Look, I get it. You know you’ll feel better if you work out. But maybe your alarm was extra-unwelcome this morning or you’ve had an exhausting day. And you know that with a little bit of a boost, you’re not just more likely to actually feel up to exercising — you’re also more likely to crush that workout.

And that makes a pre-workout pretty appealing, but that quick high comes with some serious lows you need to be aware of.

Why I don’t use pre-workout

You all know I take my sweat session seriously. So a lot of people are surprised when they hear that I never make pre-workout part of my routine. I mean, it’s a pretty standard part of that fitness lifestyle for a lot of people.

But here’s the thing. Pre-workout is FILLED with synthetic sh*t like artificial sweeteners and untested supplements. Like, you’re truly getting that boost from chemicals paired with a VERY heavy-handed dose of caffeine. And that means it comes with side effects like:

• Jitters
• Nausea
• An energy crash afterward
• Tingling and flushed skin
• Digestive problems
• Water retention (read: bloating)
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches

You might think those side effects would probably be pretty rare — but you’d be wrong. A 2019 study found that 54% of people who took pre-workout experienced side effects, and those side effects were more common in women than in men. That means that if you and your friend both take pre-workout, the odds are pretty darn high that at least one of you will have to deal with feeling sick, getting a skin reaction, or some other issue. 

On top of all of this, pre-workout raises your heart rate. If you’re going to be getting into some serious cardio, that can put excess (read: dangerous) strain on your heart. 

As we learn more about what pre-workout does to the body, more and more health and fitness experts are coming out against it. And I’m right there with them.

What to watch out for

I’m not saying all of this to freak you out. But I do think that if you’re using pre-workout, it’s important to put some thought into it. Read the label and look up ingredients you don’t know. Here are a few common ones I would steer clear of:

• Excess caffeine: A lot pre-workout products have upwards of 250+ mg of caffeine per serving. Factor your daily cup (or two) of coffee on top of that and you’re quickly hitting or exceeding the FDAs recommended caffeine intake of up to 400 milligrams. It’s important not to shock your system and overload it too quickly. 
• Beta-alanine: This compound is supposed to help prevent muscle fatigue and soreness. But it also affects your skin. If you’ve ever felt tingly after taking pre-workout, beta-alanine was probably to blame.
• Niacin: A.k.a., vitamin B3, niacin does play an important role in your metabolism. But if you’re eating a healthy diet, you should already be getting plenty of it. And the high levels of niacin in pre-workout cause skin flushing, so much so that a lot of people get red patches on their skin. 
• Creatine: Creatine is a pretty popular fitness supplement because it helps to boost muscle mass and enhance athletic performance. But do you know

Hi friends! Happy Friday! Quick alert: Summer Shape Up plan goes out this afternoon! I’ll be posting the workouts here on the blog each Sunday but if you want everything in advance + the meal ideas, get on the list here!! I can’t wait to do this with you all!

What’s going on this weekend? How was the week?

Ours was a great one. We got back from Vegas late on Sunday and hopped into the adventures of the week. The girls have been taking a kickboxing class with some friends – they love it!!- and we met up with some friends at the pool, lit fireworks in the front yard for 4th of July, I took the girls on a nails and movie date, and we have been getting ready for visitors today. The Pilot’s sis, mom, dad, and our niece and nephew are visiting for the long weekend and we can’t wait for some Tucson adventures with them.

Friday Faves and Vegas Recap

Before the standard Friday Faves post, I wanted to share some Vegas adventures! We met up with Betsy and Jeremy (our San Diego besties and travel buddies) last weekend and had the best time shopping, gambling, people-watching, and eating all of the ridiculous food. It was our 5th trip to Vegas together (!) and we wanted to try a new hotel. We typically love the Venetian and Bellagio, but decided to stay at the Wynn and were NOT disappointed. It’s definitely our new place. I wish I would have snapped a pic of our room with the panoramic view. Everything was recently renovated, the rooms and property were gorgeous, and the service and food were excellent. Highly recommend it if you’re planning a trip to Vegas anytime soon.

Also wanted to mention here that I booked the trip using our AMEX platinum card, which has SO many benefits. We get free access to multiple airport lounges (clutch when traveling with the kids) and also get resort credit, late checkout, and room upgrades when available. It’s by far my favorite credit card, especially for hotels and travel.

Friday afternoon, the Pilot and I walked around the Strip and into the Caesar’s Forums shops, then stopped for appetizers and iced tea at True Food. It was that tricky point of the day when you don’t want a full lunch to ruin your dinner, but definitely want a little snack to hold you over. True Food was perfect! We had dinner reservations that night at the Mirage, which is where we met up with Betsy and Jeremy.

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. Ours was a bit of a whirlwind. We headed back from dance competition Nationals

(we stayed at the Scott, which has super cute decor and a pool that the girls LOVE)

straight into fun with friends who visited from Florida for the week,

straight into VEGAS, BABY.

The Pilot and I are hopping on a plane to meet up with our friends Betsy and Jeremy in one of our fave spots. If you have any new Vegas recs, please send them our way!! We will absolutely be shopping (a lot), gambling (a little), and eating all of the amazing Vegas food.

Caviar spread going down in 3….2….

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Sharing a recipe for the best dairy-free broccoli salad. This is the perfect side dish for dinners, delicious leftovers for lunch, and an awesome healthy summer BBQ or potluck side dish.

Hey friends! How’s the day going so far? We’re back in town after a trip to Phoenix for Nationals, and have a mountain of laundry + have some virtual 1:1 appointments.

For today’s post, I thought I’d share a summer side dish recipe! Whenever we have friends over during the summer, finding recipes for the *fun* stuff like appetizers and desserts is always super easy. I always like to make sure we have some kind of salad or vegetable, and am always looking for new favorites. Mia recently shared her favorite broccoli salad recipe with me and I knew I had to post it here on the blog! It lasted about 15 minutes in our house.

I accidentally found out that the girls love raw broccoli when we were low on groceries and I was running out of options while packing their lunch + snacks for school. I’ll typically roast broccoli with dinner and they tend to be pretty meh about it. I needed one more spot to fill in their lunch bento boxes, so I added some raw chopped broccoli. When I picked them up, they both said how much they loved the broccoli in their lunch, and I’ve been adding it ever since. This broccoli salad was a HUGE hit in our house – we each had a bowl and it was gone.

Broccoli salad is a great source of fiber and vitamins. It’s also dairy-free, and includes blanched broccoli, which still has a crunch, but can be easier to digest than raw. You simply mix all of the ingredients into a bowl and enjoy! It’s also a versatile recipe; feel free to customize it as you like. You can swap out the almonds for another type of nut, or use a different type of dried fruit (like dried cranberries or raisins) instead of the dates. Just make sure that you don’t skip the celery seed, as it gives it a unique flavor and crunch.

The best dairy-free broccoli salad

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli (or a 12 oz bag of pre cut florets)

Avocado oil mayo (Chosen foods, Sir Kensington or homemade. I like to make my own, or order Sir Kensington from Thrive Market)

Maple syrup (or honey) for a little bit of sweetness

Celery seed – don’t omit this ingredient!

Salt & pepper, to taste

On

Hi friends! Happy Friday! What’s going on this weekend? We’re off to Liv’s dance Nationals competition (so excited) and spending the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends. Our dance team has worked so hard all year, so I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing the dances one more time and celebrating the end of such a wonderful season. 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.

Friday Faves

Staycation at Tanque Verde Ranch

Last weekend, we had a little Father’s Day staycation at Tanque Verde Ranch. Last time we stayed on property, I was pregnant with P! We’ve gone back many times to enjoy their Saturday night Cowboy Cookout. I highly recommend it if you’re visiting Tucson! We wanted to stay for the weekend and take advantage of the extra activities, like horseback riding, archery, and fishing.

The girls shocked the instructor with their perfect archery form:

(all of the practice with P’s toy bow and arrow has really paid off, let me tell ya)

and after archery, we headed to Barnyard for dinner before seeing a family of javelinas right outside our hotel casita! Fun trivia: a group of javelina is called a squadron.

Saturday morning, we were up bright and early for horseback riding. The girls take lessons, but the Pilot and I hadn’t been on a horse in years. (We always joke that we’re a little bit j