May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and because mental health and physical health are so closely connected, we thought it might be nice to get a few nutrition tips from our founder and health/fitness guru Brigitte!
So many of you have been enjoying Brig’s at-home workouts and fitness challenges, and this is going to help you take your health game up to the next level.
Here are 8 tips directly from Brig herself to help your body feel better and healthier than ever!
1. Drink your water
This is a relatively easy one, and definitely something Brig is passionate about. DRINK. YOUR. WATER. The first thing Brig does every morning is drink a full bottle of water, with a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice thrown in. The amount of water you need depends on your individual needs, but in general, experts recommend that women get 2.7 liters per day. (You may need more!) For more advice, check out Brig’s blog post about how she drinks more water.
2. Fuel your workouts with BCAAs
You guys know how hard Brig pushes her body at the gym… Well, now you know her secret: Perk Energy Do Work BCAAs. You can take these before, during, and after workouts — or even just as a non-workout supplement! The benefits of BCAAs include:
- More muscle endurance during workouts.
- Decreased brain fog and mental fatigue.
- Less post-workout soreness.
- Increased muscle growth.
- A healthier immune system.
Perk’s BCAAs are some of the tastiest, creamiest BCAAs out there. You might want to work out just so you can enjoy them!
3. Invest in quality protein powder
Here’s the thing about protein powder, friends — they are not all created equal. A few months back, Brig was crashing around 1:00 p.m. despite eating healthily and exercising regularly. After doing some research, she came across HLTH Code — a healthy meal replacement shake developed by a metabolic scientist. (In other words, a guy who really knows his stuff when it comes to optimal nutrition.)
After trying it for a month to make sure that she really liked it, Brig found herself feeling so much better. In fact, she loved it so much, she even contacted the scientist who made it and asked if she could get a discount code so she could endorse it. (Scroll to the bottom of this post if you’d like to try it!)
“If you like to do protein drinks like I do or you need a meal replacement, this is the one. It’s amazing,” Brig says. “I’ve never had more energy. I feel so good.”
Brig likes to use it as a post-workout protein powder with one scoop, or as a full shake. It’s yummy enough to drink with just water, but here’s her favorite way to prepare it when she feels like mixing things up:
- ½ of a banana
- A massive handful of spinach (you can’t taste it when you blend it in!)
- Chia seeds
- Water
- 2 scoops of either the Vanilla or Chocolate Macadamia Nut powder (Vanilla is her fave)
- Blend until creamy
Brig swears by this protein powder and is spreading the word about it to everyone she knows. Now her sister, her mom, and even @mrmodestshoppin himself are hooked!
4. Create a go-to healthy snack option
Brig is always looking for healthy snack ideas and this is the new yummy and filling favorite:
- 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese (She uses Darigold)
- Perk southwest chicken broth to taste (She uses almost an entire packet)
- Mix in a blender until it’s dip consistency
Cut up red, yellow, and orange peppers to dip with or Food Should Taste Good multigrain chips. It’s packed with protein and collagen and low in fat. Enjoy!
5. Make lunchtime easy (and good for you)
It can be so hard to fit in a nutritious meal in the middle of your day, but it doesn’t get much easier than the two options below. Use them as a snack or a light lunch!
Option 1: easy chicken salad
Brig says she’s terrible in the kitchen and cooking isn’t her talent, but this was borne of a little creativity — and some desperation. She was out of plain Greek yogurt, so she improvised with vanilla Greek yogurt. Even the kids gobbled it up!
- 2 cans of Kirkland chunk chicken breast (12.5 oz each)
- Chopped celery (4 sticks)
- Chopped purple or green grapes (2 handfuls)
- 4 baby dill pickles
- Mustard to taste
- Light + Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt (instead of mayo)
- Salt and pepper
Brig says to stir together and enjoy the magic!
Option 2: Egg and avocado toast
This one is an easy go-to snack, or you can turn it into a lunch with some fruit and extra protein on the side. (Pro tip: To make it as easy as possible, buy the chunky guacamole and hard-boiled eggs directly from Costco.)
- 1 slice of Dave’s Killer Bread toasted
- A thin layer of cream cheese
- A layer of chunky guac
- Sliced hard-boiled eggs
- Salt and pepper
*Another option? Add pomegranate seeds. (Sounds strange but it tastes amazing.)
6. Indulge in a healthy treat
In case you haven’t realized this by now, Brig has a bit of a Perk obsession — and for good reason. So far, you’ve heard how she uses their BCAAs to fuel her workouts and their chicken broth for a light, healthy snack. Well, get ready for her favorite nighttime treat: Perk Chill.
Designed to help you wind down after a long day, Perk Chill promotes relaxation and better sleep (YES!) and, as a huge bonus, the flavors are amazing. (Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel, Caramel Apple Pie a La Mode, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Chai Latte… Are you drooling yet?)
“If you haven’t tried it, I promise you’re missing out!” says Brig.
7. TACOS
Bet you’re surprised to see tacos as a nutrition tip, but did you really expect Brig to leave them off the list? Psssh… yeah right! Besides, while eating healthy and fueling your body with good and nutritious things is important, it’s also important to ENJOY the food you eat. And if that means eating tacos every once in a while (or whatever your favorite indulgent meal is) then that’s okay! As they say, “Moderation is key.” (If you’re trying to maintain or lose some weight, portion control is also key.)
When it comes to nutrition, the bottom line is to create healthy habits — but don’t go overboard. If you have a slice of cake or a cookie every now and then, don’t beat yourself up about it. In fact, the more joy you can infuse into your diet, the healthier you’ll be!
(And if you’d like to get Brig’s pork taco recipe, you can find it in her Insta stories. 😊)
8. Try it for yourself!
Now that you have a few nutrition tips from one of the pros, it’s time to put this all to the test and start feeling better! Here are a few things that might help:
- Get your BCAAs, chill drinks, broth packets, and more for 15% off at Perk Energy when you use code: MODEST.
- Snag your new favorite meal replacement/protein powder from HLTH Code for 15% off with code: MODEST.
- For more nutrition and fitness tips, join Brigitte’s Private Fitness Group!
(And here’s just one more tip: If you want a chance to try Brig’s favorite protein powder and Perk products before you commit to buying them, you might want to check out her monthly My Favorite Things box subscription. Just sayin’. 😉)
What are your favorite nutrition tips and tricks? We want to hear from you!