When I started diving down the rabbit hole into the benefits of broccoli sprouts and why I should be making them, I learned about the powerful phytochemical, sulforaphane.  So, I took on the challenge of making them myself!  Below is a quick guide to making your own broccoli sprouts. 

The biggest reason to try growing your own sprouts? Broccoli sprouts are one of the best sources of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has the ability to promote excretion of toxic substances from the body (aka: helps with detoxing). Research also shows amazing benefits for type 2 diabetics, as well as all inflammatory conditions in the body! So, why not give it a try? It's so simple.

Inside the Trainer In Your Back Pocket membership, we have an entire lesson on this topic, with a deep dive into the biochemistry and benefits of sulforaphane! If you are looking to go a little deeper into nutritional healing, make sure to join our membership for our monthly nutrition lessons! ...

I just wanted to share a random thought I had while I was out for a jog the other day (I get my best ideas and thoughts while I'm exercising, even if they are sometimes super random!) 

So, how is fartlek running like intuitive eating? Simply put, both techniques are all about how your body feels. With fartlek, you run faster when you FEEL like running faster, and go slower when you FEEL like going slower. With intuitive eating, you eat what feels good in your body at that time. If your body is telling you it needs to eat a salad, then eat the salad. If it's telling you that a cookie is the loving choice in that moment, then eat the cookie! 

In both instances, it's about honoring what your body is requesting, and not relying on an external program, like an interval timer for running, or a diet in eating. Interval timers that tell you "go faster for 1 minute, then slower for 2 minutes" mean that you are gauging your intensity based on the timer, not your body. (not to say...

I love when I get questions from TBP members! This question was from one of our TBPers who asked me about some possible reasons for feeling hungry about 30-60 minutes after eating her meals.  Enjoy listening to my response!

Quick recap in video: 

Reasons for still feeling hungry (of course, there could be so many other reasons, but these are some big ones to start thinking about.)

1. Not eating enough for what your body needs. (ie: did you exercise that day and need more calories? or is your body just in an "underfed" state?
2. Was enough FIBER and PROTEIN eaten at the meal? 
3. Are you having a blood sugar response called reactive hypoglycemia, where your blood sugar dips after eating? This can be found out by testing with a glucose meter. 
4. Are you under stress? Stress can cause the adrenals to work harder, and that can also be a cause of blood sugar dips (when your blood sugar dips, surprisingly your body tells you you're hungry!)
5. Do you have a food intolerance to...

Ever wonder why you can be working out so hard on a bicycle, feeling like you're giving it everything you've got, but your heart rate simply doesn't reflect that? There are a few reasons why this can be happening.

1: Gravity.  Simply put, your heart doesn't have to pump against gravity when you're biking as much as it would if you were running (standing). The bicycle is doing a good job at holding up your body weight, so your body doesn't have to do as much work.

2: The training response.  Unless your legs are trained to cycle, the leg muscles fatigue before your heart rate can get up higher.  It's a classic example of "you're only as strong as your weakest link." 

So, if you're doing an assessment for your heart/cardiovascular health using a bicycle, but you rarely train on one, just know that there will be limitations to that test. 

Here is a picture graph of the workout I describe in the video. 5 minutes elliptical vs. 5 minutes bicycle, repeated...

Why I’ve stopped including cheat meals in my diet, and why you should, too. 

Cheat meals are perpetuating the cycle of good food vs. bad food. They assign morality to what we eat. How can you shift your perspective to find freedom with food again?

First, let’s uncover what a cheat meal or cheat day is. It’s a technique that many dieters use to reward themselves for following the “food rules” of their diet all week. It’s something to look forward to, and a way to eat the foods that the diet plan doesn’t include. Before we move on, let me ask you this thought to ponder: Why doesn’t the plan include that food you “cheat” with? 

Here’s why that diet or food plan has “cheat food.”  It’s because any diet plan labels food as good or bad. That’s it. Black and white. The food is either on the plan (good) or off the plan (bad).  This way of thinking has been so deeply ingrained in our...

It's been a while since I've written a blog just saying hi and giving a little update on life. So, I'm here today to just say hi and reconnect with you to tell you why I tried to be "superwoman," do it all, and why I had to give that reality up. 

As many of you know, if you follow Trainer In Your Back Pocket on Facebook, in mid-July, I gave birth to my son, Everett via a pretty traumatic birth.  I was in the less than 1% of births that experience a uterine rupture while attempting for a natural birth after a previous c-section.  Not fun. But here I am now, 4 months later, with a super chill dude who just wants to be held all the time. (And this time around, I have no problem with that!)

Two months after giving birth, I started getting my energy back, and started getting the hang of life with 2 littles. At the same time, I began gearing up to launch 42 Days to Fit & Feeling Good. I was also beginning my 1000 hours of supervised clinical nutrition...

In this highly "interrupted by a 3 year old" video, I am going to share a bunch of tips to think of when it comes to shin splints.  What causes them, and how to reduce them! 

Potential Causes:

• flat feet
• worn out shoes
• running surface (too hard like concrete, or too soft like grass)
• "too much too soon" overuse. Beginners are more at risk.
• Not using "floppy ankles" 
• Pushing off toes and landing on heels
• Slow stride vs. "quick feet"

Potential Fixes:

• Take my 5 Weeks to 5k Running Clinic, of course! We go over all of the form and technique of proper foot placement and stride in lessons 1 and 2! (and you can take lesson 1 for free on the website!)
• Massage the shin AND calf muscles.
• Ice
• Rest. You may need to scale back your mileage or running until they go away. You did too much, too soon! Or begin practicing floppy ankles and see if they reduce.

We are evolutionarily designed to nose breath. The nose is the start of the respiratory system.  The mouth was evolutionarily designed to begin the digestion process, not the respiratory process. Mouth breathing is essentially an "emergency state" that we have come to live in.

Nose breathing releases nitric oxide in the body, which increases the CO2 levels in the blood. The level of CO2 in the blood then regulates the release of O2 into the cells to maintain the balance. Mouth breathing does not release nitric oxide, and thus, less oxygen gets released into the cells (leading to all sorts of symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, immune issues, etc.)

Mouth breathing, especially while asleep, plays a HUGE role in dental health.  Tooth decay and cavities are a big sign of mouth breathing because  when the mouth is dehydrated (ie: you wake up with a dry mouth), there is little saliva in the mouth. Saliva plays a key role in maintaining a healthy...

Are you finding that you start out strong with a goal, but then fall off the wagon because you're not consistently working toward that goal? Listen in as I share 10 tips to increase and improve your consistency problems in any goal or habit that you want to implement into your routine.

1. Ask yourself: Do you really want what IT is? (do you want it for you, or is it something that you think someone else wants for you?) If yes? continue on. If no: Pick a new goal, because this one will not work.
2. Can you picture You 2.0 doing this habit consistently? If yes: keep doing it and picturing the future you doing this habit. If no: Not going to happen, pick a new goal that you can picture the future you doing. (The You 2.0 thought is a great technique I learned from Manifestation Teacher, Tara Brunet.  I am a part of her membership, and am always learning better ways to manifest the things I want into my life via her talks, podcasts, and workshops! Highly recommend!)
3. What doubts do you...