the person who thought, “This is who I am, this is my body and there is no changing it, this is just how my body is built.” I told myself I was happy with where I was and who I was, even though I never felt that way deep inside. I was stuck in this place of “This is just my body’s happy place and this is how I’m supposed to look. I’m not meant to be thinner/leaner/healthier”—denying the fact that I was heavier than I had ever been before. But I am no longer that person. I took control of my health and, more importantly, took control of my happiness.

My Wake-Up Call

I fell into the habit of eating out for lunch almost daily, eating out for dinner often and only working out occasionally. And to be honest, my version of working out was just a light walk here and there to stay semi-active. The weight crept up on me slowly, and I didn’t really realize how much weight I had gained until I stepped on the scale to find I weighed 220 pounds—the heaviest I had ever been in my life. What happened? Where did this come from? How did this happen? I sat there wondering, “How do I come back from this?”

After years of accepting my weight gain for just how my body was, I watched someone I knew who was about the same weight as I was go through a lifestyle change. That was my big “aha!” moment that showed me I wasn’t stuck where I was and I could change this!

I woke up one morning in 2014 and finally realized this was not who I am. I wasn’t happy and I didn’t want to lie to myself anymore. I hated getting ready in the morning, spending most of my time pulling my clinging clothes off my body to loosen them just a little bit more. It was time for me to make a change in my life.

The Beginning of My Weight Loss Journey

After my “aha!” moment, I made huge changes to my lifestyle. I signed up for a gym membership and started to be more consistent with my workouts—more than ever before. I began to watch those around me to pick up pointers, lift weights, do cardio and attend workout classes. I focused on switching up my reps, weights and exercise to ensure my body would continue to evolve. I was dedicated to eating as clean as I knew how, which personally I found to be the hardest part when starting my weight loss journey. You think, “All I can eat is chicken, rice and vegetables”—and I’ll be honest with you, that’s exactly what I did at the beginning! The combination of working out consistently and eating nothing but chicken resulted in me losing 30 pounds within just a few months.

Unfortunately, that only lasted until chicken made me sick to my stomach and I couldn’t handle it anymore. I fell down a hole: I saw the inches coming off and told myself, “Girl, you’re doing great! Eat this, eat that, you can have this, you can have that.” I couldn’t do the chicken anymore, and before I knew it, I had put back on all of the weight. I was completely devastated.

I Started Over

I cried a lot after I gained my weight back. I didn’t want to put myself back in my old shoes. I didn’t want to have to start over. What I was doing wrong? What do I eat? How do I eat? It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome.

Did I overcome it fast? Definitely not. For all of 2015, I sat again at my heaviest weight—confused, questioning every day if I’d ever get to where I wanted to be. Finally, in early 2016, I said “enough is enough,” and I put on my big girl pants, wiped away the tears, stopped crying and fighting with myself, and realized nothing was going to change unless I made the changes myself. This time around, I fell in love with working out versus feeling as if working out was a chore. I learned to push myself and do things I loved! I finally found my happy place and I finally stopped starting over!

My Top Tips to Start the First 30 Days of Your Weight Loss and Fitness Journey

1. Just Start

My number one piece of advice to start your first 30 days is to just start! It is as simple as that. Just start somewhere; it doesn’t matter where, just start!

2. Never Give Up on Yourself

Not giving up on myself was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My second time around, I learned to be more compassionate with myself, especially in the beginning. I constantly told myself that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. I needed to be patient, because change doesn’t happen overnight. I would remind myself of what I felt like at my heaviest weight and how I promised myself I would never be there again—I would never give up on myself again, and I suggest you do the same!

3. Count Your Macros

As much as the idea sucks, start counting your macros. This doesn’t need to be a lifelong habit, but a short-term tool. It puts your eating habits into perspective. It shows you how much you are currently eating versus how much you actually should be eating. I suggest doing this for your first 30 days, or until your brain learns and understands what your body really needs and in what amounts. 

4. Be Creative

I started introducing myself to new foods, and I didn’t live off chicken, rice and veggies. I started eating a large variety of foods, like eggs, tofu, sweet potatoes, avocado, bread, chicken, ground turkey, lean beef, cabbage—the list is actually endless for healthy foods. I promise you don’t have to live on chicken and broccoli!

Eating clean does not have to be boring, and you definitely don’t need to force yourself to eat things you don’t like. For example, I don’t like beans, so anytime I make chili, I load it up with veggies instead: corn, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, celery, even edamame. I tend to keep things simple. I’m not a person to spend a lot of time on cooking. I’ll cut up some lettuce, throw in some extra veggies, some kind of protein and light dressing, and that’s a quick simple meal for me. Just find things you love and throw them together!

5. Find Healthy Alternatives

I learned I didn’t have to cut out the foods I love, but to limit them as well as make healthier alternatives. For example, if you want pizza, make two-ingredient dough—it’s so simple! It’s just Greek yogurt and self-rising flour, that’s it! You want spaghetti? Indulge in a big bowl of spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs. 

6. Meal Prep

One of the biggest things that can help you eat clean is to always be prepared. Spend a day meal prepping, where you plan out everything you’re going to eat for the week, or even just for the day. Going into your day with an established plan of exactly what you are going to eat motivates you to stay healthy the entire day and sets you up for success. 

7. Listen to Your Body

Your body is a tool—listen to it. Observe how it reacts to different foods and cut out those that don’t make you thrive physically, mentally and emotionally. For me personally, once I started listening to my body, I realized my body does not react well to dairy. It sucked at first having to eliminate it from my daily diet, but I soon realized eating it wasn’t worth how it made my body feel.

I’ve also learned how important it is to listen to my body when it’s hungry. I now know that when my body is hungry, it is giving me a sign to fuel it properly. My hunger is not a sign that I need to starve myself and restrict my eating. Listening to my body seriously has been one of the most important tools I have used to change my lifestyle, and I suggest you take advantage of it, too!

8. Don’t Let a Cheat Meal Turn into a Cheat Day

It’s really easy to let a cheat meal turn into a cheat day or even a cheat weekend. It’s fine, we’re all human, we all make mistakes, we all have done this time and time again, I promise. Almost every cheat meal turns into at least a cheat day for me, and sometimes it spills over into the next day. The best thing you can do when this happens? DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT. You can’t change what you’ve already done, so why punish yourself mentally by bringing yourself down about it? That’s silly.

Instead, after you realize you make the mistake, don’t let it happen again an hour or two later. It happened, move on. Just because you messed up once, it doesn’t mean you do not have control over the rest of your day. You can make the rest of your day successful. It’s hard to get in that mindset because sometimes your brain really does want that food, but your body does not want that food, and will not thank you for it. Remind yourself of the difference you feel between when you eat whole clean foods and when you eat greasy, sugary foods. You feel better with the whole clean foods, right? So remind yourself of that and your body will thank you later.

Just remember: You do have control of how you spend the rest of your day. Just because you ate that donut this morning, it doesn’t mean you have to overindulge the rest of the day and start over tomorrow—because you will feel miserable mentally and physically. Take each day at a time and try not to hyper-focus on the overall picture of a week from now or a year from now. Look at it this way instead: “This is what I’m going to do today to create a better me.”

9. Overcome Binge Eating

I used to be a huge binger, and to be honest, I sometimes still can be. I am not nearly as bad as I was in the past, but it is something I am still fighting to overcome.

I’ve found allowing myself to enjoy “bad foods” from time to time helps limit my bingeing. By restricting yourself and saying, “You can’t have this until the weekend,” you are setting yourself up for a binge session when the weekend comes. Why do you have to wait? What is special about the weekend? Why do you think the weekend is a free-for-all? It isn’t special, and it isn’t a free-for-all. Calories still count on the weekend. This is a mindset you have to change.

For example, the other night I wanted ice cream even though it was Tuesday. Instead of thinking about ice cream and fighting my craving all week long, I went and ate ice cream and I moved on with my life. I was able to enjoy a small cup to satisfy my craving instead of letting my craving build and build throughout the week and bingeing on a whole carton over the weekend. Stop starting over and stop thinking you can eat whatever you want on the weekends.

Morgan Kline’s podcast, Coffee & Kettlebells, really put that in perspective for me recently. In the episode called “How to Stay on Track Over the Weekend,” Morgan taught me that the weekend contributes to 42% of my overall week. My mind was blown! If I allowed myself to overindulge my entire weekend, that is equivalent to overindulging for 42% of me week. Do yourself a favor and listen to this inspiring episode to overcome your weekend desires!

10. Focus on Developing Small Healthy Habits

Creating healthy habits for yourself helps lead to greater success for losing weight. Take the stairs; when that becomes easy, skip every other stair. I almost always double my stairs—it’s like walking lunges. Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is drink a glass of water. It gets my body ready for the day, replenishes any dehydration that might’ve occurred overnight and adds to my water intake for the day. Also, I make a healthy protein mug cake every night to curb my cravings (find the recipe at the bottom of the post!). Since I’ve begun adding these small habits into my life, the inches just started dropping from my waistline because it helps me not binge anymore.

11. Work on Yourself Mentally

Throughout my whole journey, I had one goal: “I need to weigh 160 pounds and then I’ll be happy.” I did hit that goal and yes, I was happy. Actually, I was ecstatic when I hit it, but I’ll tell you that feeling doesn’t last forever. Eventually I got in a downward spiral where I had worked on myself tremendously physically, but the entire time I did that I didn’t work on myself mentally. Every time I looked in the mirror, I still saw this 220-pound girl. I never saw me, I saw numbers: “I weigh this much. I need to eat this much.” It was a very unhealthy time in my life. I didn’t get obsessive and restrict myself, but I wasn’t truly happy on the inside.

Recently, I’ve learned to let go of that “number goal.” I’ve learned to let go of this unrealistic image I had in my head of what I am supposed to look like and learned to love what I actually look like. And it’s been life-changing, to say the least. I’ve fought a long and hard battle to get to where I am now. It no longer matters what that number on the scale is or how many calories I should be eating. I’ve learned to actually live life, love life, enjoy life and love me. I’ve learned to make healthy eating a habit and not a chore and that I have the privilege to fill my body with the nutrients it needs.

12. Leave Your Comfort Zone and Never Go Back

Push yourself outside the limits you believe yourself to have because the truth is, you have no limits! When you let go of your limiting beliefs, you’ll realize the world is a beautiful place outside of your comfort zone. And once you step outside, never go back and never give up on yourself! You already know what that feels like, so my advice to you is to find out what not giving up feels like.

13. If I Can Do It, You Can Do it!

Since my journey started the second time, I’ve lost 70 pounds. I started at 220 pounds and now sit around 150 to 155 pounds. I’ve successfully kept my weight off and have been maintaining my weight for the last year.

For the first time in years, I am in a place where I love who I have fought so hard to become, and I know you can get there too! I’ve opened up about my weight loss journey in hopes that it empowers at least one person who is currently fighting the same battle. I want you to know that it is possible to become who you dream to be. I challenge you to find out what can happen when you don’t give up on yourself and actually believe in yourself!

By Sean Barcellona

Self-discipline: the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it—much easier said than done, right? The ability to be disciplined is so important in life, but it is also a difficult thing to maintain day in and day out.

The good news is that we are all capable of becoming self-disciplined; it just takes a positive attitude, toughness and persistence. Here are five ways to become more self-disciplined.

1. Clearly Define Your Goals

What do you want to accomplish? What steps are you going to take to reach that goal? What do you need to do differently in order to succeed? Before you begin to work toward a goal, you need to ask yourself these types of questions.

Developing a clear path to your goals is vital to success. It will keep you focused and allow you to monitor your progress. If you fail to define success and the steps you need to take to get there, it becomes much easier to get sidetracked and lose sight of what you are working toward. Define what will make you successful and remind yourself of it every day!

2. Start Small

We live in a society of instant gratification: We want things now, and we don’t want to be kept waiting. Unfortunately, self-discipline is not something you can develop overnight. It’s a long-term process that takes daily practice and repetition.

Think of self-discipline as a mountain. When we stand at the bottom and look up, it can be pretty intimidating. Feelings of anxiety, fear and doubt can sink in and overwhelm us if we put too much focus on getting to the top.

Instead, take it step by step. When we start small, we don’t feel pressured to fix everything all at once. This week, challenge yourself to pick one thing that you struggle to stay disciplined with and work on getting better in that aspect of your life.

3. Find Your Reason Why

In order to be successful, you have to find your why! Your why is your purpose, what drives you, what inspires you, what keeps you going when you feel like giving up and what picks you back up when you get knocked down.

Ask yourself right now, why do you do what you do? Whether it’s family, health, business, inspiring others or simply proving to yourself that you are capable, when you give your dreams a deeper meaning, it will push you harder than ever.

“Ask yourself right now, why do you do what you do?”

4. Learn How to Control Your Mind

How well do you know yourself? Do you know your strengths? Weaknesses? Do you know what situations you thrive in or what makes you anxious? If not, reflect and get to know yourself. Before you can take command of your mind, you have to understand it!

If you want to become more self-disciplined, it’s not always about overcoming temptations—you have to be self-aware and put yourself in the best position to succeed. That means removing yourself from tempting situations whenever possible. If you want to stop eating out, start meal prepping before each week begins. If you want to stop checking your phone so often, turn off notifications and find a healthy activity to focus on instead. The fewer distractions we have, the more we can focus on our goals!

5. Accept Failures and Shortcomings

Failure is scary. Most people try to avoid it throughout life. But that can prevent us from trying new things, make us think we’re not good enough and make us reluctant to try again. The fact is that no one can avoid failure; it’s just a part of life. No matter how talented or famous a person is, we all experience it.

The difference between the ones who achieve their goals and the ones who don’t is persistence. The only thing that will stop you is yourself—you need to pursue your goals relentlessly. Don’t let yourself be consumed by negative thoughts when things don’t go your way. Instead of getting discouraged when you fail, accept that it happened, take what lessons you can from the experience and keep moving forward!

Sean Barcellona is a trainer at Burn Boot Camp Cornelius (North Carolina) as well. He began his journey with Burn in 2017 and helps create unique workouts for all Burn Boot Camp locations across the nation. He is passionate about hiking, exercise, and spending time with his wife, Lindy, who works at Burn Boot Camp HQ.

By Morgan Kline

Hi, it’s Morgan! I’m here to fill up your cup with my weekly recap of Coffee & Kettlebells. I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Ashley George, the author and founder of the Wonder and Wear blog.

Ashley and I chatted all about the skin issues women often face at different stages in their lives, especially after pregnancy. When Ashley experienced frequent breakouts post-baby, it led her to discover the world of clean beauty, which is now one of her biggest passions!

Before even leaving home in the morning, the average woman is potentially exposed to over 100 (largely unregulated) chemicals found in hair products, soap, cosmetics and other personal care items. “Our skin is our biggest organ,” Ashley says. “There are so many toxins and chemical that we’re putting into our bodies through our skincare and beauty products that we need to become aware of. There are 1,400 ingredients banned in Europe and only 11 in the United States!”

Ashley taught me that the two biggest ingredients to look out for—and stay far away from—are parabens and fragrances. Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives found in shampoos and other hair products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. They’ve been linked to some scary side effects, including hormone disruption, early puberty in children and potentially even forms of cancer.

Fragrances are another ingredient Ashley warns against. “Under that one word, they can hide over 100 different harmful ingredients!” she says. The lack of a specific description often prevents people from knowing what’s actually in the products they’re using. Fragrances are found in many household cleaners, laundry detergents, shampoos, perfumes, sunscreens and cosmetics, and they’ve been linked to allergies and side effects like hormone disruption.

My biggest takeaway from sitting down with Ashley is how important it is to read the labels on my beauty and skincare products! I’m already an avid reader of nutrition labels, and Ashley reminded me why it’s important to pay attention to product ingredient labels as well. “We care so much about the ingredients that go into our foods but don’t think about the ingredients that are put into our products,” she says. “Either way, they end up in our body!”

Ashley’s top skincare and beauty tips:

1. Avoid hidden toxins in your beauty and skincare products by finding companies you can fully trust. Ashley’s top pick—it’s the only brand she uses—is Beautycounter. “Once I had kids my skin went crazy, experiencing terrible hormonal acne,” she told me.

“I tried everything to calm it down, from testing hundreds of different products to seeing different dermatologists, and nothing worked until I switched to using Beautycounter products exclusively. I couldn’t tell you how passionate I am about this company. Their products are safe, trustworthy and have completely changed my skin for the better.”

2. Use facial oils. Most people think that using oil will worsen a condition like acne. But adding oils to your skincare routine may actually help banish blemishes, prevent wrinkles, calm rashes and redness as well as shrink enlarged pores. What are Ashley’s go-to facial oils? “Beautycounter’s No. 3 Balancing Facial Oil and No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil have dramatically improved the condition of my skin,” she says.

3. Download the EWG Healthy Living app. “When shopping, use the EWG app to easily scan all of your skincare and beauty products and receive a rating,” Ashley says. “It’s the perfect cheat sheet to knowing whether or not a product contains high-quality, clean ingredients.”

4. Incorporate clean skincare products into your life slowly. Dumping all of your products at once is not only wasteful—it will be very expensive to replace them at one time! “Wait until you run out of a product,” Ashley recommends. “Rather than buying it again, simply swap it for a healthy alternative. Continue to do this with every product you use and slowly you will build a healthy skincare collection.”

5. Establish a skincare routine and see a difference in the quality of your skin. Make it a priority to wipe off your makeup and cleanse your face every night before bed. Ashley’s skincare routine includes washing her face with Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm and Charcoal Cleansing Bar. “I use the Cleansing Balm to remove my makeup or sometimes leave it on overnight to really break down oils, dirt and impurities,” she explains. “The Charcoal Bar is perfect for cleaning my skin without drying it out, giving me a clearer, smoother and brighter-looking complexion.”

6. Allow yourself permission to take 10 minutes of your morning for self-care and feel more confident throughout your entire day. Many of us feel better about ourselves when we feel put together. “If you feel like you are in a slump or don’t feel good about yourself, try putting a little mascara on, put your hair into a cute bun and try to feel like a real human being,” Ashley says. “When you don’t take time for yourself on the outside, sometimes it begins to wear yourself on the inside.” Remember, wear makeup and do your hair to make you feel good about yourself, not because of what others may think of you.

7. Don’t wash your hair every day and do make dry shampoo your best friend. Washing and drying your hair every single day is time- and energy-consuming, and if you are blow-drying afterward, you are creating a lot of heat damage. Ashley suggests washing your hair only once or twice a week. “You have to train your hair,” she says.

“If you wash your hair every day, your hair is then trained to produce natural oils every day. You’ll have to go through a phase where you train your hair to go longer without washing and will be extra oily. After about a month or two, your hair will adjust and not create as much oil. Begin with every other day and work your way toward one or two times a week.” Of course, when you do wash your hair, use a shampoo that’s free of parabens and fragrances.

Last but not least, Ashley says the one product every woman needs is a good eye cream! She suggests buying one that contains caffeine to help reduce puffiness and dark circles.

Hear more from Ashley George by checking out Episode 2 of Coffee & Kettlebells. Find out her favorite ways to incorporate health and fitness into her busy lifestyle, why she thinks inner beauty is most important and how to show yourself more self-love.

If you have any questions about the podcast, health, fitness or life in general, always feel free to email coffeeandkettlebells@burnbootcamp.com for answers!

Cody Burns

Spring break is upon us, and if you’re traveling, this means expensive airport snacks, fast food, and sugar-loaded drinks…WRONG!

You’ve been killing it in gym for four, five, six days a week—spending hours meal prepping and fully dedicating yourself to eating clean.

You deserve a vacation. You deserve to enjoy yourself. But what you don’t deserve is throwing away all your hard work! Just because on vacation you won’t be in your normal routine doesn’t mean you should forget everything you have been working towards.

With my top tips, I make it easy for you to maintain your progress while on vacation without ruining the fun!

1. Trade “Quick and Easy” for “Prepared and Healthy”

When you arrive at the airport, get through security, and walk into a terminal filled with fast food restaurants and small grocery stores, fight the temptation to grab a quick and easy snack. Instead, arrive at the airport prepared.

Fail to prep, prep to fail is how the saying goes I believe?

Bring a bag loaded with alternate snack options to get you through your travel day. Any solid foods are allowed through the security checkpoint and can be easily carried on the plane. Pack something simple such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, protein powder, a sandwich or healthy baked goods.

Remember, you don’t need a full meal at that airport. All you need is enough to keep you satisfied until you get to your destination.

My go to is a Shaklee meal replacement bar with almond butter spread over top to help keep me satisfied.

2. Avoid the “Healthy options” and Read your Labels!

Most likely you’ll stop at a gas station or a mini-mart in search of a healthy snack. Typically, right next to all the candy—which I know you would never consider consuming!— you’ll find an endless amount of various snacks, nuts, and protein bars.

While they may seem like healthy options, the large majority are just as nutritionally void as the candy they’re sitting next to. Save your cheat meals and treats for something better!

If you’re wondering how to tell what’s nutritious and what’s not, here’s the best way to do it: Read your food labels! One very important thing to look for on the nutrition label is sugar—the root of all evils when it comes to losing sight of your goals. It also happens to hide in almost all packaged foods.

Ideally you want to find a snack that contains zero added sugar and is made from whole food ingredients, but unfortunately, this is not always an option. Personally, I search for a protein bar that has less than 10 grams of sugar, contains healthy fats (nuts and seeds), is high in protein but moderate in carbs.

Your snack may not contain the highest quality ingredients, but at least you’re aware of what you’re choosing to eat and that you made the healthiest choice possible.

3. Research Restaurants

When you finally make it to your destination, you and your family are most likely going to be starving!

If you Google the closest restaurants, you’ll likely find endless options. Rather than randomly picking one, I suggest taking five quick minutes to view their online menus. Search for a restaurant that offers a healthy protein option, a complex carbohydrate choice, and, of course, some vegetables.

This meal may not be 100% clean, but it’s better than going all out on meal that you will later regret while laying on the beach the next day!

4. Find 30 minutes in your morning to get your sweat on

No matter how crazy of a day you have planned, make time for you and your workout. Breaking a sweat first thing in the morning boosts your motivation to stay on track and helps you maintain a healthy mindset throughout your entire day.

I recommend getting it done within the first 30 minutes of your morning, allowing yourself to relax and enjoy the rest of your day guilt-free!

Whether you go for a jog along the shoreline, find a fun hike, do burpees in your hotel room, yoga on the beach or a simple strength workout in the hotel gym, just make it happen!

Keep in mind your workouts don’t need to be intense. You aren’t striving to reach your fitness goals while on vacation—you’re striving to maintain the progress you’ve already made. And remember, any movement is better than no movement!

5. 80/20 Rule

I am a certified personal trainer and to be completely honest with you, I do not eat healthy 100% of the time. I live my life by eating 80% healthy and 20% treating myself, and I advise you to do the same—especially while on vacation.

Life is too short not to enjoy a slice of cake with your children, a fun dinner out with your significant other, or a drink with your closest friends.

During the day, hold yourself accountable by choosing the healthiest options available. Then when it comes time for your fun night out, feel free to enjoy yourself! You know you have nourished your body properly for the majority of your day, so some enjoyment at night won’t ruin everything you’ve worked for.

However, be careful not to make the flip by eating 20% healthy and 80% treating yourself. This is all too easy to do and you most likely will regret it once you return home!

6. HAVE FUN!

Last but not least, relax. You deserve some YOU time. Taking time on vacation to rest and rejuvenate allows you to come back refreshed and ready to continue working hard toward your goals!

Cody Burns is the Head Trainer of Burn Boot Camp Verona in Madison, Wisconsin. His life as a trainer started four years ago once he came home from the military and wanted to impact as many lives as possible. Today he is at the helm of an amazing team, paving the way to changing lives one camp at a time in the Madison area. For mindset and exercise advice, check out his Instagram account!

Sean Barcellona

Have you ever had one of those days where the last thing you want to do is work out? Maybe you’re tired, you’re stressed about work or things going on at home, and you just want to flop down onto your couch and relax.

We often try to talk ourselves out of exercising, internally justifying the decision and even negotiating with ourselves in some way to skip the gym, pass on that yoga class, or avoid going outside for a run.

Now, have you ever been in that same situation, but had a friend say, “Nope! We’re not taking today off, let’s go to the gym!” In the back of your mind you might be complaining, but you reluctantly peel yourself off the couch and go crush that workout.

Before you know it you feel a rush of endorphins, a smile spreads across your face, and you leave feeling energized and appreciative of the encouragement that got you there. That is one of the many reasons why having a supportive community around you is important and can help you accomplish your goals!

Whether your closest network of supporters is made up of family members, friends, or colleagues, having a support system is valuable when trying to make changes for your health and physical fitness.

As a Burn Trainer, I think fostering a supportive community around you is vital for a healthy, happy life! Here are my top 5 reasons why:

1. Support

We’ve all had times in our lives where things aren’t going the way we want them too. When we fall down, it’s easy to realize that we can’t always get back up on our own.

Sometimes we need our support systems to show us that we’re not alone in the challenge we’re facing and to remind us that we have a supportive group of people who may be experiencing the same journey we’re on. For example, the community we’ve built at Burn Boot Camp has gotten many of my clients through tough times in their lives!

2. Motivation

Finding motivation everyday can be a tough task, especially when going at it alone. It’s inevitable that we’ll wake up some days not feeling like doing anything and needing help to find the motivation to push ourselves.

Have you ever been having a terrible day when a friend comes by, gives you a compliment, and your mindset completely changes? Words of encouragement can go a long way and you never know the impact they will have on the people around you!

3. Accountability

Everyone needs someone to hold them accountable. Whether it means not skipping out on those last couple reps at the gym, choosing the healthier option when out to eat with friends, or pushing through a tough workout when you feel like you have nothing left in the tank, your community is there to push you past your own limitations.

Surround yourself with people that are going to bring the best out in you, and this will push you to make positive choices in your life!

4. Energy

Energy is contagious. When someone comes up to you with a big smile and a high five, it’s nearly impossible to hold back your own smile and reciprocate! When that energy is magnified by an entire group of people, it becomes even more infectious.

If you go to the gym by yourself and do the same old routine, it’s difficult to find energy every day. Instead, working out with others in a supportive environment can bring out a positive attitude and give you the energy you need to crush your workout… even on those days when your mind tells you that you can’t!

5. Inspiration

You may be thinking, “I’m just an average person, who am I going to inspire?” Well, inspiration can come from anyone! Watching someone accomplish something you thought was impossible will expand your perceived limits. It will open your eyes to new possibilities you never thought you were capable of.

Remember, you never know who you’re inspiring! Challenges are relative to every individual, but when you overcome adversity, push yourself outside your comfort zone, and refuse to give up when things get tough, you can inspire anyone regardless of your fitness level. “You don’t inspire others by being perfect. You inspire them by how you handle your imperfections.”

Are you chasing a goal that you haven’t been able to achieve, working out for the first time in over a year, or struggling to motivate yourself? If you are, I encourage you to find a support system that will help you grow, that will push you to the next level, that will have your back when things get tough, and that will be there to celebrate all of your achievements with you as you progress through your fitness journey.

Accomplishing your goal can be an intimidating task, but I can guarantee it’s much easier to do with a community supporting you every step of the way.

Sean Barcellona is a trainer at Burn Boot Camp Cornelius (North Carolina) as well as a Burn HQ employee. He began his journey with Burn in 2017 and is the man behind the daily protocol, continually creating unique workouts for all Burn Boot Camp locations across the nation. He is passionate about hiking, exercise, and spending time with his wife, Lindy, who also works at HQ.

We can’t believe we’re already nearing the end of 2017! This year we’ve recognized a selection of incredible Burn Trainers who go above and beyond to strengthen the minds and bodies of our clients.

To finish out the year, we’re recognizing Colton Woyak, Head Trainer of Burn Boot Camp Middleton, Wisconsin!

Check out what makes Colton such a strong Burn Trainer in his Q&A below!

Burn Trainer

Colton Woyak

Location

Middleton Wisconsin

How long have you been a Burn Trainer?

“1 1/2 years!”

How did you learn about Burn?

“I first learned about Burn when I started applying for jobs where I could make a meaningful impact. Burn without a doubt was the place!”

What’s your go-to workout routine?

“High-intensity interval training is 100% my favorite type of workout! To me, there is no better feeling than reaching that moment when you think to yourself, ‘I just might puke!'”

What’s your favorite workout song?

What’s your favorite inspirational quote?

“Never Satisfied.”

What’s your favorite healthy meal?

“Ezekiel bread with almond butter and a sliced banana!”

What’s your favorite athletic apparel?

“Lululemon”

What’s your favorite strength training workout?

“I’m always looking forward to training the posterior side of my body every week! I enjoy doing heavy deadlifts and all types of back exercises.”

In order to reach a level of fitness and health that you’ve never had before, you need to condition yourself to understand that it will NOT be easy. This is something I’ve been working on over the last few weeks, preparing for our Burn Athlete photo shoot.

Don’t expect tasks like this to be simple. On the flip side, I do have GOOD NEWS I’d like to share with you. The road is not complex, but it is long, and if you’re unprepared it will test you in every way imaginable. Understanding there are three powerful assets we possess at ALL times is critical in your endeavor. If you harness these correctly, it will make reaching your goals simply a matter of time.

Asset #1 – FOCUS: The most powerful amplifier of our energy

The path to our fitness goals is long, uneventful and isolated. I prefer to envision the path to my own highest aspirations as a vast desert. Desolate, arid, uninviting and lacking refuge from the unrelenting beating of the sun. How do we maneuver to cross this desert?

We can reach our goals if we shift our focus to our feet, our own steps, our own journey and the distance we MUST go to achieve those goals. It will be all too easy to quit. If we focus on the days we slough along aimlessly across this land searching for solace we will be DISCOURAGED, BEATDOWN, and eventually DEFEATED.

Focus must be harnessed the way that it was intended.  Instead of thinking: How far do I have to go in order to reach my goals? Let your feet be lightened by your vision. Ask yourself this perspective shifting question: What’s it going to look like when I arrive at my goal?  This is the most evocative question that you can ask yourself.

Will there be a sumptuous oasis, replete with the freshest drinking water available and adorned with exotic foliage? A cool shady spot that allows you respite from your journey. If you let yourself instead be consumed by these thoughts then you cannot help but to be successful in achieving your goals and EVEN excited at the prospect of what it takes. The same thinking can be applied to your fitness goals and aspirations. Try to imagine yourself victorious, enjoying incredible health, boundless energy and a healthy physique. What would you do? How would you act? What things would you take on? This type of thinking breeds energy and springs us into action!

Asset #2 –  FEAR: A powerful energy source

 So you ask me what does it take? What does it take to chisel down to under 8% bodyfat for our Burn Athlete photo shoot. When I first took this on last year before my first Burn Athlete I knew it would require tremendous sacrifice. I knew I’d have to befriend discomfort and dance with pain. I knew I would have to grapple with the fear of NOT SUCCEEDING. I learned a huge lesson last year in doing this competition. I learned that FEAR can be one of our most powerful sources of energy to tap into. So I ask you now, why are you letting FEAR take a hold of you? Try this: Instead of letting FEAR control you, put yourself in the driver seat and take FEAR along for the ride.  I battle with fear, as I imagine most of us do, daily.

My fear of not making it, my fear of being good enough, my fear of not having prepared enough, my fear of not making a difference or accomplishing what I set out to do! Putting these fears to the side I was able to recognize that they have their place and I should keep them close in order to reach new levels. If we never take that solemn step outside of what we know we will never experience what CAN BE!

Asset #3 – Discipline

When it comes to discipline, I’m not saying you’ll need to focus on a singular object for days at a time to succeed in your goals, but each and every day presents us with an opportunity to practice.

Lifestyle is important and allowing yourself the occasional indulgence is good for your spirit, but the reason we enjoy the indulgence comes when we observe true discipline. Try building your discipline daily. Every decision we make is an opportunity to practice discipline.

Do you have an assignment to do but want to blow it off because your friends are hitting the beach?  Are you inundated at your job but find yourself scrolling through Facebook seeking distraction? Do you find yourself wanting to hit snooze when you TOLD yourself this was the week you would come to 5:30 AM camp every day?! Take small decisions and STICK to them!

Whether its work, relationships or fitness, every decision matters, no matter how small. Over time you’ll create a HABIT of honoring your commitments even when you don’t want to or don’t “feel” like it. Over time you will create integrity within yourself that allows you the confidence to know when you make a decision you will see it completed. This my friends is called discipline and is a powerful asset on the path to fitness!

 I’ve got a secret to share with you! Nobody is going to hand this to you. There will be no magical awakening where suddenly appear with the abs, legs or overall health that you’ve always wanted. No one can do this for YOU!  It must come from you! Nobody is going to hold your hand and whisper “wake up!” –  you’ve got to cultivate that from within.

Seek to build the trust within yourself so that when it comes down to it you will leverage the 3 assets we’ve covered here today to start building the life, level of health, and the future that you’ve dreamed of!

Be Stronger Than Your Excuses

Soul On Fire

Good Vibes Only

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