Spring Workout Essentials

It’s no secret that putting on chic workout clothes can inspire you to get out and get moving. And these days, with fitness wear more fashionable than ever, it’s never been easier to rock pieces that not only inspire, but look chic outside of the studio, too.

With that said, as spring approaches, there’s no better time to upgrade your workout wardrobe. Lucky for you, we’ve pulled together our favorite looks for the new season and beyond. Read on + get motivated!  

Fashion-forward and extra-versatile, Vie Active’s Rockell compression tights are both comfy and supportive! The print is perfect for spring, too – light, airy, and easy-to-pair with any color top.

Geometric prints are all the rage for spring. And Vie Active’s Sage Sports Bra? It’s pure perfection. Supportive and comfortable, the racerback silhouette is easy to pair with any workout top. It’s a sleek and stylish addition to any workout wardrobe.

As the temps get warmer, it’s time to put those puffy jackets away. This season, opt for a lightweight cover up like Blanc Noir’s soft-to-the-touch Moto Sweater Cardigan. Stylish mesh details keep you cool, while varsity-striping keeps you totally on-trend.

Bright and beautiful, Chill by Will’s can’t-be-missed Freedom Leggings boast breathable mesh (perfect for those warmer days!) and contrasting back stitching. Comfortable and supportive, they’re perfect for working out and wearing out.  We’re obsessed with the ultra-cheerful hue.

Enjoy the most breathable workout in SoLow’s Lace Bloc Leggings! White is so on-trend for spring, and when you’re rocking these, you’ll command instant attention. Pair ‘em with a colorful printed top, bright sports bra and go!

Graphic tees are a spring style essential. Perfect for the studio and the streets, Spiritual Gangster’s Good Vibes Rocker Tank is easy to move in thanks to larger cut arm holes and a relaxed fit.  Wear it with a chic sports bra for a little hint of sexy.

Let it breathe in Koral’s perforated Aerate Tank! It’s designed to keep you cool (while looking haute of course!), so rock it over a stylish sports bra for double the impact. Bonus: it looks as chic on the streets as it does in the studio.

Lululemon’s 5 Mile Vest not only comes in the most gorgeous color, but it also boasts reflective details to keep you visible in low light. It’s ideal for cool evening runs and more. Bonus: secure zip pockets keep your essentials safe.

What are you wearing for spring? Comment below – we’d love to hear your favorite #GetFitLooks!

3 Chocolate Ways To Say "I Love You," With No Guilt

Being so bad, can be so good sometimes. Especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Gifts of love, dressed as chocolate boxes the size of a small human. When you take the lid off, so many choices. Nuts, caramels, the sugar, oh the sugar. When special dessert occasions come up, the craving is hard to resist. 

I think it has something to do with happy memories. Valentine’s Day brings me back to my elementary school days, gluing my cardboard mailbox together. How can you not have happy memories of glitter, hearts, and candy. Don’t even get me started on the parents who delivered pink frosted cupcakes.

So how to find the happy medium? The never ending quest of life. Especially when it involves dessert. Here are some quick, easy chocolate filled recipes to say, "I love you," everyday, even if it yourself.

Mocha Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. wheat bran
• 1 c. whole-wheat flour
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• ½ c. unsweetened applesauce
• ½ c. lowfat buttermilk
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• ¼ c. mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-hole muffin pan with 10 paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and egg; stir in the espresso powder. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Divide the batter among the lined muffin cups and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (For mini muffins, bake for 14 to 16 minutes.)

Lighter Brownies

INGREDIENTS

• Canola oil nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder or granules
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ c. unsweetened cocoa
• ½ c. all-purpose flour
• 1¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. sugar
• ¼ c. trans-fat free vegetable oil spread (60-to-70-percent oil)
• 3 large egg whites

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a cup, dissolve the coffee in the vanilla extract.
• On waxed paper, combine the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, vegetable oil spread, egg whites, and coffee mixture until well mixed. Then blend in the flour mixture. Spread in the prepared pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the brownies 2 inches from the edge comes out almost clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
• When cool, cut the brownies into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares. If the brownies are difficult to cut, dip the knife in hot water, wipe dry and cut. Repeat the dipping and drying as necessary.

Monkey Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 1.67 c. mashed ripe bananas
• ¾ c. packed light-brown sugar
• ¼ c. oil
• ¼ c. milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. each baking soda and cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1¾ c. white whole-wheat flour
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15 x 10 x 1⁄2-in. baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 in. above pan at both ends).
• Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended; gently stir in 1⁄2 cup of the mini chocolate chips.
• Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
• Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut each strip in 10; remove foil.

Rethink Juicer Pulp: It's Fuel Your Body

The grocery store knows what the beginning of the year is all about. The carefully placed green juice displays. Gallons of apple cider vinegar on sale. Recipes for vegetarian dinners next to the coupon circulars. Inspiration is strong to fill up your shopping cart with a rainbow of vegetables for juicing. Nothing quite as satisfying as making your own cold pressed juice at home.

Kale, spinach, you name it, down the shoot they go to extract those fortifying raw juices. Cleaning up I wonder, “shouldn’t I be doing something with this vegetable pulp?” Something seems wrong about putting it all down the garbage disposal. The juice may be gone, but all the fiber and nutrition still remains after you extract all the juice goodness. 

We’ve learned vegetable skin can sometimes be the most nutritious part of our foods. Yet, we’re throwing away all those vitamins and minerals because they’ve moved over into the waste bin after juicing. It’s a mater of changing the way we think about juice pulp. We don’t throw away leftovers from a homemade dinner. We end up adding them to our salad bowls the next day. Let’s do the same with vegetable pulp.

Yes, I know, there’s something about these mushy mounds of colors. Scooping them out they’re just a little “wet,” is the only way to describe them. Repeat to yourself, “Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals.” Throw your leftover vegetable pulp into storage container, and into the fridge, if you feel a culinary adventure happening soon. If the weekends are more your speed, you can also freeze it to make some creations later on.

Now the fun part, what to do this pulp? There’s actually an infinity of options when you start thinking of your vegetable pulp as an ingredient for healthy cooking and baking. You’ll also be saving money when you realize you have the food base to make those non processed, non refined snacks in your own kitchen like, 

Juice Pulp Crackers

Ingredients

• 3 cups Pulp
• 1/2 cup Flax Meal
• 1/2 cup Almond Flour
• 1 cup Water

Stir all of the ingredients together then spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Cut the crackers apart and enjoy.

Juice Pulp Fruit Leather

Spread your juicer pulp out evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with any type of spices you wish. Bake at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours, or until the fruit leather is completely dried and pliable. Cut the finished product into strips and enjoy.

Yum, right? All you have to do is save and separate your pulp from the days you made those fruit juices and vegetable heavy concoctions. Your juicer pulp can also become the base for cooking your quinoa or couscous because you can also make your own vegetable broth. No msg, no chemicals. Just the simple, nutritious, and ingredients you can pronounce ready to go with,

Juice Pulp Veggie Broth

• 2 cups Vegetable Pulp
• 8 cups Water
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 stalk Celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 teaspoon Salt 

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Strain the broth through a colander. Store in air tight containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

So simple, flavorful, and the best part, good for you. We juice fresh fruits and vegetables because they are full of vitamins and minerals. We might not have time to juice everyday, but we can get the same benefits everyday if we realize juicer pulp is an ingredient, not waste. The “meat and potatoes” way of life is changing with research continually showing this is not the way to a long, healthy life.

The hashtag #meatlessmonday has millions of posts because doctors, animal lovers, and environmentalist realize consuming red meat has several negative effects. Make your own contribution towards this effort, while combining your newfound love of juice pulp. Make it the center piece of your next meal. 

Juice Pulp Veggie Meatballs

• 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
• 1 Zucchini, shredded
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Parsley
• 3/4 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 2 cups Veggie Pulp

Sauté the veggies over medium heat until they are soft. Next, mix the veggie pulp with the sautéed vegetables, and the remaining ingredients. Form the dough into balls. Bake the veggie balls for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   

This is a small sampling of what pulp can be. It’s not the waste to throw away. It’s an ingredient to keep you healthy. You don’t have to spend more money on buying nutritious snacks, muffins or breads. Your four legged friend can even benefit from your new found knowledge of juicer pulp. It’s a way to continue the benefits of those fruits and vegetables we need in our bodies.