Chick Pea Salad

Hey everyone, here is a quick and EASY way to add clean food into your daily diet.  Here I demonstrate using chick peas as the staple protein.  So you get your protein and good carbs combined that are an awesome addition to a green salad. Easy to make and yummy to eat.  Enjoy!!!

How to RECOVER from BINGE Eating.

So you ate way too much didn't you? Holidays, special occasions, Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners and treats. They are so hard to say no to, so you ate anything that tempted you.
It's okay!! Really it is!! We are human, we are allowed to eat a treat. We are even allowed to binge.

I have struggled with this myself and so I thought making a list of what to do in order to help out you if you ever find yourself with a food hangover was a great idea!

How to recover from Binge Eating

1. Eat.

I know you are thinking that this is not what to do especially after eating too much, but truly it is the only way to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Starving yourself the day after can only make you tired and listless, and cranky, and really..people don't want to be around you when you are cranky! So Eat up! But you are not going to have a replay of yesterday. You will eat 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours.  Not big platefuls, not huge mounds of a serving, but portioned out. Do your best to stick to REAL WHOLE foods. no packaged, processed fake food allowed. So I am talking soups, fruit, steamed veggies, maybe some fish or other protein if you need want. You can even have a handful of trail mix, healthy fats are perfect to keep your energy up and eating as listed above will get your digestion process moving so you can eliminate all the yuckyness from the day before.

2. Be Kind to yourself.

Have a hot shower, or a relaxing bubble bath. The extra steam from the hot water will help open up your pores to release even more toxins.  Drink herbal teas, and stay away from sugars, bad fats, and heavy white carbs like bread, white potato or white rice.

3. Have a nap.

Yes, you have permission to have a nap. Sleep is the perfect way to regenerate, and recover! Doesn't have to be a long one, perhaps an hour is sufficient. Remember to listen to your body. If it is telling you, you are tired then find a quiet place and close your eyes.

3. Stick to your routine.

The holidays have a way of throwing us off our normal routine of the day. Yet even though you may be on holidays you can still keep a routine. This helps to regulate us, keep our minds busy so we do not fall back into another binge. Get up, shower, read a great book, go for a walk, clean the house, draw, paint, whatever it is that you do. If your binge happened when you were not on a vacation, then just continue your daily as always.

 

4. Forgive Yourself.

You may be telling yourself that you are fat, a pig, glutton, or whatever. You may be full of blame and shamefulness, but honestly and I am not going to downplay any feelings you may have but we all fall back at one time or another. It's OKAY!!! Be gentle with yourself.  Tell yourself right now "I love you, I am sorry, I forgive you." Keep saying it over and over until the blame game with yourself is gone.

 

5. Exercise.

Whether it's running, walking, weight lifting or a treadmill, get moving!! Yoga is a perfect choice when you are feeling out of sync. The sweat that you get from the exercise is just another way to remove those binge toxins from your body plus an added bonus is that exercise creates endorphins..those feel good hormones that clear your head, keep you feeling really good and happy!! Yes please!

 

6. Get together with friends or family.

Maybe you want to be alone, feeling gross and still blaming yourself. Get together with trusted friends or family. Get talking, chat. Have a tea together or go for a walk together.  This will help clear your mind too, and strengthen your loving relationships. Those people will help remind you that you are awesome!

 

7. Have a plan.

Next time when you are tempted, when you have a social gathering with tons of food, and everything looks delicious, have a plan.  That day when you are scheduled to go, keep up with your routine. Exercise, drink lots of water, eat small meals, eat whole foods, have a hot shower, tell yourself that you love yourself!! Trust me, all of that awesome loving of yourself PRIOR to the temptation is going to help you so much!! If you do cave and eat more than you wanted, remember don't blame yourself, you are human. Just wake up the next day and BE KIND to yourself and start again.

To your health!

What is a Challenge Group?

What is a challenge group you ask. Okay so here it is in a nutshell :)

Every month I organize and invite friends to participate in an online Facebook PRIVATE challenge group.  You choose a Beachbody program of your choice and Shakeology flavour to go with your program. We work together with other people in the group for the duration of your program. Motivation, Inspiration, Accountability.  I know how hard it is to stay accountable to yourself, it's so flippin easy to just decide that you don't want to workout or eat proper one day and then you suddenly have descended down to right back where you started.  That is WHY these challenge groups are AMAZING!! You are accountable to every single participant in the group.  They are counting on you to do your workout, eat right and inspire them to do the same.  When you have other people counting on you, it makes taking care of your body easier!! You become accountable!!

Okay, so you also get me as your personal coach, I am going to make sure you are staying true to your goal. If I have to message you every day I will!!! I will post daily in the group to get you going!! You can share your feelings, your triumphs, your downfalls. Everyone in the group including me will be there to SUPPORT you and help you!! We are your cheerleaders and your advocates.  We all want the same thing...to be healthy, fit, and vibrant!!

It's a safe place where you can share your sweaty workout pics, or how hard those push ups were, there is no judging allowed!! We will be there for you, we will get you where you want to go with your physical self. 
It's a fun place, where we share recipes, little competitions like how much water can you drink on Thirsty Thursday.
The challenge group is a perfect place to start.  If you don't have time for gym, or going to the gym makes you feel inadequate. If you need to be surrounded by people going through what you are going through and need to have someone relate.  If you just need some extra motivation, some accountability to keep going.

In a nutshell, challenge groups are the RIGHT choice!!

I can't wait to see you join my next one!! You are going to LOVE IT!!!!

How To Lose Weight Fast

So often people ask how do I lose weight fast? I need a quick fix and I want the weight off now. How do you do that?

First off, it isn't just about weight.  Body fat comes into play here. We know you want to lose weight, but you need to also think about losing fat.

1. Intervals:

Studies show that interval training is more efficient with weight and fat loss. Quick 20-30 minutes spurts that are done and incorporated into your normal workout. Such as hill sprints. You have to change up your routine and have blasts of high intensity and muscle fatigue. The metabolic rate of burning fat/calories after intervals is very high and has the best effect.Interval training is a start-and-stop motion with periods of sprinting or close t0 sprinting speeds followed by light jogging or rest. You can use interval training in many things like running, riding a bike, swimming, even walking if you alternate between speed walking and normal walking.

2.Lean Muscle:

You need to build lean muscle mass. It literally is the key on why you burn fat, and at what rate you burn fat while resting. Therefore the more lean muscle you have, the more fat that you burn while at rest. Think about it.  As we age we lose lean muscle especially if we live a sedentary lifestyle, this ensures that you your fat burning at rest will decrease over time. It is important to do strength training and lifting weights to keep and add lean muscle to your body.

3. Cut carbs and Calories:

Remember this is not permanent. You will need to add carbs and calories back to your daily intake. You need them. This post is about FAST weightloss, and this is how you do it. You need to make sacrifices. Most people already eat an over abundance of carbs and calories so limiting them at first is okay. Don't just cut carbs out completely either. Adhere to proper portion sizes and choose complex carbs like greens and vegetables vs. simple carbs like breads, and desserts. An easy option is to eliminate them in the evening, so say goodbye to the bag of chips, crackers, or bowl of ice cream as an evening snack and replace it with fresh fruit or a cup of herbal tea.  Be aware that if you limit too many carbs from your diet you can begin to feel sick, headaches, nauseous, irritable, etc. So be mindful.  Monday to Saturday, no carbs and come Sunday make it a treat meal and go have some, this will keep your sanity, and allows the body to believe that you are no longer in starvation mode and will reset again.

4.Intensity:

Yes intensity. You have to work harder. You can't just take a pill and do nothing. Every workout is an opportunity to improve.  You may see fit people and think that they can do it so easily, but they had to work just as hard at first. Keep the intensity level up and you can have great success.

5. Commitment:

So what happens in about 3-4 weeks and you have done everything, cut calories, worked out, and you haven't lost anything significant. Will you have the commitment to carry on? Your level of commitment is directly linked to your level of success. Stay the course.

I want you to be able to feel great in your own skin. Take these tips and incorporate them into your lifestyle. C'mon now, let's GO FOR IT!!!

Pumpkin Seeds and How to Roast Them

Hey I told you I would add this important part, especially if you are going to make those no bake energy bites/balls.  Sure you can buy store bought but making your own is much more healthy. They are full of magnesium, iron, fiber, zinc, potassium, healthy fats and protein.  They even have something called tryptophan that helps improve your mood.

So Here goes:

Pumpkin Seeds and How to Roast
First off you can use carving pumpkins, but I have heard that the  smaller ones known as sugar pumpkins make a much better seed.
You need to scoop out all flesh and seeds.
Rinse the seeds and be sure to get as much pumpkin flesh off of them.
Then put them into a pot of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.  This helps to make the seed easier to  digest and makes the shells crispier.
Drain in a colander or strainer and rinse with water.
Lay the seeds on a napkin and dry the excess water off of them, they don't have to be bone dry, but do your best.
Now spread them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle about 1.5-2 tablespoons of oil. (I use olive oil)  Try to get them coated by tossing with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle a few shakes of sea salt or if you have any on hand, Himalayan salt is amazing.

Put in an oven at 350'F degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and flip them/tossing etc.
Return to oven for another 8-10 minutes.  Because ovens vary, I suggest you test one or two, the seed inside should not be burnt. The shell crispy.
When they are done, the shell is NOT golden brown...if it's brown, the seed is probably burnt.
You can season with more salt if you wish or other seasonings of your choice. Let them cool and ENJOY!

pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Puree

Okay so here you definitely need to use the sugar pumpkins. They are widely available October through December in most grocery stores and markets. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have your own patch in your yard.

Make sure your pumpkins do not have any blemishes and are heavy for their size.
Slice off the stem end of the pumpkin about 2 inches from the top  (you can scrape out the seeds here to roast up later)
Lightly brush the inside of the pumpkin with oil (again I use olive oil).

Cook at 375ºF (190ºC)  and place on a cookie sheet until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife. You are looking at about 1-1/2 hours.

Let cool~
Scoop flesh into blender or food processor; mix it up until it's smooth.

Then transfer your mix into a strainer that is lined in cheesecloth.

Cover with plastic wrap (not too tight) and allow to drain over night in the fridge.,

Make sure you use the puree within a couple days, otherwise freeze it for later.

puree

Green tea, its Benefits

Green Tea
For years they have been telling us that Green Tea is a great way to lose unwanted fat.  It is the all natural cure for weight loss.
Yes it is true, it does help with fat loss but did you know it has a whole lot more to offer?
Scientists have spent years researching this tea to figure it out. They found that it has a great impact on many medical conditions. This includes obesity.
Green Tea contains catechins, the biggest one being EGCC or epigallocatechin which appears to be the top flavonoid. It assists in getting rid of free radicals at a very high rate. Quite impressive! Green tea is most effective for cardiovascular disease, dementia, certain types of cancers and of course weight loss.
A study was done recently with 3 test groups. The 1st group was to drink 4 cups of green tea. The 2nd group had 4 capsules of EGCC with 4 glasses of water, and the last group had only 4 cups of plain water.  (the tea and the capsules both contained the same amount) At the end of 8 weeks the researchers found that the 1st group who had the tea and the 2nd group that took the capsules both had significant changes in their BMI (Body Mass Index) and body weight.
Another study gathered information that Green Tea not only contributed to weight loss but also increased fat oxidation and thermogenesis.  There is also evidence that consuming Green Tea helps you to limit fat absorbtion. They fed a test group hig fat diet and green tea and another group the high fat diet. Of course the green tea consumers had an astonishing rate of 45% less fat gained.
EGCC not only helps rid fat, but it also helps the bodies ability to use fat efficiently instead of storing it.
So how many cups should you drink?
There are different answers to this question ranging from 4 to 10 cups per day.
Whatever you can manage and feel good about drinking is what you should aim for.  If you can handle 4-5 cups or more, then just do it. Be aware though that green tea has caffeine! If you find you are anxious or jittery then switch to non-caffeine variety, those feelings mean you have definitely reached your quota of caffeine for the day.

Holy YUM! No Bake Pumpkin Energy Bites

It's the onset of fall and one of my favourite things is pumpkins. Not only do they make an awesome jack-o-lantern, but they are filled with goodness and yummy seeds you can roast for a quick snack.  Remember being able to buy them pre-packaged at the corner store? Well you can make your own without the added preservatives and such that go into those packages.  I will be adding how to make the pumpkin seeds later on but first I want to share this amazing recipe I stumbled upon.. It is guaranteed to be a mainstay in your kitchen. The best part is you can make them all year, not just "pumpkin season".

nobake

Makes: About 25 1-inch balls

What's in them and what you need:

• 8 oz. (about 1 packed cup) chopped dates
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup toasted coconut
• 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

How to prepare:

Combine the dates, honey, pumpkin puree, chia (or flax) seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a food processor, and pulse until smooth and combined.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the oats, coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds until combined. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

After a half hour use a spoon to shape it into your preferred size of  balls. (an inch is probably good.)  If you prefer you can just press the mixture into a pan lined with wax paper and then cut them into bars or squares..

Keep them in the fridge, and the best part is that they stay good for up to 2 weeks, so you can make lots and not have to worry about running out..you won't want to because they are that good.

Thank me later and ENJOY!