Diet and Fitness Spring Cleaning

Continuing on with the spring trend, I’m going to talk about how to “spring clean” your diet and fitness regime. If you live somewhere cold like me, you probably ate a lot of hearty, if not downright heavy, comfort food over the winter.

When the temperature is -40 degrees, it’s hard to resist digging into a shepard’s pie or chicken casserole, and honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’m a big fan of eating seasonally, and here in Ontario, winter is not exactly the most ideal time to eat a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables. So now that spring is here, I am very excited to finally get back to using my blender for smoothies full of fresh berries! 

1. Apple, Strawberry, Rhubarb Smoothie

1 whole apple

1 cup rhubarb

1 cup strawberries

1/2 cup POM juice

1/2 cup probiotic yogurt

2. Kale, Coconut Smoothie

1 cup kale

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup Bolthouse green goodness

2 thin slices of ginger

In terms of fitness, winter can definitely make us feel sluggish, and the freezing cold temperatures can certainly turn us off from getting out and going to the gym. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s finally time to gradually ease our bodies back into a consistent fitness routine. If your lifestyle doesn’t allow for you to make it to the gym, I would strongly suggest setting aside some time each day to simply go for a walk. It might not seem like much but it’s a great way to get some cardio into your routine, and it’s also an amazing opportunity for you to unwind and get your mind off of whatever stresses you may be dealing with. I would personally recommend walking for at least 30-45 minutes at a brisk pace in order to get as much benefit out of your walk as possible. One of the reasons that walking is so good for you is because it’s not too physically demanding on your body in the way that say, endurance running can be. Considering that many of us let our exercise regimes slide a bit over the winter, it’s also a good idea to ease back into a fitness routine with cardio like speed walking so you don’t injure yourself or overdo it. You can check out my post on athletic gear here for some inspiration!

Getting Fit For Spring

To be completely honest, shopping for athletic clothing at the beginning of April can actually be quite a challenge. By now, most places have gotten rid of their winter gear and have started to replace it with a variety of brightly coloured, summer pieces, that as great as they may be, really aren’t realistic until the weather warms up at least another 15 to 20 degrees. For athletic gear, I like to have a good mix of high end and low end gear, because let’s be honest, we’re just going to be sweating in it anyway! 

My current shopping list for spring athletic gear consists of a few pairs of crops, some basic sports bras, a handful of racer-back tanks, and hopefully a new gym bag and water bottle. Once it gets closer to summer I’ll add in a few pairs of shorts (I’m hoping I’ll get a pair  of Lululemon Run: Speed Shorts for my birthday in June), but for now, I’m sticking with crops.

In terms of finding the perfect racer-back tanks, I haven’t had very much luck yet, but I have come up with a few simple DIY ideas that I might try instead. Essentially, what I’m looking for are simple, relaxed fit cotton racer-back tank tops in a few specific colours.

Since it’s still a bit cold to be outside jogging in crops and a tank tops alone, I’ve also looked into a few lightweight jackets to help block the wind. 

I currently own two pairs of running shoes, my Nike Free Run 4.0 V3 in black and white, and a pair of bright blue and neon orange Saucony Excite 6 runners. At first I was resistant to coloured running shoes, but to be honest, they have really grown on me! There are so many fun styles out there! If some of the more expensive brands are a bit out of your budget, you can get the same look from the Champion brand sneakers available at Payless. The Champion Atlas Runners in pink are actually really cute and the Champion Gusto Runnerscome in 25 different colours online!

To complete your spring athletic gear, you absolutely can’t forget about the accessories. I’m currently pining after a new gym bag and water bottle so I can drink my lemon and cucumber water on the go. After all, it’s important to stay hydrated!