Five Easy Tips to Slash Calories and Get Back on Track!!

If you have fallen off of your 2016 fitness goals, do not fear, you are not alone! Just because you have one “off “day, you can always start over the next day. Give yourself a little wiggle room! The most important thing is to keep going, don’t quit. You’ve made a lot of awesome progress, so keep at it!

5 Easy Tips to Getting Back on & Staying on Track

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  1. Cut out unnecessary calories by choosing to drink water or unsweetened tea. Cut out soda, fruit juice, fancy soda mixes, etc. Those calories add up quickly and are simple to cut. Save up to 500 calories a day depending on how many sugary drinks you normally consume! Wowza!!

Fun FactYou can drop a pound a week by trimming 500 calories each day.(Calories burned are based on a 150-pound woman.)

2. Order from the appetizer menu. There are lots of yummy choices here that are much better in portion sizes! Bonus tip: Happy Hour is one of my favorite times to check out a new restaurant. It is an awesome way to try a variety of foods and really test drive the hot spot before you go all in! That way if you don’t care for it, you don’t feel bad about the money you spent. Calories and money saved!

3. Skip the chips or wheat crackers for celery, carrots & cucumber. Slice cucumber and use the same way you would use the cracker. Spread hummus, olive tapenade, add a baby tomato or crimini mushroom for a tasty, healthy snack. More veggie, less empty calories!

4. Salad dressing on the side, always! Ordering a salad can be healthy, but it can also pack a lot of hidden calories…and sugar! When the dressing comes on the side, you have control of how much you put on. Olive oil + red wine or balsamic vinegar is a tasty alternative to creamy dressings.

5. Have a sweet tooth? Try peppermint or chamomile tea with a little bit of honey, digest for a few minutes while you relax post meal and see if that curbs your craving from that richer dessert. Still have it, go ahead, have a little dessert, not the huge portion, better to satisfy than deprive. Moderation, of course!

A little here and a little there with an increase in exercise and boom! Before you know it, you can drop 10 pounds in 5 weeks! Hello swimsuit season!

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Let’s Talk about Ghee, Baby!

Ghee – kind of a fun word to say and I would bet that if you were playing some type of guess the __________ game and never have heard of this word there is no way you would just guess what it was!!I I had no idea at first – but then I discovered, tried and was hooked. For both health reasons and taste.

Here’s the technical definition:

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian cuisines, traditional medicines and even religious rituals. Thank you, Wikipedia! Basically, it is clarified butter. Meaning that it is unsalted & the milk proteins have been removed. It has  a high smoke point making it perfect for cooking — when purchasing the correct brand, has an incredible flavor.

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Benefits to Ghee

  • It is clarified butter. No junk
  • It travels SO well and does not need refrigeration
  • When purchasing the correct brand, has fantastic flavor
  • A little goes a long way. My little 8 oz bottle lasts me a very long time
  • Use it for anything — sauteing fish (Super Yum!), baked potato, drizzled on a sweet potato, to scramble eggs, roasted vegetables. Use it in just about all of the same ways you would use butter
  • Ghee has a very high flash point, 485 degrees F. Perfect to use for cooking
  • Great source for soluble vitamins like Vitamin K and is great for hair, skin & nails. Oh yea!
  • Omega 3, Omega 9 essential fatty acids, antioxidants & minerals that are super for the body!
  • Ghee is easy to make (so I read) just google recipes and give it a go if you prefer to save a little money and make it at home. For me, I make  a lot of my food at home and prefer to purchase my ghee. Like many, I don’t always have the time with my travel schedule to make everything from scratch. I have never made it, so I don’t have a favorite recipe. If you try one & love it, please let me know!

My favorite: Click Here

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Little changes make big results. If you are looking for ways to increase your health and decrease processed foods, try switching out your butter for ghee. A really simple change packed with some bold flavor!  If you have a great recommendation share it in the comments! Sharing is caring!

 

Things that go GLOW in the Dark

Who remembers those little glow in the dark stars that were probably stuck to the walls & ceilings of every kid growing up in the 90’s?! Loved, loved, loved them. My sis and I shared a room our whole life and I was seriously obsessed with those stars. We had two kinds –  the plastic, larger ones that could stick to the ceiling with some putty AND the tiny, little sticker ones that I later learned were miserable to remove when it was time to paint! (Sorry Mom & Dad) The funny part is that my sis and I never tried to make artistic designs or constellations or even thought about putting them on the wall. Our goal was to cover every single white space on the ceiling during the day because at night when we would turn out the lights, it looked so, so cool!

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Anyhow, I was recently putting together a little package for a friend of mine who is newly engaged. Her and her fiancé have the cutest, most curious fun loving little boy. I wanted to include a small gift for him and thought a package of stars was just right. Which, in turn triggered a wonderful trip down my childhood memory lane and an awesome opportunity to share it with a little friend! (We may or may not have just painted over the ceiling of stars…shhhh!)

Whether it is a familiar scent, an accidentally lost & found again picture or something you stumble on while out shopping it is always fun to be reminded of the things that brought joy to your youth. To share it with others is even better, old can be new again. 😉

21 Day Challenge — Are you in?!

As I was walking down the aisles of the Supermarket the other day, I noticed how much the gluten free options were popping out all over place! Crackers, cookies, chips, all types of snacks, frozen food, the list of gluten free foods seems to be growing at a very rapid pace. Not to mention that I also noticed how they were very cleverly placed — on the end caps , in the middle of the main aisle and even in the produce section…((insert dramatic music here) !

gluten-freeAhhhh, U.S. Marketing at its’ finest – guys and ladies, just because the package is labeled gluten free does not mean it is a healthier option for you. It is such a common mis – conception that gluten free automatically means healthy. Remember when the huge fad was if it is fat – free it is better for you?  Never mind the list of all the other stuff that went into that tiny cup of yogurt to make it palatable, it says fat free, so you can eat as many as you want. Yikes, did that ever backfire! It turns out that the whole food, the actual real deal is so much healthier for you and most of  the time you end up eating less of it because you are truly satisfied! Similar to all of the fat free products,  there is most likely a steep list of processed ingredients hidden behind that GF stamp. You are so not alone in thinking it may be better for you — the good news, you can educate yourself and make changes. Which brings me to my next topic, stomach issues.

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Have you ever wondered why it seems that over 50% of people have some sort of stomach or digestive issue? The way we manufacture many of our consumable goods has drastically changed over the decades, it is just a fact. Science, man and our huge demand to keep the shelves stocked in a growing population are all reasons to look a little closer at what you are actually eating. It does seem that more and more young people and I’m talking children & teens are being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s or Irritable Bowl Disease. You really have to wonder why?

Tummy issues are no fun, period. I can totally relate as I fall into the digestive disease disorder, with Crohn’s Disease. If you have ever experienced a distended, swollen and sensitive to even the lightest touch inflammation, you know how uncomfortable stomach issues can be. Inflammation at this level could be causing permanent damage. While there are heaps of anti – inflammatory foods with healing benefits, (stay tuned for a future post on this) the key is to prevent inflammation from happening in the first place and one of the ways that prevention starts is with what you choose to put into your body. Don’t get me wrong, it is a process at first and involves research, some planning, commitment, patience and mega will power. However; like any new routine, once you adapt, it becomes second nature. And the huge pay off  is  not only do you feel so much better, your body’s natural energy level surges, inflammation decreases and you just feel darn good. You may even notice your skin looking clearer and your jeans fitting a little loser, hey, hey, hey!! Try it, I challenge you to take three weeks and cut out all wheat and grains. Journal exactly how you  feel every day and note the small changes too. Three weeks, 21 days, that is it and then decide for yourself. Why three weeks? Because it takes time for the body to adjust to what you are doing. It didn’t get to where it is overnight & it won’t get to where it needs to go overnight. Consistency + dedication = success in anything you are doing! Those small changes will add up to huge results for you! Need some support? I would love to cheer you on along the way!

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Jess over at Paleo Grubs has an awesome, easy & colorful blog to begin your dedication to a healthier you . She includes some really great (easy)recipes, information and insight into how your diet can change your world for a much happier, healthier you! Paleo Grubs – Gluten Free vs. Paleo (What You Need to Know)

San Fran, the Golden Gate & of course, the BIG GAME!

Super Bowl 50 – what an experience!!! (and yes, in case you didn’t know, the Roman numerals were ditched for 2016 (Super Bowl L), but will make a return in 2017) Curious as to why? Read Here. I happened to be fortunate enough to be asked to manage an event in San Francisco at the Super Bowl – well, the NFL Experience to be exact. If you have never been, it is definitely a must attend for all football fans. I never did actually make it to the stadium, though, ha,….let me explain.

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The actual Super Bowl activities are often times spread out across the entire city and the celebration starts many days before the actual event, eight days to be exact for Super Bowl 50. Call me crazy, but never have lived in a Super Bowl city or been a part of the Super Bowl previously, this was news to me. I was located at the NFL Experience where we had several big NFL Autograph signings including: Alex Smith, Ronnie Lott, DeAngelo Williams, DeMarco Murray, Derek Carr & Charles Haley to name just a few.Over 25 pro players were on -site with us for an hour at a time meeting as many guests as they possibly could, signing autographs and taking photos. We met a lot of super cool NFL players  and a few not so cool dudes, as to be expected. As for the Fans, well, what can I say, the NFL has some of the most loyal fans ever and they will line up for hours to meet their favorite player.

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The best story that was shared with our team was from Steeler’s Player, DeAngelo Williams. He took time with each fan to smile, shake their hand, laugh AND share a short conversation all while seeing as many people as he possibly could and here’s why – DeAngleo shared that he remembers waiting in line for hours, as a kid  to meet his idol — his most favorite player in the whole world and when he finally got up to the player he was so excited to meet, the player didn’t  even look up. He signed his name and went onto the next person, without a second glance. Crushed. DeAngelo remembers exactly how he felt in that moment and to this day he makes it a point not to ever let anyone feel the way he did. Granted, every player is  trying to see as many fans as possible, but some do do it with a little more heart & soul. How awesome of a story is that?! Every single fan that left from DeAngelo’s signing was laughing, smiling or talking about just how awesome he was , in person. Don’t get me wrong, these guys are expected to see hundreds of people in such a short period of time and it is by far not easy and not everyone leaves happy, it is near impossible given the time restraints. But, DeAngelo is hands down an awesome guy and really sets the bar high while making it look effortless. And that, my friends is all from a Cleveland Browns fan! 😉

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The energy, hours, crowd & guests were all super intense, in a good way. A  total experience for all football loving fans to be a part of — if ever given the chance, do it!  We did manage to squeeze in a few touristy things while we were out there too because after all, can’t have all work and no play, it is the Super Bowl!

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