On the 3rd day of Fitmas, Coach Wendy gave to me:

• 30 second wall sit
• 2 awesome burpees
• and a 1 minute holiday plank

If you are looking for a delicious salad to bring to a get tougher or just to enjoy at home, look no further.  I brought this to Thanksgiving this year and it was a HUGE hit.  I was already told I need to bring it again next year!

Harvest Cobb Salad

I didn’t really measure any of this when I made it but I add:
diced hard boiled eggs
dried cranberries
raw pecans
diced apples
cucumbers
crumbled bacon

This is all layered on top of chopped romaine lettuce.

Try it with this dairy free poppy seed dressing:
1/3 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tsp honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Whisk all ingredients together and keep in a glass container in the fridge.

*if you don’t need it to be dairy free you can use plain yogurt

Enjoy and have an amazing day!

On the 2nd Day of Fitmas, Coach Wendy gave to me:

• 2 awesome burpees
• and a 1 minute holiday plank

 

You really can’t and shouldn’t have to avoid cookies and treats all together this time of the year!  I have found 3 really good, healthy alternatives to some of my favorite cookie recipes.  I hope you all enjoy them, too!

Today’s recipe uses a unique ingredient, and  you need to taste it before you decide.  These are seriously delicious!

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies:

 

On the first day of Fitmas, Coach Wendy gave to me…

A 1 minute holiday plank

 

And a Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothy

Why not make your healthiest meal of the day be a delicious treat???  This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy my Shakeology!

• 1 scoop of Chocolate or Vegan Chocolate Shakeology or other chocolate protein powder
• 1 cup of frozen cherries
• 1 cup of almond milk

Blend, pour, enjoy.

Have a great 1st day of our challenge!

I love oatmeal.  I have it almost every day.  I grew up on packages of oatmeal filled with junk.  I didn’t know any better and I always thought it was healthy.  So, I have made it my mission to find delicious recipes that do deliver the nutritious benefits of oatmeal with out all the extra junk.  Here are 7 of my favorite recipes that I have created over the last year.

1. Peanut butter banana oats

• 1/2 cup Steal Cut Oats, organic when possible
• 2 cups water or almond milk
• 2 bananas, chopped or mashed
• 4 tsp peanut butter

Follow the direction on your container of oats- this ratio of oats:liquids yields me five 1/2 cup servings.  Once you are simmering the oats that is when I stir in the bananas and peanut butter.  I chop my bananas- I like to have “chunks” of bananas in the finished product.  You could easily mash them for a creamer textures.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow, 1 purple and 1 tsp

2. Chocolate peanut butter oats

• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats or quick oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp peanut butter

Spray 2 small glass bowls or mason jars with coconut oil spray. Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and divide into the 2 lightly greased jars. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy immediately or make up the night before and store in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave for 1 minute the next day.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow and 1 tsp.  Top with berries to add 1/2-1 purple.

3. pumpkin spice baked oats

• 2 cups of rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup milk (I used almond)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (honey or agave would work)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 Tbsp of your favorite nut butter

Mix everything together and then put into a greased 8×8 pan or into 4 small mason jars. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow, 1/4 purple and 2 tsp

4. Carrot cake overnight oats

• 1/2 large carrot, shredded
• 1 Tbsp coconut, unsweetened, shredded or flaked
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, regular or gluten free
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 1-2 tsp maple

Put all the ingredients into mason jars and mix well.  Put in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning you can heat in the microwave for 1 minute or eat cold.  This recipe makes 1 jar- you can make up to a weeks worth at once for a quick, delicious breakfast or treat.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow, 1/2 green, 1 orange, and 1/2 blue

5. Blueberry oatmeal bake

• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats or quick oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh organic blueberries

Spray 2 small glass bowls or mason jars with coconut oil spray. Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and divide into the 2 lightly greased jars. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy immediately or make up the night before and store in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave for 1 minute the next day.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow and 1/2 purple

6. peanut butter and jelly oats

• 1 cup Steal Cut Oats, organic when possible
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups of blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 4 tsp peanut butter

Follow the direction on your container of oats- this ratio of oats:liquids yields me five 1/2 cup servings.  Once you are simmering the oats that is when I stir in the blueberries and peanut butter.  You could also use strawberries for this recipe.

If you follow the 21 Day Fix this counts as 1 yellow, 1/2 purple and 1 tsp

7. baked banana oatmeal

• 3 large bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed banana)
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup gluten free quick oats or gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 

I love to bake and store these recipes in small mason jars.  I order mine from Amazon- mason jars

Did you know that the average American gains between 7 to 10 pounds during the holidays?

Not this year, not me!  I have made an End of the Year Resolution.  I vow to maintain my weight this holiday season and feel good about where I am on January 1st.  Not to mention I have a beach vacation to be ready for!  I vow to have a Healthy December!
So…who would like to join me???

Let’s be bluntly honest here- this will not be easy and you will have to make what may feel like sacrifices.  I do, however, believe with a good plan you can finish the year in a good place and be primed for success in 2016.  I also believe you can do this with out having to give up all that is fun about this time of the year.

Here is what I plan to do:

• follow a portion-controlled meal plan
• workout 30 minute a day
• create a group that provides daily support and accountability
• create, try and share healthy holiday recipes
• have a game plan for holiday party success

The fun begins November 30th.  Don’t let the holidays run you!  You can enjoy your holidays and begin 2016 strong.

Fill out your application to join here:  Operation Healthy December

I look forward to to a fun filled 21 days with you!

Do you eat kale???  I have been trying new ways to enjoy this nutrient rich super veggie.  I have been enjoying stuffed sweet potato all fall, so when I saw a recipe using kale AND a crock pot I just had to try it.

Crockpot Stuffed Sweet Potato:

• 2 cups of chopped kale
• 1 can of back beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of corn (can be frozen)
• 1 container of salsa
• 3 sweet potatoes

Scrub your sweet potatoes and set aside.  Take the Kale leaves off the middle stalk and chop finely.  I like to give my kale a little love and massage it a bit.  Throw the kale, beans, corn and salsa in the bottom of the crock pot and give everything a stir.  Sit the sweet potatoes on top and cook on high for about 3-4 hours or until potatoes are soft.  Take potatoes out and cut open.  Stuff them full with the filling from the bottom of the crockpot.

I usually enjoy one right away for lunch and wrap the other 2 stuffed potatoes up in foil and keep them in the fridge.  I will warm them up in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes for a quick and tasty lunch!

Enjoy!

I have been reading a great book called SuperLife by Darin Olien.  I am learning a ton and one of the cool things I have taken out of it is the benefit of eating RAW FOOD.  I am not interested in trying this full time, but there are a lot of benefits to eating your food raw.  By the way, by raw I mean not cooked.

When you cook or heat  your food it breaks down the enzymes that the foods naturally have.  These enzymes are used by the body to break down the food and to be able to utilize all the nutrients the food has to offer us.  So, with out those enzymes your body is missing out on some of the vitamins and minerals that we need!

I am going to make sure I have a big salad full of raw fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts or a delicious green smoothy every day so I can take advantage of the amazing benefits of raw food.

One of my favorite salads has all of my favorite ingredients!

Power Avocado Salad:

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
1 cup of chopped spinach
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1/2 of small avocado- chopped
1-2 tbsp of red wine vinegar dressing

Cook quinoa according to directions. While quinoa is cooking chop your spinach and put it aside. Chop your tomatoes and avocado. Add 1/2 cup of quinoa to the spinach. The warmth of the quinoa will wilt the spinach a little bit. Now add the tomato and avocado and dressing- mix and ENJOY!

For the 21 Day Fixers- 2 green, 1 yellow, 1 blue and 1 orange (for dressing)

To make my favorite Red Wine Vinegar Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (raw and local is best)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Store in refrigerator.

If you are anything like me, you have had your share of success and failures when it comes to your weight and general health.

I have joined gyms, hired personal trainers, taken classes, tried fad diets, learned about healthy eating all mixed in with periods of completely falling off the wagon and doing pretty much nothing to better my health.

In March of 2014 I was invited to a 40/40 Challenge on Facebook.  At the time I had pretty much fallen off the wagon and was being dragged behind.  I was pretty unhappy at the time and I knew something needed to change so I joined  We were asked to exercise 40 minutes a day for 40 days and check in daily with our progress.  It seemed simple and doable.  Pretty quickly I realized that this was going to work for me and I was already thinking of ways to get my friends involved.  I had finally put into place all the parts of the equation to successfully get healthy and more importantly stay healthy!

When you try to do this whole getting healthy thing on your own the excitement of a new program or new gym membership will wear off and you are left to decide if you will keep going or give up yet again.  Being in the group made it easier for me to stay motivated and offered me a place to check in daily and stay accountable to my goals.  I wasn’t alone- I had a group of new friends who were going through the same things I was and who had my back.

After 2 months in these groups I ventured out on my own.  I couldn’t wait to pay it forward and invite my friends and family to join me.  1 year later my groups have reached beyond my close friends and I am helping more and more people find the equation that works!  My mission is not to help people get skinny, it is to help people get healthy and STAY healthy!  My mission is to help people realize that in order to be their best, they have to start with themselves.  It is not selfish to focus some time on yourself and your health, it is necessary!

If you are interested in finding out more about my Facebook Challenge groups click here and fill out an application!

This picture does not do these zucchini justice!  I was not able to plant a garden this spring but a friend dropped off some of her harvest for me to enjoy.  I was so excited and had to find a way to use them all!

So what can you make with 4 GIANT zucchini???  Well here is what I did with them:

Zucchini Brownies

• 1/2 cup all natural nut butter
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup gluten free oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan if desired- my favorite are Enjoy Life), divided

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray- I use coconut oil spray.
2. Place oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Set aside.
3. Blend together nut butter, applesauce, honey and vanilla until smooth. Add in zucchini, cocoa powder, ground oats, baking soda, and salt; mix until well combined. Gently fold in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted into middle comes out almost clean.
4. Cool brownies completely on wire rack then cut into 12 squares.

For anyone following the 21 Day Fix, I count one brownie as a yellow treat swap.  See page 10 for more info on how to handle treats while following the 21 Day Fix.

These are 21 carbs each.

Zucchini Mini-Muffins

• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds (chopped in the blender)
• 3/4 cup of gluten free oatmeal (chopped in the blender)
• 1 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (I used gluten free baking mix)
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 carrot (chopped in the blender)
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven at 400 and grease mini muffin pan, again I use coconut oil spray.
2. Grind pumpkin seeds, set aside.
3. Grind oats.
4. Combine pumpkin seeds, oats and remaining dry ingredients, set aside.
5. Grind carrots, then add remaining wet ingredients and blend.
6. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
7. Place in greased mini muffin pan and bake for 15 minutes.
8. This recipes makes 36 mini muffins.  These freeze great and can also be thrown in lunches frozen and are ready to enjoy by lunch time.

For anyone following the 21 Day Fix, I count 3 mini muffins as a yellow treat swap.  See page 10 for more info on how to handle treats while following the 21 Day Fix.

These are 10 carbs each.

I also shredded 2 off the zucchini and froze them in 2 cup increments for later use.  Make sure when you are shredding the zucchini you drain the liquid before using or freezing.  I use a nut bag to squeeze out the excess liquid.  You can add the shredded zucchini to sauces or defrost and use in the recipes above.

Lastly, I will use the last zucchini to make zoodles later this week with Autumn’s Italian Meatballs from her new FIXATE Cook Book!  You can purchase your copy here.

And there you have it, that is how I used up 4 GIANT zucchini.  What are some of your favorite zucchini recipes?

For many of us summer means vacation!  Eating while traveling can be trickier than when you are at home, but I was out to prove that it can be done on my trip to Nashville for Beachbody Summit 2015!

So for this trip I did drive and that did allow me to pack a lot of food and transport it with me.  Air travel does make it a little harder, but I will be flying to Orlando in August so I will put this to the test again then!

I packed foods that did need to be refrigerated but could be eaten cold or warm.  I knew I was going to be out and about for most of the day so needed to have food that would fit in a small cooler or in my backpack.

Here are a few of the things I brought:

• Steel cut oats- my favorite recipe- Peanut Butter/Banana Oats
• banans, apples, blueberries, cherries and carrot sticks
• hard boiled eggs
• Salads in a Jar
• Quinoa/black bean/ground turkey/bell pepper bowls
• Cauliflower Fried Rice (this is great cold or warmed up)
• Almond Butter pouches (you can get Justin’s brand at Target and Whole Foods)
• Shakeology
• shelf stable Almond and Coconut milk (this only needs to be refrigerated after opening)
• mixed nuts and cashews
• Kind Bars

I stored most of my stuff in mason jars, I have a slight addiction to mason jars!  I brought everything in a cooler and put it all in the mini fridge as soon as we checked in.

I did eat out 3 times while gone and I made wise choices when I went out.  I fully realize that making your own food is the best way to go because you know what it is in and how it is made.  However, I do enjoy eating out from time to time.  It usually involves good company and I try to order something that I wouldn’t make at home.  I have tried a ton of new veggies and food combinations that I would normally not try at home when eating out.  I always keep in mind that even when ordering a healthy dish that restaurants cook with more fats and oils that I do at home.  I just plan my day around that and stay pretty low fat otherwise on those days.

So here is a quick breakdown of my weekend:

Wednesday

We left around 2 so I ate as I normally would for breakfast and lunch.  I had Cauliflower Fried Rice and an apple in the car for dinner and a ton of water.  I also “treated” myself to a Kombucha when I was grabbing my last minute items from Target.  Yum!  I also had some pretzels and almond butter.

thursday

I had one of the oatmeal I packed and a banana when I got up.  We met our group of coaches for a late breakfast and I ordered a spinach/tomato omelette with fruit and 1 piece of dry whole wheat toast.  For lunch I had my Shakeology.  I brought a little travel blender and added ice, blueberries and almond milk.  I got to do a live PiYo work out in the afternoon with Chalene Johnson!  I had one of my salads in a jar for dinner before we headed out for the night.  We did meet for a drink later that evening and I had an apple cider and a veggie burger.  I only had 1/2 the bun and a few of the kettle chips that came with it.  The veggie burger was delish!

Friday

I had one of the oatmeals I brought and 2 hard boiled eggs.  We left for the the day pretty early so I packed and ate trough out the day the following: an apple, mixed nuts, a quinoa bowl, Kind Bar and my Shakeology- this time just mixed with water, not my favorite way to enjoy it, but it works.  For dinner we stayed in and I had another quinoa bowl and salad in a jar.  I snacked on 2 Crunchy Rice Rollers (kinda like healthy rice crispy treats). We were exhausted from our early morning butt kicking by Shaun T so we went to bed pretty early.

Saturday

We were up ridiculously early for our Super Workout- 6 am outside with 25,000 other crazy people for an hour and a half!  I had my last oatmeal before the workout and a banana and my Shakeology with almond milk after the workout.  I did have some delicious pork tacos from a local restaurant for lunch.  I had 2 on corn tortillas- pork and an amazing pineapple salsa.  YUM.  I also had an apple.  In the afternoon I had a Kind Bar.  For dinner I had another Shakeology- Vegan Chocolate blended with coconut milk, ice and cherries.  I snacked on 2 more Crunchy Rice Rollers with almond butter.  We were even more exhausted and stayed in and brainstormed while having 2 beers.

Sunday

It was time to head home.  I took advantage of the hotel breakfast and had oatmeal with a few walnuts, slivered almonds and cinnamon.  I added some almond butter and had a banana.  I had my Shakeology with coconut milk in the car for lunch and snacked on another Kind Bar, my last 2 hard boiled eggs, blueberries, some mixed nuts and a Skinny Pop through out the afternoon.  Dinner was at home and I had cauliflower fried rice and we ordered pizza- mine was spinach and tomato, no cheese.  I had 2 small slices.

So, I actually lost a pound on this trip!  I came home feeling great.  My stomach was a little wonky, but nothing like it has been after previous trips.  I did enjoy myself- I had a few beers over the 5 days and enjoyed a few meals out.  It does help to travel with thousands of other health nuts!  Overall I deem this experiment a success!

So, think you can travel and eat healthy?  Do you have any tips you do when traveling to keep track?