Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! I’m popping in with a little belated Friday Faves this week. Some happy news: Maisey is 100% better! (I shared more about her mysterious jaw issue in this post) We saw enormous improvement by Monday, and thankfully, she’s back to her ball-chasing, happy little self.

I talked to the vet about her fetch obsession and she said it’s actually good for her jaw, and could be part of the reason why she was able to restore function so quickly.

This week was a busy one and I’m still trying to figure out how to do the club basketball + dance + homework + dinner scramble. It feels like each day is two full days: the work day, and then the after-school/evening *day*. If you have any favorite quick dinner recipes, please send them my way!! I’ve been making a lot of the same things lately and want to switch it up. Meal prep has been a gamechanger, too!

I’m definitely looking forward to a chill weekend, a dinner with friends, a Sculpt Society workout, and catching up on work stuff.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

9.7 Friday Faves (and a giveaway)

Fashion + beauty + random:

I’d been looking for a new go-to everyday lipstick and decided to try Lawless, since it has cleaner ingredients. I LOVE it. It has a smooth texture and lasts for quite a while. The color I chose is Posey.

Oliveda has seen enormous growth in the past 18 months – it’s really exciting to see and be a part of it! If you’re interested in joining as an affiliate, here is my link!

Just got this Amazon set to wear when I’m working at home and it’s super cute and comfy!

Read, watch, listen:

I can’t wait for this memoir. 

Sharing 10 of the most useful things I’ve bought from Amazon.

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope that you’re having a lovely week! I have a day full of client calls but am going to sneak in a lunchtime Peloton ride. Also, I’m so pumped that so many of you have signed up for Detox and Thrive! Join us here. We start Sunday and it’s freeeeeee.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of the most useful things I’ve purchased from Amazon. These are definitely more functional finds, but they’re things that constantly bring me joy because they work well, I use them constantly, and they make life a little bit easier. I always love hearing about the best of the best, so if you’ve found something you love lately, please share the goods in the comments section!

10 of the most useful things I’ve bought from Amazon

1. Retainer cleaner

Why did I wait so long to get a retainer cleaner? I initially was going to ge the Zima one, but it’s $100, and this one was $40 and works incredibly well. It makes me so grossed out to think that I used to simply brush my retainers. They’re SO much more clean when I use this!

2. Tineco vaccum/mop

The hype is real, friends. I never thought I’d love a mop, but I do. It works extremely well, and even though I’m not supposed to (you’re supposed to only use their clenaing product), I add a tiny bit of Branch Basics or Method spray and mop to the water. The floors are sparkling clean. I didn’t get the self-cleaning version, so it’s a little bit of a pain to clean each time, but worth it.

3. Weighted vest

I added this to my morning walking routine because it’s an easy way to add extra resistance and core stabilzation to walks. I ordered the 8-lb vest and love wearing it while I walk Maisey, for hikes, and while I’m using my walking pad. 

4. Walking pad and standing desk

Some days, this is the only way I can hit 10,000 steps. I’m at my desk a LOT throughout the day, so I use the walking pad for phone calls, Zoom/conference calls (where I don’t have to present or take a ton of notes), and to sneak in little movement vitamins throughout the day. I also have this standing desk, and this TV mounted to the wall so I can Airplay videos from my computer, or watch a movie. Worth mentioning

Sharing the details for a free 3-day event that starts this Sunday, directly into your inbox. No need to show up to live calls or videos; all of the info will be emailed to you.

How are you? I hope you had an amazing long weekend and that your week is off to a great start. I’m super excited to share something special with you—a free 3-day event kicking off this Sunday, September 8th, and the best part? It’s all happening right in your inbox! No need to worry about finding time for live calls or videos; you can participate whenever it’s convenient for you.

As many of you know, I’m a huge advocate for the EquiLife quarterly detoxes. They’re the perfect reset for our bodies, and our next community detox is starting on September 16th. (Info is here is you’d like to join!)

But before we get started, I’ve noticed some questions pop up whenever I talk about these detoxes. One that comes up often is, “Do we really need to support our liver’s detox process?” The short answer is: absolutely. While it’s true that our livers are incredible at detoxifying on their own, they weren’t built to handle the sheer volume of chemicals, pollutants, and stressors we face in today’s world. Our modern environment, coupled with physical and emotional stress, can overwhelm our natural detox pathways. This can manifest as fatigue, digestive issues, mood swings, immune challenges, weight loss resistance, brain fog, and more.

That’s why I’m hosting this free 3-day Detox and Thrive workshop. We’ll explore simple yet effective ways to support your detox pathways daily, share practical tips you can easily incorporate at home, help you uncover your unique toxicity profile, and get those dials moving toward increased energy and breaking through weight loss plateaus.

Unlike other virtual workshops that require you to carve out time for Zoom calls or videos, this one is designed to fit seamlessly into your schedule. Everything will be delivered directly to your inbox, starting this Sunday.

If you’re ready to join in, add your email address in the bar below, at this link or just email me gina@fitnessista.com and type DETOX AND THRIVE and I’ll add you)

Hi friends! Happy long weekend to ya! I’m posting Friday Faves on a Saturday because it’s.been.a.week. (Actually a few weeks!) The Pilot finished up three weeks of night flying, so it’s been a lot of solo parenting around here since the girls started school. Earlier the week, I noticed that Maisey’s mouth looked weird. She was showing her “little teeth” which cracks us up, and I didn’t think too much of it. The next day, she was unable to close her mouth and was having difficulty eating and drinking.

We took her to vet urgent care, and her bloodwork and vitals were normal. They recommended scoping her nose and throat to see if there was an obstruction, so that’s what we did. They didn’t find anything, gave us an enormous bill, and sent us home with no answers.

It hadn’t improved the next day, so we found another vet who could see her. (We typically use a mobile vet service and they’re amazing for well checks, but it’s impossible to get in for emergency situations.) They were determined to find answers, and took her back so all of the vets in the practice could take a look and see what was going on.

She has trigeminal neuritis, also known as drop jaw, and it’s supposed to be temporary, with a full recovery expected in about two weeks. (Thank goodness.) They don’t know what might have caused it – it can be an autoimmune response or inflammation – and it tends to happen suddenly and then go away. I just keep praying that she makes a full recovery. In the meantime, I’ve been blending her dog food with organic beef broth, giving her coconut water to keep electrolytes up, and making sure she gets enough water.

I spent a few nights up worried sick about her, my car also broke (it was a quick fix, but a giant pain), and school and everything has just felt like chaos. I’ve been looking forward to the weekend and some friend time, sleeping in, and getting caught up on life.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead and I’d love to hear what you have going on!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

8.31 Friday Faves

Fashion + beauty + random:

Got this facial massager during the Revolve sale and I looooove it. I’ll do a full review soon but it’s amazing that it naturally cools overnight. When I use it in the morning, it’s cold and refreshing!

Read more

Hi friends! I’m so excited to welcome Brian Murphy to the podcast today! I tracked him down at the Biohacking Conference because I loved his company, their mission, and his overall energy and vibe. I could tell he was just a genuine, cool, positive person, and I knew he’d be an amazing fit for the show.

Here’s what we talk about today:

– What are adaptogens and how do they work?

– Our broken food system and the purpose behind Living Prana

– Cultivating a positive mindset and creating motivation, even when you don’t feel like it

– His tips for being Healthy In Real Life

– and so.much.more.

171: The power of adaptogens with Brian Murphy

Here’s more about Brian and his background:

Brian is the CEO and co-founder of LIVING PRANA, a functional food company transforming unhealthy packaged foods with nutrient-dense superfoods. He is a champion for reform of a U.S. food system to provide food that creates health, raising the bar on transparency, integrity and sustainability for the businesses feeding America.

A former investment banker and strategic growth leader, he has invested in, advised, and built businesses for the past 15 years, working shoulder-to-shoulder with many entrepreneurs and leading growth for private equity-backed and public companies. Brian is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Combining this business experience with mindfulness practices, Brian is leading an evolution into a new conscious business paradigm that is accountable to its community, stakeholders and to the planet.

In 2016, Brian hit a radical turning point as significant stressors drove his physical and mental health into a crisis – he called off a wedding, lost 65 pounds and sold his first business. This unlocked his passion to inspire others to prioritize their well-being using food as medicine after saving his own physical and mental health with functional foods. As Brian furthered his spiritual discovery, the path illuminated for him to create businesses that fulfill a greater purpose aligned with his transformation while healing people and the planet.

In 2020, after the beginning of his spiritual journey, Brian flipped the keys on a longstanding successful corporate career to bet on himself as an impact creator and align his personal values with his entrepreneurial efforts. After his lifelong physical health struggles, his involvement in the business side of surgery and watching health decay of his loved friends and family, Brian dedicated his impact to build businesses that help optimize physical and mental wel