
2 Must-Haves I think every person who regularly trains is glutamine and a foam roller! These are especially important for newbies to the fitness world. When you are new to training these 2 items will be your best friend. Both are for recovery and helping your body to feel less sore. Trust me, the first month of training when your muscles are thinking WTF are you doing to me, you will want glutamine to alleviate that pain which will help keep you pushing so you don't give up from the muscle soreness. Keep pushing through it!

**L-Glutamine:**

What is Glutamine? It is the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream that makes up 30-35% of amino nitrogen in your blood. Meaning it is the primary transporter of nitrogen into your muscle cells. When you train, glutamine levels are depleted in your body, which decreases strength, stamina, and recovery. It plays a key role in protein synthesis. Studies show it can minimize the breakdown of muscle and improve protein metabolism. The first month of training is tough and you are miserable from being sore. Get some glutamine, it will be your best friend and be your best purchase!

It comes in powder form and powder in capsules. A recommended dose is 10-15 grams a day, 2-3x a day, with each serving around 5 grams. But to make your life easy, just do a scoop 2-3x a day. Especially after a workout and before bed.

Here are some other benefits to adding this supplement to your regimen:

- Improves gastrointestinal health or gut health
- Leaky gut, ulcers, IBS
- Brain health and aging
- Improves performance

**Foam Rolling:**

It Hurts So Good!!

Foam rolling is essential to recovery along with L-Glutamine. Self-myofascial release is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness. When applying pressure to your body, you are able to aid in the recovery process for your muscles to get them back to normal function. Which means your muscles are elastic, healthy and ready to perform again...they aren't sore and they feel awesome!

When you are sore and you foam roll it will hurrrrttttttttt. Embrace the pain, it will feel so good after. Lactic acid builds up in our muscles and that's what can cause soreness, stiffness, knots, and cramps. Foam rolling moves the lactic acid buildup to break it down and prevent all the yucky stuff mentioned above. When rolling out, look for parts that are extra sensitive and hold pressure for at least 20 seconds. Then continue to roll back and forth till you feel like it was enough. I bought mine on Amazon for \$10, a 12-inch size. I zone out in front of the tv at night and roll my back, legs, calves, and booty. If your lower back is in pain or feeling tight, roll out your back and your glutes to loosen it up.

Benefits:

- Less muscle soreness
- Prevents injury
- Recover quicker
- Break up scar tissue
- Use as a warm up
- Improves mobility and flexibility
- Saves money from expensive sports massages
- Can be used as a tool to workout with!

These are my 2 Must Haves and they are both affordable for everyone! Get some today!


2 Must Haves to Keep at Home When Training


Here are my top 3 reasons that you should start incorporating weights into your exercise routine:

##### 1: More Energy during the day and more rest at night.

When you start working out with weights the first thing you will notice, besides being sore ;), is that your energy during the day will increase and you should be sleeping better as well.  Endorphins are the "feel good" hormones that are released when working out pushing out energy from your body. It is what helps us perform. When you exercise those levels increase and gives you that "euphoric" feeling of F\*\*\* Ya! For most of us hehe. When those levels rise it gives you energy!! So if you have a desk job weight training is key to keep you going all day in that boring, or crazy, office work space.

Exercise also allows you to sleep better through the night since your body is tired from the day and its ready to recover. Sleep is very important with training. Growth Hormone is released while we sleep to help build and recover those tired muscles. If you have insomnia then definitely start weight training and monitor how you sleep at night.

These are the first 2 things you should notice when you start training more consistently. Better sleep, more energy and you'll be in a better mood!

##### 2: Stronger Bones

We forget about this part of training that it helps bone density. Forget about looking good now...what about when you are older and more frail. We dont want to be falling and breaking hips when we are old! If we fall, hopefully our bones are strong enough to not break!! Women especially need to weight train on a regular basis since our bone density decreases slightly faster than men over time and especially by the time we hit 30 years old. Women are typically more susceptible to osteoporosis, especially if you are on certain birth controls. Not only can weight training increase bone density, it can improve muscle mass and connective tissue strength.

You can get your bone density checked by finding a company that does DEXA Scans. A company called BodySpec in Santa Monica does these scans for \$45! It also shows you: body fat %, lean muscle mass and sizes of every muscle. Its pretty cool!!

##### 3: Strength

Who doesn't like to feel strong? Feeling strong and not weak is SO EMPOWERING! No matter who you are!! Since I was in middle school I always wanted to be "strong". My motto was " Just because you are a boy doesn't make you stronger than me!" I was always competitive with the boys and that has brought me where I am today. It feels amazing and SO rewarding to feel your own strength, especially as you progress with your training. I personally love nothing more then to see my clients progress and the joy they get from improving every week. IT'S FREAKING AWESOME.

Progressive Overload is how you build strength. What that means is over time you gradually increase stress placed on your body by increasing weights, intensity and volume. You cannot get stronger if you train with the same 5 pound weight forever. You have to slowly increase the weights you are using. As you slowly increase the demands on the musculoskeletal system you will see and feel the gains in muscle size, strength and endurance. Keep pushing yourself!!

### STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY!!!!


3 Reasons Why You Should Start Weight Training


##### Ingredients

- 4-5 oz Salmon
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Apple
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 4 tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt
- Arugula, Mixed Greens Salad Mix
- 1 oz Almonds

---

1. Heat drizzle of olive oil on a pan over medium-high heat. Pat salmon dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pan skin-side down. Cook to desired doneness, about 3-6 mins per side.
2. Halve lemon and core apple. Thinly slice apple.
3. Place brown sugar in a bowl. Squeeze in one half of lemon and stir to dissolve sugar. Add mustard and yogurt, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place salad mix in a large bowl, add apple and almonds. Squeeze more lemon and drizzle the olive oil to toss and combine.
5. Place cooked salmon on top and drizzle with dressing and voila!


Apple Salmon Salad


##### Ingredients

- 1 avocado
- 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup

---

Blend and eat! Refrigerate if saving for later.


Chocolate Avocado Mousse


##### Egg cup ideas

- cheese
- cheese + spinach
- bacon + tomato + spinach
- onion + bell pepper + ground turkey
- goat cheese + pesto
- chopped pepperoni + cheese
- spinach + tomato + onion + garlic
- peppers + onion + mushroom
- ground beef or steak + mozzarella

---

##### Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
2. Spray muffin pan with non stick spray.
3. Add egg/mixture that you chose into the muffin pan and cook for 20 or so minutes or until the center isn’t too runny.
4. Let cool and then eat! Save them in a ziplock bag for breakfast for the week. add some hot sauce...I recommend 3-5 muffins for breakfast!
5. Enjoy :)


Egg Muffin Cups


What will get the best results with weight training...heavy weights and lower reps, or lighter weight with higher reps? I say BOTH. BUT, you have to start somewhere if you are a beginner in the gym. Beginners should definitely start with lighter weight and high reps to build up muscular endurance and not get injured trying to force using heavy weights. You have to work your way up to the heavy ones. Progressive Overload is how you train your muscles to get stronger and stronger over time...progressively using slightly heavier weights each month.

Higher rep ranges are 15 and up, typically 15-20/25. Quicker rest times between sets. Heavy rep ranges are 1-8/10. Longer rest time between sets for recovery for the next set. Powerlifting/Strong Man dudes train in the heavy 1-5 rep range. Getting our muscles to failure is where the most muscle damage happens, which in turn "muscle growth". So whether we get to "failure" at 25 reps, or in 5 reps, we are still doing enough "damage" to our muscles for growth. So whichever rep range you choose to train in, just make sure it is really tough to get to that last rep, if you are counting. Fail at that 5th rep, or fail at that 12th or 25th rep, whatever it is, it just needs to be challenging enough to breakdown the muscle in the gym, so at night when you rest it can grow.

Once you have graduated to intermediate in the gym and feel comfortable to start grabbing the heavier weights, go for it! Trade off some weeks of higher reps 15-20 and 3-4 sets, then switch it up to heavier weights at 5-10 reps and do 4-5 sets. DO EVERYTHING. JUST MAKE SURE ITS CHALLENGING ENOUGH FOR CHANGES TO BE ABLE TO HAPPEN.


High Reps and Light Weight? Or Heavy Weight to Failure?


What is HIIT? It stands for High Intensity Interval Training. What that means in simple terms is pushing yourself to your max heart rate for a small period of time, then letting your heart rate come back down for a short period of time, and then repeat for no more than 20-30 mins. If you are doing HIIT correctly, then it will be really hard to go any longer than 20-30 mins, and also not necessary to go longer than that. I typically go for 15-20 mins with a 10 min warm up and 10 min cool down.

HIIT burns more calories than steady state cardio overall by more than double! What happens when you do HIIT is your body's metabolism will continue to burn more calories then it would at complete rest. This effect is called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC. In simple terms: you will continue to burn more calories for the next 24 hours or so after your HIIT cardio, unlike steady state cardio. Steady state cardio is great for burning extra calories, but once you are done walking/jogging/running you stop burning those extra calories.

Example of HIIT on the treadmill/ elliptical/ stairmaster: Warm up for 10 mins walking or jogging. 30 second sprint as fast as you can with a 30 second rest, or up to 2 mins walk to get your heart rate backdown. Repeat for 10-30 mins...the ideal time would be 20 mins.

30 second sprint, 30 second rest and jump off treadmill/machine. 1 min sprint, 1-2 min walk. You can design it however you like! Just push yourself! If you can have a conversation easily while doing this, you are not pushing hard enough.

I typically do 3 HIIT days a week with 2-3 steady state cardio days in between.

Benefits of HIIT:

- Efficient on a time crunch
- Builds muscle
- Burns more fat than steady state cardio
- Healthier heart and better endurance
- You don't have to do it on a machine/treadmill...you can push yourself anywhere you want doing jumping, sprints, kettle bell swings....any exercise that gets your heart rate spiked high
- Preserve muscle while burning fat
- Increased Metabolism

Benefits of Steady State Cardio:

- Beginner friendly if you are new to doing cardio
- Promotes recovery
- Helps improve endurance
- Keep heart rate stable
- Can do this every day, unlike HIIT which should be only up to 3-4 days a week
- Burn extra calories
- Get your steps in
- If you are too tired and don't feel like exerting energy for HIIT, then steady state is your friend

Give this a try!! Whether you are looking to gain muscle and/or lose fat, both options are a must!!!


HIIT Training and Cardio


How exciting is it when you finally decide that you want to make changes to your lifestyle and you have all the motivation in the world to start your change today, but you realize you have no clue where to start to actually be successful in it. When you try to completely change your whole regimen in 1 day, or 1 week, or even 1 month, you lose that motivation, get frustrated and give up. I'VE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES.

It starts with baby steps. 1 thing at a time.

The first step you've already done! You made the decision to make changes so that you can change your life and feel your best.

The next step is figuring out how you want to do make those changes. Is it just your diet that needs cleaning up? Is it getting your butt to the gym and start exercising? Is it both? My advice is pick 1 thing to start with, whether it be your diet or training. When you try to do too many things at once, its overwhelming.

My advice if it is training and you are new to exercise, find a local personal trainer that will help do all the thinking in the gym for you. All you have to do is show up and your trainer will guide you through the training and teach you proper form with each exercise. You can find 1 on 1 private trainers or trainers at your local gym. Start with 2-3 days a week and commit to those days. Again, all you have to do is show up.

If it is your diet you need to work on, I suggest picking 1-2 meals a day to focus on every 2 weeks or so. If you don't eat breakfast, then add breakfast every morning to your day and start it off with a healthy meal to get your metabolism going. Once you have mastered breakfast everyday for a week or two, add you next consistent meal. Once you've mastered that second meal for a week or two, add the next consistent meal and have that every day. Every week pick another meal to be consistent with. Eventually you will get used to eating more, or less, but on a more consistent basis which is what we all need for the best results.

I typically get clients who don't know where to start when I sit down with them for the consultation. They are making their first step in training with me. They made the commitment to train every week, step 1. Then once they feel comfortable with training and being consistent , we start to make small change to their diet. After some time, diet and exercise becomes part of their daily routine that truly makes them feel uplifted, powerful, strong and happy!!

It takes time to learn consistency, but over time it falls into place. Trust the system and yourself and YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!


How to Be Successful in Changing Diet & Training


Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

##### Crust:

- 10" pan
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup pecan halves (crushed finely with food processor)
- 1/2 stick grass fed butter, salted and melted
- 1/2 cup sweetener (Swerve, Stevia, Monk Fruit)

---

1. Mix all crust ingredients with fork, it'll be crumbly. You can use parchment paper or rub around pan with extra butter, and press the crust into the pan.
2. Bake for 12-15 mins, or until brown on the edges. Let cool.
3. Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

---

##### Filling:

- 5 block cream cheese softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup sweetener of choice
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

---

1. Beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sweetener. Add 1 egg at a time to mix in and add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat in the sour cream. Butter should be thick and creamy.
2. Wrap bottom of the pan with tin foil. Then add the filling. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot water in the pan around it about halfway up the cheesecake pan.
3. Bake for 1.5 hours or until center is set.
4. Let cool overnight in the fridge and enjoy!


Keto Cheesecake


##### Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp almond flour
- 1 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1-2 scoops protein powder (whatever you prefer)
- Almonds optional
- Dash of stevia if your protein powder is not sweet
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Almond butter- measure 1 tsp per cup
- cupcake pan or mini cupcake pan

---

##### Direction:

1. Melt the coconut oil and mix all ingredients, minus the almond butter, in a bowl.
2. Spray cupcake pan with nonstick spray.
3. Fill the cupcake pan with the chocolate mix. Then freeze for about 20 mins.
4. Once hardened, add the 1 tsp (or more if you want!) of almond butter to each cup.
5. Freeze again and then enjoy!


Keto Chocolate Almond Butter Cups


##### Ingredients:

- 3 eggs
- 1 oz cheese (optional)
- Chopped onion
- Chopped basil leaves
- 14 grams grass fed organic butter
- 100 grams of green veggie of choice (green beans, spinach, asparagus, kale)
- 1-2 pieces of bacon

---

##### Direction:

1. Cook bacon in skillet or microwave and set aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onions and basil and sautee until onions are golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add veggies of your choice and sautee for 1-2 mins.
4. Add eggs! I like to scramble and mix it all up.
5. Once eggs are cooked, place on plate and sprinkle cheese on top. Add bacon and enjoy!

You can add salsa, hot sauce or avocado on top!


Keto egg scramble


##### Ingredients:

- 2 sticks of butter
- 2/3 cup stevia, monk fruit or choice of sweetener
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

---

##### Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
2. In a medium sized bowl, using a hand mixer combine the butter and sugar.
3. Then combine egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Blend.
4. Add all dry ingredients. Almond flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and xanthan gum.
5. Roll cookie dough into a ball and flatten them out a bit to your desired shape. Sprinkle cinnamon on top for a nice presentation and added flavor.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.


Keto Pumpkin Cookies


##### Ingredients:

- 2 bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 cup protein powder
- 1 tablespoon grass fed butter (or coconut oil - to grease the pan)
- chocolate chips, blueberries, fruit optional

---

##### Direction:

1. Mix together bananas, eggs, and protein powder until well combined.
2. Place a pan over medium heat. Grease the pan with a bit of oil or butter. Once the pan is hot, add a large spoonful of the pancake mixture to the pan, about 3-5 inches wide.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips or berries on top of the pancakes.
4. Once the pancakes begin to bubble, flip them. Cook for about 1 minute each side, depending on how hot the pan is.
5. Serve with sugar-free syrup and enjoy!


Low Carb Protein Pancakes


##### Ingredients

- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil/ grapeseed oil / coconut oil (whichever you prefer)
- 1 diced yellow onion
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 diced bell pepper, any color
- 1lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 jar of red pasta sauce of your choice

---

**Microwave Version:**

1. Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds like you would a pumpkin. Place halves in a dish face down. Microwave for 8-12 mins to soften. Let stand for 5 mins and then scrape out any more seeds and strings with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, less than 5 mins. Add garlic and peppers and cook another 2-3 mins.
3. Remove veggies and cook the ground protein of you choice. Cook until cooked through, pushing it around in the pan to break it up into small pieces, about 5 mins. Add salt n pepper to taste.
4. Add veggies and pasta sauce to pan with beef and let simmer for 10 mins.
5. Place your squash in a bowl with your meat-veggie sauce on top and enjoy!

---

**For Oven Version:**

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and extra strings by scooping it out.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place face down on a baking sheet with tin foil and bake for 40-50 mins until soft.
3. Follow step 2-5 to finish recipe!
4. ENJOY!


No Guilt Spaghetti


##### Ingredients

- 1.8 oz quick oats
- 2 oz water
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp butter or oil
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup (or there are sugar free syrup as well)

Optional:

- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 tbsp almond butter

---

##### Direction:

Blend oats, water, eggs, baking soda, oil or butter and protein powder into a medium thick consistency.

Heat the skillet to medium and use non stick spray or a tiny bit of butter to coat the skillet, pour in the batter (I like to use protein powder scoopers to make the same size pancakes), and wait till it starts to bubble and then quickly flip.

Using a pancake pan is much easier and faster!

Top with syrup and any of the optional toppings.

Enjoy!


Oatmeal Protein Pancakes


Cardio Before Weight Lifting or After?

Is it better to get your cardio out of the way first before weight training or after the workout? This is a great question that is asked a lot. Personally, I like to do my weight training first, then finish with cardio. When I lift weights I want to make sure I don’t waste all my strength or energy on my cardio since weight training is #1, and cardio is #2. Unless you are a marathon runner, I would put all your energy into weightlifting, supplementing with cardio.

Lifting weights requires physical stamina along with mental stamina. If you go hard on your cardio then go start your weight lifting, more than likely you will be a too tired physically and mentally to push through picking up those weights and putting them down. If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, then you won't want to use up too much of that energy on cardio, which doesn’t help “make you stronger”, it just a tool to help you burn more calories.

When doing cardio verse lifting weights, there are 2 different types of signaling from your cells. Weight training triggers cells to grow and expand, getting larger and stronger. Where as cardio, does the opposite. Cellular signals tell the muscle to get smaller and more resistant to fatigue (Think marathon runners and how thin they are, but how far they can run). Too much cardio inhibits the anabolic signals to the muscles to be able to grow and get stronger. Anabolic is building muscle and burning fat. Catabolic is the opposite, burning muscle and preserving fat. That’s why those who only do cardio don’t have much muscle mass, they burn through it.

If your goal is to be skinny fat and run forever, then stick to cardio! But if your goal is to build muscle, burn fat and get stronger, then do both- weights and cardio… not too much cardio since you want to preserve as much muscle as possible that you are building. Weight lifting should be your #1 and cardio #2. If you are training same day then start with weights and finish with cardio. If you are only weight training 2-4x a week then I suggest doing cardio on the days off from weights to really maximize those gains. Split it up if you have to. Put all your energy into cardio for 1 day, then all your energy into weights the next day. But if you train like me, 5x a week, then just focus on weights, using the remainder of your energy for cardio when you finish resistance training. 30 mins of steady state cardio or 10-20 mins of HIIT is all you need! Dumbbells over treadmills!!


Should You Start with Cardio or Weights?


##### Ingredients:

- quick oats 1/2 cup
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- cinnamon (optional)

---

##### Direction:

1. Add oats to tupperware, mason jar, etc.
2. Add protein powder, yogurt and almond milk. Mixing it all up.
3. Top with almond butter and berries. Leave in fridge overnight and enjoy dessert for breakfast!


Simple Berry Butter Overnight Oats




## What is CBD?

First of all, CBD is NOTHING like eating an edible! LOL, You don’t get high, or stoned, from using pure CBD. It is derived from a hemp plant, not a marijuana plant, although both are part of the cannabis family. The marijuana plant contains THC (along with CBD) which is what makes you feel stoned. There are CBD tinctures that contain trace amounts of THC (0.3%) that are full-spectrum products. That is the legal limit allowed in CBD products under the 2018 Farm Bill, just enough for health benefits, without the psychoactive properties. Typically you shouldn’t feel high from a full-spectrum, but if you are someone very sensitive, or worried, you should opt for the broad spectrum. This has everything as the full spectrum, minus the THC. 

CBD stands for cannabidiol. There are over 140 different cannabinoids in the plant itself that we can use for tons of different health benefits.  This plant has been used for hundreds, if not probably thousands of years, for medicinal properties up until today, now that it’s legal! Yay! Our bodies have neuron receptors in the nervous system, where you can find endocannabinoid receptors that activate the body’s nervous system when you take CBD. Endocannabinoids are molecules that bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors. However, unlike THC, endocannabinoids are produced naturally by cells in the human body (“endo” means “within,” as in within the body).



## Benefits of CBD

There are countless benefits of using a quality CBD, it’s pretty amazing! CBD has been scientifically found to help with regulating functions in the body and helping us to feel much better. So if you have pain, muscular or nerve, it can help reduce that pain. It can help with anxiety, sleep, ADHD, chronic pain & inflammation, seizures, recovery and so much more! CBD tells your body what it needs when it connects with those endocannabinoid receptors, it’s so cool! Some other severe issues it can help with are epilepsy, arthritis, depression, Parkinson’s, acne, irritability and the same goes for our beloved pets! It can help with so many issues that our pets go through as well. Seizures, anxiety, joint and hip pain, basically anything!



## How to Dose CBD

The great thing about CBD is you cannot overdose, so it won't hurt you if you take “too much”. The interesting thing about taking “too much” is it can actually cancel itself out. Meaning, you take a lot, and then it doesn’t work because you oversaturated your receptors. CBD- less is more and I found this in my personal experience as well. You can start with a micro-dose. So that would be 2-4 drops under the tongue and then gradually increase every few days until you find your personal sweet spot. On the lower dose 250-500mg bottles, there is less CBD per dropper, compared to a 750-1000mg bottle where there is more CBD per dropper. I personally use 750-1000mg and take ½ to a full dropper depending on the day and how I feel. Pets usually take the 250-500mg, same with children, and adults the higher dosed bottles. If your ailments are on the more severe side, I would opt for a stronger CBD. If you have anxiety I would still opt for the 500-1000mg bottles. There are bottles that have up to 2500mg and up! With taking too much CBD all that it will do is cancel itself out…it won't work. I used to think I needed a super high dose to “feel” anything and then I wouldn’t feel anything! So I scaled back and found that less is more. So interesting how CBD works in the body. 

Make sure you put the oil under your tongue and let it sit without swallowing for 30-60 seconds or until it dissolves. Try not to eat or drink for 20 mins after as well. You’ll want it to sit under your tongue so it soaks into the bloodstream and not get wasted in the digestive tract. Do that for a few days and then you can always increase. Took me 2 weeks to really feel the full effects of it for me…so be patient. Everyone’s body is different.



## How to Buy Quality CBD and What to Look For

The worst part when it comes to CBD is that it is everywhere and not regulated much at all! Which is scary! If you are using CBD as a medicine, you don’t want to also be ingesting heavy metals, toxins, pesticides, and pollutants…that are counterproductive AF. And you don’t want to buy from just anywhere. In China, they use hemp plants to clean their air. It’s called a “mop crop”. The plant soaks up all of the gunk in the air and then China sells the plants to a US company/person, who then claims they are organic and sells it here in the states as “organic CBD”. UMMMM NO THANKS!! Ill purchase CBD made right here in The USA with proof that it is actually clean and organic. I would assume that most of you that have tried CBD have had no experience at all and/or thinks it's just a gimmick product. Which is true for about 80% of CBD products out there. Be very careful where you buy CBD…not at the gas station or retail stores, not even some dispensaries!  

### Make sure you think of the following when looking for a quality CBD product:

- Is it USDA CERTIFIED Organic? Find the proof
- Do they 3rd party lab test their products?
- Can they show you a COA (Certificate of Analysis) lab report to show you everything in the product as it was created?

There are way too many companies out there claiming organic while selling you poison. Just because a product says it's organic doesn’t always mean it's true. Find the PROOF. Especially if you are using this for medicine, you need to make sure it’s cleaner than the pharmaceutical you might otherwise try instead. 



## 5 Common Myths and Misconceptions

### It gets you high/stoned

CBD won't get you high as long as it has the legal amount of THC in it, which is 0.3%....that's barely anything. Some companies claim they have the legal limit, but they put more. This is why research on companies is a MUST. If you are worried about feeling the THC, then opt for Broad Spectrum rather than Full Spectrum.

### There is no medical research on CBD

There is actually a ton of medical research on CBD. The FDA has approved CBD use with proof of it working on patients with seizures. The results from the medical trials were so compelling that the FDA had to approve it.

### All CBD is made the same

All CBD is definitely not made the same. This is why you want to find the 3rd party lab testing results to see the process in how it's made and what is in it truly. Many tests have been done on different brands and 90% didn’t have what they said they had. Some had way more CBD, or barely any in it. Some had high levels of THC, while others had none. The USA-made is the best place to start, then look for the COA and PROOF it is made organically and tested by another company that is not their own.

### CBD is illegal

CBD IS Legal! In 2018 with the new Farm Bill, it is now legal to sell hemp-based products across all 50 states as long as it doesn’t have more than the legal dose of 0.3% THC in each product. It used to be classified as a harmful substance until they did actual research and found all the amazing benefits.

### It doesn’t work

If you try a quality CBD verse a crappy one you will FEEL the difference. Sometimes it is instant and sometimes, like with me, it took about 2 weeks to work into my body for me to notice it working. IF you have more severe issues, you will probably notice it working sooner than later. For milder ailments, it may take some time to notice, or maybe not. Stay consistent with it and check with your body daily to notice any positive changes.



## Some USDA Organic CBD Companies

- [Green Compass Global](https://mandikamish.greencompassglobal.com/)
- Green Gorilla
- NuLeaf
- RE Botanicals



## My Personal Experience and My Favorite Brand

I personally use CBD to keep my stress levels down. I live in LA and I drive a lot, so I’m constantly stressed in my car. I also have had pretty severe insomnia most of my life. I can’t get my brain to shut up! After 2 weeks of using CBD, [Green Compass Global](https://mandikamish.greencompassglobal.com/) CBD, I found myself reacting less to other people while driving, and sleeping more! I’m still amazed at how well it’s worked for my day-to-day stressors and anxiety. I’ve since shared Green Compass Global with my family and friends and they have shared what a life-game changer it’s been for them.

[Green Compass Global](https://mandikamish.greencompassglobal.com/) is my top choice for a quality CBD. They are based in North Carolina and they have a 7-generation family tobacco farm where the CBD is cultivated from their beautiful organic hemp plants. They keep a close eye on every detail of the process ensuring the top quality clean products we all need. It is free of chemicals, pesticides & herbicides from the plant all the way to the bottle. So it’s organic from seed to bottle! They even put a QR code on each bottle so you can scan and view the COA lab results. They are happy to be transparent and show every step of the way because there is NOTHING to hide! The owners wanted to create a product that they felt safe enough to give to their young children and even their pets! (Bacon flavored CBD!)

This company has changed my life for the better. The products are amazing, they taste sooooo good too! Cinnamon and fresh mint are my favorite flavors of the tinctures. They just came out with really cool Nanotechnology CBD Jellies too! One jelly contains about a full droppers worth of CBD, rather than 1 dropper divided into the whole bottle for example. It's water-soluble so it will absorb 10x better than any other regular CBD gummies that waste it in the belly before it hits the bloodstream! This company keeps getting better! Their chap sticks are so bomb, the bath bombs are BOMB and the essential oils with CBD are amazing too. The Women’s Monthly essential oil really helps my cramps! I’m shocked every month I use it to help ease my “moon” symptoms.

I can’t say anything bad about this company and their products, it just works! Here is the link for you to check out what would work for you! The other companies I listed are quality brands as well, I just personally haven’t purchased their products to speak to how they worked for me, but I’ve used Green Compass Global and can attest to their quality products. 

Do your research and I hope you find the perfect CBD that works for you!

CBD: What It Is, Usage, and How Does It Work?


Bodybuilding is literally building your muscles to get bigger and look more aesthetically pleasing. We train our muscles so that we look good in that tiny bikini for next summer.

Strength training is training to get stronger.

Not to say that bodybuilding doesn’t get you stronger as well.

Think of powerlifters for strength training. They typically are just giant dudes that can lift giant heavy ass weights.

Bodybuilders don’t train for those types of competitions. BB train to stand on stage and pose and look sculpted like a statue. Every muscle fiber and vein popping out.

Powerlifters are just BIG. But strong AF. Think Strong Man competitions.

To build muscle bodybuilder style you’ll want to stay in the higher rep range (8-15), with moderate to heavy weight, 2-4 sets, with a load around 70-85 percent of your one-rep max (1RM).

Strength training will be low volume, heavy weight, 1-6 rep range, 4-6 sets and in a range of between 80-90 percent of your 1RM.

These are the differences in these 2 types of training that most people think are the same. Bodybuilding is not Strength Training or Powerlifting. I like to incorporate both types of training. Typically, I’m the bodybuilder, but Ill add in heavy low rep sets too to switch it up. Which I highly suggest for everyone if you are training just to look and feel good! Try new ways to train and hit the muscles differently.

With any type of training you do, you want to continually try to progress your body into getting stronger and bigger/leaner! If you use the same 5 pound dumbbells for bicep curls, you will eventually plateau and not get any more bicep gains. Eventually you need to grab a heavier weight. Progressive Overload is the gradual increase of stress (weights, intensity, volume) placed upon the body during exercise training. I suggest every every couple weeks try grabbing that next weight up. If your goal is 12 reps and you now get to that 12th rep super easy, then its time to make it more difficult to get to that 12th rep again. So you increase the weight. You also need to make sure you rest those muscles. I suggest 1-3 rest days a week. My rest days are Wednesday and Saturday usually. To build strength and muscle, rest is just as important.

Training will be a continual switching it up, getting out of plateaus, trying new exercises process. That’s part of the fun of it, you don’t have to get bored of training! But unless you are a bodybuilding doing a fitness show, stick to bodybuilding. If you are a power lifter, stick to getting strong af. If you are similar to me, DO IT ALL!


Whats the difference in Body Building & Strength Training?


In my personal training business I see a lot of my clients under eating and not understanding why they are not getting results.

When you don't eat, you lose more fat right?

Wrong!

Yes its true that in order to lose weight you need to be in a slight calorie deficit, but by how much?

The best way I've found is to track what you eat everyday, and literally track every single food you eat.

Then you can really see how many calories you are actually eating and that will give you a starting point to figure out your calorie range. It will also depend on your goals.

In order to build muscle you need to be eating enough calories so that you don't burn through all the muscle you are trying to build. But if you want to lose weight, and you are already at a steep deficit, there's no more room to cut out more calories without being unsafe and feeling crappy. If you have been a calorie deficit for a long time then it's time to switch up your metabolism and slowly add more calories back into your diet. If you add slowly while keeping up with your cardio and weight training, your metabolism will speed up and within 2-3 weeks you start to see your body change... of course that is if you are eating clean and healthy food choices.

It takes time, like all things! Be patient. My suggestion is to never go below 1500 calories.

The average person burns 1400-1500 calories a day just being alive.

Now add in walking, working, eating, exercise, breathing, etc.

Now you've burned a lot more than the 1400-1500 calories and you'll need the right amount of calories and nutrients to sustain your body and continue to build muscle and burn fat. I realize it doesn't quite make sense to "eat more" to lose weight in our brains...but you also dont want to eat through all your gains you are trying to preserve and build more from!

This is where people get frustrated.... 1500-1700 is still a low calorie range and is my recommendation to stay at if you really want to be on a low calorie regimen. Anything lower than that and you won't be able to sustain, especially as you progress and get stronger and need to increase volume and intensity in your training. Plus- who doesn't want to eat more to get better results?!!!

I would recommend for the average person in the gym: 1500-1700 as a low calorie range, 1700-2000 for a maintenance and building muscle range and 2000-2500 for wanting to gain weight and muscle. Unless you are a seasoned person in the gym or a body builder, those #s would be different. I personally eat about 1900-2100 calories a day, which leaves me room to go on more of a deficit if I need to without being too extreme on the deficit. Here are some food tracking apps to use:

[My Fitness Pal](http://myfitnesspal.com) [Cronometer](https://cronometer.com)
