Cize

The end of exercise is here! Do you hate burpees, running, and just working out in general? Well then, THIS is the program made just for you! Reminiscent of your fun college days where you would go out dancing with your girlfriends, Shaun T (of Insanity, T25, & Hip Hop Abs fame) will teach you awesome dances to some of today's hot music. You'll be moving & grooving, and it isn't about being perfect. No, far from it. This program is about FEELING the music, FEELING the rhythm in your body, and getting up off the couch and having fun! No one cares if you look like J-Lo's backup dancer or a total dork (like I do, haha!). This program gets you out of your head, and gets you dancing your stress away. Let's face it, who couldn't stand to de-stress a little?

I am going to be completely honest with you here. When I first heard that this program was coming out, I thought it was going to be corny. Like, "Seriously? A dancing program? I can't freaking dance! This is going to be dumb." Well, then at Summit (Beachbody's coaching conference), I did a live workout with Shaun T and he taught a Cize routine...and IT. WAS. AMAZE-BALLS!!! (does anyone even use that phrase anymore?) It honestly did NOT feel like I was working out. It felt like I was dancing at a club (you know, back in college, when liquid courage made me "good" at dancing, haha!) or like when I cheered in high school and was learning a new routine. SO. MUCH. FUN! For real! I was laughing and smiling the entire time, and didn't even pay any attention to the heart rate monitor I wear when I work out: that is, until it was over and I turned it off, not expecting much. I was beyond shocked at the number of calories I burned in an hour of dancing. I had sweat dripping from every surface of my body, I probably smelled funny, and I looked I'm sure like a total ass, but I have literally never had that much fun while exercising. Here's the proof: look at that smile! Did I mention this was at 6 am??!!

Now, the routines on the DVD are not an hour long; they're roughly 30-ish minutes (the longest is like 40). Definitely something you can fit into your day. There are 6 different dance routines, and Shaun T builds by teaching a few moves at a time, then adding on another move or two, until you know the entire thing and put it to music. The challenge pack comes with a 30 day bag supply of Shakeology in the flavor of your choice, 3 Cize DVD's with 2 routines each, a calendar to follow each day to know which routine to do, weekend survival guide, eating guide, a bonus DVD with an additional routine if you purchase through me, admittance into my support group for nutrition and fitness, and ME! You don't pay any extra for my services once you purchase the initial challenge pack. Deadline for ordering a challenge pack to be entered for the giveaway is Friday, July 24th at midnight EST.

Doesn't this sound phenomenal? How can you NOT try this?!
Fill out the application & join my team TODAY! Don't wait. You won't regret it! :-)

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Sausage, kale, & spinach pasta

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So this is absolutely fantastic!!! I found a recipe on Pinterest, and tweaked it to meet my taste buds (and you know you're jealous of my fine china, hehe!)! 

21 day fix approved! 1 yellow, 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/3 blue

 

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat or whole grain pasta. I prefer whole grain ziti
• 1 pound lean turkey, chicken, or "clean" pork sausage (we butcher our own, so I used our pork sausage)
• ½ green container sundried tomatoes. You can find them in the produce section that are in a bag. Don't get the kind in a jar that's filled with olive oil.
• 1½ green containers kale
• 1½ green container spinach leaves
• ½ cup shredded italian blend cheese. You can either use the already shredded kind or grate your own.
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup organic milk 

Directions

1.     Boil your pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the water for the sauce for later on. This is really important!

2.     In a separate skillet, sauté the tomatoes, kale, & spinach in about a tablespoon of olive oil, just until tender. Remove from skillet.

3.     Cook sausage in large skillet. Once browned, remove the sausage from skillet. I normally take a plate & cover it with about 4-6 paper towels, then dump the sausage on the paper towels. This soaks up the excess grease.

4.     Add a tablespoon or less of olive oil or EVOO to the pan the sausage was just in (if necessary), and add the flour, stirring constantly to form a roux.

5.     Stir in the milk, leftover starchy “pasta” water, and cheese. Stir until thickened slightly.

6.     Add the vegetables, sausage, and noodles, and stir to ensure everything is coated evenly.

7.     Use your green container to portion out one serving.

New Year New You!

I decided to go back and dig out my very first before picture from my start of Focus T25 in January 2014. I remember joining my first challenge group completely blind, having no idea what I was doing, had never done a home fitness program before the whole way through, and I had never even heard of Shakeology or clean eating! But I was definitely at the breaking point where I had to do something and I had to do it now! I was absolutely miserable; I felt horrible all the time, I constantly had to buy new (bigger) clothes to replace the ones I was outgrowing, and I had a horrible attitude about everything.

 
Though I had a gym membership, living so far away from it wasn’t working for me to get there consistently. I knew myself; I knew I would stick with it for a week or two at most and then quit! So I figured this was a better bet because I also didn’t have the confidence to work out in front of other people. I was afraid I would be judged for being so overweight, when in high school I had been so very thin. We didn't have a designated area for workout space but I made room in our living room, pushing the coffee table to the side.
Every morning at 4:30 I would drag myself out of bed and press play! It was ugly. I was out of shape, I cried, and I wanted to quit! But the one thing I kept saying is this, "I wanted to change more than I wanted to stay the same." My husband and I want to be parents some day, and I needed to make this change to a) make getting pregnant a little easier, b) have a healthier pregnancy once we do conceive, and c) lead the kind of healthy life we want for our kids some day. I don’t want them to grow up seeing mommy crying when she looks into a mirror. I don’t want them to have the same kind of negative feelings about themselves that I did. I want them to be healthy, and be able to run around and play like kids should do.
So every day I pushed play, and I had faith in the process! I knew that if I followed the workout calendar and the nutrition guide I would get results. It was tested and proven! For me going to the gym meant wandering around aimlessly doing random machines hoping what I was doing would produce results. Then I would come home and eat back all my burned off calories because I had “earned it”! I had no idea how nutrition played into my results.
So 60 days later, 20 lbs gone, faith in the process, a genuine love for challenge groups and coaching I became a believer! I was skeptical that a home fitness program would work but honestly when you make fitness, nutrition, and accountability the way that Beachbody does it, the only way you won't succeed is if you don't follow the plan!!!!!
I am a believer! The cool part is that I get to inspire hope and change in others now too!
January 5th------> It's your time! ARE YOU IN???? It's time to believe that you are meant for CHANGE, HEALTH and a life FULL OF ENERGY!
New YEAR, NEW YOU!!!!! 

Fill out the form below if you are interested in joining me!

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21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix

This program is an awesome one for those who don't have a ton of time to work out, and who understand that to see results, they'll really need to dial in on that nutrition piece. From celebrity trainer Autumn Calabrese, the 21 Day Fix comes with a set of color-coded containers. Based on your caloric needs, you get a certain number of each container per day. There's a corresponding list of REAL foods for each container; if it fits in the container, you get to eat it! It is really that easy. Plus, it is way more food than what you think it is...trust me! When I actually measured out my food for the first time, I thought, "there's no way I can eat all this!" You'll be full, you'll be eating real foods, and coupled with these no-joke workouts, you WILL see results! 

If you're new to working out, or it's been awhile and you're out of shape, don't fret. This program is still for you. There is a modifier in every single workout which makes the moves very do-able, yet you'll still get an awesome calorie burn! 

Better yet, when coupled with Shakeology through a Challenge Pack purchase, you'll get ME as your FREE coach, and the support of a group to help you stay accountable and help with motivation and support! https://teambeachbody.com/checkout/-/bbcheckout/challengepack?referringRepId=362976

Italian Turkey Meatballs

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Italian Turkey Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey

15 crushed whole wheat crackers

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp Italian seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a larger bowl, making sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Lightly spray a 9X13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Take approximately 1-2 tablespoons

of turkey mixture, and roll into balled shape, then place in cake pan.


Continue with the rest of the turkey. Cover loosely with foil, then bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until meatballs are lightly browned.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then enjoy!!! Try it with this spaghetti squash-yummy!

Perfect Spaghetti Squash

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Perfect Spaghetti Squash

Cut squash in half length-wise. 

Scoop out seeds from the middle, then place cut side up on a baking sheet. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. 

Remove from oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Holding up one half at a time over a larger bowl, use a fork to scrape out the fleshy part of the squash in strings like spaghetti noodles. Top with your favorite spaghetti toppings, like my turkey meatballs with organic spaghetti sauce!

Cookies and Cream Shakeology

Cookies and Cream Shakeology

Ice, to taste (I use 7 ice cubes to make my shake nice and thick)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 Quest Cookies & Cream bar
1 scoop vanilla Shakeology

In a blender, crush ice. Cut the Quest bar into half, then chop that half into smaller pieces. Add those pieces to the blender with the crushed ice, along with the milk and vanilla Shakeology. Blend until all ingredients are mixed well. Pour into a cup, and enjoy!

Whole wheat pita pizza

Whole Wheat Pita Pizza

Love eating clean, but miss your pizza nights? Now you can have the best of both worlds! This is a very easy recipe, and when made with high quality ingredients, can put a healthy spin on an old favorite. Look for products with as few ingredients as possible. If you're in the Pennsylvania area, try the whole wheat pita pockets and organic pizza sauce from Giant...super delicious! I can only find the Cacique cheese in my small town at Walmart, but it's the best brand for my taste buds.


Ingredients:
Whole wheat pitas with a pocket
Organic pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese (avoid the already shredded kind if at all possible. There are unnecessary additives that keep the cheese shreds from sticking to one another).
Assorted toppings (veggies, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using a grater, grate desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Place pita on a baking sheet (the stone bakeware works best for me!).

Spoon out desired amount of pizza sauce and spread out, stopping approximately 1/4" to 1/2" from the edge of the pita. Add cheese on top, spreading out to just beyond the cheese to 'seal' it in.

Top with whatever veggies you'd like to add, then bake in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until cheese melts to a nice bubbly-just starting to brown. Remove from oven carefully, and let cool for a minute or so, then cut and enjoy!!! The cheese may melt a little off center, but that certainly doesn't affect its taste, haha!

Clean Eating

The core of clean eating is consuming food that is in its most natural state (or as close to it as possible). When I go grocery shopping, I try to buy foods with 5 ingredients or less; all things I can pronounce and that are not artificially made. Clean eating is NOT a diet; it's a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life - one meal at a time. Remember, 80 % of your weight loss is dependent upon the food you eat.  If you workout every day and eat unhealthy, you cannot expect to get great results.  Your results come from the time, energy, and dedication you put into exercise and eating! Your workout cannot undo bad eating habits!

Basics of Eating Clean:

• Drink at least a gallon of water a day (8 cups).  The generally accepted guideline is to take your weight and divide by two to get the number of ounces of water to drink per day. For example, for a person who weighs 160 pounds, take 160 / 2 = 80 ounces of water daily. It sounds like a lot, and you’ll find yourself going to the bathroom a LOT until you get used to it, but drinking this much water really helps to flush our your system and hydrate you.
• Eat five to six times a day, approximately every 2-3 hours.  Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

• NEVER miss a meal, ESPECIALLY breakfast!! This will help give your metabolism a boost so you’re burning calories all day long.

• Carry a cooler loaded with clean-eating foods to get you through the day (if you have the food handy, no excuse for stopping at fast food, soda machine/candy machine or eating other unhealthy food).

• Get label savvy- Clean foods contain just a few (pronounceable) ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

• Avoid processed and refined foods, including white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbohydrates such as whole grains instead. Or, try something new! If you’re a pasta junkie, try using spaghetti squash instead. Once the sauce is on there, you can’t even tell the difference!

• Know thy enemies- Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.

• Avoid calorie-dense food that has no nutritional value.

• Shop with a conscience, consuming humanely raised and local meats. If you eat meat, check our your local butcher.

• Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins, and enzymes. When possible, buy organic. Your local farmer’s markets offer lots of options in season.

• Consume healthy fats- Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day. Coconut oil and olive oil are two examples of healthy fats. Use in moderation though; don’t drench your foods in any type of oil.

• Learn about proper portion sizes- Work towards eating within them.

• Reduce your carbon footprint- Eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment. Learn from the Europeans, who make an event out of each meal. Dinner lasts hours, as they sit together, chat, and truly enjoy the food on the plates in front of them. Slow down. When you rush through a meal, your brain cannot signal to you quickly enough that you’re full, which can lead to over-eating.

• Make it a family affair- Food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones. Improve the quality of your family's life along with your own by sitting together at the table, with no television or other distractions.

 What to Avoid:

• Avoid all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar.
• Avoid all chemically charge foods.
• Avoid foods containing preservatives.
• Avoid artificial sugars.
• Avoid artificial foods such as processed cheese slices.
• Avoid saturated and trans fats.
• Avoid sugar loaded beverages, including colas and juices.
• Avoid or do your best to limit alcohol intake.
• Avoid all calorie dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. I call these anti-foods.
• Avoid super sizing your meals.

Meal Planning:
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Take one day a week (mine is Sundays) to plan out your meals for the rest of the week, and then go grocery shopping based on what is on your menu. If it's not on the list, don't buy it! When you don't buy junk food, it isn't in your house for you to eat when you get a craving for it, so...don't buy it! Stick to the plan!

Helpful Hints:

This section will help you understand the types of food to eat, and how much of it to eat. Just because you are eating clean, does not mean you can gorge on these foods. It is possible to overeat healthy foods. Our society has gotten so far away from what actual serving sizes look like, so use this as a guide to understand how much we should actually be eating.

Complex Carbohydrates from Fruit and Vegetables:
6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cupped handful or a piece of fruit such as berries, grapefruit, melon, apples and mangoes.
• 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables including broth based/vegetable puree soups.

Complex Carbohydrates from whole grains and starchy carbohydrates: 
2-4 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 scant handful of high-protein, sugar-free cold cereals, such as clean muesli or granola
• 1 handful of cooked cereal
• 1 piece of whole grain bread or wrap
• 1 handful sized serving of sweet potato, yam, banana, corn, carrots or squash

Lean Protein
6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cup or handful of dairy products such as low fat soy, almond, hemp, rice, or skim milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt cheese or plain fat free sugar free yogurt.
• 1 scant handful of raw, unsalted nuts (also a healthy fat)
• 2 tablespoons of all natural nut butters such as almond or peanut butter (also a healthy fat).
• 1 palm sized portion of lean meats
• High-quality, sugar- and chemical- free protein powder (hemp, soy or whey).

Beverages

• 2-3 liters per day of fresh water with no added chemicals
• Clear herbal tea (unsweetened)
• Black tea in moderation
• Black/green tea

Sweeteners:  Use in moderation.  Avoid Artificial Sweeteners.

• Agave Nectar 
• Stevia
• Maple Sugar Flakes
• Rapadura Sugar

 

Pumpkin whole wheat pancakes

Pumpkin whole wheat pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

3 Tbsp applesauce or oil

1 Tbsp honey

¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)

Preheat your skillet or griddle to 350. In a larger bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients and stir together. Then add all of your wet ingredients, stirring again. Depending on how thick you like your pancakes, you may want to add more or less milk (I always add more!).

Pour desired amount of batter onto griddle, but wait to flip until there are small bubbles that form on the top. This is a thick pancake batter and it takes longer to cook through than regular pancakes due to the whole wheat and the pumpkin. Don’t flip too early! When the original top gets nice & bubbly (you can peek at the bottom to make sure it’s nice & cooked too as an indicator of when to flip), flip and cook until the bottom is nice and light brown.

Remove from griddle, and enjoy these awesome pancakes with some pure maple syrup, pumpkin butter, or apple butter!