Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? I hope that you’ve had an amazing week. I’m sorry for the crickets over here this week – I only managed to publish two posts because we were living up our last few days in Sevilla. One of the biggest gifts to myself during this long trip was that I pre-wrote 12 blog posts before we left. It gave me the chance to truly unplug and enjoy, and now we’re home and it’s back to the routine!

I’m pretty proud of myself because for almost the entire trip, I was solo parenting. The girls and I flew across the ocean to Barcelona, enjoyed some days before our cruise and after our cruise there, did the Disney cruise, flew down to Sevilla, spent 4+ weeks there, and the Pilot was able to join us for the past few days.

He was finishing up training since he headed back to the airlines, and while we were hopeful the timing would work out with the trip, I didn’t work out that way. Since he was going to be gone anyway, the girls and I went for it and I’m so so glad we did. They’re older now which makes things easier, but it was definitely a core memory girls’ trip! I still have some Spain posts on the way, including some of my tips, Airbnb recipes, how I travel with zero jet lag, Barcelona’s gluten-free food tour, and the food, so stay tuned for those!! If you have any questions for upcoming posts, please lmk!

In the meantime, I’m here in a hoodie from the copius air conditioning (bless it) and snuggling with Miasey. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up and what you have going on this weekend!

Some pics from our last week:

An incredible dinner at Petra. This spot wins for my favorite tortilla, and I tried a LOT of them while we were there 😉

Pollo Asado aka Chicken Man. We had pollo asado SO many times while we were in Sevilla, since it was right down the street from our Airbnb. They had chickens roasting and you just had to tell the guy how many you’d like, he’d get your chicken, cut it up and put it into a container, and drizzle with juice from the roasting dish. It was $11 and the BEST chicken. I’m going to miss it!

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Sharing my thoughts on using a sauna post workout. If you’re looking for the perfect portable option, check out my favorite sauna blanket. Use the code FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re enjoying the morning!! We’re off on some adventures – I’ll share the fun on IG stories- and I have some client calls booked later today.

Today, I wanted to talk about cozy sauna goodness. One of the things I’ve missed during our trip is my beloved sauna blanket and I’m so pumped to use it again!

As you guys know, working out is one of the best things you can do for your health. It strengthens your muscles, supports heart health, boosts mood, and helps manage weight. But what you do after a workout can be just as important as the workout itself. One practice that’s been gaining popularity over the past few years is hitting the sauna post workout.

Whether you’re using a regular sauna or an infrared sauna, taking time to sweat it out can amplify your recovery and wellness. I’m going to chat about about some of the ways a sauna after a workout can support your body, boost muscle recovery, and help you feel amaaaaaazing.

10 Benefits Of A Sauna Post Workout

Before we dive into the benefits, let’s quickly talk about how saunas actually work. Understanding the science can help you appreciate just how effective sauna bathing can be.

What Is A Sauna

A sauna is a small heated room or enclosed space designed to raise your core temperature through dry or humid heat. There are several types of saunas, including traditional dry saunas, steam saunas, and infrared saunas, which use light to heat the body directly. Check out this podcast episode about the benefits of sauna.

Saunas have been used for centuries in cultures around the world to promote relaxation, detoxification, and overall health.

How Does A Sauna Work

During a sauna session, your body is exposed to high heat (usually between 150°F and 195°F in traditional saunas, or lower temps in infrared saunas). This heat causes your heart rate to increase and your blood vessels to dilate, which leads to increased blood flow.

You also start sweating a lot, which can help flush toxins, support skin health, and regulate internal temperature. Your body reacts similarly to moderate cardiovascular exercise, which is why some of the benefits overlap with working out itself.

It’s important to stay hydrated and to be aware of the risks of using a sauna (especially if you have a health condition like heart disease or low blood pressure). Always listen to your body and start slow. Of course, ask a doctor before implementing sauna into your health routine.

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Sharing more about how I’ve been working on Spanish over the past couple of years and what has helped me the most. Spoiler: Duolingo did nada for me.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a lovely morning. We did a waterpark and theme park yesterday, so I have a feeling today will be a little more low-key.

Now that we’re heading into our 4th week in Spain, I figured I’d do a little update on my Spanish journey and some of the things that have helped me the most. I think that as an adult, it’s so important to be a *beginner* at things; to challenge your brain in a new way and try out the hobbies and activities you’ve always wanted to do, even if you’re not good at first. I know many of my friends out there have a goal of learning a new language, so I hope this post is helpful! I’d also love to hear any strategies that have worked for you.

My Spanish journey

A little background:

– Growing up, my mom’s side of the family often spoke Spanish. Because of this, I’ve always been able to understand it, but never spoke it. I would do the thing where my family would ask me something in Spanish, and I’d respond in English. When people would speak Spanish around me, I knew what was going on, but didn’t contribute to the conversation.

– I took Spanish classes in elementary and middle school (super basic stuff) and minored in Spanish in college. I thought that it would be my chance to feel fully confident and fluent in Spanish. I wrote essays, read novels, analyzed poetry, but maybe spent 5% of the time in my college Spanish classes actually SPEAKING Spanish. So once again, it just solidified my understanding, gave me the ability to write and read in Spanish, but didn’t really get me to my goal of feeling confident speaking.

– A couple of years ago, I decided that I was going to start practicing again and really get the hang of things. We love to travel, I love to be able to interact with people in different locations, so it became really important to me. Some of our closest friends are Colombian, and they have friends who speak Spanish, so I wanted to be able to contribute and feel more comfortable with speaking. Also, I would like to start working with IHP clients in Spanish starting early next year.

I tried a few different things to refresh my skills and feel more confident speaking.

Here’s what has made an enormous difference and here’s what did absolutely nothing.

Learning Spanish as an adult

APPS:

I have not found an app that is helpful for real-world situations. I’ve tried both Duolingo and Babbel and was unimpressed with both. I feel like it’s a lot of matching and vocabulary, but little understanding behind the grammatical rules and how to use the languages in real life. Also, most of the time, you don’t even remember what you were doing. Even with using apps on an on for a bit, I didn’t learn anything new.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON TUTORING:

This has been the biggest gamechanger for me. <

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? I hope you’ve had a wonderful week! We’re still here in Sevilla and enjoying the amazing food, sights, shopping, time with friends, and some shows/touristy events, too. I’m crossing my fingers that the Pilot can make it out here to celebrate Father’s Day! I hope that you have a fun and relaxing weekend ahead.

Some pics from the week:

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Hi friends! I have a new podcast episode live and I’m so thrilled to share a solo episode with you all about a super common and often frustrating topic: Why it’s hard to lose weight, even when you feel like you’re doing all the things!

183: Why You’re Not Losing Weight (Even When You’re Doing All The Things!)

Here’s what we discuss:

Why “calories in versus calories out” isn’t the whole story when it comes to weight loss.

The crucial role of mindset and stress in weight loss resistance, and how to calm your nervous system.

Why under-eating might be tanking your metabolism, and how reverse dieting can help rebuild it.

The impact of hormonal imbalances (estrogen, progesterone, thyroid) on your weight loss journey.

The often-overlooked connection between gut health (parasites, Candida, SIBO) and inflammation/weight loss resistance.

How over-exercising (especially too much HIIT and cardio without enough strength training) can backfire.

The importance of mineral balance and how things like stress, caffeine, and sweating can deplete essential nutrients.

The hidden impact of toxin load from our environment on hormones and metabolism, and gentle ways to support detox pathways.

Why doing more isn’t always the answer, and the importance of self-kindness, patience, and playing the long game for sustainable results.

and so.much.more!

Partners:

Check out We Feed Raw! Maisey goes crazy for this! I use it as a topper for her kibble or mix it into her pup loaf. You can try the raw version, the raw dehydrated kibble, and they’ll help you customize a plan for your pup. Use FITNESSISTA30 for 30% off your Meal Plan Starter Box here!

The Lifewave X39 patches have been a gamechanger for my energy; the Pilot is obsessed, too! Check them out here. 

Check out my new favorite red light device here, and use the code FITNESSISTA for a hug