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Do It Yourself Pumpkin Face Mask

Do It Yourself Pumpkin Face Mask

As an Atlanta Personal Trainer, working out and lifting weights all day keeps my body looking and feeling great but doesn’t always leave my skin feeling smooth and hydrated. As the weather has cooled off this fall I’ve noticed yet again my skin beginning to dry out leaving me looking and feeling less than my best. This past weekend I put the highly talked about pumpkin face mask to the test. Pumpkins are the fruit of the season and are full of skin aiding vitamins and nutrients. Due to their high content of vitamin A (skin healing), vitamin C (antioxidant) and zinc, they are great for environmentally damaged and sensitive skin. And yes, this pumpkin face mask left my skin feeling smooth and moisturized. So mix up this recipe, draw yourself a warm bath, grab a cup of warm tea and relax tonight to end your Monday with some skin pampering bliss!

Ingredients:

2 tsp cooked or canned pumpkin
½ tsp honey
¼ tsp milk
¼ tsp heavy whipping cream or ½ tsp brown sugar

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Written by, Mandy Malool Atlanta Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition

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The Best Snacks: Increase the Nutrition Value of Your Banana and Apple

I often hear my client’s say they are eating healthy clean snacks/meals and working out regularly yet continuing to feel a lack of energy and not seeing the results they desire. Many times, as we begin to unwind and examine their diet we begin to see the source of their complaints. Though they are making healthy (or healthier) choices than they previously were, their dietary choices for meals, snacks in particular, often lack important macro and micro nutrients that are vital in providing energy, muscular strength, and support the growth of lean mass growth and fat loss. According to Oxygen Magazine, choosing the best snack foods will stave off hunger, prevent fat gain and boost your training results.

A common go to snack for many is the always present, always reliable and easy to carry apple or banana. Portable and nutrient-packed, there’s no denying that a apples and bananas are healthy foods. But a single banana or apple may not provide the ideal mix of macronutrients to support your body-shaping goals and provide you with the energy you need to get through your day much less a tough workout.

With a few small changes you can easily upgrade a banana or apple to a super snack anytime of the day simply by dressing it up a bit:

high nutrient snacks

Making a mix of the best snack foods to reach your ideal body-shaping goals.




Morning: 1 cup of nonfat milk + 1/3 cup plain oatmeal + top with 1 small banana + 1/8 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)
Afternoon: 1 medium banana OR apple + 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese +1 cup water
Pre-workout: 1 medium apple + 1/4 cup strawberries + 1 scoop whey protein
Post-workout: 1 small banana + 1 slice whole-grain bread + 1 tbsp almond butter + 1 cup water
Bedtime: despite its low calorie and nutrient dense qualities, fruit is not the best option at bedtime. Forgo the fruit and instead opt for 1 scoop of casein protein OR 1 cup of plain low fat Greek yogurt + 1/8 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts or pistachios) + 1 cup water

Atlanta Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Mandy Malool
ISSA-CFT, SFN

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Atlanta Personal Trainers Brad Kolowich Jr. and Mandy Malool’s Favorite Fall Fat Burners

Atlanta Personal Trainer Fit Fall Fun

the Best Atlanta Personal Trainers suggest some fun fall activities that will keep you fit

Fun Fall Workouts

1. Walk to the park.
Walking in the park with our four legged friend Rocky is a favorite fit fall activity we love. The weather is perfect and you don’t need any additional equipment. Just throw on your favorite tennis shoes and hit the pavement. To burn some additional calories, pack a book bag with a blanket (the additional weight will up your calorie burn), ball and healthy snack/lunch.

Calories burned: approximately 340 (for a 150lb.person on flat terrain)

2. Play Ball
Grab some friends, family or even the family dog and head outdoors for a fun game of flag or touch football. Running around after the pigskin can help you shed up to 500 calories per hour. This will give you a cardio workout like no other, leaving you tired and ready to relax in front of some fall football. After burning yourself out playing the game, you can sit guilt free in front of your TV to cheer on your favorite team.

Calories burned: 520 per hour

3. Rake and jump
Raking and jumping in the leaves was an annual event at our house growing up. Little did I know the beneficial exercise we were all receiving from this exilerating activity. Raking leaves is an excellent upper body workout! The rotating movements of your body engages shoulders, arms, back and core. Just make sure your rotate sides to equal work both sides of the body.

Calories burned: 260 per hour (jumping and re-raking adds additional calorie burn J).

4. Hitch a Ride
Check out your local Chamber of Commerce in your area to find a stable close to you that provides riding lessons. Horseback riding is fun and works muscles you are not use to using. Surprisingly, it burns a great amount of calories and is the perfect way to get outdoors and enjoy nature and this beautiful season.

Calories burned: 470 per hour

5. Take a Hike
One of our favorite things to do in the fall is get up to the mountains and enjoy the scenic view and cool crisp weather the mountain have to offer. The uneven terrain on the hiking trails engages more muscles and causes you body to work harder than walking on a flat surface. The scenery, sounds and scent of fresh air are so beautiful you won’t even notice all the huffing and puffing you’ll be doing.

6. Go Pumpkin Picking
We like to have an annual pumpkin carving contest at our house each October. This year we are adding an active twist to our yearly adventure. We will be packing our crew up to head to the local pumpkin patch. You could spend hours looking for the perfect pumpkin, and while you do you will be putting in several hundred steps around the farm. To add an extra fat burn and strength workout, carry you pumpkin around the patch. Keep the pumpkin close to you body, if you think you’ve found a better one, squat and pick it up and set the other down. Great leg workout!

7. Race the Finish
Fall is a great season for running, and many local running/walking events take place in the fall. One favorite that is dear to our heart is Atlanta’s annual JDRF Walk which donates to helping cure type 1 diabetes (T1D). Brad’s younger brother, Jonathan now 23, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 13 years old. Since then, we have been avid supporters of JDRF. JDRF is now the largest supporter of helping improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating and preventing T1D. This year we will be walking in Centennial Park on October 20th. Go to www.active.com to find a cause you are passionate about and get active!

Calories burned: 460-680 per hour

8. Get Spooked
If fear is the reason behind your increased heart rate, you are not getting the same fat burning exercise as an intense workout. However, add walking, jogging or even better running to your fear and your calorie burn will reach all time highs. There is no better way to jump start this type of high intensity workout than running through a haunted corn maze or haunted house. This is a great way to enjoy the season, get outdoors, and for the thrill seekers get an adrenaline high along with getting physically fit. Walking through the frightful space can burn 150 calories and hour but running (or sprinting) will increase the burn to over 250 calories per hour!

Calories burned: 150-250 per hour

This weekend, pick an activity and try it! Send us a pic of you, your family and/or friends staying fit this fall!

In health and fitness,
Mandy Malool
Certified Atlanta Personal Trainer and Specialist in Nutrition
ISSA–CFT, SFN

adapted from www.sparkpeople.com

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