Clean Eating Group

Thank you soooo much for your interest in my FREE 10 Day Clean Eating Group! I'm so excited for you!!  I remember when I decided to take the plunge and give this whole Clean Eating thing a try.  I figured "Why not?!" clearly what I was currently doing was not getting me any closer to my goals and it was time for a change.  It can be kind of scary and intimidating though and that's why I decided to start offering these free groups.  Making a change like this is so much easier when you have support and guidance. :)

My little disclosure though is that I am NOT a nutritionist or a doctor and this is not a prescribed meal plan.  I am a mom to my 11 month old daughter with a picky man at home (if he could he would eat pizza and burritos all day long LOL) and I also work a full time job.  I have found a way of preparing healthy crowd pleasing meals.  They are quick and easy and when I have a game plan in place, they are budget friendly as well....who doesn't love that!?

The layout for these groups is pretty simple.  I run everything through a secret Facebook group that I will add you to. I start the group on a Wednesday that gives us all some time to figure out what meals we want to try, where we need to make substitutions, and create our meal plans.  On Wednesday you will also have access to my personal meal plan, shopping list, and recipes as well as blank templates in case you would like to create your own.  I will be posting in the group daily but it's not just my group...it's OUR group so I want you to feel comfortable posting too!!  Whether you have a question our have found a yummy recipe to share please don't hesitate to put it out there.  I also ask that you participate in the group discussions and posts, I need you to show up at least once a day to check in.  If you'd like to do more that's great!!  This group is all about positivity, building each other up  and learning some new tricks along the way.

So I know you're probably wondering why in the world is this crazy chick doing this for free?!  To be totally honest in the beginning I switched my lifestyle up for myself.  I wanted to feel sexy again after having a baby, I wanted to be fit and energized to keep up with my daughter, and I sure as hell did not want to invest a small fortune in larger sized clothes...lol I know I'm not alone there!  But, now it is seriously about my daughter and setting the best example for her, I want to give her an amazing foundation so that when she's faced with unhealthy choices later in life she thinks twice.  I know that she's watching everything I do and I have to hold myself accountable for her sake.  For all of the moms reading this I know we want our children to have the best chance possible for a healthy and fulfilling life....we need to lead by example because they are ALWAYS watching!  If you don't have children that's great, I still encourage you to read the following it's pretty terrifying where the future generations are headed.  This might be a little tough love but this info needs to be shared.  Here are some terrifying stats on childhood obesity from the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention).

• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
  
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.
  
• In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

I cannot even express how passionate I am about this topic.  Looking at those stats literally brings tears to my eyes because those are our babies and if we don't alter our own lifestyle choices they don't stand a chance.  I don't want you to think it's a vanity thing either, the complications that arise from childhood obesity are crazy scary.  Here are some more facts from the CDC that go over the health effects that our children could face.

Immediate health effects:

• Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.
• Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

Long-term health effects:

• Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.  One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.
• Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

I don't know about you but that scares the crap out of me!!!!  The thought of my daughter having to go through any of that makes me want to scream and cry.

Here's a little extra info that might help you understand my passion.  My mother and both of my grandmothers suffer from diabetes, and when I was in middle school I was a statistic at 5'3'' I was weighing in at 185lbs...but a few years back I decided to break the cycle.  We acquire so many of our habits from our parents.  We all have the power to change though, and that's what this group is for!  It is never too late no matter where you've been YOU get to decide where you will go.  I'm not going to tell you it's super easy but I will tell you it's completely worth it.  Let this group be your first step towards a brighter future for you and your family.  I am here to support, motivate, and educate you as you start this journey.  Together we are stronger than you can imagine so for 10 days lets ban together and create some change!!

If this sounds like something you are ready for and would like to join in I would love to lock arms with you and bring you on board.  Also if now is not the time I completely understand.  Whenever you are ready just let me know and I will get you plugged into a group at that time...I host monthly clean eating groups :)  If you are interested and ready start please fill out the form below!  Also if you have a friend who could benefit from this group feel free to invite them too!  I hope you have an amazing day and I can't wait to meet you and watch you transform your life!

*Quick side note...these groups are not for current Beachbody coaches, if you are already working with a Beachbody coach please reach out to them to see what groups they have going for their team.*

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Berry Crumble

I love dessert!! With fall right around the corner we are almost to pie (every night) time!!! LOL but seriously I love pie and this is my go to when the cravings hit.  This berry crumble is perfect because if you make it in a ramekin it'll be portioned out for you...making it very challenging to overeat.  I like to use a mix of whatever frozen berries I have on hand but if you want to use fresh by all means do it to it!  For the ones I made in the picture I used a mix of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries...I bought a giant bag of frozen berries at Costco.  For the granola I just searched through the bulk bins at the grocery store, it's waaaay cheaper to buy your granola from the bins than in a box.  I chose a maple almond granola not going to lie it's quite tasty!!  Also if you're wondering arrowroot is, it's what will thicken up the berry mixture =)  So without further ado here's how you make it!!  This recipe will make 2 servings.

Ingredients

 2 Cups Frozen or Fresh Berries

1/4 Cup Granola

1 Tbsp Arrowroot

2 Tbsp Water

2 Tsp Honey

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375.  Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and place your 2 ramekins on top of it...this will limit any oven mess and hopefully any counter mess too!  Mix together your water and arrowroot and stir the mixture in to your berries until they are coated.  Split the berries between your two ramekins.  Top berries with granola and drizzle with honey.  Slide everything into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Pull them out and let them cool a bit then enjoy!  If you're feeling naughty go ahead and top your berry crumble with some french vanilla ice cream...I won't judge I did it and it's amazing!! =)

Breakfast Quiche

Hiiiii!! So first things first sorry for my absence!! I had to take a break from blogging to refocus and really decide what direction I'm headed in and whether or not blogging was worth my time.  As you can see I decided that YES it is!!  Time isn't something I have a lot of these days but lets be honest who does??  If you find something that you love to do it is always worth the time invested :)  So anyways let's get to why you're here...my tasty and healthy quiche recipe!! :)

I realize that quiche has a rep for being a breakfast dish.  But let me tell you it makes the easiest go to for work lunches!  Just toss it in your to go container top with hot sauce and then when it's time to eat reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds...TADAAAA!  A filling, tasty, healthy, quick and easy lunch :) This will make 6 servings and if you're following the 21 Day Fix it totals 1/2 Green 1 Red and 1 Yellow per serving :)

Ingredients

5 Eggs

1 Cup Cottage Cheese

1/2 Yellow Onion

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper

1/2 Zucchini

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes

1 Pie Crust

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1/4 Tsp Cayenne

1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375. Slice all of your cherry tomatoes in half and set aside. Chop up the rest of your veggies into dime size chunks. Press your pie crust into your baking dish. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and add in all the veggies (except for the tomatoes), cottage cheese and spices mix everything until well bended.  Pour mixture into your pie crust and arrange tomato halves on top.  Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes, when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean it's done.  ENJOY!! :)

Asparagus & Sriracha Cream Sauce

It's that time of year!!  I love spring and summer when all of the farmer's markets come out offering amazingly fresh produce at great prices.  It's strange to think that just a few months ago the price for asparagus was around $5.99 lb!!  There's definitely something to be said for eating what's in season :)  The cream sauce is quite delish and refreshing too.  I make mine using plain Greek yogurt and it turns out perfectly everytime.  Also I prefer to use full fat Greek yogurt it tastes better to me and it fills me up if I decided to have this dish as a snack.  Basically anyone who loves Sriracha ends up loving this recipe!!

Chilled Asparagus & Sriracha Cream Sauce

Ingrediants

1lb Fresh Asparagus

1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp Sriracha

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 Tsp Onion Powder

Directions

Our first step is to blanch the asparagus, prep a large bowl of ice water and set aside.  Start by rinsing and trimming the asparagus and bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once at a rolling boil toss in your asparagus and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes or until it is a vibrant green color.  Remove the asparagus spears and submerge them in the ice water.  This will stop the cooking process and leave you with crisp, fresh, tasty asparagus!  Towel dry the asparagus arrange it on your serving dish and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Mix all of your remaining ingredients together taste and add more Sriracha if needed.  Cover mixture and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  Enjoy!! :)

Spiced Up Breakfast Potatoes

I LOOOOOVE breakfast!! So much LOL!  I enjoy these tasty guilt free spuds pretty much every weekend :)  The best thing about them besides tasting amazing is that they are so easy to throw together.  I like to use baby red potatoes, bell peppers, and sweet onion in mine, but go with whatever your craving.  LOL or whatever the fridge is offering up.  My favorite way to serve these is alongside some scrambled eggs and a couple slices of BACON! :)  Also as far as the spices go they are basically at your discretion. I don't really measure them because I just do a light dusting of each.  This recipe will make 2 servings each is equal to 1 yellow, 1/2 green and 1 spoon :)

Spiced Up Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Cup Red Potatoes Sliced (about 2 small potatoes)

1/2 Red Bell Pepper Chopped

1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper Chopped

1/2 Orange Bell Pepper Chopped

1/2 Sweet Onion Chopped

2 Tsp Coconut Oil

Chili Powder

Onion Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Fresh Ground Pepper

Sea Salt

Directions

In a medium sized saute pan heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add in your sliced red potatoes and move them around until they are spread evenly over the bottom of the pan allow them to sit over the heat for 5 minutes.  Add in your peppers and onion and lightly dust mixture with all of your spices.  Feel free to add more spice if you'd like to :)  I personally love chili powder and cayenne soooo I go a little heavier on those!  Continue to cook over medium heat for another 15 minutes or so, stirring mixture every 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat, plate up and ENJOY!!

Mojito Fruit Salad

I want to start by saying that I did not come up with this tasty creation on my own.  Once upon a time there was a BBQ and this little delight showed up!  I don't remember where the BBQ was, who was there, why we were having one....all I remember when I think back is this fruit salad!  So to the lovely person who is the genius behind this from the bottom of my heart I thank you!  This fruit salad is great and healthy as well :)  All I use for the dressing is fresh squeezed lime and chopped mint, with all of the tasty fruit there's no reason to add in extra sweeteners like honey and what not.  I like to use a melon baller to scoop out my honeydew but if you don't have one have no fear you can chop up the melon using a knife.  Also be for warned peeling the kiwi is super not fun, but it's totally worth it to have yummy kiwi in the salad!  If you are having more of an adult get together this salad makes one delicious drink too!  Just toss the fruit and some of the juices into your cup, add in some white wine, or white rum or vodka and top with some club soda or sprite....CHEERS!! For the 21 Day Fix your serving size will be 1 cup.

Mojito Fruit Salad

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith Apples

5 Kiwis

1 Honeydew Melon

1/2lb Green Grapes

2 Limes

3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint

Directions

Cut all of your fruit into bite sized pieces.  Like I said I really like to use a melon baller for the honeydew.  Also I suggest cutting up your apples last because the longer they sit with their flesh exposed the browner they will get.  I've decided that cutting the grapes in half is a nice touch...LOL have you ever tried to stab a whole grape with a fork??  I would usually just give up and use my fingers :)  Once all of your fruit is ready to go mix the juice from both limes with the chopped mint.  Pour lime/mint mixture all over your fruit and lightly toss to combine everything.  And that's it!!! I let it chill for about an hour before serving. Super tasty and healthy :)

Getting Back On Track!

It's been waaaaay too long!! I know you guys I'm so sorry for my absence over the last month!!  Life has been insane to say the least.  I started a new full time job that I love, we had to put Paige in daycare, and Tim has been working graveyard shifts (BOOOO!).  Of course because Paige was making new little friends with runny noses she brought home every sickness that has been going around this season....and because she's a sweetheart she shared all of them!!!  The icky sick stuff is finally making it's way out of the house and it's time to get back to making time for a couple of things I love!  That would be Fit Foodie Forever and Beachbody! 

To help me get back on track I decided to give the 3 Day Refresh a go, not going to lie I LOVE it!!! It is basically a detoxifying cleanse that gets rid of bloat that's been building up and gives you a perfect springboard to jump back into your heath and fitness goals.  There were some trying times where I had to talk myself off the chili cheese dip ledge BUT I made it!  I proved to myself that I can stick to my guns and achieve any goal I set.  So maybe you're thinking "3 days?? That's easy!!" you would be both right and wrong.  The easy part is that it is only 3 days that's 72 hours and totally doable it will fly by actually!! Where you're wrong is that it is only 3 days LOL!  There is not any room for a cheat here or there not if you want to see some results and have the self gratification of completing something :)

The meals were super easy I actually prepped everything for the 3 days in under an hour.  The 3 Day Refresh comes with a food guide and eating schedule for your day.  I decided for convenience to just have the same thing everyday.  Since I was doing it by myself I didn't have to listen to anyone whining about the lack of variety LOL!  Also I really didn't want to spend a ton for only 3 days!!  Here's what each day looked like for me....

Breakfast - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology blended with frozen berries and water.
Mid Morning - Fiber Sweep drink (honestly not terrible!) and green tea.
Lunch - Vanilla Fresh shake mixed with water, roasted artichokes with avocado and hot sauce, and grapes.
Afternoon - Roasted artichokes with avocado and hot sauce.
Dinner - Vanilla Fresh shake mixed with water and Cucumber Tomato Salad
Evening - Green tea

Pretty simple right?!  So having made it through the 3 Day Refresh I am officially down 5.5 lbs and 1.5" of my waist line!!!  Super exciting I know :)  Is it probably water weight? Yup!  But I feel 100lbs lighter and my energy is through the roof.  It's really set me up for my next step which is....THE 21 DAY FIX EXTREME!!  I'm so excited for this I loved the original 21 Day Fix and saw some great results.  It's time to kick things up a notch though :)

The 3 Day Refresh was the kick start that I needed to get back on my health and fitness journey.  After all...this journey is a marathon not a sprint.  It is a lifestyle not a fad.  Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and that can slow you down, but you can never give up!  The obesity trend is no joke my friends...it's scary just how real it is.  For myself I need to be vigillent, both of my grandmothers and my mom suffer from diabetes.  At one point they could've changed their lifestyle habits to embrace clean eating and fitness.  That would've put them in a drastically different place than they are now.  It's never too late though I'm still holding out hope especially for my mom...I don't want to lose her any sooner than I have too.  For my daughter I need to set the best example possible.  I want her to have a first hand experience of how amazing a clean lifestyle can be.  I know eventually she will have to make her own choices and mistakes...my goal is to make sure she has the best foundation possible to fall back on.

Alrightly!  So that's it...I just wanted to give you guys a quick update.  If you find yourself in a similar spot...you know the one.  Summer is knocking on your door and the comfort that you find in your baggy pants and sweatshirts is causing you perspire like a fountain, but the thought of a tank top and shorts is terrifying.  If you are ready to start your own journey or maybe need a kick in the butt to get back on track send me a message through here, hit me up on Facebook, or fill out the app below.  I will have accountability groups going throughout the summer for fitness and clean eating.  Whatever you decide to do please know that it is never too late to make positive life changes.  You might as well give it a shot, honestly what's the worse thing that could happen?!  You get some new yummy clean recipes for your family and you lose some weight so you can fit into that old pair of jeans....that sounds terrible LOL!!  Will it be easy?...probably not.  Worth it?...YES!!

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