UPDATED: PROTEIN MUG PIE "PERRRRRRFECTED"

Alrighty alrighty alrighty... I know I have shared my mug pie recipe before BUT like all great things, improvements are made the more you do/try something and its been fun letting my creative juices floooooooooooow in the kitchen ;-) Here is my updated Mug Pie Recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology (or protein of choice)
• 3 Tablespoons Water
• 1 Egg White
• 1 Tablespoon flour (I use organic whole wheat)
• Dash of Baking Powder
• Splash of Sugar Free Liquid Coffee Creamer (I use Coffee-mate Italian Cream--- aka YUMMO!)
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Cool Whip

INSTRUCTIONS {see quick note below}

1. Grab a large mug and mix first 6 ingredients really really well. {like put some muscle into it}
2. Drop in peanut butter but do NOT mix!
3. Cook in microwave for 60 seconds but STOP at 30 seconds, mix once and put back in for remaining 30 seconds.
4. Remove, top with cool whip and any other little toppings you'd like. (we used crushed graham crackers here BUT you can do cereal, fruits, syrups, etc etc)

All in all, this is a DELICIOUS treat that you can have without feeling guilty! Do not overdue it on the added ingredients and watch your portion sizes because thats when calories/fats/carbs can really add up quick. Experiment and have FUN! 

{Quick NOTE... you may need to add a little more creamer/milk/water depending on YOUR liking and you may need to cook a little more based upon your microwave. We like it a LITTLE runny and not super dry--- you WILL completely ruin it if you cook it 5-seconds too long so check OFTEN and adjust.}

Much love, peace, happiness and BALANCE!

All About Paleo

All About Paleo...
With all the different options floating around out there and the demand for options, I wanted to tap into a little Paleo eating and creating some yummy dishes for myself and family. In doing so, lets not jump all crazy thinking I've jumped over to this style--- I have NOT! I enjoy variety, I enjoy living a healthy lifestyle, I ENJOY trying new methods to find what works for me and my family's needs.

What is Paleo...
Great question! The paleo diet {or really eating plan because its not much of a diet} is focused mainly of eating NATURAL, real food that is readily and widely available with very little processing. Basically, its focused on eating the way NATURE intended us to eat.

What can I EAT on the Paleo Diet...
This style of eating can be very VERY simple {if you keep it that way} OR can be very difficult if you're used to tons of processed foods. Here is a quick list:

1. Lean Meats
2. Fish
3. Seafood
4. Eggs
5. Vegetables
6. SOME fruit
7. Nuts (NO peanuts--- those are actually NOT nuts--- I know, VERY deceiving from its name)
8. Natural Oils

What about the GRAINS (NOT to be confused with CARBS because EVERYTHING has carbs!)?
Grains are 100% OUT on a Paleo Diet! You can't have them and they are NOT good for you. Why you may be asking? Well... two things... and well, I'll talk more about this later because it IS a lot of info.

1. Carb content aka the actual carb that it is. They are very simple carbohydrates that break down into sugar quickly. This creates a SPIKE in your blood sugar levels which increases your insulin levels. Grains also cause bloat and can negatively affect your digestion.
2. Anti-Nutrients! Three different types in grains: lectins, phytates, gluten!

What about DAIRY?
Kinda sorta NO but then there is always that "maybe" area too. There are a few different styles of Paleo and some will incorporate some whole milk and fermented dairy products while others will NOT even have an ounce in its plan. If its processed, its OUT so the more low-fat you get with something, the more processed it is. Just drink the whole milk and eat the REGULAR cheese!

How about those yummy BEANS and things that look like them AKA LEGUMES?
They are NOT paleo and if it is a POD FRUIT, its OUT!

1. Beans
2. Peas
3. Lentils
4. Peanuts
5. Alfafa
6. Clover
7. Carob
8. Soy
9. Lupins

So with all that, WHY THE HECK would someone want to go on a Paleo style of eating?! Its simple... our body LOVES FAT and USES FAT as ENERGY aka BURN BABY BURN! In today's day, we eat SO many carbs that our bodies are using carbs for energy and storing the rest as FAT. The paleo diet changes this because it encourages HEALTHY fats into your diet and minimal carbs; allowing your body to use what it wants to aka FATS! When you eliminate the carbs from your diet, the paleo diet allows your body to start the process of burning fat.

TONS more about this but I wanted to share some research that I have gained :-)

Feel free to check in frequently for more ideas and recipes as I make them.

What a difference a year can make...

525,600 minutes... 8,760 hours... 365 days... 52 weeks... 12 months... ONE YEAR!

What does ONE year look like to you? Can you honestly sit back and reflect on this exact day ONE YEAR ago and come up with a story or a thought or a goal or dream that you felt then? For once, TODAY is a day that I will NEVER FORGET! 07.05.2015 was the START of something GREAT as well as the START to truly FINDING myself!

It's crazy to think that ONE YEAR AGO to this day, I began my NPC Bikini Competition Prep! I know it may seem petty to some BUT to me, it was a HUGE decision and you can feel free to read more on other blogs that I have written here.

NPC Ft. Lauderdale Cup 10.17.2015

Competing was something that I dreamed about since I was 15 years old but like so many things in life, time goes by and we push our dreams and goals to the side to keep up with "life" and what I believed society wanted me to do--- go to school, get a degree, get a good job, settle down, get married, buy a house, have kids and do all that awesome stuff. I do NOT regret any of that but at the same time, I was always one to put others first. I never dreamed BIG, I seemed to set small goals and was afraid of anything that put me in the center of attention SO competing scared the crap outta me BUT it was that one thing that I always fell back on and dreamed... "OH HOW I WONDER".

BUT when I was at my son's school event and instantly INSPIRED by a fellow competitor (my Rockstar friend, Chelsea) that was 4 weeks away from her first show, I immediately knew that I needed to just go ALL IN! And when I say ALL IN, that's exactly what I was going to do! I immediately signed on with a local coach/team, got my meal plan in order and immediately started a very intense and regimented plan. I was 12 weeks out from my very first NPC SHOW! (Part 1 of my story at http://www.fit4lyfe.com/blogposts/npcstory-part1)

As much as I can sit here, a year later, with a very DIFFERENT view on competing and that whole lifestyle, I realize that the experience was something I needed to do for me. I needed to take that leap on a HUGE goal. I needed to TRY and SEE what I was capable of doing. I needed to DO IT for ME!

I learned a LOT about myself, about discipline, about TRUE consistency BUT most importantly, I learned that the competing lifestyle is VERY intense and VERY VERY VERY superficial! Confidence is one thing but the constant "let me see if my abs are still there" or "let me see that forehead vein" {ya'll competitors know EXACTLY what I am talking about} mirror check every FLIPPING hour is SOOOOO freaking ANNOYING! The constant posing every time you see a mirror is ANNOYING and the UNHEALTHY meal plans and workouts were just NOT what I wanted to duplicate nor teach. {YES, I said it!} OH and lets not forget the PERFECT bodies all over IG that make it seem like this lifestyle is so damn easy. {uh NOOOOO!} 

I did NOT know that was the lifestyle when I started or really when I was going through it because I was SOO consumed with it. I did everything my "coach" told me to do and although I questioned the crap out of EVERYTHING, I should have trust MYSELF and my OWN personal experience and knowledge--- I mean HOT DAMN, I am a trainer and coach myself! BUT ya know how it is, we all wanna try other plans to see if they work. We LIVE and we LEARN!

After competing in two back to back shows (within 3 weeks of each other), taking a break and trying to get back into a normal lifestyle was HARD; like really HARD! I STILL struggle to this day with meals and workouts and all that jazz because that competing lifestyle is NOT something you can maintain year-round. You gain a LOT of weight after competing and its TWICE as hard to lose because your entire body physique changes. You look different! You feel different! You eat different! You train different! LIFE is just DIFFERENT!

Now... before we get all "she's bashing the sport", I am NOT! I know a LOT of girls that compete and still compete. Just like EVERYTHING else in life, some things are for some people and some things are just not for others. NOT saying that I would NEVER do it again BUT if I did, it would be with a different approach, different plan and different coach.

BUT for now, I am focusing more and MORE on my INTERNAL HEALTH! I am LETTING GO of this stereotype image that is plastered all over social media! I am working on becoming who I NEED TO BE and who God wants me to BE! I have turned to lifting as my outlet and THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY HAPPY PLACE! I workout to relieve stress, to EXHALE self-doubt and INHALE confidence. This PLACE right here is where TONS of ideas are BORN and where I get enough strength and endurance to JUST KEEP GOING. To give myself ONE MORE REP. To work on PROGRESS and forget about perfection! This place right here is MY HAPPY PLACE!

Whatever it is that YOU decide to do in YOUR life, make it COUNT and give it all you got. NO ONE says you need to do it right or even have it all together but as long as you are our there LIVING and LEARNING, you'll ALWAYS become better.

Seek approval from YOURSELF and no one else. LOVE the life you live and LEAD! Value the person that you are because you are 100% EQUIPPED with EVERYTHING you need in this life. Forget what others think and believe that YOU hold the power to change anything you want to change. It takes ONE person to make a change and that person can be YOU!

525,600 minutes... 8,760 hours... 365 days... 52 weeks... 12 months... ONE YEAR can CHANGE YOUR LIFE! It changed MINE in more ways than I'll EVER know and I will NEVER forget 07.05.2015 and the doors that it has opened for me.

Paleo Chili

OK OK OK... it may be true... I recently took the plunge and have been going a little MORE Paleo these days; and NOT because I am on some sort of "diet" or anything like that. {EWWWW I dislike that word!} If you find yourself asking, what the freak is that "P" word?!?!! Don't worry, I had NO idea what it was when I first saw it either and quite honestly, I thought "great, another DIET".... until I researched, read and understood. Paleo is a way of eating like our ancestors (eat WHOLE foods, unprocessed, nutrient DENSE, nourishing foods. AVOID foods that cause inflammation! BUUUUUUUT, lets save the whole Paleo explanation for another post.)  I am doing it because I like the idea of eating WHOLE FOODS that come from the Earth and not something that is processed or designed to alter the tastes so that we like it. Am I perfect, NOPE. Am I trying, YUP.

I made this Paleo Chili and although it WAS super delicious and super EASY to make, it was more of a Meat Sauce rather than a Chili because there are NO beans in it--- YES, Paleo = NO BEANS! So if you are here expecting beans, ya better skip this one. All in all, use it as a Chili OR as a meat sauce cause its still YUMMO!

Follow on Snap Chat for other recipe ideas: Fit4Lyfesandy

PALEO CHILI (I used a Crock Pot aka Slow Coooker)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground meat (I used 99% fat-free turkey and 94% lean ground beef)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (I buy the FROZEN cubes from Whole Foods)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 4 cups zucchini, chopped
•  1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 15 ounce can tomato puree
• 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
• 2 Teaspoons Oregano
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 
• ·1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional for serving and is NOT Paleo so pick your battles... haha)

Directions:

1. In your crock pot aka slow cooker, dump ALL ingredients (NOT CHEESE) in and mix well. (If you do NOT have a slow cooker or prefer to use the stove-top, prepare in the order listed--- aka brown the meat, add the veggies, cook, add seasonings, simmer for a few hours or until cooked well.)
2. Cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours; stirring towards the last hours.
3. Serve with a little cheese on top.
4. Serve and ENJOY!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Veggie Mac n Cheese

The kids had NOOOOOOOOO idea what they were in for BUT what I can tell you is that good thing I have a bit of self-control because it would have been really REALLY easy to eat the whole pot before I could even serve some to the fam. {OOOOOPS}

If you are looking for a way to get in MORE veggies or even to hide some veggies for those picky eaters, here is an AMAZING and YUMMY recipe that I made a few weeks ago.

Finished product!

Ingredients:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 cups frozen butternut squash pieces (I used the frozen bag from Whole Foods)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
•  1 tsp salt
• ·1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 TBS butter
• 16 oz elbow pasta

Directions:

1. Cook the cauliflower, covered in a saucepan filled about a 1/4 of the way with water for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the squash and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Drain the veggies and let them cool for a minute.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. Put the veggies in the blender with about 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth.  Add the puree to a large sauce pan.  On medium-low heat, add in the milk, salt, cheddar, butter and cream cheese and stir until melted.
4. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir.
5. Serve and ENJOY!

Facebook LIVE video from my kids FIRST reaction to the HIDDEN Veggie Mac n Cheese

Family Friendly "Kid APPROVED" Veggie (SSSSSSHHHHH) Meatloaf

Are you having a hard time finding meals and foods that your kids will EAT?!?!!! My boys are 6.5 and 3 and although they have always been pretty GOOD eaters, we are getting to a point where they think its "COOL" to not like all these delicious meals that I make---- FREAKING FANTASTIC! So whatever my 6.5 year old does, my little one wants to follow and right about NOW, I AM OVER IT! (haha)  SOOOOOOO in an attempt to get some more veggies into their lives, I am HIDING them wherever I can. Check out this cute video of WHAT my boys thought about the most DELICIOUS meatloaf that I came up with. (MOM-1, Boys-0... SCORE!)

My Go-TO EASY Healthy Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 2 egg whites

• 1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup cauliflower rice (I use the frozen from Trader Joes)

• 3/4 cup grated zucchini

• 1/2 packet Sazon Tropical Seasoning

• 1/2 cup low-sodium ketchup

Directions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400-degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix egg whites, breadcrumbs, cauliflower rice (its OK if its frozen), zucchini and Sazon seasoning until blended well.

3. Add 2 lbs of meat and mix really really well.

4. Dump into 9x9 glass baking pan.

5. Bake COVERED for 45-minutes.

6. Remove from oven, spread ketchup on top and bake an additional 20 minutes or until center is no longer pink.

7. Serve with veggies or salad or in our case, SPINACH!

8. ENJOY and let me know what you think!