Choosing the Right Sports Bra for You

We have all seen those cute little sports bras that look more like something you may want to sleep in vs. something you could actually break a sweat in. They look adorable and for a moment, you may consider them, but will they really give you the support you need to really kick your workout up a notch?

Cup Size REALLY does matter! (Okay, only in the world of buying bras people!) Take this guide along next time you go shopping for a sports bra.

How to Choose the Right Sports Bra

A-B Cups

Smaller chested women can really wear any sports bra, however, the activity type will be one of the most important factors here. Compression-type sports bras are ideal for women with A or B cups - either scoop back or racer back. Bear in mind that you will have more support with a racer back and thicker straps. So if you are running, you may opt for a racer back with larger straps vs. a cute thin-strapped scoop back bra for Pilates or barre class.

Compression Scoop Back Sports Bras
Compression Racer Back Sports Bras

C-D Cups

Ladies that are a little bustier than their A-B friends, will need to pay more attention to the coverage area that their sports bra provides. Women that are a little bustier may benefit from a combination compression and encapsulation sports bra. Again, function is everything when you are thinking about sports bras - wear your most movement minimizing bra for higher impact workouts like HIIT or step aerobics. Keep the lower-coverage bras for lifting weights or yoga.

Compression/Encapsulation Combination Sports Bras

 DD+ Cups

If you are bustier, you may have a hard time finding a bra that actually minimizes your movement no matter what activity you are participating in. For women with larger D or DD and larger cup sizes, the key to your sports bra is encapsulation! You need a sports bra in a high performance fabric that's actually made similarly to your everyday bras - with two molded cups and thick, dependable straps.

Encapsulation Sports Bras

Need a little extra help with incorporating strength training with your runs? Don't want to think about your workouts? Let us be your personal trainers with our She Sweats 12-week Run Builder and increase your mile time. It guides your workout each day and has everything you need! Find out more!

Cooking with Dry Beans

Our post a few weeks ago, Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know... was so popular and we received so many questions on how to cook with dry beans, that we thought we would dedicate an entire post to it! Below you will find out how to soak the beans, cooking methods (including in a Crock Pot!), and how to freeze them.

1 cup of dry beans yields approximately 3 cups of cooked beans (or if comparing to canned beans, 3 cups)

Traditional Soaking Methods for Dry Beans

Soaking Overnight - In a large bowl, combine 6 to 8 cups of cold water with 2 cups of beans. Soak at least 6-8 hours - the longer the better! Drain and rinse your beans in cold water after soaking. You will also want to sort beans as foreign material (like rocks) may very well end up in your bag of beans.

Note: We don't recommend quick soaking your beans as you need quite a while to cook your beans, so it really doesn't save you too much time as long as you remember to soak your beans overnight.

Cooking Dry Beans (Remember to Soak First!)

Stovetop - Using a large saucepan or stock pot, fill with at least 6 cups of fresh water. Add drained and rinsed, soaked beans to the pot as well. At this time, you can add any type of seasoning should you wish for the beans. Cover pot and bring water and beans to a boil. Tilt lid so that some steam can escape and lower temperature to low or medium-low. Allow beans to cook for at least 2 hours or until tender (this may take a while).

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot - Add 6 cups of fresh water and rinsed, soaked beans to a slow cooker. If you wish to add seasoning of any kind, do so at this time. You could also add chopped garlic or onion, or even use Low-Sodium, Organic Chicken Stock in place of some of the water. Cover Crock Pot and place on high for 6 hours or low for 12 hours.

Freezing Cooked, Dry Beans

Allow beans to fully cool prior to storing. Transfer beans to freezer bags and store flat in your freezer. When you are ready to use them, take the bag out, give it a little shake to break up any beans that may have stuck together and add to your recipe.

What's your favorite addition - either spices, herbs or vegetables to use while cooking your beans?

Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know...

Ever been in the grocery store and looked at the bottom (less attractive) racks of the dry, bagged beans only to turn around and pick up the convenient cans?  You may rethink your decisions once you read this post! Here's to why you may want to plan ahead and buy dry beans vs. canned beans.

Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know...

Canned Beans

Advantages:

• Simple and Quick: Open, Rinse and Go!
• Canning processes really do not degrade nutritional factors. Beans do not lose much of their nutritional value when canned unlike their vegetable and fruit counterparts. 

Disadvantages:

• Almost all canned beans include ingredients beside the bean itself, including sugar! (Yep - table sugar!) Be sure to check the labels before you put them in your cart.
• Many of the cans used to contain the beans actually have BPA, an epoxy resin that is thought to have an effect on the brain and behavior of fetuses, infants and children.
• Higher cost per serving than dry beans.

Dry Beans

Advantages:

• Totally clean! You control how you cook the beans and what ingredients you use.
• You choose how long you soak them - if you want to sprout them, you can soak longer and amp up the nutritional value. 
• VERY low cost per serving (Two cans is typically the cost for one pound, which is equal to about three or four cans.)

Disadvantages:

• You have to plan ahead in order to use dry beans - they must be soaked and cooked. 
• It may take your family a little getting used to the taste of the dry beans if they are used to the taste of traditional canned beans, depending on your spices when you cook them.

It was a no-brainer to me when I discovered that many of my canned beans that I just plucked off the shelves contained added salt and sugar, as well as, were packaged in cans with BPA. Although the dry beans may be a little more time consuming on the front end, you can't beat the cost savings and the nutritional value. Plus, you can freeze the beans after you cook them!

Do you use dry beans? Why did you make the switch?