Healthy No-Bake Cookies

Hey Everyone,

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, because I grew up on No-Bakes, and there is no way I can give them up……so that means I had to find a healthy way to make them.

Let me assure you, that you will not be able to tell the difference at all!  These taste exactly the same, but without the butter or the sugar.  They are so good, that my sweet picky 2 year old  even eats them…in fact LOVES them.  Which is great, because I'm always trying to come up with healthy ways to get good food into his little belly.

In fact, I think you will love these even more than the Bad No-Bakes….and yes they are VERY addicting!

They are a cinch to whip up, it only took me about 10 minutes total to do everything, so if you need a healthy cookie around to curb your cravings for bad stuff, or you're looking for an easy healthy dessert to bring to a party, this is it!

One more thing, before I post the recipes.  If you are looking to be UBER Healthy when making these, be sure to use Local Raw Honey, All-Natural Organic PB (ingredients literally just say peanuts), Organic Cocoa Powder (or Cacao, even healthier,  although i haven't tried this, so not sure if it will alter the taste), Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract.  This would be the healthiest you could make it.  I did not have all of these on hand, so I used what a had.  It's just a suggestion.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  It's sure to please the whole fam!

Until next time...

"Superlife, The 5 Forces That Will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome"

Hey Everyone,

Tonight, I want to share with you one of the greatest books I have read to date about being healthy in our current world.  A world that is full of GMO's, pollution, bad water, and deceptive food labeling.  I will be the first to tell you that I am no expert in nutrition, but I have done my fair share of research and learning about it on my own.

I was introduced to the book "Superlife" through Team Beachbody.  The author of the book, Darin Olean, is actually the guy who created Shakeology.  Darin travels all over the world to find the world's most powerful superfoods in their most natural habitats.  This blog post is not about Shakeology, but as a person who has been drinking it for a year and a half, I wanted to learn more about the man who created it.

Now to get to the good stuff!!  As I mentioned in the title this book talks specifically about 5 forces that greatly impact our health and well-being.  Those five forces are Nutrition, Hydration, Oxygenation, Alkalization, and Detoxification.  He goes into the science behind all of these things and how they affect your body.  Before reading this book, I thought I had a good idea of what it meant to be healthy, but this book has totally opened my eyes to so many more things!

You see, when Darin was 10, he had developed a ton of problems. He was labeled with a learning disability, hyperactiving, a thyroid problem, etc….  He was able to conquer all of these problems with these 5 forces, and this is why he is so passionate about what he does.  I can really relate because I dealt with panic attacks, that were caused by a reaction of something not lining up in my body because my body was lacking something. After changing the way I ate, and supplementing with vitamins, I knocked out the panic attacks in a month.  I was amazed at what happened solely because of nutrition.  This is why I am so passionate about getting the word out and helping people.

I want to give you just a few quotes from the book to whet your appetite.  This one comes from the Nutrition Chapter:  "Our microbes even influence our moods and emotional state.  It's worthwhile to consider changing your diet as a means to improve your outlook on life."  In this chapter on Nutrition he talks about how to feed your body, what happens in your cells when you eat, raw food, what to buy at the store, how to know if it's good for you, and in the back even gives you a whole index of what to have in your pantry, what kinds of foods are high in different vitamins, and a 10 day eating plan that your body will love you for!  There really is so much valuable information in this chapter.  I guarantee you will not look at food the same way.

Another force is Hydration.  "Drink a big glass of water when you feel tired, fuzzy-brained, or emotionally drained.  I'm betting that most of the time, water will be just what you needed."  In this chapter he tells you how vital water is to your healthy, what kind of water to drink, and how it affects your body.  Believe me, you will want to drink water through this whole chapter…LOL

The third force is Oxygenation.  "Where your breath goes, you go.  If it is short and rapid, the body will be stressed and tight.  When it is deep and full, the body is loose and relaxed."  After reading this, you will want to spend a lot more time outside =)

Life force number four is Alkalization.  "Start paying attention not only to food labels but also to the ingredients in your shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste.  These industrial chemicals and the preservative and additives in our food contribute to metabolic acidosis."  I promise you don't have to be a scientist to understand all this, he writes in a way that is understandable.

The last life force he talks of is Detoxification.  "Take care of the other four life forces--proper nutrition, hydration, oxygenation, and alkalization--in order to boost your detox system.  Otherwise, you can't expect your body to fight off disease and rid you of the harmful substances you inadvertently take in."  It's a powerful chapter on how your body can fight off diseases if you take care of it.  You are either feeding the disease or fighting it.

I really can't stress enough how much this book will change your life…literally.  This is not just a book for a nutrition fanatic, it's a book for a person who wants to get healthy but doesn't know where to start, or for someone who is healthy but wants to take it to the next level.  I read this book in about 2 weeks, because I couldn't put it down.

It is so important that we are aware of what we put into our bodies and that we learn how to best take care of them.  We are only given one life, so why not make it a great one and a healthy one.   The human body is the most amazing thing that God has created, so let's take care of it and teach our kids to do the same.

What amazes me today, is that the healthy person is oftenfrowned upon, or made fun of, like some weirdo.  On the other hand, the person who eats at Fast Food restaurants everyday is perfectly normal.  All the time, people tell me I'm too skinny or that I need to eat more, which is crazy to me because no one would ever tell someone who is overweight, that they are too fat.  We basically encourage people that are overweight, and look down on people that are in shape.  That's the craziness in our world right now.  So let's change it!!!

Get this book and revamp your health on your own.  You don't need to follow some crazy diet or jump on the newest and greatest fitness craze.  Change your lifestyle because you care about yourself, and want to be around for your kids and their kids.  Besides the more we as a nation demand healthy food that is not processed, the more the manufacturers will produce what the people want.

If you want to get this book, Click Here.  I can't recommend this book enough, especially for those of you that follow me and take my clean eating challenges.  Here is another way you can learn more on your own and take charge of your health!

7 Day Clean Eating Challenge

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by!  I want to take a minute to tell you about my latest FREE Challenge.  As you know by now…if you have been reading my blog at all, I love nutrition and clean eating.  Because I love it so much, I decided to create my very own 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge, just like so many others have done.  I'm not an expert in nutrition, but I have spent a lot of time learning how to create healthy meal plans, prepping my meals for the week, and losing weight because of it.  So, I feel qualified to be able to create my own plan!!

First, I started by looking up some of my all-time favorite recipes on Pinterest.  I LOVE Pinterest!  It is literally where I get every single recipe and idea for anything I make!  I have healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner boards, healthy snacks, clean eating, nutrition, smoothies, and on and on and on.  Did I mention that I love pinning!!   Also, now would be a good time to insert my Pinterest Profile if you are interesting and seeing all of those great healthy boards.  CLICK HERE to find me on Pinterest.

Second, I took all of my favorite recipes and loaded them into MyFitnessPal to check on the ratio of Carbs to Fats to Proteins to make sure everything was in the right percentage for losing weight.  I also kept the calories low, around 1350-1450 in order to jumpstart weightloss.  I do not recommend staying at this low of a calorie range for a long time, but as I said before it's a great way to lose up to 7 pounds in a week.

Third, I tested it out on a good friend, and she ended up feeling great by the end of the challenge and losing 7 pounds.

Lastly, I opened it up to the public in my private FB group, in which I had about 65 people join and take the challenge.  The results were wonderful!  Lots of people lost weight, felt better, but best of all it has started so many of them on their journey to a healthier lifestyle.  Many were surprised that healthy food could even taste that good.  One of my biggest passions is making healthy food actually taste good to people who do not normally like healthy food.

Here are a few quick testimonials from the group:

"I didn't weigh myself beforehand ; no scale, and didn't think of it while I was at Publix. I, surprisingly, haven't had any cravings since we started, and I am one of those people that usually eat a dessert every day! So I'm hoping the cravings stay away. Coworkers have envied my meals as much as they would normally want a pizza or slice of cake someone would be eating. So that's nice. Maybe I can help spread the nutrition!"

"I weighed myself at the beginning of the challenge and lost 4.2 pounds, which makes me excited. I could have lost more had I exercised during the week. Busy week at school - testing and interrupted classes. Not fun! That's no excuse really. The food was delicious and simple to prepare. I loved the idea of prepping ahead of time. I am certainly going to continue eating more healthy. I found out that I really don't need all those carbs and my body stopped craving them after a few days. Thanks, Nat."

"So far 6 pounds and I've already prepared 5 kale smoothies,3 mango smoothies and 3 spinach salads for the week"

"thank you so much for all the work you have done for this challenge. I was very nervous about it and honestly did not think I could go a whole week without sugar! I love to exercise but have really wanted to be more intentional about eating healthy. I have lost 4 pounds but better then that you have started me on a journey to eat healthier and given me the motivation to make healthier choices when it comes to my eating habits. You also helped me face my fear of vegetables in my breakfast smoothies. Thank you!!"

" I definitely had more energy this week and was only hungry at meal time. Favorite meals: cabbage rolls, kale/banana smoothie & spinach/blueberry/feta salad! Least favorite probably cabbage wraps-not a fan of raw cabbage!. All in all, a great week. Definitely motivated for more clean eating!!"

The reason that I decided to put this in a blog, is because I would love for you to join my group and take the FREE Challenge.  Below I have posted an idea of what the meal schedule is for the first three days.  Mind you, I have provided recipes, meal prep instructions, a grocery list, a getting started list, a meal schedule, and a followup schedule.  Everything you need to make getting healthy SUPER EASY.  Check it out below.

Day 1
Breakfast--Kale/Banana Smoothie
Snack #1--Carrots/Hummus
Lunch--Mango Black Bean Salad in Mason Jar
Snack #2--Blueberries/almonds
Dinner--Cabbage Rolls

Day 2
Breakfast--Overnight Oats with Blueberries/Chia Seeds
Snack #1--Pear/Almond Butter
Lunch--Mason Jar Detox Salad
Snack #2--Avocado/Lemon Juice
Dinner--Napa Cabbage Wraps

Day 3
Breakfast--Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Snack #1--Tomato with Basil, Feta, Balsamic Vinegar
Lunch--Spinach Blueberry Mason Jar Salad
Snack #2--Mango/Banana Smoothie
Dinner--Chicken Quinoa Kale Bowl

If you would like to take the 7 DAY CLEAN EATING CHALLENGE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

That link takes you to my FB Page.  You will need to send me a friend request, and send me a message saying that you want to be in FIT NATION CLEAN EATING.  The ONLY way I can add you into the group is if we are FB Friends first.

Thanks so much, and I hope you will join us!!!!

Mason Jar: Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Hey Guys,

I just finished running a 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge for about 65 people.  It was fantastic!  So many people lost weight, started on the road to clean eating, felt better, and became happier!  This is something that I truly love to help people with.  I love teaching people how what we eat is so important to how we feel and look.

  So, with that being said, I wanted to share one of the favorite recipes of many of the challengers.  Also be on the lookout for my next FREE CLEAN EATING GROUP.  To be sure you get all the deets, CLICK HERE to friend me on Facebook, so you will see when I announce the next group!

The recipe favorites by so many challengers was the MANGO BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD, and the best part is…you can make it in a mason jar, and just shake it up when you are ready to eat it.  It helps to keep everything fresh and easily portable, if you pack your lunch for work.

MANGO BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

Makes 5 salads. (You’ll need 5 clean mason jars with lids.)

For the dressing:

juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt + pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1.  Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender.  Blend on low until thoroughly combined.  With the blender running on low, stream the olive oil into the blender and blend until smooth.

For the salad:

2 avocados, diced

juice of 1 lime

2 cups frozen diced mango, thawed

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

2 cans black beans, drained

1 can yellow corn, drained

1 cup cooked quinoa

5 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Assemble the salad in the following order:

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender.  Blend on low until thoroughly combined.  With the blender running on low, stream the olive oil into the blender and blend until smooth.

In the bottom of each jar, add 2-3 tablespoons of the Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Squeeze the juice of one half of the lime on the mango, and the other half over the avocado.  Sprinkle the avocado with a little salt.

Divide the mango evenly between the jars, then add black beans and corn.

Next, add the deconstructed guacamole ingredients.  First the avocado, then red onion, followed by the jalapeño

Top with cilantro, then pack each jar full of the salad greens.  You can use romaine as I’ve indicated above, or spinach would work really well as well.

When ready to serve, shake the jar to distribute the dressing, and pour onto a plate. Voila!

Shoutout to yagottahaveahobby.com for the recipe!

How I Plan Out My Meals Each Week

Hey Everyone,

Thank you so much for your continued support, my blog has almost reached 4000 views and I'm so excited!!  I hope that it is inspiring you to eat healthy and take care of your body.

Since, I have gotten so many views on my 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan/Prep, I have decided to show you exactly how I plan out my meals and eat healthy each week, when I'm not on a particular program.

What do I use?

I use the TeamBeachbody.com Meal Planner.

This system makes eating healthy a cinch!  You simply answer a few questions according to your weight loss/fitness goals and then add in your weight, height, and gender.  It really is THAT SIMPLE.  Once you have entered those things in, you will be presented with how many calories you need to consume and a bunch of recipes that are planned out for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and 2 snacks.   Also, you can scroll down to the bottom of what day you have planned and check to be sure the ratio of carbs to fats to proteins is good.  It usually will be fine, but if it's not, then just switch out something until it is good for your ratio.

Do I need Shakeology?

It is highly recommended.  I have been using it for almost 2 years now, and I can't go a day with out.  It's great for your body, lowers your cholesterol, and helps you to lose weight.  Here's a quick video on it.

Are there different options?

YES!!! If you don't like what they have chosen, you can easily change it to your own preference.  I usually just do 1 Day of meals, and that use that same day all week.  It makes it easier for me to grocery shop and meal prep.  Instead of choosing 5 different things on 5 different days, which makes it expensive and more work.

How long does it take to do?

 I can plan out my meals for the week in about 5 minutes, and I'm ready to shop.   The recipes are easy to print out and you are all set and ready to go.

Is it worth it?

If you are a busy mom like me, the last you want to do is spend hours on finding meals each week for yourself and your family…not to mention healthy meals at that.  You have way too many other things to do, and this is one less thing for you to worry about!  It has totally saved me!  I'm such a last minute planner.  I usually pull it up 10 minutes before I go shopping for the week and that's all it takes.    It really does simplify your life and your health. 

How much is it?

The meal planner is included with the teambeachbody club membership.  The membership comes out to be about $12.98 a month.  But wait….there's more.  The club membership also contains 10 of the hottest Beachbody Programs that you can stream from your phone anywhere!  This is a killer deal, not only do you get easy meal planning, but you get some of beach body's best workout programs included!  Programs, like P90X, P90X2, P90X3, Insanity, Turbofire, Brazil Butt Lift, and more!

How do I sign up and get started?

This month only March 2015, you can get 3 months of club membership plus Shakeology for $140.  CLICK HERE to get this great deal, and be on your way to being in the best shape of your life!!

Sausage, Green Pepper, Onion, Pineapple Stir Fry

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by to check out my latest post!

Today, I want to share with you a yummy new recipe, I somewhat came up with.  The reason I say somewhat, is because I got the recipe off of my Team Beachbody Meal Planner, but tweaked it a little bit to make it more yummy to my taste buds.

Easy Homemade Salad Dressings

Are you sick of spending a lot of money for Salad Dressings that are healthy?  Even the healthy ones sometimes aren't healthy!  Well, lucky for you, Salad Dressings are so easy to whip up in a matter of minutes, and you know what is in it…..AND it's healthier…AND you save money =)

21 Day Fix Extreme RESULTS!!!

The day has finally come…I have finished 21 Day Fix Extreme!  I'm so excited about my results and can't wait to share them with you!  If you have never heard of 21 Day Fix Extreme, check out my very first post that explains all about it HERE.

Vegan Homemade Granola: No sugar or butter added.

Today, I want to blog about a yummy Granola recipe that I just found and tweaked a little bit.  If you don't know me by now, I love clean eating and I'm trying my hardest to fuel my picky toddler with good nutrition.  It can be tricky, but I have found that by making the things he loves that I buy at the store, I am able to make it more healthy and add in some extra healthy stuff!

How to save money on toiletries, by using All-Natural products

Hey Everyone,

So, I had to do a quick post about this, because I want to share with you how it's possible to use All-Natural Products on your skin and hair, without it costing you a fortune!  Today, I will just be talking about one product that I like, but there will be many more in posts to come…..

How to Eat Clean while Out-Of-Town for the Weekend.

Hey Everyone,

I want to take a couple minutes to share with you that it is possible to eat clean even while traveling, and give you some of my tips and tricks.

If you have been following my posts, you know that I started doing 21 Day Fix Extreme on Feb. 9.  What I did not think about was the fact that I had to go away that coming weekend with my band to St. Pete for a couple of shows.  Logic would have told me to start the my workout program and eating regimen after I got back on Feb. 16, but hey that's not how I roll!

Feeding my Cat a Raw Diet

Hey Everyone,

This post should not surprise you, if you know me at all!  I love eating healthy and trying to make everyone else around me healthy as well….even if it's my kitty.  Seriously though, my cat has had a history of problems, from being overweight, bladder issues, and so on.  I also really like him a lot and want him to be around for awhile, so this is why I have decided to experiment with a raw food diet.

21 Day Fix Day 7--Meal Plan and Prep Included for the week

I made it to day 7…yeah!!  The first week has been completed.  It's been a great week so far and I'm proud that I made it through a weekend away as well.

Day 7 was Yoga Fix.  I was really looking forward to taking it easy and getting in some stretching.  While I did get in a lot of stretching…the workout was far from easy!  I often find Yoga workouts to be harder than Cardio workouts.   Either way, it was another great workout, and another sore day for my legs!

DIY Shampoo/Conditioner Day 13

Hey Everyone,

It's Day 13 of my experiment and I'm still going strong!  I know that you can see some frizziness in the pics, and I assure you that is because I'm in desperate need of a haircut.  My hair always gets like that when it needs to be cut.  Which is why I wish you could actually touch my hair, because it's pretty silky and nice…..even though it needs a cut.

My Journey doing 21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 1

Hey everyone,

As you may or may not know, I have started Beachbody's newest program called 21 Day Fix Extreme, which just came out 1 week ago.  I have already done the original 21 Day Fix and got great results, but I wanted to do something a little more EXTREME this time around.

I have already blogged all about this program and the differences between the original and EXTREME, so if you are wanting to learn more about the program and what it's about, check out my original post HERE!  My journey doing 21 Day Fix, will give you insights into the workouts, eating plan, and overall how i'm feeling…and Looking!

Healthy Lunch/Dinner Idea: Sweet Potato Nachos

If you are like me, a busy mom, entrepreneur, and musician, I NEED simple healthy meals that i can prep ahead of time.  Let's face it, who really has time to cook 3 healthy meals everyday?  Well maybe someone, but I'm busy trying to raise a 2 year old and follow my dreams.  So, I'm super excited to share this YUMMY, QUICK, EASY, HEALTHY recipe with you!  If you LOVE Sweet Potatoes, you are going to love it.

My Favorite Clean Eating Breakfast Recipe….Ready in Minutes

If you are at all like me, stay-at-home mom to a busy toddler and budding entrepreneur, having time to cook breakfast, much less a healthy one, is often out of the question.    So ever since becoming a mom, it has been my goal in life to make meals as EASY and HEALTHY as possible.  I have enough things that i need to accomplish in a day and spending 3-4 hours cooking is not one of them.