Fish Tacos With Salsa Verde & Cabbage Slaw Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 Cod Fillets 
6 Corn Tortillas (made from corn kernels) 
2 Cloves Garlic 
2 Limes 
1 Avocado 
1 Large Bunch Cilantro 
1 Pound Red Cabbage 
1 Red Onion 
¾ Pound Tomatillos 
2 Ounces Radishes 
1 Tbsp Fish Taco Spice Blend -->
(Ancho Chile Powder, Chipotle Powder, Ground Coriander, 
Ground Cumin, Cocoa Powder & Rice Flour) 

INSTRUCTIONS
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Pat the fish fillets dry and cut into 6 equal pieces; coat each piece with the spice blend. Peel and mince the garlic. Using a peeler, remove the green rind of 1 of the limes, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter both limes. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves. Peel and cut the onion in half; small dice one half and thinly slice the other. Remove and discard the papery skins of the tomatillos; medium dice the tomatillos. Thinly slice the radishes into rounds; place the rounds in a bowl of ice water.

Salsa Verde
In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the garlicand diced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Cook, smashing the tomatillos with a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Remove from heat. Add the lime zest, half the cilantro and the juice of 3 lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cabbage Slaw
While the salsa verde cooks, place the cabbage in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced onion, the juice of 3 lime wedges and all but a pinch of the remaining cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste; toss gently to coat.

Avacado
While the salsa verde continues to cook, cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado out of the peel and into a medium bowl; discard the peel. Using a fork, mash the avocado until smooth. Add the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fish
In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of olive oil on medium-high until very hot. When the oil is hot enough that a piece of fish immediately sizzles when added to the pan, add the marinated fish pieces and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and immediately season with salt. Carefully discard the cooking oil. wipe out the pan.

Finally!
In the same pan, working in batches, warm the tortillas on medium for 20 to 30 seconds per side, or until soft and pliable. To plate your dish, fill each warmed tortilla with some of the mashed avocado, a piece of cooked fish and some of the salsa verde and slaw (you may have extra). Garnish each taco with theradish rounds (drain just before adding) and remaining cilantro. Serve with any remaining slaw on the side. 

Enjoy! xoxoxo

How To Lose Weight

    Hey loves! As you probably know by now, I've had my share of ups and downs with the scale. It can be a frustrating process and even a frustrating mind set. Sometimes we backslide and when we no longer feel apart of the "progress" we feel stuck in our current weight and wonder if we'll EVER get to our goals. The truth is, it's totally up to you. 

    While it may be hard to believe right now - your dream abs, thighs, or arms etc, are totally within reach. Nothing is stopping you, except you. When I first realized this concept it was a tough pill to swallow because it meant accepting that I was NOT at my goal weight/body also because of ME. YIKES! What a wake up call. Losing weight since that point hasn't been "a breeze" but I felt a sort of relief knowing that I could do it. 

    There's no magic pill to losing weight, toning up, or "getting abs", but there are definitely steps! And as much as it's tempting to buy into the "next great thing", the BEST thing you can do is to focus on being healthy. Don't worry about the Paris Diet, the Atkins Diet, or how many points something has. Just ask yourself "Is this healthy?" And if it is, then good. If it's not, have some in moderation. Your eating should be about 80% healthy and 20% treat. If it's manmade, it's not as healthy as it should be. Low-fat ice-cream, low-sodium chips, fat free granola bars.... are all things that are man made. It's tempting (and confusing) to look at these things and think they're healthy, but in truth - they're not. 

    If you're starting at square 1, the easiest place to start is not to look at what you "can't have" and instead to focus on having more of what you SHOULD have. Let me explain that..

    Focus on ADDING to your diet, instead of removing. Start adding more fruits, vegetables, grains, and natural protein sources. When you focus on adding foods to your diet you'll be less focused on avoiding the unhealthy foods.

    While I highly encourage tracking what you eat in a day, that can feel restricting and overwhelming in the beginning. If you're a beginner, just start with adding healthy foods to your menu. Once you've gotten a grip on that, then you should start to track what you eat each day. Don't worry so much about calories! Focus on the quality of the food you're eating. Proteins, fats, and carbs! 

    If you want to lose weight you need to active as well! And honestly, sometimes this part is so focused on that people get stressed about it! Just get your blood pumping. Go on a walk if thats all you have available to you. But PLEASE don't go to the gym and spend $50 on a gym membership, it's NOT necessary and chances are you will be as confused as I am in there, and end up wasting time & money. Go for a walk, a jog, get some cheap badminton rackets and play with a friend at a park, or do home workouts (with me!). 

    Like I said, there is no magic pill to weightless, but there are steps. Focus on eating the right foods & be active.

    Chances are you already know what to do and just need some help or accountability to make it happen. Thats what I'm here for! I'm always excited to welcome new people to the Fitness Doll Challenge, and if you're not ready for that that's OK! You can email me at jessica.herle@hotmail.com or add me on facebook and we can start talking about other little ways you can get healthy first. Baby steps are greater than no steps!

Talk soon! xoxox

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats 
1 cup Greek yogurt 
2 ripe bananas 
2 eggs 
1/4 cup honey 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

INSTRUCTIONS 
Mix wet ingredients separate from dry ingredients || Blend all ingredients except for chocolate chips in food processor until batter is smooth || Add chocolate chips and stir || Transfer batter into muffin pan using parchment paper muffin liners and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top for fun || Bake at 375F for about 25-30 minutes until the tops of muffins are set and donezo! (Makes 12)

The Secret To A Perfectly Balanced Meal

    When I first started my fitness journey I didn't know much about healthy eating or how to make a balanced meal. In fact, I pretty much thought if it wasn't a fruit or a vegetable - it was bad. Whoops! Luckily I've learned a lot since then I know better than to restrict myself to fruits and veggies. 

    The secret to a properly balanced meal? Carbs, proteins, and fats. You need to have 1 at every meal. What most people miss out on is the protein. It's easy to have fats and carbs, but unless you make a conscious effort to include protein into your day, it's not natural for most to have chicken, tuna, shrimp, eggs ETC with every meal! 


Some high quality carbs

1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Oatmeal
4. Brown Rice
5. Beans
6. Potatoes
7. Whole Grains

High quality fats 

1. Nuts
2. Avocado
3. Oils
4. Fish like salmon, tuna, or sardines (lol, ew)
5. Peanut Butter
6. Tofu
7. Soymilk

High Quality Proteins

1. Chicken
2. Flank
3. Tuna, Halinut, Tilapia
4. Shrimp
5. Eggs
6. Turkey
7. Cheese

Here are some example meals (or snacks) that'll give you the perfect balance of all 3 nutrients.

Whole-grain crackers, grapes, and cottage cheese!
Apples and sliced cheese
Salad with black beans
Veggies and fresh yogurt dip
Chicken stir-fry with cashews (yum)
Salmon, green beans, and cous-cous

    The possibilities are endless! Make an effort to eat a protein, carb, and fat with each meal and not only will this keep you full for longer but your body will thank you for the proper nutrients and start shedding that hard-to-lose weight.

Sample Day Of Eating

    Hey loves! I've been getting a few questions as to how I get all my calories and nutrients in in a day so I wanted to give a current sample of what a typical day looks like for me. This is not 100% "clean" since I'm all about a sustainable and flexible lifestyle. Here ya go! 

Breakfast
2 eggs
1 piece of 10 grain toast with 1 tbsp of peanut butter or cookie butter spread on top

First Snack
8oz water
6 ice cubes
1 scoop of Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
1 tbsp of PB2
1/2 a banana
I make all of this in a blender, def not individually haha

Lunch
1/2 flour tortilla
1/2 can of tuna

1 tbsp mayonnaise 

I put the tuna and mayo in the tortilla and toast it with some seasoning on top, SOO yummy!
Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

Second Snack
4 oz Shrimp
1 tbsp Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
1 oz of South African style Potato Chips (LOL)

Dinner
3 oz of balsamic vinegar and rosemary chicken
1 cup of purple cabbage (seriously loving cabbage these days)

Last meal
3 oz of Shrimp
1 tbsp of Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
Handful of sliced Bell Pepper

This varies day by day, sometimes I have cottage cheese in there instead of the latte, sometime's I'll have chicken twice instead of shrimp but lately I've been on a serious shrimp kick... More meal plans to come! PS. My calorie target is 1550 so this might seem like a lot or a little depending on your goals, but this plan above is 1541 calories with 52g of fat, 141g of carbs and 134g of protein.

Voila! 

How To Feel Better After A Binge

We've all been there... Dieting can be hard. I know the feeling of eating clean all day and being "on track" with my foods then all of a sudden, the sun has gone down (my stomach isn't even growling) yet for some reason my mind is screaming "EAT! EAT NOW! WHERE'S THE YUMMY FOOD?" and boom - I give in. Before you know it, the leftovers are gone, I've eaten 3 pieces of bread with butter on it, ate just about everything unhealthy I could find, and now - I feel AWFUL. Like more than awful, the feeling of heartbreak, disgust, regret, and pain. If you've ever binged multiple times on a diet, you know this feeling - and it SUCKS! Well I'm here to say, it's gonna be OK. Take a deep breath... and keep reading.

Step 1. 
Accept it.
The first thing you need to do is accept what happened. It's already in the past and you can't go back. Take a few more deep breaths and just tell yourself "it's over." PHEW! 

Step 2.
Have a glass of water.
Seriously, have a glass of water. Stress burns up water inside the body and we need to replenish it so that we can calm down. Drink it slowly or quickly, which ever you prefer, just make sure you drink it!

Step 3.
Remind yourself that it's OK.
The truth is, if you're dieting and restricting your calories it can be beneficial to give yourself a major calorie-stuffed meal to rev up your metabolism! It's OK that this just happened. Take some time to imagine your body going into "buzz mode" because you just gave it BIG TIME food to burn off. Have you heard of "cheat meals"? These were made popular by bodybuilders and fitness competitors because they eat very strict but usually have 1 "cheat meal" per week. I don't know how each individual competitor chooses to eat but from what I've heard these cheat meals can be pretty outlandish. Well, think of your binge as a cheat meal. Bodybuilders do this intentionally so that they  rev up their metabolism to move past any "plateaus" in their weightless. This is not to say you should be binging frequently but when it happens, think of it as an intentional cheat meal.

Step 4.
Get moving!
Do 50 squats, maybe some planks, or even a walk around the block! Whatever you can do to get moving is going to help get the food going through your system so that it can flush out ASAP.  I KNOW you don't want to wake up with this reminder and bloated stomach tomorrow morning, so make some moves! Nothing too intense since you're full of food, but just enough to get your blood pumping a bit. 

Step 5.
Forgive yourself. 
I know the heartache and pain that binges bring. Remember - you're human. Things aren't going to be perfect right away. It's going to take some trial and error, some accomplishments and setbacks, some ups and downs, but if you keep going you WILL reach your goal. Just forgive yourself. You're an incredible human being with thoughts, emotions, feelings, dreams, and more determination inside of you than you even know. Forgive yourself. Say this out loud right now "I forgive myself and I am worthy of loving myself despite my shortcomings. I am perfectly imperfect and will reach my goals no matter what."

Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls Recipe

[Makes about 20] 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cashews 
3 cups shredded coconut 
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided 
4 tbsp maple syrup, divided 
Dash sea salt 
2 tbsp cocoa powder 
2 coconut oil 

INSTRUCTIONS 
Blend cashews and shredded coconut in a food processor until mixture is finely chopped
Add the vanilla and maple syrup and blend more until mixture is slightly sticky
Form mixture into balls and freeze for 20 minutes
Mix cocoa powder, coconut oil and maple syrup to make chocolate sauce
Dip coconut balls into chocolate mixture covering entirely and set on parchment paper
Freeze again for 20 minutes and FINITO! 

How to Stop At Just 1 Cookie

Hi loves! Cookies... where do I even begin with these?! To say I still struggle with this would be an understatement LOL but a couple days ago I found an article on how to enjoy the foods you love in moderation, which I know is nothing NEW, but it gave me a lightbulb idea. What if mentally we only wanted 1 cookie? What if we genuinely had an easy time eating 1 cookie, then having some water and could move on with our day feeling oh-so-good about that delicious cookie! BRILLIANT! Right? But how to get there...?

As I've spend more time learning about foods and what we need to feel properly hydrated, fuelled, nourished etc I've realized the ACTUAL amount of carbs/fat/protein everyone needs in a day.

I used to SWEAR by low carbs. I never had any results by it, but I was deeply conditioned to think that carbs were bad and therefore should be avoided like the plague! #woops! I was seriously wrong. The average sized woman needs approximately 140 grams of carbs a day depending on muscle vs fat & goals etc but in GENERAL thats the average number. If you were properly fuelling yourself and providing your body with the amount of carbs/protein/fat it needed in a day do you think you would be more inclined to eat 1 cookie and be done?

YES!

2 out of 10 people trying to diet and "eat clean" don't eat enough carbs and protein which means there's a MAJOR gap in their nutrition. As I evaluated my own macros (carbs/protein/fat) the last few days, I realized prior to this I was eating about 70g of carbs per day and 60g of protein, when those numbers should be DOUBLED in order to meet my macro's. WHAT?! I was missing half of my nutrients! Avoiding carbs was doing me more harm then good.

Since upping my carbs and protein the last couple days I've been feeling so much more energized and less grumpy. Also, when my boyfriend ordered pizza friday night I had 2 pieces and called it a day. Normally I eat 4 pieces... yes you read that correctly - I used to split a large pizza with my boyfriend. #embarassingggggg haha.

I hope this post is clear but sometimes my words get all jumbled so to SUMMARIZE:

PLEASE check the amount of foods your eating each day. If you're trying to diet you're probably low in carbs and protein. When you start ensuring you get enough carbs into your day, you'll see you have plenty of room for the cookie and that you don't need to feel bad! 

Carb's to start incorporating in your diet

• Oatmeal
• Potatoes
• Sweet Poatoes
• Yam's
• Whole Grain Bread
• Pasta. Yes pasta! Don't avoid it. 

Repeat after me: "I am allowed to eat a cookie. I am allowed to eat a cookie. I am allowed to eat a cookie." Don't feel guilty! It's about balance. You can fit that cookie into your day, and you can fit pizza into your dinner this weekend. 

Never keep cookies off limits and you'll find you don't feel the urgency to have them right NOW. Last but not least, make sure it's a GOOD one! What's the point in eating a stale boring cookie? ;)

Low-Cal Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp of Peanut Butter
1 tbsp of Almond Milk
1 tsp of Stevia
1 tbsp of Ground Oats
1 egg white

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together. Pour onto plate and spread evenly into the shape of a cookie. Microwave for 1 minute. When it's done in the microwave sprinkle a little bit of stevia on top and Bon Appetit! (makes 1 cookie)

Potato & Cauliflower Casserole Recipe

INGREDIENTS
5-6 Red Potatoes, peeled and sliced to be 1/2 inch thick
1 tbsp of Coconut Oil (or butter)
1 small head of cauliflower sliced 1/2 inch thick
1tbsp thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
6oz shredded sharp cheddar
1/3 cup vegetable broth

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes for 15 minutes and cauliflower for 10 minutes, so that both are a crisp tender. Drain potatoes and cauliflower then set aside. Spread half the coconut oil in a baking dish then create 2-3 layers of potatoes, cauliflower, thyme, cheese, and salt and pepper. Pour the vegetable broth on top, in addition to remaining coconut oil and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly! Enjoy :)

Did you know? Potatoes are rich in complex carbs that supply tons of ENERGY! YAY!

Stuffed Peach Recipe

Cut 1 peach in half. Scoop out the pit, and remove any excess pit left inside. Put a dollop of ricotta cheese in the hole and top with shaved dark chocolate, honey, and mint.

Try this! Easy and DELICIOUS! The rich orange color of peaches means it's an excellent source of beta-carotene, which has health benefits like improving your vision!

Your Guide To IIFYM For Women

This post wasn't originally scheduled for today but it came about really randomly since all of a sudden I found myself obsessing over IIFYM and wanting to know every possible thing about it. Does it work? Is it real? Is it easy to follow? I joined an IIFYM Women's group on Facebook a couple months ago to connect with other fitness conscious friends and the results I've seen are staggering. Like jaw dropping, ab popping, staggering. I immediately gained an interest in this way of eating and looked into it. From what I can see it's basically this:

Eating a certain, exact amount of macronutrients each day... protein, carbs, and fat. 

If you already use a calorie tracking site like myfitnesspal then you'll be somewhat familiar with protein, carbs, and fat. If not, you already understand the basics of counting calories which means you're half way there and the rest of the counting will be simple! The hard part is making sure you get enough of the right "macros." 

If you want to start, the first thing to do is to download a calorie counting app. My fave is myfitnesspal (add me here). The next thing you need to do is figure out your caloric and macro needs. I found a few sites and this one had the best calculator (calculate!)

Once you figure out your caloric & macro needs, start thinking about foods you can eat to help you reach your goals. When I entered my own info my results were:

Tips:

1. Use the Athletes Formula! Unless you've gotten your body fat measured via bod pod, dexa, or hydrostatic methods most often it isn't accurate, so don't use it. 

2. How many times a week do you work out? This means lifting with weights. Not cardio! Cardio is fantastic and I LOVE it, but for this method of eating it needs to know weight lifting. Do not enter cardio days in here! Don't be afraid to put down 2 days if thats the truth! Thats what I put.

3. Fat loss range is 10-12 times your body weight, generally speaking. If you're looking to lose weight start with the highest amount of calories possible. You want to be able to eat as much as you can while still losing weight because it will prevent you from falling off track and binging (HELLO! Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that LOL) Also, if you start at the higher end of the range than you have some calories to take from if your weightless begins to stall. Summary: Always start with "Suggested"

4. If you have quite a bit of weight to lose you mat choose aggressive or reckless but please keep in mind this is meant for people who have more than 50lbs to lose! Choosing aggressive or reckless are not sustainable so it's not the best choice for long term :) 

I'm starting my own IIFYM journey today, and my weight has slid back up to 130lbs as of yesterday afternoon (boo). I'm excited to show you guys my results after 5 weeks of this, then 10 weeks. Here are some pictures of the gals from the facebook group I'm apart of. Results = INSANE!

Kait Cavers

Marisa Roper

These are just a FEW examples of the women who have followed IIFYM and had incredible success! It's science. Eat what your body needs and you WILL have results. 

Here's a little chart to help you get started on picking the right foods for your macro needs.

Try this out and let me know what you think! I'm excited to experience my own IIFYM journey. This just makes SO much sense to me, and I genuinely think it'll work for anyone who does this. Take care lovelies!! 

5 Reasons You Need More Water

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Review of the 8 Hour Ab Diet

You've probably never heard of the 8 hour ab diet, and thats totally normal. I stumbled across this way of eating while listening to a Chalean Johnson podcast a few weeks ago. It was kind of unexpected since her chats are usually about life, productivity, business etc and rarely are about dieting and foods. Anyways! This podcast featured Melissa McAllister, the girl behind this thing. She didn't invent this way of eating, but she did live this way her whole life.. kind of by a happy accident! For years people had been asking her, how do you stay so fit? Why do you have so much energy? How are your abs back SO quickly after having your baby? After awhile she realized she only eats for 8 hours a day, from 11am-7pm. 

Hm. That seems alright, right? I thought so too! Then I was like waaaaait, I wake up pretty early and I like to hop out of bed and go DIRECTLY into the kitchen. (Breakfast is your favourite meal of the day too, right?) But as I listened further into the podcast I started to realize, you know this thing actually makes a lot of sense. There are some theories for healthy eating that putting your body into starvation mode is a huge NO-NO! But if you think about it, whenever you go to sleep you're putting your body into SM on it's own! Most people do NOT wake up in the middle of the night to re-feed themselves.

I started to think, "Hey I can totally do this! I might do more of a 10-6 since I don't know if I can wait that long for breakfast..." after convincing myself that I should at least try it I decided to go for it last thursday (September 4th). Since doing it I haven't lost any weight yet (I mean it's only been 8 days people) but I can honestly say I feel energized! Something feels like it's working better in my body. The first couple days I had a hard time pushing my breakfast back and not eating my late-night snacks, but once I got into it it was easy! 

Important Note: You are not eating LESS, you are just pushing the food you eat throughout the day into a shorter time span. Same food, meals closer together. You got me?

I'm excited to see how this will affect me after I've been doing it for a month, then 6 months etc. 

PS. You're probably curious to see Melissa McAllister and her experience with this... ta da! The girl who unknowingly followed this her whole life and CLEARLY saw results:

The girl is RIPPED! I'm not sure how old she is but I do know that she has kids who are graduated from college already. Um, WOWEE! Want to try it? 

Start with downloading an app like myfitnesspal. 

You need to make sure you're eating enough food during your 8 hours so it's best to track it with a calorie counter. I love this app! You can even add me if you want and we can count calories together! hehe. 

Once you download an app, start pushing your breakfast back by a couple hours. My tip: Eat a big breakfast! You'll be hungry from pushing it back so don't try to skimp out. Make it a hearty! 

Once you've gotten comfortable with eating a bit later, implement your cut off time for dinner. If you follow Melissa's time frame, stop eating at 7pm. If you follow mine, stop at 6pm. I'm gonna try moving my schedule back later like Melissa's but for now 10am-6pm works well since I got to bed pretty early (9pm.)

Don't hold back. This could be the style of eating your body has been CRAVING and NEEDING for optimum efficiency! Let me know how the 8 Hour Ab Diet goes for you, are you going to try it?

Is Shakeology A Scam?

 

    Hey pretties! I've been getting a lot of questions like this lately - and for good reason! I know when I first started looking into beachbody and shakeology I googled the heck out of this question PLUS some:

• Why is it so expensive?
• Does it actually help people lose weight?
• Is it healthy and safe?
• Will it help me lose weight?
• Is it a SCAM?

    I'm excited to address those questions... well, here we go!

Why is it so expensive?

    Shakeology is a really nutrient dense superfood. That's it! Haha jk, theres more. Another coach has said, “Shakeology is the ‘kitchen sink approach’ to nutrition. Or better yet, it’s the Swiss Army Knife of nutrition! It has over 70 superfood ingredients in it that your body will use to repair, change, and improve itself.” Shakeology retails for $130, but as a coach you get 25% off, YAY! The truth is, at first I thought I was adding shakeology to my budget and needed to "squeeze it in". But once I started drinking it, I no longer had cravings forcing me to spend money "here and there" and I actually SAVED money. Not to mention the fact that I've lost 20lbs and feel incredible. To me, that alone is worth WAY more than that. So.. you're getting MORE than what you pay for & you're giving your body the tools it needs to avoid the Doctors office! ;)

Does it actually help people lose weight?

    Ay yi yi!!! Where do I even begin on this one? Getting down to the basics - when you give your body the nutrients and vitamins that it needs (and can not get on a daily basis from north american grocery stores) your body is able to properly flush out toxins and function at its BEST. When the body is functioning properly and flushing out toxins it's able to get rid of excess weight that it was holding onto in an attempt to "have" nutrients (which really wasn't nutrients at all, it was fat). To help you even more - Shakeology is now CLINICALLY PROVEN to help you lose weight! What does that mean? It means that Doctors secluded it in a professional study, had their contestants change NOTHING about their lifestyle (ex. no working out, still eating poorly) but drank Shakeology twice per day & -- guess what, the average weight loss was 10lbs in 2 months. Pretty impressive for not changing a thing including moving their behind!

Is it healthy and safe?

    YES! Shakeology is completely healthy & safe! It's safe for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, etc. It's actually GREAT for diabetics since it's low on the glycemic index as well. Since I started drinking shakeology my hair has gotten thicker, my skin has cleared up, my nails are stronger, I haven't been sick in AGES and I'm seriously convinced that if I see my doctor he's going to ask "What have you been DOING?!" *In an overly impressed voice* :) There's a ton of more resources on beachbodys FAQ page - and the truth is, I can't list off the 70+ exotic ingredients off the top of my head. But what I DO know, is that Shakeology has changed my life, and I will continue to let it for FOREVER! 

Will it help me lose weight?

    This is very similar to the question above - and all I want to add is this... I've lost 20 lbs (21lbs as of this morning) since adding shakeology to my diet. I've SAVED money, improved my "regularity" and feel 10x better. If it does all that, plus has helped ME lose the weight I gained during my breakup, then OF COURSE it will totally help you!! Trust me on this. 

Is Shakeology a SCAM?

    Absolutely not. I can see why this is floating around since we ARE Network Marketing! (I'll do a post on that later on today). And truthfully, I'm not ashamed at all! I love what we do. We help people get in shape, make a living, find true friendships, and become better PEOPLE! I wish everyone I knew was a apart of this mission, even if they weren't in my downline - because honestly this "JOB" has been a blessing and it's crazy to think I'm making a living doing this! My friends have started making a living from helping THEIR friends! Okay - I'm getting off track here. But in all seriousness, when you buy Shakeology you're getting an incredible product for your money. And if you don't like it after  month - you get your money back. Seems pretty safe to me, right?! 

CONFESSION: I would still be overweight, broke, and seriously stressed out if it wasn't for shakeology. Thank you for reading loves!

The Best Fitness Advice You'll Ever Get

Hey dolls! Today I wanted to share some tips & tricks in order to get your fitness on track, and of course I consider these to be the BEST tips & tricks out there!!!

THE #1 most IMPORTANT thing you need to know!
The biggest thing holding you back from reaching your goals is...

EXCUSES!

I know thats rough to hear but it's the truth. How many times have you said any of these to yourself?

• I don't have time
• I'm too tired
• I don't want to wash my hair
• I won't see results anyways
• I'll gain it back
• I'm too stressed
• I don't have the willpower to stick with it

Well, the truth is all of those are just EXCUSES to talk yourself out of making the changes you need to make in order to accomplish your goals!

So, the first step to success is to drop your excuses and decide that your dreams are MORE important!!

Follow these steps to get on your way!

1. Drop your excuses (decide your dreams are worth more)
2. Get support (you can join my Fitness Doll Challenge! :) )
3. Make a plan (get a workout program)
4. Plan ahead (make food ahead of time)
5. Chart your progress (you can use jars and marbles to track lbs lost & lbs to lose)
6. Track your Food (I love myfitnesspal for this!)
7. Work on your inside as much as your outside (Personal Development books!!)

Quinoa Pasta Summer Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS --
1 lb quinoa pasta 
1 cup cubed Akawi cheese (Mediterranean) 
2 avocados, diced 
1 large tomato, diced 
2 small cucumbers, diced 
4-5 breakfast radishes, sliced 
Bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped 
Sprinkle of thyme & sesame

DRESSING -- 
Red wine vinaigrette 
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tsp honey
- s&p to taste 

DIRECTIONS -- Cook Quinoa pasta according to package instructions. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients, THEN toss everything together with dressing, VOILA! And it makes 6 servings!!

Veggie Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

INGREDIENTS --

3 red peppers - cored (and tops diced to be used in mixture) 
1 cup cooked quinoa 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 medium red onion, diced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
2 tbsp fresh cilantro 
2 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp ground ginger 
1/2 cup corn kernels (non GMO) 
1/2 cup frozen peas 
1/4 cup mozzarella 
1/4 cup organic tomato paste 

DIRECTIONS -- 

Preheat oven to 375F
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, cook onions until translucent, then add red peppers & garlic.
Add cilantro, turmeric & ginger and mix well until cooked through. 
Remove about 2 tbsp of mixture and set aside for the sauce.
Add corn, peas & cooked quinoa and mix well.
Stuff mixture into red peppers and top with cheese.
In the same saucepan, mix the onion mixture with tomato paste & 2 cups of boiling water to make the sauce. When blended well, pour over stuffed peppers.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes!

Bon Appétit!

Sweet Potato Fries & Siracha Dip Recipe

INGREDIENTS --

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" thickness 
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• Sea Salt to taste 
• Drizzle of olive oil for tossing 

DRESSING --

• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Siracha
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS --
Preheat oven to 450F
In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and spices. Then spread sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet lined with paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through until they are golden brown!

PS. Did you guys know that ONE sweet potato provides 400% of your daily vitamin A requirements!!