For the last 10 years, I have been focusing on health and fitness.  When I first stated my journey I looked everywhere for resources that I thought would be useful.  That is how I found out about  #IdeaWorld and #BlogFest.  IdeaWorld is where health, wellness and fitness come together and this year I finally had a chance to go.

What I Found When I Got There…Friends, Fun And Tons of Information

BlogFest gave me a chance to learn new things about blogging and about serving my audience better, it also gave me a chance to meet some new brands and I also had some very fruitful conversations (I’ll share more about this later).

I got to hear from some new voices.  Todd Durkin, who wrote  The Wow Book:  52 Ways to Motivate Your Mind, Inspire Your Soul & Create WOW in Your Life!

He shared his inspiring story and he also gave us a huge dose of inspiration.  The keynote from Darren Hardy of the Success Magazine was one I will never forget.  His brilliant breakdown of how success really happens was nothing short of amazing.  My favorite part was his explanation of how there really is no formula for success.  He said it’s all about consistent, intentional hard work.  YES!!!!! (This message is long overdue).

While at IdeaWorld, I met some really amazing bloggers who focus on health and fitness so it was a great meeting of the minds.  I learned so much from the speakers and the others who were in attendance I am still digging through my notebook.  Thanks to some amazing sponsors…@Siggi @Takeya @CaliforniaAlmonds @Mariani @GymGo @TRX @LaCroix just to name a few and the great organizers and staff at #SweatPink and Idea we had an amazing time.

General Mills, Bell Institute brought in Jorge Cruise.  He has written tons of books on eating better, losing weight and exercising.  I remember seeing him on TV several years ago, he is amazing.  It was also great to talk to General Mills who is doing some really exciting things, I hope to follow up with them so I can share some of the news.

Jorge Cruise shared his new revised book called, Tiny and Full:Eat More, Weigh Less, and Turn Off Hunger All Day.  It’s full of recipes and great information (to date I have only flipped through the pages), I can’t wait to really dive in to see how much the information will help me drop those unnecessary pounds and eat even better in 2017.

While I was at Idea, I also had a chance to hear from the people at RedBull.  They shared some of their new flavors and challenged some of the myths about Red Bull.

They gave us some special treats too, we got to hear from Gracie Gold, National Figure Skating Champion and Olympic Medal winner.  We also had a chance to hear from their team who shared some really valuable pieces of information about where they are headed and the newest product they have brought to market.  Take a listen.

 

 

On Saturday and Sunday, the last two days I got a chance to go to the IDEA World Fitness & Nutrition Expo and IDEA Nutrition and Behavioral Change Summit.  At the conference, there is a lot of talk about fitness and what’s new in that arena, but  I was surprised to find out how much information was being shared there about overall health.

Rich With Information

When I originally looked into IdeaWorld I thought I would find great information, but I wasn’t sure exactly how vast and rich the information would really be.  I was really pleasantly surprised with not just the amount of information, but also the quality of the information.

The information shared at the conference was incredible and they covered everything from how to eat better, how people with illnesses like Diabeties should approach exercise, and how to take better care of your muscles (Thanks @TriggerPoint).  Here are just three of the presentations I got to see.

Breakfast Seminar—5 Food Essentials for Better Eating Habits and a Happier Life (IDEA Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit) Networking Presented By: Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN

I enjoyed this conversation. Rebecca really tackled the idea of body shaming in a way that I greatly appreciated.  Loving your body, embracing your today size and making healthy choices to make small long-term changes.  Her words really spoke to me and a number of others in attendance, it was a conversation I was glad to be apart of.

Caving to the Craving: The New Science of Food Addiction and Recovery…With a Twist
Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, FACSM

An amazing presentation that talked about why you can’t seem to pull yourself away from those tasty foods you love.  The real science behind food and what you can do about it.  Great conversation with tons of takeaways.  I will be sharing more about this later too.

Weighing The Evidence Behind Nutrition Research
Michael Greger, MD

I was so excited when I heard he was coming.  I heard about Dr. Greger when I watched the documentary, What the Health?  

He wrote the book, How Not To DIE.   This book makes you think about how what you eat impacts the your health and your quality of life.  His presentation was rich and I know I will be adding it to my collection.

Dr. Greger compelling presentation made me think about how and what I was eating and how I might need to really consider making even more changes.  I love the studies he shared and I will definitely be looking into this area more.

I was really excited about this presentation, because I love to cook and I am always looking for new ideas.

Global Health and Wellness Lessons From a Traveling Chef Cooking Demo
Chef Steven Petusevsky

Chef Steven Petusevsky shared some great recipes and gave me my first real life look at Poke, he gave us a recipe for it too.

Why I Can’t Wait To Go Back

The best part of the conference was the variety.  The information about everything from food to exercise was nothing short of amazing.  The speakers were top notch and I left feeling inspired and informed.  The expo was huge.  I found new products that I will be enjoying for life and I also got reacquainted with some old products I will be sharing with you throughout the year.  (I can’t wait to share my experience with Trigger Point, after that class I took with them, my muscles are singing, seriously!). Got a chance to try  Vital Proteins new blends and some other new products I am really looking forward to sharing.  For instance, the new Collagen Peptides, Vanilla & Coconut Water was awesome (dairy free and whole 30 approved).  Okay, you see I could go on forever with everything I got out of that 4 day trip.

Tune in for more of my IdeaWorld takeaways and a few giveaways for you!