AND...OR

Have you seen those commercials for Ford recently?  The and versus or spots where two people are discussing the features and say something like, "Voice activated AND great gas mileage.  Imagine if it was voice activated OR great gas mileage.  It'd be like sweet OR sour chicken."  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Okay, great...just play along so I can make a point, would you?  Yeah..thanks!

Anyway...the point is, in the case of the vehicle, AND is clearly better than OR.  Same thing here with my beloved Shakeology.  Healthy AND convenient---yep!  Great value AND super nutritious--yep!  Delicious AND satisfying--yep!

I wouldn't want to be faced with delicious OR satisfying---and we've all done that. You eat a yummy breakfast and find yourself scrounging for food 20 minutes later.  How about a great value OR super nutritious.  No thanks.  You can keep your 2 for $2 Egg McMuffins and I'll stick to my $4 servings of over 70 super foods, protein-rich milk and stick-to-my-ribs natural peanut butter to fuel me well into my morning. I'll drink a milkshake for breakfast AND lose weight!  Come on...I'm a girl...I want it ALL, right!?  

Thankfully, Shakeology offers that.  And here's the thing---I totally get the whole "sticker shock" piece.  Initially, the idea of paying $130 for something each and every month (that wasn't a car or tuition!) had me wondering.  Then I made a conscious effort to record what I was eating and approximately how much it was costing me.  I quickly came to realize that I was wasting money and losing energy because I wasn't eating the RIGHT things.  So I'd eat more to satisfy my body's craving for those right things.  Enter wasted money and extra calories...bad move.  (There's a time I wish it was more of an "or" scenario!)

So, you're reading this...you've read other posts and you've considered Shakeology.  The cost is the ONE factor holding you back.  I get it.  I do.

Good news for you--I have another AND situation comin' at ya!  Brace yourself.  You can order Shakeology AND get 25% off AND free shipping (yes, that's a double AND...keep up!) by becoming a preferred customer.  Crazy, right?  What would you say to that?  And what would you say if I told you that Shakeology also comes with a 30 day "Bottom of the Bag" guarantee!?  Don't like it?  Send it back for a FULL refund* no questions asked.  THAT is how serious we are about getting Shakeology into the hands (and bellies!) of as many people as possible.  

I share this with you to let you see that I, too, was a skeptic.  I wasn't sure the cost was something I wanted to incur monthly.  Once I tasted it, once I started to see the results I was earning by adding Shakeology to my daily diet, I was hooked.  And I began to view my monthly expense as an investment.  

One final AND scenario for ya...drinking Shakeology daily has allowed me to lose weight, stay healthy, share my passion for wellness, earn an additional income for our family AND I'd like to invite you to be part of this as well.  Please reach out if you're interested in purchasing single serve packets--I have four flavors; Greenberry, Tropical Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla.  Which one will you try!?

Find out how I make my Shake!

*less shipping
  

Fall into Shakeology

Perfect for this time of year...two of my new favorite versions of Shakeology....

Apple Pie

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup ice (add more to taste)

Place applesauce, cinnamon, Shakeology, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 184

Fat: 2 g

Saturated Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 5 mg

Sodium: 215 mg

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Fiber: 5 g

Sugar: 18 g

Protein: 16 g

Pumpkin Spice
1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1/2 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup skim milk
Ice

Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories:  272
Protein:  26g
Carbs: 41g
Fat: 1g
Saturated fat: <1g
Calories from Fat: 10

Cheers!

Roasted Corn Salad

Having a grocery store as one of my largest clients is super.  Being in and out of stores filled with delicious foods all day long is not so super.  It's tempted my willpower more than once (I mean, when you have a frozen case filled with a dozen or so varieties of made-on-the-spot gelato, it's like a magnetic pull!) and forced me to leave my wallet in the car to avoid said temptations. Being on the road all day makes packing a lunch challenging.  Not impossible, merely challenging.  And sometimes, my day goes totally wonky and lunch plans fall through, leaving me wondering if I've exhausted my supply of emergency granola bars and did I get lucky enough to have an apple in my work bag.  Those are the days that gelato is even more tempting, I won't lie!  But I'm stronger than the pull of the gelato...and I can resist.  But there was this one time.....

No, I didn't get gelato (come on, you know me by now, don't you!?) but I did investigate a particularly interesting salad.  Roasted corn and edamame...I tossed a scoop of that over some crisp lettuce and tossed a few sunflower seeds on for crunch.  Well, let's just say that if anyone watched me sitting in my car, eating as if it was my last meal, I'm sure they weren't handing me any medals for manners!  This stuff is gooooood!  Barley base, crisp, sweet corn with that roasted flavor, flavors of sesame oil and peppers...oh.  my.  gosh. 

I set out to make my own version of it for a gathering at my friend's house when I realized the flavors of my dish and the entree wouldn't necessarily pair so well.  Sigh.  Plus, I realized that there was a lot of pressure to repeat this amazing salad I've had (and can no longer easily find; I hear they've taken it off the menu.  Really!?).  So, I found this one...and it was a hit!  Totally different than the one I love, but I can learn to love something new.  Right!?

Roasted Corn Salad
3 ears fresh corn, shucked
1 fresh chili to taste (jalapeno, anaheim, poblano or serrano)
1 bell pepper
oil for coating
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
4 oz crumbled Feta
Fresh basil, minced
S/P to taste

Dressing
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon
1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
Black pepper to taste

• Make the dressing and set aside
• Roast the corn and peppers on the grill (lightly coat with oil, roast until slightly charred)
• Allow veggies to cool; in a large bowl, cut the corn off the cob, peel the peppers and remove the seeds.  Chop the peppers and add into the corn.
• In that bowl, add the tomato, cucumber and herbs.
• Just before serving, toss together with cheese and dressing.

Of course, I had to be different, so I skipped the jalapeno and cucumber and roasted my corn on the stove top instead.  Worked out just fine.  

We served it on the patio with lobster rolls, pasta salad and sangria...oh, and the company of wonderful friends.  The perfect way to close out a summer Saturday night!  Cheers!



 

1440

1,440...that's how many minutes you have in a day.  Think about how you spend invest them.  I'd like to challenge you to carve out TWENTY FIVE of them for you.  That's all...twenty five.

Something new this way comes....in the form of a great workout.  A workout that I'm loving.  A workout that has even moved Mr. I-Don't-Workout-At-Home to, well, workout at home!  

Focus T25 was created by Shaun T (yes, the very same Shaun T that brought you Insanity and Hip Hop Abs among others) and Beachbody's CEO, Carl Daikeler---who, by the way, admits to hating exercise and vegetables.  Now, that sounds crazy, I know...but that's the beauty of it...the man knows exercise and eating well are critical to living well.  So he created something out of that understanding...enter Shakeology and this new workout!

Together, Carl and Shaun put their heads together and came up with this incredible workout that's 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week.  Yeah---how cool is that?  So cool I'll say it again.  Twenty five minutes, five days a week.  This workout was designed for people who's schedules are overflowing with commitments.  It's for everyone who shudders when they walk by a gym.  It's made for the stay at home parent who juggles kids, activities, running a household, preparing meals and everything else the day dishes out.  It was built with the working professional in mind--that person who spends too much time in traffic, too much time in an office and not nearly enough time on themselves.

Basically, T25 is for ANYbody looking to get great results without carving out hours on end at a gym.  I'm proof that it works.  My husband and I have been working out together for a few weeks--something we haven't done in years--and it has been fantastic.  The workouts are challenging, no question.  But they're TWENTY-FIVE minutes!  Think about that....in less time than it takes to watch the evening news, you've gotten in a great workout (and saved yourself from hearing about shootings, car accidents and athletes getting in trouble).

After having already completed a couple other Beachbody workouts, I wasn't so sure that I'd notice a change in my body from another one....boy was I wrong!  My abs are even more defined, my legs are toned and my arms are stronger and leaner.  More than any of that, I'm proud that Mark has jumped on this bandwagon with me.  You've heard me say before that so much of this is mental---the physical changes are great, but the confidence, the determination, all of that should not be overlooked.  And having Mark as my workout partner again is all the confirmation I need to know that there are some serious changes happening over here...and I'm pretty darn excited about them.

Just when I think I might be talking about Beachbody "too much" I remind myself that there's no such thing as "too much" when it comes to your passion.  Helping people, improving their health and wellness, providing them with tools and resources so they can maintain a lifestyle that's more in line with their goals...I'm passionate about that.  And I will talk about it anytime, anywhere.

If you are interested in a conversation like that, please reach out.  I'd love to hear your goals and help you build a plan to reach--no, CRUSH!--them.

Check out T25 HERE! 

 

A New Perspective

I asked my Mom if I could do a document while she gets dinner ready for us, but I figured out how to get onto her blog.  Haha!  I’m so clever!  Anyway, I’ve gotta make this fast so I don’t get busted…here goes!  Guest blogging, oh yeah!!

 

Yesterday when we got home, there was a package by the garage door.  I got excited because I thought it was for me.  I ran and picked it up—it was Shakeology.  And even though it wasn’t for me exactly, I was still excited.  Mommy and Daddy both share their shakes with me and they are so so so good.  Daddy makes a pink one {Tropical Strawberry} and Mommy’s is chocolatey.  She puts peanut butter in hers, and I’m allergic so I have to get mine before she puts that in there.  Sometimes I’m not fast enough.  On those days, I drink Daddy’s---and pink is my favorite color, so that’s kind of neat.

 

After we put the Shakeology away, my Mommy and I went upstairs to change our clothes and get ready to do a workout.  I have very important jobs. First, I have to turn on the lights.  Then, I get us water or G2 and then I put the DVD in.  I love when the videos start because they always say, “Beachbodyyyyy” but sometimes Mama fast forwards that part and we don’t get to hear it.   

 

She used to workout with Chalene {TurboFire} all the time and I really liked her.  There was a girl named Aly and a boy named Shawn who were on stage with her.  They would say things like “Reach and pull” and “You’re not tired” and play fun music.  I try to keep up, and some of the time I do.  Sometimes, the moves are tricky for me and my legs get tired so I have to stop.  But Mama keeps going! 

 

Mama had another workout, too…they talked about bums a lot {Brazil Butt Lift} and I thought it was kind of funny.  On that video, the people were doing the workout on a beach.  I wanted to go to that beach and play in the sand.  But my Mom said that was only on the video.  Sigh.  I never tried that one—when Mom would do that one, I’d usually play with my zoo or draw on my easel.

 

Now, my Mom and Dad are both doing this new workout.  It’s called T25 {T25} and sometimes they do it at the same time and I watch.  There’s one called Lower Body Circus {Total Body Circuit} and another one called Abs Intervals.  I like that one because it sounds like my name.  I like to cheer while they workout to help them.  Sometimes I have my pompoms and sometimes I can’t find them.  Sometimes I pretend I’m Shaun T and I do what he’s doing.  This workout is really fast; I could hardly believe when it was over.  But it must be really tough because Mom and Dad are super sweaty and gross when it’s over.  And they drink lots and lots of water, too.  Even if I don’t workout with them, I usually drink a lot of water too!

 

Last year, when my Mommy started to do Beachbody stuff, I know it was hard for her---she didn’t like being away from me, so I would go downstairs with her to keep her company while she worked out.  Or, I would play with Daddy and have lots of fun.  Daddy would tell me that it was important for Mommy to have time to herself and that exercising was really good, too.  So I didn’t mind.  Sometimes my Mommy works out really early in the morning when I’m asleep, so we don’t miss any time together.  I think she feels happier now and everyone can tell.  She bought some new clothes for herself for our vacation this summer, and she seemed really happy in the trying on rooms {fitting rooms}.  That was fun!

 

My Mommy is always looking for people to help.  She helps some of them by getting them to be Coaches too and she helps other people by figuring out the best workout for them and running Challenge Groups.  Maybe she could help you, too?  I hear her tell Daddy that pretty much everybody would like to be a little healthier and pretty much everybody would like to earn extra money.  I also hear her telling him that no one needs to be perfect to be involved with Beachbody---they only need to be passionate and dedicated.  I’m not totally sure what that means, but I guess my Mom is those things because she’s a Coach and a good exerciser, too.

 

I know my Mommy is really happy that she’s a Beachbody Coach {What's that mean?}.  She got a hat in the mail that she won in a contest and I wear it to pretend that I’m a Coach, too.  Mommy tells me that it’s important to help people and it’s really important for everyone to be healthy.  That’s why we pay attention to what we eat and play outside a lot.  I may be little, but I am learning good habits already. 

 

Uh oh.  She’s calling me for dinner.  Salmon and green beans—and if I eat well, we can go outside and ride my new bike.  I have to go now, but don’t forget to ask my Mommy to help you if you’re interested.  She has a big star on the calendar on August 26.  I think that’s when her next Challenge Group is starting—and they always fill up fast.  If I were you, I would do it.

 

Well, that’s all I have to say for now.  Maybe I’ll do this again later.  Blogging seems pretty neat.  Bye!  Oh, wait...one last thing...I even made a video for you!

Frozen YUM!

Oh how I love to browse Pinterest in my spare time....said, well, not me.  I mean, I do love it, but spare time?  Honey, please!

A few weeks ago, I was waiting patiently (yeah, real patiently) for a customer to arrive for a meeting.  She would arrive 30 minutes late, swearing up and down that we had agreed on this time.  But that's beside the point.

Point is, I decided to idly look around on Pinterest while I waited.  And that's when I saw something that looked too good to be true.  Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream...with only 2 ingredients.  Well, I was sold.

Back to that spare time, thing.  It wasn't until a couple nights ago that I remembered the pin when I saw a sad bunch of bananas on the counter, turning more and more brown by the minute.  "Aha!" I thought to myself.  "I can rescue these puppies."

I peeled them, sliced them and laid them out on a cookie sheet then popped them into the freezer.  Kept them there for a few hours--long enough to make puffy paint, use said paint to create some mighty fine masterpieces and clean that mess and the kid who helped make it.

Next, I threw them in our blender and hit just about every button until I found the right speed---don't ask me what it was, because (a) your blender is probably different than mine and (b) I couldn't tell you if I wanted to---there were extra hands helping and we just kept at it until....

....a beautiful thing started to happen.  Those frozen banana slices started turning into a creamy, frozen, heavenly dessert.  I added about a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (after I took out a good bowlful for my little one who's got a nut allergy) and about a teaspoon of almond milk to help it along. You've gotta be patient (yes, I see the irony here in ME giving that advice!) here, and scrape down the sides of the blender every so often.  But it WILL come together.

I put Abby's now empty bowl into the dishwasher---the kid devoured this in no time flat!!  Then I scooped out the yumminess into a tupperware bowl and back into the freezer...where I managed to forget about it for the rest of the evening (how does THAT happen!?).  Driving home from work the next night, it hit me....I had a super delicious and uber healthy treat waiting for me.  I could hardly wait until after dinner (but I did---lead by example and all that nonsense!) and then, I dug in.

Now, don't be too impressed.  I did not make mine all fancy like this--but it did look an awful lot like this bowl of deliciousness.  I ate it out of the tupperware.  With a spoon---does that class it up any?  Ehhh....you're not judging?  Are you?

Perhaps you'll serve yours from your Grandmother's finest china, or maybe you'll fill a delicious cone with this goodness and top it with sprinkles (thus negating it's healthy qualities somewhat!), but however you do it, I hope you enjoy it and smile, knowing that it's a healthy alternative to ice cream, but you can barely tell the difference (no, really...I'm not just saying that!).  Sorry that this isn't a "real" recipe...but you'll find what works for you.  And I suspect that the next time I make it, it'll be different than the last!  

Cheers!

 

Transformation

trans·for·ma·tion /ˌtransfərˈmāSHən/

Noun

A thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.
A metamorphosis during the life cycle of an animal human (editorial license).
I recently wrote about deciding that August 6 is a holiday of sorts for me.  The date marks the start of a transformation that has been as much about losing things as it has been about gaining things.  

I lost weight, inches, doubts, insecurities and excuses.  I lost guilt (well, some of it...I'm human!), fear and the near constant negative self-talk.

I gained faith, respect for my abilities, strength--mental and physical.  I gained friendships, a second income and the knowledge that I am capable of more than I thought I was.

Every evening during the news, there's a commercial for a local skin center.  The women in the "before" pictures always look so awful.  They must be told, "Come in without a stitch of make-up, don't sleep for days, and if you can imagine the worst thing in the world right before we snap your picture, all the better." 

This is me on August 6, 2012--I'm "that woman."  Do I look miserable or what?  Ugh--and before you wag your finger at me and tell me I shouldn't talk that way about myself, I'll tell you.  I'm being honest.  I look miserable because I was.  I wasn't happy with myself, didn't like how I looked or felt and was so ready for a change (if it could happen overnight, all the better...but that's pie in the sky.  Mmmm, pie....wait, blog!!!).  I knew there was no magic solution, no simple answer, no quick fix...well, that's a lie.  There is a simple answer; it's called WORK HARD, BE DISCIPLINED, BE PATIENT and FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS!  Oh, and work with a Coach.  That helps too!  Really!!

And this is me today, August 6, 2013.  I have to laugh that Abby is in these shots with me...I toyed with the idea of having Mark take another set with her safely out of the frame, but then I realized that having her by my side is PERFECT!  She's usually there when I workout, and tonight, she flexed and said, "I'm doing what you're doing, Mama."  I'm proud that I'm setting this example for her and very proud that I can be her role model. 

Abby and Mark are the two most important reasons that I'm committed to living and teaching about a healthier lifestyle.  I'm sure that you can think of your own reasons why you should do the very same thing.  Understanding the WHY is often the easiest part.  The HOW is what tends to trip people up.

Well, good thing I'm here.  I'm proud to be a Beachbody Coach.  I'm proud to help people chart their own unique course between WHY and HOW.  I'm honored to be part of the successes I hear about on a daily basis from people who've been part of one of my Challenge Groups.  Let's map out your HOW together! 

Tonight, I'm proud to share my transformation and hope that it inspires someone.  I'm not perfect, I'm not even chasing perfection.  What I am doing is learning how to embrace, work through and challenge my imperfections and help others do the same.  And each day, I strive to be a better me.  That seems to be a pretty good approach! 

It's said that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.  I am blessed to have two jobs that allow me to share what I believe to be critically important messages to people on a daily basis.  I love helping others, I love learning new ways to do so and I love knowing that we're working together to provide folks with tools, resources and guidance to live well.

If you're interested in learning more about Coaching, let's talk.  If you're interested in learning more about a Challenge Group or how I can help you find your soul-mate workout, I'm ready to have that conversation.

The question is...are you ready?
Let's Talk! 

Hot Chinese Chicken Salad

This was the very first meal I ever made for Mark.  We were dating for a couple of weeks, and I invited him over for dinner....I cannot eat this without thinking back to that fun evening.  Hope you enjoy it and make some memories of your own!

Hot Chinese Chicken Salad

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cubed
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup oil
1 large tomato; diced (I don't put this in; Mark isn't a fan.  Go figure--he eats ketchup on ketchup, but hates tomatoes!)
1 4oz can of sliced water chestnuts
1/2 lb of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped green onion
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup soy sauce 
2 cups shredded lettuce
Brown Rice

Dredge chicken in corn starch, add chicken to saute pan with oil over high heat.  Cook until brown.  Add tomato, water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, celery, garlic powder and soy sauce.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Place lettuce in a large bowl and top with chicken and veggies.  Lightly toss together and serve over a bed of brown rice.

Necessary Evil

I was on the phone the other day with my dear friend Sarah (the one I've never met...more on that in another post) and somehow we got on the topic of chores.  Sounds silly, doesn't it?  Two adult women discussing chores---and not in the "what we delegate to our kids to help teach them responsibility and cooperation" kind of way.  It was in the "things I have to do but really can't stand* doing" (*because we don't say hate!) way.

We agreed that some chores are necessary evil--for no real good reason.  For example; going to the dry cleaners.  Yeah...what's so hard about that?  Nothing.  Yet I would sooner poke myself in the forehead over and over with a plastic fork than stop at the dry cleaners.  Pick up or drop off, it makes no difference.  Both tasks are equally unpleasant to me.  Our dry cleaner is super nice--they say they love me (and all of their customers, so there's that).  Friendly, kind, prompt.  Helpful, even.  Yet I put off that task with all that I have, thus creating Mount Saint Drycleaning in my closet and forcing me to avoid face the inevitable.  Then it's a $1,748,394,303 dry cleaning bill and the cycle of loath starts all over again.

Task #2 that has more than earned the label "chore" is.....going to the post office.  Once again.  Kind people.  Great service.  Super convenient to our home.  Not a difficult task.  And still, I look at the stack of bills (yes, I still pay them the old fashioned way.  So!?) and letters (yes, I do write to people--who wants a mailbox filled only with bills and Kmart circulars?), upper right hand corner of the envelops all naked and lonely.  Looking for the face of Elvis or an American flag to adorn it so it can be on its merry way to Chicago or Dallas or wherever else.  I turn to Mark.  I don't even need to say anything anymore; he simply takes the stack, rolls his eyes and they're gone.  Poof!  Magically stamped and in the mail.  

Don't even get me started on pumping gas!  I'm not the girly girl who doesn't like to get dirty.  That's not the issue.  Fumes aside, getting gas is a game I simply do not enjoy playing.  The jockeying for position at the pumps, waiting behind that inconsiderate person who pumps gas and leaves his car there, still connected to the pump after he's done, while he goes inside to buy Bugles and Red Bull.  Yeah--move your car, Ace!  

And is it only me, or do you find that the only pumps that are free are the ones on the opposite side of your tank, causing you to do a 345 point turn in the gas station parking lot (Mr. Bugles and Red Bull is back now, watching you and totally judging your ability to do this without hitting anything) to get there?  And somehow, in the middle of said 345 point turn, some other inconsiderate dolt in a puke green Fiat has swooped in and taken your spot at the pump.  You shoot them a nasty look, they shrug and climb awkwardly out of a too small (and too uncool) car that seemed like a good purchase...at the time.  

More than once, I've abandoned the whole scene, come home and reported, as I walk up the steps into the house, "I've gotta go out and get gas after dinner."  And I know, because he's a Saint, Mark will take my car and do it for me.  And maybe even bring back a Red Bull.**

So, I say, I'll wash the windows.  I'll tackle the toilets.  I'll clean the kitchen (actually, my favorite job!) and I'll do load after load of laundry.  But the cleaners, gas and stamps?  Not happenin'...at least not without a lot of grumbling!  What's on your "necessary evil" list of chores?





**editorial license; author has never (will never) consumed a Red Bull thank you very much!