Orecchiette with Rappi & Meatless Sausage

Ingredients:
1 pkg (17.6 oz) Organic Orecchiette, cooked per pkg directions, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
12 oz trimmed, chopped rappi
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for garnish
8 cloves of Garlic, crushed, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 pkg (13.2 oz) Food You Feel Good About Don't Be Piggy Meatless Sausage Style Crumbles (Frozen Foods) or Sausage of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish

Directions:
Add rappi to large pot of boiling, salted water. Blanch 2 min. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in braising pan on MED; add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, 3-4 min, until garlic is soft but not browned. Add sausage crumbles; cook, stirring occasionally, 6-7 min. Stir in rappi; cook 1 min. Add pasta and reserved pasta water; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Heat through, about 3 min. Garnish with cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Chef Tip(s):
If using a rappi bunch, blanch the stems for 2 min, then add the rappi greens and blanch 1 min longer.

Crockpot Mediterranean Chicken Stew

Slow-Cooked Mediterranean Chicken Stew

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 Can 28oz No Salt Kitchen Ready Tomatoes
1 (32 oz) Organic Chicken Broth
1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning 1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 dried bay leaves
1 pkg (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
5 cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
1 can (15.5 oz) Cannellini Beans
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 pkg (about 1 1/2 lbs) Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut in 2-inch cubes
1 pkg (10 oz) Organic Kale
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish

Directions:
In a 6-8 qt slow cooker add can of tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cherry tomatoes, garlic, beans, carrots, onions, celery, and chicken. Cover; cook on HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 8-9 hours. Discard bay leaves. Fold in kale; replace lid. Warm 5 min; stir. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with grated cheese.

Blueberry Yogurt Bark

Blueberry Yogurt Bark 

Blueberry Yogurt Bark

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries 

Directions:

• Mix yogurt and honey in a bowl.
• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread yogurt mixture over parchment paper. Use a spatula to evenly distribute.
• Top with strawberries and blueberries (or whatever fruit you'd like!).
• Cover with Saran wrap and place in the freezer.
• Wait about 2 or so hours then pull out and break the bark in to small pieces. 
• Store in an airtight container in freezer 
  
  

Apple Spice Donut Holes

It was just apple picking season here in New England.  

So I was on apple overload so decided to just throw these together! Shakeology isn't just for drinking!!  

INGREDIENTS:

Donut Holes
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup vanilla Shakeology
1tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup apple puree
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar
coconut oil spray

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until fully combined.
STEP 2: Spray a cake pop mould with coconut oil spray.
STEP 3: Spoon the batter into each hole. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
STEP 4: Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from mould. Roll each donut hole into a bowl with the cinnamon and sugar until fully coated.

6 Ways to Organize Your Kitchen for Weight Loss

How you set up your kitchen can make a substantial difference when it comes to losing weight.

You don’t need an entire kitchen overhaul to make a difference. Many revamps take just a minute. Here are 6 simple ways to start:

Make It Easy to Reach for Healthy Foods:
We tend to eat more of what’s staring us in the face—and a container of M&Ms on your counter will just wear down your willpower until you give in and take a handful. Make healthy snacks like nuts, pre-cut veggies, fruit, and Greek yogurt easy to grab when you’re hungry.

Hide the Junk Food:
If you must keep treats in the house, stash them where you don’t see them all the time. Chocolate candies can go in the freezer, for example, and place other candies or unhealthy foods on hard-to-reach shelves.

Stock Your Spice Rack:
Spices and herbs are bursting with flavor. That’s why research shows getting creative in the kitchen and adding them to foods can help replace some fat in your cooking.

Buy Bigger Flatware and Smaller Plates:
Sounds strange, but a study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that using a big fork may help you eat less, possibly because larger bites provide a visual cue that you’re making progress on your plate (and are getting full). Couple that with a smaller plate and you’ll find that your brain might trick you into feeling full faster on less.

Keep Cookbooks Visible:
One of the secrets of slim people is that they cook at home often. It’s the best way to control what goes into your food, and it allows you avoid those massive restaurant portions. To encourage the habit, don’t keep your cookbooks hidden in a pantry. Display them on your counter as a reminder to try a new recipe tonight.

Stay Organized
You have a pile of pots and pans that practically falls on you when you open the cupboard. Eliminate those you don’t need (particularly old, scratched non-stick pans) and keep the rest tidy. When healthy habits are made easier, we’re more likely to do them—and that includes keeping the tools we need for a nutritious meal organized.

Are you Hungry??

I hear this SO many times, challengers saying they ate their dinner and could eat another meal because they still feel hungry! Many times it takes your body a little bit longer to recognise that it is full. However you also may be doing certain things that are causing you to feel hungry.

You Skipped Breakfast:
If you skipped breakfast, or didn't have enough of it, your blood sugar levels have probably spiked a few times throughout the day - leaving you feeling hungry and craving food. The trick is to make sure you are eating a big breakfast, filled with fiber and protein. My breakfast of choice Shakeology.  It's full of nutrients and a quick on the go options. This keeps me feeling full throughout the WHOLE day!


Drinking Soft Drinks:
Drinking sodas, juices and other drinks that are high in sugar can reduce blood flow to and activity of the part of the brain that regulates our appetite. Fructose, in particular, can trick your brain into thinking that your body needs more food, when you have already eaten. It does this by slowing down the body's ability to use leptin, a hormone that let's us know when we are full. So skip the soft drinks, especially at meal times, as they are essentially empty calories and provide you with no nutritional benefit.

You Are Dehydrated:
Sometimes we may be dehydrated and not even know it. If you are slightly dehydrated you will feel the same way as when you are hungry, and most of the time it is hard to tell between the two. If you are still feeling hungry after dinner, try drinking a glass of water and see how you feel in 15 minutes.

You Didn't Eat Your Greens:
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens and swiss chard are rich in folate which helps to protect against weight gain and fatigue. They are also high in Vitamin K which helps to banish food cravings by regulating blood sugar levels. Making sure to eat your greens will fill you up and also provide your body with tons of nutrients it needs. Make sure to load your plate up with these!

Boredom:
Sometimes you are not really hungry, just bored. If you have eaten a satisfying dinner consisting of whole grains, protein and salad then you should be feeling pretty satisfied. However if you are bored you may feel "hungry" because you are looking for a distraction and something to do. My tip is to go for a short walk after dinner, it will help encourage digestion and get you out of the house!
 

Who wants a Snack before bed??

You may have heard that eating before bed is a big-time "no no" for those looking to lose weight. In fact, you've probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight...even worse! For the longest time, I refused to eat after 7PM because that's what Oprah said.

Well, there's good news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your hips, thighs, and love handles.

In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE your fat loss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses.

Here's a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed.  Instead pick a slow-digesting high-quality protein. Carbohydrate consumption causes significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat-burning. Which is a very bad thing during the later evening hours as your metabolism is winding down. Pick slow digesting proteins they provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.

Here are some of my top pre-bedtime choices:

1. White Meat Animal Protein (not red meat or fish) - White meat protein sources such as chicken and turkey are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win! Red meat and fish have a significantly higher insulin response so they're best to avoid in the evening.

2. Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release; a solid pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you're using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars.

3. Green Vegetables - While these aren't considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories, are high in fiber, and they're very filling.

Detoxing Debunked

There are many different types of detoxes, some of the most popular ones being juice cleanses and herbal tea detoxes. With juice cleanses, most of the time you are required to only drink either home made juices or expensive pre-packaged ones, such as cold pressed juices. The trouble with this is that juice cleanses don’t encourage you to eat real food, they work on the idea that drinking enough water alongside the juice will “cleanse” you and help you to lose weight. Yes, you may lose weight, but probably not the way you were wanting to. Been there done that!!

If you are depriving your body of essential amino acids (protein) and fatty acids, and important minerals. Sometime your body can compensate by getting these nutrients from your body’s own stores, such as muscle tissue for protein. Protein is a vital nutrient and your body cannot survive without it. Losing muscle tissue can slow down your metabolism, meaning you burn fewer calories. So once you finish your cleanse, you may be at risk of gaining all the weight back, if not more.

It is important to remember that different food groups provide you with different nutrients that your body needs, so cutting out entire food groups isn’t always healthy. For some, this may cause you to feel tired and unable to think clearly, amongst other symptoms. Cutting out several food groups as part of a detox is certainly not an effective long term solution to weight loss, as you will often be losing water weight and muscle, rather than fat.

At the end of the day, what I want you to realize is that there are no quick fixes. Even if your goal isn't weight loss but you just want to make sure your body is running at 100%, here is the best solution for you.  The 3 Day Refresh! 

The 3 Day Refresh is a 3-day program of specially formulated shakes, easy-to-prepare clean meals, and healthy snacks that have been scientifically designed to help you break the cycle of bad eating habits, lose weight, detoxify your body, and dramatically improve the way you feel—without starving! So yes, you actually EAT on this program.

I have done the 3 Day Refresh about three times now.  Each time I feel debloated and have lost 4 pounds each and every time.  With continued healthy eating and 30 minute exercise after the cleanse, I have been able to maintain that weight loss every single time.

For more information, watch this quick 3 Day Refresh Video!

Almond Butter, Banana Oats

21 Day Fix Approved Breakfast ~

4 oz container of plain non fat greek yogurt
2 tsp of almond butter, melted
steel cut oats, cooked
1/2 banana, sliced

Layer yogurt, oats, banana, then melted almond butter

1 Purple
1 Yellow
1 Red
2 spoons

Taco Seasoning {Homemade}

Why buy the chemically filled store bought taco seasoning when it's easy to make your own!!
21 Day Fix approved!

Ingredients:

1 TBsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder...
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Benefits for Green Tea

I try to drink a cup of green tea each day.  The benefits of green tea are amazing.  I found these benefits from a study in the Life Science Journal October 2006. 

has properties that help prevent development of cancer

has properties that can help control diabetes

has benefits in preventing heart problems

helps prevent acne

easy weight loss due to its stimulant properties

slows aging because of its antioxidant properties.

soothes digestion and helps with bowel problems

has properties to help reduce cholesterol

has properties that help promote alertness and mental agility

may promote good humor

 All these benefits are due to the presence of polyphenols called EGCG, which are potent anti-oxidants that the body uses to combat the negative effects of many compounds that enter our body.
 

Turkey Spinach Quinoa Casserole

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 lbs. turkey, ground
Garlic powder
Sea salt
Black Pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 cup spinach
1 cup jar tomato sauce or homemade sauce
1.5 cup cheese, mozzarella
1 cup quinoa, cooked


Preheat oven to 375°F. Brown ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sauté minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant. Tear spinach and add to the skillet. Sauté until wilted. Add spinach to the bowl with the turkey. Add cooked quinoa, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of shredded cheese to the bowl. Stir to combine. Move the mixture to an 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Tips for using Your Time Wisely

Fitness should be a part of your everyday life, like eating and sleeping. All you need is 30 minutes of exercise 5-6 each week. But when you're busy, it can be hard fit it in each day. Here are some tips for using your time wisely.

Did you know you're already exercising!!

Are you walking from the car to your office?

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator?

Gardening/mowing or snow shoveling/snow blowing?

Playing with your kids?

Good news — you're working out. Doing everyday activities and chores can improve your health, and burn calories all without going to the gym.

Now that you know, look for other opportunities to work out while you're doing other things:

• While you're on the phone, do simple stretches or walk in place.
• Do brief neck and shoulder exercises at your office or while you're watching TV.
• Do squats or jumping jacks during commercial breaks.
• Try a "squeeze ball" to tone your arms, flex your hands, and relieve stress.  
• Park your car farther out.
• Walk to deliver a message, rather than calling.
• Pace up and down in your office as you read reports or memos.
• Walk with your kids to the park, their play dates, or school.

Adding these simple activities when you are tight on time or even making them part of your daily routine permanently will all add up to better health. You're off to a great start. Keep going!

 

What is Healthy Eating to Me?

My nutrition plan includes whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. I try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible. When you eat something with chemicals, your body says what's this? How do I digest this? How will it helps my body function? What nutrients can be used? Unfortunately your body has to give up after a while and try to guess. Because there is no nutritional value and your body has no use for them. How will your body turn that into fat!!!

Chemicals make your fat cells larger, when entered into your body, your system protects itself by storing the foreign junk as fat cells away from your vital organs. It's a survival mechanism naturally occurring inside your body. When you are eating a banana, your body is able to easily identify it. Your body digests it easily and distributes nutrients while improving the body’s function and increases metabolism.

Do you eat processed foods?

When I do eat processed foods, I have always followed six rules:

• No High Fructose Corn Syrup - commonly used in place of sugar in processed foods.
 

• No Trans Fats – Trans Fat is considered by many doctors to be the worst type of fat you can eat. It raises your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol.

 

• No Partially Hydrogenated Oils - Hydrogenation, complete or partial, is a chemical process in which hydrogen is added to liquid oils to turn them into a solid form. Partially hydrogenated fat molecules have trans fats, which is considered the worst type of fat you can consume.

 

• Stay away from Enriched White Flour - many of the good things that were originally in it have been stripped out through refinement. The components added back to the flour are actually toxic.

 

• No Bleached Flour - when white flour is bleached, it can actually be FAR worse for you than white flour. It’s generally understood that refining food destroys nutrients. With the most nutritious part of the grain removed, white flour essentially becomes a form of sugar.

 

• Sugar content in foods are to be 4 grams or less - The harmful effects of sugar go way beyond empty calories. Watch for a post on the harmful effects of sugar later this week.

Pasta Carbonara

 

1 box quinoa pasta

1/2 fresh grated Parmesan cheese

6 pieces turkey bacon, chopped...
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 unsweetened almond milk
1 organic beaten egg
Parsley(optional)

Bring salted water to a boil, add pasta. In a large skillet sauté bacon. Then chop. Place it back into skillet. Cook pasta al dente leaving it slightly wet. Add pasta to skillet and remaining ingredients and fold until well mixed. Garnish with parsley.

Welcome!

My first official post!

I just want to welcome everyone to my blog, and just say a few things to start! I have a passion for living a healthy lifestyle, but I will be the first to admit I am not perfect. I still have lots of goals that I am working on reaching, and since I began my Beachbody journey, I realized that hitting goals is not an impossible feat. I love to encourage others through their journey with their health and fitness goals! Seeing people make progress and hearing how their lives change with Beachbody has given me SO much happiness!

So, if you're looking for encouragement, and a safe place to come for motivation and inspiration, then you've come to the right place! SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE!