It’s finally summer! And you know what the best thing about summer is?! ROAD TRIPS! Have you been working on your summer body? Want to go on a road trip or vacation and still eat healthy? Here are some tips and tricks on how to road trip the healthy way! When I took a road trip from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia, I wanted to continue eating healthy as I was already doing so all summer. I hated going on vacation and coming back gaining 5+ pounds, bloated, and feeling set back. When we were planning out road trip, I decided that wasn’t going to happen this time around. I wanted my boy ..read more

As a trainer, I often get asked about how great it must be to work in a gym because I’m able to work out all of the time. This is typically far from the truth. The majority of my time is spent working one-on-one with clients or in small groups where I am watching and correcting form, and helping them get through their workouts. Many times my work days don’t accommodate me being able to fit a workout in at the gym. This doesn’t mean that I don’t get a workout in or exercise, I just have had to find alternative ways of staying active. Personally to stay active, my go-to sport is soccer. I have b ..read more

June is National Dairy Month. To honor our hard-working Wisconsin Farmers, today’s blog will highlight some of the important nutrients found within dairy products. If you are looking for ways to incorporate dairy into your meal plan, check out the ideas below. Protein: Dairy products are an excellent source of casein and whey protein. Most dairy products contain ~8 grams of protein per serving. Milk is made of ~80% casein and ~20% whey protein. Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein. Casein protein appears to be beneficial for exercise recovery when consumed as a snack closer to bedtime ..read more

Five Recipes for Your Memorial Day Menu Memorial Day marks the start of summer here in Wisconsin. (Yay!) If your family is anything like mine, you probably celebrate Memorial Day weekend with time outside, tasty food and delicious drinks. As a foodie, I love trying super easy recipes that taste great and feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. Here are five dishes that always make my Memorial Day menu. 1. Salsa. Great as a snack or appetizer, salsa can be made sweet, savory, spicy or a combination of all three! Salsa is also an easy way to showcase fresh fruits, veggies and herbs. Make a patri ..read more

VACATION. The single greatest word in the English dictionary. Most Americans plan their entire lives around their next vacation. They plan out months in advance, schedule time off from work, save up funds, and exercise to look or move better to further enjoy the experience. What about when they finally reach their destination, tropical or otherwise? Should all this hard work dedicated to looking or feeling better be wasted in 1-2 weeks of neglect? I think not. It’s important to continue your training when on vacation, although you may be out of your comfort zone – find solutions, not excuses ..read more

April is Autism Awareness Month. Although there is thankfully much more understanding and acceptance of Autism Spectrum Disorders than there was in the past, there continues to be numerous myths and misconceptions about Autism. Myth #1 Autism is very rare. Autism impacts about 1 in every 59 people meaning that more than 3.5 million Americans live with Autism. Myth #2 People with Autism cannot function in society. Autism is a spectrum disorder and, therefore, the skills and abilities of people with ASD range significantly. Many people with Autism are highly successful and influential. Others ha ..read more

My journey to become a personal trainer started in 2009. I had attended a dance studio for the majority of my life, which always served as an emotional outlet for me and guaranteed weekly exercise. In 2009 I was living in a suburb of Chicago attending Veterinary Technician school. When I was in Illinois I didn’t have dance to fall back on and I reverted back into bad habits. I had seen infomercials for P90x, but didn’t want to invest the money into the program or myself.  One late night/early morning I splurged and decided to make a change for myself. I was nervous as I had always stayed activ ..read more

Recently, Bellin Psychologist Tiffany Born had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Mike Pribek and his mom, Jane. “Mike is an incredible person with an inspiring fitness journey. He also has Autism Spectrum Disorder. I enjoyed hearing about Mike’s health journey, his passion and skills with numbers and dates (he could tell me the day of the week I was born on based solely on my birthdate!), and his fitness routines. I asked Mike to share his fitness and health journey”: My name is Mike Pribek.  I am 28 years old and was diagnosed with autism when I was 3 years old.  I have a very fulfill ..read more