Shakeology Clean Eating Group

Shakeology is the Healthiest Meal of the Day!  It has been part of my DAILY routine for the past year and has made a significant impact on my overall health and fitness. This is NOT a weight-loss shake, it is so much more.  It is a dense, whole food meal replacement.  It is meant to be part of your daily nutrition and workout plan.  I literally have no need for taking a multivitamin while drinking Shakeology because it covers everything and more.  

As someone who was
diagnosed with cancer when my son was an infant, I am really vigilant about what I put in my body.  I go so far as raising my own hens for eggs.  I really going the extra mile in terms of finding organic, humanely raised, locally grown food sources.  The following were important to me. 

• No Artificial Flavors
• No Artificial Colors
• No Artificial Sweeteners
• No Soy

Below is a chart that illustrates some of the ingredients and benefits of nutrients in Shakeology. 

Ingredients and Benefits Chart for Shakeology

One of the biggest questions I get before someone commits to Shakeology is "What flavor should I get?" Second question "How will I know I like it?" Even with the 30 day bottom of the bag guarantee that comes with Shakeology, I understand it can be hard to make that choice.  With some questioning I can help a Challenger make a good choice.  

However now things have changed and in celebration of Shakeology's 6th Birthday, Beachbody is offering a sampler of ALL the flavors!! It comes in Regular and Vegan varieties.  You can purchase the original Super Sampler or the Vegan Taste Sampler.  

Super Sampler:  Contains 1 of each Shakeology flavor; 1 Chocolate, 1 Vanilla, 1 Strawberry, 1 Greenberry, 1 Tropical Strawberry Vegan, and 1 Chocolate Vegan.

Vegan Taste Sampler:Contains 2 of each Shakeology Vegan flavor; 2 Chocolate Vegan and 2 Tropical Strawberry Vegan.

The bottom line is American's today are overfed and under nourished.  The trend has been fast food that ultimately takes away from our health and nutrition goals for the sake of boutique drinks that are loaded with sugar and lacking nourishment.

You will not only have a chance to sample each and every flavor, but also to participate in a 7 Day  Shakeology and Clean Eating Challange starting March 30th!  I would love to have you join the group and learn more about the healthiest meal of the day!  Apply today and learn what you can do in one week to take the first step in making a positive change!

Fill out my online form.

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Cashew & Oat Pancakes

These are in the new 21 Day Fix Extreme Plan !

Makes 10 servings, 2  hotcakes each

Ingredients:
2 cups Old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 dash sea salt or himalayan salt (Mineralize)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 1/3 cups water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

5 cups mixed berries

Directions:
1. Place oats, cashews, salt and cinnamon in a food processor or blender, pulse until coarsley ground.
2. Add egg, oil, water and vanilla, pulse until well blended. Batter will be thick, but if it is thick as paste add 2 to 3 additional  Tbsp of water.
3. Heat medium non skillet, lightly coated with spray, over medium heat.
4. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into skillet for each pancake
5. Flip with spatula and cook for 30 seconds
6. Repeat with remaining batter
7. Serve pancakes topped with berries.

**21 Day Fix containers **

• Purple 1/2 
• Yellow  1
• Spoon   1 

Zucchini Cashew Soup

This soup is by far is my FAVORITE soup that I learned about while doing the Ultimate Reset. I still use it to this day!

Vegan and fabulous. Amazing flavor comes from the richness of the cashew and the zing of the Bragg's liquid amino's. You can substitute Himalayan salt or you don't have to you salt it all if it's excluded from your diet.   That's the beauty of this soup, you can really customize it to your personal taste and dietary restrictions. 

And then how you make it!  I normally toss my cashews in water in the morning and when I return from work I can literally be ready to blend it in 10 minutes.  I prefer it warm vs. cold but both ways would work fine!  

And then the fun part!! Love my Vitamix!

This is the nutrition breakdown below provided by My Fitness Pal.   This is an amazingly filling soup that I would not hesitate to serve at my next dinner party.  I love to season with my Bragg's and lots of dill and parsley.  You can modify it to your own taste!  Experiment and ENJOY!

18 Years: Disorder to Success #Truth

My health and fitness story has had MANY twists and turns. This part of my life is very personal and less than flattering.  However, it is part of my story and I believe everything happens for a reason to teach us lessons so here is one of mine.

One thing I struggled most in my journey was trying to figure out  how to achieve my fitness goals in a way that was sustainable and realistic.

The Catalyst

I went to college, gained the Freshman 15+ and was at a loss on how to lose it.  Being Italian/Spanish American you eat when your happy, sad, mad, everything.  So, without real nutrition education I started running and starving myself.  Torturing myself into weight loss.  But those types of activities have a vicious backlash that I was unaware of.  Cycles of weight loss, gain, staving or binging... no balance.  I began to educate myself about workouts and how better to feed by body.  I wanted to be successful so badly that I would do just about anything to achieve them.  However, it was coming from a place of self-hate and punishment.  I DID NOT enjoy it one bit.  If I worked out it was so I wasn't absolutely disgusted with myself.  

I was 23 in these photographs and competed in an Amateur Body Building competition. I was investing about an hour and a half of cardio per day and lifting heavy weight for another hour per day (2.5 hours per day minimum).  At my peak I was deadlifting 300 lbs. I weighed in at about 112 lbs.  Towards the end of my "training" I was consuming under 1000 calories per day.   This was my first competition.  I had a friend who competed regularly and consecutively won, so I used him as a resource and he helped me design a plan. I stuck to it religiously for 90 days. 

Heading Off Course

I literally did not go out, did not see friends or socialize, I was in isolation because I was afraid if I went out I would slip up and get off track.   I placed well in the competition and I was proud of my achievement but the aftermath would leave a serious mark.   

I didn't know how to feed myself in a normal way.  I didn't understand that when you lean out the way I did with so few calories, your body is in starvation mode.  I lost so much muscle cutting weight, that at the end of 90 days.  I had stress fractures in my feet from the stair-master, my skin was a disaster, and worse, I did not know how to eat in a way that was sustainable.  I did not know about the right carbohydrates (they were the enemy right??) or healthy types of fat. I was eating no fat foods, boiled chicken and steamed vegetables.  Post the show I ended up in a cycle of binging an purging.  I was desperate to hang onto my unrealistic results.  Which cascaded into full blown Bulimia!  If anyone knows anything about Bulimia, it is more an issue of control than it is about food.  About a year of a binge/purge cycle were to follow.  I'd feel such guilt for eating just about anything I would purge it.  

Road to Help

Thankfully I had a good friend I confided in and she got me the help I needed.  She referred me to a counsellor and after years of therapy, helped me past a really dark time in my life.  I made it a point to continue to educate myself to find a better way.  A smarter way that was sustainable, long term, that I did not hate, that made me feel strong and healthy. 
I wish I could talk to my 23 year old self, I could have prevented so many years of self-loathing.   I was standing in my own way.  I look back at pictures and I know that even though I was smiling, I likely felt inadequate, and likely frustrated and depressed.  What a waste of too many years of my life!?  I was missing life obsessing about this- it was literally paralyzing!  Hours spent obsessing over meal plans and what combination of workouts to do  for the best results. 

Side Note on Body Building

There are friends of mine that compete in Body Building, are successful and do it in a healthy way.  I surely take nothing away from that lifestyle and I admire the athletes that do.  I learned so much from the experience and in no way begrudge the sport.  If anything it gave me an appreciation for the dedication and effort they put in to achieve their results.  I wasn't in the right mindset emotionally at that age to perform and compete in a healthy way.  Looking back today my nutrition was way off course, these athletes would never sacrifice muscle by cutting calories as I was advised to do. 

My Personal Success

I'm 41 and its taken me this long to realize that there can a better way.  You don't have to punish yourself for HOURS in the gym.  You DO have to make an effort and you can learn to love fitness.  Food does not have to be horrible and tasteless OR rich and decedent.  There are ways to make it delicious and healthy with balance. 

When I see my transformation pictures today, I see someone who is not only strong and lean, but confident and comfortable, and HAPPY in her own skin!  This is something I'm passionate about because I have a son and daughter.  I don't want them to struggle with self image the way I did growing up.  I want them to know that it's not an all or nothing when it comes to nutrition and fitness but that daily healthy practices and balance can make a difference in how they feel and how their bodies work.  

I have striation of my Quadriceps I would have died for at 23!!

Guess what! We eat out and have ice cream and have movie theatre popcorn too!  We just don't have it EVERY day!  There is a place for celebrations and a place to fuel our bodies.  Food shouldn't be the only celebration either, there are other ways to reward ourselves!  Its all a matter of perspective. I stood in my own way for too many years, if I can help one person step out of there own way then sharing this piece of my life with you was worth the risk.  

I would love to help you with your own transformation!  It is possible to achieve balance and the body that body that you want.  You just need the right, realistic road map to get you there.

I spent many years trying many different programs.  Some worked, some just did not.  Others weren't realistic to fit into my life as a working mother of 2 children.  Guess what, I don't have endless hours to spend in the gym anymore. I do not workout much more than 30 minutes per day!  I have learned how to incorporate clean eating into my life and that of my family.   I love to enjoy the life I created with my husband and enjoy our home and family.  Which also includes horses, dogs and a variety of other pets.  Our household is ACTIVE and with TWO working parents I need to prioritize my time, I can't afford to waste it on things that just do not work or contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle!

I am still working on my journey, my story does not end here.  But YOU can inch your way closer every day by taking that first step.  We all make daily choices that either move us closer to our goal or further away.  You only FAIL when you stop trying!   So take the first step today, get out of your own way and start!  There is never going to be the perfect time to begin.  What is important is to just BEGIN!  If you are interested in learning more about my Challenge Groups I would love to speak to you about how you can make a long term, sustainable change in your own life.  There is no time like NOW!  This is your call to action.  Haven't you waited long enough?  Fill out the form below and I'd love to speak to you about your health and fitness goals!

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