Hey GUYS! It's been a minute on here! So I'm trying something new today and I'm really excited to get started!!! I'm having my cousin Manoli Lagos, the founder of The Living Fuel, takeover my Blog today and share more information on a question I get asked a lot, but avoid because I am not educated enough in the subject to answer; long lean body toning and a perfect balanced diet to achieve this. 

Manoli is an IIN Certified Health Coach and an expert on all things health/diet/fitness. He has inspired so many people to reach their personal goals and can help anyone from anywhere by creating a custom plan. I decided to team up with Manoli to offer a workout for you all that I enjoy, as well as some great tips to get started right in the New Year! These are genuinely the types of workouts I love (Full Body Fat Burning HIIT) and do on a weekly basis, and his diet tips are great for the person who enjoys life and is seeking that perfect balance. I always say... for me... it's BALANCE and Manoli lives by this as well.  

I thought there would be nothing better than to introduce him to you all so he can share his amazing knowledge on something I believe in so deeply and he knows WAY more about it than I do! If you want to know more... visit his website here and his instagram handle @thelivingfuel! OH ALSO - he offers free 30 min consultations. You're going to love him. 

Lets get it started! Here's Manoli...


It’s 2020! A new decade. A new chance to start fresh. An opportunity to change the way we
look and feel! So instead of making a resolution in 2020 that we might stick to for a few months and forget, why don’t we all just start by incorporating a few healthy habits into our life that are sustainable and easy to follow. So to kick the decade off, I want to give you a few simple fitness and nutrition tips to get you looking lean, toned and feeling energized!




Let’s talk fitness.

If you want to be fit and spend as little time in the gym as possible and get real results, the first thing you have to do is get familiar with HIIT (high intensity interval training). In short, HIIT workouts are typically circuits, done at a high intensity, for a specific time interval with minimal rest. HIIT workouts really get your heart rate up, and that means they get your metabolism going too! The beauty of these workouts is that they only take 10-20 minutes on average and rarely require any fancy equipment. HIIT workouts have shown to increase your metabolism for up to 24 hours, in comparison to running on the treadmill which only elevates metabolism for 1 hour after exercise. So ease up on those 5 mile runs and start focusing on HIIT style training if you want to burn fat and lean out! Running is great for cardio purposes, but it is catabolic, which means that it breaks down muscle so it’s a very inefficient way to tone-up and lose unwanted fat.

The second part of the equation is toning. We all want some definition but we all fear getting “too bulky.” Let me debunk that myth for you. The average person can only put on 2lbs of muscle in a month, so the thought of you getting too bulky too quick is nearly impossible. In order to get toned, our bodies need resistance. Using just your body weight will work, but it might take a bit longer to get the results you want. Instead, I recommend resistance training 2-3 times per week. That means using weights and doing exercises like the ones that you’ll see in our workout video and others like lunges, squats, deadlifts, curls, shoulder press etc. I recommend starting with light comfortable weights and focusing on form, so find a workout buddy or hire a trainer if you’re not sure where to start. If you really want to save time, you can do both your HIIT workouts and resistance training on the same day!

Now let’s talk food.

Let’s be clear, there’s no one-size fits all diet. Our bodies are all unique and dependent on our ancestry, blood type, lifestyle and goals; so we all require different nutrients and foods. That being said, there are a few foundational guidelines that we all can follow to have more energy, stay lean and live a long and healthy life!

  •  Stay Whole 30. The Whole 30 diet is an easy protocol to follow that cuts out all of the inflammatory food groups (grains, sugar, legumes, soy and dairy). 
  • Eat a lot of plant-based foods. The more you can focus on eating plant-based, the more your body will thank you! Animal products are a great add to your diet, but really keep in mind where they are coming from and how they were raised. So, always eat organic, wild-caught, pasture-raised and grass-fed when it comes to animal products!
  • Incorporate healthy fats! Perhaps the biggest myth in health is that “fat makes you fat.”

Our brain is made up of 60% fats! We need fat to survive, but we need to focus on the right sources of fats, poly and monounsaturated fats with some saturated fats mixed in. The more good fats we give our body, the more likely our body will be to shed excess fat and not treat it like a scarce resource. My favorites are ghee, MCT oil, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts (pecans, macadamia, almonds) and fatty meats like salmon and steak! Feel like you want to get started with these tips but need more guidance? I’m here to help! I’ve worked with hundreds of people and have helped with everything from weight loss to building out full detox plans. My programs are completely custom based on your goals and lifestyle and have seen a 100% success rate with every client I’ve worked with! Here’s a list of some of the most common challenges I’ve helped people overcome:

  • Fat loss & Workout Plans
  • Improving Sleep
  • Detox & Inflammation Plans
  • Digestive Issues & Gut Rebalancing
  • Brain Fog & Energy
  • Reading Nutrition Labels
  • Breathwork & Meditation
  • Drinking Smart & Minimizing Hangovers

Click Here for the Full-Body Fat Burning HIIT Circuit workout I did with Evanne!

Please feel free to contact me directly at manoli@thelivingfuel.com or set up a free consult to learn more!

Check out my website to learn more and see all of my success stories and testimonials! Follow me on social @thelivingfuel

In vibrant health,

Manoli