This post contains affiliate links #ads. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Eating a plant-based diet is one of the fastest-growing food trends worldwide. The number of people moving toward a plant-based diet has been steadily increasing since 2017. So you might be asking yourself, what is it all about? Is this something for me? What Is A Plant-Based Diet? A plant-based diet focuses on whole, minimally processed foods. The diet emphasizes eating plants including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes as your primary food sources. This way of eating minimizes or eliminates animal products including meat, dairy, and eggs from your diet. There have been many studies over the years showing the many health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. Overall, eating a diet high in plants and very low in animal products has been shown to significantly lower one’s risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. A plant-based diet, when done correctly, contains all the protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that a person needs for a healthy diet. In fact, studies have shown that a plant-based diet is often higher in fiber and phytonutrients. Can I Eat Keto and Plant-Based? […]
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. How many times have you tried joining a gym or sticking to a diet or healthy eating? If you’re like many people around the world, the answer is probably countless times. For over 20 years I was the same way! For the longest time, I couldn’t make anything work. I struggled with being accountable to myself. And turns out, that was where I was wrong. I didn’t need to be accountable to myself, I had to be accountable to another person. And that’s where an accountability partner comes in. One of the biggest mistakes a person can make on their health and fitness journey is to not have an accountability partner. There is this popular fitness quote that I always see floating around that goes: Set goals. Stay quiet about them. Smash the sh*t out of them. Clap for yourself. Repeat. And the quote always drives me crazy because it’s the worst advice ever! Stay quiet about your goals!? How in the world is someone supposed to get the support that they need if they don’t talk about their goals? How an Accountability Partner Works While an […]
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Disclaimer: Intermittent Fasting is controversial, although a proven healthy diet. Before starting any diet change, always consult your health care provider. Intermittent fasting is a huge trend right now. People of all different health and fitness levels have found success with this style of eating. Whether people are looking to lose weight, maintain a weight loss, or improve their relationship with food, intermittent fasting is there to help. There are so many benefits to fasted eating. Not only are there numerous health benefits but many people have found it helps with time and money as well. This because they are eating more consciously. Fasting is far from starvation. Starvation is involuntary whereas fasting is all about control. Fasting is a practice that has been around for hundreds of years. In fact, many religions have periods of fasting for spiritual purposes. So in that way, intermittent fasting is nothing new or special. When you think about it, people fast every day during that lovely period we call sleep. And “break” their “fast” with breakfast. See what I did there? And that isn’t a coincidence. The English language simply […]
In October 2018, I crossed the finish line of my very first half-marathon! Setting this as my goal for the year, I dedicated all my free time to training, and transformed myself from a complete non-runner in the fall of 2017 into someone who could conquer a major race just one year later. It is easily my proudest fitness achievement to date. Transitioning from a non-runner to a half-marathon finisher meant that I was constantly stepping into the unknown. Every run longer than 3km was a step into uncharted territory—which was a bit intimidating. Along my training journey, I learned countless invaluable lessons, with each run teaching me something new about running, resilience, and myself. Here are my top 10 tips: 1. Picking Your First Half-marathon The first lesson that I learned was that a surprising amount goes into choosing which race will be your first half-marathon. I thought I did a lot of research before I chose my race but turns out I did the wrong research. I focused mostly on how hilly the race route was and where the race was held. What I should have focused on was: 2. Weather Firstly, pay attention to tip 1 and […]
When it comes to shedding pounds, the amount of misinformation floating around can be overwhelming. It’s exhausting trying to filter out the noise and pinpoint what really works. Luckily, I’ve gone through a lot of this myself and am here to help clear up some major misconceptions about weight loss. Let’s dive into some of these common weight loss myths so that you can focus on what truly matters on your weight loss journey and get real weight loss results. The Myth of the Secret Formula It sometimes feels like everyone—from that fitness guru on social media to your neighbor down the street—claims to hold the elusive “secret” to quick weight loss. They might tout a special diet, a new exercise routine, or even a particular supplement as the magic solution to all your weight problems. But here’s the truth: there isn’t a mystical secret or hidden shortcut to losing weight. The fundamental principle behind weight loss is pretty straightforward—it’s calorie balance. It’s all about the calories you take in versus the calories you burn. If you consume fewer calories than your body burns each day, you’ll lose weight. On the other hand, if you eat more than what your […]
Post contains affiliate links. See disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. Everyone is always wishing they had more willpower. It is a mindset that we all hope will help us to achieve our goals and dreams, whatever they may be. However, willpower is a tricky thing. It’s not something that we just magically have, it’s not something we’re born with and it’s not something we can just wish for. Rather willpower is just like any other muscle in your body. As a result, you need to exercise your willpower regularly in order for it to gain strength. What is Willpower? Willpower is the ability to delay gratification for at least a short period of time. It allows you to focus in on and attain your goals. However, gaining more willpower is easily one of the most challenging endeavours. We live in a society driven by instant gratification so to exercise your willpower almost feels counter-cultural at times. But when you do exercise your willpower it is incredibly rewarding! Benefits of Exercising Willpower Ability to stick to long term goals. Complete tasks/goals without distractions. Build mental strength. Resist temptations with ease. Ways to Exercise Your Willpower Working on your willpower […]
It’s been a couple of years since I did, P90X, my very first home workout program. And it was that first program that completely changed my life. And I do mean completely. But first, the backstory! Post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for details. Opinions are my own. 3 years ago my life looked so different. I was over 100lbs heavier than I am now, I had two-year-old twins, my depression and anxiety weren’t being treated properly, and I was struggling to do just about anything. I was miserable and I felt trapped. Thankfully, I had friends who saw my struggles and suggested a solution. P90X. A friend had previously had great success losing weight (he lost 70lbs!) doing P90X. However, like many people, I thought that I wasn’t capable of success the way he was. I assumed he had better will power, better genetics and a host of other wrong ideas. I was full of excuses as to why P90X worked for everyone else but it wouldn’t for me. However, the day that the scale in my bathroom flashed 249lbs, I knew I had hit my rock bottom. I knew that if I went a pound over 250lbs, […]
Water is my jam. But believe it or not, I used to have a really hard time drinking water. I couldn’t drink a straight glass of clear water, I always felt the need to add water flavouring. Which isn’t healthy at all, let’s be honest. And I’m almost embarrassed to say how long that lasted. Let’s put it this way, I was a parent before my H2O habits changed. But when I finally decided to get serious about my health, I knew I needed to be drinking more water. And not just more H2O, but more clear and plain H2O. Now, weaning myself off of the sugary water “enhancers” was a separate (and difficult) task. And if you struggle with drinking enough water and think that adding water enhancers with help, I urge caution. Firstly, once you start using them, its a hard habit to break. Secondly, is drinking flavoured water better than soda or juice? Just barely. The truth is that these water flavours contain artificial sweeteners, colours and more, and there is not nearly enough research done to say whether they help or hinder weight-loss. There are other ways to add flavour to your water (if you feel […]
I love winter running. When I first started running in the summer of 2017, I was unsure about how running in the winter was going to go. While I happily live in Canada, I am not a fan of the cold and snow. Which is kind of too bad considering it is winter half of the time here. But after 2 months of running indoors on a treadmill, the pure boredom forced me to give winter running a real shot. And kind of surprisingly, I fell in love! I’ll be honest, my first winter run was pretty hairy but that’s because I wasn’t prepared properly. But since then, whenever the sun is shining and the roads are relatively dry, I head out on the road. You’re only cold if you’re standing still! Cold weather doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying winter running! In fact, I would argue that running outside in the winter has a lot to offer. Here are my top 5 reasons why I love winter running: Burn more calories! Running burns lots of calories in the first place, but running in the cold burns extra calories as your body works to maintain its core temperature. So basically, […]
Everyone needs a few yoga essentials to set up your own home practice. If you follow Shannon Elizabeth Fitness, you may have read a previous post about starting your own yoga home practice. That post discussed yoga fundamentals and your physical practice. This post, however, is about the yoga essentials and gear you can use to get the most out of your home practice. What you ABSOLUTELY need. Now, I’m sure there are some super cheap, DIY ways to create your yoga essentials but honestly, I’m not that person. But if that is what you’re looking for, there are tons of ideas floating around on Pinterest that can help you out! There are tons of yoga products out there! But there are definitely two categories: necessary and nice to have. There will be people who disagree about what items belong in each category but these are the products/brands that I personally purchase and use (brands are not affiliated with this post). Yoga Mat: I’ve tried a couple of different yoga mats over the years beginning with the Lululemon Namaste Mat. This was a great mat and held up over many years of use. I liked […]