I'm so preppy!

Life is busy.  It is hard sometimes to make healthy meal and snack choices when you are being a taxi for your kids, working full time, in school, trying to fit workouts in, have a social life and family time.  I get it!  The best tip I have found useful is to be proactive and prep healthy meals and snacks for the week.  I know it is easier said than done but once you get into the routine, I promise it will get easier!

Find an evening or time on the weekend that you can spend a couple hours in the kitchen.  I like to bake some pumpkin or banana protein bars, cut them up and store in the freezer.  Protein energy balls can be made in about 15 minutes and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Wash and cut all kinds of raw veggies to have ready for salads, stir fry, omelets, or other dishes like jambalaya, chili, quinoa or rice dishes, etc.  Cook a whole package of chicken breast, dice and store some in refrigerator and some in the freezer to have ready for salads or other dishes.  Hard boil eggs.  Make turkey meatballs and store in freezer.  Make your own trail mix with raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

When you have your dinner menu planned for the week and have healthy meal ingredients on hand, it takes the guesswork out of dinner and you'll be less likely to opt for takeout or frozen pizza.  Having healthy snack items to take with you to work will make it easier to say no to the donuts in the break room.  I like to keep some healthy snack options with me when I go shopping, to class, or even out with friends so I am not at the mercy of fast food, a vending machine or gas station snacks.

Give it a try this week.  If you don't have too much time, just start with a few prepped items.  Maybe just snacks then try to prep for meals next week.  Once you find your groove, you'll become a pro at prepping!

Some might call it being in control.  Many would call it proactive.  I say I'm just being preppy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is a super easy recipe from the Juice Plus Shred 10 program!  It's vegan, allergy friendly and contains no refined flour or refined sugar!  It is high in fiber, protein and taste!  You don't even need to feel guilty about eating it or feeding it to your kids!

Ingredients

3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 T. ground flax plus 3 T. water
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. Himalayan salt (1 t. if you use coconut oil)
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil
1/2 vegan chocolate chips

Directions

Add flax and water to a bowl and let sit for a minute.
Mash in bananas and add sugar, butter or oil, and mix well.
Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken Avocado Salad

I just got this yummy recipe today from a former client. Super easy and yummy!  If you're like me, tweak or add something each time you make it to find a new favorite!

Ingredients

2 cups chicken, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 T. lime or lemon juice
2. T. garlic powder
1 T. minced onion

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy over lettuce or in tortillas.

Superfood Granola

This is another great recipe from the Juice Plus Shred 10 cookbook.  I made it two different ways in the same weekend!  My kids love it!  Don't worry if you don't have all the ingredients.  I used figs and almonds the first time instead of dates and pecans, added pumpkin seeds one time and added chocolate chips after baking.  Make it your own style or straight from the recipe - either way it is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 goji berries
1.4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cups hemp seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. maca powder
1/4 cup tahini
4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for an hour, drained
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 coconut oil, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, stir together oats, pecans, goji berries, cacao nibs, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon and maca powder.
3. In a blender (I used the bullet), process the tahini. dates, maple syrup and coconut oil until smooth.  Pour this over oat mixture and stir until thoroughly coated.
4. Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  The granola will be soft when you first take it out of oven, but will crisp up as it cools.  Cool completely before putting in an air-tight container.

Confetti Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

This awesome recipe is from the Healthy Living Revolution Cookbook that is part of the Juice Plus Shred10 program.  As always, I made a couple small changes to suit my taste buds and list those in parenthesis.  However you make it, I am sure you will enjoy it as much as my family does!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 - 14.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 red pepper, diced
(1/2 green pepper, diced)
1 mango, diced (or substitute 1/2 diced zucchini)
1/2 avocado, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beans, pepper, mango, avocado, green onion and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients to make dressing.  Pour over quinoa salad and toss to coat.
3. Chill until ready to serve.

It's a Journey!

Where are you on your health journey?  Are you where you want to be?  Are you in the same place you have been for awhile?  May be you have taken steps forward.  Maybe a few steps backward.

This time of year many people have made resolutions to work out more, eat healthier, lose weight, etc.  The sad truth is that most resolutions are only a short term goal and most people break them within a matter of weeks, if they ever get started in the first place.

I prefer to think of my health, nutrition and fitness as a lifestyle journey.  I will never arrive at my desired destination.  I will always have something more that I am striving toward.  I always want to keep improving, keep learning, make positive changes, become healthier, grow wiser.  Step by step, little by little, day by day.   I may not be where I want to be, but I am closer than I was yesterday, last week or last year.

So I ask you... where are you?  Do your actions and choices support the journey you are on or are they keeping you stuck?  Do you continue to eat something just because you want it (cookies, ice cream, fast food) or stay stuck in habits (binge watching television, not getting enough sleep, habitually drinking too much) because you want to?  There are a lot of things I want that I know are not good for me.  They do not support my journey and will only serve as roadblocks.  Some can be consumed or participated in moderation. Some things are just better left alone. They do not support my journey.

My journey is my own.  It does not look like yours and yours will not look like mine. I will not compare or judge anyone's journey to health or self-improvement. I only hope to inspire, encourage and share with others.  So wherever you are today, keep moving forward step by step, little by little, day by day and enjoy the journey!

Are you worth it?

Yep! Here I am! Back after a few months hiatus. If you know me personally, you know that the last year or so has been a learning curve in many areas of my life. Not that I'm finished learning but perhaps I can move on from the same lessons that seem to have repeated themselves frequently. Today I rose early, read a devotion, had a great workout, had some great conversations and self reflection, the sun is shining and my heart is full. Today I am the woman I was meant to be.

Worthiness has been a theme of some of my recent conversations. So I pose that question to you. Are you worth it?

 

Anything that is worth having, is worth the time and commitment.

Are you worth the cost of a gym membership? Are you worth purchasing healthy food? Are you worth the the hour or two it may take to meal prep that healthy food every week? Are you worth going to bed earlier so you can rise early to workout or have a devotion/planning time? Are you worth investing in deeper relationships? Are you worth training for a 5k? Are you worth going back to school? Are you worth taking a risk and finding a different job? Are you worth improving any area of your life?

It is so easy to get dragged down by the stress of life, stop caring for ourselves and lose focus of our purpose in life. Believe me. I've done it. I'm sure I'll probably do it again some day. When it does, I get confused, unsure of myself, stressed out, worried, etc. It's not pretty. It's not who I am.

And so I ask. Who are you? What is your purpose? Are you worth it?

I know I am.