Sharing the books I read in March and if I recommend adding them to your list!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far. I’m sorry I disappeared on ya the past couple of days. Usually I’m able to get blog posts written over the weekend, but after finishing 5 days in San Diego and Disney with the girls, I wasn’t able to get it done. I’m back now, and trying to last through all of the work I’ve neglected. It was worth it; we had an amazing time and I’ll share more later this week!

For today, I wanted to share the books I read in March and if I’d recommend them. There were a couple of gold stars in the mix, including the best book I’ve read in years, and an unexpected flop.

March 2023 Book Recap

No-Risk Abs

This was a re-read from years ago, when I was postpartum with P, dealing with… a lot… and I wasn’t sure how much I’d actually retained. This book is an excellent way to reframe how you think about the core muscles and pelvic floor.

Some of her advice is different than what we commonly hear in the core and pelvic floor world. For example, she emphasizes the outer portion of the transverse abdominal muscles (under the external and internal obliques) and how they draw the belly and corset the waist from the SIDES instead of the center. She also talks about the importance of full range of motion in the ribs, when many of us tend to only focus on keeping the ribs down to reduce strain on the linea alba (the connective tissue running down the center of the core in between the rectus abdominus, which stretches to make room for the baby and can lead to diastasis recti).

She focuses on strengthening and stretching the various muscles of the core for full range of motion and optimal strength, and also provides exercises on which exercises are visceral (muscular) and skeletal. One of my favorite tips: when you’re doing deep breathing and core engagement, think about contracting the muscles moving up, like a wave, instead of down. It’s very easy to think about just bringing in the center of our core, which can actually increase abdominal pressure and pelvic floor pressure.

If you’re a fitness nerd like me, and/or if you work with postpartum or female clients in a fitness environment, I highly recommend it. 9/10

From Amazon:

An illustrated guide to the anatomy of the abdominal muscles and how to tone them successfully without injury

• Presents the 16 most effective and safest abdominal exercises for great abs
• Reveals how common ab exercises, such as crunches, can damage the spine, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and internal organs
• Offers tips to get rid of belly fat–both superficial fat and deeper visceral fat

Pre

Hi friends! I’ve got a new podcast episode up for you and it’s a BEEFY one 🙂 Today we’re chatting parasites with Allyssa LaScala. I feel like this is a huge topic, and I’ve learned that sometimes it can be a little controversial or something people here in the US don’t really discuss. So I was like, “Let’s go there” and invited someone who has taught me a lot about parasites and she’s sharing her knowledge on the podcast today.

I’ve followed Allyssa aka Biohacking Bombshell forever, and her Instagram is packed with helpful tips and info. Definitely check out her page!

Here’s what we’re talking about today:

– PARASITES! Why should we be curious/concerned about parasites?

– Types of parasites and how they may present themselves in the body

– Parasite cleanses – should you test first?

– Opening detox pathways

– What does a typical day look like for Allyssa as far as wellness habits go?

and so.much.more.

Check out the full episode here and you can always listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Google Play. Subscribe and please leave a rating if you enjoy the pod!

Here’s more about Allyssa and her background:

Allyssa LaScala is an Integrative Health Practitioner and Chronic Illness advocate with a passion for Root Cause medicine. Although she values her degree in the Exercise and Sports Science field, it was actually her own battle with health challenges with Lyme Disease, mold toxicity, parasites, Breast Implant Illness, and more that ignited her deep passion for learning how to identify and address the TRUE root causes to chronic health issues. She officially established Biohacking Bombshell Virtual Clinic in 2016 and has offered everything from customized programming and one-on-one coaching, to group coaching, masterclasses, and e-books, helping over 8,000 people learn how to identify and address their own root causes!

Connect with Allyssa on Instagram and check out her 3-day drainage clinic here.

Resources from

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I’m so happy ya’ll enjoyed the home office post. I’m super happy with my walking pad and am on it while I write up this blog post.

For today’s post, I thought I’d do another round of eats from start to finish especially since I’ve really been working on emphasizing protein and fiber lately. (I got away from it for a while but am back to tracking and notice a difference in how I feel + my performance at the gym.)

Here’s a full day of eats and adventures from start to finish!

As always, keep in mind that while this is a day of eats for ME, it may look nothing like how you like to fuel yourself, your specific needs/preferences, and if it would align with your goals. This is why it can be helpful to work with a coach to help you determine habits and methods that support your lifestyle, unique needs, and preferences. Just sharing this to hopefully share some new meal ideas and what 100+ grams of protein looks like in a day.  

6:30am I wake up and do some grounding without my glasses while I take Maisey outside. I make some Athletic Greens and take it upstairs to drink while I wake up the crew, get dressed, and then head downstairs to pack up lunches, snacks and waters. I break off half an Aloha bar and eat it while I’m driving.

9:30 I’m back from school drop-off and an F45 class (hybrid day) and make breakfast. 2 eggs, 4 oz leftover flank steak from dinner and leftover fajita veggies, strawberries, decaf coffee with almond milk and 1/2 scoop Paleovalley protein. I also have some creatine in my water.

After I finish breakfast, it’s work blitz time. I make graphics and add to Pinterest, post a reel, write two blog posts, answer emails, and write + send questions for an upcoming podcast interview.

Noon: lunch! I make some tuna salad with a can of Safecatch tuna, 2 tablespoons of Primal Kitchen dressing, EBTB seasoning and top it on two rice cakes with sriracha. I add a pack of Poshi asparagus (my fave for when I want a serving of veggies but haven’t cooked anything) and a pack of Lupini beans. Both of these snacks are from Thrive Market – I order pretty much all of our snacks, household goodies, cleaning supplies, and pantry staples from Thrive.

Back to work. I study for Read more

Sharing the details on my work from home office setup, plus my experience with using a walking pad.

Hellooooo! How are ya and how’s the morning going so far? We’re back into real life after our little trip and it felt good to have a few days of normalcy. I’m so sick of restaurant and takeout food, I tell ya. It’s also amazing to have coffee at home – Starbucks will never be the same to me.

This morning I have an exciting podcast interview and am unpacking, and re-packing. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you’re up to!

For today’s post, I wanted to share my little work from home setup, plus my experience using a walking pad. It’s helped me dramatically increase my steps and activity level during longer work days, and I’m so pumped with this update to the office!

My WFH (work from home) setup

My lil office space:

I have enough room in here to meditate, work, stroll, or get in a quick workout (like Sculpt Society).

Here are some of the things I have in the office:

– My beloved Peloton bike! Perfect for cardio workouts or shaking my legs out

– My PEMF Go Mat. I use this for meditation every morning, or when I feel like I need a recharge or Zen moment. My full PEMF Go Mat review post is here, and if you’d like one for yourself, here is the link! My code is FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off

– A standard desk. I like having this for shorter work sessions or when I need to speak/present, like live recordings, course recordings, and more formal Zoom calls. The desk and chair are from World Market but both sold out, since they’re years old.

– Triangle shelf (similar here) filled with photos and the girls’ artwork.

– On the opposite wall (unpictured), I also have this book shelf, which has some of my fitness and nutrition resources and the Pilot’s military coins/flags/thingies.

– New walking pad and electric standing desk. I picked lower-cost options because they had good reviews and I’ve been impressed so far!

Read more

How I use oil pulling in my routine.

How are ya going friends? I hope you’re having a great morning! We’re back from a quick tip to Phoenix – Liv’s studio CRUSHED IT at competition this weekend! – and into the weekly grind. I have a ton of appts, getting new Fit Team workouts ready to send out tomorrow, and packing for another trip.

After not writing about anything dental-related in multiple years, here were are with two posts in one month! What/s next? Mouthwash reviews? (jk I’m not thaaaaat desperate for content. And I have a favorite mouthwash… it’s the auromére brand from Thrive Market)

Grab a jar of coconut oil and maybe join me for a lil swish while you read this post. I’m going to talk about oil pulling and tongue scraping and why they’re been staples in my routine for years now. I feel like these two habits are currently surging in popularity, so I thought I’d break it all down for ya.

As always, it’s up to you to use your best judgment when deciding your unique health journey. Consult with a medical professional before making any changes. Just wanted to share my experience with these things since I’ve been doing them for a while and have noticed positive effects. 

What is oil pulling? and how do it

What the heck is oil pulling?

Even though it’s currently seeing a resurgence in popularity, oil pulling is a technique that has been around for thousands of years. This ayurvedic practice involves swishing oil around in your mouth for up to 20 minutes in order to facilitate detoxification, healthy gums and teeth, and aid in digestion. The toxins and plaque are believed to adhere to the oil, and when you spit it out, all of the “ick” goes down the drain with it. It’s also believed to improve mouth muscular strength, balance hormones, improve arthritis symptoms, mood, and assist in preventing dementia.

How do you oil pull?

You take about a teaspoon of vegetable-based oil (sesame, coconut and olive all work well) and swish it in your mouth with the goal of 15-20 minutes. The first time I tried this, I only lasted six, but now it’s easy for me to get in 15 minutes while I get dressed and ready for the day. After swishing around, spit and rinse. A little tip: don’t spit the oil down the sink as it will solidify and could cause plumbing problems. Spit it into the trash can or flush it down the toilet. Also be sure not to swallow the oil after swishing… it’s pretty liquid-y and gross by the end.

Benefits of oil pulling:

There are only a handful of studies regarding oil pulling, but it has been shown to reduce plaque, gingivitis and the total count of aerobic microorganisms in the plaque of study participants. It can also reduce halitosis, and I definitely notice that my breath smells fresh after oil pulling, especially when I wake up the next morning.

It feels great. My teeth always feel shiny and clean after oil pulling, and recently a friend asked why my teeth were so white. Even though the coffee and wine I drink stains them, I think it helps reduce the stains. (Baking soda helps, too!