On Saturday, I loaded my mom and Peanut up for a trip to the Sports and Fitness Expo in our city. I was really excited to go to my first fitness-related expo and already knew of a few booths that I wanted to scout out when I got there.

When we got there, I was a little taken aback by how small the expo really was. Now, don’t take this wrong, because it was still super productive! But compared to something like Deerfest, it seemed pretty small. And unless I missed something, I didn’t see any used sport or fitness equipment being sold, which was advertised. But I suspect that some of this has to do with the difficult website navigation–I had a hard time nailing down what was going on, especially the speaking schedules and such. Before we could even get inside though, we had to stop near the doors so Peanut could draw the camels and llamas, of course.

I had a great time talking to some of the representatives there, even if some of them were trying for a hard sell. I still learned a lot. If I had more disposable income I definitely would’ve hired the nutritionist I talked to, bought a year’s supply of superfoods and vitamins, and signed up for a boot camp or six! I don’t buy into the wraps and spinal scans and things like that. Sorry! But there are some real neat things that I can get behind.

I felt a little hesitant about bringing Peanut along, but Hubster was working and I knew we wouldn’t be there that long. After we got inside though, he did just fine because there was full-face painting, real live animals, disc golf, and massage to keep him occupied. Yes, the masseuse from a local parlor was even gracious enough to give him a tiny bit of a back rub after me, which was the sweetest thing ever. He’s definitely my kid, loving his massages. Peanut even got to ride a camel, because you know, it’s always natural that there should be camel racing at a fitness expo! Ha!

I picked up some single-serving packets of Vemma Bode meal replacement powder to try. It is a brand endorsed by Chris Powell and his wife. And, if you remember, my workout buddy and I did some of his workouts for quite awhile there. This meal replacement protein shake has mangosteen in it, which used to be illegal to import to the US. I always have a protein smoothie in the morning, so I’ll try my regular berries + water + powder concoction with this and see how I like it.

I also picked up some essential oils from Doterra. I’ve been hearing about the brand for quite some time now through my cousin who sells it, but never actually tried it. I was fascinated with hearing about how Lemongrass Oil actually helped one of the consultant’s friends heal her horse’s hoof maladies. Sometimes it pays to go natural and give chemicals the heave-ho.

My tootsies have had a very rough summer since I tend to wear flip-flops and sandals all summer. So, I stopped at the Avon booth for some super hydrating peppermint foot cream that I’ve been pampering my feet with every night since, right after a good pumice scrub. I’ve not been very nice to my feet and it’s definitely something that I could improve on, especially since those are the extremities that keep my runs strong. I now keep a golf ball under my desk too to rub my feet with too. I’ve been doing some reading about Trigger Point Therapy to find out some more of the scientific basis and process behind these awesome foot rubs.

I mentioned that I got a chair massage, and that is like one of the greatest things in life! In fact, one of the things we discussed in marriage counseling with our pastor prior to getting married was my need for back rubs. I kid you not! The lady that did my quick 5-minute one said I was super tense, which I can definitely feel. Believe it or not, she was using Trigger Point Therapy on me (I asked!) and it felt like heaven! She said I could definitely use at least an hour on the table to loosen up my shoulders, and I couldn’t agree more, whether she was trying to sell to me or not! If I could do an hour on the table every day of my life, I would be one happy little camper. Plus, my shoulders are pretty much chronically tight. I’ve had massages before and they always tell me about my tightness. Some of it can be attributed to the hardcore shoulder work I’ve been doing lately, but my shoulders just seem to be where my body holds most of its tension.

I also did lunges to get this sportpack and played some disc golf inside the building. This was another thing that Peanut really enjoyed trying. We even own some discs, but we still have yet to make it golfing.

I also tried some of these really good Juice Plus gummies that were so so amazing. I’m chewing on the price tag right now, but I think the concept is truly virtuous. They extract all the sugar, water and salt from dozens of fruits and vegetables and condense the fiber and antioxidants down into these little great-tasting chews. They’re great for kids, especially ones that don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their diets, and they’re highly clinically researched. The representative told us that it’s even approved by the Olympic committee, which is a pretty tough line to cross. Always the skeptic, I decided I wanted to give these a little more research myself before handing over my credit card. So far, they seem legit.

When I got home from the expo, I worked with my mom to put together a personal training plan for her. We did the YMCA step test and took her measurements. She’s gracious enough to be my very first guinea pig and she seems like she’s going to be very receptive to the training as she has some very powerful reasons for getting healthier. Of course, wanting what’s best for my mom, I’m excited to give this a shot too. My ultimate vision and goal is to be able to share her success story on here.

Peanut asked if I could train him too, just like I’m training grandma. That kid cracks me up and warms my heart all at the same time. Love him! Even though he’s a bit too young for weight training, it makes me so happy that fitness will be one of those things that just comes naturally for him. He’ll never have to start from scratch, like many of us have had to.

So, what are some of the most phony “health” products you’ve seen out there? How do you avoid them?