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Monthly Archives: May 2014

Mother’s Day recap + Lands’ End Performance collection review

27 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Everyday Joie, Fashion, Fitness

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Activewear, Austin's East Side, Blue Dahlia Bistro, East Side Yoga, Lands' End, Lands' End Performance Collection Review, Mother's Day, Restoring Hatha

I fortunately got to celebrate with my mom twice this month:  first, during an early Mother’s Day visit hosting her for a few days here in Austin, and then we got to surprise her with an impromptu visit back home on the actual holiday.  I love that no matter how old I get, I always cherish when Mother can come to the rescue as nurse, soul food chef, and occasional housekeeper.  I don’t mean to call her a maid, but my mom has some kinda knack for cleaning certain things around the house better than I ever could.  The flip side of that coin is she also has a knack for pointing out say, dust bunnies hiding behind the door of our guest bedroom…uh, THANKS for bringing that to my attention, Mother.  But, she showed me how she heats a bowl of tap water to steam up the inside of the microwave first, therefore making it easier to wipe away nuked residue.  In showing me this trick she thoroughly cleaned my microwave…thanks, Mom! 🙂

Serendipitously (for reasons I’ll explain), a few weeks ago I received some fresh fitness attire to review from Lands’ End.  Did you know they now make Activewear?  I remember this brand from years ago…their catalogs showcasing mix & match bathing suits to fit every shape, size, and color preference.  Well, they offer so much more than swimwear nowadays, and I was happy to get to try out some sample pieces from the debut Lands’ End Performance collection in the gym.  I received the 1.) Regular Performance Sport Crop Pants in Black 2.) Performance Colorblock Tank Top in Soft Pink Painted Stripe, and 3.) Solid Med-High Impact Performance Sports Bra in Black.Review of Lands' End new Performance Collection

Pants:  These workout pants are smoothing, supportive and most of all, SO SOFT!  The wide-leg, capri cut wasn’t great on my chicken legs…I usually go for full-length yoga pants or fitted legging-style crops.  The pockets are a huge plus, though — there’s a hidden zip pocket and a pocket for your iPhone in the back.

Top:  I loved the length…nice and long.  Great bright colors.  Super breathable and lightweight without clinging to my skin.  SIZE DOWN because it runs large and the armholes & silhouette were a little wide for my frame.

Sports Bra:  A flattering, quality piece!  Adore the individual molded cups for “the girls.”  My other beloved high-imapct sports bra by Moving Comfort definitely works, but it is in no way wearable post-workout due to the compression factor.  This sports bra by Lands’ End is comfortable enough to wear both running errands and around the house.

Overall:  The fabrics are fabulous…supportive where they need to be and breathable in the places a girl can appreciate.  I suggest sizing down — I’m a Small in Nike, for example, and in this label I could’ve definitely gone with XS in every piece.  Apparently evolving way beyond catalogs & bathing suits, Lands’ End brings their tried & true standard of quality and performance to workout gear.  It all comes at a moderate, budget-friendly price point and they even have Lands’ End Shops at select Sears locations.

So, back to Mother’s visit:  I showed her Whole Foods Market new location at The Domain, did some cooking at home, watched girly movies, did our nails…ya know, a bunch of girly stuff!  One of the highlights of her trip was our evening checking out a new yoga studio.  Whether as a rental investment or to buy & live in ourselves, at the time we had been actively looking at houses on Austin’s East Side and I wanted to show her the neighborhood.  We decided to experience the classes at a boutique yoga studio called East Side Yoga.  This welcoming, affordable & peaceful studio is located on a great street, representative of the area’s vibe.  Yoga is something both my mother & I have practiced in our own lives for years, and the activity has turned about to be a perfect way to share time together.  It’s wonderful when you can discover new shared interests in your relationship with Mom, right?  I was recovering from a minor medical procedure so we opted for an easy Restoring Hatha class.  I’ve never been to a class where the instructor goes around the room and asks each and every student to speak and share any health issues or requests — kinda different but ensures personalized attention.  The studio is intimate without feeling crowded, and the substitute instructor was so great…such a soothing voice!

Best part: since Mother didn’t have her yoga clothes, she was able to sport those pieces I had just received from the Lands’ End Performance collection!  As I said, they were a touch too big for me, but it all fit her perfectly!  We’re basically the same size, but she prefers her workout clothes a bit looser and with more coverage.  These pieces were so great for her:  fun colors, quality fabrics, and age appropriate.  She commented on the softness & comfort of the pants, especially — she stayed in them for the rest of the evening and they proved comfy enough for TV-watching back at home.  She even brought ’em back home to La Porte as part of her Mother’s Day gift.  Here she is, modeling their tank at our post-workout dinner:My mom in Lands' End Performance top

After our class, we walked across the street to the cutest European-style cafe, Blue Dahlia Bistro.  This place is consistently satisfying, great for any time of day, and the outdoor atmosphere was fitting for a nice little bite with my mom.  That’s egg salad on toast points topped with capers…it was so light and delicious!  We had a little table with a nice vantage point for East Side people-watching, too.  Miss you, Mother!  Come back to Austin soon!

My Experience Inside an Infrared Sauna

07 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by blogjoiedevivre in Fitness

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Tags

Aruba SunSpa, Detox, detoxification, InFluential Magazine, Infrared Saunas, sauna sessions, The Biggest Loser, Weight loss

For my story in the May/June issue of InFluential Magazine, I explored new & innovative ways to enhance my fitness game.  I didn’t necessarily want to cover new moves to try in the gym or what trendy classes to take, but focused more on how to add to what I’m already doing:  what to eat, how to speed recovery, and supplementary spa treatments that are new to the market.  See the full article here:  http://issuu.com/influentialmagazine/docs/influential_mayjune_final_/48

May/June Cover of InFluential Magazine

In doing my research on the topic, I seriously think I’ve discovered the hottest –both literally and figuratively– new way to lose weight:  SmartSweat Infrared Saunas.  I predict that these sauna sessions will be all the range soon, especially when it comes to weight loss & detoxification.  I was truly baffled at my results after just 3 sessions!  Btw, they are NOT sponsoring this post…this is me, just wanting to share more about the experience.  I cover a lot of the specifics (the technology, health benefits, etc.) in my piece for the magazine, but I thought I would share a little more of the personal firsthand details here on the blog…

I first heard about the infrared sauna/weight loss connection when I read it was one of the tricks Rachel Frederickson had up her sleeve to win The Biggest Loser.  You remember her:  the most recent winner of the weight loss reality show who shocked judges at her final weigh-in and went on to win the whole competition.  Well, in the time after they finished taping but before the live season finale, she did a lot of work on her own back at home and got what some thought was too skinny for her final reveal.  I think she looked fit, healthy & happy and she’s added back on just a couple more pounds since winning and apparently has found her happy medium.  Reportedly, regular infrared sauna sessions were one of the tools she used to seal the deal on winning and that’s how the idea first got on my radar.

A few weeks later when I noticed it was offered at the place where I get my spray tans, I knew I had to try it out!  I bought-in on a bundle promotion they were running and snagged three sessions for around $30.  –Definitely worth trying it out at ten bucks a pop, ya know?  They book appointments in 1-hour blocks, and my total time inside the booth was 40 minutes.  A few more things I should note:

–Unlike your gym where a traditional sauna is either unisex (uh, have you ever had a man in a speedo hit on you in the steam room? -gross!) or separated back in the men’s/women’s locker rooms, these saunas are completely private.  You’re in a small room all by yourself where you get to disrobe and sit through your individual session in total privacy.

–These saunas won’t wreck your tech.  I played on my iPhone to get acclimated at the beginning of all my sessions, in fact.  The type of booth I went to (called SmartSweat) boasted an array of digital entertainment choices to keep me occupied:  Apple TV, Netflix, music, and a digital display with the current time, session countdown, and temperature.  See, you can even take selfies in them!  🙂Me inside an infrared sauna

–No headaches in this heat!  Even just ten minutes in a traditional sauna can send me to headache city, gasping for fresh cool air upon exit.  They say an infrared sauna allows the body to sweat out less water and more toxins, and in turn, reduces my risk for head-pounding dehydration.  You should still drink lots of water during and after your time in the sauna, though.

–During my first session, I freaked out for a second at the thought of “infrared” and imagined I was like, microwaving my insides or something.  It does heat you from the inside out, but I was assured that it’s the same technology behind baby incubators and completely safe.  So, I just chilled out & meditated on the “infrared” technology benefits:  detoxification, weight loss, reduced blood pressure, improved circulation, and pain relief.

My experience was a bit different with each visit, too…

1st session:  Not too much sweat.  Just relaxed…checked my e-mails & Instagram account.  Left feeling more energized & somehow, in a better mood.

2nd session:  A little more sweat.  Feeling psyched…tweeted about it and took a #selfie.  Experimented with some arm exercises utilizing the provided small 1-lb. hand weights.  Noticed my post-session skintone looked less sallow and more vibrant.

3rd session:  Almost immediate sweat…and lots of it.  Drank tons more water.  Did a pretty legit workout in the booth with their 3-lb. weights:  bis, tris, chest press, calf raises, squats, etc.

My results:  diminished appearance in cellulite (this is a HUGE plus right here, folks!!!), a more toned look to my physique, and glowing skin.  I’m telling all my friends about it and would recommend this to anyone — apparently you can burn up to 600 calories per visit!  Because they’re so new to the market, people have asked me where you can find infrared sauna booths and I’ve noticed they’re at a variety of establishments.  For example, I’ve heard a radio commercial offering it at a local massage place and I’ve seen them at tanning salons, too.  If you’re in Austin, you can experience the very same infrared sauna technology that I did at Aruba SunSpa in West Campus.

 

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