Sleeping on the idea of imperfection with Helix Sleep

I was going to write this entire piece on why sleep is important but I’m pretty sure we all know how vital it is to get a good nights sleep and why its essential for our beautiful bodies and I’ll get to that. But first I’m going to share my day with you and how rough yesterday was for me. I’m still learning the ins and outs of this concept of letting go and allowing the little things to roll of my shoulders and not stress over them. Some hours I really feel like I’m excelling in this area and other days I’m failing with a capital F. I swear it changes throughout the day and I’ve learned to embrace it. 

Yesterday was a busy morning, I woke up later than usual because its summer and the fact that I don’t need to wake up at 5 am or 6 am to start my day because of my kids going to school has been amazing. EXTRA SLEEP! Sorta… As you guys may have read I’ve been getting terrible sleep so Helix Sleep was kind enough to send the entire family brand new mattresses to help reconnect with our REM. So yesterday we decided to run to IKEA to pick up some new bedroom furniture for miss little Olivia. IKEA can be a jungle sometimes but thankfully yesterday wasn’t so bad. We got all our things and Airis had a teenage girl moment at IKEA so we spent a good 20 minutes talking about feelings, issues, what caused it, and what she could’ve done to prevent it. More importantly to not speak to me in a disrespectful manner.

We left IKEA during rush hour traffic which doubled our travel time home. As soon as we got home we started to set up Olivia’s new bed frame and get our new mattresses all set up. Airis was first since all we were doing was setting up her new mattress. It was such a fun experience opening up the Helix box and seeing a Twin sized mattress shoved into a tiny box. Amazingly enough the set up was easy enough for her to do with very little help.

Next came Olivia’s which was short of a minor shit show. We began to set her bed frame up and realized we picked up the wrong slats for her bed. It was already 9PM, IKEA was closed. The kids hadn't eaten dinner yet and my anxiety was starting to stir up. We opened up her mattress, and as soon as we laid it on the floor I jumped right on top of it and about 20 minutes in I fell asleep. That just speaks to how comfortable this mattress really is. 

This morning I woke up this morning to Olivia reading me a list of birds. Sharing me with me her journaling and telling me how she's going to dress me to match her for the day. 

I thought I should share this with you because often times I think as women and mothers we’re so critical about our days. If they don’t go the way we planned it in our minds we begin to stir thoughts like lack of self worth which is definitely is not good for our overall health. Anxiety can begin to rise and all of a sudden you're stuck in this conversation with yourself that's leading you to no where but a negative mindset. Number one rule: DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF! Which of course is my note to self as well. 

Now on to the health benefits of sleep...

“Sleep is the most devalued component to our health. ”

Think about it. In our society we have a tendency to praise those who are always on the go and consider those who rest lazy. We say things like “Let them sleep while you grind.” or “I’ve got a dream worth more than my sleep.” Amongst all the other health benefits of sleep a few that aren’t discussed are how sleep can cause metabolic disruption. 

Some of these metabolic disruptions are: 

1. Impaired glucose tolerance

2. impaired insulin resistance

3. increased ghrelin aka the hunger hormone

4. decrease leptin aka the satiety hormone

5. increased body mass index (BMI)

The benefits of quality sleep include the following: 

1. increased energy to make beneficial lifestyle choices 
2. strengthen immune system
3. heightened alertness, focus, and creativity
4. improved mood by reducing anxiety, irritability, and mental exhaustion 

In our household we need a lot of sleep to function. We’re a busy family who’s constantly running around, utilizing our brains for creativity in different ways: photography, art, and writing. 

Here are some things you can do to get better sleep. 

1. Maintain a consistent daily schedule. 
2. Reduce your daily intake of coffee/caffeine
3. Get off any electronics two hours before bedtime 
4. Don’t go to bed on a full stomach
5. Don’t go to bed on an empty stomach
6. Exercise regularly 
7. Invest in an amazing bed that’s customized for you like the ones from Helix. 
8. Invest in comfortable bedding. 
9. Go to sleep and wake using your internal clock (meaning, don’t fight it when you’re tired)
10. Sleep in a dark room and diffuse ess

I’m partnering up with Helix to giveaway a free mattress of your choice. 

To Enter! Just head on over to my INSTAGRAM and head to my sponsored Helix post. Follow GOFITJO and Helix and tag a friend on the photo for one entry and for an additional share a photo that shows me what it means to #sleeplikeyourself.

Disclaimer: This contest is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s term of use.

I was gifted product by Helix in exchange for this post. However 

How To Fight That Mid Morning Crash

We all know that there’s never enough time in the day especially if you’re a modern day hustler (aka running your own business or simply a busy human). I always seem to find myself running from one errand to the next or having to go from one checklist item to crossing off another. When you’re on the hurry it’s easy to succumb to junk food, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.

Mid-morning is typically when the hunger starts to kick in. For me, it’s after the morning routine with the kids and after an early morning workout and a few rounds of emails and work at my desk. Instead of reaching the point of desperation and devouring everything in sight before lunch, try a mid morning snack to ease the hunger pains.

“The problem is, we don’t listen to our bodies closely enough and when our tummy starts to talk to us, we try putting it off instead of giving it what it needs. ”

Here are some simple ways to power through that mid morning crash.

The problem is, we don’t listen to our bodies closely enough and when our tummy starts to talk to us, we try putting it off instead of giving it what it needs. Drink water. When it’s telling us “I’m hungry” we don’t take into consideration that what it actually might be saying is I’m thirsty. Try drinking water instead of reaching for a bag of chips. If you want or need flavor in it, add some slices of lemon.

Get your body moving. When I find myself hitting that mid morning crash it’s often because I’ve been sitting in front of my computer trying to get as much work done before lunch time. Get up and go outside for a quick bike ride, a walk around the block, or to just soak in some Vitamin D and fresh air.

BelVita Protein is a great mid morning snack. It’s got 10g of protein and incredibly tasty! My favorite part is that it takes just like a baked good and makes the perfect companion for your mid morning coffee or as the main attraction with your other snack items. They come in two flavors Protein Oats, Honey and Chocolate and Blueberry Almond, I enjoyed them both, but if I had to choose I’d go for the Blueberry Almond. It reminded me of a baked good I would pick up at a local bakery on the way to school when I was younger.

What do you do you keep yourself from playing the mid morning hunger games?

This post was sponsored by belVita and I was compensated to write this post, but all the opinions are 100% my own. || photography by my talented daughter, Airis Encarnacion.

The Refined Collective: Love

LOVE. How can a four letter word be so complicated? How does one thing that sounds so simple to understand turn into a complex language that has numerous layers just piled onto one another. Relationships are complicated. No two are the same. 

Just like any thing and everything we’ve placed a label on what the “perfect” love looks like. We’ve created this idea that love is supposed to be happily ever after and forever and always. Movies and media have shown us examples of both good love and bad love. And because we’re so heavily influenced by what we consume, its easy to forget what love means for one’s self. After being married for 9 years and hearing so many different stories about love I’ve learned how to define my own version of love.

In our culture, many of us idealize love. We see it as the cure to solve all of life’s problems. And yes I agree to a certain degree, but we overestimate that this will truly solve it all. 

Love is simply not enough. In order to thrive in a healthy relationship you have to understand that it requires more than just lofty ideals and pure emotion. Love, like your health and fitness goals require a deeper understanding of one’s values, intention, and respect from everyone involved in the relationship. 

You can fall in love with a wide variety of people throughout the course of your life. You can fall in love with people who are good for you and people who are bad for you. You can fall in love in healthy ways and unhealthy ways. You can fall in love when you’re young and when you’re old. Love is not unique. Love is not special. Love is not scarce. - Mark Manson

A healthy relationship requires an understanding of one another’s values and having the mutual respect that your values may be slightly different than the other person’s and may change over time. After all you are two people in the world experiencing life through two different lenses. You’ll gain a different perspective in the world based on these experiences. Of course we always look for someone who can sweep us off our feet, it’s what we all idealize. But you also need to evaluate someone’s intentions, values, and the how the respect and treat themselves and others. 

Love is a wonderful experience. It’s one of the greatest experiences life has to offer. But like any other experience, it can be unhealthy or healthy.

This Post is curated in conjunction with the ladies of The Refined Collective.  Be sure and read the other articles on love today by: The Refined Woman,  Jackie V., Tonyha Kae, and Tutti del Monte.

Also, join us over on instagram today under #therefinedcollective to see what everyone else has to say about love.

Veggie Frittata Recipe w/ La Tourangelle Nutriblend Oil

I discovered La Tourangelle while strolling around at Whole Foods one day and I’ll be honest. I fell in love with the high end packaging at first. I’m a sucker for beautiful packaging and unique branding. I’ve been obsessed with healthy oils and fats lately such as making bulletproof coffee with ghee or coconut oil. One of the things that I loved instantly about La Tourangelle is their transparency about their products and their small batch processing with a dedication to carefully analyze and evaluate the nutritional contribution of Omega 3, MCT’s, fatty acid content and vitamins in all their oils.

I was sent some Nutriblend Oil to try out and incorporated it in some of my favorite meal prep. One of the things that I loved about it was that it’s a wide range heat cooking oil that can be used from medium to high temperatures. Which makes it perfect for stir frys, baking, and even using it in bullet proof coffee or smoothies.

Veggie Frittata Recipe

One of the most common questions I get asked by other mom’s who are trying to make healthier changes in their nutrition is: Do you meal prep your own food and then make something else for the family? My answer: Sorta. We’re huge fans of sautéing batches of veggies in a cast iron. It’s my way of being able to bulk meal prep for the family and myself without feeling like I’ve spent hours in the kitchen making my own healthy food without thinking about what my family eats. After I bulk prep a bunch of veggies I’ll separate my portions into my meal prep and then use the rest for a separate family meal such as our favorite brunch frittata.

Veggie Frittata Recipe:

• 4 whole eggs
• 2 cups of aspargus
• 1 cup of bell pepper
• ½ cup of shredded cheese
• 1 TBSP of La Tourangelle Nutriblend Oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ¼ cup of milk

Instructions: 

1. Mix eggs and milk together in a bowl and set aside

2. Heat 1TBSP of NutriBlend Oil in a cast iron pan on medium.

3. Cook garlic until fragrant

4. Pre heat oven at 375 degrees

5. Saute bell peppers and asparagus for 5 minutes or until al dente

6. Pour eggs and milk mixture into the cast iron and turn heat to low

7. Stir the cheese into the mixture and cook for 5 minutes on low heat

8. Put the entire cast iron pan into the oven and cook for 35 minutes.

9. Then serve it up and enjoy!

One other thing I’ve been doing with Nutriblend Oil is using it in my smoothies and I recently snuck it into my favorite Acai Bowl Recipe to give it a different punch and flavor note. The nuttiness in the flavor gives my Acai Bowl a bold and powerful flavor and not to mention the added health benefits from the vitamin E and omega 3 which makes it a much more powerful antioxidant rich meal.

Look for La Tourangelle Artisan Oils at your favorite grocery store or find it at Costco!

This post was sponsored by La Tourangelle Artisan Oils and I was compensated to write this post, but views are all my own!

 Photography by the talented Encarnacion Photography