Zumba Shake Shake Shake Launch

Last month I attended the launch of  Zumba Shake Shake Shake™. The launch event included a zumba class, and a sampling of the protein-packed 100-calorie drink. I loved the taste of the shake - I made sure to sample it a few times, and was surprised to learn that the shake has under 1 gram of sugar per serving. The shake is a vegan, gluten-free, allergen and dairy-free powdered drink available in three flavors: Coco Loco, Thrilla in Vanilla and La Vida Mocha.

It is really easy to make the shake - just mix one of the flavored powders with either cold water or milk (Almond is the preferred choice), put it in a blender, add some ice and mix until you have a creamy, milkshake consistency. The drinks are available at www.ZumbaShake.com for $129 for a 30 day pack (960g) or $99 with a $30 off code from your Zumba® instructor, which is a substantial discount! You can find fun and easy shake recipes at www.ZumbaShake.com and share your shake stories on social media using #HowDoYouShake. 

To find a Zumba® class, please visit Zumba.com. 

- Kim Weling

Recap: Fitness Magazine Blogger Meet and Tweet 2014 #FitBlogNYC

On October 16th, I attended the annual Fitness Magazine Blogger Meet and Tweet at the Mercedes Club in NYC. Fitness Magazine Editor-in-Chief Betty Wong kicked off the morning welcome to attendees, followed by speaker sessions on The New Formula For Fitness Success with Holly Rilinger, moderated by Fitness Deputy Editor Mary Anderson, CrossFit, Mud Runs, Marathons! How to Stay Healthy in a Hard-Core World with Marci A. Goolsby, MD, moderated by Fitness Senior Editor Lisa Haney, and Eat Healthy in a Healthier, Live Happier: Game Changing Cooking Secrets with Carla Hall, moderated by Fitness Executive Editor Pam O'Brien.

After the speaker sessions attendees enjoyed lunch and met with event sponsors including Eddie Bauer, Hoka One One, Dermalogica, Tria, Tonalin, Balance Bar, Pure Protein, Luna and Oster Versa. 

After lunch and sponsor meet and greets, there was a panel discussion on My Digital Brand is My Business with Lisa Elaine Held, Bianca Jade, Anne Mauney, RD, and Laura Sykora, moderated by Fitness Digital Director Amanda Wolfe. The day ended with a run sponsored by Hoka One One and an amazing gift bag from event sponsors. Thank you Fitness Magazine for hosting another fun and fabulous Blogger Meet and Tweet!

Eddie Bauer introduced their Incendiary long-sleeve crew and 1/4 zip baselayers, shoes and down vests from the current fall collection. The baselayers are perfect for going cold-weather activities from running to hiking.

Hoka One One showcased their running shoes, which was my first introduction to the brand. Their shoes seem lightweight and incredibly cushioned, so I can't wait to test them out.

It's always great to see Dermalogica! They were showcasing their skin hydrating booster, protection 50 sport spf50 and after sun repair. One of their latest products that caught my eye was the redness relief primer spf20.

I've heard so much about Tria but have never actually tried one of their hair removal devices yet. Luckily I won the Tria Laser Precision from tweeting during the event! It's designed specifically for the underarms, bikini line and other small, sensitive areas. 

  

Tonalin CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) softgels are taken twice a day to help promote fat reduction and increase lean muscle mass. This is another product I've never tried, but look forward to seeing how it works out. 

My new favorite energy bar - Balance Bar Sea Salt Caramel Nut!

Balance Bar Cookie Dough and Chocolate Mint Cookie Crunch

Pure Protein Bars - Dark Chocolate Coconut

Pure Protein Vanilla Cream Shake

Luna Bars in Lemon Vanilla

Oster Versa showcased their blenders and served up smoothies during lunch

Pear & Pineapple green smoothies blended by Oster Versa

Lunch was incredibly healthy and delicious, including Arugula salad with butternut squash, pumpkin seeds and pecorino, Quinoa with herbs, pomegranate, pickled red onion, cucumber and pecans, roasted vegetables, and Grilled chicken served with Salmoriglio (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano).

Baked spiced appleswith granola (dried coconut, flax seeds and sunflower seeds) and vanilla bean whipped cream for dessert

- Kim Weling

Fitness Blogger Meet and Tweet 2013 #FitBlogNYC

FITNESS Magazine hosted their second annual blogger Meet and Tweet #FitBlogNYC, on May 16th at The Mercedes Club at 550 West 54th Street, with seminars on Health, Beauty, Wellness and Diet and Nutrition. Bloggers also met with sponsors and previewed the latest products from Athleta, CamelBak, Crystal Light Liquid, Ford and the Fiesta Movement, Marmot, Reebok, Saucony, Smart Balance, Tonalin and Vichy. At the end of the day, bloggers participated in one of three work-out sessions - Athleta's mad cool cardio lead by Jennifer Turner, Saucony's power run or Reebok's yoga with Tara Stiles. I took the mad cool cardio class, with a great mix of pop, funk and R&B.

Meet and Tweet Seminars:

Celebrity makeup artist and Executive Director of Global Artistry, Stila Cosmetics, Sarah Lucero, took us through hottest beauty trends and pro makeup tricks to get us through the summer, like bringing an element of color to your face with a vibrant eye or neon lip, or brushing your brows up with clear brow gel to life your whole face up. 

Jennifer Ashton, M.D., ABC News Senior Medical Contributor, ob-gyn, triathlete and author of Your Body Beautiful: Clockstopping Secrets to Staying Healthy, Strong and Sexy in Your 30s, 40s and Beyond gave advice on a holistic approach to heath. One major takeaway was to Google 'drug interaction' to make sure medication you are taking isn't conflicting with what you're eating. 

Influential bloggers Deb Perelman - Smitten Kitchen, Dana Weiss - Possessionista, Jill Hanner - Ford Fiesta Agent and Erin Whitehead - Fit Bottomed Girls shared their success stories and how they turned their passions into profit. Some advice given was to focus on original content and not worry about SEO, and don't say yes to everything. Manage your opportunities and make sure it is profitable or good for your brand. Also, don't worry about what everyone else is doing - find your own angle. 

Celebrity trainer Brett Hoebel, founder of Hoebel Fitness, featured trainer on The Biggest Loser season 11 and creator of RevAbs discussed how 20-minute workouts get the job done and that people work harder and more often on shorter workouts. 

Rocco DiSpirito, author of Now Eat This! Italian and star of Now Eat This! Italy web series reveals secret  ingredients for speedy, healthy meals and cooking tricks. Healthy ingredients include non-fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, parmigiano reggiano, aged balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. Dining advice included saying no to bread and ordering appetizers split-to-go. 

Here's a look at the Meet and Tweet #FitBlogNYC sponsors: 

Performance apparel from Athleta

Bloggers met with Saucony to get fitted in a pair of Kinvara 4 running shoes. The Kinvara 4 is lightweight and comfortable. I love the pops of color in their designs, especially the citron/black/pink color combination. 

Marmot is a brand of high-performance technical clothing, apparel and equipment. We got to learn more about Lead Now, a global tour inspiring people through rock climbing. 

Combined with a healthy diet and workout routine, Tonalin CLA helps reduce body fat up to 10% while increasing lean muscle mass.

Previewing the latest running shoes from Reebok, including the ZigCarbon and DMX Sky

Vichy showcased their Cellu Destock, which visibly reduces the appearance of cellulite in 4 weeks

Vichy Capital Soleil Lightweight Foaming Lotion Sunscreen, SPF 50

Zero-calorie Crystal Light Liquid. Flavor your water with Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Raspberry or Pomtini

Smart Balance provided protein-packed peanut butter balls to snack on, made with Smart Balance peanut butter. Smart Balance is also known for their butter, milk and popcorn. 

- Kim Weling

7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan

Back in November, I got a first look at 7 Years Younger, the revolutionary 7-week anti-aging plan by the editors of Good Housekeeping, which kicks off with a 7-day Jumpstart plan. The event at Hearst Tower's Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) was hosted by Rosemary Ellis (Editor-in-Chief), Miriam Arond (Director, GHRI), Nina Judar (Beauty Director) and Samantha Cassetty (Nutrition Director, GHRI). 

I was able to participate in breakout sessions pertaining to nutrition and diet, fitness, brain health and beauty, skin care and hair care. What's great about the book is that you can pick and choose what sections of the book you want to focus on - it's all about customizing your own plan. This book is full of tips, tricks and tools for including anti-aging meal plans, better before-bed habits and at-home exercises you can do on your own time. 

The beginning of the year is a good time as any to make some healthier choices and 7 Years Younger can act as a useful blueprint to fighting aging and looking younger. 7 Years Younger just launched earlier this month. To learn more and where you can get your copy of the book, click here. 

Samantha Cassetty introduced us to recipes and dishes straight from the book, with foods that boost calcium and protein levels, from chicken and lean beef to Greek yogurt.

Roast Beef Sammy

Veggie Wrap

Pita Pizza

Makeovers with the Laura Gellar team

Always great to see Laura Geller!

A look at Good Housekeeping anti-aging 2010 award winner picks

- Kim Weling

FITNESS Blogger Meet & Tweet #FitBlogNYC

On May 9th, FITNESS magazine hosted their first-ever blogger meet & tweet (#FitBlogNYC) with New Media Strategies, focusing on health, beauty, wellness, nutrition, diet and gear. The industry's best bloggers previewed new products and trends, met with FITNESS editors and networked with other bloggers during lunch. There were also some great sessions and panels, including beauty secrets and tips with FITNESS Beauty Director Eleanor Langston and Laura Geller and how to turn your blog into a business with Fitfluential Founder Kelly Olexa, and Fitfluential Ambassadors Tina Haupert, Carla Birnberg and Julie Fagan. The day ended with a Tabura pop-up workout with KiwiSweat. This was the first time I took a Tabura class, which was so intense I couldn't get through it without taking a water break. It combines African dance with kickboxing.

Check out the jam-packed day filled with amazing sponsors:

Need a new workout shoe in fun colors? Take a look at the Reebok RealFlex, engineered with with flex-friendly nodes, designed to help your feet move and flex as you run, jump and stretch. I have the Reebok Optimal ($94.99) in Grey/Pink. These shoes are super lightweight and comfortable, made with mesh/soft suede. Also, checkout the Reebok CrossFit collection for more footwear, apparel and accessories, including the CrossFit Nano 2.0, shorts and racer back tanks.

The Oakley Polarized Overtime ($170) sunglasses are my new favorite pair. They have incorporated fashion and fitness with this O Matter® lightweight square frame. They also feature Three-Point Fit and patented hydrophilic Unobtainium® earpads and nosepads that hold the sunglasses in perfect alignment. So they stay in place, don't slide while running or snag your hair! They even come in a Polarized Overtime Asian Fit version ($180).

Also, checkout oakley.com for the newest sports bras, shorts, bags and more apparel in blue, grey, yellow and prints.

If it's something I never thought I would wear, it would have to be Birkenstock sandals. To my surprise, the Patent Birko-Flor to be quite comfortable and easy to wear in black patent leather, with other fashionable colors available. I actually ended up trying this thong style because the classic women's style featured at #FitBlogNYC was too big for me. The kids' Patent Birko-Flor sandal fits me perfectly in a size 34 (3-3.5), and I'm usually a size 35 (5).

The new V8 V-Fusion Smoothies contain one full serving of vegetables and one full serving of fruit in each 8-ounce glass, with no added sugar, artificial colors , flavors or preservatives. Contains 130 calories or less, providing a good source of vitamins A, C and E. The V8 V-Fusion Smoothies are available in Strawberry Banana, Wild Berry and my favorite, Mango.

Schick Hydro Silk razor features a water-activated moisturizing serum infused with marine extracts.

Checked out Pure Protein shakes, with 23 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. The Cookies N Creme tastes amazing!

Meet & greet with soccer star Mia Hamm at the Grain Foods Foundation toast bar. Mia autographed soccer balls while sharing how she uses grain foods to maintaining a balanced, healthy and active lifestyle.

At the Vichy booth I checked out one of their star products, CelluDestock ($39.50), designed to reduce the appearance of cellulite for a visible loss of up to one cellulite grade after four weeks of use. This year Vichy launched Destock Stomach ($36.50), which combines pure caffeine, yerba mate and green coffee extract to help improve micro-circulation and refine the skin around the waistline. Vichy just launched their digital campaign, inviting women to take a BOOTY BREAK at BootyBreak.com.

A healthy, delicious lunch - grilled marinated salmon, salad and fruit. During the luncheon I also stopped by the Sun-Maid snack station for samples of Vanilla Yogurt Raisins.

- Kim Weling