Premier Protein Giveaway!!

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Ever since I was 8 years old, I remember watching my mom and my grandma drink “weight-loss” shakes.
They had those Slim Fast cans… remember those??

I’ve been intrigued by dieting and nutrition ever since and I’ve tried just about everything out there when it comes to protein shakes (my husband even works for a supplement company, so we have our share!!)

There are so many kinds of powders, but I do a lot of traveling, especially on the road, and its just not always convenient to have powder and dump in the water… and you DEF can NOT do it ahead of time (just trust me on this one)

I found Premier Protein, oh man… maybe 6 years ago? I used to get their bars at Costco and I remember taking them on a trip to Europe (which really came in handy when we didn’t like the food in Russia!!)

Anyway, on a recent road trip my hubby and I were on, I told him I was hungry and VOILA
he said there were shakes in the cooler!! (I married and handsome AND smart man)

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Premier Protein saw this and saw that a lot of you wanted to check these out too, so I hooked up a SWEET GIVEAWAY!!

Anyway, I have loved these shakes for a LONG time (much better than anything in a can)
but they recently reformulated them just a bit and now they taste even better.. cool.

 

So.. all you need to do is leave a COMMENT below (just a “I want!”)

  • 2 winners receive two 12-packs of shakes, one chocolate and one vanillaProductImage_PP_Shake_11oz_18ct_PTCar_ChocProductImage_PP_Shake_11oz_18ct_PTCar_VN

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN MY NEWSLETTER (make sure you’re subscribed) ON TUESDAY JULY 15TH!!

 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread (GF)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bars

Need a delicious and healthy Breakfast or Snack Idea?

These bars are where its at!! Plus, you can’t go wrong with pumpkin….ever.

Its not quite paleo, because there are little bit of oats and protein, it’s as close to Paleo in a delicious bar as I’m gonna get today… They are moist and delicious!!

This recipe is adapted from my friend Jaquelyn Kay, who adapted it from Jamie Eason’s Cinnamon Swirl Bread.. so basically its a twice removed recipe from the star Jamie, herself 😉

All the ingredients you can get from the grocery, amazon pantry (with amazon prime), or make your own flours. (a little trick, for oat flout and almond flour, just put oats or almonds in a magic bullet… and VOILA!!)

GLUTEN-FREE  

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease your pan with olive oil (9×9 square pan works best)

In small bowl combine: (set aside)1/3 cup Truvia/Stevia Blend and 2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 cup almond flour 
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  •  2 scoops vanilla whey protein (or banana flavored!!)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (regular or himalayan pink salt is fine)
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 c. pumpkin (you can use applesauce if you don’t like pumpkin or can’t find it)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together  flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and protein powder.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and whites, coconut milk, honey, and pumpkin.

Pour a shallow layer of batter into the loaf pan (about 1/4 of the batter). Sprinkle heavily with half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter & cinnamon/sugar on top. Draw a knife through the batter to marble. Bake for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean when you poke the center of bread.

 

 

 

I may receive compensation in the form of product or payment from companies for reviews and/or recipes. Please note that I NEVER refer or use any product or company that I don’t thoroughly inspect, love, or wouldn’t use myself or let my mamma use.

Winter Veggie Yum!

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Winter-Veggie-Yum
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 zuchinni
1 sweet potato ( red)
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 leek washed and cut in chunks
1 cup raw fava beans
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
Half tsp paprika
1 tbsp sea salt
Half tsp nutmeg
1 cup raw arugula cut in strips
1 cup raw n toasted cashew nuts
Directions:
In a hot pot pour 5 cups water with all ingredients except arugula and cashews. Boil for 45 min. Let cool a for a few minutes and pour entire pot into the blender, blend on high for 3 min. Serve with arugula, cashews and cracked pepper. Yumm!

How to Cure Anxiety for good. An interview with Trudy Scott

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I haven’t mentioned too often, that I used to suffer with SEVERE anxiety and depression.

I had been on all kinds of medications and I thought I would be on a life time of pills.

I used to have panic attacks so bad at night that I was even afraid to go to sleep!

I would drive around in my truck until I was so tired, that I would fall asleep in a parking lot.
It was bad!

I was so happy to have the honor of interviewing Trudy Scott, the author of The Anti-Anxiety Food Solution. If you have ever suffered from minor anxiousness to full blown panic attacks, you’ll want to hear of some of her easy tips and DEFINITELY get a copy of this book for yourself! It’s a step-by-step guide, to figuring this all out with, simply, food.

Check it out, leave a comment below and you’ll have a chance to WIN one of five signed copies!

Get your freebies from Trudy http://www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com/freebies/

  • 9 Great Questions Women Ask About Food, Mood and their Health
  • 5 Simple Steps to Reduce Anxiety Now
  • Is gluten one of the foods affecting your mood and anxiety levels?
  • Organic foods, Stanford study, pesticides and the brain
 You’ll also be signed up for her fabulous ezine “Food, Mood and Gal Stuff”

 

Flourless Pizza

Flourless-Pizza

Flourless-PizzaFlourless Pizza

Serves 4
Crust:
3/4 cup chickpea flour or rice flour( plus some more for rolling)
2 eggs
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
Italian seasoning
Sea salt n pepper
Preheat oven to 350F

Put every ingredient in the food processor (eggs last) form a ball with the dough, sprinkle some more chickpea flour and roll between two sheets of parchment paper, transfer to cookie sheet and bake for 15 min at 350F, then add homemade tomato sauce, organic grass-fed cheese and all the veggies you like, bake 15 min more at 370F or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

Chef Vanessa Lee

Paleo Shrimp Salad

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Paleo-Shrimp-Salad

You know I love me some Paleo-style eating and living.

#Just Eat Real Food.

I’m excited to be an affiliate with the Harvest Your Health Bundle Sale which includes the 21-Day Paleo Cleanse I have been doing!

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Shrimp salad

paleo, gluten-free,  super healthy
Serves 5 to 7

  • 1 lettuce of your preference ( i suggest curly endive or butter) washed and in bite size pieces
  • 1 avocado in slices
  • 1 lb medium shrimp boiled in salted water for 8 min and cooled in ice water
  • 1 mango in small cubes
  • 1 cup organic corn
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup orange wedges
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 3 tbsp black and regular sesame
  • Arrange on plates as desired

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup mirin or vinegar rice
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • The juice of one orange
  • Salt n pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a mason jar and shake shake shake.

Chef Vanessa Lee
Questions and comments: [email protected]

Fitness Hag vs. The Fashion Police

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If you have been following me for a bit, you may have heard me recently whining about my complete lack of style and clothing.
You see, while working in fitness has been amazing in the fact that I have been able to wear yoga pants every day for the past 8+ years, its not that great when I am invited to events, networking, etc. and I look like a complete #fitnesshag (that’s a little hashtag my friend, Rebekah “Bexlife” and I say to each other.. LOL)

FANCY
I recently did a trade with a woman to take me shopping, because honestly… I’m THAT clueless. Do you ever feel like society tells us:
“women LOVE shopping and fashion!”
Well… not this woman!! I hate shopping and fashion perplexes me!
Linda Thomas, owner of A Powerful Appearance, came to my house, looked in my closet to see what we could piece together and stated the obvious:
“You really don’t have anything”
“Duhhh.”
Linda and I scheduled an appointment to go shopping at Nordstroms. The first thing she did was teach me how to figure out my size (I had a quick cry in the dressing room over a number… such a girl!)
Then we got to picking out clothes! I got a few dresses for speaking engagements and events, but they were a little pricey, so I took most of them back!! (do you do this?!?! Nordstrom prices just aren’t my thing!!)
Then…someone on Facebook posted about this website called STITCHFIX and I’m OBSESSED!!
The dress pictured above is from there:) So, now you know!!
So, here’s how it works:You create a profile, with your size, and then you click on things you like/don’t like or would/wouldn’t wear…. THEN your own personal stylist sends you outfits and you get to try them on in your own home!! (no more dressing room break downs!!) and send back what you don’t like!!OMG!! It’s so fun!!(My husband also loved the private fashion show)
They send you 5 different things and you only pay for what you keep then send the rest back in a pre-paid bag.
It’s so easy and fun! After you get your “fix” you respond with what you liked and didn’t like about each piece: size, price, style, etc. so that your stylist gets to know you and picks out something better each time!
I ended up getting so excited about this idea, I bought Bex (my #fitnesshag sister) a gift card for her birthday so we can be new fancy fitness business women together in the “real world”.
I know some of you asked about where I got this dress, so there it is!
If you want to get your “fix” you can use my affiliate link: http://bit.ly/SBstitchfix and share with your friends for your own link to get a credit towards more clothes.I scheduled my next “fix” for September, so I can look forward to an outfit once every other month or so and slowly build up my “Big girl” wardrobe. Let me know if you do this or if you know of something else like it!
DISCLOSURE:
Stitchfix did not pay or endorse me for this post, in fact, they don’t even know that I am a raving fan, so I think I’m going to email them and tell them! Ha! All opinions expressed are that of my own. The links above are affiliate links and I may receive a small credit if a purchase is made. You are also able to sign up as an affiliate if you love them like I do.

Whole to Healthy: Ambassador Spotlight

Christy

CHRISTYWhole to Healthy is the name of Christy’s blog, business and page. I fell in love with Christy’s story because she has struggled with something that MANY, many, many women deal with– thyroid issues. Not feeling well, doctors not finding anything wrong, getting prescribed medication for depression, yet knowing there was something else. She is almost done with her Master Nutrition Therapy Degree and will be offering raw vegan and paleo 30-day programs soon.

CHECK OUT HER STORY HERE

Christy

Christy Beauchot Smith, a Certified Nutrition Therapist, didn’t always have the passion for nutrition that she has today.  Her younger years were spent eating large amounts of cookies and candy with no care, or side effects, until she developed Hashimotos Thyroiditis at the age of 25.  What she ate, and how she felt, quickly became a concern for her. Her once thin frame began carrying more and more weight that seemed impossible to lose.  After being introduced to the all natural, whole foods way of eating through a wellness program that she eventually worked for, not only did she lose the weight, but she found her true calling.  Now, a busy mother of two young boys, and the owner of two businesses Whole to Healthy Nutrition, and DipSticks Gourmet Pretzels, she is currently enrolled in the Nutrition Therapy Institute and will earn her Master Nutrition Therapy degree by fall of 2013.  Her love of cooking and helping others, combined with this nutrition degree will give her the tools she needs to help people take back their kitchens, and begin their own healthy paths, without feeling like slaves to the diet world. Christy was also featured in an article about juicing for Shape magazine online and was asked to create 5 heart-healthy juice recipes for Omega Juicers. Beyond the kitchen, Christy loves hiking, box jumps, listening to all kinds of music, hanging with her family and her lovable golden retriever and rescued yellow tabby cat, watching The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey, playing piano, and obsessing over all things monkey-related.

Egg Whites & Ezekiel French Toast

french_toast

french_toastI have mentioned many times that I am not a cook.
I actually ate virtually the SAME breakfast (oatmeal and egg whites) everyday for over 7 years.
Then… all of the sudden…. I just couldn’t do it anymore.
So lately, I’ve been looking for other ways to have a protein and slow-digesting-carb breakfast that I enjoy.
Protein Pancakes are great, but honestly, I really suck at pancakes (burned, crumbled, flat, you name it!!)

I was sent a few loaves of Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9ÂŽ Sprouted Flax Bread and I wasn’t really sure what I could do with it, I mean, besides making toast.
Toast is just so dry and I don’t have any butter, so that was no fun… but wait!!
What about FRENCH TOAST?!?!?!
Ding Ding Ding!!

OK this could either be AMAZING or it could be a disaster….

Luckily, it was pretty damn good if I do say so myself!!

So, if you’ve ever tried Ezekiel Bread before, you will know it can be a little dry. It tastes much better toasted, because its dense. Well, I was worried that the french toast would be the same.
So, instead of real eggs, I used Egg Whites International liquid egg whites.

I have been using Egg Whites International since 2005 when I first saw their booth at the Olympia. They ARE real egg whites, but they have been filtered so there is no slimy texture, this made it so the egg whites just SOAKED into the bread, instead of just coating the outside like normal egg whites… THIS, it turns out, was the key!!

Here is all you need:

2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9ÂŽ Sprouted Flax Bread

1/2c. Egg Whites International (or store bought) liquid egg whites

1 tbsp. coconut oil (for the pan)

Honey, real maple syrup, berries, etc. for topping (I used honey)

Instructions:

Cut the Ezekiel bread in thirds to make French Toast “sticks”

Poured about 1/2 c. of egg whites into a bowl

Dip the bread into the bowl but make sure the egg whites saturate the sticks (not to the point of being soggy, but fully saturated)

Heat a tbsp. of olive oil in a pan and place pieces of bread in the pan (on med-high) for about 2 minutes.

When the back side is browned, flip over and cook the other side..
VOILA!! CLEAN & LEAN French Toast

I dipped mine in honey and it was amazing! Because of the egg whites the toast was actually much less dense and tasted more like real bread. I really enjoyed it!

Nutrition Facts: (without topping)

Calories: 220

Fat: 2g

Carbs: 28g

Fiber: 8g

Protein: 23g

What do you think? Comment below and let me know how else to use this stuff!!

DISCLAIMER:  Food for Life provided the Ezekiel Bread for review. I am not an affiliate, nor do I receive commissions on the sale of the above products. The recipe, nonsense chatter, critiques, positive praise and ways to use it are all my own.

Me Day

Me Day

Me Day

“Me Day”

I’ve had discussions about this “self-made holiday” on Facebook, I’ve mentioned this in the newsletters and I recently spoke about it on a radio show, but I realized I never composed a blog about it!

See, at the end of December 2012, I started to think about “resolutions” and all of those things we tend to do at the end of the year…. memories from the past year and hopes for the New Year… and I’ll be honest, I was not happy with what was going on. I had been dealing with metabolic damage and adrenal fatigue for the better part of two years, and I had started to make some GREAT headway, and then, POW I lost it!

How did I lose it?

STRESS.

I started staying up late again, I started taking on more projects than I could handle, I started putting myself last and others first… you know the deal.

I realized that the THINGS I was doing to feel better, ie. taking care of me, getting to bed early, meditating, relaxing, eating regular meals, taking my supplements, etc.

I had completely stopped….and I was feeling terrible.

In fact, I told my husband, I just want to rent a car and go stay in a hotel ALONE for a few days. (ok maybe a week!)

He was obviously hurt… but that’s how I felt!

I felt as if I was being pulled in a million directions and I needed an escape… NOW!!

So that is where the “Me Day” idea came from.

I decided that for 2013 ONE DAY out of every month, was a day for ME.
RULES INCLUDE: 

  • no phone
  • no computer
  • no alarm clock
  • I can do whatever makes ME feel good– massage, reading, napping, eating
  • no “shoulds” or “have tos”
  • no work

and so, I took out my phone and blocked out the last Sunday of every month for my year long experiment.

Well, January, something came up, the Dani Johnson First Steps to Success seminar was on “MY WEEKEND” so, I just rescheduled for the next weekend! I took my Sunday (it was Super Bowl Sunday) and got myself a massage, read a book and took a nap. I can’t say that I didn’t get on the computer or ditch the phone.. but it was a start.

So my February day came and my husband knew it was my day, but he needed me for a few things, and I have to say  it was kind of ruined. He apologized and it was no biggie… who knew this would be so hard?!! I thought, “maybe this will be better on a week day!”

March came and went, I traveled to 3 states in 3 weeks and there was no time for me, again and here we are, mid April. I have a day scheduled THIS weekend. Hubby’s out of town and I’m disappearing!! For the rest of the year, I moved my “Me Day” to a Friday. Its easier when hubby is at work to BE ALONE.
The moral is: be flexible, be adaptable, but put it in the books.

I’m not perfect. I don’t have children, however, I have a very busy life because I give a lot and a lot of people depend on me. I understand how hard it is to have a day for you. BUT its still SO important. I urge EVERYONE..

I CHALLENGE YOU—-> DO IT NOW.

Schedule your “Me Days” for the REST of 2013 (there’s still 8 months left!!)

Then CLICK TO TWEET IT: I’m taking a day just for me!! #meday #becauseImworthit @SweatyBetties

even if its a “Me Half-Day” — take 4 hours for YOU. I promise you will be less bitter about the things you “have to do”.
Don’t tell me that you can’t, that you don’t have time, or can’t find a sitter…

Don’t be a b!tch. 

Lets just DO THIS…. and then come back and tell me what you plan on doing. Here are some ideas:

  • sit at the park
  • read a book
  • have coffee with a friend
  • sleep in… late
  • watch a movie marathon in your pajamas
  • get a massage
  • get a mani/pedi
  • hang out at Whole Foods
  • Sun bathe
  • sit in a car alone for 4 hours (I’ve totally done this)
  • go on a hike (but please tell someone where you’re going)
  • take a bath
  • take a yoga class
  • eat a healthy meal
  • do an “at-home” spa day- paint your nails, do a face mask, etc.