The Active Habitat

The Best Free Health and Fitness Apps

These free apps are great for those looking to get started on a healthier lifestyle. They are my go-to apps from the begininng of my health journey to present day, and are still useful. They make living healthy easier, because we all need that push and hand holding at times. Here is what I consider to be the best free health and fitness apps avavilbe for both android and ios.

Diet Apps

My Fitness Pal – This app is not only a calorie counter, but its database of 5 million foods lets you track your diet against yours goals, breaksdown the daily macro nutrients, and save meals. It also has a built in community to encourage and ask questions.

Spark Recipes – My newest obsesssion to meal planning. The app is a database of healthy recipes, where you can select from the meal types (lunch,dinner, snacks, etc.), diet restrictions (low carbs, gluten free, etc), cuisine types, seasonal foods, and even provides courses. The best solution to cooking and eating healthy.

Mediation Apps

Head Space – Although only really free to download, it does provides a 10 day beginners guide through mediation. With animated tutorials to explain ways of clearing the mind and letting go. I highly reccomend and it only takes 10 minutes a day.

Insight Timer – Now after you got the basics of mediations, this app provides free guided mediation from morning mantra, relaxtions, mindfulness, dieting, and mediation guides to get a good sleep. This apps puts you in the right mindset through every and any situation you make encounter.

Workouts Apps

Nike Training Club – While there are plenty of app that provides workouts, this app breaksdown from the level of intensity, complexity, and types of workouts, such as strength, endurance, and mobility. Its also great because its a free app in which the top athletes are your instructors.

Bodybuilding.com – The app is the continuation of the website, which is great for workout videos, exercise tutorials, and goal oriented plans. Anytime I have a fitness goal, I always find the right plan, with diet and supplement guides, and daily workout in the time frame needed.

Seconds – It is the best interval timer app for HITTS, circuit training, tabata workouts, and other types of interval workout. Setting the timmer with alotted rest time between sets and rounds, makes it easy to plan workouts.

What I Learned From My Regrets

Lifestyle Self Improvement Uncategorized

It’s hard when you realize opportunities have passed you by. While these choices can haunt you, it is best not to dwell in them. There are only 3 major regrets in my life. I don’t let them bother me by always remembering what they taught me. These valuable lessons will hopefully stop me from repeating them again. Here at my 3 regrets and the lessons I learn from them.

Regret #1: Not having a full college experience – when Danni and I were choosing schools we were dead set on studying in Northern California. When we found the cost for housing was more than my parents could afford, we decided to stay in LA. We both went to separate universities, but lived at home. I didn’t know what I was missing out on until I visited my friends in UC Santa Barbara. Realizing that I never got the full college experience. At this time, I thought everything was black and white. If I don’t have the money then I can’t afford it. Now I know there is a grey area and that is looking for alternative ways.

Lesson Learned: There are always multiple ways to make your dreams a reality. You just need to find one of the ways and get yourself there.

Regret #2: Not doing a studying abroad in Mexico – I did a summer in Spain, but it was this particular experience that made me upset that I didn’t do a longer study abroad. When I think about the missed opportunity it makes my stomach turn, like learning Spanish fluently. When this first crossed my mind I could have taken the first steps to make it happen, but instead I let fear control me. I didn’t take a risk to leave my bubble.

Lesson Learned: Don’t let fear control you. When you think of an idea, take even the smallest step towards it, and it will start to unfold. Eventually taking a leap of faith it will all work out.

Regret #3: Not backpacking through Europe – This is the most recent regret. Looking back now when I first graduated and I should have taken time off. I graduated college during the recession and jobs were hard to come by. During this time I thought of traveling, but I didn’t think it was the best time to do it. I convinced myself I would have more opportunities to travel in the future. Although this is true, it is also now harder with a full time career to take a month or two off to travel. I still plan some way or another that I can make this a reality. I just wish I would have done it in my early twenties.

Lesson Learn: There’s no perfect timing for anything, because you never know what the future holds.

Downtown & East Village Long Beach Neighborhood

Lifestyle Travel United States

If someone asked me the ideal city I would love to live and grow old in I would say Long Beach, California. People who don’t know this city don’t know what they are missing out on. It is the hidden jewel of California. It has everything LA has to offer, but in one city from a downtown area to an art district, water cannel neighborhoods to beaches. The one thing I love is its diverse cultures, income level, and yuppies and hippies all living side by side. Within the city there are different neighborhoods and areas to explore. To continue my neighborhood guide I wanted to focus on a city I truly know and love.

Let’s start with East Village and Downtown Long Beach, since this is where I call home.

For Morning Breakfast and Coffee

Long Beach has as many cute hipster cafes as Venice Beach does. Even from where I live there are 5 coffee shops walking distance from me not including Starbucks. If you are in the mood for an artisan coffee two places are Cuppa Cuppa and Recreational Coffee. If you are looking to brunch on Sunday morning I recommend places like The Breakfast Bar and southern cooking Sweet Dixie Kitchen. Another staple in East Village is Linden Public, they serve stumptown coffee with yummy breakfast options.

@lindenpublic @cuppacuppaca

Lunch

Nothing is better than enjoying a Saturday afternoon lunch sitting in a restaurant patio with the ocean breeze cooling you down. Great Society Cider and James Republic both have great outside sitting and afternoon drinks that will make your day. If you are near the convention a restaurant to check out is Modica Deli. There are also vegan and vegetarian options like Steamed Organic Vegetarian Cuisine and Under the Sun for delicious lunch spots.

@underthesunlb

Dinner Dates

This area is the perfect location for date nights and there are numerous extraordinary dinner spots. Padre has a romantic feel perfect for a first date and upstairs there’s a tequila bar opening soon, called Mezcalero . If you’re more in the mood for a gastro pub there are Beer Belly and BO-beau Kitchen, both exceptional places with their rooftop sitting and great interior design. Looking for dinner and music then Utopia is the place to hit up with Saturday night live Jazz music. If you really want a picturestic views go down to Shoreline Village to Parkers’ Lighthouse and sit near the fire pits while looking out at the ocean.

@bobeaurooftap @beerbelly_la

Late Night Drinks

There is variety for great places for late night drinks from breweries to wine bars. The Federal Bar has a speakeasy at the back of the restaurant or if closed the back of the club. If you want a more grownup vibe then District Wine is a cute joint for a few drinks. My secret gems is the Observation Deck in the Queen Mary. Take a seat in an art deco bar while looking out into Long Beach skyline or head over to Maya Hotel for the same amazing view. If you’re into the sour beer graze, like me, check out Beachwood Blendery for their great selection.

@beachwoodblendery @districtwine

Activities

For fun daytime activities there is the Aquarium of the Pacific or go whale watching. Also if your reserve ahead of time there are boats which take day trips to Catalina Island. My favorite activity is taking coffee walks around to look at the old Art Deco Buildings.

Shoulder and Arm Workout With Weights

Arm Exercises Exercises Resistance Training Shoulder Exercises

Looking for ways to tone the shoulder and arms to wear that off the shoulder clothing or strapless dress. This is a great workout to grow and define the muscles that we’re eventually will always show…especially in the summer. I know I did for my wedding dress. I wore a strapless dress and workouts like these gave me confidence to wear it. So here is a great shouder and arm workout.

Warm-up the shouders using pressing and and joint rotation movements to prevent injury and stimulate the muscles. Follow with static stretches after performing warm-up motions. If you need a guide to warming-up, read this past post on stretching muscles.

Arnold Press– 4 sets x 15,15,10,8 reps
Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curls– 3 sets x 8 reps (each arm)
Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension– 3 sets x 10 reps
Seated Side Laterals Raises -3 sets x 15 reps
Cable Hammer Curls– 4 sets x 15,10,10,8
Cable Triceps Pushdowns with Curl Bar -4 sets x 10 reps for both overhand & underhand (20 reps total)
Standing Alternate Shoulder Press – 3 sets x 10 reps
Superset: Keep going till you are only capable of doing one rep for both exercise
- Push-ups to failure
- Inverted reverse grip rows to failure

3 Most Valuable Things I Own

Lifestyle

We have all heard of the famous question “if your house was on fire what would you save”. For a person who doesn’t try to put sentimental feeling on objects, I still have 3 items which mean the world to me. Each of these items share a different piece of who I am and my family’s history. I wanted share them with you and give you the backstory.

My Mom’s Wedding Dress

Our parents married in 1979 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. My mom was wearing a white lace dress my grandfather custom made. This dress is an amazing 70’s bohemian beach dress any vintage lover would die for. Every time I see this dress it reminds me of my parents commitment to each other. They have never had the perfect relationship, but they stand by each other through good and bad. To me this is love.

Fringe Leather Bag from Spain

I found this bag when I was studying abroad in Spain for a summer. The whole time I was in search for a great souvenir I could keep for many years as memory. Finally when I was at the famous Madrid flea market, El Rastro, I found it! Every time I wear the bag, it reminds me of the memories from that time and place. Being in Madrid was a dream come true and it was an amazing experience which showed me who I was. It was the first time I was able to get out of my comfort zone and trust I could do things on my own.

Grandmother’s Yearbook

My grandmother from my dad side was born in Waco, Texas (yes, the same town as Fixer Upper show). She grew up during the Great Depression and segregation in the south. She always told us stories from that period, which always fascinated me. My grandmother was an amazing women, who radiated joy. Danni and I even got her dry sense of humor. I remember when she was still alive, we would go through her yearbook of her 1938 class and she told us who were her friends and crushes. It’s funny to think of your grandparents as teenagers. Now every time I flip through the book it makes me miss her so much.

I would also love to hear what you guys hold dear.

5 Tips to Staying on a Diet During Vacation

Diet Talk Lifestyle

For those who follow the blog regularly, probably noticed the site has slow down lately. First reason we were hacked about a month ago, which took us about two week to get back, and we are still working on restoring it back to normal. And second with my wedding and honeymoon, it was harder than I thought to keep writing post as normal. Although Denise has done her best to keep posting, with her new job and a career refocus (blog post later maybe?) it has not been that easy. The blog really needs the two of us, since we both have full time jobs. Now that I’m back, We can resume our regular Monday and Thursday post. Also we plan on getting a refresh look to blog…so coming soon.

Now back to the topic of the post…

During my honeymoon we stayed in an all inclusive resort, which means all you can eat (from buffet to french resturants) and all you can drink (let say bartenders did not hold back). However with all these indulgents, I manage to stay in my wedding day weight. For those who are planning a vacation, here are 5 easy ways to staying on a diet during vacation. These tips will allow you to find the right balance of enjoying while not straying from your weight loss goals.

1. Reduce Grains or Starches

Consuming less grains and starches will not only reduce calories, but possible bloated feeling too…which is perfect if your planning on wearing a bikini. Even better if you replace those grains or starches with veggies or fruit.

2. Eat Eggs & Veggies for Breakfast

For breakfast, the best way to ensure you’ll start the day right, is starting with a wholesome breakfast. A selection easily available are eggs and vegetables. Eggs a complete protein, fat to sate, and vegetables provide the micronutrients and fiber one needs. And while it may not be the most appealing meal, you have the rest of the day to indulge.

3. Stick to Main Meals Only

Try your best to stick to your normal eating pattern. It’s easy to carried away on vacation…by all means it is vacation…right? However eating several high calories meals can easily cause a 5-10lbs weight gain. Therefore, it’s best to stick to no more than three meals. If your hungry in between those meals have a protein shake or drink lots of water.

4. Stop When Your Full

To avoid over eating, use the stomach as an indicator that the body has all the fuel it needs. As soon as your satisfied, but the fork down, drink water and pay attention. Being in-tune with your body allows you to enjoy the meals without over eating and regretting later.

5. No Sugar Drinks

One easy way to consume more calories then you need (or use) are those sugar drinks. Even worse are those alcoholic sugary drinks, since alcohol refocuses the body to purifying the toxin instead of burning the energy. Therefore, use mixers that are lower in sugar, such as club soda, coconut water mixers, or add a splash of a juice.

5 Steps to Mindful Shopping

Lifestyle Self Improvement

If there is one thing I am certain is shopping addiction is real. I remember in college I went through a phase where I would spend every dime I had on buying something new. I use to believe that once I had the perfect wardrobe I would finally look like the girls on the blogs. Sadly it only meant my savings account was non existent. Now I know shopping isn’t the cure to looking your best, so I try to be a mindful when I’m looking for new pieces. Here are the mindful shopping tips I use to stick to purposeful wardrobe I truly use and love.

ONE: Change Your Attitude about shopping – shopping is not a cure for boredom or fitting in or looking like Kylie Jenner. No matter how many trendy things you own it will never be enough. In a season or two those pieces will be long forgotten and replaced with newer items. Think about shopping in a realistic purpose. Know who you are, your daily activities, your lifestyle, and what style you want to stick to.

TWO: Shop for things you know you will wear – think of what you wear now and what you always go back to day after day. If these are the pieces that make you feel great then search for more variations of these pieces. At the same time don’t go crazy and buy hundreds of your favorite black tank, like me. Make sure there is a small room for trendy items to give your closet variety.

THREE: Think of basics when shopping – The only way you can pull of those trendy items, if your not a creative type, is to pair them with basics. These are classic items or simple items in neutral colors. Everything goes great with basics. You can mix and match them, or as I mentioned, pair them with that new crazy pants you bought.

FOUR: Shop quarterly or bi annual – There’s no need to shop year round. If you make it a point to go to the mall trust me you will come out with more than you meant to. I fall victim to this all the time. I swear window-shopping sucks you in. Try shopping during sale seasons, which usually come at the end of summer and winter. This is perfect because you will know what you actually used and shop more purposeful for the next year.

FIVE: Have a list in mind – This is especially true when shopping on line. Just like window shopping online can easily sway you to a different direction. It helps if you know what you’re searching for and stick to your list. Trust me your wallet will thank you. Also before you buy anything know if it will work with at least 3 pieces in your closet.

– Denise

The Best Beauty Instagram and YouTube Accounts

Beauty Lifestyle

When it comes to my beauty routine I keep it simple. In the morning I rinse my face, sunblock, and only put the bare essentials makeup on. Although I like my minimal routine there are times I wish I could be those girls who can get all dolled up in the morning. This is why I go through a beauty obsession period where I scour Instagram and YouTube on beauty tutorials, tips, and inspiration. Followed by shopping for tons of makeup and beauty products I swear I need and never use. The best part of the obsession is finding the best beauty Instagram and YouTube accounts are worth the time.

@byrdiebeauty

Not only is this a great website for beauty information, their instagram always hooks me in. They promote a natural approach to beauty. They don’t believe in covering a face with makeup, but more letting your natural beauty shine through.

@makeupcontouring

Although this is more of an accumulation of different beauty accounts, I use it as a way to discovery other amazing makeup artist instagram accounts. Also it’s my go-to place on when I need a quick tutorial on how to contour and highlight my face for a night out.

@patrickta

Patrick is a makeup artist to the stars, especially to all the young cool actresses. I love looking at his page for inspiration. He does amazing looks on actresses like Shay Mitchell, Vanessa Hudgens, Jenna Tatum, and the list goes on and on. It’s amazing what a true artist can do.

Violette_fr

When I discovered this French beauty channel I felt like I struck gold. I love love love her! Violette approach to makeup is less is more beautiful. I love that she knows how to make a statement, yet still let the natural skin shine through. I also love that she films in cute places around New York.

Claire Marshall

Claire Marshall channel isn’t strictly beauty; she also does fashion, lifestyle, etc. Once you visit her channel you’ll see that she’s worth the time. She gives great product recommendations and tutorials. To me her makeup looks are never to out there, just warm smokey eyes and winged liners.

Wayne Goss

Wayne Goss is one of the beauty gurus’ on YouTube. He is my number one person to go to for tips and tricks on applying makeup. I love that he shares makeup artist secrets. You can definitely learn a lot from his videos, from how to cover up pores to disguising your baggy eyes.

Sweet Potato Mini Quiche Recipe

Breakfast Paleo Recipes

When your looking a recipe in the morning that will quick and easy, my advise is something that can be prepped the night before. Ensure that the breakfast has protein, healthy fats and a natural source carb. This sweet potato mini quiche is what I recommend for the busy gal. Easy to bake and easy to eat when we’re rushing out the door. Go ahead and try this paleo, natural and healthy sweet potato mini quiche out!

Ingredients:

Diced half roma tomato (2oz)
Diced jalapeño (.5oz)
4 Eggs
1 Egg White
1 cup of spinach
2 turkey bacon
16oz of yams
1 tsp of coconut oil
1/4 cup of coconut flour
Season options to taste:
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Pink salt
Black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Peel the soften yams and mash using either with a processor, blender or masher. Next mix in the coconut oil, egg white and coconut flour. Prep a muffin pan with cooking oil and evenly distribute yams into 8 cups. Bake for 30 mins till edges are golden brown. In the meantime, diced and fry turkey bacon with the jalapeños. In a bowl, mix eggs, tomatoes, and shredded spinach. Then add in the jalapeño and bacon once ready. Add season to preferred taste. Once the the yam cups are ready, set aside to cool for 5 mins and pour in the mixture. Bake for an additional 10-15mins till egg mixture firm. Bon Appetite!

Links We Love: Wedding Planning

Lifestyle

Danni’s wedding is just around the corner, which means stress levels are high in my family. During the whole wedding process my sister shared with me the do’s and don’ts of wedding planning and how to handle our family’s expectations. The biggest shocker was what an actual wedding cost! Finding out that Pinterest weddings are like believing in Santa Claus, unrealistic on a budget.

Here are some helpful articles on planning your big day:

Useful tips on planning a wedding. (Link)

Don’t fuss about a wedding planner, but be your own using this site (Link).

Lessons learned from wedding planning (Link).

Create your own traditions for your wedding day is a great idea (Link).

Grooms are usually left out of the planning process, here are tips on how to make sure he’s involved (Link).

Bonus: Here are some unique ideas on decorating small wedding cake (Link).

-Denise

Holiday Tradition Mood Board

Neighborhood Guide to Hillcrest by…

A Year Full Of Blessings

The Best Free Health and Fitness Apps

Diet Apps

Mediation Apps

Workouts Apps

What I Learned From My Regrets

Downtown & East Village Long Beach Neighborhood

Shoulder and Arm Workout With Weights

3 Most Valuable Things I Own

5 Tips to Staying on a Diet During Vacation

Now back to the topic of the post…

5 Steps to Mindful Shopping

Sweet Potato Mini Quiche Recipe

Links We Love: Wedding Planning

Holiday Tradition Mood Board

Neighborhood Guide to Hillcrest by…

A Year Full Of Blessings

Diet Apps

Mediation Apps

Workouts Apps

Now back to the topic of the post…

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