How to read labels and my favorite Costco items

I grew up living an hour and a half away from a Costco so we never went! All these years I never knew what I was missing out on!! I LOVE COSTCO. They have a lot of really good items that are clean and healthy if you take the time to read some labels! Today I want to teach you how to read labels so you can make your own wise decisions on the products you choose.

First when reading labels, you want to make sure that they contain clean oils. The bad oils are: sunflower, vegetable, safflower, canola, peanut, palm, corn, soybean oils. Avoid oils that are refined, or hydrogenated. These oils are only okay to get if they are expeller pressed! The oils that are better for you are: coconut, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, butter, and flaxseed oil. Yes, I know the good oil list is a lot smaller than the bad. These bad oils are man-made and are refined so much that they lose their properties and cause cancers and illnesses. So when you are looking for packaged items, check the labels for these oils first!

Second, avoid refined sweeteners! The bads are: high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, agave, aspartame, saccharin, sugar,  These sweeteners claim to have no calories, and many people may think this makes them better! But instead they again are man-made in a lab, and contain sugar alcohols which are so bad for us. The better sweeteners include: honey, maple syrup, monk fruit (personal favorite), dates, coconut sugar, stevia, blackstrap molasses.

Avoid these guidelines when you are picking out packaged foods, and of course buy non-packaged foods whenever possible! Fresh is best!

Here is a list of my top 15 favorite Costco items!

Favorite Costco items:

  1. Dave’s killer bread
  2. Organic restaurant style salsa
  3. Kirkland Signature dried mango (perfect for a beach snack)
  4. Kirkland Signature maple syrup
  5. Kirkland Signature almond butter
  6. Mozaic’s organic popped veggie and potato chips
  7. Sweet mini peppers
  8. Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
  9. Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage (sweet basil and roasted garlic flavor is our favorite)
  10. Kirkland Signature frozen triple berry blend
  11. Organic Tropical Dragon Fruit (frozen)
  12. Sambazon Organic Acai Packets (frozen)
  13. Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice packets
  14. Coconut Clusters
  15. Organic Cacao Powder

My go-to Ab Workout

So right now being 8 months pregnant my abs are definitely non-existent. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t hiding out under there and I am hoping to get back at them when it’s okay to do so after the little guy arrives! For all of you that are not pregnant and are wanting a good shredder for your abs, I’ve got just the workout for you. This is my favorite go-to ab workout, that you can do every day or every other day if you choose! I get asked often the key to getting abs, and my answer is it definitely is a mix of workouts and clean eating. You can work out your abs all you want but if you are covering them up with crappy food, they will never show. The key is to eat clean and do a little for your abs every day and I promise you will start to see definition!

WORKOUT:

–Hi-lo abs: This is a workout I learned from the drill team at my high school they taught us soccer girls and it has seriously been my go-to since! It is basically all crunches, starting with regular crunches, with your feet touching the floor: 8 crunches to the left side, 8 to the right side, and 8 in the middle. Then move to your feet bent and crossed in the air: 8 crunches to the left, 8 to the right, 8 in the middle. Then raise your legs straight up and do: 8 crunches to the left, 8 to the right, 8 in the middle. Last, keeping your legs raised in the air spread them wide as you can and do 8 crunches to the left, 8 to the right, 8 in the middle. You should be burning by now!!

–Planks: 30 seconds on each side and 1 minute in the middle. Keep your butt down!

–Kneeling side reaches: 2 minutes straight through- on your knees, lean laterally down the seams of your leggings until you feel the stretch, then back up to center. It might feel like you aren’t really getting a workout on this one but trust me you will feel this tomorrow!

–Commandos: 30 seconds- in a plank position you’ll be going from your elbows to your hands, one hand at a time. Then back down to elbows one hand at a time. Keep your core engaged!

–Toe touch pulses: 50 total- laying down with your legs straight up in the air, reach your arms as if you are trying to touch your toes, then back down to a flat back.

–V ups: 25 total- laying completely flat on the ground with arms and legs extended long, bring arms and legs together in the air in a v position, then back down.

–Russian ab twists: 50 total- balancing on your tailbone, lift your legs off the ground so your abs are flexed, then twist to the right and the left.

Repeat all of this through one more time- you should be burning!!

Make sure to tag me on instagram if you try the workout and I would love to shout you out! 🙂