HOW TO PREVENT YOURSELF FROM GETTING SUPER EFFING SORE.

There's nothing worse than killing it in the gym and waking up the next morning feeling like you're a fucking slab of concrete.

Literally last week my calf was on another level of sore AND I had already signed up for BARRY'S BOOTCAMP through Classpass for the next day so I had to go. 

It was nothing but intervals and uphill sprints then abs. The next day I couldn't laugh, I couldn't pick up drinks at work, I was stretching like a damn old person and wanted to die.

I know what it takes to not get so sore but sometimes even I forget to take care of myself so I'm writing this post as a reminder for me and maybe even you! 

1. Drink 3 Liters of Water Daily 

This will help to keep our muscles hydrated and it will help flush out the lactic acid that builds up after working out. Too much of that in your body and you will for sure be feeling 89 years old .

2. Get Your Protein 

When we work out we are tearing tiny little muscle fibers so we need to give them what they need to REBUILD or else it's just going to be SUPER uncomfortable. A few hours after we workout AND while we sleep are the two main times that our bodies go through serious muscle repair so it's beneficial to have a green protein smoothie within an hour after you work out and even before bed if you want!

3. Stretch

This will help to reduce soreness and it will also help build long leaaaaan muscles!! When we workout we are contracting our muscles making them short and tight. When we stretch we increase flexibility and increase mobility. The one thing you realize you DON'T have when you're sore AF.

4. Omega's

So when we are super sore a lot of it is due to inflammation. We can reduce inflammation simply through our diet so I suggest having something like my anti-hangover juice, avocado, walnuts, and salmon since those are all packed with omegas! 

5. Foam Roll

I bought a black foam roller on amazon for like 10 bucks or something. You seriously neeeeed one! It's like the only thing that's going to get you that myofascial release. This is basically tissue that connecting your muscles to your bones which is obviously going to make you feel SORE. This will get in there and break it up. Just make sure you drink tons of water after so that you can flush out all those nasty toxins. 

6. Keep it Moving

Even though you can't even walk down stairs you need to keep your circulation going. A yoga class would probably be your best bet. It gets your blood and oxygen flowing while detoxing you through twists and stretching. Getting your circulation going will help repair your muscles faster than just sitting around. 

Have any other tips? Comment below!

A FIT GIRLS GUIDE TO COCKTAILS.

YES COCKTAILS. One of my fav subjects ;)

If you follow me on snap (chelseyrose) or know me at all, then you know I am a HUGE fan of spicy margaritas on the rocks anddddd wine.

Because even when your dieting there's always room for a good margarita (Tweet this good news!)

A couple drinks here and there isn't going to completely throw you off your game, BUT drinking the cocktails on the lighter end of the calorie and sugar spectrum will definitely do you better than a 400 calorie cocktail with 35 grams of sugar (excuuuuuuse us pina coladas..BYE)

So here's some key things to remember the next time you grab a drink:

Keep it simple and fresh!

+ Do a clear liquor on the rocks (with ice) and ask for a BUNCH of lemon or lime on the side to add a little flavor.

+ Ask your bartender to muddle in something like mint or basil, and if they have pre-squeezed FRESH lime juice, ask them to add that also. None of that Roses Lime BS.

+ Like Tequilla? Ask for a SKINNY MARGARITA on the rocks. They'll know to reduce the simple syrup in there and to not put any salt on the rim.

+ Like Gin? Ask for a gin gimlet EXTRA COLD! So bomb. It's just gin, lime juice (make sure it's fresh) and a little simple syrup. Then they shake it for a while so that it's extra cold and pour it in a martini glass. SOOO YUMMMY.

+ Like Vodka? Ask if they have FRESH SQUEEZED grapefruit juice. If so ask for a Vodka with Grapefruit...don't ask for a "greyhound". We're not 98 years old and the bartenders will think you're annoying. Just saying.

+ Like Wine? Choose a DRY wine rather than a SWEET wine.

Some dry reds are: 

Pinot noir
Merlot
Cabernet sauvignon
Shiraz/syrah
Zinfandel

Some Dry Whites are:

Pinot blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Pinot grigio

+ Hungover? haha. Ask for a bloody mary. Extra spicy.

- Avoid Flavored Alcohol. No vanilla, orange, or apple vodkas. They just have waay more sugar.

- Avoid blended drinks as they tend to have a lot of additives. 

- Avoid Dark alcohols. Sorry captain, and fireball. They just have wayy more sugar. Ugh that hangover is the worst. 

Think a friend could use some of these tips?

<---- Share it with them!

EVERYDAY FOODS THAT ARE CAUSING BREAST CANCER.

PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ETERNAL CHILD 

If i could choose one of my blogs for you to read, it would be this one. 

How many of you are scared of breast cancer? Do you wonder if you have it? We're you someone that was recently diagnosed? Does it seem inevitable for you to be diagnosed because the women in your family have it or have had it? 

Breast cancer is a scary thing. BUT because we the people can do amazingly powerful things when we decide to come together for a cause, we have raised awareness and we have raised unforeseen amounts of money to help treat women all over the world.

Now if you follow my snapchat (chelseyrose) you know that I am a HUGE advocate for the book, The China Study, as seen in my last post. Between the heart felt stories, multiple studies and proven benefits of nutrition in regards to breast cancer, I can't help but pass the information along to you. 

Things CAN change.

We don't have to live in fear. We don't have to accept breast cancer as a route for us just because our mothers or grandmothers had it.

Through NUTRITION WE CAN CHANGE

It pisses me off that no one is teaching us this. Why are we constantly being prescribed pills and drugs before even addressing the fact that maybe, just maybe, if we were to care more about our nutrition we could drastically help ourselves rather than hurt ourselves in other ways? 

In the beginning of this particular chapter about breast cancer, Dr. Campbell (author of The China Study) talks about a phone call he received from a woman who was looking for advice on what to do for her daughter. She was terrified that her 9 year old daughter was bound to have breast cancer since her mother, grandmother and sister had been diagnosed, and she was facing a question that i'm sure hundreds of thousands of other women face...

"Does she let her daughter grow up in a deathtrap, or grow up without breasts?"

Dr Campbell explained that even though 1 out of 8 American women will be diagnosed with this disease during their lifetimes, only a tiny minority of cancers in general can be blamed solely on genes. Interesting right? So,

Here's something to think about:

Risk of breast cancer increases when a woman has...

• Early age of menarche (first period)
• Late age of menopause
• High levels of female hormones in the blood
• High blood cholesterol

here's what A diet high in animal foods and refined carbohydrates does...

• Lowers the age of menarche
• Raises the age of menopause
• Increases female hormone levels
• Increases blood cholesterol levels

Take a second to compare those.

He notes that one of the leading breast cancer research groups in the world stated,

"There is overwhelming evidence that estrogen levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk. Estrogen DIRECTLY participates in the cancer process." 

Dr Campbell states,

"Increased levels of estrogen and related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets, high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fiber. This suggests that the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat foods that will keep estrogen levels under control...

The sad truth is that most women simply are not aware of this evidence"

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(Please note, all citations are from The China Study)

The genes BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, when mutated, can create a higher risk for both breast and ovarian cancers ALTHOUGH just because they are present DOES NOT mean that disease is guaranteed. Environmental and dietary factors play a role in whether or not the genes are expressed (162).

PHOTOGRAPHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ETERNAL CHILD 

NUTRITION CAN AFFECT THIS!

But of course most of us are not aware of this. So when we do our part to try and PREVENT breast cancer we might first ask for a mammogram which really is only letting us know if the cancer is at an observable state yet (163). 

Another popular choice? A drug called TAMOXIFEN, which is supposed to be used to prevent breast cancer but studies show that tamoxifen raises the risks for stroke, uterine cancer, cataracts, and more. This drug is also known as an ESTROGEN DRUG which is used to reduce the activity of estrogen since estrogen is associated with the risk of breast cancer (164).

"WHY DON'T WE ASK WHY ESTROGEN IS SO HIGH IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

"We now have enough information to show that a diet low in animal-based protein, low in fat, and high in whole plant based foods will reduce estrogen levels. Instead of suggesting dietary change as a solution, we spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing and publicizing a drug that may or may not work and that almost certainly will have unintended side effects"  - Dr Campbell.

So as far as most women know, they are only granted three options

1. Watch and wait to see what happens.
2. Take tamoxifen for the rest of their lives.
3. Undergo mastectomy (remove one or both breasts).

I agree with Dr Campbell when he says, "There should be a fourth option: consuming a diet free of animal-based foods and low in refined carbohydrates, aided by regular monitoring for those at high risk."

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One more thing...

Anyones mom going through menopause? For most of us all that means is that our moms are having insane mood swings and we all think they've fallen off the deep end. But it is a very serious thing that every woman will have to go through and it can be extremely hard on a woman's body - not looking forward to it...

Ask your mom if she's taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy). HRT is taken by many women in order to alleviate unpleasant effects of menopause , protect bone health and prevent coronary heart disease...and it increases risk for breast cancer (166). 

So the issue is that these women must decide is if they want to feel helpless as they go through the emotional and physical symptoms of menopause OR if they would like to start taking HRT to manage their symptoms while increasing their risk for breast cancer and possibly cardiovascular disease...(167).

Here's the breakdown:

(167-168)

- During the reproductive years, hormone levels are elevated, although the levels among women who eat plant-based diets are not as elevated. 

- When women reach the end of their reproductive years, it is entirely natural for reproductive hormones of all women to drop to a low "base" level.

- As reproductive years come to an end, the lower hormone levels among plant eaters don't crash as hard as they do among animal eaters. Using hypothetical numbers to illustrate the concept, the levels of plant eaters may crash from forty to fifteen, rather than sixty to fifteen for animal eaters.

- These abrupt hormone changes in the body are what cause menopausal symptoms. 

- Therefore, a plant-based diet leads to a less severe hormone crash and a gentler menopause. 

"It is critical that we change the way we think about this disease, and that we provide this information to the women who need it." - Dr. Campbell

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We all know a girl or a mom. Even if this information doesn't affect you directly, it will be beneficial to someone you know! Will you do your part?

xoxo

Chelsey Rose

BUT WHYYY DO OUR PERIODS MAKE US CRAVE EVERYTHING?!

So this is usually how things play out for me…

A week before I start I’ll just be chillin going about my day doing my thaaang and out of nowhere BOOM “If I don’t get some sort of pasta in my life right now, someones going to die” Then everything gets put on hold until I can figure out what i’m going to do in order to get some pasta. I think last time I ended up going to my local whole foods and got a container of mac n cheese.

Ah - everything’s good. Until Its not. 4 hours later and BOOM… I NEED FRO YO!!

This goes on for 1-3 days then I start and it’s NO APPETITE at all because my stomach feels like there’s an alien devil inside of it and I have back cramps, stomach cramps and feel like I haven’t slept in at least 7 days. 

I think a day or two after that is when I try to get my life back together. Just to start the 3 week countdown until i have this much fun again.

So my question is WHYYYY do we have cravings??

What the hell is going on that I can eat healthy 99% of the time and then out of nowhere need a pizza or a mac n cheese sandwich in my life. (Made that up in 5th grade, best invention ever.2 pieces of bread and butter with mac n cheese in between…I don’t actually recommend it but…damn. its good)

So when we are getting ready to have our periods, our estrogen is fluctuating on a f-ing roller coaster having the time of its life while we suffer.

When this happens, our stress hormone cortisol starts to fluctuate, as well as our hormone serotonin which increases our feelings of happiness and contentment. 

If cortisol (stress) is up and serotonin (happiness) is down, we’ll crave simple carbs, fats, and sugary treats. This is because our body knows that simple carbs (sugar) will raise our happiness hormones quickly.

If our cortisol (stress) is raised but our happy hormone serotonin is regular, we’ll crave the fats and carbs but not necessarily the sugary treat. (croissants, bagels, peanut butter etc)

If you’re craving chocolate then that is most likely your body telling you that you are deficient in magnesium. 

These cravings along with bloating, mood swings, sleepiness and irritability can start 7-10 days before we start and sometimes last into our cycle. 

Thats a lot of time to be hungry and pissed. Not to mention that on top of just the cravings, we actually do feel hungrier during menstruation because our caloric needs fluctuate throughout the cycle.

Meanwhile, we’re just trying to live our lives and get our bods on point. 

So what can we do to reduce the cravings, control the cravings and reduce the bloat???

Check it:

- If you’re on your period now and want to eat everything, try starting your morning with protein and whole grains! This, opposed to sugary pancakes or cereal will help keep your blood sugar levels balanced for the rest of the day.

- In the middle of the day eat fresh produce. It is filled with water and fiber which helps reduce bloat and put off hunger as well as cravings.

- Magnesium can decrease cramping, insomnia, headaches, water retention, anxiety, and sore swollen breasts. Reach for cocoa and put it into your shakes, oats and green veggies. Also if you want to get this through chocolate, be sure to get one that is at least 70% cocoa. Or, get like me and get a magnesium supplement!

- Focus on WHOLE GRAINS AND HEALTHY FATS (one of my fav snacks is toast with almond butter and a banana with honey, really hits the spot)

- Have a craving? Then have it! Don’t ignore it. You’re already sensitive so don’t deprive yourself of that meal you want. No one need to know that you’re crying over a lack of burgers and french fries in your life. Modify whatever you can though, for example I would get a veggie burger with sweet potato fries.

You will be hungrier than usual, ITS NORMAL. Our uterus wall is shedding, we’re eliminating toxins and we’re dealing with any bottled up emotions from the previous weeks, this TAKES ENERGY FROM US!

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! If you feel exhausted, let yourself rest, if you feel alright and think you can hit the gym to raise those happy hormones for 0 minutes, then do it!

we all go through it so lets learn how to go through it the best….? way…..

Periods SUUUUUUCK but they can suck less.

peace out.