Do More Blue: How Color Affects Mood for Workouts, Exercise

Colors can subconsciously affect your feelings and moods and, in turn, have an impact on workouts and your choices in exercise. This includes both the colors seen in your environment (like what color the walls are painted) and the color of your fitness clothing you wear.  In past posts, I’ve mentioned how other colors are tied to exercise – like RED and PINK. But, what about BLUE?

Without doubt, blue is a very popular color. In fact, it’s the most popular color in the world being favored by 35% of the world’s population. I’m guessing blue is so beloved because it’s one of the rarest colors found in nature. Blue is linked to the sky and water and can stimulate calming and peaceful feelings. These serene side effects of blue make it a great color for being mindful and focused.

Blue is a calming and focused color for yoga!

Because of these calming zen vibes, blue (especially a lighter hue) is a great color choice for yoga wear or lounging around after an intense sweat sesh for recovery!

I now understand why the heaviest weight plates are blue!

Blue is on the lower end of the electromagnetic visible light spectrum. The wavelength of blue is shorter other colors – for example, blue has a 25% shorter wavelength than red. There have been studies done that show gym weights painted blue seem lighter than the same poundage of weights painted red! Blue may make things seem lighter or easier to have less perceived effort. That is great for productivity. Wearing blue, especially bright and vivid hues, may help you have a productive and focused session at the gym – “Do More Blue”!  

“Blue” personality athletes like rules, training schedules, and logging results.

According to color personality tests, people who are “Blues” look at exercise in a methodical and orderly way, tracking data details and progress as they move along their fitness journey. I would guess they are less “play it by ear” and more “follow a plan” type people. It’s my guess (and experience with them) that Blues like to participate in sports with defined rules!

Blue has other connotations as well. Sometimes people who are feeling down might say they are blue. But more often blue has positive connotations – “Blue Ribbon” meaning top-notch, first place, or winning to “True Blue” connoting reliability, trustworthiness and loyalty.

After all is said and done, what really matters is what is YOUR mood in blue. If blue makes you feel good then wear it and paint your home gym walls in it! If you are more “blah” about blue, then just sashay down the color spectrum until you fine a color and hue that speaks to YOU!

If you’re loving the idea of “Do More Blue,” check out this collections of Blue Ribbon Burpee Variations I put together:

Try these winning "blue ribbon" burpee ideas that kick up the traditional full-body exercise for even more challenge in your workout.
Check out the video demo of unique burpee variations in this Pin Story!

Also of interest. Did you know the blue lenses on sunglasses aren’t there JUST to look cool.

Blue tint on glasses is usually for the purpose of making objects crisper, improving color perception and creating a calming effect. For certain sport-specific glasses, the blue lenses help to reduce sun glare that comes of the snow, water or roads.

Disclaimer: brought to you as part of my relationship with adidas as an ambassador. However, all opinions, suggestions, comments and enthusiasm are my own.

Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers |Appetizer

This post sponsored by Sam’s Fresh Salsa, however all comments, content and enthusiasm remain my own!

I could make a meal out of appetizers, couldn’t you?! Especially munching on these Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers – they are super satisfying and the perfect prelude to a summery southwestern meal or hearty snack to pair with happy hour drinks on the patio.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

These little two-bite nibbles are basically rice balls loaded with veggies and cheese (win-win), with even more winning from the secret ingredient – Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy! For more easy recipes and inspo to fuel an active lifestyle, visit thefitfork.com
Pin this for later!

Not only are the spinach and corn poppers paired with Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde for dipping, the foundational ingredient – rice – is prepped using Salsa Verde as part of the cooking liquid! It’s a flavor hack you’ll want to replicate time and time again, not just with these rice balls, but any night you are making a rice side dish! Rice becomes tender and ready for consumption as it absorbs boiling liquid. Water is standard (and oh-so-boring), but rice prepared in salsa as the cooking liquid is just simply amazing and so easy (swap up to half the water for salsa) – there’s no need to add garlic, spices and this and that – all those flavor boosts are already in the salsa!

Rice hack! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice!
Flavor boost! Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde is used as part of the cooking liquid for the rice!

After the “next level” salsa verde rice has been prepped, it’s just a matter of quickly sautéing spinach and corn and mixing together with the rice along with a mixture of queso fresco and mozzarella for double cheesy goodness!  I use a silicone cookie scoop (or spoon) to made generous tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture and then bake for 30 minutes!

corn and spinach for rice poppers -- veggies always a great addition to any appetizer.
Get some veggie goodness in this delicious appetizer recipe!

By the way, as decadent as this rice appetizer sounds, loaded with rice and cheese, each popper is very reasonable – each with 56 calories, 2.2g fat, 6.3g net carb, and 2.6g protein.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!
We piled up our poppers and Sam’s salsa in taco boats to take on the patio!

Of course, these rice ball poppers are best served with a side of this salsa verde for dunking. The fresh green salsa has that tangy, limey taste that pairs so well with the tomatillos and lots of garlic – yum! I really appreciate these new salsas from Sam’s Fresh Salsas, they are completely farm fresh with a clean label – no preservatives, nothing artificial. In addition to the Salsa Verde, there is a Cantina Medium Salsa and Watermelon Jicama Salsa. you can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway or ask your store to stock it!

Sam's Fresh Salsa Verde perfect for all your southwestern-inspired recipes
I love Salsa Verde because it’s tangy and loaded with garlic and mild tomatillos — not too spicy!

You can also learn more about Sam’s Fresh Salsa at SamsSalsa.com on Facebook and Instagram!

Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
rice cooling
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb — 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: corn, mexican food, nibbles, rice, salsa, spinach
Servings: 24 balls
Calories: 56 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup uncooked white or brown rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup verde salsa highly suggest Sam’s Fresh Salsa
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Add rice, water and salsa to medium pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and add lid. Cook rice according to time on package instructions, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove lid and set aside to cool to room temperature. To speed process, you can pour rice out on baking sheet and stick in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F when rice almost done cooling.
  3. Meanwhile, add olive oil to skillet and sauté spinach and corn for approximately 3 minutes until warmed and wilted. Remove from heat.
  4. Add cooled rice to large bowl along with spinach-corn mixture. Stir together. Next stir in egg and cheeses and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
  6. Use a tablespoon (I found a little cookie scooper works well) to create approximate generous 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Set balls on baking sheet.
  7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese bubbling and turning lightly golden brown on tops.
  8. Remove from oven and serve warm with additional salsa verde.
Recipe Notes

Absolute Must-Haves for Back-to-School & College 2021

Can you believe it’s time to think about heading back to school?!  Summer may be in full swing, but classes start sooner than you think – and many campuses are back to meeting in person! With fewer virtual classes and more face-to-face interaction, it’s time to put some style back into learning – meaning, ditch those pajama pants that you’ve been wearing for the last 18 months and slip into something fresh and suitable for public appearances!

Mother and teen son, back to school shopping adidas 2021 - thefitfork.com
As an adidas ambassador, I love gearing up my family with the latest sporty fashions & shoes.

Whether you’re a parent shopping for kids or a college kid heading back to the dorms (I have two going back to college), I’ve narrowed the shopping list (aside from school supplies) down to FOUR back to school fashion essentials. As an adidas ambassador, the brand wanted me to share what I thought were the top adidas back to school wardrobe picks for 2021. My list includes, 1) functional, yet still fashionable, sneakers; 2) an accommodating backpack or school bag; 3) casual wear that’s not sloppy; 4) fitness wear (because fitness is positively linked to better brain function).

Functional + Fashionable Shoes: Buying back-to-school shoes can be a nightmare for parents. Kids want the latest kicks that cost a fortune or fussy shoes that just are NOT practical in a multi-purpose sort of way. But YAY for adidas! Every year, my guys have been able to find a pair of back to school shoes that I can afford to foot the bill for (pun intended!), yet still have “drip” (that’s a good thing, my kids say, rolling their eyes when I ask). I’m happy knowing I’ve helped them rise on the style and swagger index, while ensuring that their feet are being biomechanically well cared for with quality every day and sports-specific designs. In fact, I even nabbed a pair of adidas running shoes for myself.

adidas backpack on summer vacation and St. Paul's cathedral, London. thefitfork.com
Shop early for the best choice of Back to School backpacks – and take on summer vacay, too!

Backpacks & School Bags: A carry-all for school books, laptops, workout gear and daily essentials is a prerequisite for successfully making it to class in person. Make sure your backpack or back-to-school bag suits your personal needs. For example, consider what you will be carrying – such as fragile tech gear, sports equipment, books, lunch on the go, personal effects, or all of the about. These factors will dictate the size and style you need.  Back in the day, kids would haul around so many hard-back books, backpacks would actually have wheels! Thankfully, life in the last decade is now is lighter and more streamlined – you could even get away with just a fanny pack in some situations! Also, if you get your backpack EARLY in the back-to-school shopping season, you can also have it do double-duty on summer vacations!

adidas shirts thefitfork.com

 Casual (But Not Sloppy) Wardrobe Refresh: Lounge pants and ratty t-shirts (even pajamas) are perfectly acceptable for virtual learning (as long as you’re aware of your computer camera, lol). But, getting back to the daily grind of good, old-fashioned school around other people means showing up looking GOOD. My kids are eager to refresh their wardrobes with new hoodies, tee-shirts, pants and other fashion-forward casual wear from adidas, they’ve got all the must-haves for both men and women. A good general rule of thumb for a gender-neutral back-to-school wardrobe “refresh” (assuming you’ve tossed old ratty stuff, but kept a foundation of stuff like jeans, coats, sweaters, etc.), is:

  • 3 pairs pants
  • 2 pairs nice shorts
  • 2 long sleeve shirts
  • 3 nice tees
  • 1 hoodie
  • 2-3 workout outfits (depending on your frequency)
  • 7 pairs socks
  • 7 pairs underwear
  • 1 sports-specific athletic shoe
  • 1 every-day sneaker
  • 1 flip flop
  • 1 backpack or carry-all
Extra Workout Clothes for Gym Bag -adidas
Bring at least two new workout outfits to college!

Smart Fitness Clothes: Don’t forget as you shop for your BTS wardrobe, to pick up a couple new fitness outfits for gym class or workouts you do on your own. Exercising on a regular basis has been linked to better cognitive function in all age group, according to research. In addition to boosting brain health (and overall health), exercise also helps to relieve stress and serve as a social opportunity – all important considerations when heading back to high school or college. So why not just wear ratty old clothes? First, they have NO style, and could possibly have permanent stink (neither are great for the social aspect, lol).  Wearing new fitness gear not only helps you put your best style foot forward, it also can be a huge motivator for many to go and exercise in the first place!

Download this and other free virtual backgrounds at adidas.com

Still stuck in virtual classes or just want to call friends and family in style? Dial in your online style and video calls with a (free!) custom adidas background created by independent artists. This virtual background from artist, Nia Musiba, is one of my favorite backgrounds and is always a conversation starter when I log into a virtual meeting. Head over to adidas for more wallpapers and backgrounds.

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Balls (Low-carb)

Low-carb Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Balls are the perfect little, no-cook solution for summer snacking. They store in the fridge or freezer, making them cool and at-the-ready when hunger strikes.   

These blueberry chocolate chip cheesecake inspired "bites" satisfy your sweet-tooth with no added sugar. Plus, added collagen gives a protein boost to provide a sustaining snack and post-workout refuel. Super easy, no bake! Low carb and keto friendly.

Blueberries add so much flavor and natural sweetness, plus all those amazing blue and purple food nutrients that you don’t find many other places. I used a (no-sugar-added) berry-flavored collagen (THEFITFORK) will save you 10%at GreatLakesWellness.com) which amplifies the berry flavor even more, but I’ve made the recipe also with unflavored collagen (and even vanilla whey) and the snack is still just as special. The choice is yours!

Save 10% at greatlakesgelatin.com with code THEFITFORK10OFF
I used collagen powder from Great Lakes Wellness — Save with code THEFITFORK

Cream cheese makes the base of this recipe, along with a little coconut flour (and the previously mentioned collagen powder) to firm it up. Then it’s just stirring in chopped blueberries (fresh or frozen), some chopped sugar-free chocolate chips (or mini chips, if you can find them), setting in the freezer for 10 minutes to set up, then forming into eight little balls.

These blueberry chocolate chip cheesecake inspired "bites" satisfy your sweet-tooth with no added sugar. Plus, added collagen gives a protein boost to provide a sustaining snack and post-workout refuel. Super easy, no bake! Low carb and keto friendly. For more clean eating recipe inspo, visit thefitfork.com

So EASY, so YUMMY, so BLUE – blueberry and chocolate loaded collagen cheesecake balls are perfect finger food treats for Red, White and Blue celebrations. I’m making a batch for a post-workout snack for an upcoming 4th of July workout with my fitness boot camp. I like how they are pre-portioned and snack-sized, I can just pop one of the blueberry cheesecake bites my mouth rather than eating an entire chocolate chip blueberry cheesecake!

These blueberry chocolate chip cheesecake inspired "bites" satisfy your sweet-tooth with no added sugar. Plus, added collagen gives a protein boost to provide a sustaining snack and post-workout refuel. Super easy, no bake! Low carb and keto friendly.

Each piece has about 100 calories, 4.6g net carb and 4.5g protein. If you want a keto cheesecake balls, make sure you are using full-fat cream cheese (which is what I have in the recipe and nutrition facts)

save 10% Great Lakes Wellness collagen and products with code THEFITFORK

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission from products purchased through links here — however, price to you remains the same. Proceeds are used to offset operating expenses at The Fit Fork, thank you for your support!

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Collagen Bites
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Snack, workout
Keyword: blueberry, cheesecake, collagen, low carb
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 4 Tbsp. collagen powder* berry flavored or unflavored
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar-free choclate chips chopped
  • 1/3 cup blueberries fresh or still frozen
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
Instructions
  1. Coarsely chop chocolate chips and blueberries, add to bowl.
  2. Stir in softened cream cheese, collagen powder* , and coconut flour until combined.
  3. Put in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Use hands to roll into one big ball.
  4. Cut this ball in half, and each half into 4 pieces – to make 8 total pieces.
  5. Roll each piece between hand to make into tidier ball.
  6. Keep leftovers in the fridge.
Recipe Notes

I used Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Powder in Berry flavor (discount code THEFITFORK10OFF at bit.ly/ShopGreatLakesGelatin ) but an unflavored collagen or berry or vanilla whey or plant protein powder may be substituted in the same quantity.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread | Easy Low Carb

Sun-dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread is rich, creamy and bursting with bold flavor! With only three ingredients, it’s a simple, no-cook appetizer that can be made in mere minutes to delight guests who drop by unexpectedly – or to just satisfy your everyday snacking needs!

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer.  Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

This blue cheese and tomato spread is also a flavorful addition to any charcuterie tray, cheese board, and snack tray for low-carb summer entertaining.

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer.  Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

Other serving suggestions for this creamy spread is to stir into warm pasta or veggies for an irresistible sauce. Additionally, a dollop of leftover creamy sun-dried tomato spread on a baked potato or over a plain grilled chicken breast creates “next level” yumminess.

The simplicity of this easy blue cheese spread with sundried tomatoes is legit – I mean, it’s REALLY EASY. Almost embarrassingly so, lol! Soften cream cheese and stir in blue cheese crumbles and sun-dried tomato pesto until mostly creamy (but I do like a few little lumps of the blue cheese to remain). Use a little spatula to transfer to a serving dish – the recipe yields enough to fill a 5 or 6-oz standard ramekin. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish with a sprig of fresh basil!

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer.  Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

The first time I made this, I CHOPPED oil-packed sundried tomatoes by hand . . . but quickly realized that I could just purchase a sundried tomato pesto and save so much time and mess. Do what you prefer – just don’t use the dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes though – they don’t add as much flavor and incorporate as well into the spread.

As I hinted, this recipe is low carb by nature – use full-fat cream cheese (which I did) if you are looking for a Keto cheese spread with the lowest possible carb yields.  Each serving of this easy keto appetizer (about ½ ounce) has 46 calories, 4.4g fat, 0.6g carbohydrate and 1.4g protein.

This post contains affiliate link.

5 from 2 votes
Sun-Dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread | Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free
Prep Time
3 mins
Total Time
3 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, party, Snack
Keyword: blue cheese, cream cheese, pesto
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 45 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. sun dried tomato pesto from jar
Instructions
  1. Soften cream cheese and blue cheese on counter for 15 minutes. Mix together cheese along with pesto in bowl until mostly smooth, but some lumps of the blue cheese is wanted. Keep chilled until serving.

  2. Serve with crackers or bread. Also great melted into warm veggies, noodles or a spoonful dolloped on a baked potato or over a simple grilled chicken breast or steak.

Recipe Notes