Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly

I made Prickly Pear Jelly! (Recipe at the bottom) This is the Prickly Pear Cactus I harvested from, just across the street from where I live at a nice lady's house here in Glendale, Arizona. I will admit I was checking out her cactus fruit for weeks before knocking on her door and asking her if she was going to use them:) I waited till they were just ripe;) She was so nice and let me come and harvest her fruit! Here is all the fruit I harvested, a very full grocerie sack full. I used tongs to pick them which worked perfectly. They came off very easily with a little grab and twist. But you cannot handle them cause they have lots of small spines on them! And yes, I did get poked more than once.

  First I scrubbed for about 2 hours each 'pear' to get all the spines off. I held it with the tongs and with the other hand scrubbed under running water. Then I could handle them and cut the ends off and peeled them with a potato peeler.

  Cut and peeled:

All the babies.

 

 Then instead of using cheesecloth like I planned to extract the juice, I just thought, Why not use my juicer?! That was easy! I got  4 1/2 Cups of Juice and was able to make 2 batches of jelly. Later after this whole process I learned from someone I could've just put them in the juicer to begin with rather than scrubbing, peeling etc.! **Forhead smack**....Next time. Live and learn.

 Isn't it pretty though?! It's like true Magenta!

Then I cooked it with the pectin and sugar: 

Then I made some Prickly Pear lemonade with the leftover lemon juice and the scrapings of jelly from the pan:) Blended it up with some ice, and it was SOOO good!

  All together I got 4.5 pints of Jelly! And of course I gave one to my neighbor.

  Then my hubby accidentally knocked the top little jar off my stack:(( Bummer. 

But it was all worth the experience!

Then what else...I made Peanut Butter and Jelly!! Yumm! It tastes like watermelon!

 

Of course you can eat Prickly Pear Fruit raw, and it can be good. I've had it before and I remember it being better than this batch was. I'm sure it depends on the plant and the ripeness. I'm sure I could've waited till these were a little more ripe, but being inexperienced, I thought these were perfect:) Also there are a lot of very hard black seeds inside that are inevitable. So you don't want a mouth full of seeds, its very unpleasant. Also because its a cactus its very granular like a pear, but worse. Very fiberous. Anyway so yes you can eat it, but making Jelly was MUCH better and more enjoyable:) The recipe I used I actually got off a Postcard:) 

Here it is: 

2 1/2 C. Prickly Pear Juice

 3 Tb. Lemon or lime Juice

 1 package powdered pectin

 3 1/2 C. Sugar (I know.)

  Directions: 

After juicing put in 2 1/2 C. juice in a saucepan with one package of pectin and bring to a fast boil, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a hard boil (one that cannot be stirred down) and let boil for 3 more minutes. Timing is important to get it to jell properly. Remove from heat, skim, and pour into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch space per jar. Wipe jar rims and seal lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes 6 1/2 Pints of Jelly. (Clearly I did not get that much jelly, maybe about 1/2 that. But I wish I'd have used the smaller 1/2 pint jars. Maybe they meant 6 Half Pints of jelly. That makes more sense:)

 Please comment if you have any questions or if you have another way of making prickly Pear jelly! I'd love to hear it:) Especially if you found a way to use less sugar!

 Good luck!!

Going OUT? Worried about keeping it healthy?

Ok so I know it can be so hard in our society to stay healthy when you are GOING OUT! There are temptations everywhere and even friends and family who might be bad examples in the eating healthy department, or would encourage you to 'relax' on your diet for the weekend. But if you are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle like I am, you've got to be strong and let the Naysayers say NAY and do what you gotta do!
WHO REALLY CARES?! I promise if your friends and family are trying to get you to break your diet, they are just trying to make THEMSELVES feel better and don't really care about YOU if they want you to get sidetracked from your goals! If they supported you and cared about you they would ENCOURAGE you to stick with what good you got going on! Right?
So here are a few tips to staying healthy when you go out.

TIP 1: Brush your teeth! This trick has worked for me on more than one occasion! If you're going out and don't want to be tempted to eat, brush your teeth! Eat before you go out, and your clean mouth won't want you to dirty it up. Or chew gum, that helps too! When I brush my teeth before going out at 8pm for girls night, I am not even tempted! I'd rather spend time talking with my friends!

TIP 2: Eat before you go! If you KNOW there will not be healthy options available to the shindig you're going to, don't let yourself fall victim! Plan and prepare! Eat your healthy meal before you go, and stay in charge of what you put in your body.

TIP 3: Order something healthy! Know what restaurants have healthy options and what options are healthy! Getting a salad is usually a safe bet! Just watch out for those croutons, creamy dressings, cheddar cheese, bacon, candy nuts, etc. Get a vinaigrette dressing, or just use basic balsamic vinegar and olive oil! Make sure its loaded with dark leafy greens, veggies, and even grilled chicken (not breaded/fried).
Soup is also a great option, just watch out for creamy soups, stick with those that are in more of a broth rather than cream. And beans, chicken and veggies are good rather than noodles:)

If you're going for Mexican, avoid all the fried things! (Chips, chimichangas, flautas, fried ice cream (really, lol!), etc.) Go for a salad or get a whole wheat tortilla with your burrito. Or get corn tortilla tacos (my fav!) Keep the meat lean like steak or chicken. And go for the rice and beans (not refried beans). Also load up on salsa for dressing and avoid the sour cream and guacamole. Mexican CAN be very yummy and healthy, but you gotta know what to watch out for!

If you're going for Italian, watch out for cream sauces! (Alfredo! or creamy anything). Try to get whole wheat pasta, and make sure you get protein with your meal, chicken, shrimp, even meatballs are probably fine! Red sauce is always safe too. And get a side salad or veggies. Keep your portion small, if you know its a big  portion, make sure you save enough for leftovers!

Also watch out for DRINKS. I suggest WATER when you go out. Soda, lemonade, or alcoholic drinks can be loaded with sugar and calories. So steer clear! Go for a water with lemon!

What about CHINESE food? My fav! Go for SUSHI!! Watch out for that ORANGE chicken which is probably breaded and fried! BLEGH! Also watch out for the fried noodles! They usually are covered in oil and have no fiber. Go for brown rice, or just stick with meat and veggies. Soy sauce is a great low calorie sauce (although high in sodium).

TIP 4: BRING it with you!! One time when I was doing a cleanse, I just made extra of my salad that was to be my dinner and brought it to my church potluck to share! That was my dinner, and I made enough for others to have some as well. See, I'm sharing HEALTH, rather than being ashamed of it! People want to be healthy, see! You're helping OTHERS now!
I've also brought a pre-made salad as my dinner to a fast food restaurant with my family. Just a little odd, but HEY I'M in charge of my body, and it's worth a little embarrassment to stay strong and feel good! But really its not that embarrassing, just be confident and don't apologize!!

TIP 5: NO SWEETS or DESSERT!
I know it should be obvious, but seriously sugar is addicting, and one dessert can easily add 300 to 1000 calories to your day! Better to just avoid dessert and sweets all together and drink some water and have some fruit or GUM:) If you must have ONE bite, it won't kill you. But can you really have just one? If you can, then you ROCK:))

I hope these tips have been helpful! What have you done to stay healthy when you go out??

Would you like to know more specifically what restaurants I go to and what I order?
If so comment: "what do YOU do??"

#healthy #goingout #outtoeat #socialeating #emotionaleating #food #foodie #foody #desserts #sweets #brushyourteeth #healthtips #outonthetown #stayhealthy #cleaneating #restauranttips #eatinghealthy #keepithealthy #moralsupport #whocares #youareinchargeofyou #youretheboss #stayinthewagon #dontfalloffthewagon #plan #prepare #succeed #friends #family

Healthy stuff to buy at COSTCO? I got you covered!

Do you shop at Costco? I DO!!! I love COSTCO!! I've had lots of friends ask me WHAT TO BUY there that is HEALTHY!? Costco is great at offering healthy and even organic stuff. But they also have a lot of deceiving items! I've compiled a list of healthy things you can get at Costco, so here you go!:

*Quinoa (white or red/mix)
*Brown rice
*Coconut Flour
*Dave’s killer bread or whole wheat bread
*Granola (any low sugar, high fiber cereal)
*Chia seeds
*Whole grain pancake mix, I've heard its great!
*Raw nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts)
*Cheese (mozzarella is less fattening than cheddar)
*Natural or Organic Peanut butter
*Natural Almond butter
*Organic Coconut oil
*Olive Oil (I get light and extra virgin)
*Flax meal
*Himalayan pink salt
*Organic eggs
*Skim milk
*Greek yogurt
*Lean meat (hamburger (93% lean, lean steak (sirloin or flank NOT Tbone), chicken (boneless skinless, not roasted), salmon, seafood, etc)
*Turkey burgers
*Protein Bars (Pure Protein are good and low in sugar, high in protein)
*Whey Protein (whey isolate)
*Edemame (frozen)
*Spinach (any produce if you’ll eat it before it goes bad)
*Berries (fresh or frozen)
*Dried figs
*Pure Maple syrup
Of course there are other things I get at Costco like baby wipes, toilet paper, and laundry stuff...but this post is about healthy food!:))

Things to stay away from at Costco:
Processed foods, breaded foods, drinks other than water or milk, samples (lol), Naked juice (all the vitamins and fiber are processed out), white breads, bagels (they don't have whole wheat!), obviously the ice cream isle, already prepared foods like egg rolls etc, and soups (way to creamy and fattening) . Also stay away from the temptation to buy lunch when you’re done. Unfortunately none of those foods are healthy (even the smoothie and the salad! Very deceiving)

I hope this helped! Is there anything I forgot? What do you buy at Costco?
#costco #healthy #deceiving #health #organic #buyinbulk #stockup

3 Day Refresh

I really enjoyed doing the Beachbody 3 Day Refresh cleanse! I love how they provide you with the majority of supliments so it makes it really easy! All you really need to provide is fruit and veggies for snacks and dinner.

This was so much easier than the Ultimate Reset and only 3 days, you can do anything for 3 days!

I avoided a lot of junk over the weekend while doing the 3 Day Refresh including free Chick-fil-A and slurpees etc. I even brought my pre made salad to Chick-fil-A!

The first day I was hungry and had to eat a little extra snack in the morning. I didn't want to lose much weight and my metabolism is pretty fast so I felt it was more beneficial to eat something small like a green apple. The second day I also had an extra mid morning snack. But overall I felt wonderful and loved the option to choose my meals and veggies.

Overall I lost 2.5 pounds in 3 days and I didn't really have any weight to lose. My main purpose was to get junk out of my system, feel good, and get a little cleanse and break for my body from animal products and improve my digestion as I had not had a good week previous to doing the cleanse.

Amazingly I had no side affects. Actually just the opposite. I had no gas (many people do which is normal). And before doing the cleanse I'd been getting headaches daily for over a month! I have no idea why I was getting these headaches but from the first day of the cleanse my headaches went away and now a few weeks later I still haven't had any! Hallelujah! Thank you 3 day refresh!

This program is awesome and I recommend it to anyone! Great for anyone who has fallen off the healthy wagon or needs a jumpstart in their weight loss. Also a great way to lose a few pounds before a big event like a wedding or ceremony. Or if you just came back from vacation and need to get back on track this is a great way to do it!
You can exercise while doing the Refresh, but it's not recommended to do anything too crazy. So it can be combined right into your normal life, just pick any 3 days!

Comment below if your interested in trying the 3 day refresh, visit my website to order yours! If you get the Challenge pack you can save more money with your 30 day supply of Shakeology which comes with it and better maintain your results! My website is www.beachbodycoach.com/meganpotter

The great thing is you can do the 3 Day Refresh anytime you feel the need, each month if you want!

 

My Results:

Results of my Brother and Sister-in-law and our Team: 

 

 

 

My last meal!  Just some sauteed carrots, fresh green beans, and red peppers with garlic and ginger. YUM!! This is also a picture of the Vanilla Fresh protein drink that you have with Lunch and Dinner each day of the 3 Day Refresh: 

Randomly put together lunch, jicama, raspberries and avocado! All very delicious!  

Day 2 Dinner, Vanilla Fresh protein drink, apple slices, and roasted brussell sprouts with pine nuts, yum!!! 

 

 

Every day I started my morning by drinking water with a nice walk outside or yoga. Then vegan Chocolate Shakeology for Breakfast.

This was my Cucumber Tomato Salad I prepared ahead of time and brought with me to Chick-Fil-A. This was HARD! Maybe I shouldn't have done the 3 day refresh over the weekend cause it took much more will power to skip FREE ChickFilA AND 7/11 free slurpee day!! BUT it also saved me from eating all that junk too! So this is me embarassing my husband eating my huge bowl of salad that I brought:)

 

This is what your 3 Day Refresh Kit will look like! It comes with the packets for the Vanilla Fresh, Fiber Sweep, and Vegan Shakeology. Two more pieces of advice: when you mix your Vanilla Fresh, I reccommend mixing it in a blender with water and ice, and feel free to add cinnamon or nutmeg or whatever spice you like for added flavor. And my second tip for the Fiber Sweep: mix it up and drink it As SOON as POSSIBLE. If you stir it too long or let it sit for even a minute it begins to thicken and is really hard to get down. So stir quick and drink it fast! The flavor is good, I just found the texture to be wierd after stirring it a bit too long to get the lumps out, and I learned the consequences:)  So those are my tips if you do the 3 day refresh:)

Let me know if you wanna do it and I have a support group via facebook for you!! I promise you will not regret choosing to do this clenase, its awesome and so easy!

*Also if you are pregnant or nursing its not advised to do this program or any other cleanse. Obviously talk with your doctor about it. But I do know another coach who did this 3 day refresh while nursing her 2 month old baby full time. She modified it a little bit to make sure she got enough calories so if you are nursing let me know if you'd like to try it and I can give you her blog post about it and some tips.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

This is my new favorite recipe, amazingly delicious, healthy and Clean!! You MUST try this!! Use it on a night you have some extra time to cook, or even for company, they are that good! You can cook the chicken and make the Enchilada sauce ahead of time so you're not cramming in the kitchen doing a lot all at once. Prepping is nice!!

Ingredients for Enchiladas:
*1 1/2 lbs bonless skinless chicken. (I use organic chicken or free range). To save time put your chicken with a little bit of broth and chili powder into your crock pot and cook it all afternoon so its ready when you're ready to put the enchiladas together. Or cook your chicken how you like to get it shredded. I just found the crock pot to be super easy and yummy (I hate boiling chicken!)
*10 tortillas, whatever your preference. I love to use the "carb control" tortillas because they have like 10 g of fiber! But you can use corn, or whole wheat or whatever you like!
*Mexican cheese blend, about 3 cups depending on how much cheese you want inside and as topping!:)

Marinade for shredded chicken:
*1/3 C. Raw honey
*1/4-1/3 C. Lime Juice (2-3 limes)
*1 Tb. Chili Powder
*2 cloves crushed/minced garlic
*1/3 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Wisk these together in a bowl to combine then add your shredded chicken.

Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce:

*1 T. Olive Oil

*1 Small Onion, sliced

*3 Garlic Cloves, minced

*1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded

*1 Jalapeno - seeded

*About 8 tomatillos, husked

*1/4 bunch of cilantro

*1 tsp. salt

*1 tsp. cumin

*1-2 c. chicken broth (depending on consistency you like)

*1 C. Plain greek yogurt

In a large pot saute onion and minced garlic in the olive oil until onions are transparent, and both smell wonderful. Meanwhile, while that is sauteing grab a blender and start cutting and seeding your veggies. Place them all in the blender. When onion and garlic is done, add those in the blender as well. Blend all the veggies and chicken broth together, leave out the salt, cumin, and greek yogurt. Blend until smooth. Transfer the blended sauce into the large pot, add the salt and cumin. Simmer on medium for 10-15 min or until desired consistency. Wisk in the yogurt during the last 2 minutes of cooking. You will only use about 2 cups of this sauce for the Enchiladas and will have some left over! Save it for another mexican fiesta later in the week. Use it any way you like!

 I borrowed/adapted this green enchilada sauce recipe from a blog I found on Pinterest: Cook & Craft me Crazy.

Putting it all together:

OK preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out your 9x13 glass pan and spread about 1 C. of the Green Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then get your tortillas ready by steaming them in the microwave wrapped in a wet paper towel until warm and flexible (maybe 30 seconds). Working one tortilla at a time place a spoonful of your chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla with a sprinkle of the shredded mexican cheese. Roll up and place in your pan seam side down. When you finish wrapping all the enchiladas, pour the remaining marinade into the enchilada sauce and top the enchiladas with sauce and cheese. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown on top. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!!

And I got the Honey Lime Enchilada recipe from my friend Brooke Nielsen who got it from Alyssa Griffeth (the recipe has her name on it! Just want to give credit!!:)

Seriously this is the most amazing recipe ever!! It's even better topped with fresh pico de gallo salsa or even fresh avocado slices. Enjoy!!!!

Juicing, Yay or Nay??

People ask me all the time about juicing. People also tell me all the time that they want to be healthier or lose weight....so they're gonna start juicing. The funny thing is is that I thought the same exact thing about 6 years ago while watching a Jack Lalanne juicer infomercial! And I bought one and I did juice for about 4 years! All that time wanting to lose 30lbs and it never did a thing for me. I haven't used my juicer in 2 years and I've lost 40 lbs since joining Beachbody, and don't plan on juicing much anymore:)
Of course juicing has it's benefits. You get a lot of nutrients in one glass, yes. But your taking out all the FIBER!! And if you know me....I've become a bit of a FIBER snob. I never even knew what Fiber was or why we really needed it or what had fiber in it! Well all that stuff that makes veggies and fruit turn to juice is just taking out all the FIBER! There are only two reasons we really eat fruits and veggies: 1) Nutrients 2) Fiber.
So you take out all the FIBER and you're left with a glass of sugar water and vitamins. So if you think juicing is the answer, IT'S NOT!
Please just eat your fruits and veggies whole! You need fiber for weight loss, digestion, regulation, to fill you up, clean you out, and keep you healthy in so many ways! Fiber is not only found in fruits and veggies, it's in ANY plant or whole grain too! So...eat your fiber and get your nutrition while feeling great, losing weight, and having regular and healthy visits to the bathroom. Laugh if you want, but you won't be laughing if you don't get enough fiber, you'll be on the pot crying!
So retire your juicer or sell it and start chopping!

My Ultimate Reset Experience

I've wanted to do the Ultimate Reset since I had my baby in 2012 but I had to wait till after I was done nursing for it to be safe. Cleansing is a lot of work on the body and pushes a lot of toxins out and I didn't want that to effect my milk. But by the time I started the Ultimate Reset I had lost all my baby weight so I no longer needed to lose weight, it was just about CLEANSING for me. I actually wanted to lose about 2-4 lbs but nothing significant. I also wanted to do it cause I'd gotten a bit casual with my 'clean eating' and allowed more sugar into my diet than I shold've. I became addicted again! I wanted to refocus on clean eating, clean out my system, detox from all the toxins in my environment, and RESET my system! I also was looking forward to benefits like sleeping better and clearing up my skin (which usually happens with clean eating anyway).

The Ultimate Reset is a 21 day detox and cleanse program that has been clinically studied and proven to be a healthy way to detox and cleanse. You do not STARVE yourself by any means! I actually had to cut out a lot of food that was on the menu cause it was TOO much for me! I even ate so much my first week I joked about having a 'VEGGIE BELLIE' to my husband! Turns out you CAN overeat on veggies! Who knew?! But I loved with the Ultimate Reset that they say you CAN eat till you're full. Which is easy to do when eating tons of veggies. FIBER fills you UP! But my problem was that I thought I was supposed to eat EVERYTHING that was on the Menu, so I TRIED to! But many times I COULD NOT finish it all! So many times I stuffed myself a little too much. By my second week, I realized it was ok to FILL UP, but also ok to not eat everything:) Oops:) So anyway you WON'T starve yourself, you will eat 4 times a day!!

Week 1: Reclaim and Optimize
Shopping was a chore! I bought so many new items that it took some time and money investment at first. Buying so much produce and some of it organic got expensive, but very worth it. The meals the first week were wonderful, but I learned quick that they took a lot of time to prepare and I'm not usually the type to make a big deal out of EVERY meal. So I learned quick how to prepare and prep for meals ahead of time by chopping up veggies ahead of time so I could throw my meals together more easily. Homemade salad dressings were amazing. Using herbs for me in everything was new and wonderful! I was amazed at how good the recipes were. Also my first week I had a bit of an emotional break down a couple of times. Once it had to do with totally messing up my Sushi and it all came crashing down on me. I also had another very emotional night about some personal things. I think it all had to do with 'cleansing' or at least amplified my hormones. But in then end my relationships and my life also got a cleanse and detox:)) This process is also much about healing, which it did for my life not just my body. I love that this program focuses on the person, not just on the gut/body. You focus on breathing clean air, drinking clean water, stretching, sleeping, meditating, pondering, planning and preparing, and being grateful. I walked each morning and/or did yoga. It was SO nice from my normal routine of doing a Beachbody workout every morning. It was quiet, peaceful, meditative, I loved the fresh air and time to think. I could really tell if I missed yoga. I missed endorphins from working out, but I needed that yoga to keep my muscles from getting stiff.

Pre Reset:
I began by detoxing from sugar the week before. I think that greatly helped curb my withdrawls during my first week. I escaped the massive headache like many people experience. It was a great start for me!

Week 2: Release and Detox
Week/Phase 2 was much better for me. I was starting to get the hang of it. I knew how much time meals would take to prepare, and I'd plan ahead. Shopping was much easier and I knew how to manage myself on week 2. Also I began taking the detox suppliment! Woah! I was surprised at the taste of it and having to drink it 3 times a day for the whole week was a lot! I liked the taste but it was a bit gritty! But it CLEANED ME OUT! I had to make sure there was a bathroom wherever I went. things just flushed right through me. I will say no more so you don't get TMI:)) This is also the week I lost the majority of my weight. I noticed I was more tired at night, sleeping very well, feeling great, and loving the food. I really began to appreciate it in its entirety. I became more grateful and pensive.

Week 3: Restore and Revitalize
Week/Phase 3 felt great. I was having less cravings, little to none and not tempted any more (first week I had lots of cravings!) I was feeling great and looking forward to being done! I was tempted to go and binge on all the things I had been craving, but I knew I needed to keep eating clean and ease things back into my diet like dairy, meat, and other things. By this point my roasted vegtables began to taste SWEET to me, seriously!

Post Reset:
I made a list of all the recipes I wanted to re-make or make from the Ultimate Reset and put them on my menu for the week after. I continued to eat fruit for breakfast, go on walks, veggies and salads and eat clean! I also slowly introduced dairy, then the week later some meat, and didn't have beef till about 3 weeks later. Unfortunately I probably introduced sugar too soon, but I kept it light:) I still enjoy the Ultimate Reset recipes and use them regularly! All in all I lost a total of 5.5 lbs and 5.5 inches off my body!! I'm excited to get back to working out daily, I think the Ultimate Reset was great for my body to heal, cleanse, and experience such pure clean eating and detox which I've never done before in my life. I learned A LOT about food, cooking, and clean eating when I already thought I knew  a lot in those areas.

Favorite Recipes:
Taco with rice and beans and a side of fresh salsa and guacamole
Sushi
Baked Tempeh
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Asian Salad
Sweet Potato and roasted red pepper soup
Cashew and Zuchinni soup
Roasted Rood medley
Salad Salad and more Salads!!
Miso Soup
Fresh fruits especially organic tasted so good!!
Roasted Fennel
Stir Fry
Coconut Kale Greens (Should be collard greens but I liked Kale better)
Curry Coliflower
Baked squash with tahini sauce

All in all this was a LIFE CHANGING, challenging, and amazing experience and I totally reccommend it to anyone! No pain no gain right? Ask me if it might be right for you and please tell me your goals and why you are considering it! I can support you and Coach you through it!!
Please comment or email me at mmontour321@gmail.com or check out more info about the program on the website here at: www.myultimatereset.com/meganpotter

Jicama salad

My mom has been doing a Beachbody program called The Ultimate Reset. It's a 21 day cleanse and it has changed her life! She has been raving about all the amazing food and recipes and told me to try this one. It's so good! Here's the recipe to try it.
If you want more amazing clean eating recipes with fresh fruits and veggies and if you want to lose weight or just clean out your body of all the toxins please let me know and I can set you up with this amazing program and provide you with a support group!
Jicama salad:
1/2 Jicama peeled and chopped
1/2 Avocado cut in cubes
2 Tb. Cilantro chopped
1Tb. Pure maple syrup
2 Tb. Fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1Tb. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Enjoy!

Sprouted Grain Pancakes

I have loved this recipe ever since my friends, the Kendricks, gave it to me! I've modified it a little (I tend to do that with recipes). Its best if you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix for this recipe. If not I will suggest an alternative;)

Ingredients:
-Sprouted grains. The night before you want to make these pancakes just soak in water your favorite mixture of grains. I use a mixture of Wheat, Kamut, Spelt, Brown Rice, and Oat Groats but you can use just wheat or whatever grains you have/like. You will want to  soak 1 1/2 C. of grains in about 4 C. of water for about 11-15 hours. Just leave it on the counter. If you  have the chance to rinse and change the water once that is helpful too. Your grains will sprout and become  ALIVE! This means you are eating a live plant and its much easier for you to digest and much much  healthier!
-Sprouted grains, drained
-1 1/2 C. Milk (almond milk, cows milk, rice milk..)
-3 Eggs
-2 Tb. Olive Oil (I use 'light' not Extra Virgin for this)
-1 Tb. Chia seeds
-1 tsp. Salt
-1 Tb. Baking powder
-1 Tb. Flax Meal (opt.)

Directions:
Add ingredients to your Vitamix blender and blend for 1 minute until all smooth. (If you use a regular blender, your batter will be fairly chunky and gritty, I did this before I got a Vitamix but it was not very good.) If you don't have a high power blender you can replace the sprouted grains for 1 C. whole grain flour and also only use 1 C. milk (all other ingredients will be the same).
Poor onto a 400 degree griddle or pan and flip when ready. Enjoy!

Soaking mixture of whole grains

Doctor it up:
You can add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon to the pancake batter to give it a little flavor. You could also add blueberries, chocolate chips (for the kids) or banana slices for fruity pancakes! I love the banana slices, they caramelize a little on the griddle and are so yummy! (cut into slices and lay slices on pancake after you poor it onto griddle). You can use fruit syrup, peanut butter and applesauce, homemade jam, or pure maple syrup for a healthier version. Enjoy!!

Pleasing the whole family:) Banana, blueberry, chocolate chip, and plain pancakes!

Conquered 50 lbs of baby weight and Emotional Eating.

My dear Friend Monica is a Rockstar. She signed up in my Challenge Group after her 2nd baby was born and began to tackle her baby weight and emotional eating. It has been such a joy having Monica in my Challenge Groups and watching her blossom and regain her health. She has developed healthy clean eating habits and daily exercise habits for life!! Please read her amazing story in her own words:

"I was always a very fit and healthy person... Until I got married and started having kids. As if the combination of a busy schedule, a limited budget, and aging wasn’t enough to ruin my metabolism and my drive to stay fit in the first place. But then I grew two humans (not at the same time, thank goodness) inside my body, before releasing them into the world and spending all my time trying to take care of them (often to the neglect of myself). That was what really changed my body, to which I know most women can relate.

                Well, to make a long story very short, I decided to join a Beach Body challenge group with my friend and coach, Megan. I was hesitant at first because I already knew a lot about eating healthy and exercising, and I wasn’t sure if I could afford to do something that was just going to teach me things I already knew. But what I gained from Beach Body was invaluable. Basically, looking back I know that I couldn’t afford not to do it. I did learn some new tricks for my nutrition and exercise routine and, of course, got Insanity, which is a fabulous workout program, and Shakeology, which I love drinking after exercising. However, the most important part for me was the support group I got. My coach and fellow group not only celebrated my achievements (however big or small), but they also encouraged me without chastising me when I was struggling, and they kept me accountable because I knew I would have to report my progress to them. That combination was what I really needed to form new habits and build the willpower to stick with a healthy lifestyle instead of yo-yo dieting. I lost 50 pounds over 8 months and went from a size 16 (I think- I was still wearing maternity clothes because that was the only thing that fit) to a size 6 (almost back to 4).

                A lot of people probably think getting in shape is all about looking good, and of course that is part of it. But getting healthy and dropping weight has meant so much more to me than just liking what I see in the mirror. I finally feel like I have control over one aspect of my life, which is kind of a rare thing for a parent. Additionally, developing self-discipline and doing something difficult has given me confidence to go forward and tackle other parts of my life that require discipline and hard work. I know now that I can do hard things because I have done hard things. I believe in myself. Not to mention that I just feel better when I’m eating clean and exercising regularly. My morning workouts get the endorphins going so I have the energy and right mindset to not just deal with my kids all day, but to actually enjoy spending time with them. I’m so glad I decided to join a challenge group so I could start the road to a better me and take back control of my life."

Before/After

 Before (8 months Pregnant)/After (baby 8 months old)

Is this girl amazing or what? More than anything I feel privileged to have played a small part in Monica's transformation and helped her get a hold of the right tools to make a real lasting change in her life. She has inspired me more than she knows as she has shared things in our groups either recipes or inspiring quotes or just the things she's learned and has also helped others along the way. I'm so proud of this girl and its been such a privilege to help my dear friend and be on this journey with her! 

If you are inspired, please know that YOU can do this too. It's not about looking good (although that may be why we start out). Its about feeling good, and feeling good about yourself inside and out. Its more than physical. It's mental, emotional, spiritual, and changing your daily habits will transform your life and give you a rock solid confidence and belief in yourself that is an invaluable asset for your life. Please reach out to me if you need help regaining your health. I would be honored to help you with your goals.