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Free Shakeology?

Sept_challengeOne year ago, I took the plunge! The Shakeology plunge! I was SO curious about all of the hype, that I finally decided that I needed to try it for myself. I’m not going to lie though…I was skeptical! I was making my own shakes every day, and doubted that it would be that much better or different from what I was already doing.

Well, I was so pleasantly surprised, that I can’t imagine a day without it now. I feel so much more energy, less bloated, less cravings and haven’t been sick ONE time since I started drinking it just over a year ago! My husband was a doubter, too…and now he loves it! My kids come running every time they hear me fire up my blender. We’re all hooked!

So if you’ve been wanting to try Shakeology, but are worried about the cost, check out the deal this month! You can get 2 popular Shaun T programs. You know Shaun T? Focus T25, Insanity, Asylum? Ring a bell? Well before all of that, he did Hip Hop Abs and Rockin’ Body. People love these programs because they’re fun. This month you can get the challenge pack for $140. You’ll get BOTH of the exercise programs AND Shakeology, which normally costs $129 plus shipping by itself!!! So you’re kinda getting it for free!

Check out this quick video preview of the programs that are included:

Ready to get started?! You can order HERE!

On top of that, any time you opt for a challenge pack, you are automatically invited to join my FREE 30 day, on-line support group. You’ll get the support and accountability you’ll need to get started on your new programs, and start getting results!

Have you been wanting to try Shakeology, but feel like you can’t justify the cost? It will cost you about $4.00/day. When you consider that you are replacing a meal with it – it’s less than a ‘value meal’ would cost you. And SO much more nutritious! For the price of that value meal, you’ll get the healthiest meal of your day! You won’t likely need that fancy Starbucks drink to keep you going throughout the day either. Not to mention that the money you invest in your daily health NOW will prevent you from needing to spend money on health care later! I haven’t needed a single over-the-counter medication or prescription antibiotic this year! That’s REAL savings! For me, and our family, it’s totally worth every penny!

What’s in it?

Shakeology contains over 70 ultra high-quality ingredients conveniently located in one glass, to deliver nearly all the nutrients you need to maintain a healthy diet. It’s good for you—and good for everyone—because everyone’s diet is deficient in some of the key nutrient groups packed into just one Shakeology serving.

  • Protein from whey, which is highly absorbable, gives you 8 essential amino acids that help you build muscle, lose weight, support brain function, and keep your skin and bones healthy.
  • Vitamins and minerals support optimum health.
  • Antioxidants boost the immune system and help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, blood pressure, and stroke.
  • Phytonutrients support immune function and have anti-inflammatory properties. Many phytonutrients have antioxidant properties as well.
  • Prebiotics support digestive and immune health.
  • Digestive enzymes help in the digestion of foods and increase the absorption rate of those foods for optimum health.

Want to save even more money? If you sign up as a coach, you can save 25% on your monthly Shakeology. You don’t need to do anything else! If you’re not interested in coaching, FINE! Enjoy the discounts off ALL Beachbody products and programs. If you’re interested in covering the cost of your Shakeology each month and then some, I can teach you how to build your own successful business. SO MANY OPTIONS!

Want to learn more about being a coach? Provide your information below, and I can answer all of your questions.

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Can’t Stop Stuffing Veggies!

zucchini_stuff (1)

I’m at it again, stuffing stuff! I made these stuffed zucchini last week and they were delicious and totally blog-worthy! I use the term “zucchini” loosely, however. This is actually just a summer squash variety, I can’t seem to remember the exact name, that I got from our CSA. These were good-sized squash that I used, so you’ll need to adjust accordingly, depending on the sizes you’re using for this recipe. We really enjoyed these though! I hope you will, too.

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large zucchini or 4 medium zucchini
  • ½ small onion – diced
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 C. + 2 T chicken broth (separated)
  • 1.3 lb 93% lean ground turkey (go leaner if you like!)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 C. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 t. paprika
  • 1t. basil
  • 1 t. oregano
  • ¼ t. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:zucchini_stuff (2)

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove seeds and flesh leaving about ¼ – ½ inch thickness around. Arrange in a baking dish. Chop the flesh into small pieces.

In a large sauté pan, cook ground turkey over medium heat. Drain fat (if any) and add onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and the 2T. of chicken broth. Add paprika, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

zucchini_stuff (3)Remove mixture to a large bowl and let sit until it begins to cool. Once cooled – add parmesan and egg white. Toss well. Using a spoon or measuring cup, fill the hollowed zucchinis with the meat stuffing, pressing firmly. Pour the remaining 1 C. of chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

Nutritional Info per serving:

220 calories, 30 g. protein, 6 g. carbs

 

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Grasshoppers Taste GOOD!

Grasshopper_bitesEvery so often I get a bee – no bug – no grasshopper in my bonnet to create an alternative to a food that’s been tempting me, or someone I know, to overindulge and sabotage my best clean-eating efforts! In this case, it was those darn Keebler Grasshopper Cookies giving my challenger -> turned friend -> turned COACH – Sharon, all kinds of trouble! Never mind that when she told me about it, she thought that I thought that she was actually eating grasshoppers grasshopperof the insect variety, haha! Nope, I knew JUST what she was talking about, because I too have a love for all things minty and chocolaty! 

So I says to myself, “Self, what are we talking about here: mint and chocolate and cookie. Why not make a mint chocolate cookie dough bite!?” So I checked out my original Cookie Dough Bite recipe, and thought I’d tweak it a little and see what happened. The result was these tasty little things!

Disclaimer: If you KNOW you are not a “One and Done” kind of sweet-tooth satisfier, than proceed with caution. These are a much cleaner version than the Keebler Grasshopper cookies, but they should be enjoyed in moderation. In other words…they’re GOOD, so be careful! 🙂

Mint Chocolate GRASSHOPPER Cookie Dough Bites

(Phew! That’s a mouthful!)

 Ingredients

  • 1/3 C. raw almonds
  • 1/3 C. raw walnuts
  • 1 C. rolled oats
  • 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology (you can get that from me if you need it!)
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • ¼ C. honey (or agave nectar)
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1/4 t. peppermint extract

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, and salt to a fine meal. Transfer to bowl add Shakeology, honey and vanilla, peppermint and mix. Wet hands and roll into 1 tsp.-sized balls (should make about 12-15) and place them on a cookie pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Place the pan into the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container, or Ziploc bag in the freezer.

Nutritional Info (per bite)

80 calories, 11 g. carbs, 3 g. protein

*BONUS!*

Here’s my FAVORITE Shakeology recipe! Guess what…It’s MINT and Chocolate!!

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What’s for Lunch?

tuna_sandI’m packing up a lunch for today. I will not be tempted by the snack bar, or the fast food restaurants on the way to my destination. Even if the kids are whining in the back, “Please Mom”, they’ll say. “Heck no”, I’ll say. I’ve got tuna salad today. I made it and packed it myself.

I haven’t always been a ‘packer’. The last year has changed the way I look at a road trip, or a day away from home. I used to say,”ah, we’ll just stop and eat someplace along the way”. Nothing good ever comes of that! I have not eaten from a drive-thru in almost a year! I work too hard on my health and fitness to sabotage all of that with grease and sodium! Plus, I have a fridge and pantry all stocked with very edible and pack-able foods. It might take an extra 10 minutes before we leave, but it’s worth it. Not to mention, when we DID hit the drive-thrus, I was ALWAYS the car that had to pull ahead and wait for our food. So those 10 minutes would’ve been spent waiting for our pink slime and leftover chicken bits anyway! *I do occasionally give in to the kids pleas…sometimes they just gotta have their hockey pucks and fat sticks. Blech!

So on to the tuna…I’ve made this tuna, and even posted about it on Facebook about a zillion times! It’s a stand-by lunch for me. It’s really simple and a great way to make it without the mayo!

Tuna Salad (makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:tuna-fish-sandwich-funny-someecard

  • 1 can very low sodium albacore tuna
  • 2 T non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 avocado (mashed)
  • 1 t. dijon mustard

Mix-ins:

  • diced onions
  • diced celery
  • diced pickle

*Whatever crunchy bits you like!

I like to eat mine either like an open-faced sandwich. Sometimes I’ll just scoop it into romaine lettuce leaves. Or I like to have it in an Ezekiel tortilla.

Nutitional info: 1 serving (just the tuna salad) is about 150 calories, 3 g. fat, 20 g. protein, 8 g. carbs

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Stuff It!

stuffed_peppersWith the bounty of veggies coming from the farm this time of year, I had a plethora of peppers to eat! (Ya, I just used the word plethora! I try to use it whenever I can!) I decided to stuff a few and call it dinner! So to make it nice and healthy, cause that’s the way I roll, I settled on lean ground turkey and quinoa with which to stuff said peppers. 🙂 And so here is what I did:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 C. chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1/4 t. chipotle chili powder (or cayenne pepper, just something to add a teensy bit of heat)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 large bell peppers (any color will do), washed
  • 1 C. chicken broth (divided)
  • 1/2 c. tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 C. cooked quinoa (follow instructions on package – I cooked mine in broth)
  • 1/4 C. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute about 2 minutes. Add ground turkey. Season with sea salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder and chipotle and brown meat until cooked through completely. Add tomato sauce and 1/2 C. chicken broth, mix well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Mix in cooked quinoa and remove from heat.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove all seeds. Place in a baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half and fill it as full as you can. Place all of the pepper halves in the baking dish, and pour the remainder of the broth into the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes. With last five minutes, remove foil, top with cheddar cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

We liked ours topped with a little homemade salsa. Good stuff! (get it…”stuff”) 🙂

Nutritional Info per pepper half: 

Calories: 242, Fat: 8 g., Carbs: 23 g., Protein: 21 g., Fiber: 3 g.

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Hey! Let’s Eat Some Frogs!

challenge-Mind_bodySo if I’ve learned anything over the past year…weight loss is WAY more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge! Yes working out is hard, and it makes you sore and tired at the beginning, etc…but the real challenge is keeping your focus and getting beyond the doubts, frustrations, set-backs and plateaus that you will inevitably encounter along the way! You’ll wonder some days how you will be able to carve out the time for a workout in your busy schedule. You’ll be tired, and crabby and just down sometimes. That’s when you need your brain to remember that exercise makes you feel BETTER! You’ll struggle with nutrition, which is ALL mental! You have to retrain your brain not to pay attention to cravings caused by years of bad eating habits. You have to remember that food is fuel, not therapy or something to pass the time. These things are HARD to do!  It’s almost entirely mental!

That is why I’ve decided that September is a great time, with the kids going back to school, to do some book-learning and brain re-training of our own! I’ve decided to start a book club/weight-loss support group. Two for the price of one! 🙂 I need some accountability to work on my own self-improvement goals (both physical AND mental). This group will be open to anyone who wants to get in better shape AND learn how to get MORE done in LESS time (including your workouts!).

Join me for this “Biggest Loser” type of challenge AND book club! We’ll be reading Eat That Frog: by Brian Tracy. We’ll be starting on September 9! We’ll workout, eat better, read just 5 pages a day – everybody’s got time for that! We’ll be keeping each other ON TRACK through a private Facebook support group for 30 days. I will be your coach, providing daily motivation, tips and recipes, and we’ll all check in daily for accountability.

Fitness + Nutrition + Accountability = Success!

Don’t believe me? Read some of the testimonials from previous challenge participants by clicking HERE!

*Anyone who joins with a “Challenge Pack” will receive the book for FREE! I only have a couple of spots left for this one.

What is a Challenge Pack? EVERYTHING you’ll need for maximum results: new fitness program + Shakeology + 30 day club membership for additional support and personalized meal-planning.

There are some GREAT sales going on this month, too!

turbo-fire-august
CLICK HERE to learn more!

For just a short time longer, you can get the very popular Turbo Fire Challenge pack and save $70!

focus-t25-august-challenge-pack-discount
Click HERE to learn more!

 

And, the BRAND NEW Shaun T program, Focus T25! Workout 25 minutes/day!

 

 

 

 

There are LOTS more to pick from too! You can check them out HERE!

Ready to join? Fill out the form below and I’ll contact you soon!

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Presto Pesto!

pestoI was just asked to share this recipe here on the blog, so that is just what I’ll do. Funny, because I just thawed out some of these babies yesterday to make dinner (I’ll share that one, too!) I LOVE pesto! My husband and I both do!

When I was in my 20’s, so like a million years ago, I was a waitress at an Italian restaurant. This was my first experience with pesto. My husband initially gagged at the look of it, it’s not the prettiest site! But once he tasted it, he was hooked! He ordered the same pesto dish EVERY single time he came in to see me – which was a LOT of pesto! 😉

So…now I just whip it up myself. Easy peasy!  I get fresh basil and garlic (sometimes the garlic scapes, which work well too!) at the farm where we are CSA members (community-supported agriculture). After I make a big batch (and a little goes a long way!), I like to freeze it and then pop out a few cubes at a time for different dishes I make. You can spread it on pizza, add to soups and sautéed veggies, chicken, fish… lots of stuff! Check out how easy it is to make it!

Pesto
Add to food processor (a blender will work too, might just take some stopping and starting):

  • 2 C. packed basil leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 C. pine nuts (walnuts work well too)
  • 1/4 C. grated parmesan
  • 1 t. lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. *Give it a whirl just to blend
  2. Drizzle 1/4 – 1/2 C. Olive oil while spinning until desired consistency.
  3. Yum!

Now bust out your ice-cube trays and fill ’em up! Once they’re frozen, pop them out and put them into a freezer bag and save for a rainy, sunny, or partly cloudy day! 🙂

So then yesterday I says to myself, “Self, let’s make some shrimp for dinner!”.

Pesto Shrimppesto_shrimp

  • 1-1.5 pounds raw shrimp
  • apx. 4 pesto cubes (thawed)
  • 7-10 wooden skewers (soaked in water to prevent burning) or metal skewers if you want to avoid soaking

 

  1. Combine raw shrimp with pesto and marinate a few hours in a bowl.
  2. Thread shrimp onto the skewers.
  3. Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-low heat until hot. Be sure the grates are clean and spray or brush lightly with oil.
  4. Place the shrimp on the hot grill and cook until shrimp turns pink on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Turn and continue cooking until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

We served these with Zoodles!

There you go Chris! I hope that helps you find what you were looking for!

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I’M BACK!

I’ve been MIA for so long because 1) It’s vacation season, and we chose remote locations this year, making any sort of computer-use completely impossible! And 2) I decided to update my blog and host it myself, giving me some bells and whistles I didn’t have before! So bear with me…as I try to figure it all out!

Back to vacations…

We had a great time this year camping with 7 of my high school girl friends and our camping2013 (72)combined 22 kids! I am always amazed that we manage to pull this off every year! The kids have so much fun, and we just get to enjoy each other’s company – even as we deal with leaky tents, bug bites, boo-boos and the occasional raccoon!

I do not fancy myself much of a camper, but I’m getting better each year. This year, I even stayed a little longer than I normally do. I decided to suck it up, and take one for the team, which made my “team” very happy! I managed to stay on track pretty well with food and workouts. I abandoned the cooler this fridge_campingyear for a full-on refrigerator! I packed it with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and of course all of my standard Shakeology fixins! My fantastic Target find, personal Oster Blender was PERFECT! I blended my shake every morning either for breakfast, or after my morning workout. I love when I can stick to my routine. It just makes me feel better, and then I can relax and enjoy my vacation, know that I didn’t set myself back so far that I need to start over as soon as we get home. It’s a win-win!

camping2013 (69)

For workouts, I just packed my running shoes and some workout clothes and counted on some runs, walks or stair workouts. There is a BIG long stair case leading down to Lake Michigan, and I wore a path up and down them MANY times!  I went for a couple of runs, too. Running or walking is such a portable exercise! You really can do it just about anywhere and any fitness level! And when you do it on vacation, you get to see new things, smell new camping2013 (77)smells and it just feels good to get out and do something active!

Apparently, my pepper-eating technique was intriguing enough that one of the kids went home and asked his mom if he could eat a bell pepper the way that he saw me do it while we were camping. He thought it was pretty funny that I just picked it up and ate it like an apple! camping2013 (123)

All in all, it was a very fun trip! Between rain showers and thunderstorms, we managed to get some beach time! And we had a LOT of laughs and made some new memories that will be with us until next year, when we’ll do it all again!

StarvationLake-2013 (66)After that trip, we had a couple of days to unpack, unwind and then re-pack for a quick family get-away ‘up-north’. I wish we could have stayed a little longer, but we had a nice time relaxing, fishing, playing cards and board games, and just being together without the usual distractions.

no_tv

So…as summer winds down, I hope that you all found some time to relax, unwind, unplug and spend time with the people you love. I also hope that you have a healthy, happy fall and make your goals a priority. As always, if you need help getting started, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve always got a new support group starting up each month. Want information? Click the tab “30 Day Challenge” at the top of this page.  Now I’m hitting the pool! I’m holding on to summer until the bitter end! 🙂

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Chicken Fried Brown Rice with Veggies!

The key to making fried rice like you get in the restaurant, is using cold rice! So first, you have to ‘accidentally’ make too much rice for dinner some night. THEN, a couple of nights later, you have to remember that you MEANT to do that, so that you could make some fried rice! I used brown rice that I cook in my Instant Pot, because that thing RULES! I could NEVER cook brown rice right until I got one of those babies! Now, that’s ALL I make! Go ME!  You can eat this as a main dish, OR as a side dish with some delish Asian-inspired entrée! Either way, it’s a crowd-pleaser. 🙂


chick_brown_rice

Chicken Fried Brown Rice with Veggies!

serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 T. coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice, cooled
  • 8 oz. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (chopped)
  • 8 oz. frozen peas (about 1 cup)
  • 2 carrots cut into small coins (about 1 cup)
  • *or just add 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (or any veggie combos you like)
  • 2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce, or Bragg’s liquid aminos
  • 1 green onion, sliced thin (for garnish – optional)

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion begins to soften. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add egg whites; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until eggs start to set.
4. Add rice, chicken, peas, and soy sauce; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
5. Divide evenly into four serving bowls; garnish evenly with green onion.

享受！(I think/HOPE that means, “Enjoy!”) 🙂

Portion containers: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 green, 1/2 blue/orange

*252 calories and 23 grams of protein per serving

The 21 Day Fix meal plan makes it SO easy to plan, prepare and track daily nutrition. Women I work with lose up to 3-5 pounds per week! Combine the nutrition with daily 30 minute workouts and you’ll see results (or your money back!). GUARANTEED!

What is the 21 Day FIX?

Check out my friend Michelle’s results after 2 rounds of the 21 Day Fix. She joined a challenge group (see below) and the daily support and accountability helped her reach her goals!

Michelle_C_results

And the 80 Day Obsession program uses the same container system (cause it works!) combined with 30-40 minute strength training workouts for AMAZING results!

PS – BOTH of these programs and hundreds more are NOW AVAILABLE with the all new all new Annual ALL ACCESS Beachbody on Demand Membership (like workout Netflix)! Get 12 months ALL Access to every Beachbody Program ever made, including all new releases, for 12 months!

Do you already have BOD or a Beachbody program? If you need some extra support and accountability, be SURE to join my next support group and I’ll help you stick with it and reach your goals! I’ll share daily tips, recipes and motivation as well as be available to support and encourage you 24/7. 🙂

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This is Going to be BIG!

group_challenge_2

So we have a little competition going on among Beachbody coaches right now! But get this, if we win…YOU win! The goal: change more people’s lives through health and fitness!

THE OPPORTUNITY: This will be an opportunity like NO other! I am co-hosting a group challenge! Get this: FIVE coaches, including myself and the amazingly awesome Jenelle Summers, will be coaching, motivating and helping each participant reach their individual goals! It will be a “Biggest Loser” style challenge (LOVE that show!), starting on Monday August 12 and running for 30 days! Stick with us for 30 days, and you’ll be well on your way to making some really positive changes in your life! And, if you join this challenge on my team, you’ll get me as your coach for these 30 days and beyond! This is going to be FUN!

THE CHALLENGE: This challenge will be open to anyone who is ready to invest in something that will kick-start some serious results! We’ll be working out, eating clean and keeping each other ON TRACK! Workouts can be done from home and we’ll give advice and tips about clean, healthy eating. We’ll be doing this together in a private Facebook group! *If you’re not ready to invest in anything, I would still love to hear how I can help you, or someone you know!

THE PRIZES!: What would a competition be without prizes!? There will be one overall winner selected for best results and participation! The winner will receive a $100 gift card AND a special autographed book (join the challenge and you’ll find out!).

THE FINE PRINT: This challenge is open to anyone EXCEPT current coaches or those working with other coaches! (Stay with your own coach please! They love and care about you!) 🙂

READY?! Click the “30 Day Challenge” tab at the top of this page for more information. Read some testimonials of previous challengers and contact me to sign up and let me know what your goals are and how I can help you reach them!