All posts by : Britnee Kent

 I am so excited to announce that I have created an Oahu travel guide for you! I have poured all my energy and passion into creating the best guide for your travels to this beautiful island we call home! This guide includes tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your vacation here, where to stay, best eats, favorite hikes, adventures, best beaches and much more! Head on over to the store tab to get yourself the guide for your upcoming trip. I wanted to make it affordable for all of you to experience the things we love so it’s only $10! I can’t wait to hear what you think. As a teaser, I wanted to give you all a little insight into my top 5 favorite beaches on Oahu. This is just a start, as there are many, many beaches to enjoy. ​

KEIKI’S BEACH: 
Our favorite beach on the North Shore for just kicking back and relaxing, and swimming in the shore break! In the winter months the shore break can get very dangerous but normally is super fun to play in. There are also whales that can be spotted jumping. This beach goes on forever and is so big there is room for everyone.
WAIMEA BAY:
This is probably the most popular beach on the North Shore, but for good reason! It is so beautiful to be at any time of day, but I especially love when the sun sets and there are sail boats out on the water, and it is so so calm. In the summer months you can snorkel by the rocks and there are even underwater caves to explore. Make sure to jump off the rock!
LANIKAI:
A beach that is very different from anything you will experience on the North Shore. It is located on the east side of the island. The water is always calm, with no shore break which makes it perfect for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable swimming but still wants to get in the water. Lanikai town is a nice area and the beaches are always well kept. 
YOKOHAMA:
Our favorite camping spot on the island. We love to head over there for a weekend in the summer and stay the night either in a camper van or in a tent on the beach! There are usually not that many people during the day, and there are lots of tide pools to play in. The mountains are so majestic  and make it feel like you are on a different island.
CHUNS:
All around a good beach for everything! There are turtles that can be spotted, sometimes up to 15 or so just hanging around the rocks on the left side of the beach. You can take surf lessons here in the summer months, and the beach itself is very pretty. On a day with good weather, the water is glassy and so clear, you could even snorkel.

If you’re coming to the island, check out my Oahu Travel Guide http://www.britkent.com/product/oahu-travel-guide/

Should I be doing cardio or weight lifting to get the most out of my workout? Will I be skinnier if I just do cardio, or will I bulk up if I only do weights? I get asked this question of what is better all the time and I have done my research on the topic so I can give you my educated answer!
I have learned more and more lately that there is no one size fits all for the perfect workout. Some people enjoy only cardio, some would rather lift weights, others choose group classes or sports only. All of those options are great, and the truth is you just need to find what works for you. For me, I find I get bored doing the same thing every day and I like to mix it up every day!
The key to whatever you choose is to make sure it is SUSTAINABLE and something you want to do for the rest of your life! Fitness is a lifelong process and it doesn’t end so you better find something you like to do 🙂 #amIright?
There are pros and cons to both cardio and weight lifting. When you lift weights you burn fat for up to six hours after your workout as your muscles rebuild themselves. So you are burning less fat for a longer period of time, versus cardio where you burn more fat in a shorter period of time depending on the intensity of your workout. I recommend doing a mix of both, because there are great benefits for both. Weight lifting reduces the risk of osteoporosis and builds greater bone density, cardio helps lung capacity increase and is good for your cardiovascular system. So enjoy a little of both and don’t stress so much about what kind of workout you are doing, just focus on being active in some way!

Water is so important to our health! It is vital for our bodies to perform daily functions. It eliminates toxins and waste, helps our skin, and hair. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Maybe the most important for these last months of summer is the ability to have an internal air conditioner thanks to water. It regulates our temperature through perspiration, and thank goodness for that!  ​
The rule of thumb I have always lived by is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water at least every day. The hardest part for me of drinking enough water daily is to make it a habit so I don’t forget. I have come up with some of my own ways to help with that! 
-Get yourself a hydroflask or water bottle that keeps it cold so it tastes better!
-Put cucumbers, lemons, or mint in your water if you want to mix up the flavor, try to avoid water flavorings like Mio or Dasani.
-Make a time schedule check. For example, drink 16 ounces by 10 am, another 16 before lunch, another 16 before dinner, and another 16 before bedtime. This helps to make sure you’re on track throughout the day. 
-Choose water over soda or juice!
Your body will love you for it! Ready set go.

I LOVE curry. Connor introduced me to it when we were dating and I don’t know if it was because I loved the dates or what but it became my favorite very quickly. I’ve tried a lot of curry recipes and this one is my numba one. It’s vegetarian and super yummy. It’s also packed with veggies so that’s always good. Let me know if you try it! 
Sweet Potato Curry:
-1 yellow onion
-3 cloves garlic
-1/2 teaspoon of each spice:
–cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriandor, ground cloves, salt
-1 teaspoon fresh or ground ginger
-1 red chili or jalapeno to your spice liking
-1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
-1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
-1 large sweet potato
-1 can full fat coconut milk
-1 zucchini
In a large skillet, cook yellow onion with some oil (I use coconut oil). Once translucent, mix in garlic, chili, and ginger to the onions and the 1/2 teaspoon of each of the spices. Allow to cook with onions for 3-4 minutes. Then add chickpeas, tomatoes, HALF a can of coconut milk (we use the other half for the rice) and half a cup of water, and 1 large sweet potato that has been peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and let cook for 50 minutes to let all that good mix together. Stir occasionally and at 20 minutes in taste it and add more spices as you would like. You can really add any other vegetables or ingredients that you want, but I have tweaked this recipe to make it how I love it! Serve it over coconut rice.Makes great leftovers also.
Coco Rice:
-1 cup rice (I use brown rice)
-1 cup water
-1/2 can coconut milk
Let rice cook in water until done. Add other half of coconut milk and mix together allowing to cook until the rice is not runny. You can even add a little coconut sugar if you want it to be sweet rice. So yummy!!

One of my weaknesses is my sweet tooth, so I have been searching lots lately to find some yummy treats that are healthy too. This recipe is about as good as it gets! You don’t have to feel guilty eating seconds…or thirds 🙂
Blueberry Crisp:
-1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
-1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
– 2 eggs
-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-1 3/4 cup almond milk
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp baking powder
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg (yum!)
-3/4 tsp sea salt
-2 cups oats
Oven at 375. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and wet ones in another. Leave the blueberries out. Grease a 9 inch baking dish (or whatever you have because let’s face it most of us in college just use whatever) with some butter or coconut oil. Place 1/2 cup blueberries on the bottom and then pour dry mixture over berries. Pour wet mixture over that and shake shake shake it so it sifts down through the oats. Place the other 1/2 cup blueberries on top and sprinkle with some coconut sugar on top if you would like it a little extra sweet. Bake for 42 minutes. Eat up! I served it with a scoop of plain greek yogurt and drizzle maple syrup on top.