![gain[z] box](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vA9FmwCVBH0krXQYqy4jSbj8MtLac0kaDSwJLBUywPbjYsdsMUJOIQTIu-gSlvN-Ztvlt7QUG8Umg3TsSgPZE6b-pmNnskAfI5q3mKrEb8JBGiK6XYWmo=s0-d "gain[z] box")
Jennifer Tries......FitLife Foods
September 15, 2017
If you’re reading this then you either live
out of state or you survived Hurricane Irma so Congratulations! I’m glad to see
your pretty face!
That was crazy huh? What a soap opera. Is Tampa
going to get a direct hit? What about storm surge? Evacuate, evacuate,
evacuate. It was a thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats all weekend.
To be honest, I prefer a good rom-com. Thanks for scaring the bajeezus out of
everyone Irma!
People are still out of their homes and still
out of power but all in all we faired relatively well. Being a claims adjuster
as my day job, I have been speaking with several people who are just so excited
to have their A/C back…who cares about the tree on their house. It's endearing.
A storm like this certainly makes you appreciate your loved ones a little more
and the luxury of technology.
Guess what time it is?! It’s time for another
Jennifer Tries! Buda-bum buda-bum!
This week I’m talking about my experience at
FitLife Foods. Have you heard of FitLife foods?
If not, let me give you the 411!
FitLife foods is a company that makes fresh, non-processed
foods you can conveniently purchase in store or have delivered to your home.
They package the food in microwavable containers so there is no cooking
involved on the customers end and each container is labelled with the calories
and macronutrient count. They make healthy eating easy peasy!
Over the past couple of years, I have seen
FitLife foods popping up sporadically in the Tampa area. I have been wanting to
try them out and now that I have recently started counting my macros I was
hoping it would save me some time preparing dinner.
One evening my husband and I stopped in a FitLife foods near
us. I had a general idea of what we would find but didn't really know what to
expect.
When we walked in we were greeted by an
associate. Luckily the store wasn’t busy so we had his full attention. I let
him know we were newbs right off the bat. He provided each of us with a menu
and gave us the run down.
FitLife foods makes all of their meals fresh.
They have small, medium and large meals. Each meal is labelled with the
ingredients, calories and macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, Fats.) So, for you
Macro trackers…….no measuring! It's done for you! Whoop Whoop! I was super
stoked about that! Time saver please!
I was also psyched they have gluten-free and
paleo meals. SCORE! Have no fear, they also offer meals for our vegetarian friends.
The meal I purchased was Kelly’s Roasted Sausage and Kale. I
forget what the hubs got. Some Mexican dish.
We purchased ours in store but FitLife foods
offers home delivery. You can have the meals delivered weekly so if you are
short on time it can be really beneficial to have these meals on hand.
When we got home we heated up our meals. Each
meal took about 3-4 minutes. THEY WERE DELICIOUS! How come food that I make
doesn't taste as good when I re-heat it? Ugh! I took my time devouring every
bite because I didn't want it to end. And I was full. I was worried I would
still be hungry after but I was just right.
I would recommend FitLife foods for sure! It is an awesome
substitute for fast food, a great time saver and cost friendly. My meal was
$9.45. I know it sounds a little pricey but it's defiantly cheaper than going
out to eat and I didn't have to cook it! Plus, you know you’re eating whole,
fresh foods that aren’t saturated in unhealthy fats and salt like when you
visit a typical restaurant. You can get
a discount too when you purchase several meals at once like if you were to have
meals delivered for the week or the month.
The next time you are looking for a quick meal check out your local
FitLife foods. They have several locations in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
You can search all of their
locations on their website, eatfitlifefoods.com and look at their menu too.
locations on their website, eatfitlifefoods.com and look at their menu too.
Let me know what you think! If you like it, let’s grab a FitLife
meal together sometime.
P.S. I’m sorry to say this will be my last blog post for a while. Due
to Hurricane Irma I am working around the clock to help people get their homes
and lives back to normal. Twelve-hour
days, six days a week is not conducive to thoughtful, educational blog posts. But
don’t worry, once the dust has settled I’ll be back at.
In the mean time you can still follow the blogs IG to see what I'm up to!
In the mean time you can still follow the blogs IG to see what I'm up to!
Go be awesome my people!
Hurricane Snacks for the Food Intolerant
September 8, 2017
Hey you! What’s the happs? Your hair looks amazing today! Make sure you take a selfie and save that ‘ish because Irma is coming and she’s about to blow it all out of place.::sigh::……Irma. She is bringing all sorts of drama to this little peninsula.
Dear Hurricane Irma,
Please stay away.
Love, Jennifer
I mean seriously though! Summer was going along just fine then BAM! Harvey makes an appearance and now Irma decides she needs to join the party. What the what?! These storms show up all deceiving with their innocent old person names. You think they will be kind, maybe be a little cranky, but then turn around and give you one of the Werther’s they are carrying in their pocket. But no! They show up causing people to freak out about gas and get in to fist fights over water. It’s crazy town!
My husband, he’s the best, he went to SAMs Club earlier in the week to get water. They were sold out of course. But, they did have cases of sparkling water and propel! So, he bought that. LMAO! We are so fancy for this hurricane. At least I won’t be bored with my water and I’ll be hydrated! Plus, with the propel….ELECTROLYTES! Those puppies are important, right?!
When a hurricane comes to town, if you have never been through one, it is always important to stock up on nonperishable food items. Ya know, just in case you are without electricity for a while you want foods that doesn't need any preparation. Well, when my husband was out and about trying to get water he asked what he could get me that would be nonperishable. To be honest, I drew a blank. What was I going to eat? The majority of pre-packaged foods I can’t consume due to intolerances. So, I set out to find items I could eat if in fact we lost power or were stranded for a few days. Which brings me to this week’s post. I wanted to make sure to share with you all because I know some of you have food intolerances as well and may find yourself in the same predicament or if you ever do in the future you’ll have some ideas!
So, when my husband asked me what he could get for me, I originally said I would just share my dog’s food because, like her mother, she eats grain free. I mean, I was kidding but if it were do or die at least I have an option right?! LOL
Then, I immediately started thinking what the stores near me carry. Trader Joe’s…for the win! I knew they would have snacks for me. After work, I booked it over to Trader Joe’s. Surprisingly, they were not packed. There were fewer people there than on a typical week day. Crazy.
They didn’t have water but they had snacks! I picked up dried mango, grain less granola, a trail mix and couple RX Bars.
Dried fruit, like the delicious mango I bought at Trader Joe’s is a great snack! I always try to find dried fruit that doesn't have any added sugar. Make sure you read your labels to check for added sugar and to see if the product contains wheat, cornstarch, modified food starch and really anything that could cause a reaction. You would be surprised at how many “healthy” options contain or are processed on shared equipment with these ingredients and others.
Trail mix is another great option. They are a great source of protein, carbohydrates and fats. These are all nutrients your body needs to be as efficient and effective as possible. Aim to get a trail mix with nuts if you can tolerate them. They will help you feel fuller longer. Again make sure you read your labels for those added ingredients.
OOOO My favorite…Grainless Granola! There are other companies that make it so If you don't have a Trader Joe’s check your local grocer or fresh retailer but Trader Joe’s seems to be the most inexpensive. Plus, its delicious! It’s going to be really hard for me to wait until Irma passes to dive in to this bag. It’s yummy dry or with some Almond milk......when there isn't a hurricane :)
If you find yourself in a situation where you are without power or you are on the move to evacuate its always good to have some convenient snacks that can be used as a meal replacement in a pinch. I picked up a box of Quest bars and some RX Bars. They are both Gluten Free, most RX Bars are Paleo friendly and they are great sources of protein.
Now, some foods I typically have on hand that will come in handy are apples and baby carrots. While they aren’t exactly non-perishable they will last atleast a week and won't need refrigeration. Besides, your body will love you for feeding it fresh food. It will make you feel a billion times better especially if you have been eating only packaged foods.
I would also suggest cooking up a bunch of chicken, some green veggies that will last a little bit and some carbohydrates like quinoa. Once cooked these foods should last a day or two without refrigeration. This will give you a couple good meals before you dive into your rations.
Some other tips, although i’m sure by now you’ve heard these to death, fill up your tub so you have potable water. Any empty containers you have fill those with water from your faucet as well. While I know it may not taste as refreshing as bottled water it's a good idea to have as a back up. It could truly be a life saver.
So...Happy Hurricane Everybody! Stay Safe, Evacuate if you need to and Don't eat all of your snacks before the storm hits!
Use what you have....A parking garage & a jump rope
September 1, 2017
Hello you wonderful human you! I sure hope you’re having an amazing day so far. Can I get a Whoop Whoop!!!! to the three day weekend?! Awwwww yeah! I need an extra day off fo’ sho! I just hope it doesn’t rain all weekend ‘cuz man has it been rainy. Darn you Hurricane Harvey! You’re states away and still wreaking havoc on the sunshine state. I use that term loosely.
Since it’s been so rainy it has made my mid day runs next to impossible. I can stand running through a little drizzle but not a torrential down pour. So, my usual trip to the nearby park has been near impossible this week. I sure have missed it. There is a little beach area there so I can breath in the salty air and it is filled with lush grass and trees. I even see some wild life from time to time. Makes for a very relaxing and calming break away from my desk. So what is a girl to do? Luckily my work has a parking garage and I have a jump rope!
Oh! Before I get into my little lunch break workout I did this week I wanted to share some great snacks with you all. Making good food choices can sometimes……ok a lot of the time….feel like a daunting task. You have to prepare a lot of what you are going to eat, weigh and measure everything, read your labels. Convenience seems almost out of the question. So when I find something that helps me meet my nutritional goals and is convenient I just have to share!
I went to Target the other night. Yes, during a down pour, without an umbrella. Right there you know walking around Target I looked fabulous and smelled awesome too (enter facetious voice here). I was walking around the store which typically gets even the most disciplined person in trouble at Target, and wandered down the snack aisle. It is true what they say. Don’t shop hungry. ::sigh:: I bought so many snacks. I don't even need all of these snacks…BUT I found their raw almond, cashew and cranberry mix in individualized bags! I was so excited!! That mix is my favorite. Now I can just track the nutrition info from the label and be on my way. Plus, it helps me add some extra healthy fats and carbs to my daily intake. YYYEEEESSSS!
Then I came across Lara Bites…which I have had previously but totally forgot about. OMG if you haven't tried them you must! They are all natural delicious little morsels of sweet goodness without all of the crap that candy has. These are a great little after dinner treat. I have to watch my self with these bad boys. I could eat myself sick.
So if you are looking for some convenient treats get to Target people! Target is where it’s at!
Ok. Now for the moment you have been waiting for……the parking garage jump rope work out! If you don't have a jump rope you can do Jumping jacks in its place.
1:00 min Jump Rope
Rest 10 sec
:30 sec jumping jacks
:30 sec Skaters
Rest 10 sec
Repeat 2 more X
1:00 min Jump rope
Rest 10 sec
:30 sec Squat Reach
:30 High Knees
Rest 10 sec
Repeat 2 more X
1:00 min Jump rope
Rest 10 sec
:30 Sec Butt Kicks
:30 Sec Squat Kicks
Rest 10 Sec
Repeat 2 more X
1:00 min Jump Rope
Rest 10 Sec
:30 Heisman
:30 Squat jumps
10 Sec Rest
Repeat 2 more X
If your like me and you complete this on your lunch break hit the showers bro! You’ll be a sweaty beast!
Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
