by Candice Scott | Nov 17, 2020 | Health
My Holiday Must Haves 2020
The ultimate go to shopping list for any fitness and health fanatic in your life.
This year let’s make the most of this holiday season. We can shop from home and still enjoy what this season is all about….. shopping. Just kidding.
In all seriousness I hope you and yours have a Happy Holiday and much better 2021!
Below are my top 10 ideas. You can find more on my Amazon page here as well. Basically everything is on amazon so heres to free shipping with prime 🙂
Happy Holidays!
You can use this bad boy on your neck, your feet, your legs, your shoulders, your back, and it’s versatile. It works and its cheap. #WinWin
This is GREAT for anyone who may need to up that water intake. It lights up to remind you to drink up and it has a handy app to help you track it. LOVE IT.
I love this because it is versatile and does not take up a lot of space. Check out TRX as well.
This thing does it all, it air frys, it steams, sautes, bakes, and slow cooks plus more. I love NINJA products 🙂
Again I LOVE Ninja, they make things so much easier because they make all in one appliances. You only need one thing to do 4 jobs. This blender/pitcher is just that. Make smoothies, bowls, soups, and cookie dough plus more!
I do not care how goofy this looks I love this thing. It lives up to its name!
They could burn this while wearing the comfy! lol This smells amazing and lasts for a while.
Mushrooms?? May sound weird but I would love someone to get me immune boosting supplements- especially ones that help me relax with adaptogens and have stress support. This bundle is great and it is not just pills – its coffee, vegan protein and more.
Not to mention you can save more with code CANDICECFITNESS at checkout.
This is a great book to help us realize how much we need to slow down, and how much we can accomplish when we do. Check out more of my favorite books here.
These are SO comfy and they are actually pretty good for workouts (strength workouts not running). They come in a bunch of color combos too! I wear mine ALL the time :).
I have even more ideas on my amazon page!
Hope you have a happy holiday!
The links provided are affiliate links which I may receive a small commission. I would never recommend any product I did not personally own, use or believe in.
by Candice Scott | Sep 23, 2020 | Health, Nutrition
Weightloss is something that I believe every woman at some point in her life wants or tries to achieve. I know it one of the main reasons I have a job, and I have been there… in an unhealthy way, but thats for another day. Today I want to go over the top 5 reasons I see in women as to why they cannot seem to get the weight off, even IF they are doing all the things you would think would be right to get it off. Such as working out, watching what they eat, etc. I am going to go over these reasons THEN give you tips on how to start changing things around in a balanced way to see the scale start to change.
The Top 5 Reasons I Have Discovered That Women Cannot Lose Weight
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Improper Diet
- When I say improper diet you probably think of Mcdonalds, cake, all the bad fried stuff most of us know about… but what about sugar? What about eating too much “diet” foods or processed stuff?? Do you ever consider that those “gluten free” “healthy” foods may be causing harm too? Well they can.
- Of course most of us know Fried stuff and super sweet stuff can pack on pounds but we also need to pay attention to some of the “healthy” stuff we are eating too. Too many calories every day are still too many…. Regardless if it is good stuff or not.
- We also need to look at that label on those healthy items….Checking for fake ingredients can help lower inflammation, as the more fake stuff you consume the more inflamed your body becomes because it does not recognize it, and over time- that can lead to extra weight.
- Then there is sugar…. If you are a woman who has found herself not being able to lose weight like she once could. Then definitely pay attention to this. You could have estrogen dominance issues…. Or some other hormonal imbalance and added sugars will cause more harm than good. Even too much good for you sugars can be a problem.
- Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum of not eating enough….
- Working out hard can definitely help you speed up your metabolism but pair that with inadequate caloric and nutrient intake form food and you will eventually find yourself with a messed up slowed down metabolism. You can only do so for so long. Take it from me. I messed up my thyroid from doing it years ago.
- Also note that if you are not eating enough to help repair muscle that is worked during exercise you will never allow that muscle to rebuild, and we want that! Lean muscle is what burns fat at rest.
- Lack of vital nutrients that can support weightloss and metabolism- when you eat bad or not enough your body will not get the adequate nutrients it needs from food to help with energy, metabolism, and other things.
- When you eat poorly it can also disrupt your gut microbiome. This getting out of whack can mess with your digestion and cause you again to not absorb nutrients well. This can lead to many other dysfunctions throughout your body inhibiting weightloss.
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- Why you cannot lose weight in regards to your diet could be from:
- Eating complete crap (fast food all the time, sugary processed foods all the time, fake stuff too frequently, and healthy things that are still processed and loaded with sources of sugar which can cause inflammation)
- You may not be eating enough which can cause metabolism dysfunction over time and an inability to rebuild lean muscle to help burn fat.
- Your poor diet can lead to micronutrient imbalance.
- Bad food can disrupt your microbiome and cause you not to absorb nutrients as you should as well as lead to imbalances beneficial bacteria and increasing non beneficial bacteria causing inflammation- which leads to weight gain.
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Your Workouts
- If you have not been pushing yourself hard enough, if you have been doing the same thing for too long, or you workout when you are already stressed in other ways your workouts could be hurting you.
- Your body changes over time so your workouts should too, whether it is in recovery time, load or volume or reps all of these things should be changed every 6 weeks or so to ensure your body does to adapt/plateau.
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- Depending on the time of your cycle you are working out- your hormones and cycle can have an effect as well.
- During the first half (if you are regular) your hormones are rising and you essentially have more energy. ALong with that your metabolism is slower so you can do higher intensity training along with heavier lifting to help increase your metabolism. It is also shown that women burn more fat during this time. During the second half of your cycle (luteal) phase you want to start slowing down. As hormones drop your body tends to see an increase in cortisol, going too hard then means you will not recover as well and you could cause more inflammation internally leading to little weight loss.
- Another indicator is that we dont need to always work out like men. Most studies of weight loss are actually done on men vs women because of our cycle lasting 28 days and fluctuations in hormones. Men are easier to control, they have a 24 hour hormonal cycle. Meaning the weightloss shown in numerous studies may not apply equally to women
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Lack of Sleep
- When you dont sleep you increase stress on your body because it does not allow you to fully recover and repair.
- REM Sleep is vital to emotional health. Lack of it can cause you to never fully be content, you may be on edge more and see rises in anxiety levels. These things also lead to increased stress on the body – aka increasing inflammation and potentially causing weight gain.
- Your metabolism follows a circadian rhythm (24 hour cycle) if you have irregular sleep schedules it can throw your metabolism off and cause it to slow down and/or increase stress hormones.
- Lack of sleep can cause you to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes because it can throw off stress hormone levels. It can cause low levels of leptin which is your appetite suppressing hormone causing you to overeat. It can also cause high levels of gherlin which is your hunger hormone again leading to more eating. Cortisol can rise because lack of sleep makes you more susceptible to stress.
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- Sleep could be to blame if :
- You are not getting REM sleep
- You are sleeping at different times every night and throwing off your circadian rhythm
- You are not getting enough which in case causes stress, hunger and female reproductive hormones to go all over the place.
We have already eluded to the following two but to dive deeper in understanding the last two reasons are hormonal imbalance and stress. One leading to the other and vice versa.
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Hormonal Imbalance
- Essentially hormonal imbalance can mean low progesterone, high estrogen, high and low hunger hormones and high stress hormone levels
- First lets focus on progesterone and estrogen imbalance.
- When cortisol is high progesterone can be low because our body uses progesterone to make cortisol to respond to stress. So elevated stress levels be it internally or externally can cause an imbalance over time.
- When progesterone gets too low – then estrogen tends to go on the increase – when this happens things like PCOS happen. Too much estrogen also causes a vicous cycle with sugar as too much can lead to the sugar in our blood to not be used as energy and instead be stored as fat – that then leads to more estrogen being released. So the cycle just keeps going.
- Estrogen imbalance can also effect the estrobiome (in your gut) which can lead to other imbalances.
- Your thyroid plays a role in metabolism and hormonal imbalance can affect that as well.
- We touched on hunger hormones but note that any imbalance there can cause you to over eat.
- High cortisol that never gets to recover or lower back down causes inflammation in our body, it can cause estrogen and progesterone imbalance, it can cause type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance with its role on energy metabolism.
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- Having any sort of hormonal imbalance can make you potentially not be able to lose weight because:
- It can make your body be tricked into thinking it needs ot hang on to sugar as fat.
- It can cause type 2 diabetes.
- It can lead to inflammation and disruption of the microbiome.
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Stress
- ALL THESE THINGS CAUSE A TYPE OF STRESS
- Stress is bad- it causes inflammation- we know inflammation can cause disease but it also can cause issues with our metabolism.
- It can slow it down
- It can hold onto too much because your body thinks its in a fight or flight state so it needs as much food to hold onto as possible.
- Stress also can deplete micronutrients from your body and cause you to have decreased energy and metabolism as a result.
- Your metabolism needs certain nutrients to function optimally. Your thyroid needs them too- without them it can either slow down or speed up to impact your health in a negative way.
- It can cause your hunger hormones to get wonky and cause you to be hungry 24/7- eating crap too often- hence recreating a bad cycle.
- Try to go to bed around the same time every night. The better a routine your body is on, the better your metabolism can function.
- Try to limit processed foods (even if they are “organic”) a cookie is still a cookie.
- Look at nutrition labels of everything- if you need help with this check out my last video on labels.
Change up your workout routine. Change it up every few weeks. Increase reps, increase load (weight) or change up the style. Another great approach is to sync it with your cycle. You can find out more about that at the video linked below.
Try to decrease stress – take 5-10 minutes a day to just be still. Deep breathe, take in nature or your surroundings, read a book. Doing this small stuff can make a BIG difference.
If you try all of this and after a while you are still not seeing results then go to a functional doctor near you and get your labs done. Test your hormone levels. You want a functional doctor because they look at EVERYTHING not just your thyroid but everything that supports it. Including micronutrients.
I hope this helped you have a batter understanding as to why you may be at a plateau. If you need help find someone who can help you come up with a plan. Stay accountable and keep trying, do not give up! Sometimes it takes longer than we like, but the biggest thing is to just keep changing and trying, be open to change and learn patience. You want to not only lose weight but create a healthy life to go along with it.
Want to see this info in my latest Youtube (I go a little more in depth) – Check out below!
by Candice Scott | Jan 20, 2020 | Lifestyle, Nutrition
We have all heard anti inflammatory is the way to go. To avoid x or y to prevent ___. There is so much different information out there how do you know what is right? It can become overwhelming as you start to read it all and try to implement or try different things. Once you hear about one new thing then there is another. Who is with me on this?!
I am going to make it a little easier for you. I have done alot of the research so I am going to lay out the basics. I like lament terms personally so if you are like me in that way then this will help!
First off—- What exactly does anti inflammatory mean?
Lets back up first then make our way to that…. The definition of inflammation “is a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection”. (1) So when you think of it as our bodies defense mechanism meaning, when our immune systems think there is something harmful so it ups its defenses (our white blood cells, immune cells and cytokines). This is suppose to happen, however these things can go into overdrive, and that is where auto immune conditions come into play. For example Rheumatoid Arthritis- the immune system is attacking joints based on different factors putting up defenses to those areas. This happens when things like toxins, or medicines that build up over time in our liver, or having leaky gut occur and harmful substances are in our body for an extended period of time. This would be referred to as chronic inflammation. On the other end of the spectrum though when you get red after your fall or eat something with too much histamine and react by allergies that in turn is an acute inflammation response.
Hopefully that helps somewhat!?
So WHY do we want to choose Anti Inflammatory Foods?
Alot of foods I grew up on like, chips, cookies, boxed meals, or really anything boxed for that matter have artificial preservatives and toxic like chemicals in them (I.E. Corn Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Benzonate, Artificial Colors and Sweeteners) these things have in some way been linked to cancer, diabetes, thyroid and metabolic damage, etc. So think of what these things are doing to your body when you ingest them. We weren’t made to process this fake stuff… so hello immune response, and if you consume them frequently hello chronic response.
Now this isn’t to say that only foods are the problem for inflammation, our environments such as mold, dust, gasoline and other fumes in the air and then the metals in the tap water we drink and use…. they all play a part too.
We want to add things to our diets and lifestyles that help us. That make us thrive. Our bodies were built for that believe it or not. Many Anti Inflammatory Foods listed below have super antioxidant, vitamin, mineral and nutritional properties that can help combat these harmful pathogens and toxins weve allowed ourselves to have over the years.
The Anti Inflammatory Food List
Eating the right foods that our bodies were made for can help us heal! Foods actually do have healing properties when eaten without any thing like preservatives or chemicals added to them. The ones listed below are just a starting point, but some key things to look for when going to the grocery store.
Some staples to look for or start adding to your diet are:
- Turmeric – a great spice that contains one of the best known things for inflammation curcumin. Curcumin is well known for fighting inflammation within the body. Now just sprinkling a little on your food isn’t going to cut it though. You need it mixed with black pepper and honestly the best is to take it in supplement form.
- Vegetables – Like broccoli, cauliflower and brussels are great for some of their anti inflammatory compounds.
- Organic Leafy Greens – These are rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which are protective compounds (think spinach, kale, collards)
- Organic Cherries and other dark colored berries
- Organic Wild BlueBerries – I love these. These have 2x the antioxidants of normal blueberries. I add them to my smoothie every morning
- Organic Meats/ Poultry/ Fish/ Eggs – be sure to read where they originated from. Whether they were fed corn or soy as many “cage free” varieties are still fed these things which can in turn pass it to us when we ingest it. (For fish look for Wild Caught) The EPA and DHA in fish like salmon and mackerel are great for helping combat inflammation as well.
- Olive oil – (the best being extra virgin for anti inflammatory effects) – contain something called oleocanthal which is shown to have similar effects like taking ibuprofen.
- Avocados – it is basically a superfood as far as I know lol. I love them personally but so does my body. They are packed with magnesium and fiber and healthy monounsaturated fats as well as other things that have been shown to help fight cancer risk.
Ok so what is the takeaway here?
Well for starters lets focus on incorporating some of the foods listed above into our diets. Along with that try to start eliminating or cutting back on soda, burgers, fries, anything with words you cant pronounce on the label.
Is that doable?? I think so!
Another option is to add in some good for you vitamins and whole minerals daily, You can check out some of my favorites here MY FAVORITES . I personally use the Daily Nutritional Support Daily with Wild Blueberries and Spinach. It is a great way to start the day!
As always if you have ANY questions please don’t hesitate to contact me!
-C
*This page may include links with partners that I could receive commissions on.*
by Candice Scott | Dec 16, 2019 | Recipes
Yallllll these guys are amazing.
No seriously I have not had a complaint yet. Now I am NOT claiming to have come up with these on my own. That comes from paleorunningmama.com.
Here is the original recipe – /Almond Butter Fudge
I changed mine up a bit to not include any nuts so here is what I did:
- For bottom
- 1.5 cups of dark chocolate morsels ( I use dairy free like Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 cup of sunflower butter
- 1 tbsp of raw honey
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
- Melt chocolate in pan on stove and then add in other ingredients and stir continuously until melted through. Let cool slightly then transfer to a 8×8 or larger pan lined with parchment paper and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- For top
- Mix 1 1/4 cup sunflower butter
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 5 tbsp of raw honey
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 pinches of sea salt
- Smooth top layer over bottom in pan and let cool in fridge for 2 + hours before serving.
- Remove from pan still on parchment paper and then slice into squares and serve. Keep refrigerated if not using
These things have gotten rave reviews and hopefully you think the same. Feel free to swap out the sunflower butter for any you like and the chocolate chips as well.
Enjoy!
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by Candice Scott | Dec 11, 2019 | Lifestyle
Short- Sweet and To the Point- Christmas and holiday gift buying (if you are like me and gifts are NOT your love language) then it can be hard!! One thing I am good at though…… getting health and wellness gifts 🙂
I complied a list of some of the best for this year so if you have someone in your life that is a fitness, health and wellness fanatic hopefully these help make your gift buying a little easier.
You will find everything from smart watches to clothing to supplements below. Enjoy 🙂
Top 20 Fitness and Health Gifts for 2019
1- Apple Watch – https://amzn.to/38fTJIZ
You can make calls, listen to podcasts, get up to the minute heart rate data, ECG data, its waterproof, track workouts, and MANY MANY other things. This is the newest version but I have a 4 and it is something I really cannot live without now.
- For those who are anti apple…… (my husband) then I recommend The Galaxy Smart Watch https://amzn.to/2OSVfsR
2- Sonic Handheld Percussion MassageGun – https://amzn.to/345G8AG

- This is the new way to release muscle tension and get rid of knots and other stiffness post workout and from daily life stresses. I promise the pain hurts so good and no foam roller is going to get you this good.
– I love a good back and neck massage. This adds heat to the mix too to help relax the muscles. Releasing tension and stress and implementing more recovery into ALL of our lives is something we ALL need more of. I definitely recommend this.

- Stay hydrated! Keeping a water bottle on hand that is NOT plastic and WILL keep your water at the temperature you want is a WIN. These are great as they contain a large amount without being bulky and over bearing for day to day use.

- Not sure if I really need to elaborate here. If you know me you KNOW I love my Liquid IV and use it DAILY. It really helps get hydration to the cells in a more efficient way than other hydration drinks. It also is not loaded with sugars and fake ingredients like some are. You can feel good about what you are adding to your water. No matter if you are just drinking it day to day for health, post a little bit too many drinks, or if you are sick this stuff is my JAM 🙂
6- Collagen Peptides – https://amzn.to/2PrhCoi

- Collagen is something we all should be adding into our diets. I believe this for reason of not only gut support but skin elasticity and helping it stay plump if you will. It also helps with joint health. I have been using this brand for a long time and love their business and ingredient profile. If you are looking for something for someone who could benefit from this then give them a try!

- Truth – this is on my list this year. My husband is about ready to throw my other one out the window as it has gotten old and LOUD. Ninja brand has a great reputation and is proven to be of great quality for the price. If you or whom ever you are looking for is into smoothies or juices or cooking then this is a GREAT option.

- You may be wondering why I included this with some what throwing it under the bus with the hypervolt option at #2….. but I get it, that hypervolt aint cheap and if you are looking for something more affordable for recovery then this is your best option. This is a great quality and will get the job done for now ;).
Black Leggings
- For the yoga or fitness girl in your life. These are super cute, flattering AND comfy!
Sherpa Jacket
- Take this from class or the gym to out on the town. These are definitely in this season love them!
Black and Gold Nikes
- These are some of my favorite nikes for running as I always need more support with my high arches. Shop these or any others here and save at checkout!
12- Exfoliating Sugar Cubes – https://amzn.to/38nPk6T

- I fell in love with these and the smell. They are great for the winter and when you are someone who sweats alot and needs to take care of their skin then these are great!

- For the yogi in your life. This is a great quality and fan fave from all the yogi’s I know 🙂
14- Foot massager – https://amzn.to/2Yw4Hp6

- Not going to lie I fell in LOVE with this thing when I got to use one a few months ago. It feels like a legit amazing foot massage and you don’t have to worry about the weird
15- Fitness Bag- https://amzn.to/2Pjvz7A

- Cute and stylish- ya gotta put your stuff somewhere right?? 🙂
16 – Headphones- https://amzn.to/38aeaHi

- Favorites and they stay put! Bose is a name you CAN trust!
17- Sweat bands – https://amzn.to/367ZExS
– These are super cute and come in a pack of 8 so your fitness lover can have multiple options. They don’t slip and don’t dig into your scalp either! #Win
18- Socks – https://amzn.to/369qaqm
– Fact – if you workout then you ALWAYS need to socks. No slip and no show are the way to go!

- This is my DAILY and favorite all natural brand. They have no aluminum or harsh chemicals and they WORK! We know the studies out now about deoderant so use the good stuff! Definitely recommend :).
20- Vegan Protein Powder – https://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SHie
– I use this stuff EVERY DAY in my smoothies. Not only is it loaded with vegan protein but also ALL your daily vitamins and minerals.
And there you have it! My top picks for 2019! I hope they help and have a VERY Happy Holiday Season!!
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Disclaimer : the products above may provide me with small commissions for sales.
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