Sharing about Shakeology

As long as I have known my husband it has been a battle for him to eat healthy. He is not a big fan of vegetables or fruits. When I first met him the mention of the word "salad" or " lettuce" freaked him out. It was hard for me to understand this because I have always loved fruits and vegetables (don't get me wrong I love my meat and sweets too!) I was always worried about his lack of nutrition and what I could do to help him (other than to disguise his fruits and vegetables!)

This starts my journey with Shakeology. When my husband first told me about Shakeology the first thing I thought was "Shake-what?!" and then next thing I thought (or said!) was "Yeah-I am NOT spending that much on a drink!".  Like most battles my husband won. He convinced me to just take money out of our monthly grocery budget and not spend as much on groceries since this would replace meals he would eat (okay-not a bad argument). So, we ordered the shakes. I wanted nothing to do with them since he had to talk me into them, but he absolutely loved them.

Fast forward a few months later. I was home recovering from a C-section and could not move very well and I had no energy to think about what to make for a meal. However, I KNEW I had to continue to get nutrients and eat well since I was breastfeeding. I just didn't have an appetite or energy to do so. My "good mom" genes kicked in and I caved. I asked my husband to fix me a Shakeology shake. At least I knew from other mom's and doctors that Shakeology was safe to drink while breastfeeding. I soon found myself asking my husband to make me a shake every day before he left for work. I would sip on it while I was home with our new baby. I would grab veggies or other light, healthy quick snacks in addition to this. In one month with absolutely NO exercise (not even light walking) I had dropped 30 lbs and I felt great (well other than the pain from my surgery). Shakeology was my new best friend! We even had to start ordering two bags of it a month because I was stealing all of his.

Today I am fully recovered from my C-section and back to work and working out. Shakeology is still my B.F.F because it is SO convenient. I drink it every morning for breakfast. Sometimes even on my way to work or once I am there checking my emails. I will also sometimes drink a second shake on my lunch break if there aren't any other healthy, quick alternatives at home. Even if  I end up eating crappy the other meals I at least know I got in one healthy meal that day.

The other thing that I love about Shakeology is that I can drink it having milk sensitivities. I select the "Vegan" option of it which is made with pea and rice proteins rather than whey. I mix it with Almond milk. So, I am not consuming any dairy. However, we do have non-vegan options for people who don't mind dairy. Here are the flavors you can choose from; Vegan Chocolate or Tropical Strawberry, Regular Chocolate, Greenberry, or Vanilla. Again, I prefer to make them with Almond milk but you can use water or regular milk. The chocolate is very versatile because you can add peanut butter, a banana, coffee etc.

My husband and I loved the Shakeology shakes so much that we actually signed up to be Beachbody coaches so that we could get the shakes at a discounted rate. If you can't afford them this is also an alternative option for you too!

Take a minute to watch my video on how I make Shakeology and see how quick and easy it really is.

If you have questions or are interested in trying a sample let me know.

I Can't Afford to Eat Healthy!

I Can't Afford to Eat Healthy!

The excuse I hear most when I talk to people about eating organic, buying supplements, Shakeology, or workouts is "I can't afford it!". I have even used this excuse myself. What we need to all realize is that at some point we will all HAVE to pay the price. It is up to us whether we want to pay for it now or later. What do I mean by that? I mean that if we don't take care of our health now then down the road we will have huge medical bills, co-pays, prescriptions, etc. to pay on top of being miserable and unhealthy. Look around you! Every time we turn around someone new has cancer, diabetes, open heart surgery etc. Those people are forced to pay big bucks to try to get better or even just stay alive. If we don't want to end up miserable and unhealthy down the road we need to be proactive not reactive!

Supplements-You get what you pay for. If you are buying cheap supplements from a convenience store you are probably throwing your money down the drain. These supplements (vitamins) are so processed that you body isn't actually absorbing any nutrients. You are probably just pooping those bad boys out! If you are going to take supplements you should get them through a whole food supplement such as Standard Process.

Protein/Meal Replacement Drinks-I can't tell you how many people have said to me, "I buy my protein powder in bulk online for ___$". When I look at the ingredients I have no idea what all the crap is that is included with that protein. It isn't quality protein. No wonder it is so cheap! Awesome-you are getting "protein" for dirt cheap-but what else are you polluting your body with along with that?  If you learn one thing from reading this let me share-QUALITY IS BETTER THAN QUANTITY! You get what you pay for. So, just because it is "cheaper" does not make it better.

There are some things that it is okay to go cheap on-toilet paper, shampoo, and other non-name brand products. If you read the back of a jar of pickles and the same ingredients are in Pickle jar A that are in Pickle jar B and Pickle jar B is cheaper then of course buy pickle jar B. It is so important to compare ingredients and 1. understand what the ingredients are and 2. understand why you are paying more for certain better quality ingredients.

I would much rather spend the money up front now buying healthy, organic, and better quality products in order to prevent diseases or bad things from happening then have to spend even more money down the road trying to fix the problems I created by eating crap and not taking care of my body.

But I don't have the money to buy the nicer stuff!!! This is just an excuse to create a roadblock for you on your path to good health. Where can you cut back so that you can afford what is important? Can you cancel Cable T.V.? What about quit going out to eat or buying fast food? Trust me, you will not notice the missing money when you spend it on your health-the only thing you will notice is your body telling you Thank you!

How to Create a Healthy Eater-Teaching Your Child to Eat Healthy

Teaching Your Child to Eat Healthy

 

Ideas for Parents with Toddlers

I am learning that it is so difficult to feed a toddler. They are so picky and what they may love to eat one day the next they despise. So, when you are trying to feed them healthy foods it can really narrow down your options and in turn make the process seem that much more difficult. However, I think that as a parent it is our responsibility to teach our child good, healthy eating habits. This is one area that I don't want to grow lazy or passive in. I am already seeing at such a young age how exposed our kids are to bad choices. I know that I can't control everything that gets handed to her and what she eats. But, I can control what I give her. So, I think that if I feed her well the 80% she is with me then I won't feel as bad and it won't be as bad for her if she does eat bad on an occasion (like a birthday party or holiday).

It is hard to think of options that are "healthy" and creative. Especially if we weren't raised on those types of foods ourselves. There are so many great blogs and websites out there to provide suggestions and recipes.

Here is a sample of a menu that I use:

• Breakfast- Yo Toddlers Organic Yogurt with some fruit (she LOVES strawberries and bananas)


• Mid morning snack-Toddler Cereal Bar, another piece of fruit, or a homemade blueberry muffins (grammy is good at making these)


• Lunch-Scrambled Eggs and a pouch of organic baby food


• Mid-Day Snack-Cut up cheese and whole wheat crackers (or crackers with a little bit of peanut butter)


• Dinner-Sweet Potatoe/apple/carrot blend


• Bed-time Snack-Cut up Avocado

Don't assume that your child won't eat certain things just because they are healthy or you don't like them. I can't believe some of the things that Mayda eats that I would think would taste disgusting (for example Spinach with pears). That girls loves avocados plain with nothing on them. I recommend offering something healthy numerous times and try different ways of serving them. Sometimes I can put cinnamon on something and she will immediately like it when she didn't before.

Toddlers don't know yet what foods are healthy or not. Don't plant ideas in their head and create certain associations with foods that aren't necessary. If you really talk up ice cream and act like "yummm ice crream" with a glisten in your eye of course they will want some. You could do this same thing with healthier options. Again, when I give Mayda an avocado she acts like it is the tastiest food ever. We are setting the example for our children.

Plan ahead and always have healthy options on hand. Here is my favorite recipe I concocted for Mayda. I love this because you can make a big batch for the week ahead of time and pull out of fridge when needed.

 

 Steamed Sweet Potatoes/Apples/Carrots

Ingredients-2 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams, four carrots, two-three apples, cinnamon

1. Peel Potatoes, Apples and Carrots

2. Cuts into small, bite sized cubes

3.  Place in steamer pot and Sprinkle Cinnamon on top, mix and sprinkle more cinnamon

4. Cook until soft and easy for a toddler to chew (I use a boiling pot of water with a steamer that sits on top-usually takes about 45 minutes to cook)

5. Place in small containers and store in fridge

*I love this recipe because it is a good blend of healthy foods and tasty ones too! :)

 You can also make a version of this for yourself and the rest of the family. We cut the peeled carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes into wedges (like french fries) and sprinkle with cinnamon and olive oil and we bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (until crispy and a little brown). This is a great snack alternative!

 

 

 

 

Facts about Soy

Recently I have started eating less meat. This had forced me to look for protein sources elsewhere. A common place for vegetarians to find protein is in soy sources. However, there are a lot of rumors out there about soy and links to breast cancer and other things. So, I was very excited to see on the Dr. Oz show the other day a doctor explaining the differences in different types of soy. Here is what I learned (kind of the break down and basics). If you are a soy consumer or eat products that contain soy it is important you know this. Here is the "quick and dirty/simplified" version of what I learned:

Facts about Soy

Avoid processed soy-This will come in the form that says "Soy Protein or  Soy Isolate"-typically we find this in soy milk, ice cream, and protein shakes. This is disguised as soy but it is so processed and broken down that it isn't truly a soy product and it doesn't have the benefits of the original soy bean.

If you are trying to avoid dairy milk it is best to stick with almond or coconut milk. As for protein powder sources-go for pea protein or hemp protein.

Best types of soy to get-Edamame, Tofu, and Fermented Soy(Tempeh). It is also best to by organic soy and GMO (genetically modified) free soy.

*Allergies or Sensitivities-Soy is one of the top things that people can be allergic to, or have a sensitivity to.  If you fall into this category, then you should probably avoid Soy products.  A good way to do an unofficial allergy self test to see if you have a sensitivity is to go for at least 2 weeks with no Soy, and then see how you feel.  After the 2 week time period, re-introduce Soy back into your diet.  You want to listen to your body at that point and see if the symptoms that you may have had came back, got worse, etc...

For Example: I have a sensitivity to Dairy products.  I never knew it, I just knew that when I ate ice cream or cheese I would get phlegmy and/or cough.  It turns out that when I eliminated dairy from my diet that all went away.  It only happens when I eat those products that contain dairy.  About 10 minutes after I eat it, I can  feel the phlegm build up.  So I mostly try to avoid dairy...except for ice cream, we all know how much I love ice cream.