Tauts Post Pregnancy Belly Wrap By Baboosh Review

Hi ladies! To conclude our postpartum girdle reviews, I am reviewing a girdle from a company called Baboosh Baby founded by Brook Burke & her mother. She created her business after giving birth to her daughter and searching high and low for the best girdles out there. She could not find one so she decided to create her own called Tauts Belly Wraps. She wore her wrap for 40 days & 40 days and had amazing success with it as she shrunk back to her pre-pregnancy sized waist.

I had the chance to review the Tauts Post Pregnancy Belly Wrap. This girdle is a huge favorite of Brooke Burke's. You  can read her story here.

The girdle features:

• Three panel construction designed for a women's curves
• Eight inch adjustable Velcro
• No bones or stays to jab into you
• Only 3mm, not bulky
• Gets your tummy back to its original state

You can wear it as much as you would like-immediately postpartum or not-it still works.

Comfort

This girdle was very comfortable and did not catch or snag on clothing. The outer layer of the girdle was super smooth to bare skin and did not irritate.

Durability

The girdle was thick and made with high quality materials. It Velcro'd easily on and off without any issues.

Effectiveness

The Tauts belly wrap was super effective as it covers the whole abdomen and not just part of it. I can certainly see why Brooke Burke chose this brand.

Wearability

The wrap fits from right under your breasts down to your hip bones (at least on me) so it was quite longer than most girdles and covered a good amount of area. It does show through clothes so if you wear it out, be sure to wear a thick shirt. I personally would wear mine around the house or to bed.

Price

The Tauts belly Wrap costs around $56.00

You can learn more about Baboosh Baby and view the product line by visiting their

Main Site! Also be sure to check out Brook Burke's awesome mommy site ModernMom & it's Facebook page!

Disclaimer: I was given a Tauts Belly Wrap to test, at no cost. All opinions are my own.

Diary of a Fit Mommy's 5 Minute Medicine Ball Workout

Here are some of my favorite moves! Enjoy!

1. MEDICINE BALL SQUATS

1. Plant your feet flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart.
2. Point your feet slightly outward, not straight ahead.
3. Never let your knees extend beyond your toes.
4. Look straight ahead. Bend at your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair, keeping your heels on the floor.
5. Pull in your abs, and keep your lower back in a near neutral position (a slightly arched back might be unavoidable).
6. Tighten your whole body when you perform the squat.
7. Lower yourself. In a controlled manner slowly lower yourself down and back so that your upper legs are nearly parallel with the floor. Extend your arms for balance.
8. Keep the upper body tight at all times.

2. CLEAN & JERKS

• Straddle medicine ball with feet slightly wider apart than shoulder width.
• Squat down with arm extended downward between legs and grasp medicine ball.
• Position shoulder over medicine ball with taut low back and trunk close to vertical.
• Now for the clean. Pull medicine ball up off floor by extending hips and knees.
• Once medicine ball  is off of ground vigorously raise shoulder above medicine ball while keeping it close to body.
• Jump upward extending body.
• Raise shoulder and pull medicine ball upward with arm allowing elbow to bend out to side, keeping medicine ball close to body.
• Drop under medicine ball , rotating arm under medicine ball.
• Catch medicine ball on outside of arm with wrist straight while moving into partial squat position.
• And for the jerk-Explosively drive upward with legs, driving medicine ball  up off arm.
• Drop body downward and by bending knees as fast as possible while vigorously extending arm upward with wrist straight.
• Extend both legs.
• Lower medicine ball to front side of body catching it on side of arm with wrist straight while initiating squat position.
• Decelerate decent of squat to absorb weight of fallen medicine ball then immediately straighten legs.
• Drop medicine ball by pulling elbow back.
• When arm straightens decelerate decent of medicine ball, lower medicine ball to ground between legs while squatting down with taut lower back and trunk close to vertical.

3. RUSSIAN TWISTS

1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
2. Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight, but don’t let it curve.
3. Place your arms straight out in front of you with your hands one on top of the other. Your hands should be level with the bottom of your ribcage.
4. Pull your navel to your spine and twist slowly to the left. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging. Inhale through center and rotate to the right. This completes one rep.
5. Do 16 full rotations.

4. MEDICINE BALL SIT UPS

1. Have your knees bent and the balls of your feet and heels placed flat on the ground.
2. Place your hands on opposing shoulders, so that your arms are crossed over your chest, or behind your head. This allows you a central rising point.
3. Tighten your abdominal muscles gently by drawing in your belly button to your spine
4. Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, slowly and gently lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades. Focus your eyes on your bent knees, all the while gently contracting the abdominal muscles. Pull up from the floor until you’re at a ninety-degree angle, or when the elbows are on, or past, the knees.
5. Hold the position for a second. Slowly bring the torso back to the floor but try to keep it slightly elevated off the ground. This means not to place your back flat to the ground but to keep a slight, yet relaxed, arch.

Power Systems Medicine Ball & Resistance Band Review

Hi ladies!

For those of you who have recently reached out to me in regards to what equipment is best for building your own home gym, I have a few amazing things to show you! Today, I am reviewing Power Systems. This wonderful company has just about everything you need to get started: mats, foam rollers, medicine balls, resistance bands, training ropes, dumbbells, you name it!

I had the chance to review 3 pieces of equipment from the product line.

The first product that I had fun reviewing was the 16lb. Corball Plus Medicine Ball. This is basically a medicine ball-with handles on it for a better grip! A smart idea because a lot of medicine ball geared exercises can really use something like this. Before I tried this product, I was not aware that like this even existed!

The CorBall is ideal for abdominal exercises, rotational movements, and strength training. I have actually replaced my Kettlebell with this product on several exercises such as the Clean & Jerk. I honestly loved the CorBall more than any ole regular medicine ball and would recommend it to anyone wanting a versatile piece of equipment.

I had the chance to also review the 12lb Elite Power Medicine Ball. This medicine ball is very durable and guarantees to maintain its shape. Some medicine balls tend to lose the perfect roundness to them and then they become useless! But, not this one! The medicine ball is used for traditional medicine ball exercises of course and you may even bounce them on the floor. Some "medicine balls" can't even do that! The outside covering of the medicine ball is textured to enhance a perfect grip on the ball, though this one has no handles.

The last product that I had the chance to review was the 48" Versa Tube Resistance Band. 

This is an amazing tool to own for a variety of uses and the best of all-it is so affordable! You can use it to work your lower & upper body parts for a total body workout. The elasticity allows for full range of movement and as well controlling the intensities to your workout. You are in full control with this one!

Overall, I was super thrilled with making these high quality products a staple in my home gym. Not only did the products amaze me, but so did the friendly and courteous staff who are on call to help you find the perfect tools to reach your fitness goals.

Power Systems is now doing a $5,000 Ultimate Home Gym giveaway on their home page right now so go enter to win!!

To learn more about Power Systems and to view their product line for ideas for your own home gym, visit their:

Main Page

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Disclaimer: I was given these products to test, at no cost. All opinions are my own.

Could Your Morning Coffee Boost Weightloss?

Mmm, what's that smell in my house at 6 in the morning? None other than my trusty Keurig brewing up something good! A cafe mocha, to be exact.

Coffee has been around since the 13th century, maybe even before that, and has been a staple to each person's daily routine for as long as we could remember. What's there not to love? Coffee is packed with antioxidants, increases energy levels, lowers health risks, improves mood and cognitive functioning, and it also helps you burn fat.

Wait a minute. Burn fat? What? How?

If you look on the labels of most thermogenics, caffeine is usually listed on there in significant amounts. Caffeine is actually one of the few natural substances that has been proven to aid in fat burning. So, how does it help you burn fat? Well, it stimulates the nervous system, which sends direct signals to the fat cells to tell them to break down fat. Epinephrine travels through the blood, to the fat tissues and send signals to break down fats and release them into the blood.This is how caffeine helps to mobilize fat from the fat tissues, making it available for use as free fatty acids in the blood. 

Caffeine also increases your metabolic rate by 3%-11%, some studies have revealed. In the short term, caffeine can boost the metabolic rate and increase fat burning, but after a while people become tolerant to the effects and it stops working.

Other than caffeine, coffee contains Theobromine and Theophylline which also have a stimulating affect. It also contains Chlorogenic Acid– one of the biologically active compounds in coffee, may help slow absorption of carbohydrates.

However, there are some downsides to making coffee a staple in your daily diet. If you are going to drink coffee while trying to tone up or lose weight, beware of adding in any sugars, syrups, or creamers that will only add to your waistline. Adding a natural sweetener such as Stevia or honey is a better alternative. Instead of creamer, try almond milk or coconut milk instead.

Another potential downside to caffeine is that if you drink too much, it may increase your stress levels leading you to overeat. Also, coffee has been linked to insomnia, which might also lead you to consume more calories than you are aware of. Always keep track with how much you are consuming!

But whether you are a coffee lover or not, there's no denying the benefits it has on the human body.

Your best bet?

Have a cup of black coffee and reap the benefits-in moderation!

Ditch the Sugar Lips: 5 Sweet Sugar Alternatives to Try Instead!

Sugar. Who can resist the sweet and lingering taste? 

 

Sugar has been around ever since it was first noted in the 8th century BC, but unfortunately, it has been processed & refined time and time again which has resulted in losing any of it's nutritional properties.

It's a drug. Who can resist? Brain scans have shown that intermittent sugar consumption affects the brain in ways similar to that of illegal drugs. A highly cited study in the journal of Neuroscience & Behavioral Reviews found that sugar meets the criteria for a substance of abuse and may be addictive to those who binge on it. It does this by affecting the chemistry of the limbic system-the part of the brain that is associated with emotional control.

Did you know that there are 10 teaspoons of sugar in the average energy drink? Crazy, right?

Here are the 5 great alternatives to refined sugar:

Raw Honey. Honey is probably one of the most widely known natural sugar alternatives out there. Honey is composed of two simple sugars-glucose & fructose- and is absorbed in a different manner than white sugar, which causes a slower and more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. Since honey is slightly higher in fructose than sugar, it tastes sweeter; therefore, you can use less of it. Raw honey is also known to contain antioxidants as well as a few vitamins & minerals.

Maple Syrup. Maple syrup is a well known sugar substitute among those who strive to use less refined sugar. It also contains some health benefits such as antioxidants to support the immune system and a healthy heart as well as several beneficial vitamins and minerals. Some would even refer to this natural sweetener as a "superfood."

Stevia. Stevia is derived from a plant as a sugar substitute and unlike other sugar alternatives, it's primarily known for what it doesn't do-add calories. There has been some debate over whether or not Stevia is the real deal; however, it does benefit those with type 2 diabetes or individuals watching their sugar levels.

Xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally reoccurring alcohol found in most plant material including fruits & veggies. You might have read the name on many sugar free gum packages as it's used as a popular sugar substitute. It is also extracted from birchwood to use for medicine and it's also used in tube feeding formulas as a source of energy. Cool, huh?

Date Sugar. This sugar is different than other sugars in the fact that it's not processed to create a sugar alcohol-instead, it's made merely of finely chopped dried dates. Because of this, it goes through minimal processing and is thought to be one of the more natural sugar alternatives on the market.