Caramel Apple Super Shake

Are you a caramel apple lover? The standard, caramel and nut dipped apple treat runs at about 300 calories and over 70g of sugar! Now, I’m all about treating yourself, but you can get the caramel apple flavors you love with a whole lot healthier option! This swap runs at about 200 calories, 17g of protein and only 13g of sugar!

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 scoops Vanilla life shake

1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1 tsp. pure caramel extract

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup ice

Instructions

Add all ingredients into the blender. Cover and blend until smooth.

This recipe makes 1 serving.

Perseverance - do you have what it takes?

This is a great reminder of what success takes and just how many times you might fall and need to get back up. THIS is perseverance; we see the hero here, but we might not remember the backstage of the afflictions.

Born in 1809.
Forced to work at age 7 because his family was expelled.
Lost his mother in 1818.
Lost his sister in 1828.
Opened his first business which went bankrupt in 1831.
Stood in the legislative elections and lost in 1832.
Borrowed money, opened another business, went bankrupt again in 1833.
Fell in love with a wonderful women in 1835, got engaged, and she died.
Was depressed and bedridden for 6 months in 1836, but he got back up.
Ran in the legislative elections again and lost in 1836.
Presented himself as an elector and lost in 1840.
Met his "forever love" in 1842, got married, had 4 kids, but lost 3 of them.
Appeared at the congresses and lost in 1843.
Appeared again at the congresses and lost again in 1845.
His son died in 1850.
Ran for the Senate and lost in 1854.
Ran for Vice President in 1856; not even receiving 100 votes.
Ran for the Senate and lost again in 1856.
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In 1860 ABRAHAM LINCOLN was elected President of the United States of America.

Who's a great reminder of this lesson, for you?

What I eat in a day...

I get asked what I eat A LOT…

So here’s a random day with a picture of part of it.

Brekky - Blueberries , Life Shake (20g protein) & Collagen-9 (10g protein - this is a complete collagen so you can count it towards your protein goals) Life Shake can be found HERE, and Collagen-9 HERE.

*Beachbody, Isogenix, and Vital Proteins DO NOT COUNT towards protein goals, they are incomplete proteins

1st snack - Shaklee Peanut Butter Crisp Snack Bar (10g protein, 130 calories, enough to hold me over between meals, but not too much that I’m too full for the next meal)

Lunch - Calamari (22g protein) salad w/ balsamic (Calamari steaks from Costco and $4.99 / pound )

Dinner - Beyond Meat Burger (20g protein) (purchased from Costco) & Zucchini (purchased from Trader Joe’s)

2nd snack - veggies & ⅓ avocado

Beverages - Water only! It’s been said, if you water has calories in it, it doesn’t count towards you water intake, but if you’re reaching ½ your body weight in ounces, I’m not worried about this. For example, I weight 128 lbs so I need to drink at least 64 oz of water a day, factoring in more if it’s really hot, or if I exercised.

So that’s about 80+ grams protein which is reasonable, but could be higher. Veggies and carbs have protein too, you just have to choose wisely. I love Dave’s Killer Bread for this reason; especially with my son Matthew because all he wants are carbs - rice cakes, tortillas, cereal, bread .

8 yrs ago I started supplementing with protein shakes at the suggestion of my doctor because I wasn’t getting enough. I find this to be the case with 95% of the people I train. How’s your protein intake??? Reach out with questions!

High Protein Healthy Recess’s Cup

This is my most requested recipe of August. It's no surprise when 2 of the 4 ingredients are peanut butter and chocolate. That is never wrong! These are also Gluten Free, Dairy Free (depending on the Chocolate Chips you use), and Nut Free (use Sunflower Butter if this is a requirement)! This is very allergy friendly so it's been a hit with 100% that have tried it! The original recipe is HERE.

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But I re-vamped this to include more protein and it was just as much a hit!! TRY THIS OUT!

New ingredient list (directions are the same):

1 cup quick oats (don’t use old fashioned)

2 scoops Life Protein (adds 20g protein) can be chocolate or vanilla, but I’ve always used vanilla

2 TBSP Pumpkin Seeds (any seeds are fine)

1 cup Nut Butter of choice (I used ½ almond butter, ½ peanut butter because that’s what I had on hand)

¼ cup honey

2 TBSP pure maple syrup (NO LITE syrup here, if you don't have PURE maple syrup, use extra honey or agave instead)

½ cup Chocolate chips of choice (choose DF if that's your goal)

Enjoy and let me know if you make these! If you have any questions, post them below.

You can make these “bars” or “balls”. Now that school is back in session I am rolling balls more so I can take them to the bus stop and they can eat on the way to sport a little quicker.

Core Vitamins & your body

Do you know what the core vitamins DO for your body, and why they are so important?

Here are the cliff notes version…

B-Complex = Also known as “Happy Pill” internal cellular energy. This energy is natural > better than external caffeinated forms that increase stress hormone.

Vitamin C = Really important for immunity and healing properties. Vitamin C is not produced by your body; so it has to come from food + supplementation!

Vitamin D3 = same D you get from the sun ! Most of us need 10,000 IU per day, or more, if we don’t get outside much or live in very overcast regions.

Vitamin E = supports skin and tissues, and aids against free radicals.

Gut check - are you getting enough of these important vitamins?

Irish Stew Recipe

I love having a good stew recipe on hand, and this is a repeat winner for me, for sure! Stew freezes beautifully and could not be easier to make - this whole recipe can be done in one pot; yes, please!

Irish Stew Recipe

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. olive oil

12 oz. raw leg of lamb, boneless, fat removed, cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped

2 medium leeks, sliced

2 medium parsnips, sliced

6 cups water

2 cups low-sodium organic beef (or vegetable) broth

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

2 medium Yukon gold (or Peruvian blue) potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes (approx. 12 oz.)

2 cups cabbage, coarsely cut

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Add onion, carrot, leeks, and parsnips; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add water, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; gently boil, covered, for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and cabbage; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lamb and potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf; add parsley and enjoy!

What breakfast looks like for my 13 yr old

A few days ago I posted Tyler's brekky in my stories because I get tons of questions about what I feed my kids for breakfast. Matthew is 9 yrs old and my carb kid...he could live on bread, pasta, cereal, oats (this is a new addition) and tortillas forever and life would be good (do we fault him???), so it's a struggle to sneak protein in. I will always opt for high protein options for this reason.

He picked out these “Egg’Wich” bun-less sandwiches at Costco and when I saw they had 17 grams protein, I BOUGHT TWO! However, when it came time to eating them, he realized it’s not a McDonald's Egg McMuffin (with bread on both sides) and can't be bothered to eat it. But, those that know me know we don’t waste food and I don’t make different meals for each family member, my motto is “Eat it or Starve”. Might sound harsh, but my pediatrician taught me this early on in motherhood and Bless Her. I’m so thankful she did.

Tyler (my 13 yr old) loves these and will happily eat the entire box if I let him. I would choose these for my pwn breakfast except "spices" as an ingredient is too vague and could have garlic and onion, which I’m allergic to.

Here's what I look at... NOT THE PICTURE (although that sold Matthew ). Flip it around and see that the first ingredient is EGG and second is Sausage. YAY for both of those being "whole ingredients" and not Sugar or Starches.

Then, the macros. If you're following portion fix containers (if you aren't message me and I can get you started, it makes things super simple and it's how I coach ALL my nutrition clients - macro eating) these are 1R, 1B. 17g protein, 3g carbs, 12g fat, only 1g sugar (and it's not "added sugar" - WIN) and 190 calories. Still low enough calorie to put this on top of Dave's Killer "thins" which gives you another 80 cal, 4g protein, 3g fiber, 3g sugar and only 2g fat. This is a solid breakfast choice and can be ready in 3 min flat from freezer to plate! No one is too busy for that and you're only adding 1Y to the combination!

Life Shake is always a great option and both my boys drink it, but make sure you add additional food to it so you get more calories. Generally you want to eat at least two, or more, containers together for a meal. So adding ½ a banana (I add a full for my 13 yr old and my husband), frozen zucchini, frozen cauliflower, PB2, etc will make it more calorie dense to hold you over. With 20 grams protein, you don’t need to focus on more of that.

Make sure your brekky is enough calories to sustain you until lunch with at least 300 calories.

Chickpea Curry with Chicken

Today’s recipe is great for lunch or dinner, and tastes better and better as it sits through the week! Feel free to double up and freeze for another week - I do this all the time!

Chickpea Curry with Chicken

My family loves curry so when I find a good recipe for it, I must share!!! Let me know if you try it and if you have other favorite curry recipes too!

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb raw chicken breast tenders
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp mustard seed
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin, divided use
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-oz.) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium organic chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Remove from the pan. Set aside. Add onion, garlic, ½ tsp. cumin, and mustard seed to the same skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add turmeric, remaining ½ tsp. cumin, coriander, chili powder, chickpeas, tomatoes, chicken broth, and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low; gently boil for 10 to 15 minutes.

4 servings

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese

Ready for some more “Make and Take” meal prep inspo? How does Mac n’ Cheese sound? 🤤 Delicious!

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese

Servings 10 (Prep and freeze half for another week)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. dry whole-wheat macaroni

1 tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped

3 cups cubed butternut squash

1¾ cups low-sodium organic chicken broth

1 cup low-fat milk

2 Tbsp. low-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

Nonstick cooking spray

Finely chopped fresh parsley (for garnish; optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Set aside. Combine squash, broth, and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; gently boil for 22 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender. Place squash mixture in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth. Combine squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt, and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well. Place macaroni mixture in a 13 x 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish that has been coated with spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Vanilla Peach Pumpkin Oats

Each week, I am going to share a meal prep recipe that you can “Make, and Take!” Think simple ingredients, easy to package and reheat, and cozy, comforting deliciousness in every bite! Save these recipes each week to build your next meal prep adventure 🙌

First up, breakfast! This Vanilla Peach Pumpkin Oats recipe is the perfect transition recipe from summer to fall and requires no reheat - aka perfect for whatever mornings bring your way!

Vanilla Peach Pumpkin Oats

Servings 1 (Make 3-4 servings to fill your fridge! These will keep for 4 days in an airtight container)

INGREDIENTS

½ cup dry rolled oats

2 scoops vanilla Life Shake powder

⅔ cup water

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 medium peach, chopped

2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree (no sugar added, just pumpkin!)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine oats and protein powder in a medium bowl; mix well. Add water, extract, and pumpkin puree; mix well. Soak, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, top with peach; serve immediately.

Monday Move - Curl to Press!

You did it! Today is the last Monday Move, and I hope you did all 5 of these!!! .

For our final move is the Curl to Press, an upper body powerhouse move that will get things burning even if you don’t add any weight! Start with a bicep curl and then push to an overhead shoulder press. This is a compound move, so start with a light weight and move up if you feel ready.

You can do it! 3 sets of 10 curls, 3 sets of 10 chest presses, 3 sets of 10 bent over rows, 3 sets of 10 deadlifts, and 3 sets of 10 squats. Whew - let’s get to work! Comment below if you did all 5. If you didn't, maybe you catch up today!

Last Wednesday workout!

It’s time for our final Wednesday Workout - HIIT circuit of August, but your shine does not stop here. I hope you’ve realized the benefits of these quick workouts and continue to add them to your routine into next week, any beyond!

For our final circuit, we’re going to switch up the timing of our circuit. How do you feel about HIIT? Leave me your review from August Wednesday Workouts below!

Monday Move - Chest Press, but we are ADDING on to what we've already done!

Time to GRIND, friend! For today’s Monday Move, you can use a towel or mat on the floor or a weight bench if you have one. We are going to focus on the chest press! Even if you don’t use weights, proper form on a bench is a huge piece to targeting your chest, shoulders, and upper body. Bench press is a great beginning exercise for getting a pump in the pecs, upper chest, and shoulders.

Let’s add chest press to our grind circuit today. 3 sets of 10 basic squats, 3 sets of 10 deadlifts, 3 sets of 10 bent over rows, and 3 sets of 10 chest presses to your day. Are you feeling stronger as the month progresses? Let me know below!

Workout Wednesday - week 3!

Ready for another HIIT Circuit? HIIT and Lifting in moderation through your week is the secret sauce. Building strength and burning fat, while keeping your whole body guessing will keep those results rolling in long after your workout is done!

Why does HIIT lead to such results? Because HIIT circuits include such a diverse mix of moves, close together, back to back, you are getting a full-body workout every time you start. Working multiple muscle groups at once (compound movements) spike your heart rate to burn the most calories!

Here we go! Do each of the moves for 30 seconds and repeat 5 rounds for the perfect sweat in less than 10 minutes. Share what workout you did today!

Monday Move - Bent Over Rows

It's Monday 3!!! We are switching it up to upper body this week with a compound move that brings the burn - bent over rows! .

There are many variations of the row that you can do to work your back, but today we are going to focus on the bent over row with two dumbbells or one single barbell (or no weight at all!) More important than weight in this move is form; check your posture and tighten your core to support you through this move.

Add a round of bent over rows to your lift today! Try 3 sets of 10 basic squats, 3 sets of 10 deadlifts, and 3 sets of 10 bent over rows. What weight did you use for today’s bonus circuit? Celebrate your strong below!

Workout Wednesday - week 2!

It's Workout Wednesday!

Want another reason to fit this HIIT circuit into your day today? Fat burn! Yup, HIIT workouts have proven to help people lose almost 30% more fat than other workouts alone.

Here’s a new circuit to try today! Do each of the moves for 30 seconds and repeat 5 rounds for the perfect sweat in less than 10 minutes.

Burn something extra today and comment below when you do!

Monday Move - Deadlifts!!

Ok it's' the 2nd Monday, so today we continue firing up your lower body with deadlifts!

Deadlifts are probably the most functional move we will cover this month. This move engages the legs, but also engages proper posture from your lower back up to your shoulders. I love it, and suggest checking your form in a mirror to make sure your back stays neutral as you lift!

Add a round of deadlifts to your grind today! Aim for 3 sets of 10 basic squats, then 3 sets of 10 deadlifts. Did you add weight to your lift? Let me know!

4 ingredients healthy Recess’s Cups (GF, DF)

Y’all, I don’t even know what to call this… dessert, healthy Recess’s Cup, but honestly, in our house, we call it GONE because it disappeared so quickly. I’m not kidding you when I tell you my 13 yr old took 6 squares and walked away. There’s a reason I have made 3 batches in 2 days and although I had some (come on, who wouldn’t), it’s not because of me, for once.

Grab these ingredients from you pantry because I bet you have all of them on hand. It truly is 4 ingredients, but I added a 5th to mix it up and have a tiny bit more flavor. it’s not necessary though if it makes you feel better having less ingredients. The goal is always 5 ingredients or less so I nailed it either way.

Ingredients:
¼ cup honey
2 TBSP maple syrup (you can use all the same sweetener, or switch the ratios for honey and maple syrup, doesn’t matter at all - remember who’s boss, YOU ARE)

If you do stop here and eat everything in the bowl, I do not fault you one bit!

1 ¼ cup GF quick oats (old fashioned will soak up all the sweetener and make it dry)
1 cup nut butter (any kind will do, I’ve used all creamy and I’ve tried ½ creamy and ½ crunchy, both were equally as good so it’s up to you. I wouldn’t do all crunchy unless you really like crunch though)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (choose DF if you need to)

Directions:
1) Melt honey, maple syrup and nut butter together in a microwave safe dish. Stir and reheat till it mixes well. 30 seconds at a time is safe.

2) Add oats in and stir well till oats are evenly coated and none remain dry. If you want another ¼ cup oats, this is up to you here, it’s a taste preference. Now, I could really stop here and just eat the whole bowl. It tastes like peanut butter cookie dough and yes, that’s a fact because I’ve had it on numerous occasions :) But, try to finish out the recipe because you’re going to make new friends and impress people! Yes, you will.

3) Pour mixed oat mixture into a lined loaf pan (I used aluminum foil, but parchment paper works too). No oil needed, it won’t stick.

4) In a separate microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate chips, 30 seconds at a time so you don’t burn them (yes, that is possible, speaking from experience here!). When all lumps are gone and the chocolate is melted enough to be poured out, empty contents on top of smooth oat mixture and even out edge to edge with a spoon. Lick spoon when finished. It helps make dishwashing duty easier, you can thank me later. Just do it, go back and lick the spoon. Thank you :)

5) Put in fridge for 30 min and remove to cut. you don’t want to leave it overnight without cutting it because then all the chocolate will break. Not the end of the world if you forget because it all tastes the same and looks even more homemade (truth), but it’s lovely when it’s perfect squares too.

6) Try not to eat it all in one go. Makes 15 servings. Or if you have a 13 year old, it might make just ONE SERVING! In the time I took this picture, one batch was gone. G-O-N-E. Enjoy friends and let me know what you think below.

HIIT Workout Wednesday!

It's Workout Wednesday! Each Wednesday I'm creating a short and fun circuit for EVERYONE to do, even if you're hitting the gym already. B-O-N-U-S!!

This group is all about shining from the inside, out, and today we’re going to focus on that outside shine with a bonus HIIT circuit to fire up your week!

Do each of the moves for 30 seconds and repeat 5 rounds for the perfect sweat in less than 10 minutes. Why HIIT? One reason is that you may burn the same amount of calories as another cardio workout at the same time, but HIIT workouts keep you burning calories for up to 2 hours after your workout ends.

Try the circuit above and get ready to SHINE for hours after you're done! Comment below when you complete it.

Monday Move - Squats!!

Each Monday in August, I am going to highlight a lifting move and give you a circuit to try it out! Lifting heavier can be intimidating, but the results are incredible and your confidence will grow as your strength does! YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY so let that fear go and LIFT WEIGHTS!!!

First up, I'm highlighting SQUATS. Squats are an exercise that should be kept in every lifter’s plan. They will fire muscles all over your upper and lower body, really targeting your lower half while relying on your core for support and stability!

Add a round of squats to your day today! Aim for 3 sets of 10 basic squats and challenge yourself to add weight if you're feeling a extra zelous!