I don't know about you, but it feels like every day I have less and less time available. This is what my day looks like if I don't prepare a healthy, quick grab and go breakfast!

I wake up early, blearily seeing that I barely have enough time to grab a quick coffee and a granola bar. 

Sit at my desk, surrounded by emails and meetings, with people demanding my attention while trying to get my own work done, fueled by another 1-2 coffees. Lunch rolls around, and I grab whatever is fastest (which I know isnt the best for my healthy or energy, but I don't have time!) 

As afternoon rolls in, the fatigue and stress take over, leading to snacking on sugary foods while trying not to fall asleep. My afternoon is unproductive and unfocused, leading to a bit of a panic for what I won't be able to finish, and knowing the next morning I'll have to play catch up. Again

By the time my day is done, I'm too exhausted both mentally and physically to cook a nutritious meal and opt for takeout of convenient packaged foods. I'm starving from a day of coffee and snacks and end up overeating and I know it. But I can't seem to stop myself

I stay up too late from all the sugar and caffeine (and possibly a glass of wine to help with stress!)

The next day the whole cycle starts over again. 

Am I alone in this?! I don't think so. I talk to women every day who struggle with this same cycle. 

Change Your Morning, Change Your Day with these Quick and Healthy Breakfasts!

This could be avoided with some key, targeted preparation. And, since this is a nutrition newsletter I'm going to tackle this from a nutrition perspective

If I'd had nutritious breakfast, lunches and snacks ready to go, I wouldn't feel this way. I'd be ready for the morning, have less coffee to keep going since I'd have real food, and the afternoon slump wouldn't occur because lunch would be nutrient dense and not just convenient carbs. 

Stress would be lower too, because I wouldn't have to choose what to eat. It would be just as quick and convenient, but I'd know that I was eating foods that fueled my body. 

 The next day I wouldn't be so behind either. I'd get more done, and feel good when I stopped work for the day. 

The sacrifice here is taking the time to plan and prep your meals. We take this to be a daunting task but it doesn't have to be! 

I prep my breakfast and lunches for the whole week in about an hour. It makes everything go SO much smoother!  

This is a tough meal for most of us. Mornings are crazy, especially if you have kids that you're trying to get ready in addition to yourself! 

My recommendation is to have the same breakfast every day. Variety is great - but if we are trying to go for convenience and ease, its going to make it much harder. You can change up flavors, sauces or toppings to vary it up if you like. But having the same breakfast each morning will make this way easier

All of these breakfasts are ready to literally grab and go!

Grab and Go Breakfast: Protein Pancake Dippers

1. Kodiak cake high protein pancake, cut into slices

2. Hard boiled eggs

3. Orange (can use any fruit)

4. Powdered peanut butter mixed with water*

   *Powdered Peanut butter is higher in protein and lower in fat than regular peanut butter. Also its easier for dipping pancakes into because its a bit more liquidy

If you need little jars or bowls for sauces, yogurt, protein powder, or snacks, I recommend these on amazon. They have lids or are cute without them! We’ve had these for 4 years now and they are still holding up great.

Quick Heat and Eat Breakfast: The Egg Bake

I make this every week for both my husband and myself, so we BOTH have breakfast for the week ready to go. I vary the seasonings from week to week, usually Mexican or Italian. 

To make this truly grab and go, make it into a breakfast sandwich with a bagel thin, english muffin or toast. Or you could just wrap it in tinfoil! 

Easy Healthy Breakfast: Protein Overnight Oats

The key here is to make sure that you have some kind of protein, I recommend protein powder. When you look up recipes there are a ton that are pure carbs and that's not going to get you the energy you need. 

1. Old fashioned Oats, uncooked

2. Your fave milk (equal volume to oats)

3. 1 scoop Protein powder

4. 1-2 Mix ins

5. Mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight)

Mix in Options:

• Chia seeds (fiber!)

• Fruits

• Chocolate chips

• Coconut flakes

• Nut butter

• Peanut butter powder (higher in protein)

• Cocoa Powder

My favorite overnight oat combos:

1. Chocolate protein + nut butter = pb cup

2. Vanilla protein + berries = berries and cream

3. Lemon protein + raspberries + chia seeds = delicious

For more ideas, get my free Grab & Go Guide for Busy Women. Inside are quick meal prep recipes, as well as grab and go and fast food options. Link here! 

How can you build muscle naturally?

Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand. If you incorporate exercise and a balanced diet in your daily routine, you will enjoy increased energy levels, a stronger immune system, be in control of your weight, prevent chronic lifestyle diseases, and improve your overall well-being.

Now, attempting to gain muscle mass is why some people go back to the gym. For men, it makes them feel stronger and attractive to women. But building muscle is not a walk in the park. It takes time and effort.

But how do we build muscle effectively?

Gaining muscle requires a combination of diet and exercise. And if one of them is not efficient, the results won't be as expected. Therefore, some folks who are under the impression of doing the right thing don't progress as fast as they would like.

1. Craft Your Workout Plan- Consult a fitness trainer if need be.

Incorporate both strength training exercises and aerobics. For example, yoga is great, but you should not count it as part of your strength training exercise. You need to add more challenging exercises to your routine if you want to see results. Here, no pain no gain makes more sense than ever.

Also, target for those exercises that work multiple joints and muscles at once because they help you lift more weight. Make sure to engage all major muscles in the body each week. Some of the exercises that must be in your routine are squats, bench presses, push-ups, lunges, chin-ups, pull-ups, dips, reverse crunches, and planks.

Your workout routine needs to be carefully planned because exercising too much might lead to muscle injury. Take it slowly at the beginning. The goal is to build up your fitness level and let your body rest from time to time to prevent injuries. Keeping track of your progress and it is essential not to let your body get accustomed to a certain routine and not to over-exercise because such a mistake can prevent you from gaining muscles fast.

2. Diet

A balanced diet is important too. It can help your body perform better and recover faster after each workout. Optimal nutrient intake before exercise will not only help you maximize your performance but also minimize muscle damage.

A diet for a bodybuilder must include plenty of proteins because they are the ones that build muscle mass. Good fats and good carbohydrates are also important. To gain muscles, you need around 3000 calories a day split into more than three meals to ensure an appropriate level of energy during the entire day. A larger portion of it though should be proteins.

3. Hydrate

Drinking plenty of water also is a hack to increase muscle faster. Water flushes away toxins and keeps the muscles properly hydrated.

4. Get enough rest

Sleep is also important because it offers your body the recovery time it needs.

5. Join a Fitness Community online or locally

Joining a supportive fitness group can help you stay motivated and achieve your goals because you don’t want to be the first one to quit. You’ll also see what is working for others. If you have posted on Facebook about your fitness journey for example, you have so many people watching and you can’t afford to quit and disappoint everyone including yourself. This will force you to work towards your goal.

6. Work with a Fitness Coach.

If you have the budget for it, this is the best route to take. You want to work with someone with vast experience. They will help you reach your goal faster because they know what works, what doesn’t and can help personalize your program.

Follow these guidelines and soon you’ll start smiling every time you’re near a mirror.