Mornings set the tone and mood of your day and establish the foundations of your hustle–Nat (my life partner) and I are helping you do the same: build a solid foundation through your wellness journey (and yeah, okay, fitness too) through raw, early morning, right-out-of-bed, casual chitchat from our humble little home. Join us every Wednesday, 7:30 AM PHT on Instagram (@nkitorres and @thenatcruz) as we go LIVE on both our accounts to talk all things fitness and wellness and answer your Q’s.
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Well, we finally got around to doing our first Live Stream together and we had so much fun conversing with everyone who went online early to join us. In case you missed the topics we tackled last week, here’s a quick roundup of what we discussed.
We both start our day with a glass (or two) of water. Nat likes hers extra warm, while I go for room temperature. Your body gets dehydrated during your hours of sleep which is why the first thing you must do is replenish the water lost during your slumber.
Oil Pulling is a practice I’ve always loved. The concept is new to Nat because it’s quite uncommon. I either purchase a bottle of pulling tonic from specialty stores such as Indigo Baby (look for Gargoyle) or just swish plain ‘ol virgin coconut oil around my mouth for 15 to 20 minutes every morning. The list of benefits is long and that includes keeping your teeth and gums healthy. It also soothes sore throat and cold sores, helps with migraines and insomnia. You can forget about the chemical and alcohol-laden mouthwash, now.
ACV and Lemon Flush. We both love sour and spicy flavors which is why drinking vinegar is something we actually look forward to each morning. Apple Cider Vinegar and lemon are known for flushing out unwanted toxins from the body. We usually add a dash of Cayenne Pepper for a little fat burning boost (and that added kick!) plus rock salt to taste. I wrote an article about drinking vinegar on the GoWell website which you can read HERE.
Intermittent Fasting. We like giving our bodies the time to slowly ease in to digesting our food so we usually just drink liquid in the morning or something light (such as a banana or a protein shake) when we’re really hungry. Our biggest meal is at lunch everyday and we make it a habit not to eat past 8PM to allow the body enough time to wind down and fully rest during sleep.
When we do break the fast with a shake, we take Maximum Vibrance from Vibrant Health. An amazing product line offered by Muscle Shack (you can order from them online and they’ll deliver straight to your doorstep!). Maximum Vibrance has 20g of protein per serving + all known nutrients. We love looking at its nutrient profile, knowing we’re taking all that goodness in. Vibrant Health has a full range of products that have probiotics and Fiber in them, a HUGE plus for me especially because I always like making sure I care for my gut. Along with Maximum Vibrance, we also keep a stash of Green Vibrance capsules and Vibrant Flora for when we want something fruity in the morning. Vibrant Flora is also great for flushing out toxins.
On Morning Workouts. We are quite different when it comes to this. Nat likes to get her workouts done first thing so she no longer has to worry about it the rest of the day. I, on the other hand, feel it out and usually hit the gym between 10:30 to 2PM when I feel my body is at it’s strongest. Research shows the body is at it’s optimum from 12NN through 3PM. Of course, not everyone has the luxury to train within those hours so I still say go with a schedule that works for you.
We like to give away stuff because having too many stresses us out. Nat is influencing me into living a minimal lifestyle and we both just love the feeling of cheering other people up. We gave a tub of Maximum Vibrance to one of our viewers who stayed through the end and put up with our craziness. Congratulations, Berns Calayan!
Watch out for the next live stream, Wednesday 7:30 AM PHT on Instagram! Follow me @nkitorres and Nat Cruz @thenatcruz to make sure you don’t miss. Email me your questions (nikki@prettydarnfit.com) if you want any of them answered on-air. We’ll do our best to help out. See ‘ya! <3
