SoleHope, 21 Day Fix & a Giveaway!

 Does that make you think? Feel a little guilty about that piece of cake you just shoved in your mouth or the soda you just guzzled on break?

Well I don't want you to feel guilty. Honestly. I think it's a good reminder though.

God has abundantly blessed us with life. Again and again each day. We shouldn't take the blessing He has given us and just say "pffft....Man, I CAN have my cake and eat it too, and while I'm at it, I'll have another slice!"

Our bodies are a temple and worth feeding with the Word and with food that is good for us. It's worth caring about and taking care of.

Starting with our nutrition and exercise.

My initial thoughts about what I put in or on my body isn't always "is this good/healthy/energizing for me?" or "W.J.E.T.?" (Would Jesus Eat This?) I admit it. I'm guilty of not remembering the great gift I've been given and how much He has sacrificed for me. I'm hard-headed about taking the time to exercise for my well-being knowing that one day, Christ will ask what I did with those gifts he gave me....including my earthly body.

"Well done, good and faithful servant" isn't just about our works but HOW we live and the light we shine to others to be good stewards of everything He bestows upon us. It just so happens though, that everyone has a body. Some shorter. Some rounded. Some a little more squishy. Some natural disposed to skinny.

But we all have choices.

And it's high time we start making better choices where our health is concerned.

So I have this idea. What better way to motivate people to do something for themselves than to do something for them and others in return?

This month, July 2015, I am offering to all new coaches and customers an amazing opportunity to not only begin the journey of BETTER HEALTH, but I'm offering to honor your decision by donating $10 per customer/coach to SoleHope. $10 sponsors a pair of shoes for a child in Uganda suffering from the debilitating sores caused by sand fleas called jiggers. ...these aren't "chiggers" folks. way way worse.

If you haven't heard of SoleHope then check them out because you'll be forever changed.

Many people have tons of shoes ~ heels, wedges, flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes, loafers ~ just sitting in a closet not being used. We take such much for granted and it's pretty frustrating when you think about the freedoms that we have "over here" vs. "over there". The choice we make to just do nothing and take advantage of this life we have been blessed with.


Those tennis shoes?
PUT THEM ON. Go run, free from jiggers. Free to choose a better path to good health.

Those hiking boots?
PUT THEM ON. Go for a walk in the woods, free from insects that burrow into your feet causing severe pain.

Those heels? Honestly, you should probably toss them because they aren't good for your back, BUT....PUT THEM ON!
Go attend church and pray for these babies in Uganda who don't have a single pair of shoes and suffer daily from the sores and infestation.

You guys. It isn't all about you.
But I want YOU to make a choice TODAY to do something FOR you that will HELP OTHERS!

So again, anyone who purchases a 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack from me will be honored with a gift of $10 donated to SoleHope in your name! On top of that, you'll also be entered into a drawing for a FREE 21 Day Fix Fixate Cookbook to help you with your weight-loss and/or fitness transformation!!! 

Last but not least....

If you would like to donate jeans for Shoe Cutting Parties or if you would like to Host of Party of Your Own with a group of friends or church family, please reach out to the amazing folks at SoleHope. I am also collecting jeans for the ladies of our Sunday School Class to host our next party.

I promise if you do, you won't ever catch yourself saying "Well I would've rather just sat on my lazy behind and watched TV and had that piece of cake!" 

Nope. In fact, I bet you'll be inspired to....oh I don't know.....DO SOMETHING AMAZING WITH YOUR BLESSED LIFE! 

Get off your lazy behinds and

My 21 Day Fix Journey: Day ONE

DAY ONE:
4 G • 3P • 4R • 3Y • 1B • 1O • 4 tsp
(modified b/c of breastfeeding)

Breakfast:

Water:

Snack:
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (1 Red)
All-natural Peanut Butter (1 tsp)
Mixed Berries (1/2 purple)
8 oz water
4 oz unsweetened Almond Milk
Ice

Lunch:

(RECIPE: Hummus Vinaigrette: 1/2 blue container of hummus, vinegar, cumin, cayenne pepper, pepper & Himalayan sea salt)

Snack:
Greek Yogurt (1 red)
Organic Whole-grain Granola (1/2 yellow)
Chopped raspberries (1/4 purple)
Organic Honey (1 tsp)

Dinner:

Workout:

Snack:
1/2 Apple (1/2 purple)
Almond Butter (1tsp)


MY TAKEAWAY?

I'm STUFFED! I never eat this much food...not to mention, my meals have never been this colorful each meal! I didn't eat all of the suggested servings for this calorie bracket, which I figure should be just fine since I technically should be in the step below. If this is what "dieting" is like then I'm all over it! ;)

I also learned that PLANNING the entire day is VITAL to getting everything in and also, not going over on a certain container. There's no way I could've done this without writing it down and checking things off. MEAL PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL!


Day 1 in the books! This was fun!



**Please note: It is entirely possible that I miscalculated or mis-photoshopped my description of the foods I had each day. Always measure and calculate to match your container needs.**

"Clean" Cilantro Lime Chicken - Slow Cooker Style

On Saturday, I finally made it to the grocery store to get all of my ingredients for our Team's 5-day "Clean" Slow-Cooker Challenge Group. We've had over 400 people sign up to participate in this month's group! Our lovely "hosts" prepared a fancy PDF explaining the rules and even provided a shopping list to all of the participants. Everything was SO easy! If you are looking for a way to jump-start your clean eating, or even if you just want to add some really tasty meals to your meal rotation, joining one of these Challenge Groups is a sure-fire way to get some great recipes as well as cooking tips. Not to mention, the motivation is stellar!

For those that are asking "What the heck is 'Clean' eating?"

Clean eating is truly a lifestyle of committing to only consuming foods that are free of:

• Chemicals
• GMO's
• Preservatives
• Added ingredients that just really aren't necessary!
  (Think no-processed food and nothing you can't pronounce in the ingredient list)

A "clean" diet consists of lots of plant-based foods, whole foods (meats included), whole grains, and meals with fewer ingredients.

This lifestyle can be a little over-whelming at first to be completely honest, especially with kids. But honestly, the food tastes SO much better and kids follow our lead. They watch our faces and how we react or what we say about certain foods. They eat what we feed them.

I have to say, too, that the grocery shopping seems easier for clean meals and your buggy & fridge look so much prettier with all of the fruits and veggies. On top of that, if your cart is full of box after box of processed food, I can bet you either have a) gut problems (ie. poop issues, lovely! or heartburn, etc.) or b) you are addicted to sugars, natural flavorings, etc. and suffer headaches or other health issues that you just pass off on a fairly daily basis. Yuck!

Eating all of that crap just isn't good for your body. And there's just NO WAY that you can succeed with a healthy lifestyle and keep up with eating all that junk. I promise, give it a week or two, you'll feel better, lighter, and you'll see the results you are looking for.

And don't forget your water!! Cutting out the sodas, sweet tea...just do it and see what happens. Every now and then I have a glass of sweet tea and I can't believe how sweet it seems now! And I find myself craving sugary products afterward. It's a vicious cycle. (More on that in another post!)

So, now that you are a little more informed about clean eating....let's get to the good stuff!!!(sorry for the cruddy iPhone pics but I was in a hurry to eat this mess of goodness!)

Such an easy meal. Which, is something you'll find with clean eating. The chicken was cooked in the slow-cooker with peppers, onions, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chili powder & cumin and then s&p to taste. It cooked on high for about five hours Sunday afternoon. I turned it on right after church and it was perfect by 5:30 so I turned it to "keep warm" while I prepared the quinoa you see up there and threw some salad together. This was probably one of the tastiest meals we have had in a while. Maybe the prettiest too!

I used the organic quinoa from Aldi. It cooked up quickly and perfectly. Then I added finely chopped cilantro and mixed peppers. A little pink Himalayan salt & pepper. Voila. Even the boys liked it!

My salad consisted of spinach, chopped cucumbers, fresh blackberries & raspberries, topped with cilantro. Then I whipped up a fancy-schmancy dressing we'll call "Cilantro Lime Greek Vinaigrette". ooh la la. It was perfect and married all the flavors together of each dish.

Served right up, piping hot from the slow-cooker.
Good stuff.
Hubby & kid approved!!

So during the day while I was gone with the kids, my husband had gotten up from sleeping after working third shift. He thought the liquids seemed a little low so he added "some" water to it. At the time I was like "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!" Turns out, adding the liquid was perfect! Not only was the chicken super duper juicy....I was able to make leftover SOUP!

All I did was mix my leftover quinoa together with the leftover chicken, peppers & broth. Oh yes! Seriously it was almost better than the plate of food, actually. The warmth of the soup and the flavors of the cilantro and peppers....mmmmm!!! There was no need for me to get feisty about the water, he was helping me out! ;)

So there you have it. Two clean meals in one! Even better. And this meal cost us about $10 if I could guess. It depends on the chicken that you buy and how many peppers you use, etc. But that's great, in my opinion, for a meal that fed four, plus enough leftovers for lunches (2 days for me, 1 day for my husband). That's like $1.40 a meal per person. (Assuming my math skills didn't just get the better of me!!)

If you are interested in hearing more about our slow-cooker clean-eating challenges, or if you visit my website and are interested in Shakeology or a Beachbody program, please comment or send me a message. I would LOVE for you to join me on this journey of better eating and more doing, while getting fit and healthy along the way.

Being healthy does NOT mean sacrificing good food!!

**Our next challenge is the 21 Day Fix where we learn to portion control! Amazing success stories from this program. Ask me!!**

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RECIPES

Clean Cilantro Lime Chicken - Slow Cooker Style

4 Large Chicken Breast
3 Mixed Bell Peppers sliced thinly into spears
1 Medium Onion cut in half and sliced into thin strips
Juice of 1-2 Limes
3 tbsp Olive Oil (can sub coconut oil or red palm oil)
3 cloves Minced Garlic
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 cup Cilantro chopped
Himalayan Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper to taste
(add water depending on if you want to make the leftover soup)

Add all ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.


Quinoa with Cilantro & Mixed Peppers
 
Organic Quinoa
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/2 cup Mixed Bell Peppers chopped 
S&P to taste

Prepare quinoa according the the package instructions (recipe for 4 calls for 1 cup). After cooking and fluffing the quinoa, remove from stove and add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro & 1/2 cup finely chopped mixed peppers and S&P to taste.


Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Big dollop of Non-fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Lime juice
2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
S&P to taste

Fully mix together until yogurt is dissolved into mixture. Spoon over salad greens.


ENJOY!!

TIME TO EAT || Skinny Taste's Naked Salmon Burger

Have you ever visited the Skinny Taste website?

abort abort!!!

             I warned you.....

But the good thing is, the recipes are good for you! The pictures are pretty too! (screenshot of their Recipe Page)

Well yesterday, I happened upon an amazingly delicious-looking recipe for Salmon patties. I'm always looking to spice things up ;) and recently, beginning to really limit my intake of processed foods. Although, I'm breastfeeding still, (6 months strong, whoop!) I'm careful to not cut too many calories right now. This recipe for Naked Salmon Burgers looks Ah-mazing and still filling and packed with protein!

I love salmon. I love sriracha. I love avocado. Heck, I just love food. So I can't WAIT to try this one out. I think the hubs & kids might even love it, too! Salmon is a very nutrient rich food and I love that she uses fresh salmon ground in the food processor. And the arugula?? Perfect.

I'll be back to report how this goes over with the fam. Right now I gotta go grab a napkin and wipe the drool off my keyboard.

For the Naked Salmon Burger with Sriracha Mayo recipe

Enjoy! (And save me a bite!)