Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope that you’re having an amazing week. It’s been wild around here as usual, working during the day and chasing the kids around in the afternoons and evenings. I feel like summer was so peaceful and that the school year is pure chaos. I’m still trying to figure out how to balance everything, especially since the kids are busy with their own activities + boatloads of homework.

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a little bit about my personal wellness and health journey and some of the things I had to learn the hard way. If you’re an OG blog reader (Hiiiii! Thank you for being here for so long!) you’ve had a front-row seat to how things have changed around time. You’ve seen the cardio queen days, the raw food days, the pregnancies, the good, the bad, the weird, and everything in between. 🙂

It’s funny because as a health and wellness professional, it’s easy to assume that we have it together most of the time and that we follow our own advice. The reality is that many of us are trying out different things, failing, and learning along the way. Even the things you *know* (like the value of sleep, stress management, and eating a dang vegetable) can still be challenging for those of us who work in this industry.

Here are some of the things that I had to learn the hard way.

Things I learned the hard way about health and wellness:

– Everything isn’t for everyone. As someone who has tried pretty much all the things (besides swim-related activities because I’m a float on a raft and doggy paddle kinda girl), I’ve learned that my body doesn’t like every type of exercise class or format. Since I’m still on my healing journey and trying to keep inflammation down, I know I still can’t do a ton of sprinting or HIIT right now, and that’s ok. Barre and yoga feel a million times better to me than box jumps and burpees, and I don’t feel like I have to nap afterwards.

The same goes for nutrition and supplements. Some people do really well on a high fat diet, while others don’t. Some people need more B vitamins and protein, and less carbs, while others need higher carbs and don’t digest protein as well.

Probiotics can be amazing tools, but if you have gut bacterial overgrowth, it can actually make it worse.

Cold therapy can tip over an already-full stress bucket.

It goes on and on.. It’s really about figuring out what works well for YOU 🙂

– Good shoes make such a huge difference! I think back to my first long distance runs wearing kids’ sized Nikes lol. I’m glad I’ve stepped up my shoe game!

I’ve tried out so many shoes and my #1 fave right now are Vivobarefoots. (<— that link gets you 20% off) I have a whole post coming ab

Chatting about some of the long-term impacts of stress and how it can lead to hormone issues down the line.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing day so far! I’m taking an F45 strength class and have calls lined up the rest of the day.

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a little bit about stress. I talk with clients every day, and this is a huge theme. We’re all stressed. It can be emotional, physical, or environmental stressors, and the results compound over time. When stress becomes chronic, it can unfortunately wreak havoc on the body, affecting things like our digestion, immune system, glucose tolerance, sleep, and hormones.

Today, I wanted to focus specifically on hormonal imbalances caused by stress, and what you can do about it. Please keep in mind that as always, this post is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about personalized recs for you and get the help and support you need. If you’re ever curious about functional lab testing to see how stress is affecting your body’s balance, email me gina@fitnessista.com subject TEST.

How Stress Can Cause Hormonal Imbalance

When we’re stressed, our body releases cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone. When it’s in small amounts, cortisol can be helpful. It gives us energy and adrenaline to deal with the task at hand. When the stressors are chronic, our body is flooded with excess cortisol, and it eventually stops responding as well. High cortisol eventually leads to low cortisol, which gives us that apathetic, fatigued, and worn down feeling.

Cortisol can also interfere with the production of sex hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, and testosterone. Ample hormones are crucial for our menstrual cycles and reproductive health. High levels of stress can also impact thyroid function, which plays a huge role in metabolism and energy.

When cortisol is high, it can lead to mood swings, weight gain, and mental health struggles. The adrenal glands, which produce cortisol, become overworked, which can lead to adrenal fatigue. This is also called adrenal insufficiency, where the body isn’t reponding to cortisol the same way it used to.

This ongoing imbalance can contribute to a range of symptoms, from irregular menstrual cycles and fertility issues to fatigue, anxiety, and depression.

Here are some of the things we can do about it:

How To Manage Stress Induced Hormonal Imbalance

Stress management is one of the hardest, but one of the BEST things we can do for our health.

Here are some of my favorite strategies:

1. Adopt a Regular Exercise Routine

Stress can be an incredible way to reduce stress, but it’s important to remember that exercise can be an extra stressor the body, particularly if it’s especially long and intense. General movement can help lower cortisol levels, increases endorphin production (your body’s natural mood boosters), and is obviously a good thin

Sharing some of my favorite fashion finds for fall!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had an amazing weekend! We had a great little staycation in Phoenix, and P and I hit up the trampoline park and the Children’s Museum while Liv took dance classes all day. We’re back home, back to school, and I’m blitzing through work before I leave on a San Diego trip this week. I’d love to hear about your weekend!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat about fall fashion faves. Usually I’m kind of meh about fall fashion – I’m usually over here like give me all the tanks and sundresses – but this year I am FEELIN’ IT. Booties, jeans, sweaters, florals, reds, browns, yes yes.

Here are some of the things I’m loving for this upcoming season! It’s a mix of my style preference: classic with a sprinkle of the trendy things mixed in. If there’s anything you’re loving (or loathing!) for fall, please feel free to link it up in the comments section. Also, can we officially rejoice the death of the shacket? It’s gone, right???

*Little note that affiliate links are included below. They don’t impact purchase price but enable me to earn a small kickback that I use to keep this lil blog running. Thank you so much to those of you who choose to shop with my links!

Fall Fashion Faves

Dresses:

I’ve rented this dress in tan from Nuuly and it’s so gorgeous and flattering. Love it in the red for fall!

This dress looks super luxe but is an amazing price.

This would be so cute with boots or flats.

This silkly slip dress.

These are some of my all-time favorite dresses.

Farm Rio continues to be my #1.

I have this dress in hot pink and get SO many compliments when I wear it. (It looks like a La Vie Style House tunic at a fraction of the price.) They have fall colors and they’re all amazing.

This dress is a splurge, but I looooove it.

I’m always pumped when leopard comes back around.

Jeans:

I know that wide leg jeans are in style right now, but I’m not a tall person (5’4 1/2) and have short legs. They look bizarre on me, so I’m going more for bootcut and straight leg jeans.

Got these jeans and they fit extremely well; the fabric is excellent, too. Just a tiny bit of stretch.

Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Boy, did it ever get hot again here in Ohio. I’m ready for rain – and a whole lot of it. In the meantime, I’m pretending that fall has already arrived. I’m cleaning my closet this weekend and setting out sweaters and jeans with hope of wearing them soon.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Ground beef stroganoff puts a new spin on the classic dish. Easy and fast enough for any weeknight, this stroganoff tastes every bit as good as the original–maybe even better! This recipe has all the ingredients that we love from classic beef stroganoff combined for a quick and easy weeknight-friendly meal.

A picky eater approved spinach and banana smoothie is a delicious and easy way to pack more vegetables into your daily diet. These tasty smoothies deliver mega nutrition with minimal effort.

These honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs earned thumbs up around the table from my boys – and they’re already on our meal plan again.

Sliced, smashed, drizzled with butter, sprinkled with herbs and spices, and then topped with Parmesan, these smashed sweet potatoes are perfection.

Tender and moist, richly flavored with vanilla and cream cheese, this old-fashioned pound cake recipe is about to become a favorite in your kitchen!

Whoever said you can have too much of a good thing clearly never had a bite of these cheesecake cookie bars. Gooey caramel and buttery toffee stud the ultimate cookie bar with a perfect layer of creamy cold cheesecake in the center.

Creamy, rich vanilla ice cream is swirled with handfuls of colorful sweet sprinkles to make this homemade sprinkles ice cream. Each bowl is colorful, sweet, and fun to eat!

What I’m READING: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep by Matthew Walker. This book is detailed and scientific throughout and it turned out to be a fascinating read on the importance of sleep.

Takeaway quote from this book: “I was once fond of saying, ‘Sleep is the third pillar of good health, alongside diet and exercise.’ I have changed my tune. Sleep is more than a pillar; it is the foundation on which the other two health bastions sit. Take away the bedrock of sleep, or weaken it just a little, and careful eating or physical exercise become less than effective, as we shall see.”

What I’m LISTENING to:

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Mug Cake

Satisfy your pumpkin cravings with this easy and guilt-free mug cake recipe. Made with protein powder, oats and other wholesome ingredients, this pumpkin mug cake is the perfect quick and healthy treat!

This baked oatmeal recipe can be a quick and healthy breakfast or a sweet dessert at night. We add protein powder so you get over 20 grams of protein and it’s naturally gluten-free.

I have been experimenting with these baked oatmeal mug cakes. We have peanut butter mug cake and a chocolate chip cookie version. They are one of my new favorite ways to kick off my day with a protein packed breakfast!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Mug Cake

You only need 7 ingredients to make this pumpkin mug cake recipe. I’m going to briefly review each ingredient here. Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for all the measurements.

• Old-Fashioned Oats: We like the texture of old fashioned oats, but you could use quick oats or even oat flour.
• Milk: You can use any type of milk you want. You could even use almond milk or oat milk if you want to keep it dairy-free.
• Baking Powder: This will give your cake its rise and fluffiness.
• Vanilla Protein Powder: It’s much more common for people to have vanilla protein powder but if you have pumpkin protein powder, that’s even better. Any brand works great! We have been loving Just Ingredients lately!
• Brown Sugar: adds a little sweetness, and can be substituted with honey or maple syrup if you want a natural sweetener
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: adds all those warm pumpkin pie flavors you love including cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg
• Pumpkin Puree: Be sure you get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

Variations and Mix-Ins

Just like with a classic pumpkin pie, I love this pumpkin pie mug cake with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a little sprinkle of extra cinnamon. You can also add other mix-ins or toppings. Here are few ideas:

• Chocolate Chips
• Pecans
• Dried Fruit – raisins, craisins, etc.
• Cinnamon Chips
• Walnuts
• Nutella
• Nut Butter

How to Make a Pumpkin Mug Cake

The steps for making this baked oatmeal mug cake are simple!

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blend: Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until it is smooth. It will be a thick batter.
   • Optional: Stir in whatever mix-ins you are adding (see ideas below).
3. Pour: Pour the batter into an oven-sa