DIY Yoga Mat Cleanser

   I work out at home in my carpeted living room typically so I rarely use a yoga mat.   However, I realized that my palms and knees were starting to get carpet burn so I purchased a cheap yoga mat at Tj Maxx.  After a couple of uses it began to smell and feel a bit funky.  I didn't want to spray it down with some general cleanser because I roll all over that thing so I began looking up natural alternatives.  I found a simple recipe and made up my own natural and cheap yoga mat cleanser!

Supplies Needed:
*Empty spray bottle (I used an old Lush bottle I had laying around)
*Water
*White Vinegar
*Tea Tree Oil
*Essential/Scented Oil (optional)

Directions

Step 1: Thoroughly clean out spray bottle
Step 2: Fill 2/3 of the way up with tap water
Step 3: Fill close to 1/3 (leave a little bit for the oil) with the vinegar
Step 4: Add about 7-8 drops of tea tree oil
Step 5: Add a scented or essential oil since the combo of the vinegar and tea tree oil isn't the best scent. I had only one scented oil around which was Pearberry so I added a few drops (add however little or many you want depending on the strength of scent)
Step 6: Shake, Shake, Shake

Voila! You have a super natural and super effective yoga mat cleanser.  After each use spray the mat and wipe down and it'll be nice and fresh for the next sweat session!

Fitspiration: The Real Skinny Book Review

    I love heading to my local library to check out the newest health, diet and fitness books.  It's a great way to look into a lot of different nutrition plans and fitness routines without having to pay for the book.
   A few weeks I picked up, The Real Skinny: 101 Fat Habits & Slim Solutions.

I began reading this book as soon as I got home from the library and I really enjoyed it.  I really liked the formatting of this book.  It was written by stating 101 of the most popular "excuses" against losing weight.  Things like: I'm big boned, Healthy cooking doesn't taste as good, I'm too busy.  After the excuses, the book provides simple (albeit common sense) tips on how to fight those excuses.  

Some of the excuses and tips that I took notes on were:

* I can't live without my diet coke

*I'm always hungry

*Happy Hour is my favorite hour

At the end of the book a nutrition plan was included, along with some really great recipes.  The nutrition plan consists of 1,600 calories a day and:

-6 servings of grains (mainly whole grains)

-2 servings of fruit

- at least 4 servings of vegetables

- 2 servings of nonfat or low-fat dairy

- 7 servings of lean protein

-5 servings of healthy fats

A lot of the information in the book was common sense or commonly known if you read any fitness magazines or fitblogs regularly, but it is a good book to have on your bookshelf when you need inspiration.  I can't tell you how many times I've used at least 5-6 of the excuses in the book.  If I never use one of those excuses, I could just flip to that page and get the advice on how to break that excuse.

Any diet books you guys can recommend that are written in more of a "quick tip" format?  I really enjoy those!

Fitspiration Review: The Eat Clean Diet Recharged

   I think everyone's New Year's Resolution is to be a healthier individual.  This year I've actually been able to make that positive change in my life.  For the first time in my life I have an exercise routine that involves working out on most days (I even wake up a half hour earlier to squeeze in a mini morning work out) and have been eating healthier than I ever have.
  Now don't get me wrong, my diet still needs A LOT of help, but I've made significant progress in eating healthier and consuming less calories on a regular basis.  As I started doing research on changing my dietary habits the term "Clean Eating" kept coming up.  After doing some further research on Clean Eating I was introduced to Tosca Reno.
  Tosca Reno is a clean eating activist and author.  She has published quite a few books on the topic and her website is an amazing resource (and free!).
   I purchased one of her books, The Eat Clean Diet Recharged, from Amazon and have read it cover and to cover and refer to it quite frequently.




Here's my review on her book and on her take of the Clean Eating Lifestyle.

-Tosca is all about the eating more frequently trend.  Mini-meals as opposed to the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner is a core principle of Clean Eating.  (My lifestyle at the moment just doesn't cater to this idea)

-Her take on clean eating I find to be very strict.  For instance, I just can't take my coffee black every day and I'm not going to purchase bee pollen to use in my cereals.

-The structured eating plans provided in the back of the book are super helpful.  It gives you a breakdown of the size of meals you should be eating if you are able to follow the mini meal plan.  If you aren't able to, it still is able to give you A LOT of ideas of what a clean eating day looks like.

-There are a lot of helpful tips throughout the book- which foods are important to buy organic, restaurant survival guides, how to incorporate super foods into your everyday diet and how certain foods can help in our physical appearance.

Would I recommend the book?: I wouldn't purchase this book, maybe borrow it from the library.  I've browsed through the cheaper version, The Clean Eating Diet: Just the Rules and I wish that was the book I would've purchased as it's just a condensed version of my book.  If you don't want to read her book I would SERIOUSLY recommend her website.  The site is amazing and has some fabulous recipes.

Would I recommend the clean eating lifestyle?: I have definitely implemented some of the principals of clean eating into my every day life.  I eat a considerable more amount of whole foods (foods from the earth) and make a conscientious effort to look more into what goes into my food.  I just find it super difficult to follow the lifestyle strictly as I love me some Starbucks and Reeses!

I LOVE reading books on fitness, nutrition, health, etc.  Any recommendations?