10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers

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Do you have a question about fitness? Sharing a post with some of the questions I commonly receive about fitness with their answers. Please keep in mind that while I’m a certified personal trainer, women’s fitness specialist, Integrative Health Practitioner, and P1 Nutrition Coach, I’m not a doctor or Registered Dietitian. If you have specific health considerations, please reach out to a local health professional for guidance. 

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a wonderful day. For today’s post, I wanted to re-share this updated post with some frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers. These are the types of questions I receive from clients all of the time, and many of these questions I also had myself when I was first getting started in the fitness world.
If you have any burning fitness questions, please leave them in the comments below!

10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers

1. How much cardio should I be doing?

The answer to many of the questions on this list, including this one, is “it depends.” I know. It’s frustrating to hear that answer, but I’ll break down WHY and hopefully this will help you determine the best method for your unique body.
With cardio, the amount you’re doing depends on a lot of different factors: your current activity level, your goals, and how hard you’re working. If you’re currently sedentary, general recommendations of around 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week (about 30 minutes most days of the day), would be way too much. In that case, you’d start with shorter rounds: 10-15 minutes each day of easy cardio (like walking) and build on from there.
If your goal is strength and lean muscle gains, you don’t want to do too much cardio. No daily long jogs if you want to build muscle, because after a certain point, your body will begin to use protein (aka muscle) as fuel. Many strength training exercises, especially circuit training, can count as cardio if it elevates your heart rate and sustains it. Circuit training also burns more calories during the workout. Many workouts can hit the strength and cardio box in one session and remember that intensity and purpose > duration.
If you are consistently doing high intensity cardio workouts (like HIIT or sprints), you will need less overall cardio time because you’re working harder. Check out this post on how much cardio you should be doing, and how to modify it for your intensity and fitness level.

2. How often shou

Lemon Dip

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Creamy Lemon Dip served with fresh berries, graham crackers, or shortbread cookies is a light summery dessert that is perfect for sharing with friends.

lemon fruit dip in blue bowl with berries

Lemon Fruit Dip

I made this dip for a pool party with friends a while back and it disappeared lightning-fast. Kids and adults happily scooped it up with the dippers and then nearly licked the bowl clean.

The fluffy sweet fruit dip is tempting enough straight off the spoon, but when you serve it with graham crackers, fresh strawberries, or shortbread cookies? I can tell you for a fact that no one is able to resist it.

For the lemon curd in this dip, I used my 5-Minute Microwave Lemon Curd. It turns out perfectly every time and it’s honestly easier than going to the store to buy lemon curd.

That recipe will make more than you need just for this lemon dip, but you won’t be sad about that.

Easy Fruit Dip Recipes

Fruit dips and plenty of fruit to dip into them are some of my kids’ favorite snacks. I’ll happily find any excuse possible to make and eat all of these dips.

Thick and creamy, cinnamon spice yogurt takes about 10 seconds to stir together and it makes a great dipping sauce for apples. It’s also a terrific breakfast with a sprinkling of granola and berries.

Crunchy peanut butter apple dip is simple and slightly sweet, perfect to enjoy with apples, pretzels, or about anything else you might want to dip into it.

This creamy cranberry jalapeno dip is lightly sweetened and balanced with just a hint of heat from the peppers. Served with crackers and pretzels or spread on toast, this is an unforgettable holiday treat.

This peanut butter and honey yogurt dip was “officially” named a favorite snack in our house when my boys were little. I made it on repeat for months! Who knew that yogurt would be such a great match for peanut butter? It makes the dip smooth and creamy and adds a slight tang that is balanced nicely by a bit of honey.

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2023 Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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Sharing some gift ideas for all of the ladies in your life! Moms, grandmas, nanas, friends, mom figures, new moms, whoever you want to shower with something special this Mother’s Day. I also wanted to recognize here that I know Mother’s Day can be hard and sad for various reasons; please know I’m holding you in my heart. 

Hi friends! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. Things are looking up over here on the conjunctivitis front. Thanks to some steroid drops from the eye doc, I don’t look like a demon anymore. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, but will be so glad to have it behind me. We hung out at home this week – the Pilot ended up getting sick, too – but I hope that you enjoyed the weekend and had some fun!

For today’s post, I wanted to share some Mother’s Day gift ideas. I’m not requesting a lot gift-wise this year – let’s be real, I’ve been online shopping a little toooooo much since I’ve been cooped at home lol – but am absolutely looking forward to celebrating all of the women in our family we love so much.

I thought I’d share some ideas if you’re shopping, and I’d love to hear your gift guide picks, too!

Flowers and plants:

Venus et fluer flowers. I get ad-targeted for these on Facebook ALL THE TIME and they’re SO GORGEOUS. The roses last an entire year!

Heart shaped succulent planter. Love succulents, and since they’re so hardy, it doesn’t matter so much if you have a black thumb.

This customizable concrete planter with a little air plant.

 

Personalized + jewelry:

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Citrus Jicama Avocado Salad

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a photo of a large white serving bowl full of sliced orange wedges, sticks of jicama, and slices of ripe avocado.

This citrus jicama avocado salad has all the textures you want in a salad and the homemade salad dressing is so fresh and flavor packed.

We just made the yummiest salad with leftovers! I wanted a side to go with our carne asada tacos, and I didn’t want to make black beans or spanish rice like we usually do. So I decided to make a fresh salad with some leftover produce in the fridge. I love the crunch of the jicama and the creaminess of the avocados! And the homemade salad dressing is bright and so citrus-y!

I had seen a few similar recipes by simply recipes and Jessica Gavin but didn’t have mango so I decided to wing it with the produce we had. We ate it fresh but found it tasted better at the end of the meal so letting it sit is key!

Ingredients for Jicama Avocado Salad

You’re going to be hitting the produce section hard for this one, and the rest of the ingredients you probably already have at home. Here is what you will need:

For the Salad

  • Jicama – slice it thin and then julienne it
  • Avocados – sliced thin
  • Oranges – remove the peel with a knife and then cut slice it into wedges
  • Red Onion – I go back and forth on whether to include this. If you’re an onion lover, then keep it, but if you don’t have one on hand, it’s ok to leave out.
  • Cilantro – give it a good chop
  • Feta – adds a nice salty taste and really amps up the flavor of the salad

For the Dressing

  • Orange Juice – fresh squeezed is preferred
  • Lime Juice – fresh is best, of course
  • Olive Oil – the base for the dressing
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – adds some extra tang and zip
  • Salt – boosts the flavor
  • Cayenne – adds the tiniest bit of heat

The measurements for each ingredient can be found at the end of this post in the recipe card.

What is Jicama?

Jicama is a bulb shaped root vegetable that is actually in the turnip family. It has a brown papery exterior that usually gets peeled and the interior is starchy and white. It has a similar taste to an apple but is less sweet and it’s texture is super firm and crisp like an uncooked potato.

How to Julienne Jicama

Peel the entire bulb with a vegetable peeler and then cut it in half . Place half of the jicama so it’s flat side down, and then slice it with a very sharp knife into 1/4 inch slices. Then take 2 or 3 slices and slice them the opposite way into 1/4 inch slices so

Microwave Lemon Curd

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Sweet, tart, smooth, and creamy, microwave lemon curd really is possible in just minutes!

lemon curd in jar with wooden spoon on blue towel

When I first saw a recipe for microwave lemon curd, I will admit that I was skeptical. I adore lemon curd, but I am such a slacker about making it. I never want to stand by the stove and stir it for the requisite 15 minutes.

Having tried this now, I may never make lemon curd on the stove again. Microwave lemon curd really works!

ingredients for lemon curd on cutting board with bowl

Microwave Lemon Curd

This recipe is SO simple, the hardest part is juicing the lemons. And if you’re lucky enough to have a kid who thinks juicing citrus is fun, it’s a total win. (Just don’t tell them it’s work, okay?)

Whisk everything together, microwave for a minute, whisk again, and repeat a couple of times. Try to refrain from drinking the warm lemon curd as it cools.

Did I mention that lemon curd is a weakness of mine? Eating it with a spoon is showing self-control in this house.

lemon juice poured into bowlRead more
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