1st cleanse in 2020! Day 1 is in the books!

Timing is everything, isn’t that what they say? Well, I didn’t nail the timing on this one, but I also don’t back down on a commitment so here I am, crushing day one and already looking forward to tomorrow!

A little background, yesterday I had oral surgery and had a tooth removed, yeah, GONE! Nothing was put in it’s place and this is the first smile since surgery. I’m delightfully surprised that ½ my face isn’t drooping. They suggested meals that are “mushy” or can be sipped through a straw, so I thought this would be the perfect timing for a 3-Day Refresh. Right? Wrong! ha!

From top to bottom, left to right:
1) Breakfast - I started with water and added a squeeze of lemon to make it more exciting, followed by Pumpkin Spice Shakeology. Note - this is a vegan cleanse so you can chose pumpkin spice, vanilla, chocolate, cafe latte, peppermint mocha, or salted caramel, but it needs to be the vegan formula.

2) Fiber sweep (am snack) - just the name makes me want to visit the toilet, but this cleanse does not have you glued to the bathroom one bit. In fact, I don’t notice any changes in my bathroom habits except possibly more peeing from drinking extra water to cleanse my body. Fiber sweep is lemony and gets quite thick, very fast, so I pour it in a breakfast glass + add 10 oz water and chug! (think back to your college days, down the hatch!)

3) Lunch - so delicious and oh so filling. I mean, seriously, this is a cleanse yall?!?! Look at all this food while others are fasting, juicing, or starving themselves. I choose to “eat” Vanilla Fresh protein shake rather than “drink” it, I just think it’s that good and want to savor it. Clean dark roasted peanut butter (1 healthy fat) is pretty damn delicious swirled in I must say, but you get a few healthy fat options (avocado, hummus, etc) if you aren’t feeling nut butter. Tip —> Almond butter is preferred over peanut butter because it has less bloating effects. I had a side of blueberries (1 fruit) and red peppers & cherry tomatoes (1 veggie) for a great combo!

4) Zing juice (pm snack) - I can’t believe I’m 42 yrs old and this is my 1st time juicing?!?! My 7 yr old even knew how to do it so he showed me. Any chance I have to get my kids in the kitchen is a win in my book. Of course after making my “juice” we needed to make some fresh lemonade. Cheeky monkey. Juicing is an option so if you don’t have a juicer, no dramas, you can do 1 veggie and 1 healthy fat (think celery and PB, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado salad, etc) and stick with the plan. I think I prefer the raw food over juicing, I just hate to see all that fiber being tossed out, but with my dental situation, I’ll try to juice each day. See 3-Day Refresh recipes here.

5) Dinner - Last Vanilla Fresh of the day and I was missing my peanut butter, but still delicious. I was worried about my teeth and thought about blending my salad, but thought I’d tough it out and see how things go. Delicious although I ate like a bird being very cautious of my stitches. That salad is huge and should have salt and pepper on it, along with pumpkin seeds, but I chose to add extra olive oil instead in fear a pumpkin seed might get stuck in one of my stitches. So many veggies, I love it!

The last beautiful picture is me winding down for the night with my ice pack strapped on my face and I was trying to drink water when it dawned on me, I couldn’t do both. Ha! I have ice for 5 days and then heat for a week. Wish me luck, this is going to be a long recovery! Read about Day 2 and Day 3 too!

Do you like vegetables? if not, what’s the hang up for you? If so, what’s your favorite?

"Recipes of the Week" from Peak Physio!

I’ve recently been introduced to Peak Physio, Sports and Spine Centre, and only have amazing things to say about everyone there! Amy Goldstrom is one of their physiotherapists and she just got certified as a Function Medicinal Practitioner; yay Amy!! She created these clean, fun and delicious recipes that I’m passing along to you! If you wind up making them, tag @PeakSportsAndSpineCentre in your post and make her smile. I think I’ most excited to try the chai pudding and protein pancakes. What about you? Click on the image for the ingredients and instructions.

Pre & Post Natal Fitness is here!!!

Pre & Post Natal Channel

Did you know we have an entire channel dedicated to preparing your body for carrying a baby, labor and postpartum recovery??? Beachbody on Demand keeps adding amazing programs and all these resources are included in your membership, at no extra charge! Elise Joan, Super Trainer behind Pre & Post Natal Barre series (20+ videos), Barre Blend (Barre, Pilates & Yoga blend), and 3-Week Yoga Retreat, Autumn Calabrese, Super Trainer behind 21-Day Fix, Country Heat and Active Maternity series (5 videos), and Desai Bartlett Super Trainer behind Pre & Post Natal Yoga series (6 videos) break down workouts between 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters, postpartum recovery and even a Diastasis Recti 101 video.

Why perform specific workouts for this stage of life?

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Prenatal and postnatal workouts are designed for the extra weight around your midsection, the increased pressure to your pelvis and back, posture and stability challenges, and omit contraindicated positions during pregnancy. You don’t want to hurt yourself or cause undo pressure or stress to your baby. These workouts improve your health while helping build strength and endurance before, during, and after pregnancy, while also preparing your body for labor too. Beachbody also has videos on breath work and ADLs (Activities of Daily Living).

If you don’t have Beachbody on Demand, message me.

Help chose my business logo; vote below!!

So, I did a thing!! I got Certified as a Personal Trainer with NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and am starting my own business focusing on nutrition (also got certified with NASM as a Nutrition Coach) and fitness. Not just fitness though, doing functional assessments (via Zoom thanks to Covid) so we can create your training program around muscles that are short and overactive; thus need to be stretched, and muscles that are long and underactive; therefore, need to be strengthened. No one program suits everyone! I’m loving this because my first four clients are already seeing weight loss and strength gains which his a double W I N !!!

My business name is following my Instagram Handle (@eatsweatpray) so Eat. Sweat. Pray Fitness. These are transparent so they can be placed on trucker hats, muscle t’s and documents / letterhead. I’d love your opinion. The ones in teal would remain that way, the ones in all black could be changed to teal writing or design so just go with design you like best. Maybe top 2?

Thanks for voting! I’ll choose a random comment to send a Herb Stripper to as a thank you! See what it is here! The kids use ours every week!

#mbf (Muscle Burns Fat) goes LIVE July 27th!

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You guys, I am more excited about this program than anything we’ve released this year!!! #mbf is amazing and I’m not even through the entire 21 days yet. Coaches got a pre-released LIVE version that you get to experience starting this Monday, July 27th! Let’s go over some FAQs to see if it’s a good fit for you!

Who is #mbf for?

#mbf is a beginner program - and there are modifiers so don’t be overwhelmed at how “beginner” you might be! Anyone can start this program and in just 3 weeks you will be ready to move on to #mbfa, our advanced program!

How long are the workouts?

#mbf is 25- 30 minutes - so super easy and short to fit into your day! Some of the #mbfa workouts go up to 45 minutes, but still totally reasonable, shorter than most gym classes and there’s no commute!

What equipment is required?

Light, medium, and heavy dumbbells plus the BOD Rope, a cordless, weighted jump rope that is included in your package if you get the #mbf challenge pack or completion pack! It’s a game changer and you cannot substitute a regular jump rope for this. You will fall and get injured; don’t worry, I wondered the same thing! Beachbody is also throwing in a #mbf shaker cup (it’s cute y’all), 2B Mindset food journal / tracker and BOTH 2B Mindset and Ultimate Portion Fix nutrition programs.

What makes #mbf special?

#mbf sets every rep to the beat of the music - making sure you stay on tempo and upbeat! Tempo and appropriate rest intervals matter when you’re doing endurance training. Megan Davies, the Super Trainer, sets you up for success with 4 days of lifting (including the Saturday challenge EMOM - Every Minute on the Minute), 2 days of cardio, and Sunday recovery (she even guides you what to do for recovery). You are going to fall in love with this program! Knowing most of us travel for vacations or work, there are 2 bonus workouts for when you’re away from home with no equipment.

When can I get started?

July 27th which link is most appropriate for you: Ordering GUIDE —>
1) Shakeology “packs” come w/ 30 servings (1 flavor) or 24 packets (2-3 flavors) which is ideal for travel). This is an amazing superfood protein shake if you’ve never tried it. Flavors are Chocolate, Vanilla, Cafe Latte and Strawberry (all offered in whey or vegan).

2) Performance “packs” come w/ ENERGIZE Pre-Workout supplement (lemon, mixed berry or fruit punch) w/ 40 servings (tub) or 32 servings (packets) - no combo for this AND RECOVER Post-workout supplement (Chocolate whey, Chocolate vegan, Orangsicle whey) w/ 20 servings (tub) or 18 servings (packets). These can be a game changer to get more out of your workout, and recover faster and properly from your workout so you have more to give the next day.

I already own BOD, is it included in my library on the 27th? No, but if you order using one of the 2 links below, you’ll get everything I mentioned above, PLUS the digital #mbf and #mbfa program FOR FREE and only be charged for Shakeology or Performance Stack!! Chose between:

PERFORMANCE COMPLETION PACK $130

SHAKEOLOGY COMPLETION PACK $130

What if I don’t own Beachbody on Demand yet, but want it and #mbf included with it? No problem, you still can get everything I mentioned above, PLUS the digital #mbf and #mbfa program FOR FREE, and only be charged for Shakeology or Performance Stack + Annual BOD subscription (and they’re offering this for only $30 extra instead of $99)!! Chose between:

BOD PERFORMANCE PACK $160

SHAKEOLOGY BOD CHALLENGE PACK $160

St. Patrick's Day Artichoke Dip

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Need something a little lighter to bring to your St. Patrick’s Day party?! This vegan spinach artichoke dip has all the creamy taste of this classic without the heaviness of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo. Green, healthy, and delicious; that’s a winner in my book!

Ingredients
*
Hot water
* 1 (15-oz.) can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
* 3 packed cups raw spinach
* 1 medium ripe avocado
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
* ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
* 1 clove garlic
* ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
* ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
* ½ tsp. onion powder

Instructions
1)
Bring medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.
2) Add artichoke hearts and spinach; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain well.
3) Place artichoke mixture in the food processor.
4) Add avocado, lemon juice, yeast, garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder; process until smooth.

ENJOY and take in all the compliments about this appetizer!

Sweet Potato Hash Bake

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Yum. Yum, yum. yum. These not only taste delicious, but they smell delicious and through these over a bed of rocket and you’ll have a perfectly balanced pre / post workout meal for whatever fitness program you’re doing.

INGREDIENTS:
-2 sweet potatoes
-2 tsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp chili powder (you can add more, but the kids and I don’t do spice so this is our comfort level)
**I like to double the above so I have extra potatoes for dinner. I also mix in white russet potatoes because that’s what my kids prefer and I did too as a child till I learned how much better these taste and are for you. I’m not going to fight them on this one, they eat pretty well.

Pour over silicon baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celsius or 375 farenheit. Remove from oven and crack 8 eggs over the baking sheet and cook an additional 5 minutes so they are over easy. If you want your eggs cooked more thoroughly then crack over potatoes at 10 minute mark. Enjoy and serve immediately so eggs don't continue to cook. I like to serve this over spinach leaves or a bed of rocket / arugula.

Ultimate Portion Fix containers = 3/4 cup potatoes = 1 yellow and 1/2 tsp

Avocado Smash

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In Australia we call it Avocado Smash and it’s just about as good as gold! So delicious and filling. I chose this, with wholemeal sourdough and add 2 poached eggs on top. The macros are perfect for a balanced breakfast and if they have rocket on the menu, add that for flavor and spice!

Ultimate Portion Fix = 1R (with opt 2 eggs), 1Y, 1G (with opt rocket), 2B (chose ¼ avocado for just 1B and stir with lime juice and it will cover more area!). I never get more than 1B so I get creative!

GF & DF Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These are my new go-to cookies for kids, adults, BBQs, and all events in between. You could make them with any nut butter and they’re pretty safe for all events. As written, they’re Gluten free and Dairy free and pretty FODMAP safe in general! Since being diagnosed with IBS, I’ve had to learn to modify recipes and there are a ton that can still be delicious. This. Is. One. Of. Those. :) And easy enough for your kids to make it, so #winning!! I love getting my kids in the kitchen to help and hope they’ll grow up spending time in the kitchen with their wife and kids one day.

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Not only are these easy, but you probably have all the ingredients on hand so there’s little cost to these. I hate when I’m half-way through a recipe and find I don’t have everything. Yes, I know if I gathered everything ahead of time, that wouldn’t be possible, but except for Rachel Ray, does anyone really do that??? LOL

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup CLEAN peanut butter (no added oils or sugar)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup maple syrup (you can sub honey if you don’t have any on hand)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet) ** chose dairy free if you have allergies

DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine all wet ingredients and blend well. I prefer my Kitchenaid mixer because I can turn it on and walk away to prep something else.

2) In separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well.

3) mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well. Add chocolate chips and fold in.

Put on silicon baking sheet so no oil or butter is needed. I love these and this mat has lasted me 6+ yrs. You can get them super cheap on Amazon! Buy a 2-pack so while one is cooling the other can go straight in the oven. These won’t spread much so you can put a lot of batter on one sheet. Watch the oven till you’ve made these 1-2 times. You don’t want to overcook anything with peanut butter because they dry out super quick. I cooked these at 160 degree celsius / 350 farenheit for 9 minutes.

Enjoy and let me know how you modify this!!

You always need to have quality control. Make sure you they’re safe. I’m a good mom like that :)

You always need to have quality control. Make sure you they’re safe. I’m a good mom like that :)

pre-oven. the batter has raw eggs, but if you’re like me and don’t care, it’s a little yummy!

pre-oven. the batter has raw eggs, but if you’re like me and don’t care, it’s a little yummy!

Miso glazed Eggplant

This picture doesn’t do it justice to how delicious it is. It is so flavorful, super filling and such a great serving of vegetables. My entire family loves it which I never dreamed my 6 yr old son would TOUCH. AN. EGGPLANT. There are so many recipes on Pinterest, but a lot have unnecessary sugar. The miso is so strong, I’d let it speak for itself. So often people take a vegetable and douse it in sauces and it’s no longer healthy. What’s the point in that? Fried okra? Why not grill it? I digress…

Cut eggplant in 1/2 lengthwise and soak in a bowl of water, any temperature fro 5 minutes. Meanwhile make the sauce.

SAUCE:
1 TBSP miso glaze
2 tsp cooking sake
1 tsp olive oil (1/2 for sauce and 1/2 for frying pan)
Cook over medium to light heat and stir together until well blended.

Drain bowl with eggplant and slice eggplant meat in criss-crosses (make sure not to cut too deep so skin is cut). Microwave for 4-5 minutes (1000 watts vs 750 watts) and remove carefully. Divide sauce evenly amongst eggplant halves and cook face down on frying pan on medium. Only needs 1-2 minutes on stove. Remove from heat and enjoy with your favorite protein. I ate both halves which was enough vegetables and carbs (~26 carbs per eggplant) so this with Tuna was my dinner portion. I was VERY satisfied.

Let me know if you try it and any modifications you make!

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Protein bites

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It sounds way healthier calling these “protein bites” (which they are), but they could double as dessert and no one would know they were good for them. Tell me if I’m wrong, but these look like blueberries covered in white chocolate. AMIRIGHT??? LOL My inspiration came from a Weight Watchers recipe, but in true WW fashion, it had unnecessary sugar. I’m a WW dropout, so I can say “been there, done that”. Wasn’t a lifestyle I could keep up with and model in front of my kids as “health"y”. Far from it actually. WW recipes might be low calorie, but they’re a shit storm of low fat, reduced fat, light, ingredients which basically means, CHEMICAL SHIT STORM. No thanks. Foodies here that wants to take control of what goes in my body!

Ingredients:
1 cup PLAIN greek yogurt
1 TBSP honey (although I think you can omit this if using Shakeology - it’s sweet enough for me)
1 scoop vegan vanilla Shakeology (any protein powder will do, but be careful because many taste chalky so you’ll want more sugar to mask the taste…or just get Shakeology and thank me later) ***
1 c washed blueberries

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together and then add blueberries. Divide into TBSP servings and freeze. Take out when ready to eat. YUMMMM! Share your comments below; can’t wait to hear how you like these!

I don’t count calories since doing Beachbody, but for those that do, I’ve calculated them for you.
Weight Watchers = 2 points
Portion Fix Containers = .5R, .5Y, .5tsp
2B Mindset “Plate-It” = good FFC to accompany with 2 eggs for your protein for brekky
calorie counters = 94 calories, 1.5g fat, 12.2g carbs, 7.7g fiber (based on 5 servings)

Paleo, GF, DF Lemon Cookies!

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When I hear all those “free” words I think, “hummmm, what’s left? can these be good?” Well, let me be the one to tell you, YES. THEY. CAN. They are FODMAP approved cookies and my kids devoured them in no time flat. Don’t believe me? I made 14, and before I could get the picture of them straight from the oven, this is what happened… LOL 8 left!

3 ingredients and super easy so read this and then let your kids make them! Maybe they’ll even clean up, but that might be pushing your luck :)

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup maple syrup (not Aunt Jemimas, get the real stuff!)
1 lemon zested
1 lemon juiced, seeds removed

Add all ingredients to a bwl and stir. Put in ziplock bag and freeze for one hour. I froze mine overnight so weather bland looking, but they tasted just as good. Use a fork to make texture marks if you want, adds flair :) Cook at 160 celsius / 350 farenheit for 8-9 minuets. Let them cool before removing from silicon sheet.

Makes 14 cookies, 116 calories each, 8g fat, 7.5 g carbs, 3.7g protein. Ultimate Portion Fix containers = 1 tsp, .5y

Kid-friendly Sweet Potato Maple Bread

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If you’ve been following me on Facebook, my blog, or we hang out, you KNOW I LOVE PUMPKIN and you know that it is hard as hell to find in Australia. And if I”m able to find it, it’s a small fortune (think $14.95 / can compared to $1.99 in USA). So, I’ve been on a mission to find something my kids love just as much that I can bake with for breads, muffins and cookies. This bread was an amazing find and my kids review was “FANTASTIC!!!” If you chose Gluten free flour then this will be GF, and it’s vegetarian and dairy free as well. let me know if you made it and modified it. I love hearing new ideas! I doubled this and froze a loaf because we blow through this in 2 breakfasts (for 4) or 1 breakfast (for 4) and snacks for 2 hungry boys after school.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup (less 2 TBSP) whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 tsp ground sea salt

  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 1/2 cup boiled sweet potatoes, mashed

  • 1/4 cup avocado oil + 1/4 c olive oil (could sub 1/2 cup coconut oil, but I’m allergic and the combo of these saves money and 1/2 cup olive oil would be too strong a taste)

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Instructions

1) Mix all dry ingredients in Kitchenaid mixer, or the like. Add eggs, maple syrup, and oils.
2) Fold in sweet potatoes. Do not use mixer.
3) Use spray olive oil on 9x5 loaf pan and make sure to spread to walls of pan as well. You don’t want this delicious bread to break when you turn it upside down because part sticks to the sides.
4) Pour batter in greased pan adn top with raisins or chocolate chips if you wish.
5) Bake at 175 celsius for 30 minutes. Depending on the width of your it could be deeper bread and need more time. Check around 30 minutes with a toothpick.

Before - going in the oven - I can tell you this smells sooooooo good!

Before - going in the oven - I can tell you this smells sooooooo good!

After - oh man, I coudln’t want to dive in and my whole house smells like fall. I don’t care that it’s summer, it’s amazing :)

After - oh man, I coudln’t want to dive in and my whole house smells like fall. I don’t care that it’s summer, it’s amazing :)

Favorite KID & ALLERGY FRIENDLY Protein Balls!

Cashew Balls - GF, SF, DF, egg free, wheat free, grain free

Cashew Balls - GF, SF, DF, egg free, wheat free, grain free

Last week my husband, went to an evening school event led by Michael Carr-Gregg. It was called “Raising Resilient Boys” and having 2 boys of our own, our ears perked up. Little did we know it would start with a marriage talk, then lead into parenting and finishing up with how important nutrition and sleep are for everyone, not just kids! But that was for sure emphasized. Do you know that Americans eat 40% more sugar now than we did in 1980? The average CHILD eats 38 tsp of sugar A DAY!!! That is mind boggling and disgusting. And I might be part of that without even realizing it because sugar lurks every where. Turns our Michael has also written 14 books and one was “Smart Snacks” so I picked it up. I will say, he loves his coconut oil, milk, flakes and being allergic to them, I’ve modified everything in the book, but here are my 4 favorites that we tried and were successful. I tried 3 of his smoothies and my kids said “mom, we just like Shakeology” and that’s that. Considering one of this recipes cost me $12 to make (holy heck Batman!), my $4.15 Shakeology will win every time and it tasted way better!

I might have spent a whole day playing in the kitchen, but I have these 3 perfected balls that my kids are begging for more of. It says the serving is 18, but I don’t think the mastermind behind the original recipe factored in how much my 5 and 9 year old eat, or how much they’d enjoy these because I had to finally put the plate away to have some at least for one more day. I changed a few things because as written, I don’t like cacao on the outside of protein balls and I’m allergic to coconut, so some substitutions were necessary. Didn’t affect us one bit ;) These can all be made GF, SF, dairy free, and the banana ones are nut free.

Note, ALL of these balls would be great with 1-2 scoops of Vegan Cafe Latte, Vegan Chocolate or Vegan Vanilla in them. Don’t use Whey if you need these to be dairy free, otherwise, it’s fine too.

CASHEW BALLS
INGREDIENTS:
-2 cups cashews
-2 cups dates (~20)
-OPTION: if you add 1 tsp ground ginger and 1/2 tsp turmeric you will get a Gingerbread flavor

DIRECTIONS:
1) Put cashews into food processor and grind. 2) add dates a few at a time. I added 10 and 10 and then you can add more depending on your desired texture. If it’s not binding well, you will need more dates. 3) Use a TBSP to measure out dough and roll into balls and put in fridge for 30 minutes before enjoying.

Banana Balls - Wheat Free, Nut Free, SF, DF, egg free

Banana Balls - Wheat Free, Nut Free, SF, DF, egg free

BANANA BALLS
INGREDIENTS:

-1 large mashed banana, ripe
-1 cup quick oats (do not use old fashioned)
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla
-¼ cup cacao powder
-1 TBSP sesame seeds, opt. See note below.

DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix everything together in Kitchenaid, or similar, mixer. 2) Using a TBSP, take a heaping scoop and roll into 18 balls. 3) If you chose to roll balls in sesame seeds, do this and then refrigerate for 30 min before enjoying. Freezable. We rolled in cacao afterwards instead of mixing it in and found we prefer it the other way, it was too dry and tart on the outside. They still disappeared in less than 24 hours, but this was a preference thing. You can chose to roll them in cacao too if you like the texture, taste, look of it.

Cacao Balls - DF, SF, GF, egg free, grain free, wheat free

Cacao Balls - DF, SF, GF, egg free, grain free, wheat free

CACAO BALLS
INGREDIENTS:

-2 cups walnuts (or other nuts but then requires more dates)
-1/2 cacao powder
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 TBSP chia seeds
-2 1/2 cup pitted dates (~23), but add more if you use cashew, macadamias, almonds, etc.
-pinch of ground sea salt, opt If nuts are salted, omit this as it will be too much sodium

DIRECTIONS:
1) put all ingredients, except dates, in food processor. Puree to the consistency you prefer. I let mine run longer because I wanted nuts very tiny or my youngest won’t eat them, or will pick them apart. In my car. And I’ll lose my mind. Getting the picture?! So about 2 minutes on high was good for us. 2) Then add dates. I started with 23 and added a few more because I used Cashews and Macadamia nuts. If you can grab a handful and mash it together, then you have added enough. 3) Using a heaping TBSP, roll the dough into balls and put in fridge 30 minutes before enjoying. These freeze well up to a month, but trust me, they won’t last that long.

CHAI-SPICED SUNFLOWER SEEDS BALLS
INGREDIENTS:
-2 cups sunflower seeds
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-¼ tsp nutmeg
-¼ tsp ground cloves
-1 cup medjool dates, pitted (~10)
-2-3 TBSP avocado oil (you could substitute melted coconut oil here, but I’m allergic and wanted a mild flavor oil. If you don’t need this to be nut free you could use macadamia oil as well, which is far cheaper than avocado oil and has same mild taste.
-pinch of ground sea salt, opt

DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine sunflower seeds, sea salt and spices in food processor on high. One blended add dates. If you can add them while running, that’s ideal, but I have to pause mine to remove the lid. Add oil you chose above until mixture binds together. You may not need it all, and although these oils are healthy, clean fats, we don’t need access so do this for taste and texture. 2) Use a TBSP and roll balls and put in fridge 30 minutes before enjoying them. These freeze well. Makes 20-25 balls.

NOTE —-> You can swap 2 tsp of chai spice blend in place of all ground spices above if you prefer.

Best part about all this, Michael says it’s therapeutic for children to actually roll the balls so if they’re stressed, anxious or bickering with their siblings… “hey boys, come in the kitchen and make some snacks you love. NOW” :) I love these recipes even more when someone else is making them!

let me know which your favorites are. With containers remember; ¼ cup oats = 1 yellow, ground spices = freebies, 1 prune = 1 purple, 1 tsp olive oil = 1 tsp. Depending on the number of balls you roll, you can calculate your containers accordingly. With 2B Mindset I’d count this as a FFC and accessory for each.

Sweet Potato Muffins - MAJOR HIT!

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First let me say, this recipe can be made many different ways. I rencently made this for our babysitter’s birthday because she requested a healthy, nut-free, dessert-like baked good and since most things I make are clean, but have nut butter of some sort, I modified this. I’ll show you how below…

Ingredients the way I prefer it most:

  • 1 cup pealed orange sweet potatoes / yams (cook and allow to cool first. they should mash fairly easily so you can squish in measuring cup if you like, no need to dice or get all fancy here - cram it in ;)

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk. I prefer unsweetened almond milk (you’ll get enough sweetness from the potatoes, but if you need this to be nut free, you can use coconut milk, soy or rice milk)

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (PURE, not Aunt Jemima’s here!)

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)

  • 2 TBSP hemp / chai seeds (these can be pricey and some kids don’t like the texture so it’s not do-or-die, I omitted them and they turned out just as well)

  • 2 cups less 2 TBSP wholewheat flour (if you need this to be nut-free), or 1 cup almond flour AND 1 cup whole wheat flour (this is my preference and what I used in the recipe)

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp ground sea salt

  • 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (then you have prettier muffins and isn’t that half the purpose? with my kids eating it, yes!) or use non-dairy chocolate chips if you need this to be dairy free.

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Preheat oven to 170 celsius and fill muffin tins with 12 liners. If you want more, fill a little less and you can get 18 easily.

Combine cooled sweet potato, hemp seeds (opt) and all wet ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Takes less than 2 minutes. In a large bowl, add remaining dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until well combined. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until completely mixed and then add chocolate chips (you could add sultanas instead, but lets live on the wild side and use dark chocolate chips here - there are health benefits you’re gaining too!).

Scoop mixture into muffin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes (if you made 18, cook on lesser side). Check doneness around 12 minutes. Remove and let cool a few minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cutting board to cool completely. Serve 1 muffin (if 12 servings) or 2 muffins (if smaller) with 2 eggs for a complete breakfast! ENJOY and share your thoughts below! These freeze well too!

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Egg White Pizza tutorial

I make these 2 at a time so I can eat one fresh and have one to look forward to the next day.  When you love something this much and it’s dense nutrition, you don’t mind leftovers.  And that’s how I survive motherhood right now. #dontjudge

I make these 2 at a time so I can eat one fresh and have one to look forward to the next day. When you love something this much and it’s dense nutrition, you don’t mind leftovers. And that’s how I survive motherhood right now. #dontjudge

Step 1 (this is 6 egg whites, flipped once, 1 TBSP pizza sauce

Step 1 (this is 6 egg whites, flipped once, 1 TBSP pizza sauce

Step 2 - that’s 1 slice of ham in slivers

Step 2 - that’s 1 slice of ham in slivers

I found a rendition of this on Iliana Mulestein’s Instagram page and have played with this till I borderline perfected it (to me at least) and I have this at least 3 days a week for lunch or dinner. My kids have watched me eat it and inquired if they could “try it” (afraid to commit to a whole serving LOL) and now they love it too. See if it’s a crowd pleaser in your house!

The key is to use a small enough pan (6-8” at most) so it’s thick enough to hold a “slice” to eat. If the pan is too big it’ll fall apart, but if that happens, call an audible and make a delicious scramble instead. It’s not going to be a wasted meal!

I do 1 of 2 recipes… 1) 8 egg whites for vegetarian pizza, or 2) 6 egg whites with 1-2 slices of ham or prosciutto. 1 TBSP clean pizza sauce is plenty. Then chose whatever veggies you want to add. I like to put these on once I flip the pizza so they get warm, but not wilted or cooked too much. Did you know when you cook vegetables that you lose a lot of nutrients? And it’s not necessary. My go-to are arugula (aka Rocket in Australia), red peppers (healthiest choice of pepper and has the most calcium) and sometimes if I’m low on veggies for the day I’ll add mushrooms too (but I’ll cook those because raw is #yuck). Bust out those containers because cheese is hard to eye ball! Use 1 blue container of your preferred cheese 🧀 as long as you haven’t already enjoyed cheese or avocado 🥑 that day, as the very last step.
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This was my dinner while family had frozen bacon & cheese pizza from grocery store. I love pizza y’all but honestly, this was damn good, I was very full and I didn’t feel like I missed out at all. You should enjoy what you eat, but you also want to remember it’s food and food provides fuel for your body. A recent video with Shaun T really impacted me when he said “talk to your food and ask it, what are you going to do for me?” When you think of it like that, the brownie or white flour pizza, doesn’t look so appealing, amiright?

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Step 3 (from tutorial above) serve & slice into 4 pieces.

Step 3 (from tutorial above) serve & slice into 4 pieces.

Containers simplified!

Vegan Vanilla Shakeology (1R) + ⅓ cup water stirred, blueberries (1P) on top

Vegan Vanilla Shakeology (1R) + ⅓ cup water stirred, blueberries (1P) on top

Let’s talk about these containers and see if I can simplify them. I know so many see all the colors and think… how will I know how much to eat, how much of each food group I need, how much more to I need if I do intense exercise, or don’t exercise at all? Or what if I’m nursing and need extra calories for the baby and I? I’ve got you covered and can help you know with all these questions! It takes 21 days to start a new habit and make it stick and by 30 days, your body will be craving it!!!

I started with containers 3 years ago and have never looked back, and still use them daily. If I don’t measure cheese for example, I could eat a whole block and call it 1 serving. The more I like something, the more tempting it is to just keep eating and eating and then regret it the next day when I’m bloated, low energy for my kids or workout, or clothes are feeling tight. It' feels amazing to wake up feeling proud of your choices and feeling good.

This one-pot-wonder is a hodgepodge of ingredients I had in my fridge which a client actually inspired me to make. It’s clean 6 chicken sausages, 4 medium sized zucchini, 6 portobello mushrooms, served over cauliflower rice (for me) and fried rice (for my kids). You can add onions and garlic too which would taste amazing, but those don’t sit well with my stomach :( I used Italian Seasoning and it was amazing. This served a family of 4 for 2 nts and 1 more lunch for myself and the whole thing was under $15! My plate on right is 1 red and 2 greens. If you’re doing 1B Mindset you’d want a few more veggies so your ratios are 25% protein and 75% veggies (#veggiemost), and make sure to drink 16 oz water (#waterfirst).

Let me know if you try this and what you think!

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Ultimate Portion Fix is coming March 18th!!!

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THESE AREN’T YOUR 2014 CONTAINERS - NOT AT ALL!!

Anyone remember these that we introduced FIVE YEARS AGO? They may still be hanging around in your container drawer from years ago getting worn out, or sitting there bored, just collecting dust. Or maybe your kids hi-jacked them for their play kitchens or to build towers? Well, consider this your sign to dust them off, and get ready for a new, fresh take on them - 2019 upgraded style! Their latest makeover features: 


—> New videos covering topics most of us can relate to: sugar addiction, emotional eating, binge eating, etc.
—> New nutrition concepts 
—> New recipes / Ideas for kids - happy kids & easy eaters is a mom’s dream!
—> New streaming workouts for 2 programs that revolutionized Beachbody
—> Tracking app
—> A NEW START!!

I have a FREE informational group going on NOW showing how we will use the container system, break past mental barriers, break sugar addiction and figure out which eating plan is right for you. We'll talk about how to make healthy eating a sustainable lifestyle for the ENTIRE family. JOIN HERE!!!

March 18th when this program is launched for purchase, you can be one of the first to join my FREE ACCOUNTABILITY TEST GROUP and start laying a strong foundation for improving your nutrition. Then we will add in the new upgraded workouts starting April 1st.

Lets celebrate the 5 yr anniversary and eat correct portions, macros best suited for our body and metabolism, have freedom back in our life within those food groups, and stop counting calories FOREVER!

Lets take back the kitchen and make this simple and easy, yet still delicious! Join me now for free!!!

Transform :20 | Week 6 | Day 7

As Shaun T says, you’re done, but you’re never finished - AMEN TO THAT!!! There are 365 days in the year, 52 weeks. This was only 6 of those 52, what will you do the other 45 weeks between now and Feb 25 2020?

In a lot of ways, your transformation is all about getting stronger, faster, and more able to KEEP GOING on your fitness & nutrition journey. What does that look like for you? Will you do another round of Transform :20 or fire up Beachbody On Demand to see what other programs peak your interest. Need some guidance? Reach out and I’ll help you pick, or we can create a hybrid together - this is my speciality!!

Now for the fun part!! Today it’s time to take our “after” pictures and take our new measurements. You’ve earned your progress and it’s recognize all your hard work! You can enter the Beachbody Challenge Contest, and you’ll not only have the chance to win big cash prizes, but you will even receive a free gift (while supplies last - 1 per year). Go to BeachbodyChallenge.com for details.

Don’t forget to film your final 1-minute challenge like you did way back in Week 1. The idea is to submit them side by side, so we can show off to each other how far we’ve come.

One final thing: THANK YOU. Thank you for joining me, supporting each other, motivating me on hard days, showing up for yourself every day and for not letting life get you down, or stop your progress. Life is busy, it’s surprising, but it’s ours and how we chose to live it out impacts our health, our mindset, and other’s health and mindset in our house. You can’t change other people or their habits, but you are in control of yours.

So, which program are you doing next? I can’t wait to hear below!!

Transform :20 | Week 6 | Day 6

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You guys - don’t get emotional on me… unless you want to! Can you believe this is our last workout of Transform 20? Don’t go thinking because it’s “balanced” it’ll be too easy and you’re going to bypass this. NO YOU’RE NOT! This is Day 41: BALANCED and we didn’t come this far not to finish! Today we have 3 transformers left: Climb Push-Ups; Plank, OBL Trap; and Balanced Dips.

I know you’ve been working hard, but I really want you to think about today’s workout from a different angle—FUN. Every single step is built on 6 weeks of sheer willpower, determination, and commitment.

Do not forget - tomorrow is PICTURE and measurements DAY! Stay on point!