Healthy Eating Options for Toddlers

One of my biggest challengers in raising a toddler, is getting him to eat healthy.  My son, EJ is a total carbaholic.  His most favorite foods include, chips, french fries, bread, and granola bars, so not only am i trying to find healthy recipes, but i'm trying to figure out how to sneak in veggies and protein.  The only veggie he eats is corn, which in and of itself is not the greatest, and the only protein he will eat is yogurt and chicken nuggets.  So what i want to share with you are a few recipes/snacks that I have come up with that give him the nutrition he needs.

Key Lime Shakeology Pie

Check out this fabulous and nutritious Key Lime Pie Recipe made with Shakeology.  If you thought healthy eating had to be kale chips and hemp seeds, think again.  In my own opinion, you just have to figure out how to make healthy food taste like the things you love that are unhealthy.  So, if you are craving some key lime pie, but it's not on your diet, then this is for you my friend.

Key Lime Shakeology Pie

2 scoops Greenberry Shakeology
1 container tofu, silken firm (approx. 12 oz.) 
Juice of 2 limes 
1 Tbsp. sugar-free lime Jell-O® mix
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 1-1/4 oz. Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese
1/3 less Fat Mini
1 premade whole-grain graham pie crust

Directions: Place tofu, Greenberry Shakeology, Jell-O, lime juice, cream cheese, and orange juice in blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (Makes 8 servings.)

Calories: 168 per serving

If you are looking for more tasty shakeology recipes, or if you would like to order a bag, click on the link below.

myshakeology.com/ntothehoangz

What is a Challenge Group?

I'm so excited to talk about this topic, because it has changed the lives of so many people!  Before, i get into it thought i want to give you a little background with my experiences with Team Beachbody.

I met my husband in 2008, and at that time he was doing this crazy fitness program called P90X.  I had never heard of it before, but he was getting insane results.  So, naturally i wanted to learn more, since i have always been a fitness junkie.  At the time, i was literally recording shows off of the workout channel and doing them, along with running.  I wasn't getting the results that i wanted, as a matter of fact i had never gotten the results i wanted since i started working out back in 1997.  I soon came to find out that it all had to do with my diet.  Now, i wasn't the most unhealthy person, but i would eat whatever i wanted, whenever i wanted to eat it, then i would just work out more to burn off the calories.  Have you ever been like that =)  Well needless to say, i got on the program, learned how to eat correctly and the excess weight came off.  I was amazed and become a total believer.

Fast Forward to Sept. 2013, by this time i had several rounds of P90X under my belt, and i had just completed another round because i was trying to lose the last few pounds of baby weight.  Well at that point, my husband had a grand idea….Why not become Beachbody Coaches?  I mean this program had been changing our lives and getting us in the best shape for years, but i honestly had no idea there was such a thing as coaching and that i could be one!  This was a dream come true for me, because for years i had played sports, worked out, and just loved all things athletic, but i didn't know how to pursue it as a career.  I was always trying to help my friends get in shape, even when i was young.  Originally my husband was just going to do it, but i couldn't resist!

So here we are new coaches to beachbody, mind you we never went through a challenge group, had a coach, didn't even know any of that existed.  However, we became fast learners and soon started up our own group.  What is it?  It's an online FB Group, that i put my customers in to have accountability while they are on their fitness journey.  This is the one vital step that no other program offers!!  It's a win win situation, you get a program, shakeology for nutrition, a nutrition guide to tell you what to eat, and a free coach to help you stay accountable so that you don't quit.  Check out this video that perfectly sums up what a challenge group is.

Do they really work?  Yes they do!  I have seen so many people transform their lives through these groups.  What i love the most, is that they are taught how to live a healthy lifestyle even after the program is completed.  They understand what to eat, how to exercise, and most importantly they feel so much better.

Here are the results from a challenger who recently completely T25, she lost almost 20 pounds in 10 weeks, and she is a mom of 4 kids!  Anyone can do this.

If you are interested in taking the challenge.  Click here!  http://Natalie.AutomaticCEO.com/go10

How to plan meals in order to lose weight

As you know what you eat is really the most important factor to losing weight, becoming healthy, and changing your lifestyle for the better.   However, this is probably where most people, including myself, struggle the most.  You want to be healthy and eat right, but you have no idea how to calculate calories, figure out the ration of proteins to carbs to fats, or how to even begin.  I've found a super simple way to do this, and it's through a system that figures out everything for you, and then plans out your meals.

This system is through the Team Beachbody website.  After you login, you can click on the "Eat Smart" tab, and directly underneath you will see meal planner.

I cannot tell you how incredibly easy this is.  Once you get to this screen you will be asked a few questions about your weight, height, activity level, and what you are looking to do (lose weight, maintain, etc…).  Then you will be directed to the next page that will show you a bunch of different meals for the week, and you can mix and match or change the meals if you want, because they have a ton of different options.  If you are like me, and you want to save a little bit of money, just pick one days worth of food and have the same thing all week.  As a person, who is terrible at planning ahead and has a hard time sticking to a diet (because i'm so picky and often lazy), I can testify that the meals on here are really good and i have stuck to this diet now for almost 3 weeks.  

I must confess though, that i have had the club membership now for almost 6 months, and i have never taken advantage of what it has to offer.  Because it is just for club members, you will need to sign up to get this feature.  It averages out to about $12 a month, but i can tell you it has saved me so much on my grocery bill, because i plan everything out, eat the same thing for a month, and do not buy any extras that are not on my list.  Being on a diet or health food plan, can save you a lot of money for this very reason, and also you are not keeping any junk food on hand, so you have no choice but to eat healthy.

This last part is one of the best features, because down at the bottom it gives you the nutrition information and it tells you if you are in your target ranges, based on what you pick.  I find that if i'm not in my target range on something, i will switch something out to get closer, but usually no matter what you choose you aren't that far off.  This is what i like to call nutrition made easy.  It takes all the guesswork out of looking for recipes, trying to calculate calories, and spending all that time on something that would be well spent in other areas.

Another perk to getting the club membership, is that you get 10% off of all Team Beachbody products. Workouts like 21 Day Fix, P90X, T25, Insanity, and many more.  It really has made my life so much simpler and easier, by taking the guesswork out of eating healthy.  So many other programs, make you order food, which is more expensive, and then when the program is over, you eventually have to learn how to eat and cook yourself anyway.  I hope this will help you on your journey to becoming fit, and if there is anything i can do to help you, or any questions that you have, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Here's the link to get the club membership, which will in turn provide you with access to the Meal Planner.  Thanks for taking the time to stop by my page and read this article, please feel free to forward to anyone you may think would benefit.

http://www.teambeachbody.com/signup

No Bake Chocolate Shakeology Cookies

What you will come to know about me, is that i don't like to give up things that i like, so instead i find ways to still eat what i want but in a healthier version.  That's why i love this recipe for no bakes!  It is easy, quick, delicious, and HEALTHY!  Yes, it's possible to eat clean and have it taste really good!

I find that so many people are scared of healthy eating, because they think it consists of kale chips and hemp hearts.  These things are great and beneficial for you, but there is still a way to have your cake and it too, when it comes to healthy eating.  The trick as i mentioned before, is tweaking your favorite recipes, but substituting a few things here are there to make it better for you.  It can be very overwhelming at first, but the more you do it as well as get advice from others, the easier it will become.  

Without further ado, here is the no bake recipe.

Shakeology No-Bake Cookies

1 cup Chocolate Shakeology powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup oatmeal (quick)
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar (to taste)

Directions: Combine ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Roll into balls (about 1 heaping teaspoon each).

Optional: Roll balls in crushed nuts, oatmeal mixed with a little cinnamon, graham cracker crumbs, or unsweetened coconut flakes.

Calories: 166 per serving

Thanks again for checking out my blog, be sure to post a comment and let me know what you think and be on the lookout for more yummy recipes.

Les Mills Combat Workout Review

If you are ready this, you are probably wondering about a program called Les Mills Combat.  Does it really work, is it fun, will it help me to reach my goals?  The answers to all of those questions is yes!  I will break it down for you in the next couple of paragraphs, so that you will know all about it, before you commit to purchasing it and changing your life =)

What exactly is Les Mills Combat?  Well, it is a 60 day program, that focuses on 7 different martial arts.   You will learn techniques from Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Muay Thai, Capoeira, and more.  These different martial arts are formulated in butt-kicking workouts that will keep you having fun and burning fat at the same time.  One of the things i loved the most about the workouts, is the great DJ music they have blasting.  As a person who always turns down the volume to workout dvds so i can listen to mine own music, it was refreshing to not have to do that with this one.  I would wake up in the morning excited to go workout, because i liked it so much.  It also gave me a sense of being tough and being a fighter.  That can be empowering as a girl!  The program comes with a nutrition guide that shows you how to plan your meals, as well as some great recipes!  All of the recipes are really good too, because i have tried them all!  The program also comes with a schedule that lets you know which workout to do each day, depending on the schedule you pick.  One schedule is 5 days of working out, and the other 2 schedules are 6 days of working out with one rest day.


Ok great you are thinking, this sounds fun, but does it really work?  Yes! I had fantastic results on this program with the aid of Shakeology.  I was really looking to tone up and get some strength as well as lose the rest of my pregnancy weight, and this program did just that.

I hope this will inspire you to do the program, if you have been considering it.  It really is worth the money!  Be sure to get the challenge pack, so that you will also receive Shakeology.  It will aid in your weightless and overall health.  My results are a combination of doing both things, so go all in!

Click to view more info here.  

http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCPLMC160?referringRepId=292024

FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge

What is this free 5 day clean eating challenge?  Well, it is a way to reset your body from eating unhealthy, as well as a jumpstart into a healthier lifestyle.  It's a fantastic way to cleanse your body of toxins, and feed it the whole nutrition that it is craving.  Then when are body becomes refueled from eating good food, we feel refreshed and energized, and often have a brand new motivation to stay healthy because we remember how good it feels!

This is something i run all of the time for friends and family and people i have just met.  It's totally free, i provide you with everything, except all the food =)  Along with that, you are put into an online support group where you can chat with others doing the challenge, or ask any questions that you might have as you are going through the challenge.

I know what you are thinking, do the recipes and food in this challenge actually taste good?  Yes, the meals are very similar to what you may normally eat, just a lot healthier.  I'm not asking you to down chia seeds or eat raw goat's milk or anything crazy.  Not that any of that is bad, but often times when people have lived a lifestyle of eating unhealthy foods, to jump into to something uber healthy can be a little scary, so don't worry this is totally doable and tasty! There are 3 main meals and 2 snacks.   Also, you have 3 different options for each meal and snack, so you can plan to do the same thing all week, or switch it up.

Lastly, before i get some of the yummy pics from the meals, this challenge is based on 1200 calories for women and 1500 for men.  A lot of people actually feel like they can't eat all of the food at first, because they are not used to so much nutrition in their food.  In case you didn't know vegetables are very filling, but not many calories, so adding a lot more of those can really fill you up, even though you aren't eating a lot of calories.

Ok, so here it is, my breakfast this morning on the challenge.  Shakeology oatmeal, raspberries, and 3 hard-boiled eggs, and it was delicious

For Snack #1

I had Green Tea Shakeology

For Lunch

I had a Chicken Hummus Pita

For Snack #2  

I had Hummus Deviled Eggs

 And for Dinner

I had a Chicken Salad

As I mentioned before not bad at all, and the recipes are fantastic.  Again, i will provide you with the options, all the recipes, and the support needed in the group.  This is all free.  I want to help you live a healthier lifestyle.  It is my passion to see more and more people be free of sickness and disease, because of simply changing what we put into our mouths and becoming more educated.  

If this interests you, please send me an email titled 5 day clean eating challenge, or friend me on FB, and send me a message that you would like to do the challenge.  My Facebook link and email are below.  I hope to hear from you soon!

Facebook.com/natalie.m.hoang

Natohey@hotmail.com

What does a healthy diet look like?

Living in America, where portions are way too big, most foods are processed, and even natural products aren't really always natural, it can be difficult to figure out what to eat, how much to eat, and what brands even.  While i do not consider myself in any way to be a nutrition expert, i have been eating healthy for a long time, and have learned a lot along the way about what to eat, how much to eat, and what brands are good.  So in this post, I would like to show you exactly what I eat on a daily basis, how I come up with the correct amount, and what brands I love to buy the most.

Let me start off by saying that I am 32 years old, weight 116 pounds and live a very active lifestyle.  I workout 6 days a week, chase around a 2 year old all day, do martial arts a couple nights a week, and play in a band, so my calorie count is pretty high.  Of course there are many different ways to calculate calories, but i follow a very simple equation.

First to calculate your caloric baseline take your current weight in pounds times eleven (116 x 11).  That equals 1,276.  Next you will take that number and add 400 calories (we call these maintenance calories.)  I'm currently at 1,676 now.  The last thing is to subtract 600 from that last number, so now my final number is 1,076.  If the number is ever below 1,200, you need to round up, because eating any less than 1,200 calories isn't healthy or recommended.  By eating too little calories, you may find that you have trouble losing weight too.  My final number is 1200, but because i am so active, i personally add a couple hundred more, so i will stay around 1500-1800.  At the stage i am in my fitness, i'm not looking to lose weight, i'm looking to just maintain, so what you need to understand is once you get to your desired fitness/weight loss goal, you want to eat to maintain your weight.  It's unhealthy to always have a deficit.  I won't get into all that in this post, but just want you to be aware.  Now remember, this is just an example and one way to easily calculate out how much you need, in no way is this the standard or the perfect equation.  It is what has worked for me, and many of the people i have helped to lose weight.

The next thing i would like to show you is how i plan out my diet for the week, based on what i have just explained.    I will be using the nutrition guide from the program PIYO, because it tells me how much one serving is for any food item I choose.  Sidenote:  All of the beachbody programs come with nutrition guides, tell you how to calculate calories, and give you pages of food to pick from with the servings laid out.)  Based on the equation for calories, it's showing me that i need 1200.

As you can see I will be under Plan A.  The rest is easy, simply choose the correct amount of each food item from the following pages.  If you do not own a program that has all of the servings figured out, you will just have to check the label on your packages for serving sizes.  Here is an example of vegetable choices to pick from.

Next, I will show you an example of what i eat each day for at least a week, then i will switch it up.

Breakfast

                                                   1 Scoop of Shakeology       1 Protein

                                                   1 Banana                             1 Fruit   

                                                   3 tsp. of Peanut Butter         2 Healthy Fats

                                                   1 Cup of Spinach                 1 Veg.

                                                   1 Cup water/ice

Snack #1

                                                   1 Cup of Sliced Carrots       1 Veg.

                                                   1 Tbsp. of Hummus             1 Healthy Fat

Lunch

                                                   2 Slices of Bread                  2 Grains

                                                   1 Cup of Tuna                      2 Proteins

                                                   1 Apple                                 1 Fruit

Snack #2

                                                  10 Large Asparagus Spears    1 Veg.

Dinner

                                                  4 Slices of Turkey Bacon       1 Protein
                                                  1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes     1 Veg

Remember this is an example for someone who is eating between 1200-1399 calories.  The other reason I love the way this is laid out is because, we hear so much about low-carb, paleo, protein heavy diets, and so on and so forth.  Every year scientists and dieticians come up with a new diet plan.  Well i'm here to tell you that MODERATION is key.  It's ok to eat all of these things, and yes while you may lose weight on a low carb diet or whatever else you have tried, you often gain it back as soon as you quit, because nobody can live a life constantly depleting out certain foods.  This way is balanced and you don't need to rid anything, except high sugary, refined, enriched processed foods, which are never good for you anyway.  I will also tell you that I will eat 1 or 2 cheat meals a week, just to reward myself, and let's face it, no one can eat super healthy all the time!  Let's be real!

Lastly here are some of my favorite brands!

  

I hope that you found this information helpful on your journey to losing weight, or just becoming healthier.  If there is anyway i can help you, please let me know!  I'd love to help you set up a meal plan and exercise routine that will help you to reach your goals, if that interests you, please click the link below to sign up.

http://Natalie.AutomaticCEO.com/go10