life | S.P.E.L.L. Fitness

Lately I’ve been on a kick with tea, and I just wanted to share with you some of the benefits that I personally have been seeing, and also include some others that would hopefully be beneficial to you! Specifically green tea and Yerba Mate tea.

1. Antioxidants–this is something that I don’t think a lot of us really think about, but we probably should. Every day we are exposed to pollutants, chemicals, preservatives, free radicals…these things damage our cells, the basic foundation of the human body, putting us at risk for disease, fatigue, and even death! Green tea, and especially Yerba Mate tea, are chocked full of antioxidants that help to fight off the free radicals that are trying to damage our bodies all day long!

2. Energy–both teas contain caffeine, which is obviously a source of energy that probably 99% of the people reading this depend on to get through the day! Yerba Mate also contains theobromine and theophylline, which are also stimulants that act similarly to caffeine.

3. Aids in Weight Loss–Ding Ding Ding, I’m sure this is the one that most people will latch onto the quickest 😉 Green tea has thermogenic properties, which means that it can aid in the fat burning process, while Yerba Mate has properties that create a sensation of fullness after eating so you’re not as hungry all the time (please note that I am not by any means promoting an all tea diet…the proper inclusion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is the name of the game with me!) It also helps your body to burn carbohydrates more efficiently so you will have more energy and your body will be functioning better during physical exercise.

I personally have noticed that my digestive system functions better while drinking 24oz of a Yerba Mate Green Tea blend per day, I sweeten it with Stevia and enjoy it hot with a splash of milk, or iced without the milk. I feel less bloated, have more mental clarity (less of that foggy mind), it can help with depression slightly, and I do notice that things are a little “cheerier” 🙂 My skin is clearer day by day now that I have been including the tea in my diet as well.

Sometimes getting a full gallon of just plain H2O in a day can be tricky, try adding in a cup or 2 of these teas and let me know how they work for you!!

Cheers!

So many times we hear about, or even have experienced ourselves, making new resolutions to change our lives. We go into the new “plan” guns blazing ready to conquer the world, only to have it all lose it’s sparkle a few weeks later. Why is this? There are probably a million answers why: scheduling issues, illness, financial stress, lack of desire, the list goes on.

So how can we make a change that will stick? My answer: make it gradual. The majority of the weight loss schemes these days are flashy and bright, they promise extreme weight loss and a glamourous body in 14 days. But to get there you have to eat nothing but cucumbers and a shake for 2 weeks, and then continue to eat cucumbers and shakes to maintain your new dream bod. Think about that, is that even realistic? Of course not! Life is about balance. You are going to go to a wedding and have a glass of wine and a piece of cake. You’re going to go to a birthday party and have a piece of pizza and a beer. There will be days when working out doesn’t work with your schedule, or you just want to curl up on the couch and watch TV with your family. THAT’S OK!! Life is about balance. Anything that says that you have to give up life’s simple pleasures or cut out entire food groups from your diet or rearrange your entire schedule to workout for 2-3 hours a day, for the average person, is just not do able. Sure, there are those who can sustain a lifestyle that way, but chances are they aren’t terribly happy with it.

Be gentle with yourself, be forgiving of yourself and your “slip ups”. I can’t tell you how many times I get texts and emails from clients “confessing” to a “cheat” or the fact that they missed a workout and feel so terrible about it. Brush yourself off, learn from your experiences and keep on keeping on. Now, let me make it clear that I am not saying that you should ALWAYS be skipping workouts or having cocktails and chips and salsa…think of the 80/20 or 90/10 rule, 80-90% of the time try to keep your diet right on track and really push yourself in your workouts, so that the other 10-20% of the time you can indulge and enjoy life a little bit.

The idea behind the SPELL Fitness program is to make it sustainable, for there to be enough variety in your diet and in your workouts, and to have someone in your corner motivating and encouraging you so that this becomes a lifestyle, and not a quick fix diet. Life is about balance. God gave us a body to take care of, a circle of friends and family to lean on and love, and a whole world of amazing things to experience.

Sweat Pray Eat Lift and Love.

It’s really that simple 🙂

S.P.E.L.L. Fitness

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