Luna Bars: Product Review & Free Giveaway!

Any other Luna Bar fans out there?

LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, is the first nutrition bar specifically formulated with a woman’s needs in mind to help nourish them throughout their busy day and lives. LUNA contains nutrients women often lack, like folic acid, calcium, iron, vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals that are essential to a woman’s everyday needs, while being as organic as possible.  LUNA is made with 70% organic ingredients and free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup; artificial sweeteners, flavors or preservatives; and ingredients sourced from GMOs. SRP: $1.39/bar

The folks over at Luna have kindly sent me two of their new flavors to sample:  Chocolate Chunk and Chocolate Dipped Coconut!

Chocolate Chunk is Luna’s nutritious take on the classic chocolate chip cookie with big, mouth-watering chunks of dark chocolate.  When I read this my first thought was, “Can a granola bar REALLY taste just like a chocolate chip cookie?” but Chocolate Chunk comes pretty close.  I decided I really like “chunks” over “chips” for that extra chocolatey taste.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut is a deliciously decadent combination of toasted coconut and chocolate.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flavor, to be honest, since I’m not a HUGE coconut fan.  But this bar was a pleasant surprise!  The coconut flavor is not overwhelming in the least.  It was strong enough that I could taste it, but subtle enough that it didn’t overtake the chocolate either.  Thumbs up. 

I always want to be completely fair and honest in my product reviews on Fitness & Feta, so I would like to note that I personally prefer having a fruit or nut flavored bar over a chocolate one for a snack.  I just don’t crave it!  Luna bars are my go to when traveling and need a healthier snack option between meetings with customers or on the plane.  I also enjoy having them as a quick snack when running around between work, my classes, physical therapy, etc.  And for a pre-workout snack, I just prefer a different flavor than chocolate.  So although I really did like these two bars and they definitely lived up to their descriptions, my personal favorite Luna bar flavors are still Vanilla Almond, Toasted Nuts & Cranberry, and Iced Oatmeal Raisin – in that order.

But I’ll let you guys be the judge!

Luna has offered one lucky reader the chance to also sample these new flavors. 

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me about one “fun fact” that you learned from visiting the Luna Bar website here.
• You can earn a second entry by liking Luna on Facebook (and you have to like the Fitness & Feta page too!)
• You can earn a third entry by tweeting about or posting this giveaway on Facebook.

Just be sure to leave a second and third comment for the additional entries, or they won’t count.  I’ll randomly pick a winner on Friday morning.  Good luck.

P.S.  Luna Bars aren’t just for women!  I know plenty of men who admit to liking these too.  🙂

The Superset Plus Cardio Interval Workout

Great to be back to my Tuesday night class.  Here’s the workout and playlist from tonight!

As usual, any questions let me know – and please honor your bodies/injuries and remember my disclaimer.

The Superset Plus Cardio Interval Workout

For each combination, do as many reps of Move A as you possibly can while keeping good form for 1 minute, then immediately go into Move B without taking a break and do as many reps of that for a second minute.  Go through that combination three times and follow the three sets with 45 seconds of the cardio interval.   So, you will do Move A, Move B, Move A, Move B, Move A, Move B, and finish with the cardio.  Break, and go into the next combination.

WARMUP

SUPERSET #1

• Move 1A:  Dumbbell Lunge with Lateral Raise
• Move 1B:  Torso Twist holding weight
• Cardio Interval:  Jumping Jacks

SUPERSET #2

• Move 2A:  Dumbbell Row & Rotation
• Move 2B:  Pushups
• Cardio Interval:  Jump Rope

SUPERSET #3

• Move 3A:  Weighted Hip Raise
• Move 3B:  Plank with Feet Jumping Out & In
• Cardio Interval:  Ski Jumps

SUPERSET #4

• Move 4A:  Dumbbell Curl with Static Hold (30 seconds on each side)
• Move 4B:  Two Arm Dumbbell Kickback
• Cardio Interval:  High Knees

SUPERSET #5

• Move 5A:  Jump Squats
• Move 5b:  Calf Walk w/weights (awk move of the night!)
• Cardio Interval:  Football Runs

5 extra minutes to spare?  3 sets of 8 regular crunches, hold, and pulse for 8 (feet on floor), then repeat (feet lifted with knees over hips), then right into slow bicycles 2 sets of 8, hold the bicycle knees in for 4 counts a few times, then finish double time.

COOLDOWN / STRETCH

Sweet New Playlist

New favorite can’t stop listening to song?  “Jungle Flames” by The DNC.  Or maaaybe “Helena Beat” by Foster the People.  That was a really good opening song to get class going tonight.  This actually might just be one of my favorite playlists yet!

Go download this mix and put this workout into your fitness plan for the week!  You won’t regret it, I PROMISE!

Goodnight 🙂

Set Yourself Up for Success

It’s only Tuesday!?

I know that I’m still feeling the after effects of the long weekend.  Anyone else!?

I know that I definitely splurged this past weekend, and I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one!  Although I stuck to my goal of limiting desserts and successfully avoiding seconds on Thanksgiving, and I also got a good workout in on Friday, I definitely went out to eat too many times throughout the rest of the weekend and indulged in a drinking night out on Saturday.  Which then resulted in late night pizza and not so healthy food choices on Sunday.  Anyone else feeling like they are also in a bit of a post holiday food & fitness rut and looking for help getting back to the grind?

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can offer you all is to set yourselves up for a successful food & fitness week. 

At the beginning of the week, map out what your food & fitness plans will be.  For instance, on Monday or Tuesday hit up the grocery store and stock up on lean proteins, produce, and whole grains.  For those of us that have eaten a few too many carbs, try to avoid falling into a “white carb trap” and opt for some high fiber or green veggie snacks instead.  Do NOT do a crazy detox or a fad diet!  Just  eat simply and lightly, drink plenty of water, and try to keep moving!  I find that on those weeks I work my exercise plans into my schedule, I’m less likely to skip the gym.  Same with food.  Map out what you will eat and hold yourself accountable!

And please, for God’s sake, eat carbs!  Just make them good ones.

For example, yesterday I planned my food ahead of time:

• Pre-Physical Therapy Snack: Half a Clif Bar
• Breakfast:  Low fat cottage cheese with cinnamon and blueberries
• Lunch:  Spinach greens topped with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, shredded carrots, broccoli, mozzarella cheese, and leftover pulled pork with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  On the side?  A black cherry Chobani yogurt.
• Early Afternoon Snack:  Banana
• Late Afternoon Snack:  Apple
• Dinner:  Leftover wood grilled chicken, red onion, green pepper, mozzarella cheese, and garden vegetable hummus wrapped in a whole wheat wrap.

Lesson learned:  Take into account that your stomach WILL be expanded from said holiday weekend and planned food will not be enough.  Insert – second half of the Clif Bar and more blueberries as a late late afternoon snack, and some wheat thins after dinner.

And my workout schedule this week will be:

• Monday:  Physical therapy in the morning (upper body work), 6:30 pm spin class
• Tuesday:  Teach my 7:35pm Circuit Training class
• Wednesday:  6:30 pm spin class, post spin ab routine
• Thursday:  Teach my 6:00am Circuit Training class
• Friday:  Morning elliptical session
• Saturday:  Off
• Sunday:  Off

Your turn to set yourself up for success!  What are your week’s food & fitness plans to get yourselves back on track?

BTC:  For an exciting weekend coming up!